Lily lay silently in her bed, listening for the signal. She sifted uncomfortably as she stared at her bedroom door; the sheathed sword at her side was pressing into her hip and the boots that reached to her knees were tangled in her bed sheets.
She had been dressed for hours, waiting for her brother to come get her. Even though he told her to get some rest, she was much too excited to even think about closing her eyes. Tonight was the night she'd been waiting for.
She was well prepared; she had the two knives her brother had taken from the arsenal on her along with her sword and she had dressed warmly with a long cloak and long sleeved shirt as well as food and extra clothes in her pack. She wore Telmarine armor; a dark green studded vest and leather cuffs around her arms. She had to leave her dresses behind.
She did not know where they were going, but her brother had told her more than once that he knew they would not be alone. They were traveling with the other rebel children of the royal council members, the ones who wished for a better life, but Lily could tell that Leland was looking forward to something else.
They had been planning for weeks, nearly two months, not long after Caspian had disappeared. His disappearance was the cue that Leland had needed: he knew they could not stay. He plotted their escape with a dear friend of his, Gabriel, who was a son of one of the missing council members. With Gabriel and his sister Eris, the twins Marsonia and Genia and their younger brother Lukas, they would escape the Telmarine castle. But it wasn't the escape that worried Lily. She became anxious when her brother did not tell her the next step of his plan after they escape.
But there wasn't time for fear: she heard a distinct knock on her door. She threw back the covers, put her pack over her shoulders and opened the door, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright.
Her tall brother smiled down at her; his dark eyes twinkled with anticipation and his long dark hair casted shadows over his face.
"Are you ready little sister?"
She smiled excitedly, "more than you know, brother."
"Good. Let's go."
Lily followed Leland through the short hallway and into the main room of their family's wing. Ever since Alvarez's promotion to second in command from Miraz, their family had moved to larger living quarters and their chambers were closer to Miraz's, an unfortunate factor for the rebels.
Leland went to the desk next to the window and rummaged through the papers that cluttered it. Lily looked out the window; the moon was full and the sky was clear and covered with stars. Through the battlements and towers, she could see the distant plains that separated the castle from the woods. The land was glowing beneath the moon: snow covered the land like a thick blanket.
Leland found a map and tucked it into his armored vest, turning to open the wooden door, "hurry, Lily."
Leland led the way out of their family's wing and they went into the wide stone passage that would lead them to the great hall where their friends were waiting. Lily looked back at the door of their father's chambers and her breathing quickened as she thought of him charging after them.
The castle was gargantuan: made entirely of stone with tall windows and arching passageways, the fortress was like a maze of halls and stairwells. There were six floors and thirteen towers of the center part of the castle. Leland and Lily were on the fifth floor and needed to get to the second where the bridge was.
They were alone in the passage but they stayed out of the moonlight that was streaming through the tall windows. They kept close and Leland peered around each corner before they passed. Every now and then there were soldiers patrolling the halls and they snuck past them, holding their breath. When they reached the double door entrance to the great hall, Leland listened carefully before gently pulling one open.
With her hand on the knife in her belt, Lily hurried through the small opening and into the great hall. The hall was dark, like the rest of the castle, and very cold; the long wooden table and high-backed chairs casted strange shadows in the room, making Lily feel uneasy as she looked for anyone that may be lurking.
She smiled as she saw her friends, Gabriel and Eris. They were standing in the shadows next to the windows. Eris rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Lily, her hazel eyes bright as she smiled at Leland.
Lily tucked Eris's long golden hair behind her ear. Eris and her brother were also Telmarine outsiders for their looks; their father and mother were from another kingdom but their father was still one of Miraz's most loyal followers.
Lily observed the grand table in the center of the hall and she quickly went to the head chair, Miraz's chair, took out her knife and carved an "X" in the seat.
She looked at her brother and pointed at her mark, "Long live the king."
Eris laughed quietly into her hand and Leland smiled at his sister.
Gabriel grasped Leland's arm, "Marsonia and her brother and sister should be down at the main entrance. Their safety is at risk if they stay there too long."
Leland nodded, "the quickest way is down the fifth floor tower."
Without another word, Lily and Eris followed their brothers out of the hall and back into the passage.
They kept in the shadows, their cloaks billowing behind them as they ran silently, and they turned into a spiraling staircase. They followed close behind Leland, their footfalls quickening down the stone steps. They passed the fourth floor and were ready to reach the third when they heard an odd noise.
Leland stopped before stepping onto the third floor landing and looked back at Lily, his brow furrowed as he listened to the sound that seemed to be growing louder. It was footsteps…
Lily's eyes widened and she whispered fiercely: "soldiers!"
Leland and Gabriel turned around so quickly that Lily and Eris almost fell as they clamored back up the staircase.
"Take the fourth landing!" Leland shouted as the sound of the soldiers' footfalls filled the staircase.
Lily threw herself up the stairs and onto the fourth floor landing and she turned to run to the right, she stopped dead in her tracks. Eris gasped and Leland cursed under his breath.
The shadowy corridor was only lit by the moonlight from the windows and the torches in the soldiers' hands. Lily saw the other escapees, all squirming in the gasp of the soldiers. Some of the soldiers were even related to some of the rebels, such as the three brothers who were holding Marsonia her twin sister Genia and Lukas.
But Lily's eyes narrowed on the girl that was standing in front of the group of soldiers, her step-sister Viria.
Viria's cold black eyes glinted in the flickering flames of the torches and her smile was calm as she took in the stunned faces before her.
Her deep voice echoed lightly down the corridor, "My my my, what a surprise."
Leland stepped forward and pulled Lily behind him, shielding her with his body.
Lily tore her eyes away from Viria and she looked up at Leland, wondering what was going through his head. She could see his thoughts whirling around in his head as his eyes flickered from Viria's face to the soldiers, no doubt trying to think of a last minute escape.
"Now why are you all out of bed at this hour? I would be very interested to hear your explanations…and so would your fathers. In fact I'm sure the entire council should be woken tonight; this should not be taken lightly."
Viria's laugh echoed down the corridor and Lily glared at her.
Viria turned to the captured twins, "Ah the Molvolro sisters and your mousey brother, caught by your own flesh and blood! How fitting," Viria smiled at the three soldiers holding the twins and their younger brother. "Maybe they'll set an example for you of how true Telmarine citizens should behave. I'm sure your father will be very grateful to me for bring you back to him."
"He is no father of ours!" Lukas shouted.
Viria smirked at the young boy, "Well, maybe I can take this one off his hands."
Viria drew back her hand and slapped Lukas across the face, the rings on her fingers leaving bloody scratches on his cheeks.
Genia cried out and Marsonia struggled in her older brother's hold, "Don't you touch him, you filthy snake!"
"Silence!" Viria shouted harshly, her calm expression fierce. "You're not the ones I was after."
Leland's body tensed and he looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Lily's for a moment. But his eyes wandered up from her face to the window at her back. His eyes narrowed.
Lily's wide eyes watched him carefully and she looked at the window too, feeling the cold air through the glass. Far away, she could see the great plain that stretched to the dark forest and then the mountains that reached to the sky. What could Leland see?
"My dear brother," Viria said with a smile, her black dress dragging on the stone floor like a shadow as she walked towards them. "I should have known you would be the leader of these misfits."
Leland tore his eyes away from the cold window and glared at his step-sister.
Viria laughed at his silence, "always the hero? Well I'm sure Alvarez will know what to do with you; such a disgrace to the family, a disgrace to the entire kingdom!"
She laughed and Leland's fists tightened.
As Viria walked away from them, Leland nudged Gabriel and motioned to his hand on his sword. Lily was confused by this exchange but Gabriel seemed to understand Leland; he slowly put his hand on the hilt of his sword too.
"Now," Viria began as she stood between the soldiers and the rebel group. "Where is my dear little sister? I'm sure Alvarez will be most anxious to speak to her-"
In one quick movement, Leland whipped around to the window, drew his sword, and smashed the window with its hilt, shard of glass raining down onto the stone floor. Gabriel drew his sword and went at the soldiers who released their captives. Viria was motionless where she stood and did not know where to direct her attention.
Then, Leland picked Lily up into his arms and lifted her onto the window ledge, her legs kicking as she looked at him with horror in her eyes.
"What are you doing!?"
Viria shook with fury, "get them!"
Lily looked over the window's edge, her blue eyes wide. The snow covered ground was hundreds of feet below.
She turned to her brother and her voice shook with desperation, finally understanding his plan, "Leland-"
Leland's eyes were fierce and she could barely hear his voice above the shouts and clashing swords behind him.
"Find Caspian!"
Lily's eyes widened and before she could say another word, Leland pushed her.