After nightfall, the waiting was even worse.

Lucas, Sarah Beth, and Harper had wandered around looking for another bathroom until the servant woman found them, scolded them for wandering off, and then she’d brought them to another bathroom and waited outside the door while each one did their business. She then escorted them back to the room.

Michael was already there, staring out the large window as the sunlight died and everything was covered in darkness. He barely looked at the other three and didn’t say anything.

It felt like weeks passed in the room as they waited, the oil lamps throwing thick shadows over everyone’s faces, making everything eerier.

Lucas had no idea what time it was, just that it was deep into the night when there was a knock at the side door.

Bram opened it and walked into the room. He was still wearing the battle armor he’d had on before. Lucas didn’t know why, but he wondered if Bram had taken it off for a while and put it back on or just kept it on the whole day. “Time to go,” Bram said.

The four of them followed Bram through the kitchen, empty now that it was night, and down the stairs again. He led them through a maze of hallways and side doors until they emerged into a small courtyard. In the courtyard was a barn and behind it was an open gate in the wall surrounding the tower. Beyond the gate lay the town and the way to wherever they were going.

The smell of horses and hay filled the courtyard. Bram led them inside the barn. Waiting, there were three other knights, all dressed in the same armor as Bram. Standing next to them was Queen Jillian. They had horses saddled and ready to ride. After tonight Lucas never wanted to ride a horse again.

“I wanted to see you off,” Queen Jillian said with a smile. “Godspeed and good luck. Bram will take you to the rift. Only he knows where it is. Please, do as he asks, and he will see you get home.”

Lucas, Sarah Beth, and Harper nodded. They had no reason not to trust her. They’d discussed it quietly among themselves. If she was going to kill them, why go through all of this? They’d tried to include Michael in the discussion, but he’d ignored them completely.

“We will,” Lucas said. “Thank you for letting us go.” He stuck out his hand to shake with her, and Bram put a firm hand on his chest, blocking him from her.

The knights tensed and stepped forward, ready to protect their queen.

“Sorry,” Lucas said, putting his hand clumsily down by his side. “It’s just a custom where we are from. A way to say goodbye.”

The Queen smiled but kept her hands by her sides. “Goodbye, friends.”

Michael laughed behind them. “It’s gonna be goodbye, alright.”

Lucas turned around and looked at Michael. He was staring at the ground. His right hand was behind his back.

“What did you say?” Lucas said, knowing his friend was up to something,

Michael looked up at him, his eyes red like he might have been crying, a mean snarl now on his lips. “Sorry, bro. I don’t have anything worth going back for. You guys think you’re hot shit. All that stuff you have waiting on you. You have your whole lives ahead of you, college, and jobs. I’m just trash, man. I’m always gonna be trash. Scrounging for minimum-wage jobs just so I can buy booze and weed. Well, it’s not going to be like that. I’m sorry, bro. I asked them not to hurt you guys.” Michael shrugged. “But if they do… they do. Nothing I can do about it. I just gotta look out for me.”

Lucas suddenly remembered the gun. “Michael, what are you doing?”

Lucas’s jaw dropped as Michael raised the gun from behind his back and pointed it at Queen Jillian.

“Becoming a king.” Michael fired. The bang took everyone off guard, even Bram and his knights, who were battle test, but who’d never heard a gun before, flinched. An eerie silence followed, like all of the sound had been sucked from the room. Lucas watched as the Queen stared down at her arm, bleeding profusely from the wound. He turned his eyes to Michael, who pulled the trigger three more times.

BANG BANG BANG

Everything moved in slow motion after that for Lucas. Michael smiled at him, actually smiled, it was flat and thin-lipped, but it was there.

Lucas spun and saw Queen Jillian slowly sliding to the ground like her legs had suddenly stopped working and couldn’t support her weight.

Lucas spun his head back around toward Michael, who was lining up for another shot at the queen.

Lucas ran towards him, covering the few steps quickly, and speared him with his shoulder like he was making the game-winning tackle in a football game. Michael grunted with the blow, all of the wind knocked out of him as they tumbled to the ground. They hit hard, Michael’s head bouncing off the stone floor, all sense knocked out of him, and the gun went flying.

Lucas heard screaming and yelling. He looked up to see Steg and what looked like a dozen knights running toward the barn. He knew it was Steg because he towered over the other men. He carried a vicious looking battle axe that was so large no ordinary size man would be able to wield it. He was still in full armor, black and bulky, but now he wore a helmet that resembled some demonic bull with horns that stuck up close to two feet.

“You set us up?” Lucas screamed into Michael’s face. Fear pierced his heart like a cold knife. Now they’d never go home. Lucas began to rain blows down on Michael without even knowing he was doing it as he sat on top of him. Michael managed to get his hands up and knock a few of the blows away, but some landed with thuds on Michael’s head, nose, and eyes.

Lucas was snapped out of his rage by Sarah Beth’s screams behind him. “Lucas! What do we do?”

The girls were crouched next to the queen, pressing on her wounded arm in a panic.

Bram and his knights had pulled their blades at the sight of Steg and his charging forces. “Stop!” Bram yelled. “Stop in the name of the Queen.”

The knights rushed forward, blades drawn. Zayne stepped out from the shadows behind them with a nasty smile on her face. “The Queen is a traitor,” she yelled at them. “Kill the traitor!”

Steg’s and his knights rushed in, and Bram’s force met them. There was the metallic sound of clashing blades and swords banging against armor. Bram’s men, while outnumbered, seemed to be the better fighters. Two encircled Steg while the others fought two or three of his men. Bram’s blade flashed, and a knight fell, stabbed under the arm pit between the joints in his armor. Bram battle two more knights at once.

Lucas had to forget about Michael. It was done. They had to get out of here. But how? Lucas ran to the girls and looked at Jillian. Her arm was bleeding, and Harper was pressing on it, her face covered in sweat as she squeezed the other girl's arm to stop the bleeding. Sarah Beth was holding a spot on Jillian’s hip, and when she lifted her hands, they were covered in blood.

Only they know how to get us home, he thought. We have to get her out of here.

Lucas pulled her to her feet and threw her good arm over his shoulder. He heard her weakly cry out. “Stop! In the name of your Queen, stop!”

“You’re not their queen anymore!” Zayne screeched. “When you are dead, I will be Queen, and they will be rewarded.” She looked at Michael, who was coming to his senses. “Kill her. You were supposed to kill her!”

Michael staggered to his feet, then kicked the loose hay around, looking for the gun.

The battle was still raging all around them, as another one of the knights loyal to the Queen fought with two enemies. He parried one blow and cut the man down but wasn’t quick enough to dodge the second man’s strike as a sword came in and cleaved him in the neck. With blood squirting everywhere, he went down.

Bram, also fighting two, moved quickly and stabbed one enemy with his sword, pivoted, dodged an incoming blow, and then stabbed the other knight who’d turned on the queen. He was one-on-one now with the last of Steg’s remaining knights. They clashed swords and exchanged punches. Then Bram spun and punched his blade straight through the man’s armor and into his stomach. He pulled it from the man’s belly with a sickening sound.

Steg was fighting only one now, the bodies of two of Bram’s men already lying nearby. He swung his axe, and the knight, dripping in sweat and exhausted, dodged the blow, but Steg hit him with a huge right-hand fist that exploded his nose and mouth into a bloody mess. The man stayed on his feet, stunned as Steg swung his axe and nearly chopped him in half. For a moment, his body was stuck on the blade, blood, gore, and vomit running down from his mouth and onto his armor. Steg kicked him free and pointed at Bram and then the Queen, the intention clear. They were next.

Sarah Beth retched.

Steg pounded toward them, his steps so heavy it felt like they were shaking the ground. He raised his axe high and swung it with amazing speed at Bram.

Bram stepped to the side, and the blow barely missed him. He swung his sword at Steg, who back peddled quickly to avoid getting his head cut off.

Bram took the second he had and looked at them, saw that Jillian was severely wounded. “Go… You must go. Get her to the Elves. They’ll know what to do.”

Lucas saw the horses behind them, scattered now and scared of the battle and blood smell. Feeling a lot like he was, he thought.

“Go!” Bram yelled to jar him into action. “Get her out of here!”

Steg again stomped in close to Bram and swung his axe. Bram ducked and blocked the axe as Steg swung it again. Their weapons clanged together again and again.

Bram was holding his own. Lucas had no way to judge, but he thought Bram was probably a great swordsman. Steg was just overpowering. He was wearing Bram down. Each blow carried massive energy that shook Bram’s whole body.

Bram ducked another blow, then rose up and feigned one way. Steg took the bait and swung his axe handle to block it. Bram changed direction quickly and stabbed for the spot between Steg’s thick chest plate and the plates covering his arm.

The blade penetrated. Steg bellowed like the bull he was trying to imitate. He twisted away, and Bram’s sword pulled free, an inch of blood covering the tip. Steg growled again, angry at the pain. Bram bared his teeth and screamed at him.

Steg moved in fast, raising his axe to waist height, swinging it wildly, moving Bram backward. He was moving fast when his knee gave out. Bram went down to one knee. Steg brought the axe up high and swung it down hard. With nowhere to go, Bram could only raise his sword to try and deflect the blow.

The axe ripped through Bram’s sword and caved his chest in. Bram coughed up blood and white foam. He looked over at them again. His mouth formed the words, but no sound came out. “Get her out of here.”

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Then he turned back toward Steg. Steg raised the axe. Bram spit blood at him.

Lucas turned away. They needed to run. In his ear, her weight still on his shoulders, he heard Jillian cry out. “No!”

He heard the thick clunking noise of Steg bringing his axe down on Bram’s head.

Lucas saw Michael out of the corner of his eye. He was on his knees, digging in the loose hay for something. He cheered triumphantly and rose with the gun. Lucas watched as he pointed it at them.

“Kill her!” Zayne cackled. “Steg! Kill the little bitch!”

Lucas saw a lamp hanging from one of the posts, its wick burning white and hot, the bottom full of thick, flammable liquid.

He grabbed it with his free hand and threw it a Michael.

It shattered on impact at Michael’s feet, and for a second, nothing happened. Michael gave him a smart-ass smile when he saw that nothing was going to happen.

Then with a whoosh, the hay erupted into flames, twisting up Michael's legs and all around him. He screamed and ran, then stop-dropped-and-rolled like he was in the first grade. After a few seconds, most of the flames were out. Michael jumped to his feet, screaming angrily. “Fuck you, Lucas. I’m gonna kill you.” He raised the pistol and shot wildly through the flames.

The fire engulfed the barn and began to spread all around them.

Lucas pulled Jillian towards the horses. He could feel the buzz of a bullet as it passed by his ear. Sarah Beth and Harper ran too. “Get on! Get on and ride!”

#

Lucas held Jillian in front of him on the horses’ back, her body swaying back and forth as they rode away from the flames. She’d lost a lot of blood, and Lucas didn’t know how badly she was wounded.

Sarah Beth and Harper were on the same horse, riding behind them, Sarah Beth holding on tightly to Harper’s waist.

“Where do we go?” Lucas asked Jillian, hoping she was still conscious. He kicked the horse up to a run, but not a full gallop, holding on as tightly as he could with his upper thighs.

Jillian raised her arm that wasn’t wounded, pointing through the village. They rode as fast as they dared, trying not to fall off.

Bells rang behind them. Then a cry was heard from the direction of the city. Lucas couldn’t make it out. The bells chimed furiously, clanging faster and faster.

Lucas’s horse sidestepped and whinnied when a bell clanged in a tower as they rode past. The cry pursued them like an evil ghost, getting louder and louder, traveling from one tower to another.

Finally, Lucas could make out what the men in the towers were yelling at each other.

“The Queen’s a traitor. The Queen’s a traitor.”

All along the road, he could hear it as the men in the towers shouted. Lucas saw Harper and Sarah Beth’s faces. They heard it too. He kicked his horse so it would run faster. There was one tower left. One tower, and they’d be out of the village, at least past the city. Where they would go after that, he had no idea.

They passed the last tower as the bells clanged in their ears. “The Queen’s a traitor. The Queen’s a rift jumper herself. A monster.” The men in the lookout towers were shouting this down at them, waking people up in the darkness to spread the message.

“Go,” Jillian whispered as they left the village. “Go.”

They rode as hard as they dared until they saw the sun starting to light up the darkness to their right.

“We have to stop and look at your wounds,” Lucas said to Jillian. The sky was turning from a thick purple to gray now.

“No. The forest. We have to make it to the forest.” Jillian slumped and almost fell from the horse. Lucas caught her and wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her in place.

“You’re bleeding badly. We have to stop.” He held his hand up so Harper could see that he was stopping and slowed his horse.

Harper reigned her horse in next to him, Sarah Beth still clingy tightly to her.

“We have to stop,” Lucas said to the girls.

They looked worried, and he didn’t blame them. They were covered in dirt and soot from the fire. He didn’t care, though. He just wanted to get home. He thought about Jillian. If they could get her out of here, maybe they could take her home with them, get her to a hospital. They’d have to lie their asses off, but they could do that. Then one day, they could sneak her back here if she wanted to come back at all. Why would she? Lucas thought.

Before Lucas could get down from his horse, Jillian weakly said, “We have to keep going. We have to get to the forest before they do.”

She was stubborn. “No, you need…” What? She needed a doctor, and they were the furthest thing from someone with medical training. Lucas didn’t even know CPR.

Jillian raised her arm and pointed in the direction they’d come. “They follow.”

Lucas looked. They were on a hill, and the great city loomed in the distance. Just past the village, they’d ridden through, he could see dots. No, not dots. People. Knights on horses. He couldn’t make them out, but he knew it was Steg, and maybe even Michael.

He hoped Zayne had killed him. The prick. Why had he done it? He’d shot the girl. He’d said something about becoming a king. Had he made a deal? It sounded like something he’d do.

“How far?” Lucas asked Jillian. “How far do we have to go?”

She looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot and tired, her face dirty and covered in soot. She’d lost everything because of them.

“We can make it if we hurry.”

Lucas sighed. What choice did they have?

He looked at Harper, who nodded. He was proud of the girls. All of this, and they were hanging in there.

“Let’s go.” He kicked his horse up to a run.

#

They rode as hard as they could. Jillian grunted in front of him, and Lucas could tell she was doing everything she could to clamp down on the pain, trying not to cry out. They had to hurry.

The sun worked its way over the horizon, the day coming on strong, and they rode on.

Lucas would look back often. Sometimes he wouldn’t see those dark spots that were following them, but sometimes he would, and every time they were closer.

They rode harder, their horses sweating and foaming underneath them.

Lucas looked back, and the men were now five hundred yards behind them. He could see them clearly, Steg, the largest of them all, riding out front, trying to catch them.

Still, in his t-shrit and jeans, Michael stood out among the armored knights riding toward them.

They topped a hill, and Lucas saw it. The edge of a forest on the next hill.

“There,” Jillian said, her voice even weaker now. “We can escape into the forest.”

They kicked their horses hard—one last push. The horses ran, their breaths coming hard, almost giving out now.

They got the edge of the forest, and Lucas pulled his horse to an abrupt stop. He was off instantly, then reached up and gently pulled Jillian down. He held her in his arms as Harper and Sarah Beth climbed down from their mount.

He looked down the hill. Steg, Michael, and a group of knights were charging up it, the horses they were riding as sweaty and winded as Lucas and Harpers had been.

“Go,” Jillian whispered.

They dashed into the woods, running between the trees and dodging rocks and branches. Jillian was light in Lucas’s arms, one arm around his neck for support.

“Where,” he yelled as he ran.

“Just go,” she said as he ran. Harper and Sarah Beth followed.

Lucas heard Steg behind him bellowing commands to his knights to spread out, to run. Then he heard crashing in the trees behind him.

Lucas ran until he couldn’t run anymore. The girls ran behind him. Please don’t fall, he silently begged. No one fall, or it’s over.

They ran, branches and brush grabbing at them from all sides. Sweat ran down into Lucas’s eyes and made them sting. He couldn’t wipe them because he was carrying the girl. He tried to blink the burn out of them, but it didn’t work. He couldn’t see.

They came to a small clearing with a dirt floor, no trees grew here. There were rocks on three sides. They couldn’t stop here. They’d be trapped. He had to set the girl down, just for a moment. He fell to his knees, set her on the ground, and then brushed angrily at his eyes.

Harper and Sarah Beth fell beside him, giving out from the running.

Lucas heard rustling in the trees behind him.

“Don’t move.” Michael was pointing the gun right at him.

Lucas breathed in and wiped at his eyes. “I thought you were my friend.”

“I was. Until something better came along.” Michael waved the gun at them. “I told you. She offered me gold. And lots of it. That’s all this is.”

They heard a crashing in the trees, like a herd of elephants was about to break through and trample them. Still wearing the bull helmet, Steg stepped into the small clearing holding his battle axe. He pulled the bull helmet from his head with one hand, stared at Jillian, and licked the dried blood on the blade. Bram’s blood.

“So you’re just going to watch while he kills us,” Harper said.

Michael shook his head. “Not you guys. I told them not you guys.” He pointed the gun at Jillian. “He’s just going to kill her.”

Steg stepped up toward them.

Lucas, in fear and anger, charged Michael. He knew he couldn’t take Steg. Steg would kill him easily. But he at least wanted to hurt Michael before that happened. And he couldn’t just watch Jillian be killed.

Michael’s mouth opened in an O of shock as Lucas ran toward him. He stumbled backward but managed to pull the trigger on the gun. Lucas never heard the sound but felt fire erupt in his skull like a volcano. He knew he was dead. But he kept running towards Michael.

He barreled into Michael, pain shooting through his scalp, his face, and down his neck. He pummeled Michael for all he was worth, this time not holding back, bringing his fists right down on Michael’s nose and mouth.

Blood erupted from Michael's face, and at the same time, thick hot blood got into Lucas’s eyes, running down from the wound Michael's bullet had made. Why wasn’t he dead? Lucas reached up and felt a hot, raw groove running through his hair where the bullet had grazed him.

Through the blood, sweat, and pain, Lucas saw Michael was out, or at least stunned. And his gun was still in his hand.

Lucas grabbed it. Turned. Steg was standing over Jillian now, his axe raised.

Lucas fired.

The gunshot was loud. The bullet bouncing off of Steg’s armor seemed louder. The bullet hit with a thick thud, then folded up and fell to the ground. Lucas stared at the gun.

Steg turned. His big ugly eye locked onto Lucas and the gun. He might not have known what it was, but he knew it was a threat. He took two steps toward Lucas.

Lucas fired again.

The bullet caught Steg’s chest plate and hit with a clang, then fell to the ground, leaving nothing but a small dent behind.

Steg closed the distance, axe raised.

“Don’t kill him,” Michael said through busted lips, rolling around on the ground with his hands holding his bloody face.

“No!” Sarah Beth ran in and tried to pull Lucas up. Steg grabbed her by the nape of the neck and tossed her aside.

Lucas looked back. Harper had Jillian on her feet. “Go!” he yelled at them.

Lucas raised the gun and fired. Steg turned his head, and the bullet punched through his bad eye and out of his temple. He roared, staggering but still on his feet.

Lucas fired again.

Click

The gun was empty. Steg caught his balance. Blood gushed from his face and temple. His eye and a portion of the side of his forehead were gone, replaced by a big bloody hole. His one eye, the good eye, locked onto the gun in Lucas’s hand.

The axe swung down and took Lucas’s hand off at the wrist.

#

Harper knew she had to do something. They were going to die here.

Bang

Lucas fired the gun. The bullet bounced off the ugly man’s armor. Harper had no idea what was going on. She started to cry. She just wanted to go home.

She heard her dad’s voice in her head. Always do something.

Harper needed to do something. She got to her feet. She had to run. To keep running.

She pulled Jillian to her feet. The girl's dress was soaked in blood. But they had to run. Harper pulled Sarah Beth to her feet. They were still sucking air, trying to regain their breath from running.

They saw the big knight stomping toward Lucas, his axe raised. “No,” Sarah Beth yelled. She ran towards them and tried to help Lucas up. The big knight grabbed her. Threw her. Harper saw Sarah Beth slam into the ground feet away. Not moving.

Lucas looked at her. “Go!”

They had to run. Harper pulled Jillian toward the trees. Michael appeared in front of her, his face bashed and bloody.

“I need her,” he said. He grabbed for Jillian. Harper slapped and kicked at him. Michael punched her in the face. Felt the blood running down her nose. Her vision went white, and her knees gave out. Then she saw Michael right in front of her as she struggled with Jillian. His crotch was at eye level. She punched out as hard as she could. Michael grunted and fell. Harper managed to get to her feet and grab Jillian. Clutching each other, they ran.

She heard Lucas scream behind her.

She could hear the other men coming toward them, pushing through the trees and bushes. She turned in the only direction she didn’t hear them. She pulled Jillian along, both of them stumbling, Jillian almost too weak to stand.

“Hurry,” Harper urged. “We have to hurry.” She couldn’t carry the girl like Lucas had.

Up ahead, she heard a roar. It didn’t matter what it was. Anything was better than getting caught. But she’d left her friends. She felt a cry of agony building in her throat at the thought. They’d be killed. Lucas had screamed so loudly. What had she done?

The roar got louder. The trees opened up. There was a river, wide and blue and cool looking. Harper wanted to drink from it. It was so clear. She was so thirsty.

To the right, ten feet away, the river dove over the cliff edge.

“What do we do?” she said, just to say something. There was nothing to do.

Jillian stepped forward and into the clear water. She held Harper’s hand and pulled her in gently.

The water was like ice, penetrating Harper’s skin and piercing her veins. She was so cold her fingers started to turn blue.

The men were behind them now, crashing through the trees, shouting, yelling. She heard Michael call her name.

That voice. That perpetually whiny voice. She never wanted to hear his voice again.

Jillian looked at her, her eyes so a piercing blue. “We have to go over.”

Harper knew she was right. It didn’t matter if they died. They were dead here anyway.

They wrapped their arms around each other and sank down into the cold water, letting it take their breath away with its sharpness. Harper felt the current pushing them toward the edge. She closed her eyes, felt the other girl’s warmth in her arms, and hoped Jillian was as comforted by her as she was by Jillian. Harper closed her eyes.

Then they went over.

Harper felt the water spraying all around her, felt her stomach floating up into her chest.

Then there was water everywhere, the cold blackness all around her, rushing and pushing and shoving her and Jillian. She felt Jillian slip from her arms, felt her fingers slide from her grasp.

No! Harper wanted to cry. I don’t want to die alone.

There was nothing but blackness.

Harper woke up with pain all around her. Her whole body ached. Her face and nose throbbed.

She opened her eyes. The afternoon sun was dying.

A horse’s hooved foot stepped in front of her. Harper looked up. A bare-breasted woman smiled down at her. Her torso melded into the body of a horse.

“Oh god,” Harper said. “Please don’t kill me.”

“Don’t worry, little one,” the horsewoman said.