Chapter Twenty-Three
Creston had never been to Sidmouth.
Just past the nooning hour, the group from Blackchurch entered the outskirts of the bustling fishing town.
The glistening sea was to the south and fishermen were bringing in their nets after having brought their catch into market.
The fish market stretched about a quarter of the length of the long, sandy beach and was still busy at this hour.
But Creston didn’t notice any of it.
His eyes were on the castle to the north.
“Cres,” Tay said, riding beside him. “Now that we’re here, we cannot all rush the gatehouse. It would be less threatening if only one man approached and asked for admittance.”
Creston had his eyes on the castle, incapable of looking at anything else. “Then I’ll go.”
Tay could see the expressions of the men around them, all of them knowing how determined Creston was to get to Ophelia. They’d literally ridden all night and into the day to get here, only stopping once to rest the horses, so they were all edgy and weary.
But that didn’t mean they were going to be foolish about this.
Tay had a plan.
“I do not think that is a good idea,” he said. “Listen to me, please. Sidbury knows you and so does Lia’s mother. If they are both here, and they know you on sight, then they will know why you have come.”
Creston tore his gaze away from the castle, looking at Tay with a frown. “Of course, they will know why I have come,” he said. “I am here to collect my wife.”
“Think,” Ming-Tang, on Creston’s other side, said.
“Creston, if your wife has come here and told Sidbury that we know of his plans, he will be on his guard. He might have an archer shoot you down before you can even get inside. He will recognize you on sight, but he will not recognize the rest of us. Fox, for example. He does not look like you, so he could simply be a random knight asking for admittance. But once inside, he will take care of the gate guards and admit the rest of us. It is much better that way.”
Creston almost argued with him but thought better of it. Given the fact that he taught underhanded maneuvers and tactics to recruits, he knew Ming Tang was correct. He understood.
“I have a better idea,” he said. “Send the Executioner Knights in first. This is what they do, after all. They are spies and operatives, so this is something they are better suited at. Brenton?”
Brenton was near the rear with Myles, but he heard his name. “Aye, Creston?”
“Will you and Myles go in first and neutralize the gate sentinels?”
Brenton and Myles pushed their way forward, until they were riding in front of Creston. “Aye,” Brenton said. “We can do that. We’ll open the gate for the rest of you, but I suggest one of you cover the postern gate from the outside in case your wife’s grandfather tries to escape.”
“I will,” Amir said. “Ming Tang will come with me in case it is a two-man job.”
“Good,” Tay said. “Then it is settled. Let us get a little closer to the castle and get a sense of the way it is constructed before we move.”
The men were in agreement.
Once they reached the heart of the city, they split up.
There were several smaller roads that led north, toward the castle, and they didn’t want to be spotted as a big group by the sentries at Axen’s gatehouse.
Still, they attracted some attention as they moved through town, finally coming to a juncture on the north side of the village where three of the smaller roads came together.
The town of Sidmouth seemed to thin out here, and there were clusters of trees that provided some concealment from the castle.
Dismounting, the group led their horses into a particularly dense cluster of trees to the northwest, securing the animals near a small pond with some grass around it.
With the horses properly concealed, and safe, the group moved forward, along the edge of the road while still being concealed by the trees.
They hadn’t gone far when the trees ended and the road was the only thing between them and Axen Castle.
It wasn’t a big castle, but the walls were high, and they could see a tall keep sprouting above the walls.
Constructed of gray granite, the side that faced the ocean was bleached by the salt and the wind, and it seemed like a quiet place.
They didn’t see any activity at all. In fact, the closer they looked, the more it appeared as if the gatehouse was simply open.
The portcullis was lifted, and they didn’t see anyone around the opening or on the walls above.
“Where are the guards?” Fox wondered aloud. “I don’t see anyone at all.”
“Nor do I,” Tay said. “Sin? What are you seeing?”
Sinclair, the master swordsman, was also a skilled scout. He was standing behind a tree, eyes trained on the castle in the near distance, but after a moment, he simply shook his head.
“The entire place seems vacant,” he said. “But that may be a trap.”
“Especially if they know we are coming after Lia,” Creston said. “I still think Brenton and Myles should go first. We will wait for a signal from them if everything is as clear as it appears.”
That statement had Brenton and Myles returning to collect their horses. Once mounted, they took off down the road as Amir approached Tay.
“I will find the postern,” he said. “If you need me, that is where I’ll be.”
He motioned to Ming Tang, who quickly followed. They went on foot, dashing across the road and heading for the castle by skirting the line of trees off to the east. That left Creston, Cruz, Tay, Fox, Sinclair, Payne, and Kristian waiting for a signal from Brenton and Myles.
There was nothing more they could do until then.
“He would not hurt her,” Cruz muttered to Creston as they watched Brenton and Myles approach the gatehouse. “You must not worry about that.”
Creston glanced at his friend. “I hope he will not hurt her,” he said.
“I’ve gone back and forth between the terror of the situation and being so angry that I want to spank her until she cannot sit for an entire month.
I still cannot believe she left. After everything I told her about this situation, still, she came here. ”
Cruz didn’t say anything for a moment. “You do realize that we are only speculating that she would come here because there is nowhere else she could go,” he said. “If she is not here, then where will you look?”
Creston sighed heavily. “I have considered that,” he said. “I did not want to, but it is difficult not to. What if she simply ran off? I would not even know where to look. But I can tell you this much—I would look forever.”
“And if you never find her?”
The pain in Creston’s eyes flickered. “If I cannot be close to her, then I will settle for the ghost of her,” he whispered. “I lost one lady, Cruz. I will never lose Lia, not in this life or in the next. If her ghost is the only thing she leaves me, then I will have to be content with that.”
Cruz’s dark eyes glimmered at the sweet sentiment. “This is the same man who wasn’t sure he wanted this marriage?”
“That man was a fool.”
“That man is in love.”
Creston smiled weakly. Cruz patted him on the shoulder and they turned their attention to the gatehouse in the distance just as Brenton and Myles reached it. With the portcullis open, they entered unopposed. Once they disappeared from view, everyone waited anxiously for the next move.
And waited.
Time passed slowly. Too slowly. Creston stopped watching the gatehouse like a hawk and took to pacing around in the trees, looking up at the gatehouse every so often to make sure he didn’t miss anything.
He didn’t even know how much time had passed.
He was starting to lose track of it. The afternoon was progressing, the sun moving across the sky, and had he not been so preoccupied with the castle, he would have thought it to be a lovely day.
The breeze was gentle from the ocean and he could smell the salt.
Growing increasingly edgy, he went to stand next to Tay, both of them watching the gatehouse.
And then it happened.
Myles appeared, waving his big arms frantically.
That was as much signal as anyone needed, and they began to move.
Creston didn’t even wait to collect his horse.
He just started running. Everyone else, however, returned for their mounts, and Creston was halfway to the castle when Cruz thundered alongside him, leading Creston’s horse.
Creston did a running mount, leaping on the horse’s back and taking off toward the castle.
He wasn’t the first one in, but he still made it in record time.
Once through the gatehouse, he bailed from his horse and began to look around anxiously.
“Cres!” Brenton was standing near the keep, waving at him. “Here! Quickly!”
Creston raced to his cousin’s side. Tay, Fox, and Cruz were already there while Payne, Kristian, and Sinclair had spread out of the bailey and onto the grounds, armed.
They were looking for resistance, or the enemy, or both, but so far the bailey seemed to be completely empty. It was strange and eerie.
Regardless, Creston was focused on his cousin.
“Well?” he demanded. “Where is my wife? Is she here?”
Brenton put his hands on Creston’s upper arms, trying to still the man because he was quite distressed.
“She is here,” Brenton said steadily. “But de Bulverton is dead.”
Creston’s brow furrowed. “Dead?” he repeated. Then his expression washed with horror. “My God… did Lia kill him?”
“Nay,” Brenton said. “Creston, stop for a moment. Listen to me, please. You must listen.”
Creston was trying to push past him to get into the keep, but Brenton and Tay and Fox stopped him. Because Fox and Tay had arrived a minute or so before Creston, they’d only heard part of the story from Brenton. But what they’d heard had been alarming.
Something wicked was afoot at Axen.
“Cres,” Tay said, putting his hands on the man’s shoulders. “Listen to him. He has something to tell you.”
“What?” Creston demanded. “Where is my wife?”