Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Seventy

Darkness. There was only one window in the cell, and it was on the cell door. It was small... and barred. The only light that could be seen was from the sconce outside it. It was cold, damp, and musty. No one had bothered to clean this place up in years, by the looks of it. Within, a husband and a wife sat, curled up against each other. They'd only been reunited a couple days ago. That was the biggest light.

Despite everything, the wife didn't mind the room. She'd been here for nearly seven years, and this was the most peace she had gotten since the day she'd arrived. Her husband worried for her welfare. Something had happened to her in all her time here. Something bad. Something she didn't want to talk about.

He still didn't believe she was here. After all this time, she was here. He didn't understand. He'd watched her die. They'd all watched her die. They'd watched her cough up blood and wither away. They'd watched her go rigid. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Perhaps he should understand... they'd watched him die too. And he'd watched as they'd carried his frozen body to the grave-digger.

At that time, he wondered if he'd be buried alive. He'd been so afraid -so afraid he'd wanted to scream... to move. At the time, he couldn't. No matter how hard he'd tried, he was a prisoner in his own body. They'd poisoned him, he'd learned later. When he'd regained his movement, he was a prisoner here. They'd thrown him in a cell and left him for months. For what purpose? He couldn't guess.

His wife shivered in his arms.

"Are you cold?" he asked her. "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him. "A little cold. But fine," came her soft voice. "It's... I'm so glad you're here." The shock of it all still hadn't worn off. Reunited. After all this time. They'd spent the entire time wrapped up in each other.

"You'll get out of here," he promised.

"This place..." she said, "is cruel. I've spent years telling myself that I'll escape. The baron... he's not..." she crumbled. "He's evil."

"Why are you here?" he asked, rage boiling in the pit of his stomach. "What purpose did he have... trapping you here? He took you away from me. Why?"

"He used me," was all she said. "The real question is why does he have you? He's never taken a man."

The husband shrugged. "I don't know. What I do know is that I need to get you out of here. I'm going to pull on the door again," he shifted to try and stand. "If I get it open, you need to run."

"If you get the door open, you're coming with me."

He shook his head. "I can't run. I can hardly walk." He cradled her face. "But you can."

She shook her head willfully. "I won't." She grabbed his hand. "You're the first family I've seen in seven years. I will never leave you."

The husband hardly had time to protest. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard in the halls. They were loud, as were the voices that spoke. Yelled, even. "Get him under control!" someone snapped. There was a scuffle. Some grunting. And then... more walking. In the cell, both husband and wife hunkered farther into their corner. The man made sure to put himself in the line of fire, covering his love with his body.

The steps made it to their door. Something slammed against it, twice... making the woman jump.

The door was opened for a split second, and a hurling mass was all but thrown inside with them. Another person. Another man. The cell door slammed again. The newcomer didn't take well to it. Immediately, he threw his entire body at the door. It shook a little at his weight, but stayed put. Violence exploded out of the stranger, and both fists pounded again and again at the wood.