When the door rattled, she thought she’d faint. Dear God, de Luci was here. No, it was so very late now. Surely he wouldn’t come, not this late. There was nothing she could use to protect herself. Nothing.
Her only chance was surprise. She forced herself to lie perfectly still on her back, her eyes tightly closed.
She heard the door open slowly, felt the narrow shaft of light slice through the darkness in the small chamber.
Her hands were fists at her sides. She couldn’t seem to swallow. She
wanted to scream and hurl herself at him at the same time. No, no, she had to wait, she had to be patient. She had to gain an advantage.
Then, suddenly, his hand came over her mouth. She tried to lurch up but couldn’t move.
!
?!
Then she heard the most beautiful voice in the world whispering next to her ear, “Hold still, Hastings, and I will get you out of here.”
“Severin?”
“Aye, I’m here. I am your knight. Finally, I am going to rescue you as a knight should a damsel.”
She nodded as she stared up at him. “I love you, Severin. I was so frightened. Aye, you are my knight.”
“Trist would not let me leave you.” He smiled down at her, quickly kissed her, and lifted her from the bed.
He stood by the chamber door as she pulled on her old, dirty clothing. “Can we not kill him whilst we are here?”
He shook his head. “I would like to but I cannot risk you, Hastings. He has three of his men guarding his bedchamber. I cannot risk our babe. Come now.”
Trist poked his head out of Severin’s tunic and batted his paw at her.
“He is in a hurry. He knows since he released me that de Luci will want to kill him as well.”
“That is why Trist left me to go to you.”
“Aye, he chewed through the ropes on my wrists. I have released A’an and his twelve men as well. They will come with us, though it will be difficult. They are sick and weak. Several have died. If they were able,
««» *f
we would fight, but they are not.”
Hastings could not imagine how Severin would get them all free of Sedgewick, but she said nothing. “Be my shadow,” he said over his shoulder.
At least thirty men were sleeping in the hall, wrapped in their blankets, snoring as loudly as the wolfhounds.
Hastings had never before in her life wondered about silence, but now it was all she could think of. They could not make a sound. If one of the soldiers awoke, all would be lost.
When Severin reached the wide double doors, he turned and motioned her to follow him. He led her down a narrow corridor and opened a short, thick door. It led into a small granary. There was another door.
Once they were in the inner bailey, pressed against the side of the keep, deep in the shadows, he whispered, “I learned everything about Sedgewick when I gave it over to Sir Alan. He and his men should be within the stables just beyond. Then we will lead the horses through the postern gate.”
“But the horses-”
“I know. Alan has told all his men to hold their nostrils so they won’t neigh. We need luck in this, Hastings.”
And she thought: I have you, what need I of luck?
But she was soon to change her mind. She heard a man shout.
Severin simply pressed her behind him, whispered for her to stay close. He raced toward the single scream. Just inside the stable door a man was on his knees, Sir Alan over him, a dagger pressed against his neck.
“The fool screamed. I will kill him.” With no more words, the knife went into the man’s throat. He gurgled loudly, then fell onto his side.
“The other stable lads are bound and gagged. Let us go, my lord, and quickly. My lady, I am glad to see you well.”
Hastings followed Severin, her fingers securely fastened against Marella’s nostrils. She kept tossing her head, but Hastings knew that one neigh might do them all in. She didn’t know how she did it, but she kept hold.