Stay (19 page)

“I never intended to cause anyone harm and
you know that. I was just scared and hurt. I had just found out
that my parents had been murdered. You led me out into the tunnels
and you just planned on leaving me out there, defenseless. That is
why you were so angry when you saw me trying to fly. You didn’t
want me to be able to take care of myself. You never intended on
staying. You were just going to leave me there for Tuck to take
care of. You were just trying to get rid of me!”

“I thought that you would be satisfied to
start your own kingdom. That is why I brought the others when they
wanted to come. You could still be a queen. You could still have
your own kingdom, and you could leave us in peace.” He said getting
firm again.

“You have really underestimated me, Kailen.”
I drew back my fist and landed a solid blow directly to the middle
of his face. He fell backward over his small couch and landed onto
his back on the floor. A trickle of blood ran from his nose.

“That’s for making me waste my first kiss on
a low life like you!”

I stormed out of his house and pushed my way
through the crowd. I glanced up just long enough to see Kailen’s
brother watching me, then he quickly turned and headed for the
shack. I kept going. I didn’t stop until I was back in the
tunnel.

Brokk was at my heels the entire way. He
really was like a little lost puppy.

“What happen, Callie?” Jenna asked as soon as
I stepped back into the cave.

“She beat the hell out of him!” Brokk
answered.

“I was not talking to you, Dog!” She yelled
and turned back to me.

“Brokk was right. He was lying about
everything. He never intended on helping me get rid of Lilith. In
fact it would have suited him just fine if I never would have made
it back out of the tunnels.” I explained as tears started to burn
my eyes.

Jenna wrapped me in a strong hug and I fought
to keep my tears from spilling over.

“I think that he would have been happy if I
had been killed right along with my parents. I can’t help but
wonder about the time when I fell into the river or when I was
being attacked by Sty and Sully. It was always Tuck who rescued
me.”

We all looked up at Tuck then.

“I don’t know. That day on the river, he just
climbed across the shallow end. He never really got in any hurry. I
had to scramble to find some way to get you out. I can’t imagine
that he would have just let you drown, but he didn’t really make
any attempt to save you either.”

“He never bothered to check on me the day
that Sty and Sully found me either. If it hadn’t been for you, who
knows what might have happened to me.”

I could feel my anger beginning to boil. How
could I not have realized any of this sooner. Now that I looked
back on everything, it was always Tuck coming to my rescue. Kailen
never did anything. Even before we met Tuck, I fought Brokk by
myself while he hid in the passage. He had never even once tried to
defend me.

“He is definitely not who we thought that he
was, that much is for sure.” Jenna said.

“What’s our plan now?” Tuck asked.

“Kick some royal butt, of course.” I said
with a grin.

“What should we do with him?” Jenna asked,
nodding toward Brokk.

“I have already lost Callie once. Actually
twice, but I am not about to lose her again.” Brokk said in a
growl.

I really had no idea what to do with him. The
only people that I truly trusted at that point were Tuck and Jenna.
Everyone else has betrayed me in some way, including Brokk.

“You guys really need to stop arguing.” I
said to Jenna and Brokk as I gave each of them a long stare.

“If we just let Brokk go off on his own there
is no telling what he might do. I can not have him going off to
warn Lilith or the Guard about our plan.” Jenna and Tuck nodded in
agreement.

“I would never do that Callie!” Brokk
yelled.

“You have already betrayed me once
Brokk!”

“Callie, you know that I didn’t have any
choice. If I would have refused to turn you over to Lilith, I would
be dead and she would have just sent someone else after you.” He
was starting to sound desperate.

“Okay, Brokk. I get it.” I starting to feel
really exasperated with him.

He was always so much sexier when I thought
he was a bad boy. This puppy love coddling business was really
starting to get on my nerves.

“I could take care of him for you, Callie.”
Tuck said with a grin as ran his fingers close to the edge of his
sword.

I saw Brokk flinch and I had to hide my
amusement.

“Okay guys. Really, that’s enough.”

I really did need to grip on these three
before their fighting drove me insane.

“Brokk, you can stick with us. But if for one
second I suspect that you are not on my side in this, I will let
Tuck and his little friend take care of you.” I said glancing back
at the blade.

We all laughed. Well, except for Brokk of
course.

Chapter 20

I really did not have a plan. I knew that I
needed to get to the palace, but that would not be easy. I had to
make it into the city and past the guards to do it. This might have
been easier to accomplish before they discovered Drake and started
visiting it on a regular basis. Now they guarded the only doorway
that I knew of into Petrona from where we were.

They have also been patrolling the part of
the tunnel between the two cities. They have been working extra
hard to cut the people of Drake off from the outside world. They
have not even been able to get supplies or sell their crafts in
weeks.

All the more reason for me to put a stop to
Lilith. She was a tyrant. She did not care about anybody. She just
wanted to toss her power around so that everyone would fear
her.

Lilith made a huge mistake when she brought
me here. She thought that she could use me to her advantage. She
thought that by displaying me to the citizens of Petrona like some
kind of sideshow freak she would somehow boost her status another
notch.

She murdered my parents to make sure that no
one would come to my rescue. She tried to lock me away like some
kind of animal. But she should know by now that she has very much
underestimated me.

“We need to be ready for a fight as soon as
we step back into the tunnel. There is no telling what Kailen has
planned for us.” Tuck said and then turned to Brokk.

“Brokk, are you going to be willing to fight
the other guards if it comes down to that? Because it probably
will.”

“Yes, of course. I will do what I have to.”
Brokk answered.

“Good. We should leave out packs here and
only take what we absolutely need. That should only be our
weapons.” Tuck gave us a fierce look.

“Tuck, you and I are the only ones with a
weapon.” I pointed out.

“I do not need a weapon!” Jenna explained. “I
can fight with my hands and I will use fairy magic too if it comes
to that. You should use it too, Callie. You are ready.”

I nodded. I hoped that I was ready.

I hefted off my pack and arranged my sword so
that I would have easier access to it when things got heated. I
felt something hit my chest.

I looked down to see the gold coin hanging
from its chain around my neck. Without even thinking, I grabbed it
and gave a firm pull. The necklace gave way and I threw the
necklace and the coin that had been around my neck for more than
ten years, into the tunnel.

I turned back to see Jenna staring cockeyed
at me. “What was that all about?”

“I just didn’t need it anymore.” I said with
an uneasy smile.

I looked over at Brokk to see that he was
staring off into the direction that I had just thrown the necklace.
Then he looked back at me and down to my naked finger. I suddenly
became very aware of the weight of the heavy ring in my pocket. I
wanted to say something to reassure him that I still had it. I
would never toss it away. It had belonged to his mother and I knew
that it meant a lot to him.

“Is everybody ready?” Tuck asked pulling me
from my thoughts.

I didn’t know what I wanted to say to Brokk
about the ring, so I didn’t say anything at all. I just brushed
past him into the tunnel.

“Let’s get going.” Jenna said as she followed
me out.

We clung to the shadows once again as we
approached the entrance to Drake. I did not know what to expect and
I wanted to at least try to slip by unnoticed.

This time there was no music being played. It
appeared that the party was over. I could still smell the faint
woodsy aroma of the remaining campfires.

I felt Jenna come to a sudden stop at my
side.

I looked up to find that my worst fears had
come to life. Standing shoulder to shoulder across the tunnel was
Kailen, his brother, and four other men. They were blocking our
passage.

“What is this about Kailen?” I asked as I
stepped from the shadows to the middle of the tunnel facing
him.

“I warned you, Callie.” He said. “We do not
want any more trouble.”

“Looks like you are starting trouble to me.”
Tuck moved to my side.

“It doesn’t have to be this way for you,
Tuck. You do not have to be a part of this. You are only going to
get yourself killed.” Kailen warned. “Leave her now and join with
us. We will make sure that you are safe.”

Tuck did not like that very much. He bowed up
as if to charge Kailen, but Jenna placed a firm hand on his chest
and he stopped in his tracks.

“I do not need a jerk like you to keep me
safe!” He yelled. “And I have had to deal with a lot worse than
taking down a few outcasts like you!”

“If that is the choice that you wish to make,
so be it. But as long as you choose to fight alongside of Callie
Rose, I will show no mercy.” Kailen replied.

Callie Rose? This guy had turned into a real
jerk.

“You know what you can do with your mercy!”
Tuck was spitting bullets, he was so mad.

Kailen widened his stance and the other men
followed suit. They had their hands on their hips, daring us to try
to get passed them.

“What should we do Callie?” Jenna
whispered.

With a slow but fierce tone, I answered.
“Take them down.”

The four of us fanned out forming a line of
our own. We stood about ten feet in front of the outcasts. Someone
only needed to take one step forward and the battle would be
on.

To think, it was only about three weeks ago
that I shared my first kiss with this man. Now I was about to send
him to his grave. A cold shudder ran through me, but I shook it
off. I could not let him stop me. Lilith’s rein had to end, and it
had to end today.

I reached up, my hand ready to pull my sword
from its sheath. I glanced to my left to see that Jenna was at my
elbow. She carried no weapon and I worried about her for just a
moment. Tuck was just on the other side of her, his blade was
already drawn. I knew that he would do whatever he had to do to
protect Jenna.

I looked to my right and Brokk’s piercing
blue eyes met mine. He had no weapon either, but he was a Royal
Guard himself. He knew how to handle himself in battle. He nodded
that he was ready.

“Step aside Kailen.” I called out. “This is
the last time that I am going to ask.”

“Callie, go back to the cavern. I have set
you up a really nice place. You should be grateful. I could have
just sent you on your way to roam these tunnels alone. Who knows
what might have happened to you?”

“Nice try Kailen. But I am not going
anywhere, except through this tunnel to Petrona. Now move!” This
time I pulled out my sword as I yelled. The sound of the metal
glinting off the sides of the sheath as it emerged shook me to my
bones, in a good way. I was pumped and ready for the fight.

I stepped forward. My sword raised, ready to
strike. I didn’t even want to think about what I was about to do.
The thought of what I had done to Sty and his friend was still
fresh in my mind.

“Stand aside Kailen!” I said once more.

“I will NOT!” He yelled.

I charged onward. One of his men jumped
forward to block my blow with a large shovel. I had no idea what
was going on with Tuck, Jenna, or Brokk. My only focus was the
large burly guy in front of me.

I pushed him backward and regained my stance.
He came at me next. He had the shovel raised over his head and
attempted to bring in it down hard.

I struck it with my blade and the end of the
shovel went flying into the wall. I was almost proud of myself for
a second. Until I realized that I had left him with a very sharp
stake. The wooden handle of the shovel had been sheared off at an
odd angle, leaving him with a very effective spear.

He grinned and then jabbed the pole at my
chest. I jumped back spreading my arms wide and curling my stomach
in to avoid the blow. I had to struggle to regain my stance.

I was getting mad now. I slid my sword back
into its sheath and went after him with my bare hands. He came at
me with the wooden handle again. This time I grabbed the end of it
and ripped it from his grip.

The look of surprise on his face was almost
comical. I raised the handle as if I were a batter waiting for a
pitch. Then I swung it with all of my might. It connected with the
side of his head with a tremendous thump. He stood for a minute,
unblinking. Then he collapsed to the floor.

I turned to see what was happening with the
others.

Tuck was fighting with Kailen’s brother and
another guy. He was able to knock Kailen’s brother down just long
enough so that he could land a powerful fist to the dead center of
the first guy’s face.

Jenna had one of the smaller guys in a
headlock and was pounding her fist into his face. He struggled to
break free, but her size was to her advantage. She held onto him
for dear life and never relented with her punches.