Chapter 18

Sir James took a circuitous route as he left the realm of Quintessa, crossing over into Furya.

A day and a half later, he found it eerily quite as he rode into the village. With a bad feeling, he rode into the courtyard. There, lying side by side on the ground were a half-dozen men and women's bodies. He spotted Agnes's body immediately. Dismounting, he dropped his reins and made his way to her. He was kneeling beside the body when he felt the sword against his neck.

"Sir James."

"Who wants to know?" James spit out, slowly standing to face his enemy.

"I speak for Lord Johns."

"You mean for the coward who kills innocent men and women?" James retorted.

The dark-skinned man simply smiled as he poked James with his sword. "My Lord wishes to speak with you."

Mercs on each side of him guided him into the keep where Johns had set up housekeeping. Riddick would have someone's head for this.

Sitting in Riddick's chair next to the fire, Johns was splayed out lazily, groping a frightened serving girl that he was holding on his lap. Glancing around the room James made eye contact with the knights and squires he could see, trying to pass along his strength and determination to keep his Lords wife and child from harm. To a man they nodded back at him, their spines straight.

"Sir James, I've been waiting on you. I see you've returned empty-handed though. How disappointing. I was so hoping to see Lady Riddick and her little brat."

"What do you want, Johns?"

"Now Sir James, is that any way to speak to a Lord of the Realms?"

"It's how I speak to a coward." James replied as he spit towards Johns' boots.

Throwing the girl to the floor, Johns stood making his way towards James, who watched as the girl scurried towards the men who let her into their midst only to surround her. Nodding, he turned his attention back to Johns who was circling him.

"I don't want to hurt this man!" Johns said loudly to the room. "But unless someone tells me what I want to know, you'll leave me no choice."

There was absolute silence in the hall. The residents of Riddick Keep were of one mind to protect Lady Riddick and her son. James continued to stare straight ahead. While they obviously knew he had escaped with his Lords wife, no one knew where he had taken her. He may die, but he would die doing his duty.

With a huff, Johns' commanded his men. "Tie him down!"

James struggled against his captors as the roar from the knights threatened to deafen them, until an even louder noise broke through the cacophony as they struggled to get him upon the table.

As everyone in the room looked at one another for the source of the noise, one of Johns men came running into the hall breathless. "Men! On the hill overlooking the village! They're carrying the Riddick crest."

"Well!" Johns demanded. "How many are there?"

"Hundreds." The man replied as a lone war cry rose over the sound of thundering hooves.

"Looks like we'll have to have this conversation some other time," Johns said slamming the hilt of his sword against James' head.

Hours later, after failing to find Johns, Riddick left Sir Gerard in charge of gathering up the bodies and disposing of them. His own men would be taken to Father Nickolas at the Temple.

Heading back to the keep, he barged through the large doors throwing his helmet off to the side ,making his way to where James sat as Isolaude stitched up his head.

"James?" Riddick said as he leaned down over his childhood friend, his eyes accessing the damage.

"My Lord, the bastard knocked me out." James answered with a grim look.

"Give me the room!" Riddick roared sending everyone scurrying.

"She and the boy are safe. I took them home." James said meeting Riddick's eye.

Riddick placed his hand on James' shoulder. "Thank you, my friend for taking care of them."

"Anything for you, Richard. You know that."

"Aye, that I do, James." Riddick said as the look the man gave him turned fierce.

"Johns. He wants to hurt her. He'll search till he finds them."

"He's already a dead man. He just doesn't know it yet." Riddick said matter-of-factly.

"She's worth fighting for, Brother. Every man here is behind you."

Storming out of the room, Riddick called for his horse, racing out of the courtyard with his men following in his wake.