Hope (Knights of Av'lor - Book 1)

Chapter 42

Kathryn closed the door behind her as she entered Sir Lanclor's workroom. Lord Alextor leaned against a wall while Sir Lanclor sat at his desk.

"Lady Kathryn, please sit. This won't take very long." Lanclor gestured to a chair.

Apprehensive, Kathryn sat in front of his desk, glancing between Lord Alextor and Sir Lanclor. She felt like a rabbit in the middle of two wolves.

Lord Alextor sighed, and then started in a detached voice. "We just received reports from the town of Ralenth that the Daemons are mobilizing in the valley of the Red River. We think they'll begin to march—or fly rather—upon Ralenth any day. With Hopent and Balket destroyed, Ralenth is the only town left standing before the river. If the Daemons cross the river, we have little hope of defending the castle if we also have to worry about Altena and Heten. Our only choice is to strike before the Daemons can attack."

Kathryn sat in shocked silence. She thought they had more time and looked at Sir Lanclor for reassurance. The sunlight coming through the window highlighted the gold flecks of his light brown eyes.

Sir Lanclor took over. "There are a total of twenty squads of knights at Ka'latin Castle. We'll deploy fifteen squads to attack the Red River Valley and to reinforce Ralenth. If they don't succeed, the remaining five squads will do whatever it takes to save the people of Av'lor, even begging the Lir'Kelah for refuge to the north."

Lord Alextor straightened to his full height. "If they are forced to leave Ka'latin castle and evacuate the surrounding villages, they will destroy the Portal and the Daemons' only way to Earth. We will attack before dawn tomorrow and hope to have the advantage of the night to get into position before the Daemon sentries spot us. We thought you should know your Sights are playing out."

Kathryn stood in her room, studying the contents of her backpack. Her mother's smiling face filled her with an intense sadness. Bitterness at her father's method of coping was gone. She now longed for nothing more than for him to hug her and say everything would be okay. Her hands shook as she uncovered the other pictures.

Rachel's smiling face clenched her heart and Kathryn gave her daughter a sad smile. The next picture showed Donny holding Rachel upside down by her ankles. He used to tower over Kathryn, but he would never walk again. Two tours in Iraq without a scratch. Every time she saw him in his wheelchair, she knew it should have been her in that chair. If she hadn't lost her temper when Rachel broke her mother's vase, Donny never would have insisted that Rachel and he pick up mom from the airport.

Working full-time as a single mom had never seemed glamorous, but Kathryn had always respected the idea of providing for Rachel and herself. She hadn't needed a man in her life and Greg had never offered to help her financially, even after moving in. Why would he? He made a fraction of her salary. Looking back, she realized his refusal to do anything beyond sitting in front of the television or occasionally playing games with Rachel didn't make him worthy of her. She'd just been so happy to believe a man loved her that she lowered her standards. Lazy bastard.

Kathryn reached into the large pocket and felt a furry clump. Withdrawing her hand, Ella's trunk pointed at her in greeting. Stroking the soft fur, Kathryn hugged the elephant against her chest and closed her eyes against the ache. Fighting tears, she placed Ella on a high shelf so Dargo wouldn't get her.

Exploring the outer pockets of the bag, she discovered Hal's badge, wallet and gun belt. Hal had changed after Vikten's men had taken him. She saw the defeat in his eyes. Opening his wallet, she smiled into the face of a young boy sitting upon Hal's shoulders. Gathering Hal's things, she headed for his room. Dargo's tail wagged, but he remained in his comfortable position in the sun shining through the back door.