Bound to Survive (The Magic Within Book 1) (28 page)

Elle bent down to retrieve the cake from the floor. She picked up the two pieces and dusted them off before she placed them on the bench. ‘It’s not that bad,’ Elle said and looked at Hannah. Hannah stood with her mouth open, then she raised her hand and slapped Elle hard across the face.

‘You did that on purpose,’ Hannah said.

Christopher had had enough and began to rise from his seat. Foss, the stable manager, grabbed Christopher’s arm and stopped him. ‘Leave it, lad. It’s only a slap, she can handle herself.’ Christopher looked at Foss. Foss kept his grip on Christopher’s arm and nodded at him to assure him that it was all right. ‘We don’t interfere in minor squabbles. It only makes it worse for the girl.’

Christopher remained seated while the others at the table nodded at him. Then picking up their bread, they began soaking up the liquid left in their bowls.

‘Throw that in the fire and get back to the dishes,’ the cook said to Elle.

Elle stood there for a while and waited to get the cook’s attention. When the cook turned to see why she wasn’t about it, she saw that Elle held the two pieces of cake.

‘You mean you want me to throw this cake in the fire, so when you go up to serve dessert the smell of burnt cake will waft through the house?’

A snicker came from someone at the table and then a small ‘ouch’ could be heard. Cook was flustered. ‘Just leave it over there. You can get rid of it later!’ Elle placed the cake on the side near the trough and went back to the dishes. Hannah lavished the remaining cake with cream. ‘Now strain the berries,’ her mother said as she handed the bowl to her daughter.

‘Will there be enough cake, mother?’

‘It’ll be fine,’ her mother said. ‘I’ll just add some biscuits and fruit to the table. They’ll be happy with that.’

Of course there was now too much cream in the bowl for one cake, even though Hannah had used far more than was originally intended. The rest was left on the bench along with the juice from the berries as Hannah and her mother left to take dessert up stairs for the officers.

As the door closed behind them Elle snatched up the cake. She hoped Hannah and her mother would be upstairs for a while. She knew Hannah would boast about the dessert they presented. Elle broke off chunks of cake and distributed it into the worker’s bowls and returned for the fruit syrup and cream. She poured a little syrup onto their cake while they passed the cream around the table.

‘Eat up quick,’ she said. ‘We need to be finished and washed up before they return.’

Christopher was astonished. Elle had gone through all that to provide these people with dessert.

‘Eat up, lad. You heard the lady. No time to waste,’ Foss said.

Christopher ate along with the others. The cake was good, even if it had fallen on the floor, and no one seemed to mind a bit.

As they finished their dessert they left the table and washed their own bowls and stacked them on the sink to dry. When they were finished, they went to Elle and kissed her on the cheek where Hannah had slapped her. They thanked her and bid her goodnight before they left to retire to their beds.

Christopher was still at the table when Hannah and her mother returned to the kitchen. They took no notice of Christopher as they spoke to Elle.

‘Finish up here, girl. We’re off to bed,’ cook said. ‘Make sure you shut down the fire and leave the stew for the last shift.’

Hannah left the dishes on the counter for Elle to wash before she left for the night. Elle settled the fire and placed the stew so it would stay warm and then she prepared Clarence’s meal. She took the fresh bread from under the counter and sliced off two thick pieces before she filled his bowl with the stew from the soldier’s pot, then she lifted the hatch in the floor. Christopher watched as she disappeared into the cellar with the food, only to re-emerge with a soldier, who closed the hatch behind him.

‘You can take the stew out to the barracks with you, Brice,’ Elle said to the soldier.

‘Miss, I can’t leave until my replacement comes.’

‘Well I don’t see any harm in it. All the officers are upstairs and the prisoner can’t get out of the cell, it’s locked. Besides, there are other soldiers in the grounds. I’m sure it would be okay for you to take the stew on over to the barracks. Your fellow soldiers will be in need of a hot meal upon their return.’

Brice looked around the kitchen and saw Christopher at the table. ‘Who’s that then?’

‘He’s one of the stable hands come up late for his dinner. I’m sure he’ll be gone before you return.’

Brice was hesitant but Elle lifted the heavy pot of stew and pushed it towards him. He had no option but to take it, or she’d drop it on the floor.

‘Alright, Miss, but I’ll be straight back.’

As he left the kitchen Elle shut the door behind him. She raced over to the hatch in the floor and heaved it up. She called to Christopher to follow her. In the cellar a single candle burnt, its flame flickered as they made their way down stairs. Over in the corner Christopher saw the vault with the door fastened by a heavy bar and two large locks.

Elle slid the small panel open in the door so Christopher could talk to Clarence.

‘Clarence, it’s Elle,’ she called through the small opening. ‘Your friends are here.’

Christopher came forward and peered through the small hollow in the door. As he did so, an old face peered back at him.

‘I don’t know this man,’ Clarence said to Elle.

‘I don’t know you and you may not know me now, but I came here to release you from the bond you made with my grandfather many years ago. Instead we find you’ve been imprisoned for the last twenty years.’

‘Christopher?’

‘Yes, and Henry awaits news on your whereabouts.’

Clarence couldn’t believe after all these years that his old friend Henry had found him. But what good did that do him, Henry’s magic wouldn’t work in this vault, as his own didn’t.

‘It’s no use, lad. I’m held by the Sorceress’ magic and I can’t escape.’

‘We’ll find a way, Clarence, you can be sure of that.’

Christopher looked around the room and at the structure of the vault. It was built from thick stone and there was only one exit from the cellar. Not the ideal situation to plan an escape and besides, the grounds were full of soldiers at all times. Even if they could access the kitchen, enter the cellar, break through the locks and somehow get Clarence out of the vault, they’d still have to make it out of the house and the chances that all these things would fall into place weren’t in their favour.

They heard the door to the kitchen close as someone entered.

‘Oh no,’ Elle said. ‘Clarence, we have to go.’ She shut the little panel in the door.

‘Elle, is that you down there?’ Brice called through the hatch.

‘Yes, I’ll be right up.’ Elle looked at Christopher. She wasn’t sure how he’d get out the cellar without being seen. Christopher picked up a sack of potatoes that were stacked near the vault and headed up the stairs. Elle followed behind him, unsure of a plan.

As Christopher emerged from the floor into the kitchen, Brice reached for his sword. ‘What are you doing down there?’

‘It’s alright, Brice. I asked him to carry up a sack of potatoes,’ Elle said to pacify the soldier. ‘Put them down over there.’ Elle pointed to an empty basket near the fire. ‘That’ll be all for tonight,’ she said as she dismissed Christopher.

‘Yes, Miss,’ Christopher said and then walked out the door.

‘You know no one is supposed to be in the cellar,’ Brice said.

‘Well you took long enough to return and I’m in a hurry to be home. If I hadn’t stocked the kitchen, cook would’ve been all over my back in the morning.’

Elle walked over and took her cloak from the peg by the door. ‘I’ll be off now. My father will wonder where I am.’ Then she left.

Brice went down into the cellar. All was the same as when he’d left. He sat down. His replacement would be here soon and then he’d go back to the barracks and have his supper.

Christopher waited for Elle outside and asked if he could walk her home. She was pleased that he’d waited for her, as it would give them time to talk. They walked through the gates and left the estate behind them. Elle walked at a slow but steady pace. Her home wasn’t far, and she had much to ask Christopher. As soon as they were far enough away from the gates to not be overheard, Elle spoke.

‘So what are your plans for Clarence’s escape?’ Elle was interested to help in any way she could, but she also knew she didn’t have much time left. It was only three days until she’d have to flee with her father, otherwise Kovak would expect her to return home with him.

‘I’m not sure yet. While we were down in the cellar, I realised it would be foolish to enter the house and try and break him free of the cell. It would be too risky and there is little chance for escape. I think that is out of question. I need to speak with the others. We’ll come up with a plan.’

Elle was disappointed, but she knew they hadn’t been in town long. ‘Is there anything I can help with before I leave on Sunday?’

Christopher stopped. ‘So you mean to leave with Kovak when he returns home?’ He wasn’t so sure of his alliance with her at that moment.

‘Heavens no! My father doesn’t even know what’s going on yet, but I’m sure as soon as I tell him, he’ll pack our things and we’ll be gone, well before Kovak has time to miss me.’

It was a relief to hear her say so. Christopher hadn’t liked the thought of her married to Kovak. ‘I’m glad to hear that,’ he said. She was surprised. He didn’t know it, but his words warmed her inside. She repeated her previous offer to help in any way she could before they arrived at the gate to her home. A light shone in the front room of the house to let her know her father waited for her.

‘Christopher, I fear for Clarence. You must free him before I leave and your best chance will be at the parade.’

‘Do all the soldiers attend in the market?’

‘Not usually, but this time it will be different. The three officers—Kovak, Royston and Silas—will be there, so all the soldiers will be expected to attend.’

‘That’s quite a few,’ Christopher said.

‘But at least you’ll be out in the open, not trapped within the walls of the estate. When I’m gone there’ll be no one to look after Clarence. He was in ill health when I first came to work at the manor house, and I fear now he is older that he won’t survive the way they treat him.’

Christopher rubbed his chin. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll think of something.’

He bid her goodnight and she left to walk up the narrow path to the house. Once she was inside he continued on his way back to the camp, where the others waited for him.

Gathered back within the confines of the camp, with no fire to warm them through the night, Christopher relayed the events of that day. He finished with Elle’s last words to him.

‘It’s true what she says. If we wait and Clarence falls ill, it’ll be much harder for us to put together an escape. We can’t afford to leave him there for another month. Escape from the manor isn’t an option. There’s a guard that sits in the cellar and officers live in the house and roam the grounds. The cook and her daughter are in alliance with the soldiers, to better their own station in life. Word would soon spread and we’d be caught. Even if we managed to get into the cellar, cut the locks on the vault and get out of the house without being caught we’d still have to make it off the estate grounds. The barracks are close to the house and the only exit is through the front gate. If we try to flee over the walls, we’ll surely run into a patrol. I think Elle is right, we need to plan Clarence’s escape during the parade.’

They talked and planned late into the night.

‘What we need then, is a diversion,’ James said.

‘You’re right, we need to get as many of the soldiers as possible to leave the market. I’ll be at the stables until the bell sounds for the parade, but then I’ll be expected to attend just the same as everyone else,’ Christopher said.

‘Where will Elle be?’ Henry asked, as an idea popped into his head.

‘I’m not sure, Henry. Elle and her father will leave, no doubt, but I don’t know when. She’ll not leave with Kovak after the parade and still has to tell her father.’

‘A diversion,’ Henry said. ‘I think I have just the thing.’

He opened the bag he always carried with him and rummaged around until he took out a small ball. It was small enough to hold in his palm and if he closed his hand you couldn’t see the ball at all. ‘This is a heat ball,’ he said to the others as they looked at the small object he held in his hand. ‘Once spelled, the core inside begins to agitate. Gradually the ball heats up and before long it gets hot and then…’

‘And then what?’ James asked.

‘And then the heat ball combusts!’ Henry said and chuckled.

‘How much time do we have, once it’s spelled, until it does its work?’ Christopher was interested in this small object.

‘It only takes an hour before it ignites.’

‘That’ll be a problem then, since I have to get to the stables early.’ Christopher sounded disappointed.

‘But, I could delay the spell so it enacts itself an hour before we need it.’

Henry saw the smile on Christopher’s face and was quite pleased with himself and they began to finalize the rest of their plans. Tomorrow they’d begin to put together what they needed, but tonight they must sleep.