Chapter Ten

A single little stable boy was wearily leading a white mare to the stables past my hiding spot. I stepped forward, trying to be silent. He heard me and his head snapped up. “H-hello? Who’s there?”

Non! I didn’t need this! I had to get in.

“Show yourself!” he cried, tightening his hand on the reins.

He wanted to see me? Fine. Let him see me.

I rose from the waist high bushes and stood on a bench, making me appear much taller. I forced my voice to be deeper, and more threatening. “I am the Angel of Night!” I cried. “Fear me mortal! Tell no one of this encounter and I shall spare you!”

The boy yelped and ran. I could have giggled at the sight but this was too important. I ran out into the path and to the Baroness’s castle.

The window we had entered before was still cracked an inch. Curling my fingers around the edge, I heaved with all my strength. It gave way easily. Shutting it after me, I turned and froze.

There was fire in the fireplace and the room was warm. I saw a faint figure in the ordinate chair.

“Hello, little thief,” She spoke with no hint of sarcasm or anger. Her tone was calm and almost teaching. “You’ve caused quite an excitement among my servants and guards. It’s not every day that the Angel of Night visits our humble home.”

My breath caught. My legs were locked to the floor, unable to flee.

The Baroness said. “No need to be afraid, child. I will not call the guards. In fact, several of them are still gone.”

I still was too afraid to speak. Was this a trick?

“I know why you came, child. He awaits you in the dungeon.”

I finally managed to speak. “H-he’s still alive?”

“Yes, he is alive. He was very lucky.”

I felt a sudden relief and I almost collapsed. I pulled the chain around my neck over my head. Holding it out in front of me, so my mother’s ring was seen, I said. “I offer pay for my friend you captured tonight. It’s not much, but it in good quality. This ring is from Italy, across the ocean.”

She chuckled. “Oh dear, I do not need that.”

“Please,” I said, forcing myself to keep calm. “I will do anything for him.”

“I can see that, my child.” The Baroness said, turning her head to watch me with keen blue eyes. Her dress moved with her. Her face was etched with lines and her hair was snow white against her head. “Do you know, child, why the Duke wants this jewel so?”

I was confused by this sudden change, but I answered hoping to win some favor with her. “I…I don’t know. I only did what I was ordered to do.”

“Odd, you do not seem like the type of girl who would follow orders from such a man.”

“I don’t” I said. “But I had too.”

The Baroness sighed. “The Duke is a cruel man. I am only sorry you had to fall to his clutches.” He shifted, rustling her gown. “He was poisoned by his dreadful grandfather with all of those stories. Come, sit child. It won’t take long.”

I hesitated. Should I trust this woman? She might call the guards at any moment. But she could have done it by now. I sat on the edge of a chair several feet in front of her.

She studied me, saying. “Many years ago, my great-great grandmother was betrothed to the Duke’s great-great-great grandfather. They were in love. As a token of their love, he gave her this jewel.” Her hands held the stone gently. “But her father broke off the betrothal and married the poor girl to some wealthy Baron. Of course, the Duke’s ancestor was furious. He thought my great-great grandmother broke the betrothal and demanded the jewel back. She never did, for she wanted to remember their love.”

She was quiet for a moment and said. “When I was young, I never believed in love. Now, as I grow old, my heart understands love now. I understand it well enough to know what it is when I see it.”

She gazed at me with her ever-knowing eyes. She stood and walked gracefully to me. Taking my hand, she drew me to my feet. “Remember Luciana; if one does not live for the ones they love, then there is no use to live.”

Her eyes seemed to contain all of the knowledge of the world. “You have waited long enough for your happiness. You have an Angel watching over you, my dear.”

I stared at her as she covered my hand with her own. “Go find your love. Then I suggest you find Angelo before the Duke does something terrible. Good Luck Luciana. God be with you.”

She pulled aside a tapestry, revealing a secret passageway.

“Thank you,” I whispered as the tapestry covered the light from the room.

I ran blindly. The way was dark and seemingly going on forever. I came to a wall. Feeling with my hands, I found a turn that led down narrow stone stairs. At the bottom, I felt dry wood. Pushing it open slowly, I was greeted with the dim light of the moon from the windows.

It was an empty room, covered in dust. The wood I had felt was an empty shelf.

Crossing the room, I opened the other door, making sure no one was on the other side.

The dungeon door was guarded by a thin man, with long hair. He stood at attention with a long spear at his side and a sword at his belt.

Before I could do anything, another man appeared from down the corridor. “Lucas!” he called. “The Baroness wishes you to patrol the second floor rooms.”

“What of the prisoner?”  Lucas called back.

“It’ll be fine. Besides, he’s too hurt to try anything. Leave the keys.”

Lucas hesitated, and then followed the other guard. On the ring by the door, he left a ring of rusted keys. Sending another silent thank you to the Baroness, I snatched the keys from the wall.

Throwing open the door, I ran down the narrow, filthy corridor, peering in each cell. “Nicholas?” I called, my voice echoing. “Nicholas?”

I heard a faint sound, though it wasn’t far away. “Luciana?”

I looked into a cell and saw a figure moving in the shadows. Nicholas struggled to stand, holding his left side. It took me awhile to find the right key and open the door.

“Nicholas! You’re alive!” I said, throwing my arms around him. He cringed and I pulled away. He stopped me as his arms wrapped around me and I felt the same happiness I experienced on the balcony earlier that night.

As I pulled away, I saw white bandages wrapped around his middle and the hidden pain in his eyes. He kept his hands on my shoulders, taking me in. “How did you get here?”

“I got a little help from a surprising source. I’ll tell you everything at another time,” I said. “But now, we have to get Angelo back.”

“The Duke?” He asked. “He took Angelo?”

“Yes, and we’re getting him back. Come on.” I said, taking his hand and walking swiftly to the corridor. The way was clear this time as we ran from the Baroness’s castle. Before we disappeared into the dark street, I looked back and saw the figure of the Baroness in her chamber. She nodded and closed the thick drapes, cutting of light. She left several questions unanswered, like how did she know my name? And how did she know about Angelo? Though, I was eternally grateful for her help.

The Duke’s castle was merely down the river of the of the Baroness’s castle. It was smaller than the Baroness’s but it seemed much darker. There were also much more guards here. Over the entrance, was the Duke’s Blason. A golden sword crossed with a scarlet rose.

“There,” Nicholas pointed to the tower that stood in the middle of the battlements. A single window glowed with soft candlelight. “Angelo’s locked in there.”

“How do you know?”

“That’s where he kept me when he took me from my family.” There was venom in his voice. He wasn’t hiding his hatred for the Duke anymore.

“How do we get inside? There are many more guards than before…”

He held my hand in his and whispered. “I thought you weren’t afraid of the dark, Angel.”

“I’m never afraid of the dark.”

In the ghost of the moonlight, I saw his smile. “Good.” He said, and pulled me along the great stone walls. Following the wall seemed to take forever, and I was impatient to get inside.

When I was about to open my mouth to ask where he was taking me, he stopped. Letting my hand fall from his, he pushed aside brush to reveal a hole in the wall, barely large enough for us to get through. “I used to sneak out at night when I was young.” He explained. “Boswell and I would spend our nights by the river, throwing rocks.”

My lips tightened into a smile. It felt wrong on my face, but it felt right in my heart. After struggling for a few moments, I managed to slip inside what appeared to be a stable. The horses nickered and pawed the ground, but most remained asleep. I grasped his hand and helped him stand. Not letting my hand go, he led the way outside.

Hiding in the shadows, we slowly made our way to the foreboding castle that was the Duke’s. Once, as we dashed from behind one stone statue to behind a great shrub, a soldier seemed to see us. I drew my sword, ready to fight. But something else caught his attention- or perhaps he thought he was imagining-and he turned and walked away.

I felt Nicholas sigh in relief. I couldn’t. Angelo was still in the Duke’s clutches. We entered the castle through a side door that came from the garden. The door was in a parlor, with tall ceilings and portraits of powerful-looking men.

“This way,” Nicholas said, taking my hand again and leading me to the doorway. I loved the way his hand fit into mine and how his hair-

Now, focus. I told myself. Daydream later, but now we must get my Angelo.

“We have to make one stop before we go to the tower.” He said.

I nodded as we crept through the shadows under the imposing paintings of the Duke’s ancestors. I wondered silently which one was betrothed to the Baroness’s ancestor.

Nicholas led the way to a room on the first floor, not far from the parlor where we had used to get inside. I waited outside as he slipped in, quietly. A few moments later, he arrived caring a sword for himself. I also spied him tucking a rolled up parchment into his tunic. I didn’t say anything, but focused on remaining quiet as we continued through the shadows.

My heart raced, blood pounded in my ears. Yet, I felt more powerful and strong than I ever have before.

Nicholas rounded the last corner and stopped, tense.

A guard, I thought, my hand gripping my sword handle.

But, he smiled. “What are you doing?” he called.

I looked myself, and standing there was Boswell in front of the tower door.

“I’d thought you’d be here,” Boswell smiled broadly. “So I just happened to take the shift of the guard posted outside little Angelo’s tower.”

He tossed a single key to me. I felt my smile widen as big as his. I hugged the surprised Boswell tightly, before running up the stairs as fast as I could, even though that seemed too slow for me.

At the top of the winding stairs, was a thick door, with only a small window.

“Go away!” I heard Angelo yell behind the door. “Or I’ll jump out the window!”

Through the little window, I saw a single candle was lit on a table. A pallet was on the floor in a corner. I saw my brother by the narrow window, one foot on the ledge. I felt heavy with relief when I saw he was unharmed.

“Angelo!”

“Luciana?” He peered at the door suspiciously. “Luciana is that you?”

“Yes my little ange! I’m here to get you out!”

The key fit easily and the door swung open. His arms were around my waist the next second. “Luci! I thought they had killed you.”

“I’m here, Angelo. I always will be.” I kissed his forehead, and held him tightly for a moment. “We must hurry.”

“Where are we going?”

“Some place far away from the Duke.”

Nicholas was still at the bottom of the tower stairs with Boswell. As we went down quickly, I could hear Boswell say to Nicholas:

“The way to the back garden is clear. I’ve made sure of that. You can escape that way.”

“You’re wonderful, Boswell!” Nicholas cried, grasping his good friend’s arm. “And thank you. You’ve always been kind to me.”

I stepped out of the shadows of the doorway with Angelo. Boswell, his kind face smiling, said: “Good luck, my friends. I hope we may be fortunate enough to meet again, perhaps in the next life if not this one.”

“Thank you, Boswell. I am forever grateful.” I said. Something tightened in my chest.

“We all are,” Nicholas said. “Live well.”

“You also, my good friends.”

With a final wave, we disappeared again into the shadows of the castle.

As we stepped lightly on the stairs leading to the floor below us, Nicholas whispered. “We must be careful; the fastest way to the garden is past the Duke’s chambers. We must be quiet.”

Both Angelo and I nodded once, understanding.

The paintings grew more and more richly decorated. The tapestries’ colors were more bold and no doubt, more costly. The hallways were no longer deep in shadow. Torches were lit as we approached the Duke’s chambers.

 

Reviews

[Kelley]

my hearts racing now as they approach the Dukes chambers.....
Will they get caught???

Just two mistakes here.......

"She pulled aide a tapestry, revealing a secret passageway."

Should be..........

"She pulled aside a tapestry, revealing a secret passageway."

and..........

"No, focus. I told myself."

should be......

"Now, focus. I told myself."

Now the end is near so I'm off to see how it all turn out.

Kelley