So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)(124)

“Hey, look!” a boy’s voice yelled.

Brigitta spotted three boys running toward them from the village.

“It’s Freddy!” one of them shouted. “The village idiot!”

The other boys laughed, and Freddy ducked his head, frowning.

Brigitta stiffened with anger. Just as she was about to yell at the young boys, she spotted the look on Freddy’s face, and his pain seemed more urgent than the rudeness of bullies. “Don’t let them hurt you,” she whispered. “Their cruelty speaks badly of them, not you.”

She touched his arm, and a wave of terror and grief struck her so hard, her knees gave out.

“Mama!” The young boy’s scream felt like it had been wrenched from Brigitta’s throat. She saw the world through his eyes and watched in horror as his mother plummeted off the cliff. She struggled along with the boy as he tried to run to his mother, but strong arms held him back.

A woman next to him sobbed. “Our poor queen.”

“She led the soldiers up there on purpose, so they wouldn’t find the boy here,” a man said. He tightened his grip on Freddy’s arms. “We have to hide the prince. If the soldiers find him, they’ll kill him. And his mother will have died in vain.”

“We can take him to our cabin in the woods,” the woman suggested. “We’ll tell everyone he’s our grandson.”

“Mama!” Brigitta twisted on the ground as she felt the young boy trying to escape the man’s grasp.

“Quiet!” the man hissed. “Come with us.” He dragged the boy away.

“My ball!” the boy cried, reaching for a woolen bag on the ground. “Mama said it’s precious. I can never let it go.”

The woman peeked inside. “By the Light, it’s an orb, made of gold.”

“We’ll have to hide it,” the man replied. “Disguise it so no one will ever know.”

“Miss?” The old woman leaned over Brigitta. “What happened to you? Are you all right?”

Brigitta sat up and looked around her. She was back in the meadow with the old woman and Freddy. Her heart filled with joy as she realized what Freddy’s hidden memory meant. He was Rupert’s little brother! How thrilled Rupert would be once he learned that his little brother was still alive.

“Freddy.” She smiled at the young man. “I’m so glad I found you.”

He ducked his head, blushing.

“Oh, Freddy!” One of the three boys called as they approached his woolen bag. “We’re going to get your ball.”

Freddy spun around. “No!”

With a laugh, the boys snatched up his bag and darted across the meadow toward the forest. Freddy ran after them, yelling. Under the shade of a tall tree, one of them upended the bag and let the ball slip out onto the ground.

“No!” Freddy threw himself on the ball. “It’s precious! I can never let it go.”

“Precious!” The boys taunted him, dancing around him.

Brigitta sprinted toward them, her heart aching that poor Freddy was still repeating the words his mother had told him years ago.

“Come on, Half-Brain, let’s play.” One of them kicked Freddy in the ribs.

“Stop it!” Brigitta yelled.

“Who’s going to make us?” the tallest one jeered.

“I am.” Brigitta seized him by the ear and pulled him away. He looked to be about ten years old, so she was still taller and stronger than him.

“Ow! Ow!” The boy squirmed and tried to kick at Brigitta, but she knocked his feet out from under him, and he fell onto his back.

She smiled to herself. Rupert would be impressed by how well she’d learned self-defense from him on board the ship. She glared at the other two boys. “You want to play?”

“My lady!” Her guards dashed toward her from the camp. “Do you need any help?”

“Yes. Please take these boys back to the village and inform the constable that they have been behaving like cruel bullies.”

The boys started to protest, but when they saw how well armed the soldiers were, they went along quietly.

“Are you all right?” Brigitta hunched down beside Freddy.

“I guess so.” He slowly sat up, cradling a brown leather ball in his lap.

Brigitta sat beside him. “May I see your ball?” When Freddy passed it to her, a vision flitted across her mind. She saw his adopted grandmother carefully wrapping the golden orb with more wool, then sewing a layer of brown leather tightly around it.

She hefted it in her hands. “It’s much heavier than it looks.”

The grandmother joined them under the shade of the tall tree. As she settled on the ground, she gave Brigitta a wary look. “Who are you that the king’s soldiers follow your orders?”

“I’m a friend.” Brigitta passed the ball back to Freddy. “Have you heard of the pirate Rupert?”

The old woman snorted. “Everyone’s heard of him.”

Freddy nodded. “He steals gold from the bad king.” He covered his mouth. “I’m not supposed to say he’s bad.”

Brigitta smiled. “You’re right, though. Did you know Rupert is Embraced? He can control the wind.”

Freddy looked confused. “I thought Ulfie could do that.”