The Step Sister vs. Cinderella

Chapter 23

           The sound of a faint shout combined with a distant thud had Paige’s eyes snapping open. She rolled out of bed, one hand out and snagging the sword that lay on the table next to her. She twisted and backed up until she hit the wall, keeping her dim view of the door and window clear. Drawing her blade, she held it two-handed in front of her and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. It was one thing to be told what to do and drill in it a few times but it was another to actually be in that situation, she decided, eyes flicking around in a constant search for movement in her dark room.

            Hearing running footsteps approaching her door destroyed the faint calm she’d been cultivating, sending her heartbeat pounding back in her ears. She shifted her stance slightly and gripped her sword tighter. Then her door flew open and she flinched, sword still upraised. She could only see the outline of the figure in her doorway, lit up by the lantern light spilling into her room from the hall.

            Which was enough for him to make out her easily. “Sword down, Paige. We don’t have a lot of time and I’m not really interested in a sparring match at the moment.”

            The familiar voice had her relaxing her defensive stance, her sword point dropping. “What happened? I heard a shout and something fall.”

            Isaac sighed and walked into her room, head swivelling as he did his own visual sweep. “Assassins, monkey. Which would have been fine and nothing out of the ordinary. Well mostly not. They did make a go for Erry but luckily, he wasn’t in his rooms at the time. Of course,” his voice darkened, its usual hint of amusement gone. “I still expressed my feelings to them about their attempt. Before you freak out, everyone’s fine. Val’s pissed she only managed the one while Darren got two. You’d think being that pregnant she’d be happy with one, but not our Valerie. That’s not the issue.”

            Paige frowned, not liking the way he was making a beeline for her wardrobe. “Did something else happen?”

            He nodded as he yanked the doors to her wardrobe open and pulled the overnight bag off the top shelf. “Yeah. If it’s been normal assassins, we wouldn’t have even told you if you didn’t wake up. After all, it’s not like it’s the first time and they haven’t shown any interest in you so far. But they were only the first wave and the second has Val in an almost frenzy.”

            She took a few steps away from the wall. “What was it?”

            He turned and she could finally see a bit of his face in the cone of light pouring into her room. His face was almost unfamiliar, the serious expression something she’d never seen before. “Jaloam. It was a Jaloam and there is nothing that freaks Valerie out more. It doesn’t help we haven’t seen any since the war so that’s the very first thing her mind goes to. Me and Darren might have been able to keep her calm even then, but the problem is we only found one.”

            Paige remembered the stories she’d eavesdropped on, listening to her sister tell her mother about the magical constructs called Jaloam. She could feel the colour drain from her face. “They always hunt in pairs, don’t they?”

            Isaac nodded again. “Until the second one is found, you’re going home again. I’m sorry sweetie, but she won’t accept anything less and to be honest, I agree with her. These things are too dangerous and you don’t have the battle experience to tackle one on your own. The training, maybe, but not the actual fighting experience. And the last thing we need right now is for someone to find out you’re her sister and target you. So let’s get you packed up and back home.”

            A sudden shadow in the doorway had them both whipping around to face it, bodies automatically dropping into fighting stances. Her hand had already half-drawn her sword when she heard another familiar voice whisper “Paige?”

            She froze then shoved the sword back down. “Axton? What are you doing here?”

            He stepped farther into the room, revealing a dark face creased with concern. “There was much shouting so I awoke and heard that the royal family had been attacked. I…I did not know if you were safe so I came as swiftly as I could.”

            Isaac looked the boy up and down, taking in the loose pants half in and half out of boots, the partially-buttoned shirt under the improperly buckled sword belt and nodded. Darren had been right about the boy. He watched Paige slip closer to the young knight, reaching out and taking his hand. He shook his head, grinning, and began shoving all of Paige’s home clothes into the bag.

            “I’m sorry,” Paige whispered, squeezing his hand. “I have to go home again. There were assassins and Jaloam and they only found one so they’re sending me back again.”

            His eyes widened. “I had thought…If it is for your safety there is no helping it.”

            She nodded, frowning and blinking rapidly. “Maybe you can visit?”

            Isaac shook his head and turned to the pair. “No visits. If anyone finds out that Lady Joy is Val’s sister the first person they’re going to look for when they can’t find you is him.”

            Paige winced then a sudden idea had her head jerking up. “But won’t that mean Axton’s in danger as well?”

            “Only if your identity is discovered,” Isaac said, turning back to do one last check of the wardrobe.

            Leftover adrenaline sending her mind speeding, she said “But either way there’s a chance that people could find us, couldn’t they? I mean, Darren, Err, and Lyel all did.”

            He looked at her, frowning. “What are you after, Paige?”

            “Axton will be in danger if my identity is revealed and either way, there’s a chance that someone will find their way to us. You just said no one will be visiting, so it’ll just be me, Cate, and Mom. You know Mom only has the most basic self-defence and Cate only a bit more than her. I’ll be the only trained fighter there and you just admitted I don’t have the experience to take on a Jaloam by myself,” she said, clutching Axton’s hand tighter. “So we should have someone else with us. Someone who can fight.”

            He could see where she was going with this. Isaac again looked the boy over, noting the face wrinkled with confusion and worry. He’d seen him fight before and heard the reports. And with him around, he supposed Paige might be more inclined to listen to what they told her. He nodded, already formulating reasons to tell Valerie when she yelled at him for it. “You have a good point there, monkey. Well then, Sir Axton of Heartfield, I am hereby conscripting you temporarily. You’re to accompany Paige here home and help guard her and her family until we decide things are safe again. You are to return to your rooms immediately and pack anything you think you’ll need, bearing in mind nearly all of your clothing will have to be left here. It won’t fit in there. Meet us in the transport hall in fifteen minutes. I’ll be giving Paige the funds to outfit you properly. Do you understand?”

            Axton stared for a moment until a hand squeeze from Paige made him snap to attention. “Yes, my lord commander,” he said, bowing.

            He kissed Paige’s hand swiftly then took off running back down the hall. She turned and grinned at Isaac, her expression halfway between triumph and excitement. That made him laugh. “Just remember, if you break him, I’m not getting you a new one.”