too dangerous,’ he says. ‘We also don’t have the time. Not to mention the fact we could get killed, or kill someone in self-defence who’s not supposed to die today.’
We struggle to make our way to the edge of the fighting. Eventually we see a chance to escape into some thick bushes. ‘Come on,’ Ethan urges.
I drop my sword and shield and run for protection into the nearby woods. Once deep inside, the sounds of battle diminish, and we stop to catch our breath and our bearings.
‘Anything look familiar?’ Ethan asks, knowing I was in this area not so long ago. ‘Or has Carter stuffed that up too, landing us God-knows-where on this planet?’
‘Mr Carter’s doing his best.’
‘Is he? Or did he land us directly in the middle of that battle on purpose?’
I shake my head. ‘What have you got against that man?’
He makes a scoffing sound.
‘I know he’s harsh on you in the classroom. But maybe he’s like that ’cause he’s trying to bring out the best in you?’
His scoff this time turns into a fully-blown choking fit. I thump him on the back a few times. He motions me away. ‘I’m OK.’
Finally, he gets his breath back. ‘We never hit it off at school, that’s for sure. But if you want to know the truth, what I’ve got against the man is … Now this is going to sound lame, but it’s my gut instinct.’
It should be my turn to scoff. But he looks so serious. And well, Ethan has reliable instincts. ‘Look, all I know is that bad mouthing Mr Carter won’t help us save Arkarian’s life.’
‘You’re right,’ he concedes and glances around. ‘Let’s find our way out of here.’
It takes a while, but eventually we come to farmland that looks about right. A road up ahead leads into an area that looks similar to what we were earlier shown in the sphere.
Finally I see the castle, behind its outer walls and the small thatched cottages, just as imposing as it was ten years earlier. But that last time I was with Arkarian. Remembering brings a sharp pain to my chest, making my lungs feel as if they can’t get enough air.
Ethan notices as he pulls open the wooden gate. ‘He’ll be all right, Isabel. We’re going to make sure of it.’
Thankful for Ethan’s optimism, I follow him through the gates. When we draw near the gate-house doors, Ethan makes me pull back behind a bush. ‘We should check things out first.’
But my head says no. We lost enough time stuck in the middle of a battle, kilometres in the wrong direction. ‘This is the day Charlotte is supposed to give birth. We could already be too late.’
‘So what do you suggest, go straight up to the entrance?’
He thinks it’s a joke, but I think his idea is spot on. ‘Exactly. But I know we have to be cautious, so how about I go on my own?’
‘What?’
‘You can keep watch for anything unusual from here.’
He doesn’t like my idea but eventually caves in. Before he changes his mind, I walk up to the front gate and bang on the iron door knocker a couple of times.
After a few minutes a woman servant answers the door. ‘May I help you, miss?’
‘Is Lady Charlotte at home, please?’
‘And who might I say is calling?’
‘Phillipa Monterey, an old friend of the Duke and his daughter.’
The maid’s face forms into a suspicious frown. ‘Miss Charlotte is not at home, and the Duke, God rest his soul, has been dead many years.’
‘Oh.’ This news is terrible. Poor Charlotte, how did she cope? But I can’t let my thoughts on Charlotte delay me from finding her. ‘Please, you must tell me where Charlotte is right away.’
The maid’s frown only deepens.
I try to re-phrase so that my question doesn’t sound so much like an order. ‘I mean, could she be down by the river?’ I point in the general direction I remember the river being.
The maid’s frown softens, slightly. ‘You do know Lady Charlotte is …’
‘With child? Yes. And far gone.’
The maid appears to relax her guard a bit. ‘Well, she went out with a gentleman caller this morning.’
‘What!’ The maid’s frown returns in full force. ‘I mean, so near her time? Isn’t that rather foolish?’
The maid’s left shoulder lifts. ‘The poor child was in sore need of a day’s outing, what with the fighting being so near. The Duchess thought it would do the girl good.’
A sense of urgency fills me, giving a sudden