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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Ellery

Despite the sun still being high in the sky, tucked beneath the limbs of the towering oaks surrounding it, little sunlight filtered through the front window of Scarlet’s cottage when we emerged in the front parlor. We all edged away from the bay window and deeper into the protective shadows.

The furniture I’d known all my life was a disconcerting sight. It remained the same with its warm colors, inviting cushions, and dark wood frames, but after the events of this day, I couldn’t help feeling like it should be a mess of shattered pieces, scattered paintings, and endless debris.

The sudden calm after the chaos wasn’t the balm I’d expected. Instead, it danced along my nerves, and it was not a good dance—it was a foot-stomping melee that broke toes.

My skin prickled with uneasiness as I took in the shadows before my eyes returned to the window and the harvested fields beyond. The ticking clock on the wall made my eye twitch in rhythm to the passing seconds.

“Fletcher! Billy!” Ruby called as she rushed from the room and deeper into the home.

“I’ll search upstairs,” Scarlet blurted before she ran out of the room.

A second later, her feet thudded up the steps to the second floor. It wouldn’t take much time to search the home.

If Billy and Mr. Fletcher weren’t already coming to their calls, they most likely weren’t here. Ruby and Scarlet wouldn’t leave without making sure.

The house had never been small to me before, but with Ianto standing awkwardly in the center of the room, the walls felt at least five feet closer than normal.

I edged closer to the window. The cottage sat on top of a small rise, and as I got closer to the glass, more of the fields came into view before the stables and the back of my home emerged.

The back door remained closed, the curtains over the window.

I’d grown up in that manor; it was full of memories, good and bad, but mostly good.

Love, laughter, and family once filled its walls, but it seemed like an eternity separated the girl who once cuddled with her parents on the couch while reading a book together from the woman standing here now.

That girl never could have known what awaited her. And while the woman still had no idea, I was prepared for it to be much harder than that girl ever could have imagined.

I knew I could never go home again, but I longed to return to the manor, gather the portrait of my family, and take it with me.

It would be foolish of me to take such a risk, and while that had failed to stop me before, it would stop me now.

Too many relied on me, and I couldn’t put my friends at risk over a painting, even if its loss cut deep.

“What happened?” Ianto asked.

I didn’t look at him but saw his reflection in the glass as he moved closer. The shadows playing across his warm brown eyes and skin caused him to move in and out of the glass in a spectral way that sent a shiver of unease up my spine.

I couldn’t see Callan through the dim interior, and for a second, I feared the shadows had consumed him completely. Then, drawn forth by the giant’s question, he appeared behind Ianto. His pale blond hair stood in angles around his handsome face as his green eyes watched me.

“Nothing good.” I wasn’t ready to relive that horror; they’d all learn it soon enough. “They’re going to come for me and Ryker.”

“And we’ll make sure they don’t get you,” Ianto vowed, and Callan nodded.

No one could guarantee such a thing, but I appreciated their support. I was about to turn away from the window to call for Ruby and Scarlet when I spotted movement in the shadows of the barn.

It was past time to feed the horses lunch and too early for dinner, but this day wasn’t normal. Mr. Fletcher was injured earlier, and I was sure he and Billy had their routine completely thrown off by this morning’s events.

Was that really this morning?

It felt like days ago, but not even a day had passed since they’d arrived with a caravan, slapped chains on us, and hauled all the women to the fields outside the palace. I was ready for this never-ending shit show of a day to be over.

My eyes narrowed as someone moved across the barn entrance. They remained mostly in shadow, but the small form spoke of a child.

“They’re in the barn!” I turned away from the window and ran out to the hallway by the front door. “They’re in the barn!”

Given the setup of the cottage, Ruby and Scarlet should hear me. Feet thudded before Scarlet arrived at the top of the stairs with a basket in hand. She thundered down the steps as Ruby ran out of the kitchen.

“I have to close the portal,” Ruby said. “Ryker will probably think something is wrong.”

A twinge of uneasiness tugged at my heart. We’d be closing Ryker off, and he would worry if we didn’t return before him, but we couldn’t leave it open. If something went wrong here, our enemy could discover it and go after Tucker’s encampment.

“Go ahead,” I told her. “We’ll get them and go. You won’t have time to gather your things.”

“All I want is my family,” Ruby said.

Scarlet lifted her basket with many of her sewing supplies inside. “I have what I need… besides my brother and father.”

“Okay then, let’s go,” I said.

We returned to the living room, where Ruby closed the portal. As soon as it vanished, Scarlet opened another door into the stable, and we all walked through.

When we emerged from the portal, I smiled when I spotted Billy kneeling near one of the stalls. My smile froze and then vanished when I realized his feet were in a puddle of blood.