chapter Sixteen
Rescue Mission
Time froze, and the room rippled as his focus drew to a point, shadows invading the edges of his vision. Eramus reached for the wall, stumbling sideways until his fingers found something sturdy to cling to. His arms trembled and his legs nearly buckled out from under him.
"Taken?"
The word died on his lips, the air in his lungs becoming stale and forcing him to breathe.
"Yes," muttered Kieran. "They took her before I arrived back at the village. Your aunt and uncle scared them off, but not before they got their hands on Evree."
Eramus's eyes focused, bringing the blurry image of a chair into view. His grip tightened around the top of it. "But…I don't understand. Why would they take her?"
Arnan folded his arms and scoffed. "What difference does it makewhy? Point is she's gone, and going after her is suicide."
Kieran grumbled something inaudible and began rummaging through his things again. Eramus drew a deep breath. This was no time to panic. "Thewhycould make all the difference. If they were here to plunder, then why take a hostage? That makes no sense."
Two long strides brought Arnan within a few feet of him. "They're mercenaries. Someone hired them to do a job, and I suspect plundering wasn't it. Taking Evree wasn't a coincidence; she's too close toyou."
Eramus's clenched his hands. "What exactly are you implying?"
"You know what I'm implying. Our village knew peace for over a century until you came along with your power. Now my niece, who you happen to have an affection for, has been taken by men of the most indecent character. You are responsible for this; I know it."
Heat washed over Eramus. Arnan's words stabbed him like a thick blade. He could argue against him, but truthfully, Arnan could very well be right. Nothing about the situation made sense, and Eramus couldn't help but wonder if responsibility rested on him.
"They took her," Inara's quiet whimper echoed from across the room. "They just…took her."
Yelene grabbed a small blanket and wrapped it around Inara's shoulders before flashing Eramus an expression of concern. He rushed towards the table and crouched in front of them. "Mother, what happened? Tell me everything."
She sniffled when he wrapped his fingers around her hand, and her watery eyes met his. “We heard a commotion outside. Evree went to the window to see what was going on. We could see Aldeth and Yelene using their magic to stop them, and then one entered the cottage. He spotted me first, but I was of no interest to him. The moment he found Evree…” Her voice trailed into sobs, and she buried her face into her palms.
Eramus's stomach rolled. They had targeted Evree specifically from what his mother described. Arnan's assumptions were looking more sound by the second. "Is there anything else? Did he say anything more?"
Inara nodded. "At first, he drew his sword. I thought for certain he was going to…but he didn't. He said something about changing his plans, and that's when he grabbed her. I tried to stop him, but the man was so strong. He threw me to the floor, and by the time I could right myself, he had disappeared." Her voice cracked, a fresh stream of tears flooding her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Eramus. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him."
He squeezed her hand. "Don't apologize. None of this is your fault. I'm just glad they didn't hurt you."
"It's your son who should apologize," said Arnan. "He may have escaped banishment before, but he won't be so lucky this time. Your defense of him only taints your own reputation."
Inara shuddered, and Eramus stood, facing Arnan with a deep furrow in his forehead. He would own the consequences his power brought on himself, but he wouldn't allow Arnan to speak or treat his mother with the same condescension.
"Leave my mother out of this."
"Or what? You going to use your magic on me? I know you want to…have for a while. I can see it in your eyes. You can't cage a monster forever."
Eramus wanted nothing more than to pummel the man, but he needed to keep his emotions in check. He needed to stay focused, for Evree's sake.
Kieran marched across the room, a large brown sack over his shoulder and a long blade sheathed at his side. Before he could reach the door, Arnan grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to a stop.
"Don't be a fool! You can't fight them all yourself!"
Kieran jerked away from him. "I won't ask our people to risk their lives, nor will I give up on my daughter, even if that means facing an army alone."
"You won't be facing them alone," said Eramus, following Kieran to the door. "I'm going with you."
"You're not going anywhere!"
Arnan lunged towards him. Eramus's palms rose in response, a blue light encircling them in seconds. His magic did nothing to deter the man, and when Arnan was a few feet away, Eramus launched a small wave of energy at his chest. He flew across the room and landed on his back with a groan.
