35. Joy
JOY
“This is the worst plan I’ve ever heard.”
- ERIN TO JOY
My body slammed against a stone floor as I pushed myself through the opening at the top of the wall, gulping down mouthfuls of air, one after another. The relief that covered my body was hot and sweaty, I had made it. Looking down at my bloodied hands, nausea swept through me. The climb was possibly the easy part of our rescue mission, and it had almost killed me.
Looking ahead it became clear that I was in some sort of watch tower that wrapped around the prison, light music filtered in from the cracks between the stone. A party in a prison? Festive.
Finally catching my breath, I stood, leaning over the edge of the ‘window’, beckoning Erin and Jodie to follow me up the tower.
The scuff of stone against shoe echoed throughout the tunnel as I ventured deeper into it. Where was everyone? Surely the prison needed at least one person as a lookout. Chairs dotted around the tunnel suggested that soldiers usual sat, playing cards or drinking ale, but today, it was barren, empty, deserted.
Jodie yelped as she slipped, almost losing her footing on the wall. I sprinted back to the window, leaning out with my hand stretched toward her. She reached the bar, her chest heaving and her hands shaking.
“The hard part is done,” I reassured her. “Just grab my hand.”
I anchored myself by gripping the wall tightly, leaning further toward her.
“Jump,” I said sternly, she shook her head. “Jodie. Jump. Now.” She looked up at me, fear seeping into her pores. “I’ve got you, I promise.” My voice was unwavering and strong. She nodded. Keeping one hand clasped on the wall and another reaching up toward me.
Our fingers brushed. So close.
“Jump, grab my hand, I’ll pull you up and you need to grab the wall.” I wasted no time being polite. This was life or death, and no one was dying today. She took a deep breath, stealing a look down at her sister and jumped.
Our fingers brushed. I reached, locking our fingers together, her weight pulled at me, and my hand threaten to let go of the anchoring wall.
I gritted my teeth. Feeling the blood pour from my already broken skin.
“Joy,” Jodie gasped, her hands slipping on the blood.
I pulled with all my might, her hand flying up to grip the wall next to me.
And finally, she was over, safe. I didn’t realize I was crying until my cheeks became wet. Jodie wrapped her arms around me, her body trembling and her breath shallow.
“One more time, just one more,” I whispered into her hair, and we turned toward her sister, our arms outstretched.
We all laid in a heap on the floor as we pulled Erin into the hollowed wall. Blood, sweat, and tears coating all of us.
“We look delightful,” Jodie looked at all of us. “We’re going to need new clothes when we finally leave this place, Joy smeared her blood over us both.” She laughed. Smiling at her, I noticed the music again soft and rather beautiful.
“Do you guys hear that?” I asked them, the sisters nodded.
“A party?” Erin asked.
I shrugged, walking to the window on the other side of the watch tower. A luscious garden sprawled out down below, large windows saw couples dancing, drinking, and laughing, all of them in fine clothing.
“Do you think Florence tricked us? Took us to the wrong place?” Jodie asked softly. I shrugged again.
“I still don’t understand why she needed our help in getting here if she was just going to betray us? Surely, she could sail here alone, back to her… family?” Erin began pacing the stone floor.
“Jameson’s here, I know it.” I attempted to calm them both.
“I saw him, remember?”
“But what if it was just another trick?” Jodie’s voice became high and rushed. “We know she is a Sorcerer, maybe she isn’t a SkyChanger, but a MindWonderer? What if she got inside your head?” Tears began trickling down Jodie’s pale skin.
“How could she have done this to us? After everything we’ve been through?” The tears began dropping faster and faster.
“He’s here.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I know it and once we have him, you and Erin are coming home with us, to our family.” Erin’s eyes became glassy, and she nodded softly.
I headed down the hallway, careful that our footfalls did not echo through the empty tunnel. It seemed to go on for miles, until it we arrived at a fork in our path. We took the right, following the music. The music got louder and louder as we neared a wooden door, cobwebs and dust flew about as we heaved the heavy wood aside. Ornate, gilded decorations sat on every table and hung from every ceiling as we entered the empty sitting room, irritatingly there was no signpost that directed us to the prisoners. Why can’t anything be easy?
Brushing the dust from our linen trousers, we walked further into the room.
“Do we split up?” Erin asked.
“Are you crazy?” Jodie whispered through gritted teeth.
“Jodie’s right, we stay together,” I said. We rounded corner after corner, following the music until a huge tapestry came into view.
A young women stood, light in her hands, her hair floating around her as though she was underwater.
I knew this girl. I had dreamt about her.
“It’s half of the prophesy,” Jodie whispered, “she’s the one with the power, most people say she’s the most important, but the one without the power was always my favorite, because she is ordinary.” I smiled at her.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” a male voice sounded from behind us, breaking our focus on the tapestry.
We all knew this voice; we all dreaded this voice.
Spinning on my heel, I faced him, squaring my shoulders.
“No Florence?” Captain Harlow drawled, he dragged his finger along a desk, smearing the dust between his fingers. “I told you she was slippery.” He smiled; his eyes transfixed on me.
“What are you doing here, Harlow?” I ask, stepping in front of Jodie and Erin.
“Isn’t it obvious? I followed you here, you took some things that belonged to me,” he eyed Erin and Jodie. “And I want them back.” His tone sounded bored.
“I can’t let you tak—” the air squeezed from my throat, I gasped for oxygen, but it was like everything had disappeared. I sunk to my knees, my hands turning white as they clawed at the carpet.
“Harlow, please!” Jodie cried, kneeling beside me.
Black spots began clouding my vision and I was suddenly so tired.
I coughed, pain lancing through my entire body. My head felt as though it was going to explode and I closed my eyes.
And suddenly the air dragged itself into my lungs. Coughing and spluttering, I began breathing, tears streaming down my cheeks.
The pain, now softer but just as biting, needled across my skin. Erin lifted Harlow off the ground with her mind and fire found its home in Jodie’s hands, her long hair swishing and her once blue eyes now a deep, burning orange.
A fireball struck Harlow’s arm, and the smell of burning flesh filled the room.
“We,” Jodie spat, throwing another ball of fire, “do not belong to anyone!” Erin threw Harlow’s struggling body against the wall, blood spirting from his forehead.
His hand flew up, throwing Erin against the wall and keeping her there. She coughed violently as water began to spill from her mouth.
He was drowning her from the inside out.
“Erin!” Jodie’s shouted, her scream feral and raw.
I finally stood, swiping a solid gold letter opener from the desk next to me.
“Harlow!” I bellowed, running at him as he turned toward me. Erin’s form dropped, the water disappearing from her lungs.
I plunged the letter opener into his thigh, I had no plans to become the killer he called me.
I twisted the blade, pushing it further into his leg as he clawed at me.
“Leave my family alone,” I spat, pushing the blade one last time before knocking him out with a smack to the temple.
“We need to go,” I whispered out of breath. “He won’t have travelled alone, someone will come looking soon.”
The girls nodded and we raced out of the room, travelling deeper into the fortress.