Darkest Knight (20 page)

“When I was about five years old, I came outside the house one day. I always went through the door to the carport.” She thought about how to explain it. “A carport is kind of like a stable for a car.”

He made that guy sound that could mean anything. She took it to mean
keep going
.

“When I stepped outside, I saw something wriggling. I don’t know what made me do it, but I jumped. It was a good thing I did. There were at least ten baby copperhead snakes on the floor. If I hadn’t jumped, I would’ve stepped on them.”

He shifted, trying to sit up. Anna pressed a hand to his chest and he stopped struggling. “Were you harmed?”

“No, but I watched them slither away, too afraid to do anything.”

“I think you were very brave to jump over them.”

“I didn’t feel brave at the time. There was one other thing that happened when I was a child. Something I’ll never forget. A couple years later, my dad took me hunting. I’ve always loved animals, so when we saw the deer with his beautiful antlers, I yelled
run
at the top of my lungs.” She laughed, remembering how mad her dad was.

“He was so disgusted with me, he said we were going home that instant. As we walked down the dry creek bed, he grabbed me and pulled me behind him. A big black snake struck at his and he shot it. Before I could scream, another one came towards me. Cottonmouths are known for being aggressive. It bit his boot and he killed it as well. I was terrified. To this day I am terrified of snakes. It’s one good thing about being here—there aren’t any snakes.”

“Is there nothing else you like about my country?”

She could feel herself blushing. “There are a few things, but I think you should rest. If you don’t complain about being sick, I’ll tell you when we get to the tower.”

He made a face and closed his eyes. In a little while she felt his body relax. She didn’t want to tell him how worried she was. He was definitely hot to the touch.

When they stopped to take a break, she called one of the men over.

“He’s feverish.”

The man scowled. “I care not what happens to the bandit of the wood. One of the men he killed was my brother.”

Anna guessed she wouldn’t be getting any help from them. She had to hope they would make it to the tower soon. Surely they would have a doctor?

As the week passed, John got sicker. Anna pleaded for the guards to help him but they refused. The general consensus seemed to be if he died along the way, oh well. They didn’t care if they brought him back dead or alive.

She touched a hand to his forehead. So the guards wouldn’t hear, Anna leaned close to his ear. If they knew, they would steal what little they had.

“John. Wake up. Where is your gold? I’m going to bribe the guards.”

He moaned softly, blinking several times. Like he couldn’t focus on her face.

“In my boots. They took what I had in the pouch. Do not give it to them. Wait until we are in the tower. Give this lot the gold and they’ll slit our throats.”

He was shaking, his teeth chattering even though it was warm today. The nights were turning cool. It was the second week in October. Was her dad still at the facility? No. She couldn’t worry about him now. John had to be the priority. If he died because they neglected him, she would beg and plead for his brothers to kill these men. She’d memorized their faces and names, hoping for payback. He was rubbing off on her. After all she’d been through, she’d started to accept the violence of the time, and wouldn’t hesitate to hit back.

The next day, Anna woke to noise. They were in a long line going into the city. Some kind of toll. She laughed.

“Tolls. You can fall through time, but you can’t escape them.”

“A penny for the cart and six farthings for the horses, if you please.”

The guards sneered. “We are on the king’s business and do not pay.”

The man started to protest and the guard cut him off. “If ye have a problem, take it up with the king.” The man let them pass, muttering something. Anna had never been so grateful to see London.

She roused John. He was the tiniest bit better. She helped him sit up as he coughed and swayed.

“The toll is charged to help pay for street repairs. You can see the streets are full of mud and water.”

Talking was a good sign. A huge wave of relief rolled over her. While he still felt incredibly hot to her touch, maybe his fever would finally break today.

At the tower, the darkness chilled her. They half carried, half dragged John behind her. When she tried to help, one of the guards slapped her across the face.

A large man stood in front of them. His belly hung over his hose and his long tunic looked like it had never been washed.

The man looked at John and grinned, showing a mouthful of rotten and missing teeth.

“Welcome back, Lord Blackmoor. We missed you. It wasn’t very nice for you to run off without saying goodbye.”

John raised his head, bleary-eyed. “Go to hell.”

The man chuckled and walked down the corridor. When you showed up as a tourist to visit the place it looked completely different than when you viewed it from the perspective of a prisoner. Anna hated to think what kind of vermin must be creeping around in the darkness of the cells.

They came to a cell she recognized. It was the same one John was in when she freed him. John saw it too.

“You kept everything ready. How kind.”

“Throw him in. Put the wench in the cell next to him.”
 

Anna pulled back. “Please. He’s ill. Send for a doctor. And I am not an English citizen. I demand to be released.”

“Hear that, boys? The lady demands to be released.”

The guards snickered. Anna couldn’t help it—she stuck her tongue out at them.

The man in charge laughed. “I am the constable of the tower. You will pay for your accommodations here or you will be cold, starve, and die.”

The guards trudged down the corridor. As the man turned to go, she reached out through the bars.

“Wait.”

He came back, leaning close. It took everything she had not to reel back from the foul stench of his breath.

“There is enough here to pay for our well-being. And for a doctor.” The man reached for the bag, but Anna snatched it back. “I know there is also enough here to get a message out to his brothers.”

She stood there looking at him, knowing full well he could easily take the gold. But there seemed to be some kind of code for bribery. He picked his nose and nodded.

“I’ll see it done. I will return for the message. Give me the gold.”

She passed it though the opening, sending up a prayer he wouldn’t simply pocket it.

“Please. He’s very sick.”

The man grunted and walked away.

She couldn’t believe she was in jail. The sound of the door closing, the key turning in the lock…such final sounds. Anna wanted to cry.

They’d all laughed when one of the tour guides pushed a bunch of them in and shut the door with a clang. It certainly felt different when it was for real.

John lay on the bed shivering. Anna moved as close as she could.

“John. Get under the covers.”

He grunted but didn’t move.

“You have to get up. Now.”

He sat up with a frown. As he tried to stand, he fell to the floor. Her heart sank. He wasn’t getting better like she’d hoped; he was getting worse.

He made it to the chair, sitting down with a thud, breathing heavily.

“You must write a letter to your brother. To all your brothers. I gave the constable your gold. He said it would take care of us and he would send for a doctor. I made him promise to get a letter out.”

“You gave him all the gold?”

She thought she was going to cry. He braced his hands on the desk and stood. Pushing off, he stumbled over to her, taking her hands through the bars.

“I am not displeased. You did what you thought right. There is plenty of gold there. More than enough…” She didn’t have to hear him say it to finish the sentence. For she knew. More than enough to pay for his burial and to take care of her and possibly pay for hers. She’d heard the guards. They said she was going to die for helping him. At this point all she could focus on was John. How sick he was. There would be plenty of time later to worry about herself.

“Can you write the messages? Do you want me to do it?”

He swayed but did not fall. As he weaved and wobbled back to the chair, he looked like a drunk.

“Nay. I will do it.”

It was agonizing for her to watch him scratch out the messages. She could see the effort it cost him. By the time he was done, the sweat was pouring down his face and he was shaking. She could hear his teeth chattering across the small space.

Once more he dragged himself over to her, the messages grasped in his hand. But this time he slid down, sitting on the floor. She reached through the bars, taking the scraps of paper.

“You have to get into bed and cover up.”

He shook his head and reached into the pouch at his waist. He came out with something brown. Anna looked at what he held, not sure what she was looking at. Then she gasped.

“How?”

He pressed it against his lips.

“When they cut your glorious hair, I saw the strands blowing away on the wind, I grabbed what I could. I would keep this part of you with me always.” He tucked it back in the pouch.

Anna thought there was a leak in the ceiling and water was dripping on her, until her vision blurred. She was crying.

He reached through, wiping her tears away. “Do not weep, my darling. You must hear me.”

She shook her head, not wanting to hear what he was going to say. Afraid.

“If I die…”

“Don’t say it. The doctor’s coming you’ll be fine.”

“You are my sun.” He took her hands in his, the heat from his fever melting into her bones. “When I die, have the constable send for my brothers. They will do all in their power for you. They will aid you however they can. I—”

He was prevented from saying more as the constable came back.

“I haven’t got all day. Give ’em here.”

Anna passed the notes through the bars. “Is the doctor on his way?”

“He’ll be here in good time.”

The man left and Anna watched all their hopes go with him. She had to believe the doctor would come.

“John. Get into bed. Please. Do it for me.”

He grunted and somehow got to his feet. He fell onto the bed, and she thought it would have to do for now. He had no more energy to even pull the cover over himself.

What was he about to say when they were interrupted?

Anna was exhausted, and yet knowing how sick John was, she felt guilty for sleeping through the night. She got up from the makeshift pallet on the floor and stretched, easing the ache in her lower back. Peering through the bars in the dim light, she held her breath.

Was he breathing? The moments ticked by as she looked for a sign. Over and over she grabbed handfuls of her skirts, clutching the fabric in her fists and letting go. His chest moved. She blinked to make sure she wasn’t seeing things, and it moved again. Slowly up and down. He was alive. A bit shaky, she sank down on the low wooden stool.

Before she’d fallen asleep last, Anna heard John tell the guards to provide better accommodations for her. The men ignored him. They wouldn’t unless they thought he was being put to death soon or was dying. Her food had gone downhill as well. No longer hot, it was now rock-filled bread and cheese with watered-down wine. Seeing her treatment degrade gave her a sinking feeling. How much worse would it get if he were no longer here to watch over her? The sob caught in her throat. She couldn’t think like this. For his sake, she had to stay positive.

A mouse darted into the cell, looking at her. She couldn’t eat, so she broke off a tiny piece of bread and threw it to him. He grabbed it and scurried back through the bars.

Did they remove the bodies right away? If they didn’t, the thought of mice and rats gnawing on him was enough to make her sick.

The entire day, she cajoled, pleaded, and yelled. Anything to get a response from John. Late that afternoon he started to hallucinate. Wiping her nose on her sleeve, she banged on the bars.