The General's Daughter

Chapter 18

My aunt and uncle called after me, but I couldn't stop. I had to get to Papa now! They would understand soon enough.

I reached the front gate and all the exhilaration I'd felt before, evaporated. In it's place was absolute terror because someone had broken in. The gate, normally close to impenetrable at night, was ajar. I stepped through and stared in horror at Arthur and another man I didn't know. They lay, dead on the ground, a few feet from the entrance.

"Keira, what-?" My aunt caught up to me and froze, noticing what I had.

Regaining my focus, I sped toward the house, taking the steps two at a time and flying through the front door. It was also uncharacteristically left open and another unfortunate servant lay unmoving on the floor. I was thankful it was too dark to see very clearly.

For a moment, I stood in the atrium, wondering where to go. Were my parents in their room? What about the boys and Aunt Keira's children? Where were the men who'd done this? I hadn't thought to grab any sort of weapon before charging in here. The dagger that I'd clung to so firmly was still back where Garvan had knocked it from my hand. But glancing down, I noticed there was a small knife near the servant at my feet. He must have attempted to fight off whoever killed him.

Aunt Keira caught up to me again as I was stuffing it in my waistband.

"Let me go first," she cautioned.

I had every intention of listening, but then I figured out where Papa was from the noises that came from the direction of his office.

Without a second thought, I ran as fast as humanly possible toward my father who, from the sound of it, was fighting someone.

"Keira stop!" my aunt called, but I ignored her.

There were more bodies along the way. I felt awful for stepping over them, but I had to get to Papa.

As I got closer, I tripped and glanced back to see one of Garvan's servants, lying dead.

Was he the one responsible for killing all those other people? Papa must have killed him. Good.

I raced on and was overjoyed when my father came into view. As I guessed, he was just inside of his office. I thought he'd been fighting someone, but he was just standing there, holding his sword.

He must have already killed whoever it was. I was so happy to see him - and to see that he was unharmed, that I ran through the doorway, not thinking to check for another body.

Papa's head whipped in my direction and instead of the elation that I felt, he looked angry.

"Keira, get back!" he shouted, his face going white.

A second too late, I realized my mistake as strong arms grabbed me from behind. For the second time in a few minutes, I was held prisoner by a detestable man. I struggled against him, but the man only tightened his grip.

Papa moved as if to tear him apart, but stopped when the man put his sword to my throat.

"Ah ah ah, Papa," the man taunted. "You wouldn't want nothin' to happen to this pretty lil' thing, now would ya?"

This man had to be insane. Didn't he realize that this quest of his was hopeless? Garvan was dead and most, if not all, of his accomplices were as well. Whatever happened to me, he was never going to make it out of here alive.

"Your fight is with me," Papa said. "Let her go and face me like a man."

He barked a laugh. "Nice try, General, but I ain't stupid. Now, you're gonna put your sword down nice and slow and then you're gonna sign them papers. After that..." He ran his fingers down my face. "Well, I'm sure I'll think of something."