Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)(49)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

We jumped onto the roof of a small building and continued as quietly as possible from roof to roof until we reached the castle. I kept expecting someone to ambush us, but fortunately, the howling wind and swirling snow hid our movements. I couldn’t believe that we were actually doing this. I would have thought it was a dream except for the look of fear and pain in Monty’s eyes; his concern for Charlotte was not something I could have dreamed. I hoped that Charlotte had been successful in getting the guards moved from their post at the side gate. Everything was riding on it. As we approached the open gate, it appeared that no one was guarding it. I felt euphoric because we were so close to getting Charlotte out of this place. We quietly moved through the entrance. I expected someone to drop down on us at any moment, but we saw no one. We were so close that the adrenalin rush was like nothing I had ever experienced; it made my jump the other day seem like nothing. Suddenly, everything was out of control.

A tall boy with black hair stood in front of me holding what was clearly a Guardian’s sword inches from my chest. His sword was blue instead of green.

“Did you think I could be so easily deceived?” the boy said, and I looked over to see that several other men with Guardian swords were standing behind him. One of the Guardians held a boy who couldn’t have been more than fifteen with chains around his wrists.

The black-haired boy continued, “You thought that I would not figure out what they were up to? Charlotte picked the one Guardian I would be least concerned with because of his age, but I knew there was more to her request. And then to find out she had told him to have the Bravado removed, and he assented.” He looked over at the younger boy in chains.

I didn’t know about anyone else, but I was nervous. I was ready for this guy to get out of my face. I finally decided to speak. “Listen, whoever you are. I don’t want trouble; I just want my sister, and we’re out of here.”

The boy looked at me seriously. “My name is Calvin Boyd, and I am Charlotte’s Gerard, the new leader of Energo. I promised Charlotte that I would try to avoid hurting her family, and I will honor my promise if possible. I see the resemblance and believe that you are her brother, and I sense that you are a Guardian. I will allow you to remain and join our ranks. With time, I may trust you with Charlotte. The rest of you must leave, and if I see you again, know that I will not be as forgiving.” He paused for a minute, looking at me intently. “No one is taking Charlotte away from me.”

I wasn’t backing down because no one was going to tell me that I couldn’t be trusted with my own sister. “Take her from you? You took her from me first; she’s my sister.” I returned his stare.

“Let us see Charlotte,” Monty called. As he walked forward, two armed men looked ready to subdue him.

“No one is seeing Charlotte right now,” Calvin said severely. I was glad to see that Calvin had finally pulled his sword back a little.

“Where is she?” Liam asked.

Calvin eyed Liam warily. “She is safe.”

“I have a right to see my niece; she has been left in my care by her father,” Monty demanded.

“And such great care you took, letting her wander around on her own. But all of that is in the past; Charlotte belongs here with me now.”

“Charlotte isn’t going anywhere near you!” I felt my anger rise as I listened to the guy talk about my sister like he owned her. “She’s only fifteen; you’re too old for her.”

“Actually, he is younger than you, Kevin. He’s only seventeen.” I turned around and found myself face to face with James.

I almost snapped. “You are seriously going to pay for bringing my sister here.”

“She came willingly.” James smiled. “I only accompanied her.” I raised my fist, but Monty pulled me back.

I turned back to Calvin, unable to control my anger. “Charlotte is my sister; let me see her!”

“I respect your status as her brother, but I am her Gerard, and I determine who she sees. As I already told you, it is your right to stay with the rest of the Guard, and in time, you can see Charlotte, but not until I decide it is safe.” Calvin positioned his sword in front of my chest again.

“So do you tell Charlotte what to do, too, because, yeah, how’s that going for you?” I asked. “Clearly she tricked you by talking to that kid over there,” I said, pointing at the boy in chains. “So she obviously wants out. You really think you can just keep her here?”

“She does not really want to leave; she wants to stay with me. She is just overwhelmed right now.” Calvin showed no signs of wavering. It was clear that he really believed that Charlotte wanted to stay.

“What you need to understand is that where Charlotte is from, she is just a kid.” Monty tried to reason with Calvin again. “She is only fifteen, years away from adulthood.”

“She is sixteen now,” Calvin said slowly.

Wow! I forgot that her birthday had passed. What a way to celebrate her sixteenth. I told myself that if we ever got out alive, I would have to do something really special for her.

“She is young, Calvin. She needs to be with her family,” Monty continued.

“She is an adult in Energo, and those are the rules that govern here,” Calvin said stoically.

“But what about what she wants?” Monty asked, not ready to back down.

“Charlotte wants to be with me, have no doubt about that. In time, she will learn to view Bellgard as home. Charlotte will be happier if her brother is near. I realize that, and I encourage him to stay and train, but it will be better for her if everyone else leaves now.”

“We are not leaving without Charlotte,” Monty said, as he walked toward Calvin. I stepped to the side to let him pass. “I lost my sister; I will not lose my niece.”

“It seems we have reached an impasse. I have done my best to keep my promise, but Charlotte’s safety and security comes first. I will give you one last chance to leave unscathed,” Calvin said.

The way Calvin said it made me feel sick; I knew I would give my life to save my sister, but what good would dying do if she remained a prisoner? As we stood staring at Calvin and the other Guardians, all I could do was hope that someone had another plan.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Charlotte

So far, everything was going as planned. I had thought about the biggest snowstorm I had ever seen, a blizzard from when we had been living in Alaska, closed my eyes, and pictured it as intently as I could. I ran to the windows after I opened my eyes, and I could already see the heavy snow and blustery winds picking up. Ruth had assured me that my family would have an easier time getting into Bellgard under the cover of a storm. I hoped that she was right. Otherwise, they were facing a blizzard for nothing.