The Pearl Savage (20 page)

CHAPTER 24

Charles groaned and looked about
him, his eyes gradually adjusting, he became aware of pandemonium all
around him. Guards and civilians alike were milling about, speaking
in all volumes while Charles sat up, trying to get his bearings.

Clara,
Charles
thought wildly. Looking all around him, finally, his gaze rested on
the tear in the sphere side, now but a hazy scar of its former
breadth.

She
was gone
,
taken
by the
savages.

A great pain began in Charles’
breastbone and spread like an icy fissure, cracking and infinite, he
felt the breath stop in his body.

He had not protected her after all.

She
was most assuredly Outside, as was their plan, but not with him…
but with
savages
of
unknown intent.

He
did not care if he lived, the thought of Clara being in the hands of
those
creatures.
He
shook his head to clear it.

Wallowing about in grief at her
disappearance would not get her back to him. He stood on shaky legs,
his head feeling like a vise of copper had been about it. He looked
down the tunnel, through the throng of people and caught sight of
Sarah and Clarence and his heart lightened. Between the three of
them, mayhap her rescue would be a possibility.

Sarah and Clarence quickened their
strides, coming before him, their sides heaving.

“I ran almost the entire length of
the tunnel,” Sarah yelled to be heard over the din.

“I have not much time,” Clarence
said, looking decidedly ill, “the twilight drug that you
administered has made me vomit up my internal organs.”

Charles smiled, “You will live
another day, my friend.”

Clarence glowered but held his
stomach gingerly.

“Where is she? And why, for the
love-of-the-Guardian, are you not Outside and with her?”

Charles looked about him
surreptitiously and noticed the Prince’s guards were hovering
around him like flies to a fresh carcass.

Charles
pulled his two friends away to the only available space there was and
explained everything: the Prince’s forced sexual advance against
Clara, the
savages
breaking
in and taking her… everything.

“He tried to rape the Princess?”
Clarence asked, a look of dull horror on his face.

Charles nodded.

Sarah
looked not as surprised, “And the
savages?
They
struck you but took her? Did they mean her harm?”

Charles hung his head, it was his
primary intent to find out.

“I do not know,” he answered.

They looked at the healing tear of
the tunnel wall.

“It appears scarred, Charles,”
Clarence said, as there was no going near it, the Queen’s guards
crawled all around it like ants scurrying on their mound.

“So the rumors are true? It is the
salt that tears the fabric of the sphere?”

Charles
nodded, “Yes, and the
savages
were aware of that fact.”

Sarah’s hand trembled as she pushed
her hair behind her ear. “What is there to do now?”

“
I
must escape of my own accord, quickly. They cannot have too great a
lead.” But Charles had misgivings as he had seen how they moved and
acted, spoke, competent travelers and fighters
.

“But what of Prince Frederic?”
Clarence asked. He spared a glance at the Prince, who was batting
away his guard’s offers of help, grabbing his nether regions as if
they would come off without his hold.

“Why does he hold himself thus?”
Sarah inquired.

“I am not sure, but it would seem
that he may have suffered injury.” Charles said.

“
The
savages
?”
Clarence asked.

“Mayhap. He was not able to finish
what he started with Clara and did not harm her in my presence.”

“Yet, you were not conscious for
her departure,” Sarah said, emphasizing the last word.

Charles shook his head.

The
Prince noticed the three standing apart and walked toward them.
Wincing as he walked, he gave up and limped toward them. Charles
mastered his expression to not alert the Prince just how much it
pleased him he was injured there
.

“Mr. Pierce!” Prince Frederic
shouted, his voice easily swallowed in the tight space of the tunnel
with so many people packed together.

“I must speak with you.”

Sarah instinctively stepped behind
Clarence. She wished for none of his notice.

Charles was having an elaborate
fantasy where the Prince fell clumsily on one of his guards’ swords
where they hovered as he drew near.

Damn
,
here he was, right before him. Charles’ head ached and his hand was
itching to draw upon the dirk that lay buried in one of the dead
guard’s necks.

The image of Clara struggling
beneath him was etched forever in his brain.

The Prince leaned forward until
their noses almost touched, “You have killed one of my guards,”
he began in a furious tone.

Charles smiled, holding up two
fingers, “You have more.”

The Prince’s rage overtook his face,
painting it a red so deep it was nigh unto purple. “You will suffer
for that insolence. Queen Ada will allow me whatever I wish.”

“Oh,” Sarah said sweetly,
sidling up beside Charles but slightly in front of Clarence. Prince
Frederic’s eyes slid to her, over her body, encased as it was in sky
blue velvet.

“
I
think not, as the
rape
of the Princess would not be well-received and,” she added, drawing
her finger upon the flesh which rode the top of her bosom, his eyes
trained upon it, “you have not the leverage, as the
savages
have taken Clara and she is not here for you to wed.” Sarah said
smugly, her smile alight with the knowledge of his impotence.

Quicker
than lightning he grabbed her wrist, jerking her body against his,
“It does not have to be the Princess that I bed. It could be
anyone.
I was ensuring she understood what life she would lead in my tender
care.”

“Release me,” Sarah said, her
chin jutted out stubbornly.

Clarence intervened, “Prince
Frederic, is this the attention you desire…” he looked about him
significantly, the many people around them stopping their hurried
conversations. His behavior judged unacceptable even for his station.

Prince Frederic exhaled in disgust,
pushing Sarah into Clarence, who held her loosely by the shoulders
and turned his attention once more to Charles.

“You and she planned an escape.
The guards searched your knapsack and discovered the salt mixture.”
He straightened and looked every bit the satiated animal except for
the wince when he stood, Charles noted with a small stab of joy.

Charles searched the tunnel for any
sign of his knapsack, seeing none, his eyes returned to Prince
Frederic, “I do not see my knapsack about.”

The Prince yelled for a guard, and
the one at his side jumped, “You there…” the guard’s eyes
widened, “find the knapsack which belongs to him,” he said,
pointing a finger at Charles. If the guard thought the request was as
absurd as Charles, he did not show it. Very wise…he must understand
the Prince better than they realized.

His attention returned to Charles,
“We are at an impasse, for now. But know this: I intend to retrieve
the Princess, and you will not be part of that plan. Is that
understood?”

Sarah
spoke again, “What we understand is
you
do not have leverage of any sort with our Queen. She cares only for
the grapes. If you do not recover Clara, there will be
no
combined kingdom.”

They stared at each other and Sarah
did not back down. Clarence and Charles waited for the Prince to show
his violent predisposition but he clenched and unclenched his fists,
glaring at her.

Her words were true, there was no
satisfactory rebuttal.

The guard approached, shaking his
head.

Charles smiled at the prince and
Frederic shook his head in disgust.

“It does not end it. I will find
her and we will wed.”

“
I
think you underestimate the
savages
.”

“No, they underestimate me.
Whatever I desire, becomes mine.”

“That is yet to be seen, Prince
Frederic,” Charles said.

They watched the Prince walk off,
the slight limp in his stride noticeable to all that observed.

CHAPTER 25

Clara gazed about her, everything
Outside was new, yet old. She had seen much from inside the sphere
but it was surreal, to view it in the flesh. She felt the huge beast
move beneath her body, a warm and stout presence. Clara kept her
hands clenched tightly to the saddle, occasionally casting a glance
behind her at the guard whom she did not trust.

Bracus said, “Princess, put your
arms about my waist, it is not safe for you, the horse could throw
you.”

Clara
was sure that it was not proper for her to touch a man she did not
know, but a stumble from Briar Rose made her mind up for her. She
latched onto the
savage-
Bracus,
and
laid her head against his broad back.

Bracus tried not to physically show
the Princess how much he enjoyed the contact. But he couldn’t help
but shift on the horse to put him infinitesimally closer to her
embrace.

Clara sighed. She knew she should
not feel remotely safe. Yet, he had not harmed her, she was Outside,
and there was nothing she could do for Charles, she thought, frowning
slightly. She wished with all her heart she could but know what was
happening to him right now. However, she must persevere. Soon, she
may have a life Outside. A plan to regain her father’s kingdom could
be fashioned in a way that he would be proud of.

Clara yawned against Bracus’ back
just as the sun made its way over the top of the mountains to the
south, the tangerine glow painting the path ahead with golden light.
The rhythm of the horse beneath her lulled her to sleep and she felt
it pulling her under like a stone in a well.

Bracus felt Clara’s breathing change
and knew that she had fallen asleep. He slowed Briar Rose to a halt
and her body began to slide away from his. He gently repositioned her
in front of him where she fit in the cradle of his arm perfectly. As
his right arm held her, he grasped the reins in his left, gently
kicking Briar Rose’s side and she continued to walk.

Joseph came abreast of him on his
stead, a great chocolate beast that eyed him cautiously. “She
sleeps, that is good,” he said, gazing down at her face, curled
against Bracus’ chest, her breath a warm tingle.

Bracus looked down upon her, knowing
she probably would not have wanted to be held so intimately but in
her sleep he could hold her as he wished.

After another hour of riding, with
the weight of Clara beginning to numb his arm, the Band were at the
clan’s gate.

Bracus came alert immediately as
people were running around in a panic. He unconsciously tightened his
grip on Clara.

Something was wrong.

He felt the weapons against his
horse’s flank and was comforted by their presence; his throat slits
involuntarily opening wide to gather oxygen in preparation for the
unknown.

Philip galloped up to Bracus’ side,
having been rear guard during their journey homeward, “What is the
trouble here?”

“I do not know, but we best be
about finding out.”

Philip nodded, twirling his finger
in a circle above his head. Stephen and Matthew began on opposite
ends of the clan’s large barrier fence to do a perimeter
reconnaissance. If there was something amiss, they would find it.
Their horses thundering departure was not heard above the noise of
the people’s panic.

****

The lead guard at the gate, Oliver,
ran to Bracus, speaking in a rush, “Captain Goodman,” he said,
not even bothering with a nod, “The girl from the well…” he
stuttered out.

“Evelyn?” Bracus nearly yelled
and Clara stirred, having been in a near stupor. He kept his hold
firm, he would not have her away from him and out of his sight. But
he did need to have both hands free and at-the-ready.

“
Yes,
sir,” he wrung his hands. “It appears that she has been taken…
by the
fragment.”

Oh
dear Lord,
she is
but a child,
Bracus
thought with dread pooling like rotten meat in his entrails.

Oliver looked at Clara in his arms
with open curiosity.

“How?” Bracus barked, breaking
his glance with the harshness of his words at the same time that
Clara opened her eyes and saw that she was in the circle of Bracus’
arms. She sat up, feeling ridiculous and groggy. Looking about her,
she saw many people running about in a state of panic. She rubbed her
eyes and pushed her hair away from her face, the tether which bound
it long gone.