(A/N): Once again I really must apologize for not posting this sooner. I have been having a horrible time with the plot. I hope it doesn't disappoint you…

Chapter Nine

 Escape

Vaughn sat silently as Wren communicated to Tess. But when her reverie was broken, she calmly looked at him.

"Well?"

"I passed her the message. The rest is up to us."

"How do you feel?"

"Fine...a little tired."

Leaning against the wall she suddenly realized enormity of the situation. Maybe right this night was not the best night to escape. She had not really thought through the words she had passed to Tess. The only thought that could circulate through her brain was to escape, be reunited with her friends, and help Vaughn. Her own eagerness to leave this wretched cell was now her folly. Now she and Vaughn had only hours to make a plan and successfully execute it. A sudden pain in her temple arose. Her grimace alerted Vaughn.

"Wren, what's the matter?"

"Vaughn, I told my friends that I was attempting an escape tonight. Maybe that was a bit hurried, but we can't take the chance of staying here a night more. There is no telling what Andreus will do next."

"Yes, you're right. The most logical action now would be to formulate an escape. But I have to tell you, walking idly around the estate is the simple part. It's getting outside and around that is my main concern."

It was then Vaughn described the various sentries his father had hired to roam and guard the estate from potential threats. It seemed like a strange request since Andreus was in hiding, but he was the kind of man who liked to be prepared for every kind of attack.

Wren chewed her lip. This escape was not going to be as easy as she thought.

"Are you strong enough to conjure up such magic? You looked weary after your last spell...and that is one of your natural talents. I wouldn't want you to overexert yourself before getting a good distance between us and the manor."

"At this point, it is a risk I am willing to take. There seems to be no other solution. We obviously cannot get up and leave this place without someone noticing. And what of your father? How long will it be before he notices his parchment missing?"

Too many questions and too many what if's. thought Vaughn. But Wren was right. There was no way she could remain here. It was too dangerous, for the both of them. They were going to have to take their chances with the sentries.

"I don't like it, but you're right. We need to leave as soon as possible."

Happy to have made some progress, Wren and Vaughn proceeded to work out the details.

~*~*~*~*

Andreus was a busy man. He liked to be able to almost return to his previous state of glory. All it took was a seemingly easy spell and all was his. His son...ahh...the joys of family. But to Andreus, Vaughn was another pawn in his endless train of servants he was willing to sacrifice if the price was right. And right now the price was high enough. He snickered as his genius. A son! Who would have guessed it? A lineage that he would rely upon to obtain more magic. But soon the essence would be gone, as well as Vaughn. No matter he served his purpose. With all of his busy thoughts of triumph, he did not notice that his room had been penetrated and his precious parchment stolen.

~*~*~*~*

The race back to camp was one of the longest run in Tess's life. Tess could barely wait to reveal the news of Wren! As she reached the peak of the trail, she saw three figures sitting around the fire.

"Tyron! Connor! Kai!!" she screamed as loud as she could.

Immediately all three heads turned in her direction with the expression of surprise. In an instant three young men bolted in her direction. Tyron in the lead, Connor a close second, and picking up the rear was Kai. They met each other halfway and all three faces looked at her for the news she brought.

"Wren, she contacted me just minutes ago while I was at the lake! She has been imprisoned by Andreus and is attempting to escape tonight. She promised me she would use her summons ring to give us a clue to her whereabouts." Tess said in a span of ten seconds.

Connor looked at her with wide eyes. It was the kind of news they had hoped for. But now all they could do now was to wait for Wren to send for help. Once again it was waiting game.

"Do you know where she is?" Connor suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"No, she said she is not in Senna Lirwan. She told me she felt close to me. But I saw her image...she was so sick! Her face was so pale and her voice was so weak! I don't know if she can manage to escape in her condition."

"Remember scrying is one of Wren's natural talents. Don't worry she promised us she would summon us when our aid is needed. Let us not lose faith in her." Tyron replied.

"What should we do?" Kai asked in a small voice.

"Wait...for her signal I assume."

The four looked at each other in silence. There was little to be done at this point. Wren would contact them as soon as she could, but this hardly was a plan they found reassuring.

~*~*~*~

Most of the planning was successful. Wren was happy with the results. However the matter of her getting out of bed was still undecided. Vaughn gave her anxious glances though she assured him that none was necessary. It would be simple enough. She felt a little lethargic, but this situation called for her to be out of bed and into action.

Carefully setting aside anything in her way, Wren carefully shifted her position on the makeshift bed. It's not so bad, she thought. I guess this was the easiest part of the plan. But as soon as she stood, her vision became a dizzying motion of spinning room. She was so taken aback by this, she staggered. But before she could hit the ground, Vaughn caught her.

"Wren!" he cried in alarm.

But Wren could not answer. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the dizziness and nausea wash away. "Vaughn, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You look horrible."

Giving him a smile, she stood again. "Thanks," she added sarcastically.

"Maybe we should rethink the plan. Maybe it would be better if we didn't split up. You haven't fully recovered yet. A mishap could definitely ruin our chance of escape."

"At this point we need to take a few risks. Nothing now can be guaranteed. Don't worry, I'll be just fine."

Though she could tell he was not completely assured, he left it at that.

Now for the hard part. Closing her eyes once again, Wren began to think of the many spells she had learned before this nightmarish journey. Quickly the words and movements came back to her as she slowly cast her spell.

~*~*~*~

Vaughn did not think he could change Wren's mind at this point. She was completely taken by the ideal of escape...tonight. But he wasn't sure if she was ready. The scrying had taken a lot of her and now watching her cast another was no better. But he kept his silence. She was both and a brave and stubborn girl. He watched in amazement as she completed the spell and his double sat before him.

"What do you think?"

"Amazing! It's exactly me!"

"Yes, and I hope I can keep up for the allotted time."

"Right, we better get moving. Time is of the essence."

Nodding to himself and giving Wren a quick review of the plan, Vaughn quickly dashed in the opposite direction.

~*~*~*~

Watching Vaughn disappear around a corner, Wren felt completely alone. Her fear melted away and her determination replaced it. Walking briskly, but not so quick as to draw attention, she made her way through the ill lit corridors. Repeating the instructions Vaughn had given her. 

As she made her way through the northern area of the estate, Vaughn's words echoed in her mind. Head in the northern direction of the manor, there is a garden. Not many seem aware of it. A few of the servants know about it, but other than that, it probably the most solitary place on the estate.  Make your way to the wooded area. You should be safe there for the time being.

But every step she took away from her cell, her breath quickened and her heart jumped at every sound she encountered. To distract her anxiousness, she began to think back of the tale she had read from Vaughn's book, the journey into the enchanted woods and the adventure that followed. Keeping close to the shadows and out of eyesight, she crept away from her cell and into new territory.  

As she made her way through the unknown grounds, the feeling of being lost slowly crept into her mind. All the corridors were dark and dreary it was impossible to distinguish one place from another. But she continued on and prayed that she did not run into any surprises.

~*~*~*~

Lylah idly walked along the eerie corridor. She hated coming here alone; every one of the servants did, for it was the wing in which the hated Andreus dwelled. So to be fair, a quick game of straws was established, and Lylah was the unfortunate bearer of the shortest stick. She sighed thinking about her luck and clutched the broom to her chest. She wished Vaughn was here to cheer her up, but for the past couple of days he did not come around often to greet her and now thinking about it, she could not remember when she last saw him. Another sigh. She was having a horrible week.

But as she quietly made her way to through the hallway, she hastily cleared the dirt and cobwebs that had accumulated. It was hard work but she enjoyed it because it took her mind of her fear. She worked diligently when suddenly she heard echoing footsteps. Immediately she was alert. Andreus hated when any of the servants were in his wing. Looking quickly around for a dark corner to hide in, she and became as insignificant as she could. Hidden in the shadows, she heard another pair of approaching footsteps and held her breath and waited.

"My Lord, all is going according to plan."

"Excellent. I knew it would."

"My Lord, how are your powers?"

"I have a good handle on a portion, it looks as though I need to reenergize."

"So soon? I was under the impression that multiple drains this early could result in certain complications."

The footsteps stopped. "How dare you undermine my authority."

"No...my Lord...I would never do such a thing." the voice was shaken with fear.

"I know when my limit is, I am his father. Besides, Vaughn seems well enough."

Lylah heart turned cold. Vaughn and Andreus? Related? This new information was too much for her. Her mind then turned to the other topic of discussion. Draining? An ominous feeling surged through her as she thought of the possible danger Vaughn could be in. But at this point she could do nothing. So she sat and waited for the men to finish the conversation.

"Of course my lord, I meant no disrespect. I was merely concerned with you not overdoing the spell."

"I know what I am doing. All is going as planned is it not?"

"Yes sire, however remember the clause we found with the spell."

"I most certainly remember it! Once again you are treading dangerously close to angering me."

"My apologies. I just wish to be a small reminder of it."

"Well, leave then. I have nothing further to discuss with you."

"Very good."

She heard the two separate footsteps becoming fainter.

It was all a big jumble in her mind. She herself had no notion of the world of magic but from the descriptions Andreus and his advisor was having, it certainly did not sound innocent. But she dared not speak of her newfound knowledge to the others. For some inexplicable reason, some felt loyal, or rather feared the wrath of Andreus. No, she must do this alone, and help Vaughn. Abandoning her chores, she raced along the wing only to notice a figure, at a distance resembling Vaughn head toward the open area of the manor.

~*~*~*~

Don't rush...don't look suspicious....thought Vaughn. The plan was simple enough. Take what is needed and leave. But then why did, every sound, every person and practically everything around him cause him to nearly jump out of his skin? He swore the pounding of his heart was guilty enough to have many of the servants and sentries look his way. Yet they did not and he quickly made his way towards the kitchen. The plan Vaughn the plan. It should be effortless.

Bring as many rations and items as he could, without arousing a curious eye. He was surprised that in this state of pressure he was able to take numerous rolls of bread, a large portion of cheese, and a good size canteen of water as well. As he quickly placed these items into a sack, he turned the corner in the direction of his room. With one phase of the plan complete, he felt it urgent to complete the rest. A new sense of energy flowed through him as he turned the corner, and into the direction of his father.

~*~*~*

Connor stared at his ring. It was all he could think of. He had sat in the same position for the past two hours and nothing seemed to chance in the brilliance of its stone.

Tyron and Tess had thought it logical to pack up their camp and head out as soon as Wren summoned. But Connor could not properly do a thing, for his mind wandered over and over about the sudden illumination of the ring. Finally Tyron suggested that Connor sit and wait just in case the ring should flare up. He was easy to convince at this time and only Kai found nothing suspicious about his behavior.

"He's extremely worried about her." Tess observed in her quiet voice.

"We all are." Tyron said trying to act causal.

"Yes of course we are. But Connor is so anxious and worried."

Looking up Tyron saw Tess face, it was the one she used often at court. Whatever had transpired under that face he could not guess, but he was certain that a hint of sadness was in her voice.

"We all care about each other, and it would certainly pain me to see in that sense if harm should also come to you."

She looked up with genuine surprise upon her face.

~*~*~*~

"Ah! Vaughn!" Andreus exclaimed.

Stopping in his tracks, Vaughn stood and waited for his father to approach him. But as his father came closer to him, a new aura radiated from him. It was almost familiar but at the same time wasn't. It was the sense of power he knew from before, but now the same power did not give the same kind of reaction as it once did. It was a bit mystifying and strange to know that his father's powers were his own.

"Father." He replied as stiffly as he could. It would not seem strange; it was often this tone of voice that ended most of their conversations. And Vaughn wanted more than to escape into his room.

Andreus stood before his son. Conversations between the two were rare and at this moment nothing was exchanged except for glances.

"What is that in your hands?"

"Items I need."

"Book I presume. You are always scampering around for literature." Andreus replied in a disgusted tone.

It was common knowledge that Andreus disapproved of Vaughn's love of literature. As a child, he would scold him for hours on end hoping to revise this flaw in his son attitude. But it had done nothing more than fuel the desire to read more. Looking his father straight in the eyes, he replied," It's none of your concern."

Complete surprise was all over Andreus's face. It was somewhat gratifying to see. Never before had Vaughn ever directed such a clear comment towards his father. His usual responses were to remain silent and allow his father his leisure to scold. But such was not the case tonight, time was short and he could not spend the hours his father may take with his endless lectures. And before his father could utter another word, Vaughn walked passed him.

~*~*~*~

The minutes seemed like hours. Wren had wandered the strange manor with little success of finding the rendezvous point. She could hardly walk straight, the strength in her legs seemed to waiver as she concentrated on maintaining her illusion. Suddenly she saw it, the scene that Vaughn had so eloquently described the neglected garden, which few bothered to notice. With a breath of relief, Wren had crouched behind some bushes eagerly waiting for Vaughn to do the same. But before she could relax, she saw a figure emerge from the castle.

~*~*~*~

The pounding of Vaughn's heart intensified after he had left his own room. It was not of another confrontation with his father. It was of the escape. There was no going back now. He had taken what he could carry but the package was a bit obvious. Trying to act as inconspicuous as possible, he casually entered the garden. His first instinct was to search for Wren. But he stopped as he noticed a slim figure in the distance. Her long, dark sable locks were tied at the nape of her neck and her colorless garments had dark smudges on various areas. But what really caught his attention was that she carefully looking through the mess of bushes and trees.

"Lylah?" he asked himself quietly. Suddenly his pulse started to race...what if she saw Wren? But before he could conceal himself, Lylah had already spotted him.

The look of relief was on her face as she made her way to him.

"Vaughn! I have been looking everywhere for you!"

This alone was strange. She rarely looked for him individually nor was she ever this anxious. "Looking for me? Why?"

She stared at his face. She was searching for something he could tell, and it worried him. She could not possibly know about the current events. Yet the worried expression on her face told him enough. It was strange, and it scared him to see her like this. Lylah was a strong individual, a girl who relied only upon herself for her survival. His thoughts cleared as she took his arm and led him towards a massive tree.

Taking a deep breath and pitching her voice to above barely a whisper, she told him of all that had transpired which she hid in the darkness. "You don't seem worried." she said as she finished her tale. But as she question left her lips, she stopped herself. She had finally noticed the somewhat bulky package he held in his hands. "You knew about this and you're leaving, aren't you?"

He was speechless. He hadn't expected her to catch on to his plan so quickly.

"I don't know much about magic but I sense that you cannot escape for long. He will search for you. You have something he wants and needs."

He shook his head. "I can't bring you into this Lylah. It's too dangerous. It's safer if you knew nothing more."

She scowled at him. "I didn't know you did not trust in my friendship to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know the truth about you," she said, her gaze looking past him. "I heard it straight from him, and there seems to be no remorse for he continues this draining spell on you, his own son."

Her words stunned him. For a second time during this conversation he was speechless. But when he was finally able to regain himself he replied, "It was not that I didn't trust you, it was more a means to maintain our friendship."

She smiled at him unexpectedly. "Well you can make it up to me by letting me help you."

Vaughn sighed. He was winning no arguments with either Lylah or Wren today and bowed his head like a beaten man. 

~*~*~*~

Thanks for reading. Did you like it? This was not one of my favorite chapters but please review! =)

~Charmgirl

To Reviewers:

Coppercurls: Thanks for the compliment! I am glad you like my fic. Oh and please update your fic!

AniHope: Thank you! =) I was sad that your fic ended. Were you planning on writing another?

Hannirose: Thank you for reading! =) I hope you like this chapter. *crosses fingers*

Savannah: Your comments are greatly appreciated. I agree with you about my earlier chapters. They were hastily written and because of your remark, I have gone back and changed a few things in the earlier chapters. Thank you for your input.

Blazing-Moon: I am happy you like the character Vaughn. Yes, I agree…I love that name! =)

Miram: Thank you for supporting my fic. I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter.