Hidden Knights (Knights of the Realm #3) - Jennifer Anne Davis Page 0,39

arrow?”

“No.” He took her hand, pulling her from the bedchamber and down the stairs. “Whoever shot Gordon must be watching us from the tree line. We need to get out of here without them seeing us.”

She realized if it were simply one person out there, they could create a distraction at one window while everyone snuck out another. However, that couldn’t be the case since hundreds of soldiers were passed out, most likely from the valerian Harlan had smelled earlier. How could it have been distributed to so many?

Reid and Dexter rejoined everyone in the great hall. Dexter quickly told them what he’d seen. “We need to get out of here without anyone seeing us. I don’t suppose you have any secret tunnels?”

The duke shook his head. “The only thing we have is a root cellar. And that’s in the kitchen.”

“We don’t have much time,” Dexter said. “We’ll have to fight our way out. Do you have shields and weapons?”

Duke Ellington nodded. “They’re old, but I have a couple of shields in my office.”

Dexter rose, pulling the duke with him. They left the room, quickly returning with three shields.

“Harlan and Idina, you two will use this one.” Dexter thrust one of the shields at Harlan. “Tatum will use one. And the last will go to Reid and Leigh.”

“What about the rest of you?” Reid demanded, panic starting to set in at the prospect they might not all make it out of this alive.

“We’ll use chairs.” Dexter pointed at the heavy chairs around the table. “When you exit with the shields, squat and keep it raised above your head. Move fast. Go straight to the stables. Whatever you do, don’t stop. It’s harder to hit a moving target. Understand?”

Reid nodded, taking a shield from Dexter.

“Since the doors are stuck, each pair will use a different window to exit the castle. You have five minutes to get out of here. While you’re doing that, the three of us,” Dexter pointed at Ackley, Gordon, and himself, “will cause a distraction at this window. Hopefully, we’ll keep the archer focused on us while the rest of you escape.”

“Leigh and I will exit the front office,” Reid said. “Harlan and Idina, use the window in the sitting room. Father, use the window in the receiving area.”

“Go!” Dexter shouted.

Hefting the shield up, Reid held onto it as she and Leigh sprinted to the front of the castle where the office was located. Thick smoke filled the space. Thankfully, it was free from flames. Not having much time, Reid set the shield down.

“These windows open,” she explained. Twisting the levers, she popped the windows outward. She feared breaking the glass would be too loud and attract attention.

Leigh moved toward the open window.

“Wait,” Reid said, ducking below the opening. “I want to make sure this window isn’t being watched.”

When a slew of arrows didn’t rain down on them, Reid peeked outside. The soldiers were to the east of the castle, so she couldn’t see them. The stables were diagonal from here. “I’ll climb out first to hold the shield for you. Once it’s up, climb out.”

Leigh nodded.

“You might want to pull your dress up and tie it, so you don’t trip.” Reid was glad she’d put pants on. Without waiting for Leigh’s response, Reid lifted the shield, sliding it out of the window. Since she wasn’t strong enough to climb out with it, she dropped it on the ground, then quickly crawled out the opening. Grabbing the shield, she covered her body. Her heart beat frantically as she waited for an arrow to strike. Nothing happened. With shaking hands, she held the shield up and moved forward, giving Leigh enough room to climb out. A moment later, Leigh fell beside her.

“Stay right next to me,” Reid whispered.

Leigh nodded and grabbed one of the handles on the shield, helping hold it upright. The two women squatted and moved forward, keeping the shield angled above them as they went. Reid mentally pictured the path they took, trying to keep them on course. No screams or grunting noises sounded in the night. Hopefully, everyone else had made it out safely.

Breaking glass sounded somewhere behind her. She wanted to look to see what was going on, but she couldn’t. Her arms shook from the weight of the shield, her thighs burning from squatting.

When they neared the stables, Royce urged them on. He stood at the entrance with the door open a couple of inches. Reid and Leigh turned so their backs were