Disclaimer: I don't own Tamora Pierce's characters.
Not Taking Anymore
Chapter 25
"Ow!" Kyle tried to sit up and rub his head, but he found himself bound to the very chair that he'd been sitting on. He quickly glanced around to see what his surroundings were, only to find himself no longer in the healer's wing. "Where the devil am I?"
"Kyle?" a small voice whispered from a bed across the room.
"Serpenia?" Kyle stared worriedly at the figure in the shadows.
"Yes, are you alright?" Serpenia whispered hoarsely.
"I'm a bit tied up at the moment, but otherwise I think I'm okay…" Kyle's head pounded from where the blow had landed. "Where are we?"
"The… I do not know," Serpenia seemed to curl a bit towards the wall, listening for his voice.
"Are they awake?" a voice chuckled gleefully.
"Yes sir!" a man outside the door moved slightly away from the door, allowing the man in.
"It is good to see you again, Serpenia," the man laughed cruelly.
"Not nearly long enough for me, Nevaeln!" Serpenia shouted at the man.
"I see your suitor has awakened," Nevaeln chuckled. "Now, the fun may begin!" The door was shut, the guard long dismissed. The man walked towards the bed, with Kyle helplessly chained to the chair, watching in horror as Serpenia's screaming began.
"Tobe, we have to get to Kyle," Jen whispered in Tobe's ear.
"Where was he last seen?" Tobe whispered back.
"Healer's wing," Jen replied, her adrenalin pumped as Tobe took her hand and raced the way to the healers. Stephan had known about the passage from the barn, but Tobe had had much time on his hands and had found many a passage that let him slip around unnoticed.
"This would have come in handy when I was younger," George grunted as they continued to the Healer's wing.
"What about Bianca?" Beatrice whispered for the group to hear.
"Lady Beatrice, you heard what my mother said," Thom took hold of Beatrice's hand so that she would not try anything foolish. "She is more likely safer than we are."
"Thank you," Beatrice whispered into his ear as she followed him, her hand still grasped tightly in his.
"JON! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" Alanna roared as they burst into the throne room.
"WHAT?!!" Jon yelled angrily.
"Where in the healer's wing?" Tobe looked to Jen for guidance as the group stepped from another passage entrance and into the healer's gardens.
"This way…" Jen began to lead the way, but an arrow swiftly appeared in her face.
"Who are… Jen?"
"Jeri!" Jen smiled happily at finding her healer friend safe.
Jeri quickly un-notched the arrow, "Oh Lord and Lady! I am glad to see you safe!"
"Jeri, where is my friend?" Jen asked nervously.
"Oh, it was rather odd, Jen." Jeri frowned, "I heard someone throw their bed-pan, so I went to check, and I spotted some odd looking men enter the room. They carried that poisoned girl out as if she would break, and then they carried poor Kyle as if he were a sack of dirty laundry! Here's what confused me, was that the girl was all smiles… but that was most likely the poison polluting her mind…" Jeri stopped but continued to ration everything in her mind.
"Jeri! What happened to Kyle?" Jen brought the girl back to the present.
"They were carried off, so I followed them, but they didn't seem to notice me," Jeri frowned. "Oh, and I saw them enter this big house, so I quickly ran back to the palace to find someone."
"How'd you get a bow?" Thom questioned her.
"Oh! I like to shoot, and I always leave it in the gardens," Jeri looked at Thom curiously. "Not many come into the gardens, and it can't be seen from any window. It is usually the best place for me to practice, and calm my mind."
"Jeri, you're one awesome girl!" Jen let go of Tobe's hand and hugged Jeri tightly, before releasing the young healer. "Can you take us to the house?"
"Alright, but we should probably get some more people to help us, it looked like a very formidable place," Jeri shivered. Thom released Beatrice's hand and allowed his arms to encircle the frightened girl.