All the Things You Never Knew (29 page)

“We have to do something to help,” Namine said, looking around the room, trying to find something to use as a weapon.
“Gabe said not to go out,” said Lavender.
“Pish, that was for Nix,” Namine said, now digging through a bag.
“Hey, that’s Lord Longsword’s,” Phoenix said, snatching it away from Namine to peek inside.
“I know,” Namine said, grabbing it back. “I saw that he had something useful for military battles.”
“That’s so improper of you, Nam,” Lavender said, coming to lean against the wall next to Rose.
“Lady Rose, don’t be afraid,” she said. “Us crazy sisters would protect you.”
Rose smiled weakly and tried to stay strong through the assurance but jumped each time she heard a gunshot.
“Ah-ha.” Namine pulled out a weird rounded object out of Lord Longsword’s bag and ran off towards the door. “Lavender, come with me. Nix, watch Lady Rose.”
“Aye, m’lady!” Phoenix straightening up in a salute.
Rose was so struck with fear that she couldn’t even breathe out a word.
“Lady Rose,” Phoenix said, flashing Rose a grin. “How good are you at handling a pistol?”
“A pistol?”
She had never touched one in her whole entire life.
“Wait here.”
Phoenix went upstairs to grab the two pistols she had found hidden in the attic after the last battle and came back down.
“Got it, Lady…” Phoenix gasped in horror as she saw that the room had become a mess with Lady Rose nowhere in sight. “Oh, lord!”
She ran to the door and realized that it had been knocked down to the floor with glasses shattered everywhere.
“This is not good.”

Lansing Villa

up in the tree of Lansing Villa.

The Marquess of Lansing, or rather his son, was coming out of the house and walking to his carriage.
“We follow him now, then?” Laguna asked, moving closer to where she stood on the branch.
“Hey, not too close,” she said, holding up her hand for him to stop. “You’re wet and if you soak up this branch and it breaks, you’ll be in deep due.”
“Well, sorry for having to get blindfolded to get out of your Haven of Light and cross the river again,” he said, backing away and look down at Lansing once more. “He seems to be driving off now.”
Avangelene look down and move next to him. “We’ll be good to go then.”
“I’ll get the horses,” he said, jumping off and offering his arms up to help her down.
She stared down at him for a moment, and then broke into a devilish grin as she jumps down tackling him to the ground with a roar.
“What the–”
He hadn’t expected that.
Their eyes met for a brief second and then she rolled off him laughing.
“That wasn’t funny,” he said, getting up and brushing away the dirt on his breeches. “What the hell did you do that for? You could have broken my back and leave me crippled for the rest of my life.”
“Just wanted to give you a warm up for the mission,” she said, walking away to where Lansing’s carriage had parked earlier. “Your back will be fine. Go get the horses.”
Laguna sighed and did so. He knew better than to argue with her. Yet, she always sparks his temper and he can’t seem to shut up.
“Here,” he said, walking her horse to her.
“You’re so nice,
Duke
,” she winked, taking the reins from him and swinging up.
He frowned and shrugs. “Whatever.”
He knew she didn’t mean it.
“Smile, don’t frown,” she chuckled, reaching down to flick his forehead.
Laguna hated her for always flicking him on the head, if not there, then on the nose. She treats him as if he’s a nobody. Not that he minds, but he’ll like to be treated, well, a little bit better. Perhaps without the annoying flicks.
“Hurry,
Duke
,” she said, already riding away. “We don’t want to lose track of Lansing. He’s the only way we’re going to reach the base of our destination.”
With a groan of annoyance, Laguna jump up on his horse and rode after her.
She’s the most maddening woman ever.
How he wish he had never cross path with her.
Thanks a lot to Leon.
For all he knows, he would rather die than get torture by the feelings Heartily’s sister is bringing upon him.

Bridlington
“What the bloody hell is going on?” Edward cursed out as he saw smoke erupting from their estate.

“This doesn’t look good,” said Aidan, as he looks out the carriage to see the fog.
“Quick! Drive faster, Ed,” Jack called up. “Something bad must have happened.”
“Something really bad, indeed,” Aidan said when they arrive at the front of their estate.
Their brothers were fighting off an army and their two idiot sisters were running about. A pile of corpses scattered the ground and many more men were rushing in.
“Hell, we’ve got to do something,” said Aidan.
Edward reached into his sack and pulled out a pistol. “I’m on it.”
Jack and Aidan followed suit and ran after Edward to knock down some of the men.
“Jack, guys, you made it!” exclaimed their rascal brother Sheik, who ran to them after knocking out a few of the men.
“What’s this all about?” Jack asked, after shooting off one of the man that was aiming towards him.
“Lord Lansing sent his army–” Sheik started but then broke off as a bullet slip between them. “There’s no time. Quick, help us. This is already the second time.”
“You guys were attacked twice?” asked Edward as he came by, dodging and shooting off a foe. “Why do we have to miss all the fun?”
“This is no fun,” Aidan said, running pass them to where Blake and Gabriel fought.
“Took you guys long enough to return,” Blake growled as he kicks the gun out of a man and snatch it to shoot him off.
“We got lost,” was all Aidan said before going off again to help Chance with the ambush closing in on him.
“Nice to see you, Aide,” Chance greeted in a brotherly manner before charging out at the guards.
Aidan followed after and teamed up with him on the job.
“We couldn’t find Leon,” he told Chance between the fights.
“He’s fine,” Chance answered, slamming the head of two guards together. “He came and went back to finish Lansing.”
“Are you saying we could have stayed in Islington to help him, then?”
“It’s somewhere else,” Chance said breathlessly as he drops down on his knees to avoid getting stab and knock down the man in the stomach.
“Who’s with him?” Aidan asked when they have out beaten the ambush.
“Only Gareth,” Chance answered briskly. “Hurry, we have to help Gabe and them.”
“You guys didn’t go with him?”
“He didn’t want us to.”
“We must go after him after this is done.”
“He’s got a plan,” Chance said, stopping to shoot of one of the men that was sneaking up to his sisters. “We don’t want to ruin it.”
“Guys!” Phoenix cried, running out to them.
“What? You’re supposed to stay inside,” Gabriel hissed, when he turned and saw her.
“Lady Rose is gone!” she shouted.
That seemed to stop everything. The guards they were fighting retreated and herded back through the woods.
“What did you say?” Gabe asked again as he came to where his little sister stood frozen in terror.
“Lady Rose is gone,” she repeated.
“What’s going on now?” asked Blake as he came to meet them.
“They took Lady Rose,” Gabriel answered.
“That explains why they’re retreating,” said Sheik as he overheard the conversation.
“Then why are we standing here? We have to go help her,” Blake said, rushing off after the men.
Chance and Sheik followed after and disappear with Blake into the woods.
“You should have kept an eye on her,” Gabriel fumed at Phoenix after everything has seemed to calm. “You and Namine and Lavender.”
“What am I supposed to do anyway? Nam and Lavender are the oldest, don’t just lecture me,” Phoenix said, and stomped away.
“What’s wrong?” Lavender and Namine asked Gabe when they saw the angry Phoenix march back into the house.
“You guys are so in trouble,” he said, and ran off after his brothers into the woods.

Leicester

Leon and Longsword took out the last of the guards that blocked the entrance to Lansing’s lair and proceeded on through the sliding doors into a dark room.

“This is just like that chamber back in Islington,” said Longsword as they crept through the darkness, seeking for a sign of light.
“Worst,” Leon murmured as he move his hand along the wall to guide him.
There was a sudden click as his hand touched something and a row of candles roar to life.
A burst of laughter sounded and echoed through the room as more light came up and reveal to them a passage through another sliding stone door.
“There sure are a lot of doors in here,” said Longsword as he follows Leon through.
They came into a room with spikes and spears sticking from all direction and slowed, watching their steps cautiously to not set off any traps that will send the spikes flying.
This Marquess of Lansing planned this out quite well but Leon’s going to do whatever he can to send him back to the devil where he belongs. He had been slow before in his actions but this time he will not hold back. He had given the marquess way too much time to play. The game is to end today. It’s either he die or take the marquess’s life. Neither one of them can live in the same world. He’ll chase that bastard old man till the end of Earth if he has to.
“Leon, watch out!” Longsword shouted tackling him to the ground as a spear shot out.
“Shit!”
This was not going to be easy.
Leon glanced to see another door a couple feet away and dashed for it. “Come on, Longsword, this way!”
They duck from the spears and slip through the door just as one skid across his shoulder.
“Close one,” Leon said out of breath as he lean back against the door.
“Heartily, you better look at this,” Longsword said, crossing his arms as he stares across the room.
Leon came forward and cursed again when he saw a rope bridge extending to the other side of the room.
“I’m going to kill that marquess when I’m through with this hell!” Leon said inching towards the rope.
“That’s the plan,” Longsword agreed. “But we must keep cool to have our wits about us.”
“It’s hard to do that when you’re facing danger at every turn,” Leon said, testing his foot out on the bridge.
Longsword tried with his and jump back as the bridge made a bounce with a loud creak.
“This won’t hold, Heartily.”
“I have an idea.”
Leon took out his dagger and inched slowly across the bridge, trying to keep his weight off it as much as possible and began cutting at the rope.
“What are you doing? Come back here!” Longsword called, not daring to step on the bridge at the fear that it might collapse all together and send them falling to their death.
“We’re going to have to swing across instead,” Leon answered as he finished cutting one side of the bridge and jumped to the other side. “Catch, Longsword.” He let go of the rope he had cut and let it swing to the earl.
“Is it sturdy enough?” Longsword asked as he bends down to pull up the rope.
“Let’s just hope,” he answered as he began cutting on the other side of the bridge.
The bridge fell apart and collapse on the other side of the room as Leon grab his side of the rope, and descended down to a small platform below them. Longsword followed and stood on the other side.
“We’ll swing and grab onto the ropes on the other side,” Leon informed.
“Got it.”
They step back and swung at the count of three, barely making it to the other side.
“I would never do this again unless my life depends upon it,” Longsword said, blowing a sigh of relief when they had made it up the rope.
“Sorry for dragging you into this,” Leon apologized. “I hadn’t expected Lansing to go this far.”
“As long as we get his head, it’s all good,” Longsword assured him with a grin. “Hargate would have enjoyed this,” he said as Leon and they walk down a long corridor.
“It would have been easy since Hargate seems to be an expert at these mechanical traps and nonsense,” Leon agreed.
Another door met them at the end of the corridor and Leon nearly went mad.
“This is bullshit!” Leon fumed, kicking the door open to another dark room, and giving out an angry shout. “Show yourself, Lansing! I’ve had enough of your game. Stop this cowardice and face me!”
The laughter from earlier sounded again and this time the old marquess step forward from the darkness on top of a high stone steps with two torches lit, and glared down at them.
“Leon–”
The ground in which Longsword stood suddenly fell open and devour him down.
“Gareth!”
He drop down to help Longsword, but it was too late.
Redness flared through Leon as he glares up at the marquess and step forward. “What the devil did you do to Longsword?”
“Welcome, my darling little boy,” the marquess said, ignoring the question as he descended down with his two bodyguards beside him.
The room lit up with his step and he smirked at the sight of Leon’s menacing feature.
Leon urged forward towards the steps but the old man held his cane up to stop him.
“Don’t be in such a rush yet, my boy,” the old man cackled.
Leon took out his dagger and let the garnet on it shine in the flame. “I brought what you wanted, now hand over the viscount and Longsword.”
The old man snickered again and shook his head. “It’s not going to be that easy, dear boy.”
“Well show me the viscount,” he demanded.
“You want to see him? The traitor that tricked you here?” The marquess let out a scratchy laugh and ordered for one of his guards to get the viscount.
“I didn’t actually think you will come for that Willy when he had betrayed you,” the marquess went on saying as he slowly makes his way down. “I bet his daughter even fool you here. You are nothing but that little whore’s play thing to toss around.”
“Insult my fiancée again and you’ll have your head on one of the spears in your room,” Leon hissed, lurching forward.
The old man held up his cane again and stops him. “Take one more step and I’ll order for your friend to die and your future fatherin-law to get his throat slit.”
Not wanting either of them to face that wrath, Leon stop and step back.
“Good boy.”
The marquess came down to the final step at last and gave a snap, bringing out four more guards from the doors on either side of them.
“You should have come more prepared, little Windsor.”
Windsor.
There goes that name again.
“I didn’t think you’ll be this afraid of me,” Leon said, crossing his arms and keeping his cool. “Besides, I’m merely here to negotiate with you to get back Lord Herring.”
“Is that so?” The marquess laughs again and came forward to stare down at Leon’s face.
He felt the urge to knock the old man down but knew better with all the guards closing in on him.
“You look just like your father, my boy,” the marquess said, raising his cane to tap on Leon’s face. “It’s clearer now than the last time. You surely are his bastard.”
Leon pushed away the cane and stood in full height to meet the old man’s gaze.
“Like father like son,” he said, pulling up the old man’s collar and pulling him close.
The guards rushed in, but the old man held them back with his hand.
“You will let go of Lord Herring and Longsword now, wherever he is, or your life would be at its end,” Leon hissed.
“Don’t try to scare me with that threat, my boy. Even if you have my life, you can only save one of your folks here. It’s either your lying father-in-law or your stupid friend. Which do you pick? I suggest you let me go or they’ll both die. Worse yet, all three of you will die.”
Leon hated how he had nothing to negotiate with and had to release the marquess once more. His stone hadn’t yet played its part.
“Dumb boy,” the marquess smirked. “Guards!”
All the men of Lansing’s closed in and came in to full attack.
“Hell!” Leon growled and tried to fend them off, only to get tackled down by three of the guards.
“Let me go now, you old man!” he snapped, struggling to free his arms from the guards’ hold. He should have killed the old man despite what he said.
The old man shrilled into laughter and came forward to take the dagger from Leon. “Haven’t you learned from our last encounter?” he said, sliding the weapon out of its sheathe and bringing it to Leon’s face. “You are too gullible.”
He popped out the garnet from the dagger and threw the weapon across the room.
“I only need this to get to my dream,” he said, sticking it inside his pocket.
“The only dream you’re living is in your deathbed!” Leon snarled, trying to fling himself off at the man.
Lansing just laughs again and turned on his heel, giving a dismissive wave to the guards.
“Take him to join his friend,” he ordered. “Keep an eye on him. Don’t do anything until I have Marcus back here.”
“Yes m’lord!”
Waiting for Marcus, huh?
A secret smile played on Leon’s face as the guards took him away. He may be captured again, but there’s still going to be time for him to plan an escape. He wasn’t unconscious like the last time. His sanity is in full advantage. The old man shouldn’t be smiling yet. He’ll have his hell coming soon enough.