Page 43 of Kingdom of Chains
These were the only two words spoken throughout that time.
They were around a mile from the house when Walnut said, ‘Wait here.’ She and Seal rode ahead to ensure it was safe before they continued as a group.
All the good feelings Isabel had built up during the journey dissipated when she finally laid eyes on the crumbling remains of Maddock House. The stone walls were covered by moss and weeds. The stone path that led to the house was completely overgrown and no longer visible. The picket fence was gone, likely ripped out and used for firewood. The garden beds at the front now blended with the lawn. There was not a vegetable orflower in sight. Her mother’s rosebushes were now thorny sticks poking from the ground. No hounds bounded out to greet them. There was no sign of life of any kind.
Isabel swallowed.
‘It’s hard to look at, isn’t it?’ Ita said.
Isabel could not speak, only stare.
‘You have five minutes,’ Rabbit told them. ‘Then we need to set up camp before dark—as far from here as possible.’
The women dismounted and wandered over to the house, pushing debris around with their feet as if there was some chance they might salvage something from the past, but there was nothing. Anything of value was either now ash or had been taken by scavengers long ago. They stood in what was once the kitchen, remembering things.
‘Yvaine was always yelling at us to either make ourselves useful or get out from under her feet,’ Isabel said.
Ita smiled. ‘Rarely did we make ourselves useful.’
‘We would flee to the stables and annoy your father instead.’ Ita’s father had died defending the home the same night Isabel’s father was killed. Grief had hung over the household like a permanent grey cloud in the days that followed.
A whistle sounded behind them. They turned to look, and Seal gestured towards the trees. Ita grabbed Isabel’s hand and began dragging her back towards the horses.
‘We have to go.’
Panic reared up inside Isabel. It was one thing if she was found but quite another if Ita and her friends were caught.
The others loaded their bows and aimed them at the tree line along the south boundary. Isabel and Ita were a few feet from the horses when two men burst into view from the east shouting, ‘Weapons on the ground—now!’
Rabbit and Walnut swung their bows around and took aim, but before they had a chance to shoot, arrows sliced throughthe strings of their bows, rendering them useless. Isabel’s feet stopped. There were only a handful of people she knew with that level of accuracy.
Her eyes landed on Blackmane.
‘I said weapons on the ground!’ he shouted as he ran towards them, fury radiating from him.
Hadewaye took aim at Seal. ‘I assure you no one will be asking a third time.’
Isabel raised her hands. ‘Do not hurt them.’
Blackmane’s dark eyes flashed at her. ‘I’ll deal with you in a minute.’
Rabbit reached for the dagger strapped to his leg.
‘Ireallywouldn’t do that,’ Hadewaye said, stopping a safe distance from the group.
‘Defenders,’ Rabbit said through gritted teeth. ‘She set us up.’
‘No,’ Isabel said.
Ita looked from Blackmane to Isabel. ‘Are they here for you?’
Isabel swallowed. ‘That is a very strong possibility.’ She positioned herself in front of Ita. ‘Everyone stay calm. Please. Let me handle this.’
Blackmane’s eyes landed on her, as black as the charred ruins of Maddock House. Someone was clearly not happy about her little excursion.
Head high, she braced for impact.
CHAPTER 13
