He hurled it at the door. Wind blasted the door off its hinges, pitching it across the room. Splinters and debris swirled around in the aftermath.
“How come you didn’t do that to your cell door?” I asked.
“The cell was charmed to disable battle globes.”
Sinead clambered over the rubble and threw herself into Carrig’s arms, kissing him all over his face before stopping at his lips.
I averted my eyes. “Hate to break up your love-fest,” I said over my shoulder, “but we’re busted.”
Two guards came charging down one direction, while a third came at us from the other way. Carrig stormed after the two guards. I yanked the boning knife from my boot and threw it at the lone guard, aiming low so I wouldn’t kill him. The blade sunk into his leg. Blood sprayed from his wound, and he fell to the ground, groaning.
Sinead rushed by me, holding a small statue in her hand. She smashed the guard over the head, knocking the man out cold.
Carrig had knocked out one guard and was now fighting the second. The two foxtrotted around each other in a series of long, slow steps and short quicker ones. The clang of sword beating sword rang down the corridor. Panting. Grunting. When Carrig had an opening, he sliced the guard’s arm and slammed the hilt of his sword against the man’s head. The guard slumped to the floor. Carrig nudged him with his foot before rushing down the hall to us.
“Do you know where they took Ricardo?” He pulled a tapestry off the wall and wiped his blade clean with it.
Sinead looked up from bandaging the guard’s leg, putting a final knot in the table runner she’d shredded with her dagger to use. “They took him outside.”
“Leave him. We must hurry.” Carrig flew down the corridor, a determined look on his face.
Sinead grabbed my hand and towed me after her. We raced down the steps, through the corridors, out a side door, and onto clumpy grass.
“How are we going to find him?” I panted.
Carrig stopped short ahead of us. Sinead and I halted just behind him. Shock screamed through me at the sight, wrenching my insides, keeping me frozen. All I could do was stare.
Ricardo hung from a tree trunk, held in place by a silver stake pinned straight through his heart and into the bark. It was more like a petrified image of him. Blood streaked his shirt and the tree trunk below him.
Sinead threw her hands over her mouth. Carrig pulled her into his arms, and she sobbed against his shoulder.
A pendant dangled from a silver chain around his neck. My legs were shaky as I shook off my stupor and stumbled over to the tree. The stone features of Ricardo’s face looked peaceful. The pendant had twisted around so the back showed. Etched in the silver base was the name Faith. I turned it around. It was a gothic-style pendant with a circle of thorny, silver-stemmed roses surrounding a blood-red crystal. He did care about her.
I undid the clasp of the necklace and removed it. With shaky hands, I refastened it around my neck. Faith would want something to remember him by. The thought of telling her about his death sickened me.
“I’m so sorry, Ricardo.” My voice trembled. “How could they be so cruel?”
Carrig came to my side, swiping tears from his cheeks. “Crazy eejit, you should have left me here.” He choked back a sob. “Rest in peace, my friend, for your soul be saved.” He yanked the stake out of Ricardo’s body and it crashed to the ground, breaking into several pieces. The pieces turned into ash and flew off in the breeze.
“Carrig!” Edgar’s voice came from the direction of the castle. He raced down the hill, slipped to his knees, and scrambled back to his feet. “Hurry! Get to the exit. The guards are coming.”
Sinead grabbed Carrig’s arm with her slender hand. “We must get Gia to the shelter.”
Carrig shot me a puzzled look. “Gia?”
Carrig’s eyes, the same green as mine, stared at me. He mumbled something under his breath. Looking from Sinead to me he said, “You be Gianna?”
I nodded. “Yes, I’m your real daughter.
Tears glossed his eyes, and he took a deep breath, pulling me into a tight hold. “When they took me, I worried you be found. I be out of my mind worrying that you were alone, facing this unknown world without me.”
I swallowed hard, trying not to lose it right there. “I’m fine.”