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As we walked, the lights of a vehicle came on. I watched as doors were opened and Ana and Heidi jumped out.
Ana was the first to reach me, wrapping me in a hug that she quickly dropped when I cried out in pain.
“Sorry, sorry - where are you hurt?” she asked as she took my hand and I felt her magic flowing up my arm, searching for the cause of my pain.
“I was shot,” I said. “Didn’t know about it until some time after. It didn’t really hurt that much before but now it’s horrible.”
“Percy, you were shot?” Heidi asked as she took my good arm and helped me into the back of the van.
“Yeah.”
As soon as we were loaded into the back of the van and sat in seats that lined one edge, we were moving.
“Percy, I’m dying to know - how did you escape?” Markus asked. In the light, I could see why Heidi had called him handsome.
“Moss and Remy,” I told him.
“We’re going to need more than that.” Ana laughed beside me, and I leaned heavily against her. Her hand still held mine and I was grateful for her magic as it concentrated on my wound and whatever she was doing lessened the pain.
“I was taken to House Vouna castle. They have a dungeon. It’s the worst place. And it’s cold, very cold down there. I was in a cell with a man named Remy. He helped me escape. I would never have gotten out of the cell, or the castle grounds, or away from Vouna's guard, if it weren’t for him. The stone in the cells was old, damaged, and there was moss. I was able to weaken the stone until it crumbled and fell. Remy did the rest.”
A woman that sat beside Markus stood from her chair and reached to a shelf above her head removing a medical supplies bag.
“Can I take a look at that?” she asked, pointing to my shoulder. Ana released my hand and moved to a free seat. I nodded to the woman. She was of average height and looked strong.
I tried to remove the sweater I had wrapped and tied around my shoulder, but she stopped me.
“Let me get that for you,” she said, taking a pair of scissors from the bag. “I’m Sasha, part of Mark’s team. I have emergency medical training,” she told me as she cut away the sweater and the sleeve of the top I wore.
“Is it bad?” I asked.
“You did a good job yourself. It’s not bleeding anymore,” she said as she lifted my arm and I hissed in pain. “I can see the entrance and exit wound. Not quite your shoulder that was hit, more upper arm, the entrance wound is here,” she continued and pressed around the very top back of my upper arm. “I’m going to clean the wound, it’ll hurt, bandage you up and we’ll get you to the healers.”
“Thanks,” I said and bit my lip as she began carefully cleaning the wound before tightly and expertly bandaging it.
I turned to find Heidi smiling and winking at a flustered Markus.
“Heidi?” I called her.
“Yes, Percy?” she answered, dragging her eyes away from Markus.
“Where is the Princess? When will I see her?” I asked.
“Selene, and all Borealis students, have returned to the castle. I’m sure she’ll be with you as soon as possible.”
“Percy,” Ana said quietly. “What happened to Dylan?” she asked me.
Dylan. I felt ashamed to admit that I hadn’t thought about him. Not once.
“I don’t know. We were attacked. Or, I think we were attacked. I think Dylan knew it was going to happen…” He had been strange, telling me he wouldn’t hurt me, asking about Halvorsen when we were ambushed.
“Dylan is currently being held prisoner for his part in this whole mess,” Heidi answered.
“Prisoner? Dylan wouldn’t,” Ana protested.
“He did,” Heidi answered. “That stinking mutt teamed up with Oskar to kidnap your friend. He thought he could steal her away, that she would realise she should be with him if only he could get her away from the grips of the evil Princess,” Heidi scoffed. “Your friend Dylan might have started a war, almost got Percy killed, and for what? A crush, an infatuation?”
Ana didn’t respond to Heidi, but I watched as she absorbed what was said.
