Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Stop it now
“Emily, Stop!!” Trace called out to the corner.

Martin struggled against the hold Trace had, cutting his neck on the blade in the process.

“EMILY YOU HAVE TO STOP NOW!” The farmer screamed, and Martin began to calm.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” He panted, “Please, just… please don’t let that happen again.”

“Open the prisons, and the cave.” Trace ordered immediately.

Martin shifted his head to look at the wall, and several more openings formed.

“You’ll have to let me rest before I can open the cave,” Martin swallowed and breathed heavily.

Trace lowered his sword slightly and glanced at the other men. “Hey, um…”

“Gary.” One of the guards said, “And that’s Frank.”

“All right. Frank, please have Martin sit here, don’t let him move. Gary, watch over both of them.” Trace didn’t know how much wisdom there was in letting the men guard Martin, but at the very least, he needed to get the prisoners free.

“Uncle Trace!!” A little girl rushed out and threw herself at his legs just as she did back home. He snatched her up into his arms before she could knock him over and hugged her tightly.

“You ok, you little gremlin?” He asked Mia. Her face was full of fear and it tore at his heart.

“It’s too dark in there. I don’t like it.” The little girl clung to him.

“You don’t have to go back in there. You’ve been very brave,” Trace patted her back. The rest of the family rushed over, exclaiming and throwing their arms around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Anaisa come into the room and hug a bewildered Katia.

The groups eventually converged, and introductions were made while Trace kept an eye on Martin. The sweetness of reunion and imminent release from the cave mixed with trepidation as Anaisa briefly explained the state of the kingdom and the danger it was in.

Katia was horrified over the role her family played in the events, and had to sit down on a broken-off stalagmite the bandits had been using for a chair.

“You’re sure? Father’s confession was false?” She asked breathlessly.

“Did you doubt it?” Anaisa knelt down to take her sister’s hands.

“At times,” Katia smiled faintly. “I had given up on anything except living my new life, especially now…”

“That you got kidnapped and imprisoned?” Anaisa frowned.

“Well, that,” Katia dropped her eyes.

“Auntie Annie, is your sister ok?” Mia, Trace’s little niece, piped in.

“Oh,” Katia blinked several times, “I suppose you’re already an aunt, so this won’t come as any great news to you.” She laid her hand over her stomach.

“What??” Anaisa cried, and Trace shook his head in confusion. Katia and Jin had married the same day he and Anaisa had… and then there had been a week at the farm, several days traveling to the capital, a week or so before the ball, and three weeks afterward as Sapphira had brunch with a different suitor each day, and now over two weeks searching for this cave…

It shocked him a little, and he could see Anaisa was doing similar math in her head as she searched her sister’s eyes and then looked at Trace. She reddened.

He decided to press into the awkwardness and wink at her. Soon. She blushed deeper, and he looked away so he didn’t embarrass her any further.

“I’m so happy for you,” Anaisa hugged her sister tightly. Trace stepped forward to congratulate Jin, who was still looking around the cave, a bit shell-shocked.

“How’s it feel?” He wondered aloud as he shook the father-to-be’s hand. Obviously Jin had jumped right into marriage, when Trace hadn’t. Part of him wondered what would be different now if he had.

“It doesn’t feel real, quite yet,” Jin admitted, “but what does, these days? Is there magic just everywhere now?”

Trace avoided the question and passed the man along to his father and brother for advice on fatherhood. Emily was still hanging on the outskirts with an older man.

“Are you all right?” Trace approached her cautiously. Her eyes were wide and frightened as she looked at him. “And who is this?”

“My son is one of the palace guards,” The man said shakily. “This young woman was just explaining that’s probably why I’m here. Although, I have been kept prisoner for many years, even before this cave…”

“Years?” Trace absorbed this information for a moment and decided to think on it more, later. “Emily might be able to get a message to your son that he no longer needs to listen to his blackmailer. We can discuss that soon. You’re free now.”

“I’m sorry–for before,” Emily’s hands shook as she looked up at Trace. “I’ve only ever whispered to people before, in their minds. Mostly to my brother… I’d never thought of using it to be mean. But when you said a voice in someone’s head could drive them mad…”

“It was difficult to think and to listen to you at the same time,” Trace explained. “I knew you were giving me important information, but it did occur to me that if I didn’t want you whispering in my head, it would be a lot to cope with.”

“I didn’t whisper,” Emily’s eyes widened. “I was so angry at him. I started screaming. I didn’t mean to really hurt him, but I’ve been locked away for so long…”

Trace hesitated. He had thought to exaggerate to Martin how bad it would be to convince the man to cooperate, but he’d had no idea that Emily harbored such intense power. It was almost more dangerous than the Count’s, and he didn’t know how to comfort the woman.

Because part of him was a little afraid of her, now. He’d known from the moment he saw her in Sanders’ dream that she was traumatized and hurt. He also knew from farm life that an injured and traumatized animal is the most dangerous and unpredictable.

Emily was like that now. Scared. Terrified, even.

“He’ll be fine,” Trace tried to smile comfortingly. “We’ll all be free of this place in no time at all.”

“Are you fine?” She looked at him anxiously. “Is Sanders? Does he hate me for whispering to him all this time? Have I driven him mad??”

“He must be used to it, for he’s perfectly well,” Trace assured her. “He’ll be delighted over your rescue… but… Don’t tell him about that just yet, if you haven’t already. I have a little planning to do.”