1Chapter Eleven
"Avaron, do we pay our maids to do nothing but gossip?" Igrayne asked as the fourteen year old sipped from her cup of tea.
Avaron rolled her eyes at her younger sister, looking up from the article she was finishing for the local paper on the fashions of the ball. She had put it off to do the far more interesting stories on the insurgent attack on Rennsalaer. "Do you have to be so high handed, Igrayne?"
"Well, it just seems to me that as cold as it is out today you wouldn't think Cynthi would be tarrying to chat with Lucinda across the fence. I should think she'd want to beat the rugs and get inside fast as she could," Igrayne said, exchanging tea cup for crochet hook. "But I suppose it was too good of gossip to pass up."
Avaron rummaged in her desk for a blotter. "How so?"
"The Thorne household was in an uproar all night it seems. Keddrick was screaming and being awful…he does that a lot, doesn't he?" Igrayne's young face wrinkled.
"Yes, he's not a very nice man," Avaron agreed. "Did Lucinda say what he was upset about?"
"Something he saw over here last night." Igrayne ran a hand through her red hair. "What could he have seen through the windows that upset him? What kind of trouble are you in now, sis?"
"Oh, god." Avaron's hand shook as she set her pen down. Her stomach twisted like a leaf in the wind.
"Lucinda said he was making threats against someone he was calling a Squint, that's really not nice. There's nothing wrong with the Xing." The girl sniffed. "And he left really early this morning dressed for hunting. It's rather the wrong season for that."
"Oh, my god." Avaron snatched up the phone and placed a call to the office Riza worked in on base. She was informed Cadet Hawkeye hadn't returned from her lunch. "Damn, damn, damn."
Avaron ran outside without proper boots or a coat, ignoring her sister's shouts. She raced to the end of the walk and turned toward the military base, heading past her manicured hedgerows. She saw the scuffle marks and spots of blood on the snow. Swearing inventively, Avaron plowed through the snow to the Thorne's front door, slamming the knocker as hard as she could. She rubbed her chilled arms, dancing from foot to foot, her toes numb inside her soaked slippers. Lucinda the maid seemed shocked to see her.
"Miss Lagana, you'll catch your death! Where is your coat?"
"Never mind that, Lucinda. It's imperative I speak to Keddrick immediately," Avaron said even though deep in the pit of her stomach she knew Keddrick wouldn't be here.
"I'm sorry, Miss. Mr. Thorne went out in his car some time ago." Lucinda's eyes betrayed her fear of her employer.
Avaron swore again, apologized to Lucinda then tore off for her own home. Igrayne was waiting for her at the door with a heavy comforter, tossing it over her sister as soon as she came in.
"Avaron what's wrong?" She tried to pull Avaron towards the parlor and its roaring fire.
Avaron followed simply because that was where her phone was. She sat and let Igrayne take off her ruined slippers and rub her ruby red feet as she made the call. "Can you please put me in touch with General Householder or his secretary or whomever I need to speak to. I think one of his cadets was attacked and taken from in front of my home…yes, I can wait."
"Avaron, what's going on?" Igrayne hissed lowly, her green eyes wide.
"I think Keddrick kidnapped Riza because she was doing everything she can to avoid marrying him," Avaron said, her voice shaking just a bit.
"Marry? When did that happen?" Igrayne asked, going even paler under her sprinkle of freckles.
Avaron waved her off. "Yes, sir, thank you for talking with me. I don't have much proof of what I'm going to say but I want you to know what little I know and what I think is happening," she said then explained the situation, leaving out what the boys were doing with her and Riza at the house the night before. "I'm not sure where he'd take her, sir. His maid said he isn't home. It's possible he took Riza to her uncle's…yes, sir, I'll stay out of it. Thank you, sir."
Avaron hung up the phone then got up, stamping her feet. "I need to get boots."
"Avaron, what is going on?" Igrayne asked nervously. "You can't really mean Keddrick has kidnapped Riza."
"That's exactly what I mean. I'm going out, Igrayne. Don't you or any of the maids open the door to anyone. For today, we're not here," Avaron said, clamping her hands on her sister's shoulders.
"Where are you going?"
"To the Hawkeye residence," Avaron answered grimly.
"But you told the general you wouldn't." Igrayne hung on her arm.
"I lied," Avaron said, shaking free. "I'll take the car. If I'm not back in an hour, call the general and tell him where I am."
Igrayne nodded, fear in her eyes. Avaron got her hunting rifle and headed for the car.
X X X
"Where are we?" Roy mumbled, unable to decide what part of him hurt the most. He bounced off the cage of Maes' arms and straightened himself up on the horse more.
"Almost out of the woods," Maes replied distractedly. Roy had been antsy and noisy the whole way out of the woods. "Try to sit still, Roy."
"I think you can stop worrying. I'm sore but I don't think I'm really hurt that much," Roy replied, his eyes narrowing. "I know that lake." He pointed to the frozen pond. "We're near Hawkeye's…I'm not supposed to be there, am I?"
"This was the quickest way out. It's not like we'll be going inside," Maes said, urging their horse to go faster now that the ground was leveling. They skirted around the home then angled toward the front of the house and the drive.
"Hey, that's Thorne's car," Roy said, peeling off the heavy duty, winter gloves. A wicked look fluttered over his wan face.
Maes dropped the reins for a moment and grabbed Roy's hands still clad in the static gloves. "Don't even think it. You can't torch his car. He'll know it was you."
"And there's Avaron's car." Roy nodded.
"And Avaron." Maes spotted the young lady heading to a window. He reined up hard. "With a gun. What the hell is going on?"
"We need to find out." Roy all but fell off the horse, nearly taking Maes with him. He ignored the dull but nauseating ache in his head as he ran.
"Roy, get back here. You're in no shape to do anything," Maes said, swinging off the horse, letting the reins drop.
Roy was glad his friend didn't remind him of the order banning him from this place. Things like that didn't matter in situations like this. "Avaron, what are you doing?" he called softly.
She whipped around, her eyes wild. "Riza's disappeared. There was blood on the walk outside my place. I think Keddrick took her."
"Son of a bitch!" Roy hissed. "Not that way, Avaron. You'll have to break glass. This way. There's a window with a busted lock. I'm betting Bob was too cheap to fix it."
"What do we plan to do once we get in there?" Maes eyed Avaron's gun as they sneaked around to the north side of the house.
"I've already called the base. General Householder said someone would help but…I'm not sure he believed me entirely. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on them," Avaron said.
"Good thinking," Maes said, slightly surprised at how level headed she was given the circumstances.
"Why are you bloody, Roy?" Avaron whispered.
"He says he fell. Unless he impaled himself on a stick, I think he was shot in the head," Maes growled, angry at whoever had hurt his friend and frustrated that he could do nothing, including making Roy listen to reason.
"Should he be walking around?" Avaron said, color draining out of her face. She reached for Roy who shrugged away.
"You try stopping him now," Maes said scathingly, giving his friend a look that said he was being an idiot for not taking it easy until he saw the doctor.
"Keddrick's maid said he went out on a hunt early this morning," Avaron said. "But how…"
"Probably a bird rifle," Maes said as Roy pried open the window. "Keddrick wouldn't want to make a lot of noise out there. Low velocity, small caliber, it probably didn't go through Roy's thick head."
"That isn't funny," Roy said, climbing in the window. "My head's killing me."
"No, not funny at all," Maes replied caustically as he and Avaron followed him in. She surrendered the rifle to Maes.
"Now where to?" Avaron asked.
A loud scream showed them the way.
X X X
"Keddrick, I don't know what you're thinking but this is not the way to go about things," Bob said, back on his feet, his lip rapidly swelling. "No one will stand for this."
"She doesn't want me? Fine, but I'll be damned if anyone else gets her." Keddrick snarled as he paced around the room, undecided as to his next move.
Riza looked around for a weapon. The best she could do was a crystal vase on the mantle. Thoughts of her own safety fled, chased off by the rage and pain caused by this monster killing the man she loved. She tried to slam it against Keddrick's skull but his own mania fueled his muscles. The blow glanced off an up thrown arm and wasn't enough to put him down. His blade flashed out, catching the arm she threw up to keep the knife from finding her neck. Riza couldn't hold back the sharp cry of pain.
The knife arced up and back down like a silvery fish leaping rapids. It tore into her back with Keddrick screaming he'd destroy the freakish symbol tattooed there. Fiery pain washed over her and Riza punched and kicked as hard as she could, feeling the blade twisting through her flesh. She could feel it slipping out of her and back in again with force enough to nearly take her down. Keddrick's own face was bloodied from her attack but any signs of sanity were gone from his eye. She had heard the mad fought beyond all reason, so very difficult to stop. Now she believed it.
"Get off of her," Bob said, trying to pull Keddrick back. Keddrick scrabbled for a handhold on her, only managing to tear away her ruined shirt.
Fighting for her was probably the most humane thing Riza had ever seen her wastrel uncle do and Keddrick slashed him for his troubles. Bob fell over, screaming. Riza took advantage of Keddrick's divided attention and kicked the knife out of his hand. She tried to get her gun out of his pocket before he remembered he had it. Keddrick's fist slammed into her torn cheek and, for a moment, she was blinded.
Riza wrestled with him, biting into whatever piece of flesh had offered itself but she was weakening. Her wounds took their toll. As Keddrick shoved her back, Riza slipped in her own blood. Keddrick caught her before she hit ground, hauling her across the floor towards the fireplace. She saw the flap of skin dangling from his arm where her teeth had done their work.
"Stupid bitch," he swore and shoved her down.
Riza tried to stop him, feeling the heat against her back but her limbs were slowly refusing to obey her. Riza shrieked when he pushed her against the hot fire dog in the fireplace. The metal branded her back and Keddrick tried to force her head into the flames. Riza imagined she heard the familiar sound of a cocking gun.
"Get the hell away from her!"
Keddrick let go of her head but didn't move enough that Riza could get away from the fire dog ruining her back. Avaron's voice had stunned them both but Riza recovered faster and kicked up between his legs. Keddrick fell back howling and she rolled limply away from the fire. Was that Roy with Avaron? That wasn't possible.
Keddrick tried to get up then froze, seeing Roy. "You? That's not possible. I killed you."
Roy's response was an inarticulate growl as his fingers came together.
"Roy, no!" Maes shouted.
Riza heard the snap and fire seemed to arch out of the fireplace, over her, to embrace Keddrick. The burn was short and from the screams, excruciating. She was barely aware of Roy hitting his knees next to her and the feel of his hands on her face. "Thought you were dead," she whispered.
"Not yet." His hands tugged at his shirt, trying to get it off to hold to the hemorrhaging wounds on her back. "Someone help me, please."
Riza never heard the response.
