The Outcast (Summoner #4)(81)

“Thank you,” Arcturus said, clasping Edmund’s limp hand. “You saved my life.”

“Yes, yes,” Zacharias snapped, ceasing his pacing to glare at them. “We’re all so glad you’re alive, Arcturus. But you’ve not saved us yet. There are a few hundred damned rebels between us and the front doors, and even if we manage to get out of here, their horsemen will catch up to us long before we reach Corcillum.”

Arcturus looked to Prince Harold, and the prince nodded reluctantly.

“We’re between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “Even Ulfr doesn’t know what to do.”

He motioned with his head over his shoulder, where Arcturus could see the dwarf sitting on Edmund’s cart, his face dark and brooding. Beneath him, Gelert was curled up, his dark eyes focused on his master.

“With our spells and demons and these tight corridors, we might just manage to fight them off,” Arcturus said, thinking aloud. “Maybe we don’t need to leave at all. At least, not until your parents rescue us. They could fly the Celestial Corps in, blast a hole through the walls.”

“No spells,” Alice said, shaking her head. “They drained us when we came in here.”

“Drained you?” Arcturus asked.

“They used a charging stone on us,” Prince Harold said, lowering Edmund to the ground. The young noble groaned with pain and closed his eyes.

“It’s a bit like a fulfilmeter,” Alice explained. “When you press one onto a summoner’s skin, it absorbs and stores the mana within itself to be used later. They forced us to fill it with our mana. We’re just lucky they didn’t do it to Edmund—he was so weak they were worried it might kill him.”

“So nobody has any mana left,” Arcturus groaned. “We’re—”

Arcturus’s words caught in his throat, because suddenly a furry ball of muscle erupted from the corridor and tumbled him to the floor, licking his face all over.

He could not help but laugh, and gave Sacharissa a tight hug. He buried his face in the fur of her neck, taking comfort in her solid presence.

“Thank you,” Arcturus whispered. “For listening.”

Even as he spoke, the licking suddenly stopped and the demon flounced off, giving him a reproachful look and leaving him with a drool-covered face. She was still upset with him, but the anger had been replaced with hurt.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he whispered.

She went to curl up beneath Ulfr’s cart, her tail between her legs. Gelert dutifully made room for her.

“We’re never going to get out of here,” wailed Josephine, finally stirring from her corner.

“At least we’re all safe,” Arcturus said.

“Not all,” Alice said. “Sergeant Caulder.”

Arcturus felt a wave of guilt. He had all but forgotten the brave sergeant who had escorted the other team.

“Where is he?” Arcturus asked, dreading the answer.

“They’ve got him locked away somewhere,” Prince Harold replied, giving Arcturus a grim look. “They were questioning him.”

“You mean torturing,” Arcturus said.

Prince Harold did not reply, only nodded his head sadly.

“The bastards,” Arcturus said.

There was a miserable silence, broken only by the sound of Zacharias’s ceaseless pacing.

“What about flying demons?” Ulfr called from behind them. “We need to get a message to your parents that we’re free.”

“They’ll have recaptured us long before rescue arrives, you fool,” Zacharias said. “If you’re going to make suggestions, make sure they’re not stupid ones first.”

Ulfr bridled at the insulting tone, but Prince Harold held up a calming hand.

“Please, be civil, Zacharias,” Prince Harold said, shooting Zacharias a warning look. “But it is a risk to send a rescue request, at least, not until we are safe. If we sent for rescue and were recaptured before they came, there would be a fight and they would kill us before our parents got to us.”

Prince Harold slumped to the ground beside Edmund, pressing his thumbs to his temples.

“There’s got to be a way out of this,” he groaned.

“We need to figure out how to walk past the guards without being stopped or questioned,” Arcturus said. “And somewhere to hide nearby, where they can’t catch up to us once they realize we’re missing.”

“Why not add a damned pot of gold and a thousand soldiers to the list?” Zacharias snorted. “You’re dreaming—we’re screwed. Our best hope is to lock ourselves in one of these rooms and hole up until this all blows over.”

“Arcturus will think of something,” Elaine said confidently.

Arcturus was thinking.

Soldiers.

They couldn’t walk out alone, and disguising themselves with hoods was too risky, even if they did manage to get hold of enough uniforms for all of them. But if they had an escort of soldiers … it would be as if they were being taken somewhere more secure. They could walk right out the front door.

And lucky for him, he already had a group in mind.





CHAPTER

47

“YOU’RE AN IDIOT,” ULFR said.

Arcturus had just finished explaining his plan, and even Elaine looked skeptical.