Ok guys here is the next chapter. Thank you very much to all my followers. We are getting very close to the end also i am think of doing a special chapter for you guys. So there are 4 more chapter to go. Happy reading. :-)
Chapter 10
Thad and his men plunged through the Thieves' Forest, grabbing men off of benches, running them out of the tiny thatched huts, and flinging them into thick wagons, draping chains over their sweaty and alcohol drenched bodies.
"Is everyone out?" Thad called, glancing nervously at the sky. The sun was far too bright for his liking.
"Almost," Wes returned. "There's an Asian giving us some trouble."
"Well you give him some. . .trouble," Thad snapped, turning back to the throng of thieves the rest of his men had collected. "Move!"
Mike slumped on a stone wall, a dark bottle clutched tightly in one hand. Amber liquid sloshed over his hand as he gestured with it, words slurring into each other. "I am waiting for you Will," he yelled. "You told me to go back to the beginning, so I have! This is where I am! And this is where I'll stay! I will not be bloody moved!"
"Ho there!" Wes cried coming out from around the corner. "I do not budge," Mike growled not moving a muscle. "Keep your ho there."
"But Prince Sebastian gave orders," Wes whined, keeping his position on the spot. Mike leapt to his feet, sword thrashing from side to side. Wes leapt back out of the way. "So did Will," Mike mumbled, stumbling but catching himself moments before tumbling to the ground. "When the job went wrong, you went back to the beginning. And this is where we got the job, so it's the beginning. And I, am staying till Will come."
Wes pointed his hand at Mike. "You brute! Come here!" he yelled roughly.
Mike then lifted himself of the ground and sat on a chair "I. . .am waiting for. . .Will." "He surely is a meanie," Sam said, pulling on Mike's shoulders lifting him up. "Hello." Mike glanced up in shock, then smiled a little, still swaying back and forth. "It's you."
Wes turned back with a frown, seeing them talking instead of fighting. He turned, storming back, mouth opening to tear into Sam, but Sam lifted one hand and slammed it into Wes's face, knocking the man out cold.
"You don't look so good," Sam murmured. Mike laughed roughly, blowing a blast of air into Sam's face. "You don't smell so good either."
Mike shrugged roughly, wobbling a little. "Perhaps not," he grinned up at Sam. "But I feel fine." Sam nodded, "Yeah?" he patted Mike on the chest and released him immediately. Mike wobbled a moment more, then tumbled face first into the dirt.
Sam and Mike were now reunited, and as Sam nursed his drunkard friend back to health, he told Mike of Will's death. He also told him of finding the six-fingered man. Mike took the news surprisingly well.
"The six-fingered man is none other than Count Puck," Sam warned Mike as he carefully spooned soup into his mouth. Mike stared at him glassy eyed for a moment, then his head dropped into the bowl of soup. Sam sighed deeply.
Sam dunked Mike into the barrel of icy water, jerking him out of it, sparkling drops of water flying from his black hair and into the air. Sam plunged him into the barrel of hot water, then back and forth.
"That's enough," Mike strangled, spitting out water roughly. "That's enough! Where is this Puck now, so I can kill him?" "He's with the prince in the castle," Sam explained, then frowned. "But the castle gate is guarded by thirty men." "How many can you handle?" Mike snarled roughly, already formulating a plan. "I don't think more than ten," Sam murmured.
Mike's brows knit together as he counted, fingers moving in the air slowly. "Leaving twenty for me." He sighed, chin dropping a little. "At my best I could never defeat that many." The admission took the wind from his sails for a moment. "I need Will to plan. I have no gift for strategy." He began to pace, kicking up little tufts of dirt as he moved. "But Will is dead," Sam reminded his friend gently.
"No," Mike whispered, his eyes filling with so much light they seemed to glow. "Not Will. I need the man in black." Sam turned to watch Mike pace, frowning. "What?!"
Mike rushed into his explanation, hand movements punctuating each thought. "Look, he bested you at strength, your greatness. He bested me with steel. He must have out-thought Will, and a man who can do that can plan my castle onslaught any day." He flung his hands into the air, eyes dancing. "Let's go." "Where?" Sam asked, hurrying after Mike.
Mike stopped in his tracks, causing Sam to fall back before he slammed into the smaller man. "Find the man in black, obviously." "But you don't know where he is," Sam reminded him.
"Don't bother me with trifles!" Mike brushed his words away with a sweep of one hand. "After twenty years at last my father's soul will be at peace. There will be blood tonight!"
Prince Sebastian sank into the soft chair at his desk, drawing his dagger out of the sheath. He sat it on the desk for a moment, running his fingers over the blade lightly. It wasn't sharp enough for his tastes, so the Prince lifted it again and drew out his whetstone, stroking it over the blade again and again to sharpen the dagger.
Thad crept quietly into the room, glancing about fearfully, then flinging himself across the space to kneel at Prince Sebastian's feet. The Prince gazed down at his man at arms for a moment, then tossed his hand through the air in a languid gesture.
"Rise and report," he returned his attention to the dagger once more, testing the sharpness of the blade again. A shining drop of blood appeared on his thumb and Prince Xander smiled wolfishly. It was the right sharpness now, perfect to slide into his bride's chest, cutting out her heart.
"The thieves' forest is emptied," Thad said, shoving against his knee to return to a standing position. "Thirty men guard the castle gate." He nodded, proud of his accomplishments.
"Double it!" Prince Sebastian yelled, fist thrusting into the air. "My prince must be safe." His head tilted, eyes bright. Thad nodded, his own lips quirking into a smile. "The gate has but one key," he lifted the brass key hanging on a thin chain around his throat. "I carry that." Kurt hesitantly entered the room. "Ah, my dulcet darling," Prince Sebastian crooned, holding both of Kurt's hands. "Tonight we marry." He turned to Thad, smile hardening just a touch, almost unnoticeable. "Tomorrow morning your men will escort us to Lima Channel, where every ship in my armada waits to accompany us on our honeymoon."
Kurt frowned, his perfect brow marred by the wrinkles appearing when he did so. "Every ship but your four fastest you mean." Prince Sebastian turned towards him slowly, eyebrows raised in confusion. Kurt's frown deepened and his hands clasped together tightly. "Every ship but the four you sent. . ."
Prince Sebastian jerked, then nodded quickly. "Yes. Yes of course," he stammered. "Naturally not those four." He forced a laugh, eyes wide like a trapped animal. Thad shivered, sensing the tension, then backed away, "Your Majesty." he murmured and left. Kurt ignored his departure, sharp eyes turned towards Prince Sebastian and Prince Sebastian alone.
His chin lifted, face hardening with pride and a dignified fury. "You never sent the ships. Don't bother lying. It doesn't matter, my Blaine will come for me anyway."
"You're a silly boy," Prince Sebastian laughed, returning to his perusal of the knife. Kurt frowned "Yes. I am a silly boy," he echoed. "For not having seen sooner that you were nothing but a coward with a heart full of fear." His lips pursed as if he would spit at him; only his silent dignity kept the action from happening.
"I would not say such things if I were you," Prince Sebastian snapped, hand tightening on the hilt of the dagger. He glared at Kurt, eyes betraying his anger. Kurt laughed, tossing his head back. When he spoke again, all the fake amusement was gone from her features, leaving only fury at the Prince and faith in his Blaine.
"Why not?" he questioned. "You can't hurt me. Blaine and I are joined by the bonds of love, and you cannot track that; not with a thousand bloodhounds. And you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords. And when I say you're a coward, it is only because you are the slimiest weakling ever to crawl the Earth." He gazed at him serenely, even his growing anger unable to upset her now.
Prince Sebastian lost the last shred of control he held over his temper and slammed the dagger into the desktop. His hands lashed out, grabbing Kurt's arm tightly and dragging him from the room. "I would not say such things if I were you!" he bellowed, flinging him into his bedroom and slamming the door. The key he jerked from his pocket and then locked the door, bolting down the hallway the moment the lock was thrown.
Prince Sebastian never slowed his pace as he hurried through the forest, racing towards the Pit of Despair. He skidded over fallen leaves and tripped over branches but never once fell, catching himself any way he could, a red haze of anger clouding all his thoughts and actions.
He burst through the hidden door to the Pit of Despair, stormed down the stairs and shoving Santana out of the way. He slammed his fists down against the slab Blaine was tied to, eyes bright with insanity.
"You truly love each other, and so you might have been truly happy. Not one couple in a century has that chance, no mater what the storybooks say. And so I think no man in a century will suffer as greatly as you will," Prince Sebastian's eyes grew even bright and he leapt across the room to the machine, flinging the power up as high as it would go.
Count Puck leapt to his feet, "Not to fifty," he cried out, but it was too late. Prince Sebastian threw the switch and the machine surged to life, power racing over Blaine's body.
Blaine arched up off of the slab, only the restraints holding him down as his life force was sucked from his body. The agonized scream that tore past his chapped lips echoed throughout the room, tore through the forest, cutting into each tree.
Finally the sound echoed far from the Pit of Despair, reaching out and catching the attention of Mike and Sam. Mike tilted his head, staring off into the distance as he listened, then snapped his fingers.
"Sam! Sam! Listen," Mike crowed, turning in a quick circle, face alight with pleasure. "Do you hear? That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when Puck slaughtered my father. The man in black makes it now."
Sam frowned, uncertain if the sound was a true indication that the man in black was near them. "The man in black?" he mused.
"His true love is marrying another tonight," Mike glanced at Sam, frowning just a little, the slight clenching of his jaw tightening the sharp line of his cheekbone. "Who else has the cause for ultimate suffering?" He took off, trying to push his way through the people moving against him. The flow of humans was too much for the man and he growled in frustration. "Sam, please?!"
Sam cupped his hands around his mouth. "Everybody MOVE!" he yelled. The crowd fell silent and parted immediately, staring at the two men in shock. Sam nodded to Mike, who moved through the cleared spot quickly. The reached the forest in quick order.
Santana gripped the handles of the wheelbarrow, eyes widening just a little at the sight of the beautiful blonde man with the sharp cheekbones who appeared from nowhere. She pointedly ignored the larger man next to him, smiling brightly and batting her eyelashes at the stranger.
"Where is the man in black?" Mike demanded. Santana only blinked at him, holding her jacket tighter around her body. "You get that from this grove, yes?" he continued, pointing to the wheelbarrow, then into the air. Santana still stared at him, jaw slack. Mike sighed, turning away. "Sam, jog her memory please." Sam stepped forward, fist connecting with the back of Santana's head gently. She tumbled to the ground, unconscious.
Sam winced. "I'm sorry Mike. I didn't mean to jog her so hard. . ." he trailed off as he watched Mike close his eyes, drawing his sword from the sheath strapped around his hips. "Mike?"
Mike knelt on one knee in the center of the clearing, sword held in both hands. Sunlight spilled over him, throwing into high relief the bright whiteness of his hair and the sharp edge to his cheeks. His eyes remained tightly closed, though his throat clenched with emotion.
"Father, I have failed you for twenty years. Now our misery can end. Somewhere, somewhere close by is a man who can help us. I cannot find him alone. I need you. I need you to guide my sword, please. Guide my sword."
Mike rose to his feet slowly, eyes still shut tightly. He moved to and fro, crossing the clearing slowly, following the slightest tug on his sword. He spun to the right, feet moving across the leaf covered ground hesitantly, then back to the left. Sam watched in amazed silence as his friend moved, until the tip of Mike's sword thrust gently into a tree.
Mike's eyes flew open, but when his vision was filled with the dark tree, his head dropped in defeat. With a tired sigh he fell against the tree, burying his face in his arms, which rested on a protruding knob.
The hidden door to the Pit of Despair swung open with a tiny creak. Hesitantly the two men moved down the stairs, but found the room empty save for Blaine's body stretched along the wooden slab. Sam moved to the man's side, dropping his head against Blaine's chest to listen for a heartbeat.
"He is dead," he proclaimed quietly, head down, eyes filling with tears.
"Just is not fair," Mike lowered his own head, snarling in anger. "My family has never taken defeat easily. Come Sam, bring the body."
Sam stared at Mike in horror. "The body?" he echoed weakly, shivering at the thought. He glanced back down at Blaine's still form, then to Mike once more. "Have you any money?" Mike asked, moving away already, mind set on more important things than Sam's squeamishness. "I have a little," Sam replied after a moment. Mike nodded. "I just hope it is enough to buy a miracle."
So what did you guys think? Also please don't forget to review. Do you guys have a rough idea what the surprise chapter will be leave me reviews or PM's. Veronica xo xo