“Good,” Tay said. “Then it is settled. Let us get a little closer to the castle and get a sense of the way it is constructed before we move.”
The men were in agreement.
Once they reached the heart of the city, they split up. There were several smaller roads that led north, toward the castle, and they didn’t want to be spotted as a big group by the sentries at Axen’s gatehouse. Still, they attracted some attention as they moved through town, finally coming to a juncture on the north side of the village where three of the smaller roads came together. The town of Sidmouth seemed to thin out here, and there were clusters of trees that provided some concealment from the castle. Dismounting, the group led their horses into a particularly dense cluster of trees to the northwest, securing the animals near a small pond with some grass around it.
With the horses properly concealed, and safe, the group moved forward, along the edge of the road while still being concealed by the trees. They hadn’t gone far when the trees ended and the road was the only thing between them and Axen Castle. It wasn’t a big castle, but the walls were high, and they could see a tall keep sprouting above the walls. Constructed of gray granite, the side that faced the ocean was bleached by the salt and the wind, and it seemed like a quiet place. They didn’t see any activity at all. In fact, the closer they looked, the more it appeared as if the gatehouse was simply open. The portcullis was lifted, and they didn’t see anyone around the opening or on the walls above.
“Where are the guards?” Fox wondered aloud. “I don’t see anyone at all.”
“Nor do I,” Tay said. “Sin? What are you seeing?”
Sinclair, the master swordsman, was also a skilled scout. He was standing behind a tree, eyes trained on the castle in the near distance, but after a moment, he simply shook his head.
“The entire place seems vacant,” he said. “But that may be a trap.”
“Especially if they know we are coming after Lia,” Creston said. “I still think Brenton and Myles should go first. We will wait for a signal from them if everything is as clear as it appears.”
That statement had Brenton and Myles returning to collect their horses. Once mounted, they took off down the road as Amir approached Tay.
“I will find the postern,” he said. “If you need me, that is where I’ll be.”
He motioned to Ming Tang, who quickly followed. They went on foot, dashing across the road and heading for the castle by skirting the line of trees off to the east. That left Creston, Cruz, Tay, Fox, Sinclair, Payne, and Kristian waiting for a signal from Brenton and Myles.
There was nothing more they could do until then.
“He would not hurt her,” Cruz muttered to Creston as they watched Brenton and Myles approach the gatehouse. “You must not worry about that.”
Creston glanced at his friend. “I hope he will not hurt her,” he said. “I’ve gone back and forth between the terror of the situation and being so angry that I want to spank her until she cannot sit for an entire month. I still cannot believe she left. After everything I told her about this situation, still, she came here.”
Cruz didn’t say anything for a moment. “You do realize that we are only speculating that she would come here because there is nowhere else she could go,” he said. “If she is not here, then where will you look?”
Creston sighed heavily. “I have considered that,” he said. “I did not want to, but it is difficult not to. What if she simply ran off? I would not even know where to look. But I can tell you this much—I would look forever.”
“And if you never find her?”
The pain in Creston’s eyes flickered. “If I cannot be close to her, then I will settle for the ghost of her,” he whispered. “I lost one lady, Cruz. I will never lose Lia, not in this life or in the next. If her ghost is the only thing she leaves me, then I will have to be content with that.”
Cruz’s dark eyes glimmered at the sweet sentiment. “This is the same man who wasn’t sure he wanted this marriage?”
“That man was a fool.”
“That man is in love.”
Creston smiled weakly. Cruz patted him on the shoulder and they turned their attention to the gatehouse in the distance just as Brenton and Myles reached it. With the portcullis open, they entered unopposed. Once they disappeared from view, everyone waited anxiously for the next move.
And waited.
Time passed slowly.Tooslowly. Creston stopped watching the gatehouse like a hawk and took to pacing around in the trees, looking up at the gatehouse every so often to make sure he didn’t miss anything. He didn’t even know how much time had passed. He was starting to lose track of it. The afternoon was progressing, the sun moving across the sky, and had he not been so preoccupied with the castle, he would have thought it to be a lovely day. The breeze was gentle from the ocean and he could smell the salt. Growing increasingly edgy, he went to stand next to Tay, both of them watching the gatehouse.
And then it happened.
Myles appeared, waving his big arms frantically.
That was as much signal as anyone needed, and they began to move.
Creston didn’t even wait to collect his horse. He just started running. Everyone else, however, returned for their mounts, and Creston was halfway to the castle when Cruz thundered alongside him, leading Creston’s horse. Creston did a running mount, leaping on the horse’s back and taking off toward the castle. He wasn’t the first one in, but he still made it in record time. Once through the gatehouse, he bailed from his horse and began to look around anxiously.
“Cres!” Brenton was standing near the keep, waving at him. “Here! Quickly!”
