Escaping Treachery, Page 2

glancing up at Quinn’s face. Quinn quickly looked away from her. ‘Something’s wrong, where’s James? Where is my brother?’ demanded Erin, stepping away from Quinn and finally getting him to look at her.

  ‘Your brother has been caught,’ sighed Quinn. ‘He has been taken to the throne room, where the instigator of this assassination attempt has set up command.’

  ‘We have to help him,’ cried Erin heading to the door. Quinn stopped her just as she was about to walk out.

  ‘I will go help him, and you will stay here where it is safe, until I say so’ said Quinn. Erin looked at him. There was no way she would stay put while her brother was in trouble, and Quinn knew this. Quinn sighed; there was no time for an argument, defiantly not for one he wouldn’t win. ‘Fine you can escort me to the throne room, but you will do whatever I say,’ Quinn said. Erin nodded as they made their way out into the corridor and towards the throne room.

  Quinn stopped her a few metres away from the throne room. ‘I’ll go in and get your brother. You stay here. Wait for Mason. Do not step foot in that room, if you do then you’ll probably die.’ Quinn looked at her and waited for an answer. Erin nodded knowing that what Quinn said was true. Quinn glanced at her one last time before he made his way into the room.

  She waited a few seconds before she crept up to the door. Quinn had told her not to enter the room; he hadn’t said anything about listening at the door. She holds her breath and pressed her ear against the cold surface of the door. She listened carefully for any sound that might give away what was happening inside the room, but she couldn’t hear a thing.

  Slowly breathing out, Erin took a step back from the door. She was anxious to know what was happening, and who it was that had hired those men to kill her. Sighing she looked at the door again. If she opened it she’d be able to hear what was happening, she didn’t have to open it all the way just an inch would do. Stepping forward she pushed gently on the door, opening it just enough to let the sound though. All she could hear was murmuring, she needed to see.

  She just wanted a quick look and then she’d go back and wait, just like Quinn wanted her to. Opening the door wider she put her eye to the gap. She could see a group of men to the left crowded around a slumped figure in a chair. James. For a second her heart stopped, thinking her brother was dead, but as she watched he moved slightly.

  Erin searched the room for a trace of Quinn; but could see no sign of him. He was a trained spy after all and she expected nothing less from him. Her attention was snapped back to her brother when one of the men suddenly stepped forward and grasped James by the neck, forcing him to look up, giving Erin a glimpse of his bruised face. The man whispered something to James and his face paled, his eyes darting around nervously looking for an escape. His captor laughed and stepped back gesturing towards the men next to him.

  “You should just co-operate with me James, there would be less of a mess,’ said the man, in a voice that Erin found vaguely familiar, and then one of his men punched James in the face. Erin heard a snap and saw blood drizzle out of his nose.

  Clenching her teeth Erin slipped quietly into the room. She knew that Mason was bringing more guards, but they were taking too long. She needed to do something before it was too late for James.

  She crept forward sticking to the right side of the room, far away from the group of savage men surrounding her brother. If she could just make some sort of distraction maybe it would give Quinn enough time to rescue James, and for the guards to arrive.

  Keeping close to the wall Erin made her way to the edge of the throne room keeping one eye on her brother. She could see that he was badly hurt and in desperate need of a healer.

  While Erin watched James she fell over a chair she hadn’t noticed. She yelped in pain as her already injured feet were swept out from beneath her sending her crashing to the floor. The room fell silent.

  Erin looked up and saw that all eyes were focused on her. Her heart stopped as she recognised the man she suddenly knew was behind everything that had happened that night. Her uncle. ‘Ah... Erin you’ve finally decided to show yourself,’ said Fredrik, striding towards her.

  ‘Uncle...what ... are you doing?’ said Erin as her uncle seized her by the hair pulling her to her feet.

  ‘Getting rid of you my dear, is what I am doing.’

  ‘But, why?’

  ‘Because you are a girl, and a girl should not be sitting on the throne. Really you should blame your brother. If he hadn’t abdicated I would have been perfectly happy to let you live,’ said Fredrik turning Erin’s head so that she could see her brothers face. Carefully Erin slipped her hand into her pocket, and curled her fingers around the hilt of one of the daggers. Quickly she pulled it out and thrust it deep into Fredrick’s leg.

  Fredrick screamed, pulling her closer to him while pulling the dagger out of his leg, and pushing it against Erin’s neck. ‘Nice try, but you won’t escape that easi.....’ Fredrick dropped the dagger and crumpled to the ground. Erin spun around to see Quin standing in front of her, his sword drawn with blood steadily dripping down the blade. She looked down at her uncle just as the light faded from his eyes.