The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,65

sit with your sister.”

He followed orders and went and sat beside Isla.

I whispered to Magnus. “We’re free.”

“I canna go, I canna go fast enough. Ye can send Hammond back for me. If he is alive, find him, ask him to help.”

I held the door and squeezed my eyes shut. “I can’t leave you.”

“Ye can, ye hae tae get the bairn free. If they are here, I am a dead man. If ye leave I hae a chance tae survive. They winna be able tae use ye tae hurt me.”

A man came down the hall. I wrapped my arm, holding the bars of the door tight to the other bars. Hoping it looked like I was just leaning there casually.

He pulled up to the bars and shook them causing the whole thing to rattle dangerously, loudly, but I managed to keep the door from swinging free.

He leered at me, “Hey lassie, want tae play?”

Magnus’s voice from the dark, “This is the queen, and ye are a dead man.”

The man menacingly chuckled. “Yes, your high-ness.” He shuffled off.

I waited until he was out of earshot, and then I waited longer before I said, “Magnus?”

“Aye, mo reul-iuil .”

“If we go, promise you won’t die? Please? I’ll send help. We’ll come back, but if I leave and you…”

“I canna promise, I can only try, mo reul-iuil, but I winna survive runnin’ and I would get ye killed.”

I sobbed quietly. Then I stood and picked up Isla. “Hey baby, wake up, we’re getting out of here. Mammy’s going to carry you.” I unzipped my hoodie, and leaned over so she could climb onto my back. I got the bottom of the jacket under her front, pulled it up through her legs and then took the arms and tied them tight at my chest. She was held tight to my back with her arms over my shoulder. If this freaking worked, I was the queen of kid carrying.

I led Archie to the door.

Magnus said, “Ye ken where tae go? Nae the vault.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Get tae Quentin, tell him it has only been two days since I left. Tell him a full army has attacked and the kingdom may be—” He coughed.

I could hear Magnus pulling himself up to standing. “I love ye Archie, I love ye Isla, help yer mammy, daena be afeared.”

Archie stared straight ahead. “Okay da.”

“I will see ye in a few days.”

I said to the kids. “We have to be very quiet, no noise.”

I swung the door and it scraped, metal against stone. I froze to listen. No sound. I slipped through the gap and pulled Archie through after. I wasn’t going to the left, toward the vault. That was the direction all the guards had gone. It was too risky. I was going to the right, toward the last door, the one that led directly into the tunnel. I glanced over my shoulder at Magnus, standing at the bars watching, as Archie, Isla, and I rushed away.

At the end of the passage we came to a door. It was big and wooden, old and ancient, with an iron locking mechanism but there would be a hand pad beside it, for ease, so we wouldn’t have to carry keys, and my hand print would be in the system. I knew this to be true so I raced up to it and slapped my hand onto the pad. I waited for a second, too long, then finally — access granted, Queen Kaitlyn. Thank God.

An old locking mechanism twisted, a long rod slid to the side, and the iron handle fell loose. Archie looked up at me and we both quietly said, “Phew.” The door was crazy heavy but I was able to pull it open just enough for us to slide through, and then I shoved it closed behind us. We were in total darkness.

This tunnel was long and very, very dark. But also, there shouldn’t be anything in here. It had always been empty, long unused. I felt for Archie’s hands and wrapped them around my arm and feeling the wall, we walked as cautiously and quickly as we could.

The tunnel was long, it would take about twenty minutes to walk it. If someone entered the tunnel and turned on a light we would be found. Panic. My heart was racing. My hair stood on end. The tunnel seemed to amplify the sound of our breaths and Isla’s whimpers. She had to adjust because she was sliding down, stupid stretchy fabric. Our pace