Ch 28: Thwarted
When the Jinn led Susan and Lucy into the castle's great hall, Cori's relief was short-lived. "Take them to the dock and prepare for their transport to the Stone Table," said Elian. "And see that they do not leave your sight, Jinn Saris."
As the Jinn passed by, Lucy broke away toward Cori with a cry and wrapped her in a hug. "Cori! Are you all right?" When Cori didn't move or respond, Lucy frowned. "What's wrong?" she whispered.
Cori begged the youngest Pevensie with her eyes. Please, please run! Leave this place! Escape from this evil man before he kills you and destroys everything that is left of goodness in this country!
But Lucy merely frowned again. "Cori?"
"This way," hissed the Jinn, and Lucy was pulled away from her toward the great hall's soaring door.
Elian took Cori by the arm. "Shall we, my dear?"
As if I had a choice, she thought. Her insides felt hollow.
Elian brought her to the dock. Cori spied a flash of white among the trees in her peripheral vision, but Elian did not pause or lead her in that direction, so she couldn't look closer.
The thing that had ferried her over had returned. Elian lagged well behind Susan and Lucy. He and Cori stepped into the stern of the barge. As they drew away, Cori turned to see the sunset-gilded ruin of the castle growing smaller and smaller, glad to see the last of it no matter what happened next.
Then she saw the white flash again. Just before the barge turned to cross the lake, she realized she'd seen a unicorn.
- # -
"Now what? The damn castle's empty," Edmund growled. "Unless you want to go back to the catacombs and fight our way through some more of the Witch's leftover lackeys."
They stood over the body of Beltran, one of Cori's guard. Peter couldn't believe they'd simply left the man lying there at the end of the great hall...but then again, he would put nothing past the Telmarines now. He clenched his fist on Rhindon's hilt. "Let's get out of here," he said. "Wherever they've taken the women is where we go."
He and Edmund slipped outside to a brilliant sunset. Salvia flew ahead of them and landed on one of the pilings of the dock at the lake's edge. The deserted dock. Gnashing his teeth, Peter kicked the nearest piling. "How do we cross the lake without a boat? We can't bloody well fly." He nodded to Salvia. "At least, two of us can't."
The wind rose then, bringing with it a stream of leaves that swirled around Edmund. "Meleyen," Edmund said with obvious relief.
The Narnian dryad paused, then took on a human shape. "Your Majesty. It is a great relief to see you well. Asha has been gravely ill, and we feared the worst for you."
"I'm all right," Ed said, "though I'd fare better with wings."
"We need griffins--the strongest pair you can find, and as fast as you can send them to us," Peter said. "Cori and the queens have been taken. We don't know which way the Telmarines have gone, but--"
"I will follow them and report back to you, sire," said Salvia. He sprang into the air and flapped away. Meleyen bowed to Ed and Peter and swirled away with him.
A crunch on gravel brought Peter and Edmund both around with their swords raised.
Onyx cantered toward them. "Your Highness! Thank Aslan you're alive."
"Yes, I'm all right. We need to get off this island," Peter said.
"I can swim it, sire, but not carrying a rider."
Peter ran a hand through his hair, staring fruitlessly at the opposite bank. Help was coming--he hoped--but not coming fast enough. He could swim it too, if it came to that, but he'd have no strength left for whatever came afterward. He cursed aloud and paced the dock.
"The griffins will come, Peter, and then we'll catch them up," Edmund said. "And the dryads and naiads have alerted others by now. The Telmarines can't go anywhere in Narnia without someone to oppose them."
Peter wheeled around, full of anguish. "I'm supposed to watch over them. Over all of you. You almost died, Ed."
"I've almost died a number of times, and haven't managed it yet. That stinking doppelganger isn't going to be the reason I succeed." Anger flared in Edmund's eyes. Peter had told him of the damage his sinister double had done on his way through Narnia, using Ed's face as his cover. "And as for Susan and Lucy..." Ed trailed off, and a hint of Peter's own worry showed in his eyes. "They're brave, Peter."
Peter swallowed down the choking sensation in his throat. "And Cori?"
There was silence for a moment. Ed studied him. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
Peter didn't respond. Love of family, love of Narnia, love of Aslan--those things he knew to be fact. Could he have fallen in love with Cori in the scant time they'd had together?
He remembered the smile she gave him just before he kissed her in the wood beside the archery field. Every passing second without action made his chest hurt. What if he never saw her alive again?
