“Superior to my expectations,” he murmured in the obscurity. Molly drew him down onto her and unfastened the top of his trousers.
Both of their eyes turned to the door when a loud knocking commenced. “James, Isabelle—permit me entry!” Beckham urged with urgency.
Jayce embodied the essence of darkness. He disengaged from Molly and ensured she was completely dressed before admitting a frantic Beckham. His visage was crimson, and she had never observed his eyes so expansive with fear. He navigated the room as if a tornado had devastated it, hastily seizing the valuable items before they were compromised.
“We must leave immediately.” Beckham began to hastily pack their belongings into bags, observing that his own was already prepared by the door.
“What transpired?” Jayce seized Beckham’s arm to halt his urgency.
“I was at the tavern once more, attempting to intoxicate some individuals for information, when I overheard your name mentioned. They indicated plans to mobilise all the men in this vicinity to prepare carriages for an ambush on Colton’s camp, as they suspect your presence there. I have already observed some guards beginning to gather every man they encounter; we must depart before they arrive.”
Jayce observed Molly, who endeavoured to suppress her feelings of shame regarding their actions. Rather than departing, they squandered valuable time on personal matters. Molly promptly assisted Beckham in packing everything into bags before she donned her shoes. They possessed ample opportunity for selfishness; why commence now?
Molly enquired, “Is our carriage still present?”
“The driver retrieved it. We were instructed to request it if necessary.”
“We must appropriate some of their horses before they acquire them all,” Jayce stated as he donned his coat. He seized Molly’s arm and swiftly exited the door while clutching their bags in his other hand. “We must not leave any evidence of our presence. If they discover I was here, they will ascertain what I uncovered and relay it to Luna Queen. We must remain one step ahead of her.”
Molly was nearly sprinting to match the pace of the men. One stride of their elongated limbs equated to three of her own. Jayce surveyed each corridor prior to their turn. On one or two occasions, they had to wait for it to be vacated before they rushed to the stables. “How did you ascertain their location?” Molly enquired breathlessly. Her shoes softly clacked against the stone floors, and she berated them for producing any noise.
“I discarded a significant quantity of their drugs and pills here. There should be at least two outside that some individuals carelessly abandoned earlier,” he whispered. She grasped his arm as they crouched to conceal themselves against the walls. He guided them across the grounds while maintaining a vigilant watch on the guards who patrolled the perimeter languidly.
“How shall we extricate ourselves from this predicament, cousin?” Beckham whispered. Jayce fixed him with a fierce glare.
“Due to the lack of conversation at my workplace, I observed the surroundings. The guards do not simultaneously patrol all areas. We shall wait for the rear to be vacated and discreetly lead the horses out before mounting them.”
Beckham acknowledged with a nod and proceeded to follow Jayce’s example. They concealed themselves near a tall bush and observed the guards traverse the same area repeatedly for approximately twenty minutes. She sensed her legs beginning to falter until Jayce grasped her without even glancing in her direction. As though he could perceive her suffering.
After an additional ten minutes, both guards exchanged nods and proceeded around the building towards the front. As soon as they were out of view, Jayce lifted her and rushed towards the horses.
As Jayce indicated, two brown animals were secured to the fence, seemingly awaiting their owners to retrieve them. Molly scowled; it was the dead of night. She questioned whether anyone would arrive for them, but it was preferable that they did not.
Jayce and Beckham swiftly untied their ropes and guided them through the rear gates into the adjacent woods. She nearly lost consciousness when the metal emitted a deafening squeak as she closed it. She swiftly followed Jayce and permitted him to elevate her onto the horse as soon as they were sufficiently distanced from the location.
“That was a dreadful decision; we should never have gone.” Beckham spat on the ground. He mounted his horse simultaneously as Jayce mounted hers. She encircled his waist with her arms and clung on for dear life. Her hands quivered; he squeezed her briefly before seizing the reins.
“It provided confirmation, and we now have a warning regarding Colton. Had we not attended, we would have perished in our sleep.”
He spurred his heel, and the horse galloped away. Beckham was in close proximity. The darkness was so profound that she could not see even an inch ahead, yet Jayce allowed the moonlight to lead him. It would likely require hours to return; she merely hoped they had sufficient time to ready themselves for what lay ahead.
She shut her eyes firmly as the biting winds scorched her vision. Increased peril, heightened threats to evade and fear. This time, she possessed the strength to assist those who had aided her in her time of need. Her survival is attributable solely to Colton. She implored that the horses would transport them promptly. The carriages were sluggish due to the weight they bore, yet these horses had only themselves to transport. She had to have faith that they would succeed.
