Bladed Wings Page 9

  A young man stepped forward and bowed low. I recognised him as the fair haired man that Trina had been dancing with.

  “May I introduce Lord Roufus Holmsworth, who has kindly honoured us with his presence tonight.”

  He stepped off to one side as a young lady took his place beside the Lady and curtseyed in turn.

  “Presenting, The Countess Esmerelda of Lisol.”

  This continued for Duke Richard, Princess Sophie of Swone and Madam Belitrise of Finre. Her final guests advanced together, a handsome young man with a golden band encircling his brow lead an elderly woman who wore a golden crown encrusted with precious stones.

  “Presenting Her Majesty Queen Wynstome and His Royal Highness Prince Heathcliff.” This time the whole room bowed as one, the Lady swept into her lowest curtsey. Her majesty and the prince were directed to a row of maroon and gold chairs that were at the head of the hall, to which the other guests had already been seated. The Lady went on with her speech.

  “I am humbled beyond words that so many of our friends have graced us with their presence tonight. As you know this ball is in honour of Her Majesty Queen Wynstome and she has asked me if I would extend the hand of friendship to another of our guests here tonight,” She smiled around the room. “I was informed that she would indeed be here however I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting her.”

  Everyone was now looking around the room, as if trying to spot this mystery lady in the crowd.

  “So if I may ask the Lady Amaris to step forward please.”

  I took a step forward. All eyes in the room where suddenly on me, I had no idea why I had moved and before I knew it I was taking another step. The Lady was smiling down at me. The People on either side of me where stepping back to let me pass, it was as though I was being urged forward by one hundred powerful hands all pushing and pulling me. I was halfway to the front of the room, then just a few steps from where the lady was standing, she held out her hand for me. I reached forward when suddenly, the pushing stopped and my mind raced with fear. A sudden flash of white light swept out ahead of me. The lady and I were thrown apart and across the room.

  Something dug into my hip and I yelped in pain. I reached down and found that I had landed on the dagger that Michael had given me. It was glowing white hot and vibrating slightly and appeared to have grown several inches.

  Two men rushed forwards to help me to my feet but were forced back by another blast of white light. This time I saw that it had come not from me, but from the necklace that Jacqueline had given me. I had taken to wearing it beneath my collar whenever I went out. It was still glowing slightly as I hastily pushed it back beneath my dress.

  Four stewards were helping the Lady to her feet. She was positively pulsing with rage as she started down towards me. The guests around us had all moved back to form an arc behind me. I scrambled to my feet and ran into someone. I turned to find Trina standing as still as stone and gazing blankly ahead. I looked around and found that everyone had similar expressions on their faces. They were all slowly moving backwards as a solid wall of people never faltering.

  The Lady was standing just metres from me, her dress whipping around her ankles despite the still air in the room. I could see behind her that the Lords and Ladies, with the exception of the Queen, where not frozen like everyone else but moving hastily up behind her.

  I was trying to find a way out never taking my eyes off the Lady, but realising that the rapidly expanding wall of people were blocking every door.

  “Well my dear, so you are the one. I never would have guessed it. Your sister maybe, she had talent, always in the right place at the right time weren’t you my dear.”

  “Yes my Lady,” said Linda taking her place beside the Lady with the others.

  “Very willing to lend a hand spying on my pupils for me when she found out what we were about.” A sickening grin was spreading across Linda’s face as Cassandra spoke.

  I was rapidly trying to digest everything that was going on. First The Lady and some of the most powerful people in the country turn out to be the very people that I was hiding from. My own sister was involved, and just to make things even more complicated a sharp pain was rapidly spreading up my bruised hip.

  “Now tell me darling, where are they hiding?” She asked.

  Telling her that I had no idea what she was talking about wouldn’t help matters, so instead I tried to stall her to give me time to find an exit.

  “What will you do if I tell you?” I asked.

  “Why, let you go of course. We are not monsters. We have been looking for you for months my dear, to try and protect you from them.”

  I knew this was a lie. The Lady had that same glint in her eye as mum when she was telling a lie.

  “How do I know I can trust you?” My mind was racing. If I could just get through to the kitchen I could get out the back door, or at least get help.

  “If we had wanted to harm you, we would have done it long before now. Please my dear, trust us we mean you no harm. Tell us, where they are hiding!” For the briefest moment the Ladies voice lost its sickening sweetness and was instead a frightfully dark and viscous snarl.

  Suddenly there was a great series of crashes and yelps from the direction of the kitchen.

  A line of waiters had been bringing out more drinks when they encountered the wall of guests. People where sprawled on the ground rubbing their heads in confusion having been knocked out of the stupor that had enslaved them.

  Only two waiters had managed to stay on their feet, one had lost his tray and was helping others to their feet and the other was Michael.

  “What is he doing here,” said Linda. The Lady turned to look at her, a questioning look on her face.

  “That’s our grounds keeper from home, why would you hire him, he’s useless.”

  The Lady seemed to find this piece of information highly amusing.

  “So, Michael is it? Well I should have known that Isaldia would not have let her jewel wander around un-protected. Please, come and join us.”

  Michael was thrown through the air, landing in a heap beside me. He didn’t pretend that it hadn’t hurt, and took his time getting up.

  “So how many more of you are there?” she looked around the room pausing on the pile of waiters struggling to find their feet.

  “Just me…” said Michael, “So just stop this ridiculous game and let her go.”

  “Game, what makes you think that this is a game.”

  “Oh, please. We all know that this is just a feeble attempt to get into Ti-“

  “Owwf. Finally, who put that on me, hey? Not very nice thing to do! Now what- oh dear, it seems my timing is a little off.”

  Everyone spun towards the voice, there was a figure stepping out from between the crowd.

  “Now what is all this fuss about,” It was Trina. “Roufus, up to your old games as usual I see.” She looked different as she stood hands on hips scolding the Lord. She seemed taller and her hair that had come free of its pins was definitely longer than I remembered.

  “Well you know me Tri, always like to be where the action is,” replied the fair-haired lord from behind the Lady.

  “Where the trouble is more like and Lill please stop looking at me like that,” She added turning to look at me a slight smile on her face.

  “But how,” I started.

  “Well it took me longer than I would have liked but I eventually worked out what she had used. Tricky little spell it was too.”

  “Well its good to know I have someone that can help anyway,” added Michael, plainly relieved that she wasn’t part of the Lady’s band.

  “Yes I suspected something was up with you that night when we were showing you how to cook. I gather you’re rather stronger than I had.”

  “Enough! Tell me where they are wench or I will loose my temper!”

  The group behind the lady where slowly advancing, some pulling small objects from their pockets. One man was twirling what looked like a ballpoin
t pen between his fingers.

  “Well, I can see I may have arrived just in the nick of time,” Trina stepped back with one foot, closed her eyes and made a series of hand gestures in the air as though trying to swat away a fly.

  One of the women let out a scream and vanished down what looked like a large black pit that had appeared in the floor, a moment later it closed and left the others gaping at the spot where their companion had disappeared.

  Trina smiled and opened her eyes, however her smile quickly vanished. It was clearly not the result she had been aiming for.

  “Oh drat. Tell me, was there a large man or a small smelly creature?” She asked chewing her lip.

  “No, there was a big pit,” replied Michael.

  “Oh…well I guess that will have to do. I always seem to make pits when I try that one.”

  The Lady let out a scream that made all three of us cover our ears. Advancing once again the band was just metres from where we stood.

  “I think everyone will agree that desperate times call for desperate measures,” said Michael advancing slightly. He raised his hands above his head than swung them back down shouting “Orcaritor ui Rok”.

  There was a sucking noise as the two people closest to us froze where they were and turned a dull black colour.

  Michael swayed faintly before regaining himself, somewhat out of breath. The Lady was laughing, her two remaining followers where looking from her to their fallen comrades with looks of uncertainly.

  “So, you think some little magic tricks are going to stop me? Rufous, bind them please.”

  “But my Lady they are only children after all, what harm could they possibly do us?”

  “My dear boy, you have a lot to learn, size matters not. Now do as I say! We have more important things to be getting on with.”

  He pulled a length of rope from his belt and flung it spiralling into the air. Before we could move it had wrapped itself tightly around all three of us, I was soon having difficulty breathing as it tightened its grip pulling us together.

  “Good, now fetch that pretty little necklace from her, as you said, no more games Michael.”

  He advanced towards me, but was met by a wall of the same white light from the locket.

  “I cannot my Lady, it prevents me from getting any closer,” Roufus said.

  “Can you reach the dagger I gave you,” whispered Michael from somewhere behind me.

  “Um, yes I can touch it but this rope is too tight for me to get a good hold on it.”

  “Never mind it will have to do, try and turn yourself so that the blade is as close to the rope as you can get it.”

  I tried turning but only made the rope hold tighter. I tried instead shifting my hip so that it was higher and closer to the last bind. A stab of hot pain swept down my leg as I twisted and aggravated my bruised side.

  “Are you alright?” he asked when I flinched in pain.

  “Yeh I’m fine, now what,” the pendant around my neck suddenly grew hot and begun to lift off my chest. Before I even looked up I knew that it was the lady, I could not let them take it from me that much I knew, I concentrated as hard as I could on forcing the pendant back against my skin stay down I told it, I still need you here. It was doing a good job of trying to protect itself. It’s power gave off a heat that turned my skin red and made me break out in a sweat.

  “Lill what’s happening?” Michael whispered.

  “That foul woman is trying to call my necklace to her. Arrrw, Quit it!” I yelled at no one in particular.

  “Don’t let her get it,” said Michael.

  “Oh you think,” I replied sarcastically, panting slightly from the effort required in keeping the lady from her target. I could hear Trina muttering non-stop on my other side and hoped that what ever she was doing it was something big. The lady and her few remaining cronies had all gathered together and seemed to be pooling their power. The lady had developed a faint glow around her, and was chanting softly not taking her eyes off me.

  “Concentrate now Lill we have to get out of here first, concentrate really hard on the dagger, picture it growing hot,” Michael continued calmly, “Think about it cutting through the rope, piece by piece, each individual string breaking away, one by one. Keep picturing that than say these words ‘Isic lume disparae.’

  I took a deep breath and begun to concentrate. I could see the rope clearly. I begun to break away the fibres, than I uttered the words.

  “isic lume disparae!”

  What followed was an explosion of chaos. The rope broke into a thousand tiny pieces all rock hard that went careering around the room ricocheting off the walls; Michael flung up his hand and deflected them from the guests who where still frozen around us. My necklace fell limply to my chest, instantly cool again.

  Just as this happened, Trina’s plan became clear as hundreds of knives, forks and spoons threw themselves at the Lady and her remaining companions. The Lady just stood calmly as they flew away from her each time they came close. Linda was bitting down on a pencil so hard that her face was turning red, she had several scratches on her arms and legs from where she had not reacted in time to stop the attacking silver wear. Rufous was holding one hand up with his other and spinning in a circle so fast that he was causing a small whirlwind to appear around him, the cutlery being thrown off in all directions.

  “Well that will have to do. Now Michael any ideas on how to get us out of here, I fear that the silver wear is becoming tired rather quickly,” Trina came to stand at my elbow, her hands on her hips clearly satisfied with her work.

  “I have half an idea,” he said, ducking as a fork flew over his head.

  “Half an idea! What use is that!”

  “Oh shush Trina and let the boy speak.” I snapped. She stopped mid yell and stood glaring at him instead.

  “Well as I was saying, it’s only half an idea because I’m not sure if it will work, it’s a long shot but.”

  Trina opened her mouth to retaliate but stopped when I shot her a look that clearly said, shut it or loose it.

  “Lill can I see that necklace,” Michael asked.

  I pulled the necklace out from beneath my dress. Michael considered it for a moment than handed it back to me.

  “Ok Miss Trina.”

  Both she and I grinned despite the desperate situation at this odd combination of names.

  “Grasp hold of Lilly around her shoulders. Go on don’t be shy, nice and tight, good. Now Lill I want you to put that back around your neck and hold on to it with your left hand very tightly. At my word we will all say ‘Mimbus convotu’, ready?” he stood in front of me and pulled me tight against his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist. A spoon shoot over head making me flinch but we didn’t pause to check what was happening, on the count of three we all chanted the words.

  Chapter 12

  There was a feeling of being in a thousand places at once, before I was snatched back within my body making me cry out in pain.

  I could hear Trina moaning next to me. It was a moment before I dared to open my eyes, immediately wishing I hadn’t. We where perhaps five metres from where we stood before but now we were on the outside of the wall of people.

  “Um, ok not what I was hoping for but it will do, RUN!” shouted Michael taking off through the main doors.

  “Wait,” I called hurrying out after Trina, “What about Monica, and all the others?”

  “They will be fine,” Michael shouted over his shoulder as we sprinted down the stairs, “It’s you that she wants, so keep up!”

  We sprinted through the dinning hall and out into the entryway. Trina and Michael each went to take different routes both which I knew would lead to dead ends.

  “This way,” I yelled, spotting a smaller unused hallway. I could hear them following close behind me. Trusting that the lady and her men would have expected us to use the main doors, I led them down the corridor which opened out onto a smaller stone passage.

  We ran down the old stone passa
ge, stopping abruptly at the painted wooden door. I grinned as I found that we were exactly where I had hoped we would be; in the tunnel Michael and I hid in that morning.

  Outside we had a clear path through to the forest where we could hide until morning.

  We were deep within the forest before Michael called for us to stop.

  “If dear old Roufus is anything to go by, they wont be bothered following us this far, not until morning at least. Now, I think you two have some explaining to do.”

  I looked over at Michael and found that he was looking at Trina with a questioning glint in his eyes.

  “Trina, would you be so kind as to remove your dress.”

  “Michael!” I scolded.

  “No It’s alright Lill, are you sure that this is what you want Michael?”

  “Oh yes, and remove all those spells as well. You shouldn’t need them anymore.”

  To my utter amazement she began to unbutton her dress.

  “Trina your not really going to…” I stood watching as she pulled the dress up over her head. Beneath it she was wearing leggings made of a thin animal skin and a sleeveless tunic of maroon leather. Reaching into the folds of her dress she removed a dagger and holster -much like mine only of a red metal, and strapped it around her waist.

  “Yes that’s what I thought. And the spells too.”

  She grinned and swept her hand up over her face as though sweeping away a cobweb. When she lowered it again her skin shimmered and seemed to tighten on her bones. Her face retained its dark exotic colour but was now as smooth as silk.

  “That better Michael?” she asked with the hint of a laugh.

  “As I thought, and I’m guessing you have by now discovered who I am?”

  “Naturally. Your magic, much like mine, has been slipping the past few hours.” Trina said.

  “Yes the wards Cassandra put up have been stretching my powers over past few days actually. However yours were put under a fair bit of strain in the hall just now, I would not be surprised if the whole hall noticed your ears.”