The Wizard's Misery The Chronicles of the Midlands Book One

Chapter Twenty Three

Thinking about how she was going to escape, Celine tested the ropes around her feet finding them just tight enough to keep her secured to the chair. The ropes around her hands were also tied just securely enough so that she couldn't use them but loose enough to allow for circulation. She thought she'd try to see if she could work them off without Jackman noticing and so she grasped the rope with the fingers of one hand and gently tried to ease the other one out. But, it was useless and she only chafed her wrists.

"We're going to have a long way to go tomorrow," Jackman said as he finished his pipe and knocked the ashes out into the fireplace. He poked at the fire and rearranged a few pieces of wood and then turned back towards her. "I think I'll go ahead and lay you down on that bed over there so you will be comfortable enough to sleep. How does that sound?"

Celine felt a pang of anxiety and her heart started thumping as he approached. She didn't know what his intentions were and her muscles tensed as he bent over and started untying the rope from around her feet. As soon as her feet were free, she kicked him and jumped up. He fell backwards onto the floor and she ran towards the door. He grabbed her from behind just as she reached it and held her in a bear hug as she desperately tried to kick him but he was holding her too close to his chest for her to land a blow. "There's no need to be so scared," he breathed into her ear. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He dragged her over to the bed and pushed her down and tried to tie the rope back around her legs. She kicked at him frantically so he sat on her legs immobilizing them. He wrapped the rope around her ankles tying her legs firmly together and when he finished, he smiled down at her. "See? I'm not going to hurt you. You'll be more comfortable lying down than sitting in that chair."

He climbed off her legs and stood beside the bed. "There's no sense trying to escape like that," he told her. "We're a long way from the main road. Even if you manage to get away from me, you won't make it far before I catch you," he said as he gently brushed her hair away from her face and she lifted her bound hands and knocked his hand away. "You might as well just give up," he said smiling. "But, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to take you the Tower and get my money," he told her, in a feeble attempt to reassure her.

He grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bed and covered her with it. "Warm enough?" he asked as he grabbed another blanket and spread it out on the floor beside the bed.

Going to the kitchen table, he picked up the lantern and carried it to the bedside table and set it down. Picking up the last blanket from the foot of the bed,  he put out the light. "I'm going to be sleeping right here on the floor beside you. So, if you try anything I'll know," he said wrapping the blanket around himself. "Sweet dreams, Beautiful," he said softly and laid down on the floor.

Celine looked down to where he lay and wondered about what she would do. "I can't get away when I'm all tied up with him lying there beside me," she thought. "Maybe tomorrow morning when we get ready to leave I'll have a chance. He'll have to untie my feet so I can walk outside and then I'll kick him and try to run away," she told herself hopefully. "Otherwise I'll have to try to escape while we're on the Central Plains heading to the Tower. But, there's no place to hide and he'll be able to see me for miles before I could get away. So, tomorrow may be my only chance," she thought dismally.

She rolled over, looking away from him and tried to get comfortable. She was wide awake with apprehension and all her muscles were tense making it impossible for her to relax. "I can't believe that the Wizard's Misery got switched with the fake one!" she thought. "But if that's the case, why did I get sick and my hair turn white? None of this makes sense," she told herself as she puzzled over this for a few moments without coming up with any answers.