Page 49 of The Last Knight

Slowly, with trembling hands, she removed the pendant from her neck and her reflection returned to normal. This was the reason for it. A way for her to hide from others and easily move about the castle.

She replaced the pendant and peered at her reflection. The image made her shudder. Although she looked like a Torant, she was much shorter than the ones she’d seen. No matter, somehow she’d find a way to walk out.

First she grabbed two crystal figurines and then went to stand where the open door would block her from view.

Taking a largest crystal figurine, she threw it with all her might to the floor, picked up a second one and did the same as she screamed.

Within seconds, two Torants rushed in, seeing the room empty, they raced to the balcony. Aubrey circled the door, closed it and noting there was a key in the lock, turned it.

Every part of her shook with fear as she walked as fast as she could down the corridor, then down the stairs retracing the same route Phillippe had used to bring her.

She had to find Prince Sterling, the only person she recalled being mentioned as a friend in the realm. Her mind scrambled, trying to remember if there was a certain way to call upon him, but nothing came to mind.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she was thoroughly disoriented. Everything looked the same, dark corridors lit only by sconces. The air smelled musty and felt damp.

Spotting a door, she went to it. When her hand went to the latch, she heard grunts and footsteps.

She pushed the handle downward, it didn’t budge. Then she tried pulling it up, but it was locked.

The footsteps came closer. By the frantic grunts, she guessed it to be the guards who’d escaped the room she’d locked them in.

She began walking forward, unsure where the hell the corridor would lead. The Torants closed the distance, and she peered over her shoulder. They rushed closer, stopped and grunted at her.

The language was so strange, she couldn’t even begin to pretend to understand. The only thing she thought to do was to shake her head.

One of them grunted another pair of syllables and shoved her hard against the wall. He pointed toward the opposite end of the hallway, seeming to scold her.

It was then she understood they thought her to be a young one who’d stumbled into the wrong place.

The Torant took her gruffly by the arm to the same doorway she’d tried. He pushed down on the handle that squeaked from lack of use. Opening the door, he shoved her through, grunting something before slamming the door shut.

For a long moment, Aubrey stood stock still, doing her best to ascertain which direction to go in.

Looking up to the grey sky, she prayed for this to all be a bad dream and to wake up in her warm bed. It had to be a bad dream, after all she’d had several of them in the last weeks.

There was a gate, and she hurried toward it. Once past it, she found there to be two paths. One went toward the forest, the other, obviously well used, she figured went to the village where the younger Torants lived.

She headed in the direction of the forest, all the while doing her best to summon help mentally, but unsure of how else to do it.

The tree roots sprouting through the underbrush made for slow progress. But she pressed forward. The air was so cold it permeated through the thick cloak, but she couldn’t think about it. She had to find the prince.

Time passed slowly, or quickly, she wasn’t sure about the passage of hours since nothing changed. It was something like twilight. Gloomy and dark.

She constantly stumbled because of the mist and moss covering the ground, plus the long cloak that got tangled on low branches.

Aubrey came to a large tree and looked around. Everything looked the same. “Help me,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

A low menacing growl followed by what sounded like movement echoed, something or someone was near. Aubrey grabbed the cloak, lifting it from the ground and ran as fast as she could.

After only a few feet, she tripped over something hidden by the mist and she tumbled to the ground, landing on all fours.

A pair of boots came into view, and she was hoisted to stand.

“Why are you out here?” It was Gunther.

Of course, how did she think she could get away without the darkness knowing? It was powerful and probably knew everything that happened in the Dark Realm.

When she moved away from him, Gunther held out both hands signaling her to stop. “I will not hurt you, Aubrey.”