Chapter Seven Blood Debts

"JACOB!"

Robin raced to where his cousin was laying. Jacob was saturated in his own blood. He had a deep slash through his abdomen and he was bleeding profusely. Robin panicked.

"Where's Maria?" he nearly shouted at the half conscious man in front of him.

"He took her. *coughs horribly* That that thing. It took her."

With those words, he lost himself into the depths of his mind. Robin picked him up as gently as possible. In between his shaking fits, he mumbled.

"Tried...Protect…Gone."

Those words repeated themselves. Robin could feel the necklace she gave him burning into his chest. He carried Jacob through the Merryweather house and laid him on the dinner table.

"Oh my!" Loveday and Mrs. Heliotrope gasped.

Benjamin raced over to where Robin was standing. Marmaduke paled at the sight of the youth. Loveday immediately sent him to the garden to get the medicinal herbs.

Robin turned and started to run out the door.

"Take care of him. I have to find Maria!" and with that he was gone.

"LET ME GO YOU OAF!" she shouted at her kidnapper.

Really it was a pitiful sight. He had her thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He was doing his best to not show how bad her kicks and hits were hurting. His deformed body couldn't handle the abuse that rained down on him. Finally reaching his master's hidden chambers, he threw her into a corner and ran away from her.

"You are the Moon Princess? HA! You look more like a servant girl, a scullery maid." a surly voice growled out from the shadows.

Maria tried to look at him. All she could see was shadows that seemed to have a life of their own. They swirled around who ever this 'Master' was. She snorted.

"And you look like a villain out of a bad romance novel. So I guess we are even then, yeah?"

Her sarcasm did not make the ill tempered man any happier.

"Wench, how dare you speak to me with such insolence?" the voice boomed.

Maria, for only a slight second thought of keeping her mouth shut.

"Well, how dare you send your goon to kill one of my friends and haul me off like that!"

Her voice, though small in comparison, rang out with the exact same authority of the 'Master's'. He snarled at her menacingly. He lunged for her but she evaded him.

He started to chant a haunting verse. She suddenly found herself unable to move.

"Don't worry girl," he started, "You are only the bait."

With that last word said, he moved from that room leaving her sitting on the floor unable to so much as lift a finger.

"Ben, I hope they will be alright. Poor Jacob. HE may be a jerk at times, but he didn't deserve this."

She said as she looked down upon the youth who was fighting for his life. Benjamin's face mirrored that of Loveday. Each wearing concern for the boy, and the two still lost out in the woods. Loveday shifted over as Marmaduke came up with the herbs needed. He began to clean out the wound to keep the infection from setting in. Next he wrapped a poultice around his side and bandaged it up. Wrapping the wound was a tedious affair. It was nearly impossible to wrap it without jarring the boy any further. Marmaduke managed somehow though. For that everyone was grateful. No one knew how bad the internal wounds could be and didn't want to risk injuring him further.

"Loveday, my dear, I think one of us needs to travel to De Noir castle and inform your father of what is happening. I think I should be the one to go."

Loveday only nodded her agreement.

"Wrolf," Benjamin called to the lion.

The lion lifted his grand head and seemingly acknowledged the man.

"Find Robin and help him save Maria."

The lion didn't even look back as he walked out. Benjamin followed suit but in the opposite direction, towards the stables.

Where could she have been taken!

It took everything he had to keep from shouting his frustration to the stars. All of the sudden the necklace started to burn again. Pulling it out, he noticed that the rubies were glowing. He took the necklace off and decided to test something. He started to head toward MoonAcre. The necklace did nothing. When he headed back to where he found his cousin, the necklace heated in his hand and glowed.

The necklace! It's has a Guardian Enchantment!

Realizing what exactly was so special about this gift, he decided to make use of it. He took off running in the direction that burned the most. It wasn't too far into his run when Wrolf caught up.

*SIGH*

"DAMMIT GIRL! If you sigh one more time I will slit your damned throat!"

Maria sighed again.

"You are testing my patience!"

She glared.

"I WILL NOT LIFT THE SPELL!"

She sighed again.

This time, he got up and started chanting again.

"You are free to move about within a certain limit. All I have to say is one word and you will feel excruciating pain."

Maria glared at him again. She knew he was being honest about that. All she could do was hope someone *Robin* would find her. And soon

Sir Benjamin had made it though the woods and to Lord De Noir's home. He went straight through all of the gates and into the Common Rooms of Lord De Noir.

"COEUR!" he shouted.

"What is it man? Can't a man enjoy some companionship without getting interrupted?" The raven haired man shouted back.

"It's Robin, Maria and Jacob."

Coeur De Noir's faced paled.

"Loveday! He's coming too!" shouted Marmaduke.

Said woman ran as fast as her dress allowed her to. Mrs. Heliotrope following closely on her tail.

"Jacob!" she cried out. "OH! Jacob tell me what happened! Where is Maria!"

His voice came out soft and meek. He was having trouble speaking.

"I tried to protect her. I did!"

"Jacob, no one is blaming you. We know you tried to help. What happened to you?"

"He came up behind Maria. He tried to grab her but I knocked him away. All the sudden I felt wet down my front. I looked down and all I could see was blood. I looked back to Maria but she was already gone. That's the last I remember. Though I think Robin came. I vaguely remember seeing him."

"He brought you here to be healed."

"Good old Rob. He must not hate me as much as he says he does."

He gave them a slight toothy grin.

"He went in search of Maria. Wrolf is with him. Benjamin went to see my father and we stayed here to watch over you. I'm afraid you won't be doing much of anything for a while."

"I need to get back out there, Loveday! It's my fault that Maria was captured! I have to help Robin!"