The Secret of Moonacre - SECRECY

Chapter 41

We hurried back into the village to "John's House". I'm pretty sure it wasn't even his. My five bandits were following closely behind me as we walked down the narrow passage and formed a line behind me as we stood at the door.

"Maybe I should go in first?" Robin suggested, stepping next to me.

I nodded "Very well"

Robin walked up the steps and pushed open the unlocked wooden door and peered his head around the side. After glancing around he nodded to us and we filed through.

"Uncle?" I called throughout the house. There was no answer. He would come here wouldn't he?

The bandits searched the entire house but no one was about.

"No one upstairs" Lexi said as he skipped over the banister.

"I don't know where else they could be" I sighed.

"The jewels are gone too" Robin added, showing me the empty box.

There was a silence for a minute as everyone waited for me to say something.

Suddenly outside, there was a muffled scream and sounds of gunshots and explosions. My head snapped to the door and I ran outside, to see the next door house on fire with a woman and her child running out. I rushed to them with the bandits behind me.

"What happened?!" I exclaimed to the panicked woman.

She was out of breath. "I don't know myself, there was a high pitched whistle and then suddenly the left side of the house was up in flames" she panted, clutching on to her scared child.

"It's okay, we're going to help you" I told her. As I placed my hand on the back of her little boy's head, warm liquid spread through my fingers and I whipped my hand away. "Paul, take them to the maitron, quickly please" I instructed as the mothers face look horrified at the sight of my hand.

Paul stepped forward and picked the little boy up, and took the mothers hand and ran off to the maitron down the path.

More and more people were gathering around us to examine the scene of the burning house.

I heard a high pitched whistle and suddenly there were arms around my head holding me tight as an explosion big enough to shake the ground happened just behind us. The arms loosened as I heard more screams and Robin let me go. There were gun shots from around the corner and I was pulled back.

"Maria, this is dangerous! You need to be careful!" Robin told me sternly.

"I understand. But we need to get these people to safety quickly. Who knows where the next one could happen?" I said. But as if somebody knew, there was the high pitched whistle again and I clamped my hands over my ears. The explosion was a lot closer and a few loose bits of rubble hit the side of my face, marking it slightly. There were screams again and I saw men's arms around their wives and children's shoulder, guiding them to safety.

"Robin I don't understand what's going on!" I shouted over the roaring flames and crashing wood.

"Neither do I" he called back from one of the empty houses.

"Lexi? Alex?" I called, looking around for the two bandits.

They appeared next to me "I need you both to go and evacuate all the civilians from their homes immediately and send them to the castle. I'll send a message to Loveday and Ms Heliotrope so they're prepared"

"Yes. Of course. Be careful" Alex said, patting Lexi as they ran off into each home.

I was left with George and Robin. "I need to send a message to Loveday somehow"