Page 51 of Castle of Refuge

Audrey felt sick. Surely Maris would not hurt them. She did not have that kind of power. She was only trying to scare her.

“You can’t hurt anyone.” Audrey’s words were bolder than her voice, which sounded breathless.God, help me.

Maris tilted her head defiantly. “I lied to Father and said Sybil stole from me, and he sent her away. She’s been gone a week now.”

Sent away where? Sybil had no family. Audrey was her family.

“And I have someone helping me.”

A crashing sound came from the bushes and trees just off the road, then a man, huge and hulking, came stomping out onto the lane.

“This is my new friend, Umfrey,” Maris said, watching Audrey. “Umfrey, this is my sister, Audrey.”

The hulking man, with a face twice the size of an ordinary man’s, started toward Audrey.

“Not yet, Umfrey.”

The man stopped and took a step back.

Audrey’s knees felt weak. She needed to get to Dericott Castle to warn Lord Dericott’s guards. If Umfrey got past them, Lord Dericott would be at the mercy of this giant.

She glanced toward the castle.

“Lord Dericott will not be coming here to see you, though I would not mind seeing him again. I remember him being very handsome. He is busy with something, a little distraction Umfrey and I came up with for him.”

“What did you do? Lord Dericott does not deserve your cruelty. He is a good man, and he is not in love with me. He is in love with Lady Ophelia.” The words hurt deep in her chest as she said them, but she had to protect Lord Dericott the best she could. She couldn’t bear to be the cause of harm coming to him.

“That is sad, if you are in love with him.”

“What did you do?” Heat rose inside her as Audrey clenched her teeth. If Maris had hurt Lord Dericott, she would never forgive herself for putting him in danger. Was she destined to cause trouble and pain for the people who loved her because of her sister’s jealousy?

“Come home with me and you won’t have to worry.” Maris lowered her head and gazed at Audrey, her eyelids heavy. “No one has to die.”

Audrey could not stand there and let her sister taunt and threaten her with the giant ogre, as if they were in a child’s cautionary tale. And if Maris wouldn’t tell her what they had done, Audrey would have to go and find out.

She let the parchment texts fall from her arms as she set out at a dead run. She ran, tucking her skirt into her belt just high enough that it wouldn’t entangle her legs. She could hear Umfrey’s giant footfalls on the hard-packed dirt behind her as she turned onto the road that led through the village and up to the castle.

Then she saw the smoke rising.

***

Edwin heard the yells and was on his feet before the guard entered his library.

“Fire! Behind the stables.”

Edwin followed him outside and across the courtyard.

Dark smoke boiled up from behind the wooden stable. Horses were whinnying as they were being led out, while other men were running with buckets of water and disappearing around the back.

Edwin would be only half a man’s help if he tried to carry water, so he ran into the stable.

He could barely see, it was so dark inside. The fire apparently had not yet broken through the wall. He hurried to find the nearest pawing, stomping horse. He grabbed a bridle and slipped it over the horse’s neck, securing it and leading the horseoutside. He tied its bridle to a hitching post that already had several horses tied to it, then hurried back in.

The stable was even hotter than before, and he could hear the flames licking at the wood.

“If the flames break through,” Edwin shouted to the grooms, “just open their stalls and let them run for it!”

He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, because some of these horses would likely be confused and get trapped. Others would be difficult to catch and might be stolen or lost.