Refuge In The Shadows

5.

James heard the screams as he surveyed the now quiet parlour room whose inhabitants were slumped over unconscious. All he had to do was slip a few herbs that he got from an apothecary back home in London into the teapots left outside the door and watched as the tea was being served to the women by a maid. But he did not celebrate for long as he sprinted out the parlour and the front door of the manor to get to the source of the anguished cries. Once he arrived at the lake, what he saw shook him to his core. Carys, the strongest and most fearless girl he had ever met, was on her knees in the grass with her head hung low, her thick, dark hair partially concealing her delicate face.

Something in him commanded that he comfort her. Taking in her shaking form, he took off his cloak and gently draped it over her shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye, James saw Carys tug his cloak closer to her for warmth. He smiled softly, relieved that he could somehow ease her pain. As Carys listlessly gazed at the lake's waters, James stayed close by with his sword drawn. In this part of Wales, bandits often roamed these plains and he knew Carys was not in the right condition to defend herself. James did not remain with her for no more than two minutes when he heard the thundering of three pairs of boots running towards them. At the front of the group was Cadeyrn his expression full of fury when he saw his twin sister huddling alone with James. Cadeyrn shoved James so forcefully he tumbled to the ground, "Stay away from my sister," Cadeyrn seethed before sitting down next to Carys. Bryn hauled James up sympathetically then he and Rhys went over to the horses to pack up. James kept his gaze on Carys to make sure she was all right.

Sensing her brother's presence, Carys finally looked up from the water and met Cadeyrn's eyes. Cadeyrn wordlessly brushed aside her hair from her face. He, Bryn, and Rhys saw what was left of Beckett in his study and knew something had happened in there. Cadeyrn did not force Carys to tell him what had transpired. She would talk to him when she was ready, but he had an inkling that it had something to do with their parents. While Carys had nerves of steel, the one thing that completely unraveled her was any mention of their mother and father and the revelations of her first trip to London. Cadeyrn tried to quell his rage for his sister's sake, but he could not help but wish he could follow Beckett into the depths of Hell just so he could rip the head off his body again and again. "Come, we must leave and put as much distance between us and the manor as possible before someone discovers that Beckett is dead. Everyone in the manor is either dead or unconscious so it buys us some time."

Carys shakily got to her feet and leaned on Cadeyrn for support as they made their way to Bryn, Rhys, and James. Bryn approached Carys and gave her a hug which she returned gratefully, much to Cadeyrn's displeasure. "If this is any consolation, I searched high and low for that charming daughter only to hear from a passing maid that she was on an overnight trip at her friend's estate. I was utterly heartbroken." Carys blinked. Rhys placed a piece of bread in her hand and touched her wrist comfortingly, "I do not want you to travel on an empty stomach." Sitting on the grass, Carys watched as the four boys saddled up the horses.

Amidst the activity, Carys remembered something. She stepped towards James who never once took his eyes off of her since he found her by the lake. She pulled off his cloak and offered it back to its rightful owner. James took this time to study her. With hair tumbling down her back, red-rimmed wide eyes, and dirt and blood smeared on her cheeks, Carys shed the stone-cold ruthlessness people feared and revealed a more fragile side of her, the inner humanity every single one of them had buried deep inside for safekeeping. "N-no, p-please keep it, it is yours now," James stammered as he hastily placed it back on her shoulders. Before he could do anything else, Cadeyrn ushered Carys towards her horse, glancing back at James in reproach.

Five minutes later, the five galloped into the night, just as silently as they came.

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