Relic - Jaid Black Page 0,9

quietly remarked. “Look at our clothing compared to theirs.”

“So?”

“These cloaks, ugly or not, are comprised of fine material when you compare them against those scratchy sacks they all seem to be wearing.”

“And…?”

Octavia rolled her eyes, exasperated. “We probably look like we’re important people. Wealthy, highborn—whatever.”

“A lady and a lord?”

“Maybe.”

“Beats the shit outta being mistaken for one of them.”

“We’re about to find out.” Octavia tensed as they neared the soldiers who stood guard in front of the castle. They seemed to be the only knights performing an actual duty in lieu of agitating and wielding power displays over the poor peasants who couldn’t fight back. “Let’s see how far we get before we have to result to ulterior methods.”

“We can’t kill any of them,” James said with conviction. “We could alter the future if—” He frowned at Octavia’s droll look. “Okay, so maybe that’s not necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, we could be pulling a Back to the Future on ourselves.”

“I’m willing to risk it. Besides, I’m one hundred percent Italian. My peeps are nowhere around here.”

“Great. Meanwhile I dunno what the fuck I am. I’m pretty sure ‘American mutt’ or ‘Heinz 57’ isn’t one of today’s Jeopardy categories.”

“And here I thought your sense of humor was nonexistent.”

Bellamy snorted at that. “Just as long as I don’t become nonexistent… sis.”

Octavia’s humor faded as they walked closer to where the soldiers stood lined up in two rows. The SA80 was firmly concealed beneath her cloak, but she wouldn’t hesitate to use it if it came to that. She knew James was armed as well. “Just act like we belong here, like they’re beneath our notice.” It was the best plan she could come up with given the paltry few hints she had gleaned from her observations. That and a long ago university class in medieval history was all she had to go on.

She was a bit surprised when her plan worked. Two soldiers in chainmail opened the castle doors for James and her so they simply walked inside.

“Great security,” James whispered.

“Hail Mary on that one,” Octavia returned. “Let’s scout from the bottom up.”

The ease with which they nosed around caused Octavia to feel decidedly apprehensive. Her muscles stayed taut and her senses keen, preparing for an ambush that never came. It made no sense.

“If those soldiers hadn’t opened the castle doors for us,” she murmured, “I’d swear we are invisible.”

“I really don’t like this.”

“Me neither, but we have to find the doctor.”

James nodded as he opened yet another unlocked door. He stuck his head inside what turned out to be a vacant room. He could ascertain someone lived in here, but whoever she, he, or they were, nobody was home right now.

“I’m guessing servants stay in here at night,” Octavia said quietly. “Check out the garb laid out on that thing I think is a bed.”

“Huh. Yeah. And it definitely reeks of somebody who doesn’t bathe but once a year.”

“I’m betting an entire family sleeps in this tiny cell. Compare the size of that shirt to the little pair of shoes over—”

Octavia went silent. James arched an eyebrow.

“I hear soldiers.”

The lieutenant reached for his handgun. It was the only one with a silencer they had between them. “How do you know they’re soldiers?”

Chainmail, Octavia silently mouthed. She gave him a hand signal that suggested they head southeast. At his nod of understanding, they exited the small chamber and journeyed noiselessly down the hall. The further they walked, the louder the boisterous voices became. She held up a fist, telling James without words to stop. Peering around the corner, she saw six soldiers in chainmail. Her green gaze narrowed when she saw what one of said soldiers was holding.

A hooded, black cloak.

It had to belong to the doctor.

Octavia noted that the soldiers were congregated in an area where there was nothing nearby save a single door. Something or someone was being guarded. She prayed it was the doctor.

For whatever reason, the doctor had been stripped of the very cloak she and James were wearing. Deciding that, this time, their outfits were unlikely to get them on the other side of the guarded door without incident, she splayed out her fingers, signaling to James that he should take them all out.

James wordlessly obeyed. He walked into the open corridor, turned right, and fired his gun three times. Unfortunately, his gun chose that moment to jam.

Octavia pulled out her assault rifle and prepared to finish the job. The three soldiers still standing