Bladed Wings Read online

  “Yes. Yes I can walk,” I stammered.

  “Good. Then follow me quickly!”

  Half limping, half running I followed his retreating back through the library. The door opened of its own accord as we ran through it. We raced down to the second floor then sprinted through the hall. I was losing the panic I had felt only seconds before replacing it with anger. I sped up so that I was matching him stride by stride as we sprinted through the kitchen.

  “Lill’, do you have the dagger that I gave you?” Michael asked over his shoulder.

  “Yeh.”

  “Good, hang on to the hilt but don’t get it out yet. Keep it hidden.”

  I lifted my dress and felt the cool metal beneath my hand. Suddenly I felt a lot braver. I would fight not run if we had to face him again.

  We were outside running over the damp dew covered grass only minutes after leaving the library. My hair whipped out behind me and the wind made my eyes blurry with tears. I looked up and saw Michaels back round a corner I reached the corner a second after him and skidded to a stop. He was nowhere to be seen.

  I gazed around me hoping that he had just ducked down behind something and I had missed it, but he was nowhere in sight.

  “Michael…Michael” I called as loud as I dared. There was no reply. I leant against the wall and tried to catch my breath, wiping my eyes on the hem of my nightgown.

  “Lilly.” I jumped back, the voice was coming from inside the wall right where my head had been seconds earlier. As I watched, a small panel swung open, Michaels arm reached out and guided me inside. It was cold and damp but I could see by the light of the candle Michael held that we were in an old service entrance.

  “You should be safe in here. It’s an escape tunnel. This house was built several hundred years ago, the owners were afraid that if they came under attack they would become trapped inside. The only way out were the main doors or the kitchen door, so they built this tunnel as a fast way out of the manor and to the waiting horses in the stables which are just across that field.”

  I leant against the damp wall whilst he closed the old wooden door that had been painted to resemble the wall outside.

  “We are safe in here. Take a few deep breaths and calm down.” He sat looking at me a stern expression on his face. I took a deep breath and sat down across from him.

  “I need you to tell me everything that happened in the library just now, ok?”

  I told him everything, from when I got out of bed to when he arrived. When I got to the part about the note, he stopped me and asked to see it.

  He read though it slowly frowning slightly than asked about the seal.

  “Do you know whose seal it was?” he asked

  “No, I was hoping you did.” He shook his head and motioned for me to continue.

  “There is still one thing that I don’t understand.” I finished. “How did you know where I was?”

  “I knew that you wouldn’t have asked to meet me unless you had something important to say, so I was planning to get to the library early. I was just outside the door when I saw someone walking around the shelves. I thought that it was you at first but as I came in I saw you on the other side of the shelf and figured you could use some help. I stood at the door watching for a while until I realised that you where getting ready to flee, so I realised you felt you were in danger somehow.

  “Fortunately I don’t think that who ever it was saw me or we may not have made it out. There is one thing for certain though, and that’s that they had not expected to be interrupted, which makes me think that this note must have been what they where looking for. When he realised it wasn’t there he became enraged and knocked over one of the shelves.”

  Michael was still looking at the letter, turning it over and over in his hands.

  I was staring blankly at the wall, watching a clump of moss that seemed to be moving, when it suddenly came to me.

  “I know!” I exclaimed, making Michael jump slightly.

  “I remember where I have seen that seal before, I knew that it was familiar but I couldn’t think where I had seen it.” Michael just sat there looking at me, still obviously with his mind on the letter.

  “Hello, earth to Michael,” I said waving my hand in front of his face.

  “What, oh sorry, you said that the seal looked familiar to you?”

  “Yes, I just remembered where I have seen it.”

  “…And” he pressed.

  “It was in Miss Rosmerta’s study, there is a big tapestry of it in there.”

  This obviously got his attention, because he sat up and leaned in closer to me so that I could smell the sweat on his body.

  “Are you sure!” He asked.

  “Well yeh, if you had spent as much time as I have in there you would remember too.”

  He stood up, blew out the candle and opened the door.

  “Alright you may not like this idea but it’s the best thing we can do,” he stated as we walked back across the lawn. “You need to be home schooled. You’re not safe here and if what they tell me is true, the people that are after you know where you are. You’re lucky though,” he added. “If this letter is from one of them we don’t think that they know who you are yet.” He was looking at me as though willing me to trust that this was good news. For a second I hated every thing about him, if it hadn’t been for him I would be happy and just living my life happy and carefree. As I looked at him the feeling slowly ebbed away.

  He was just doing his job, even if he was being slightly tactless about it. I knew that deep down I was thankful he was here.

  We walked slowly back to my room, passing the stables on the way.

  Michael assured me that I would be safe for a few more days and that he would make all the arrangements for me to return home. Just before he left he raised my hand to his lips, gently kissing the tips of my fingers. Warmth spread down through my body and my heart fluttered.

  “Don’t worry so much,” he said his eyes sparkling. I watched him until he was around the corner hoping that he hadn’t noticed my flushed cheeks, then went into my room to get changed for breakfast.

  Our first class was History and to my dismay we spent it in the library. As we walked in I noticed that the wood around the door had splintered and the ground around it was littered with books. The librarian was hurriedly scooping them out from under our feet and stacking them on a desk.

  We walked in further and I could see that one of the shelves had fallen over. I realised to my horror as we sat down at a spare table that the shelf was in the same aisle that Michael and I had been hiding in one metre from where we had lay sprawled on the floor.

  I found it hard to concentrate that lesson. The librarian scurried around the shelves, muttering viscously under her breath as she directed two of the kitchen boys where to place the broken pieces of the shelving. An hour later, I had only managed to scribble down half a page of our ten page assignment. The kitchen boys stared longingly after us as we left for lunch, with the librarian screeching at them from across the room.

  During lunch a notice was voiced over the intercom that the library had been damaged in last nights storm, and considering the fact that no one could remember a storm they accepted this explanation without question. I got up to take my bowl to the counter and passed Linda, she flatly ignored me, walking past with her nose in a book. I was about to throw my napkin at her but noticed that there was writing on it. I moved to the side of the room where I was partially covered by a wall so that I could read it in private.

  It’s all arranged but you must leave tomorrow morning, your no longer safe here. Meet me where we where this morning at 9am tomorrow. Keep the dagger with you at all times.

  

  I assumed it was from Michael, and that this was his sneaky way of saying, 9am in the tunnel under the school.

  “What are you doing around here Lill?” Trina had come up behind me so quietly that I jumped guiltily when she peered over my shoulder to see what I was reading.r />
  “Oh I dropped my earring, shall we go for a walk before dinner?” I hurriedly tucked the note up my sleeve and strode out, Trina following along behind me. We got to the main doors when I heard hurried footsteps coming down the marble stairs behind us.

  “Madam, Madam!” It was one of the Ladies footmen. He hurried down the stairs as fast as he could without actually running.

  “Madam, the lady wishes to have an audience with you immediately,” he said.

  Trina and I turned to follow him back, but he stopped us and said that it was only me who she wished to see and that Trina did not need to come. Trina looked slightly put out but curtseyed to the footman and left the hall. The footman stared after her looking very sorry to see her go.

  We arrived at the ladies door slightly out of breath after getting there in record time.

  “Wait here and I shall announce you.” The footman said opening the doors enough to slip through than closing them hurriedly behind him.

  A moment later the doors opened again and he ushered me in. The lady was sitting on a Maroon Sofa by the window, holding a letter in her white-gloved hand. I was taken to the armchair to her left and given a cup of tea. I took a sip, more out of nerves than because I was thirsty, as the footman excused himself.

  “My dear, I have just now received news from your Grandmother. It appears that you will shortly be leaving us. Is this true?”

  I had only spoken to Michael this morning how could he have gotten a reply this fast. It also made me nervous because if grandmother had answered than it meant that mum was still ill.

  “Yes my lady it is true.” I said composing myself.

  “But why my dear, are you unhappy?” She said in her sweet melodious voice.

  “Not at all, I fear that it is just a case of home sickness.”

  She looked at me for a minute, than lent over and handed me the letter that she was holding. I tried to hide my surprise as I read the letter, what on earth had Michael told her. I could sense the Lady watching me closely, looking for a sign perhaps that what grandmother had written was not true. When I had finished reading the Lady reached over and took the letter from me, “Does anything in that letter seem unusual to you?” she asked.

  I tried to look confused, which as not hard as I really was a little confused.

  “No my Lady.”

  She looked at me intently for a moment than gave a sigh and lent back in her chair.

  “Very well, you may go.”

  I placed my tea beside the letter on the side table and made my way to the door. I was pulling it open when the lady spoke from her place by the window.

  “Just one more thing before you go, where were you this morning at breakfast.”

  “I was feeling unwell so went for a walk in the grounds.” I said, hoping she could not detect a lie as easily as Trina.

  “Very well, off you go.” I hurriedly pulled the door open and slipped through.

  To my surprise it was already dark outside and I could hear movement downstairs. How long had I been in there, it had felt like only a few minutes but it must have been at least two hours. As I moved down the hall I could hear the distinct sound of guests moving around below in the entrance hall. I hurried along to my room to change, hoping that my clothes had been laid out as I would be late if they weren’t.

  Thankfully Trina and Monica where still there getting ready. They where both rushing around but stopped to help me when I came in.

  “If you had been any longer we were going to come and look for you. But then we saw the footman that had fetched you and he said that you hadn’t left the Ladies room yet so we came back here to get ready for dinner.”

  “You should see the guests, they look like royalty with all their jewels and glimmering gowns”, said Monica, piling my hair on my head in an elegant bun.

  It was another half an hour before we were all ready. We moved down the hall with as much grace as we could muster and I felt that if I had known that I would look like this at the start of the year I would have laughed.

  I was dressed in a cream coloured gown with a gold embroidered cape covering my shoulders. I had golden eye shadow with dark red lipstick. My hair was done up using a string of pearls and many glittering gold hairpins.

  Trina was wearing a brilliant red gown with black accessories and scented oils rubbed on to her dark skin making it glow with a golden hue. Monica had on a black and silver dress with glittering diamond bracelets and she carried herself with an air of power. I thought that if the guests looked half as good as us than they must be royalty.

  When we reached the bottom of the stairs I couldn’t help but gasp.

  The hall had been lit with hundreds of glowing candles. The table was draped with gold and white embroidered cloth and adorned with glittering crystal sculptures.

  There where perhaps fifty guests already gathered around talking and as Monica had said they looked beautiful.

  The ladies where wearing tiaras and glittering jewels and the men where in crisp black suits. There were also military men who wore uniforms hung with medals and ribbons on their chests.

  “Are we ready to enter the snake pit girls.” We all laughed and swept into the room.

  Chapter 11

  We were swept up in the excitement of the evening moving from one group of guests to another. Our task for the night was to act as hosts, so polite conversation and gracious smiles were to be seen all around the room. At 8pm on the dot a tinkling bell was rung signalling dinner was ready.

  Dinner was an incredible feast of roast duck and quail. There were lashings of potato, dripping with butter, golden breads and plates piled high with exotic fruits. The wines flew freely easing the atmosphere around the room.

  Sticky date puddings and rich truffles were served for desert, followed by tea and coffee with sugared fruits on the side.

  The babble of talk picked up again as everyone finished and shortly we where ushered into the ballroom.

  There was an impressive fifty piece orchestra at the end of the room which begun to play as we entered. Several couples swept onto the dance floor in a graceful waltz as everyone else moved about the edges of the room. This was the part of the night that we were free to do as we wished.

  Trina, Monica and I moved to one side and all collapsed onto the same chair.

  “Isn’t this just grand,” Trina sighed.

  “Grand doesn’t describe it, I heard a rumour that someone here is actually royalty, or a cousin of the royal family or something,” added Monica.

  “Oh wouldn’t it be dreamy if we met them, who do you think they are?” I asked.

  “What about that man over there? He looks rich.”

  She was pointing to a large purple man at the end of the room.

  “Or maybe not,” she corrected as the man pinched one of the girls as she shuffled past him.

  We had great fun trying to pick who everyone was, at one point Monica was asked to dance by a young man in a white uniform. Not long after this I was asked to dance by a gentleman who looked to be in his late forties. Trina had not been without a partner for the last four dances, switching from soldier to noble son every time she spun.

  I soon learned that my partner was not a very good dancer but was saved by a handsome soldier who cut in mid way through the song. It was all very proper of course. The young man who later told me his name was James, tapped the gentleman on the shoulder, they both bowed to each other, than to me, then I curtseyed to James as we started around the room.

  James was a beautiful dancer but I only got to dance for him for one song before another young soldier cut in.

  I could see Monica cutting a graceful arc across the room with her partner, as men and women alike stared on longingly.

  I was quite exhausted by the end of the song, unfortunately when the next song started up a young lord took my hand and led me into a swift kind of jig around the room. Just when I thought I could die of embarrassment, another young man tapped my shoulder.

>   We went through the bowings and curtseys and the new man grasped my hand and swept around the room in graceful long strides. A few people even stopped to watch. I wondered if this could be the cousin of royalty as he must have danced at many balls to dance with such grace. What confused me though was that he was young and handsome yet his hands where rough and callused and he lacked several accessories from his soldiers uniform such as a belt and had missed a button in the middle of his coat. He must have sensed my confusion because he lent in and whispered in my ear.

  “I borrowed the jacket from a young man that was feeling a little warm, I couldn’t let you have all the fun now could I?”

  I drew back and took all of him in. I almost tripped when I finally realised this handsome stranger was Michael.

  He tightened his arm around my waist to stop me from falling and laughed. I hadn’t recognised him at first because I was used to seeing him wearing work clothes and covered in dirt. Tonight however he was in a crisp white shirt beneath the red jacket and crisp black pants.

  “What are you doing here won’t you get in trouble?” I couldn’t help but grin as I said this.

  “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

  He spun me and swept me down into a graceful dip. Trina came spinning over to us with her partner, a tall fair-haired man, and winked at me. She stayed with us for a moment looking at Michael, before her partner swept her off again. Just as she turned I saw the look on her face change so fast that it was almost comical, as she realised who my partner was.

  We danced another two songs before he kissed my hand and hurried back into to the servants door behind the orchestra flinging the jacket on the back of chair as he passed. It was almost 10pm by this time and time for the Lady to address her guests.

  The noise in the hall dulled as everyone turned their attention the doors at the end of the hall as they were thrown open and the Lady walked in.

  “Friends,” she begun throwing her arms wide in welcome and sweeping her long gown around her. “It is wonderful to have you all here tonight. I trust that you have all been getting to know one another. If I may take this opportunity to introduce a few of my friends to you all.”