Blood Calls Page 7

  Chapter 15

  The Ambush

  Robin headed to the bookstore, which was the next destination on Marian’s list. Along the way, his mind raced around what Madam Verinous had told him. What is the ancient temple of the gods? What would I find there? My brother or something else? Someone else?

  After picking up Marian’s books on an upper level of the market, he lifted his eyes skyward and inhaled deeply. Then he turned down the street, weaving through crowds of people going about their business.

  A little while later, he waited for an elevator after he picked up some holo books for Marian. When it arrived, he saw that there were four people already in it. He nodded at a couple who were holding hands and chatting, and two men. One of the men, who had a scar on his cheek, was carrying a metal crate; the other, who was missing a finger on his callused hand, carried rolls of fabric.

  With a small smile, Robin stepped in and turned to face the doors. When they closed, all conversation in the elevator ceased.

  He hummed with the music that played in the still air. His eyes drifted casually to the people beside him: taking in more of the scar on the face of the man carrying a metal crate by his side, the couple behind him smiling at each other each, their hands on the small of each other’s back. The man to his right carried rolls of fabric and the scared stumped where his finger should be.

  The elevator dinged, with a whoosh the doors opened, and two more men with bulging muscles stepped in. They quickly turned their backs to Robin, but he immediately recognized them. It was the men who had been watching him earlier in the city.

  Again, Robin eyed the people around him. He noticed how well they moved in their clothing.

  “I’m on the next floor,” he told the computer.

  The people around him shot him brief glances. As he faced forward, he said aloud, “Are you all sure about this?”

  He heard people shift around him. Into the silence, he said, “We have five floors to go… There’s still time for you to walk away.”

  They arrived at the next floor. The doors opened. Nobody got out.

  Robin sighed, eyes on the ceiling.

  “Well…none of you can say I didn’t try,” he muttered as the doors closed. “Just try not to damage the books. They’re not mine.”

  As soon as the doors closed, the people around him reacted. The man with nine fingers to his right dropped the rolls of fabric. He kept one small square length in one hand. Robin smelled a faint odor from it as he twisted toward Robin.

  On Robin’s other side, the crate fell to the floor with a crash. After the handles detaching from the crate remained in Scarface’s hands as he turned to Robin.

  Robin twisted and threw a punch at the man who was holding the cloth. At the same time, he kicked the man behind him. As they dropped, Robin spun to face the couple. They drew taser sticks from each other’s back pockets.

  Blocking the man with one arm, Robin pushed his arm away. The taser connected to the woman’s chest and sent her jerking to the floor.

  After Robin knocked the taser stick to the ground, he was grabbed from behind by big beefy arms and jerked off his feet.

  “Calm down, kid, and this will be over,” the man growled into his ear.

  Then the man who was part of the couple came at him again along with the balled headed man.

  “Like that’s going to happen!” Robin barked. He kicked the bald-headed beefy man, sending him tripping over the woman against the opposite wall. Robin kicked the face of the man who was part of the couple, and the momentum sent the three of them to the floor.

  Now on one knee, Robin spun around, kicking Scarface in front of him hard across the face, then spinning back to face the man behind him. He was in time to catch the nine-fingered man by the wrists when he came at him again.

  Robin threw the man across him, where he landed hard. Then he delivered a powerful elbow to his face, which sent him back hard against the wall of the elevator. As the man dropped both handles, Robin caught them in midair.

  When he brought one around the man’s wrist; the handle extended to enclose the man’s arm. Robin locked the other handle around the ankle of the man who was part of the couple and, with a jerk, both handles were brought together with a loud clack.

  “Magcuffs,” he muttered blinking in surprise.

  Rising onto his feet, he blocked a blow from the bald-headed beefy man. Robin grabbed the back of his head and drove his knee into the man’s gut. Then he heaved him up to the ceiling.

  Robin hopped forward and side-kicked the dark-haired man in the chest when he started to get up again. The other man crashed to the floor behind him on top of the other two men, who were struggling to move in their awkward positions.

  Holding his foot against the man to keep him in place, Robin eyed the people around him. They were all in various states of unconsciousness, the woman still twitching slightly.

  As Robin retraced his foot, the man started to slump forward. Robin caught him by his hair.

  “Hey, pay attention!” he snapped, tapping the man’s face and forcing him to look at Robin. The man’s eyes were half glazed over.

  “Tell Balwin for me that if he touches a hair on my sister’s head, I’ll tear his heart out!”

  “Wait…” the man moaned in a low voice. Robin stopped the voice by driving the man’s head against the elevator wall with both hands.

  Sighing, Robin straightened and brushed himself off. He rolled the bald man off and picked up the books he’d dropped. As he examined them for damage, the doors dinged open.

  Robin froze as he locked eyes with the people waiting in the corridor. They were as still as statues, staring open-mouthed at the scene before them.

  “Ah…wrong elevator,” Robin said with a shrug. Then, with a smile, he got off the elevator and stepped around them.

  Chapter 16

  Dinner Guests

  The rest of the return to the palace was uneventful. Robin was relieved when each book turned on and worked without a problem.

  After his encounter with the children claiming their sweets and toys, he made his way to Marian’s room and knocked on her door.

  “Enter,” she called.

  He opened the door and stepped in. For the briefest second, he saw surprise in her eye.

  “I brought you your books,” he said, holding them out to her.

  “Yes, thank you,” she said, taking them. “Now remember, you need to keep out of sight while Balwin is here.”

  Before Robin turned to leave, he paused. “What is that?” he asked.

  She followed his pointing finger to the sofa in her bedroom. The dress laid out across it was black, with two long slits that went to the bottom of the skirt. The short-sleeved top was only connected to the skirt by two strips of cloth on the sides that would cling to her like a second skin. Everything below her chest and back would be revealed to all.

  “That…” she said as she walked over and picked it up, “is the dress I am required to wear to dinner. If it weren’t for the company I would probably enjoy wearing it…and not burn it afterwards.” She held it up in front of her. “What do you think?”

  Facing her, he eyed it. “I have to agree with you. And it’s a shame it will be wasted on the company you’ll be having. Anyone else you might have worn it for would have been lucky.”

  A small smile graced her lips, and he continued. “But why would they require you to wear that?”

  Sighing, she turned and tossed the dress on the bed. “To show both me and my dancing off to the others who are coming,” she explained.

  “‘Dance’?” Robin asked, frowning. “I’ve never seen you dance.”

  Smiling she waved her hands. “All things considered, can you blame me? They ruin it for me entirely.”

  He nodded in understanding and went to move his clothes to the servants’ quarters, which would be his home for the immediate future.

  The servants’ quarters contained row after row of bunk beds. As he lay on one of
the top bunks, he sandwiched his hand between his head and the pillow.

  Various scenarios played over in his mind at a million miles a minute. Balwin could be coming here because he had figured out that Robin was a knight. He could be coming just to torment Robin by rubbing in the fact that Balwin had his sister. Or he might intend to have his men deliver Robin to Balwin. Or Balwin could be bringing Freya here just to kill her in front of Robin.

  “I need more information,” he growled in frustration. “And there’s only one way to do that,” he finished. He turned and slipped from the bed.

  A short while later, dressed in a server’s uniform and fidgeting with the cuffs and collar, Robin walked toward the area where people were gathered to greet Balwin. As he exited the double front doors of the palace, Robin froze.

  Below him, at the bottom of the steps, Marian stood, wearing the black dress. The skirt slits shifted, allowing free movement of her legs. He caught sight of booted heels stretching over most of her calves, straps crisscrossing the front. The top clung to her body but allowed free movement.

  Her hair was done up in a complex braid that fell down her back. It hid the clasp of the diamond necklace, which matched a diamond-speckled cloth around one wrist. Atop her head was a silver and gold headpiece, with strands dropping down just above her ears. The strands looped and connected at the back.

  Turning in his direction, Marian froze. For a brief second, she just stared, wide-eyed. Then her eyes narrowed, and she stalked up the stairs to him.

  “Just what in the name of the Gold Dragon are you doing?” she demanded.

  “Well, for starters I’m admiring the view,” he answered, his eyes roaming over her. He whistled and shook his head. “It’s a shame that such walking art is wasted on this pending company.”

  Again, her eyes narrowed. “Flattery won’t help you here,” she hissed. “I told you to stay out of sight!”

  “And I need to know more about the status of my sister!” he hissed back. “The faster I know things, the faster I can help decide on a course of action! You need me here! The more eyes watching Balwin, the more likely we can figure out his next move!”

  Before she could respond, she was interrupted by a sound like a clap of thunder. Marian and Robin both looked up, and he saw a ship enter the atmosphere.

  Growling through her teeth, Marian faced him again. “Fine, you got your wish,” she said dangerously. “But don’t draw attention to yourself! And don’t agitate him!” She whirled around and descended the stairs again.

  Making sure that his ears were covered by his hair, Robin slipped among the ranks of the waiting servants, trying to disappear in plain sight.

  Though he faced forward, Robin’s eyes tracked the progress of the ship across the sky. As it drew closer Robin’s focus shifted to the woman beside him.

  She bit her lip, wringing her hands.

  In an undertone, he said, “It’s Jenna, right?”

  When he looked at him, he added, “Everything all right?”

  Biting her bottom lip, she turned to look back up at the approaching craft. “I’m just worried about my children,” she said.

  Frowning, he said, “I thought they were hidden away?”

  “They were,” she replied, and she looked back at him. “But the last time Balwin was here, some of them were discovered. He treated them very roughly, claiming it was play. He levitated them for long periods of time, he spun them like tops in the air—all to remind the parents of his power.”

  “That’s monstrous,” Robin said. “Torture.”

  “I know,” she said, turning back to watch the ship draw closer. “I don’t want it to happen again. We’re all just grateful that none of the children sustained lasting injuries.”

  “We should all be grateful for that,” Robin muttered. Then returned his gaze skyward.

  The ship was twice the size of the transport the village had used to escape. It was similar in design but sleeker, with wider, swept-back wings. Though Robin could see no weapons, he didn’t doubt it was armed to the teeth.

  He watched its progress across the sky until it hovered over the landing pad. Then it slowly lowered, dropping its landing skids before it touched down.

  As the ramp came down, Robin shifted back so that Jenna hid him from sight. He watched as Balwin descended the ramp, his boots clacking on the hard surface. His cape was attached by a pair of silver pins between two rings shaped in the image of the Gold Dragon. It matched his black clothes with gilded seams. There were two other men beside him, similarly dressed.

  When Balwin reached the bottom of the ramp, Marian dropped to the ground on her hands and knees.

  “We are all honored by your visit, my lords Balwin, Prim, and Valdo,” she said in a humble voice. Under it, however, Robin could hear her malice.

  Balwin smiled broadly down at her and chuckled.

  “Come now, Princess, there’s no need for false pleasantries,” he said, towering over her. “We all know that we are the last people you want here.”

  Slowly Marian looked up at him, and Robin caught the look of steel in her eye. “I can think of one other person to top the list,” he heard her murmur.

  Balwin laughed. “And speaking of our beloved leader,” he said, turning to face the other lords behind him. “My mines are to be visited for an inspection…”

  Everything else faded away as Robin’s blood turned to ice. If he was going to get to Freya, he had to do something fast.

  Chapter 17

  You Do What You Have To

  Robin snapped back to awareness when Balwin and the others started to ascend the palace stairs. He lowered his eyes so Balwin wouldn’t recognize him. Focusing on the carpet, he discreetly shuffled back.

  When he saw the booted feet pass him, he slowly raised his gaze, tracking them. Then he followed the other servants inside.

  His mind tried to quickly form a plan as he walked in line into the dining room. Quickly he joined the group along the windows, opposite a raised platform on the other side of the table. He noted the sunlight was right behind him, blocking Balwin from getting a good look. Stopping by one of the dangling curtains, he faced the room with the others.

  He watched as Balwin’s party took their places behind their chairs. When Balwin moved to the head, Marian moved behind him to an ornate gilded chair.

  Robin watched as, with a flick of his cape, Balwin turned to face the rest of his party. Then, without pause, the lord sat, quickly followed by the rest of his party. Robin fought hard to control his anger as he watched Marian push the lord’s chair in.

  “I welcome all honored guests,” Balwin said, waving his hand to the people before him. He ignored Marian, who was standing next to him.

  “As your host, I would like to offer some entertainment before we enjoy our feast.” He turned to Marian. “If you would be so kind, Princess,” he prompted with a snap of his fingers.

  Her face neutral, Marian bowed. Then she walked over and stepped onto the platform, her back to the room.

  Soft music filled Robin’s ears. With a quick glance, he spotted a small string and flute orchestra.

  Looking back to the platform, he saw Marian draw her hands up her sides and sway her hips. Then, with a jerk, she widened her arms above her head. She brought them back to her side and thrust them forward, palms up, and took a deep step back before spinning low to the ground to face everyone, one leg bent and the other out to her side. One arm crossed her chest.

  Bending along her outstretched leg, she gracefully reached out with one hand, bringing the other leg up high behind her. As if her feet were walking on air, she gracefully moved toward her audience. Her arms and torso matched her movements as she dipped and swayed. Eyes closed, she moved to the music.

  At the edge, she stopped and, bringing one leg high above her head, spun around. Stepping forward, she pushed off with her hands, then held one hand out. After tapping the back of her hand against the upheld palm, she brought it around in a circle to lightly t
ap her hand at her elbow.

  At one point, she thrust out a leg and then spun in place a few times. For a second, Robin, could have sworn he felt her eyes on him. Then she dropped into a split.

  Arching her back, she brought her hands behind her to touch the floor. Then, with total ease, she flipped onto her feet. Again, she went low to the ground, one leg stretched out as she lightly touched the platform.

  Finally, rising to her full height, with her hands above her head, she brought one leg up high. Robin heard a slight whirling sound and the flap of cloth as she side-flipped through the air, again landing in a split. Shifting to her feet, she brought her leg in a circle around her. Then she stood still, hands lightly spread at her side, eyes closed, and pointed her chin toward one shoulder.

  Mesmerized by what he had just seen, Robin stood rooted to the spot. He was finally drawn back by the sound of clapping. Blinking, he looked at the table as Balwin and his party applauded.

  “And now we feast!” Balwin called out, clapping his hands as Marian stepped off the platform. A light layer of sweat glistened on her brow as she took her place near Balwin. The doors behind Robin opened, and servants walked out carrying trays of food.

  Once everyone had been served and drinks had been poured, silence fell. After the last servant disappeared behind the doors to the kitchen. All eyes turned to Balwin He lifted his golden goblet.

  “To the Black Dragon!” he declared. “And the destruction of this pitiful rebellion.”

  “To the Black Dragon,” his party called, and they all drank.

  Robin continued to observe as the dinner progressed. With more and more drinks served, the group took every opportunity to humiliate Marian.

  One man purposely knocked a roll to the floor with a snap of his fingers, and Marian had to crawl over to pick it up. Livid, Robin’s hand fisted at his side as she did as ordered; they all jeered at seeing her crawl.

  A servant carried a jug of wine past Robin to refill Balwin’s goblet, and—as if it had always been there—a plan snapped into place in his mind.