Chapter Fifteen
Mercy led the boys down the hallwayand into the stairway, keeping a tight grip on Kit’s hand. She was never, ever going to let him go. She paused on the first floor and listened. When she heard no movement or speaking, she glanced out into the large room. Again, it was empty. She hoped the bishop was having a fitful sleep. She urged the boys down the stairway. There were ten of them -- some older, all between five summers and ten. Five years. The bishop had been stealing boys for five years. The thought made her ill, but she pushed it aside to concentrate on freeing the boys.
She followed them into the darkness, instructing them to hold hands. No one would be left behind. She wondered where Rafe was and checked over her shoulder to see if he was coming.
When she reached the bottom floor, the darkness was so complete, she couldn’t see. She paused for a moment at the bottom of the stairs, giving her eyes time to adjust. She searched for the moonlight that she had seen shining in from the hole in the wall.
“Mom?”
“It’s alright, Kit,” she whispered.
She took a step forward and her foot kicked something across the floor. It rolled, clunking, until it came to a stop somewhere in the dark. Prickles shot down her spine. She didn’t want to know what that had been.
She spotted the small ray of moonlight shining in through the wall and hurried forward, guiding the children. She paused just before the hole. “Here. This opening leads to the outside.” She looked over her shoulder at the shadows illuminated by the flickering light of the torch in the stairway, checking to make sure they had not been followed. “You will all fit. I did.”
None of the boys moved forward.
“Kit,” Mercy said. “You go first. Show them it’s alright.”
“No. I don’t want to leave you.”
Mercy knelt and cupped his face in her hands, her heart squeezing. “You have to. Be brave.”
He shook his head.
Mercy was so grateful she had found him. “We have to get these boys home.” She pressed a kiss to his head and stood. Urgency tickled her body. She knew her time was running out. They had to get away from the castle before sunup. She picked Kit up. He clung to her and she held him for a moment. Then she held him up to the hole.
Kit crawled into the opening with ease, like a small mouth had gobbled him up.
Mercy leaned into the hole. “Kit?” There was no answer. Panic began to gnaw at her. “Kit?” she asked with desperation.
“I’m here. I’m outside.”
Relief swept through her. Suddenly, the boys crowded forward, scrambling for the hole.
“One at a time,” Mercy said. She picked up one boy and helped him into the hole. Another child didn’t need help and went in after him. They clustered around her, desperate for freedom. She hurriedly helped another into the opening. “It’s alright,” she whispered. “Don’t push.”
One of the children suddenly screamed.
Startled, Mercy ran to him. It was difficult to see in the dark, but she saw a shadow on the floor. She reached for him and her hand brushed his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“There!” He pointed to the floor.
In a ray of moonlight from the hole, she saw a skull on the floor. It must have been what she kicked when she entered. She pushed it gently into the darkness with her foot so none of the others saw it. “It’s alright. Hurry.” She gathered him to her, pulling him toward the opening and helping him into the hole.
“Stop!”
Mercy whirled toward the stairs to see Rafe run into the darkness toward them. “Hurry!” she told the children. There were only three remaining, but guards were coming. They needed to get out. Another child hurried into the hole.
Rafe reached her side. Together, they turned back to see guards tramping down the stairs.
Another boy climbed into the hole. Mercy helped the last boy.
The guards stepped into the crypts, calling, “Who’s there? Halt!”
Mercy pushed Rafe toward the opening, hoping the guards didn’t see the light of the moon shining through the hole. Hoping they only heard movement. Rafe disappeared into the opening.
Mercy didn’t wait. She went right in after him. She inched forward until she was halfway in. She pushed forward until her torso was outside, until she could feel the air of freedom against her cheeks; she could see the boys clustered around the opening.
