Ginn Hale - Lord of the White Hell book Two

Fedeles nodded. He stopped in front of a stall and stroked the muzzle of the big black horse inside. For an instant Kiram couldn't believe his eyes.

"Firaj," Fedeles cooed the big gelding's name.

Kiram felt a flush of outrage that Donamillo had taken his horse but an instant later the knowledge brought him a spark of hope. Donamillo would never have chosen to ride Firaj. He cared nothing for the animal but Fedeles loved the old horse. Despite everything some shred of Fedeles had to still be alive inside his possessed body.

"He's an old horse," the captain commented.

"The wisdom of age always defeats the strength of youth, Captain." There was nothing but Donamillo's assurance in the reply. He took Firaj's reins and led him out of the stable.

The captain ordered his men to ready their mounts. He expected the men and their animals to be prepared to ride before the next bell.

Kiram had no time to waste if he was going to be able to make it back to the Grunito house on foot before Fedeles and the royal bishop's men arrived.

A merchant leading two gray mares passed slowly by. As they did so, Kiram stepped out of the stall and started for the stable doors as if he'd just finished settling his own mount like any other traveler. He walked up the narrow aisle past several of the royal bishop's armed soldiers with Fedeles and Firaj only twenty feet ahead of him. His heart pounded so hard that it felt like it was shaking his whole body.

The black shadows stretching from Fedeles' feet curled and spread with a frightening disregard for the angle of the morning light. As Fedeles turned towards a small paddock his shadow fell across Kiram and for an instant Kiram felt a deathly chill and suffocating darkness grip him. He thought he saw Fedeles straighten and almost turn back towards him.

But then Firaj snorted anxiously, pulling him ahead. Fedeles gave a strange laugh and then followed the horse to the paddock without even a glance back.

Kiram was shuddering and clammy when he reached the street. Sunlight felt like a blessing as it touched his face. Far out across the city he spotted crows flying and thought he even heard their voices. Then he realized that the Grunito chapel bells had stopped ringing. Nestor's wedding was underway.

And the perfection of Donamillo's plan took his breath away. During the wedding Javier and every other Hellion in the chapel would be unarmed.

Kiram sprinted for the Grunito house.

Bar the gates!" Kiram didn't wait for the two footmen to respond.

He threw himself against the heavy wrought iron. The hinges groaned and squealed as if they hadn't been moved in decades.

"Soldiers are riding against the Grunito house!" Kiram shouted. "Help me get these gates closed, damn it!"

A young Cadeleonian footman opened his mouth to question Kiram but then, catching Kiram's expression, he and his companion simply threw their weight against the gates, slamming them closed. It took all three of them to lift the thick crossbars into place and lock them down. Even as heavy as they were Kiram knew the bars wouldn't hold for long, not against two dozen mounted soldiers.

"They're armed so don't try to fight them," Kiram told the two footmen. "But don't open the gates for them either. Make them break them down. We need all the time we can get."

Both the footmen blanched-their eyes were wide and scared now. One of them nodded to Kiram. He left it at that.

His lungs burned and his body was drenched with sweat, but he still raced as fast as he could for the house. Inside he caught a Haldiim servant whom he'd seen directing the household staff.

The woman looked alarmed by the sight of Kiram and even more worried when Kiram grabbed her arm.

"There are mounted soldiers coming to assault the wedding party," Kiram gasped at her.

"I beg your pardon, young Master Kir-Zaki?"

"Soldiers are riding here to attack the wedding party, damn it!" Kiram dragged in a deep breath of air. He didn't have time for this, but he couldn't do it all on his own either. "Someone needs to warn them in the chapel. The Hellions' horses need to be saddled and they'll need weapons. We have fifteen minutes, maybe less."

For an instant the woman looked as if she hadn't understood a single word Kiram had said. Then her eyes locked on his and realization dawned in her expression.

"How many soldiers?" Her face had gone gray but her voice remained calm.

"At least two dozen of the royal bishop's men. They've poisoned their blades and they're riding warhorses. They'll have the gate down in no time."

"Then we will need to be quick," the woman replied. Kiram nodded. His legs already ached and his head still pounded.

The woman called out orders to other members of the staff and suddenly the hall echoed with of shouts of acknowledgment and alarm. Men and women in the Grunito house colors raced to fulfill a flurry of orders: warning the wedding party, readying horses and securing the house for an assault. Wedding garlands were dropped. Trays of tiny cakes and Kir-Zaki sweets were abandoned to the dogs.

"You'd better be right about this," the Haldiim woman warned Kiram and there was something about her tone that made Kiram think briefly of his mother.

"I wish I weren't, but I am right," Kiram responded. "I'll gather the Hellions' saddlebags and their weapons. Can you send a few footmen up to help me?"

She nodded and Kiram bolted up the stairs. He tore through the Hellions' rooms, hurling their half-packed saddlebags to footmen and gathering the best weapons he could lay his hands on.

From his own trunk he only took the few supplies he could shove in his pockets. His bow, quiver and knives were far more important at the moment. He quickly strung his bow and slipped it and his quiver over his shoulders. Then he swept up Javier's saddlebags and sword and sprinted back down the stairs.

He ran for the chapel. He was halfway across the green lawn when a metallic scream wrenched the air. Men shouted threats and obscenities as the clang of hooves pounding down the Grunito gate rang out. Kiram saw terror in the faces of the servants as they ran for the shelter of the main house.

Ahead of him the chapel doors flew open. Elezar and Javier rushed out, both unarmed but standing at the doors as if they could defend the chapel with just the ferocity of their glares. The delicate beauty of their silk clothes struck Kiram as pitiful protection after seeing the heavy leather armor and long swords of the bishop's men.

"Go now!" Javier shouted back into the chapel.

Cadeleonian men and women in silks and jewels burst from the chapel. Kiram wove between them, catching glimpses of familiar faces and briefly meeting the terrified glances of strangers. Lady Grunito carried one of her young sons in her arms and Lord Grunito swept up another of the boys when he tripped. Kiram thought he saw Nestor and Riossa running side by side as he dodged through the chaos of fleeing wedding guests. He lurched out of the way of two beefy choirboys and sped through a gaggle of women in velvet gowns. At last he broke clear of the panicked crowd and reached Javier. He tossed him his sword.

"Well done, Underclassman Kiram." Javier gave him the briefest smile; then his attention returned to the grounds ahead of him.

"Take this." Kiram handed one of Majdi's long fighting knives over to Elezar. "Your long sword is with your horse. They should-"

Timoteo and several footmen sprinted past them, their arms loaded with gold chalices and jewel-studded books. They raced down across the lawn towards the house. Then Atreau and Morisio appeared at the doors.

"Everyone's out," Morisio told Javier. His face looked clammy with sweat and Atreau was pallid as a corpse.

Javier glanced to Kiram. "You were saying something about horses?"