Chapter 11
The strike was certain and quick like lightning. The guard had no chance to even turn to face the Prince. Loreto did not know how he knocked him down with his lance without shedding a single drop of blood. The agent fell down like a tower. She advanced stuck to his arm and the wall. Her heart was beating at full speed in her chest. Judging for what she had seen in the last weeks, guards filled and surrounded this place day and night. The Prince steps were silent on the floor, he slid the feet without creating the slightest one of his movements seemed carefully calculated. Loreto tried to imitate him. She controlled her breathing and sharpened her hearing to the maximum. Suddenly, the Prince pointed forward. They had to cross the aisle and turn to the left. He held his lance in his right hand, pointing to the floor; the sword hooked to his back and his left hand against Loreto's stomach at his back protecting her. She had but the slightest idea how he oriented himself to know where the exit was, yet she followed without questioning. Afar, two guards watched the gate's access. He stopped at his traces behind a closed corner. His breath was controlled, barely audible. He was at least two meters tall. Before her the Prince was a fortress impossible to ignore or dodge. Without words and in a single movement he pressed Loreto by her core against the wall, turned and pinned her with his gaze millimeters away from her face. She swallowed hard and gasped deep at his sudden proximity. Stunned and unable to move, she saw into his light yellow pupils. Stay here regardless of what happens, she heard in her head. Had she imagined it? Next, she saw him running with wide strides towards both guards. The men drew their weapons and shot the Prince. Her heart skipped a beat. The Prince dodged the bullets running at full speed and stretched his lance forwards making it grow triple its length. What followed was a carnage at the speed of light. He ran towards the left wall and jumped in such a way as to land in between both men and with two turning motions of his lance the agents were history bleeding on the floor. The Prince pointed at her and called her to him. She was completely paralyzed. She shook from head to toes. When he saw she was still standing behind the corner, it was he who approached. He arrived before her, invading her with his presence. He placed his open hand on her chest and with his free index he crossed his lips, ordering her to stay quiet. Only then Loreto was conscious how loud and out of control her heartbeats were bumping against her chest. She attempted to control her agitated breathing. Slowly she calmed herself barely enough to continue.
They advanced through the gate and found another maze of hallways. Somewhere in the background they suddenly heard hurried steps. They were getting closer. The Prince took her hand and, without turning around, began to run. The steps crushed clearer on the metal floor. They were stepping on their heels. They turned a corner to the right. At the end they spotted another gate. Loreto begged the heavens for that gate to be the exit to the outdoors. Suddenly she realized she did not know what time of day it was. And what if out there the sun was still shining bright in the sky? Her heart shrunk in terror at the mere idea of hurting the Prince once again. Suddenly, from the left, someone grabbed her. She let go of the Prince's hand, who immediately turned and froze his steps when he saw the situation. An agent had immobilized her by the neck with his arm strangling her and placed the cold cannon of his handgun against her temple. A chill wave overwhelmed her and dread nested in the pit of her stomach. This would be her end. Loreto was not made for this kind of thing. She was a musician, not a soldier. It had been a terrible idea to escape this place that was strongly surveilled by armed guards. Tears flooded her eyes.
"It's over, Nuada," the man said at her back with a calm yet strong tone.
Loreto heard the steps of other men approaching. She saw red laser dots pointing to the Prince's chest and head. She met his gaze. If elves truly were magical creatures and could read minds, Loreto begged him for forgiveness one more time. In silence. To his eyes. For an instant she believed to have heard him say he held no grudge against her. Or maybe it was the stratospheric levels of adrenaline and cortisone making her hallucinate. She didn't quite understand well what occurred and what the Prince did next. He jumped, propelling himself more than a meter above the floor, and in the process he drew his sword from his back. The agents opened fire. Next, he spun both weapons like helicopter blades before him creating an impenetrable shield against bullets which when hitting against its edges, flew propelled at blast speed in all directions. The impact of one such projectiles in her left arm burned her skin. It was sudden. Seconds later, the pain hit her. Loreto let out a scream at the top of her lungs while panic was gaining over her mind. The open flesh burned, the heat of her blood wet her cardigan and arm dripping from her fingertips. The Prince immediately noticed and met her gaze filled with adrenaline. He landed behind her at enough distance to slide the throat of the agent holding her prisoner. Loreto remained frozen at the image of the bleeding headless body collapsing at her side. The Prince spun his weapons and impulsed himself against the walls to jump above the other guards and in a matter of a few brushes of his sword and lance's cutting edges he slid their arms and necks knocking them down. The aisle returned to silence. Blood covered the surface, reaching her white sneakers. The Prince arrived at her side and uttering no words he checked her wound. Loreto shook all over. The bullet wound in her arm by the biceps burned and tore her flesh. Loreto lost balance, and the world switched off in darkness. The Prince grabbed her firmly in his arm and they went out through the gate.
Loreto's prayers had been heard. The night had already arrived. The building was massive and as a mansion or fortress erected from the top of a hill. All the perimeter surrounding it was enclosed in tall gates. They carried on towards the front exit.
"Brother!," they heard at their backs coming from the building.
They both turned around. The Prince gasped with difficulty to the image of his sister running towards him. A few meters away from her were Agents Hellboy, Sherman and Sapien. Why weren't they trying to stop them like the black-suited agents had done earlier? The Princess arrived before him, gasping for air. Her amber gaze was broken. They looked into each other's eyes. They seemed like both sides of the same coin. The Prince grabbed her by the nape and forced her to face him. Agent Sapien attempted to run to her aid, yet Agent Hellboy closed his way with his enormous stone hand. This concerned only the twins and nobody had the right to interfere.
"This is not over," he uttered low in between his teeth. "You left me at the mercy of torturers! To your own brother!," his voice broke.
The Princess sobbed. She said something in a language unknown to Loreto, yet her words vanished in her uncontrollable sobbing.
"I will find you and I will come back for the last piece of the crown. You know it. Now, if there's still some love in your heart for your brother, let me go," the Prince mumbled with difficulty.
They leaned against each other's foreheads and remained like that for seconds long. Nobody else existed but the two of them. Everything around them stopped turning. They sobbed in silence. The Prince let go of her nape with a rough motion and walked away from her. He pointed at the special agents with his silver lance and hugged Loreto by the waist against him. The bullet embedded in her arm was opening its way through her muscles with such heat, making her feel feverish. Her head was turning like a spinning wheel out of control. Agent Hellboy pressed the button and the big gate began to slowly retract. She felt herself lifting off the floor; the Prince took her in his arms and turning around; he walked into the night.