Read Online A.L. Jambor by The Tower in the Mist - Free Book Online Page B

again.
    “Why won’t you let me pass?” I said.
    “He’s the king.”
    “She’s my daughter.”
    He didn’t answer. He placed the end of his spear on my chest.
    I sat on that cold stone floor listening to Ceil scream. I wanted to hurt the guard, but I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me.
    “Can I sit on the bed?” I asked.
    He moved his spear and nodded. I got up and went to the bed. I kept thinking about the doors. If I made a break for the door to the hallway, would the guard be able to catch me?
    Then the screaming stopped. I looked at the guard. He had opened the door and was running out. I followed him.
    The balcony behind the door led to stairs going down. The guard was halfway down by the time I got there and began my descent. I didn’t see Geezer or Mace. It was already twilight.
    “They’ve gone,” I heard someone yell.
    “What direction?” one of the guards asked.
    “To the woods.”
    “Should we go?” a guard said.
    “He said stay here.”
    The guards were happy not to follow. The sun was almost set. It would be dark and cold. They didn’t want to be in the woods in the dark.
    I wondered why Geezer had let him go. He could have easily stopped him.
    No one was watching me. I began running toward the woods. I ran through the town. I kept moving. I could feel the cold air fill my lungs, and my chest began to hurt. But I couldn’t stop.
    I was still trying to figure out what Mace was doing. What was he thinking? Did he think he could hide from Geezer?
    I crossed the river and ran along the riverbank. I could see the light from the portal. As I drew near, I saw Geezer standing outside the cave alone.
    “Where are they?” I cried.
    He turned and looked at me. He looked sad.
    “They’re gone,” he said.
    “What are you talking about?”
    “They went into the portal.”
    “Why didn’t you stop them? You could have waved your arms and it would have been over.”
    “He got here first. I don’t know how.”
    Then I saw it. The portal was covered. The light was coming off Geezer’s body. He looked defeated. I’d never seen him so forlorn. I began to hit his chest with my fists. I wanted to hurt him.
    “Why didn’t you stop him? You were right behind him! You’re a damned wizard, for God’s sake!”
    “Ceil had stopped screaming. I flew over the town looking for them. I didn’t see them. It was getting dark. I…couldn’t find them.”
    He was holding my arms. I could see he was in pain. I stopped hitting him.
    “He ran through the woods behind Esher. He knew where he was going. I was flying over but I couldn’t see into the woods. Then I thought of the portal. He knew about it. He’d lived with me. I flew there as fast as I could. He was standing near it when I got here. He saw me. I thought if I went toward him, he would jump. I knew the portal would be closing. It was dark. I thought if I kept him there long enough, he wouldn’t be able to leave. He was still holding her. I was afraid that if I used magic I’d hurt her. She held out her arms and…he…jumped.”
    He jumped with my Ceil in his arms.
    “Why didn’t you follow him?”
    “The light went out before I could reach it. It was closed.”
    “Can’t you do something? Can’t you break it with magic?”
    “I’ve tried. I’ve been trying.”
    “This doesn’t make sense. How can you not open it?”
    “Because I can’t! Because it was here long before I found it. I don’t understand the way it works. I have no power over it.”
    “Then what good are you?”
    I’d hurt him. I wanted to. I wanted him to feel what I was feeling. I didn’t care that he already felt the way I did. I didn’t care that he loved Ceil, too.
    “Do you know where she is?” I asked.
    “I can’t see her.”
    “Did he plan this?”
    “I don’t think so. But…”
    “But he must have thought about it. He must have planned to do this if we fought him, to bring her here. He must have had a plan.”
    “A king always has a