Chapter One #4
Prank or not, there was no real pleasure in being captured by the pig-masked fiends; once, Ian had tickled Summer until she cried fat tears.
Another time, Lance had hidden Genisa in a room in the castle and fed Stephan clues of her whereabouts until the enraged husband finally located his hysterical bride, sobbing and sick with apprehension.
Stephan had punched Lance so hard that the man had tumbled down a small flight of stairs, cracking a rib.
Their father, Edward, had made weak attempts to curb the activities of his two younger sons after that, but their immature spirit would not be quashed.
Even though they continued to harass their sister and sister-in-law with their pig-skin masks, the punishment should the women be captured was far less strenuous these days.
Thanks to Stephan’s threats, the next time Lance had entrapped Genisa, she had been released after he had forced her to kiss the pig-mask on the nose.
And the last time Summer was captured, she had to endure three huge “freckles” made from soot.
Mere child’s play compared to the punishment their former imprisonment had entailed.
Still, the sight of the horrifying masks was enough to wreak terror into their hearts.
In spite of the fact that they pretended to loathe the chase and subsequent capture, in truth, there was a great deal of fun in attempting to elude their antagonists.
Even now, racing across the battlements with break-neck speed, there were more giggles than screams.
They made quite a quartet; Summer and Genisa shrieking at the top of their lungs, racing to reach the turret with the flight of stairs that would take them to the bailey, while Lance and Ian, when they should have very well been acting the proper hosts at their celebration, were intent to act like a pair of pre-pubescent boys.
The grotesque pig-masks roared, the women screamed, the entire bailey could not help but be aware of the strange chase.
Unfortunately, the turret Summer and Genisa were striving for was blocked by several men-at-arms. Rather than wait for the men to disband and thereby risk capture, the women slithered along a particularly narrow bridge that linked the southern battlements to the western wall and proceeded to race madly for the northeast turret.
Behind them, Lance and Ian were growling like demons, spewing threats in a voice that would have made Lucifer proud. Summer and Genisa dodged around several soldiers, nearly shoving one man off the narrow walkway, but hardly bothering to stop and apologize. A shouted pardon sufficed.
The northeast turret was beckoning, the empty staircase inviting the tormented young ladies.
As their pursuers roared and growled, the harried, if not somewhat giggly, young women made it to the gray-stoned turret.
Descending the stairs much faster than they should have, they could hear the pig-masked molesters descending the stairs close on their tail.
Unfortunately, as they exited the turret into the upper bailey, a wall of horses and men materialized in front of them and the ladies were forced to skid to a halt.
A brief moment of indecision was cut short as another unearthly roar reverberated off the stoned turret behind them.
Summer and Genisa turned with horror to note that Lance and Ian were standing in the ground-floor doorway, fingers scratching the air in their general direction and preparing to close in for the capture.
Summer was so exhausted that she was no longer truly concerned with Genisa’s well-being; with Stephan to protect her, the woman was better off than her less-defended sister-in-law.
Even if Genisa was captured, the pig-men would simply let her go.
Were they to catch Summer, however, the penalty would be considerably more brutal.
Heels to the ground, Summer summoned the last of her strength and again took off running, but her flight was blocked when a massive figure appeared in her path, armored and more enormous than anything she had ever seen.
Unfortunately, she was moving too fast to avoid a collision and with a grunt of pain, she slammed against the armored figure with a good deal of force.
Stars danced before her eyes as her forehead came into contact with a breastplate of tempered steel.
As the world rocked unsteadily, she felt massive hands steady her.
Oddly enough, Genisa’s screaming had stopped and the roaring of the two pig-faced hunters was also gone.
It was strangely silent. As Summer put a hand to her head in an attempt to halt the sickening sway, she caught the glimmer of a broadsword.
But not just any broadsword – it was the largest broadsword she had ever seen.
Blinking her eyes as the spinning gradually slowed, she found herself staring into the breastplate that had assaulted her skull.
Instinctively, her gaze trailed upward, moving across the upper arm and shoulder, scrutinizing a neck that was larger in circumference than her waist. Lodged atop the breastplate and mailed neck was the most fearsome helm she had ever had the misfortune to envision.
And it was looking at her.