Page 79 of Disenchanted
He whirled back to where the Hanson boys traded blows with the two guards.
“Stop,” he roared, getting Payton in a headlock.
Most of the crowd gasped and gaped, trying to keep out of the way. But the drunken Lord Ludlow staggered forward, growling something about “Midtown ruffians.” Beckoning to his inebriated friend Sir Eustace, the two aristocrats set upon the Hanson brothers.
This prompted several of the Midtown lads to rush to the aid of their friends. To my astonishment, Fortescue Bafton was among them. I would never have thought the tailor’s son had it in him as he went after Lord Ludlow.
Under other circumstances, I might have found it amusing, watching the two dandies dance around each other, taking ineffectual swipes. But the melee spread to an alarming degree, fists flying, curses roaring and ladies shrieking. I shrank back farther to avoid being knocked down.
I lost sight of Horatio in the uproar, but I saw Ivy trying to hustle her weeping sister to safety. Mercato blocked their path.
The wizard grabbed Myrtle by the arm to prevent her escape. Ivy shrieked and pummeled the wizard. When he did not release her sister, Ivy seized his beard, giving it a savage yank. Mercato howled in pain, screaming for more guards.
Two more Scutcheons rushed past me, jamming me against the pillar. I straightened, rubbing my bruised shoulder. I bit back a curse, but my breath caught in my throat at the realization.
They were the two bored soldiers posted by the arch. I stole a glance behind me and saw that the forbidden doorway was left unguarded. My pulse skittered. This was the opportunity I had waited for all evening— if I was bold enough to seize it.
As I took a step closer to the arch, I stole a nervous look around to make sure my actions were unobserved. Anyone not fighting was either dodging or gawking at the combatants. No one was paying the slightest attention to me.
I felt guilty at the thought of abandoning Horatio to this chaos, especially since I was the one who had persuaded him to intervene. One glance in his direction assured me the commander was more than capable of holding his own. He separated a Midtown boy from Sir Eustace by collaring both. He cracked their heads together with a force that made me wince.
Even as he fought, Horatio issued terse orders. Under his command, the palace guards would soon have this situation under control and my chance would be gone. Yet I felt immobilized by fear, unable to take another step.
I had to remind myself that Mal would not rest until he recovered that orb. If I failed in stealing it for him, he would make some reckless attempt himself and end up arrested or killed.
My heart pounded harder, the ballroom blurring before my eyes as I willed my trembling legs to move. It was now or never. I drew in a deep breath. Plucking up my skirts, along with my courage, I darted through the forbidden arch.
fifteen
I ran down the flight of stone steps so fast, one of my shoes flew off. Swearing under my breath, I had to hop back a few steps to retrieve it. It was as well that I was obliged to pause. I needed to proceed with more caution until I took stock of my surroundings.
The wide hall that stretched ahead of me was exactly as Mal had said it would be. The walls were crammed with an assorted collection of weapons from ages past, axes, pikes, halberds, and heavy swords. Blunter and clumsier than the rapiers now in use, the ancient swords were still lethal looking.
After the brilliance of the ballroom, the hall seemed dark and forbidding. The way ahead of me was lit only by flaming torches embedded in the stone walls. As I bent to pick up my dancing slipper, I stole an anxious glance back the way I had come. There was no sign of any pursuit, no harsh voice calling out a command for me to halt. The noise and safety of the ballroom already seemed far away.
I was quite alone here in what was part of the oldest part of the palace. That did not mean that I was not in danger of being discovered. I could stumble upon a stray guard or servant at any moment. I needed to keep moving, carefully, but quickly.
I cringed at the thought of forcing my sore heel back into my loose slipper. Instead, I opted to remove my other shoe as well. Carrying my dancing slippers in one hand, I tiptoed past suits of armor lined up on both sides of the hall like soldiers awaiting inspection. The torchlight flickered over these eerie, silent sentinels.
I am not usually given to flights of fantasy, but I could not help imagining hostile eyes watching me through the slits of those visors. At any moment one of those iron gauntlets could reach out to seize me and—
“Stop it,” I scolded myself. “Concentrate.”
I needed to control my racing pulse and remember the directions Mal had given me.
Just traverse the length of the old War Hall.
Mal had made it sound so easy, but what he had neglected to tell me was how long that hall would be. The frapping chamber went on forever, but perhaps it just seemed that way to me with my nerves wound so tight.
I breathed a faint sigh of relief as I neared the end of the hall. I silently congratulated myself on having made it this far undetected. Then I heard it. The sound of a footfall. I froze, listening, and realized that someone was approaching from the corridor ahead that branched off to the left.
I panicked, unable to move for a split second. Then I dove for the only hiding place available, a niche behind the last suit of armor. I flattened myself back against the rough stonework as far as I could. It was a poor place of concealment. In this dim light, the sheen of my golden gown would stand out like a beacon. I tried to gather up my skirts and hug them as close to my body as I could, but it was impossible. Even if I had not been holding my shoes, my hoop and layers of petticoats thwarted my efforts.
As the footsteps drew nearer, I tried to come up with an excuse should I be discovered. I was terrified by the fight in the ballroom, and I ran down here to get out of the way. No, that sounded ridiculous. What about… I was knocked down during the fight and I was so dazed, I didn’t know where I was going. There was an edict that forbade swooning, but surely there was no law against being dazed, was there?
I had no time to come up with anything better before a man entered the hall. I caught a ghostly glimpse of white and recognized it for a uniform like all the princes wore. As he drew nearer, I saw that it was indeed one of the royal brothers, Kendrick, in fact.
I held my breath as he ambled past where I hid behind the suit of armor. One glance in my direction and he was bound to spot me. But Kendrick behaved in a manner as furtive as me.
