I knocked on my door and called to the Bravado guard. “I’m hungry. Could you please find Tara and have her get me some food?”
“Yes, immediately, Miss,” the guard said before hurrying away.
Within seconds of the guard leaving, I heard a key turn in the lock, and Tara appeared. I thanked her quickly before running down the stairs toward the dungeon, taking a back corridor that Tara had told me about. I appreciated the help Tara had given me. I knew that she was risking a lot with even minimal involvement. Although I could have potentially broken out of my room myself, I knew it would buy me more time if Tara helped.
As I neared the dungeon, I thought that I heard Kevin’s voice, but I tried to ignore it. I needed to focus. I expected to see men from the Bravado near the door, but I saw no one. I splintered the wood of the dungeon door and headed downstairs. I felt a flood of relief; it had worked. It was dark, but I remembered the way. I thought about running, but knew that if I slipped on a step, the plan could be ruined.
I walked halfway down the corridor and closed my eyes. I envisioned every piece of wood tearing apart. I heard the doors push open and opened my eyes to find myself in the middle of a crowd. Theodore found me in the chaos. I had never seen him before, but I knew who he was instantly. He looked a lot like Monty, but he was older, more worn. He led me over to another wooden door and told me to open it. That door was harder to open; it took twice as long, but it eventually fell apart. I stepped into the doorway and saw swords, bows, and shields inside.
Theodore ran past me into the room and started to hand out weapons to the freed prisoners, encouraging them to run upstairs quickly. I held back, pushing myself against the wall, and waited for Ruth. Finally, she found me.
“You have done so well, Charlotte. You are learning quickly.” She grabbed my arm firmly, letting me know to stay back.
“Thank you, but I heard my brother. Will my family be all right?” I tried to stay calm, but the thought of anything happening to my family made me feel ill.
“I cannot promise you their safety, but we are bringing them a chance.” Ruth gestured to the crowd heading out in front of us. “I know it is hard, but you have to push those thoughts out of your head and focus on your role. We stand no chance of getting out of Bellgard without you.”
“Do you really think I can do it?” I asked.
“Yes, if you can focus.”
We walked up the stairs slowly. Ruth tried to hold me back from the other prisoners, emphasizing that I was useless if I were hurt, and I needed to be careful. When we reached the main floor, I heard screams and grunts and knew that the battle had begun. Ruth took my hand and led me down an older, pitch-black corridor. I really hoped Ruth knew where she was going. Even in the blackness, I could tell that the passage wound back to the mountain side of the castle. We kept moving as quickly as possible through the dark until Ruth stopped and placed my hand on a stone wall.
“Charlotte, you must find a way to break through this wall. It is not reinforced with metal; it is all stone.”
I looked up at the thick stone and closed my eyes, allowing myself to envision it crumbling. I tried to let everything else fade away. As soon as I started to see the stone move, I felt someone grab me. I opened my eyes, but it was still completely black. I felt something cold around me. All at once, every inch of me hurt, and I fell to the ground. Someone picked me up and carried me at a fast pace. I knew that it couldn’t be Ruth, and I started to panic. The pain was getting worse. Suddenly, I was thrown onto the ground.
“Not so strong now, are you?” I looked up toward the voice. Everything was blurry, but I knew it was Blake.
“What are you doing to me? Where is Ruth?” I cried out in pain.
“You think that you are so smart, Charlotte. You really believe that you know better than anyone, but you are mistaken. You know so little. You cannot even persuade your own Gerard to follow you. What does that say about you?” Blake asked, sneering at me.
“Let me go, Blake, let me go. Why are you doing this to me?” I screamed.
“So much like your mother,” Blake said icily. “It would have been so easy if she had just consented to be with me. Instead, she fought, and she ran, but she could not stay away forever. I created this cloak to subdue her, never imagining I would need to use it again. It is made of steel and reinforced with dark magic. There is no getting out of it, so you might as well stop flailing.” So that was what it was, some kind of cloak. But why couldn’t I move my arms?
Blake seemed to read my mind. “Think of it as a straitjacket. You are not moving anywhere,” he said, clearly enjoying seeing me weakened at his feet.
“What good am I to you dead? You think a new Essence will be any better?” I asked with as much energy as I could muster.
“I do not want you dead.” Blake gave me a wicked smile. “This will not kill you. It will weaken you, but I am not taking your life. I have no need for a new Essence; I have your Gerard in the palm of my hand. As long as you stay at Bellgard, he will do anything I ask, just relieved that he is near you and feels that he can protect you.”
“But Calvin won’t let you hurt me; he’ll make you stop this,” I said, hoping my words were true.
“Calvin does not want you hurt, but he also wants you to stay with him more than anything else. And just so you are aware, that little stunt you pulled with Henry upset him; I do not think he will be giving you too much space now.” Blake almost laughed.
“Oh no, Henry,” I tried to say, but the pain was getting to be too much. The more I tried to fight it or talk, the worse the pain became. The only thing that eased it was lying still and silent.
“Do not try to talk, Charlotte, no need to strain yourself. Henry is very much alive; Calvin will let him prove himself again, and this time he will not make the mistake of listening to you.” Blake bent down to look at me directly.
I lay silent and still. I closed my eyes, but all I could see was metal. I felt hopeless. My family was in the other room fighting to save me, relying on my abilities to get us out, but I had failed. So much for being the most powerful Essence in six hundred years, I thought, as I felt the last remnants of my energy fade away.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Kevin
I felt hopeless. I looked at Monty to try to figure out what he was thinking. I knew that he would be unwilling to leave without Charlotte. Liam looked just as resolved. I hadn’t dared look behind me yet to see what Samantha was doing. I knew that Percy was also in the hall with Naomi in her cat form. I really hoped that one of them would come up with a plan.