PoV - Lillian Annes
"It’s been a while since he last called . I can’t help but have an ominous feeling about it."
"Do you think that he might have found Aurea, Lily?"
"I don’t know... But one thing I know is that if he had captured her, he would’ve brought her to show . He likes that much to make suffer."
"You’re not wrong on that."
Cambucy sighs, rembering the state Lillian would return in every ti the Duke called her in the first years after Aurea fled.
Her body still had scars to show for it, hidden below her clothes.
Cambucy didn’t escape, nor did any of the other girls. They were tortured, but none spilled any information about what they planned with the little girl.
The difference was that all the girls were fully healed afterwards, to not decrease their value with ugly scars. Lillian wasn’t given that privilege.
While the objective of torturing the girls was to get any information to track Aurea, Lillian was used solely for the Duke to take out his frustrations and anger.
That’s why the girls suffered for only a couple of weeks; Lillian’s dragged on for years.
Gladly, the Duke seems to have lost interest in her in the last year. To the point that he hasn’t called for her in the last two months.
"I’m afraid that it might have to do with that new friend of his."
"The one he’s been bragging about lately?"
"Yeah. I fear he might try to usurp the crown again."
"Do you think that friend is as powerful as he boasts?"
"I don’t know. The Duke is easily manipulated. For all we know, he might be just a charlatan taking advantage of him."
"Let’s hope that that’s all."
At that mont, the overseers bring two girls inside, hurriedly, startling everyone. The girls had been called to attend to so custors a few minutes before.
They are completely flustered and are carrying their clothes in their hands.
"What happened?"
Lillian is the one who asks the question that is in everyone’s mind.
"I don’t know. I just heard so loud noise outside, like soone fighting, and the overseers hurried us inside, while others led the guy away."
"Soone is fighting? Is soone attacking the place?"
"I have no idea. The guards were hurrying upstairs, so maybe."
"This never happened before, in all those years..."
While Cambucy muttered to herself, Lillian dared to dream.
"Could it be...? My little girl??"
"If that’s her, maybe she is with my tribe?"
Mimby joined her hopes with Lillian’s.
:::
The following minutes were tense, as the sounds of battle beca louder. It looked like soone was really breaking in.
"Lily, I know what your hopes are, but we need to be prepared for the worst. The people breaking in might be just a rival gang."
"I know, Cambucy. I know. But those sounds are lightning. It must be Aurea."
"Aurea isn’t the only mage who uses lightning."
"Ughh... It has to be her, alright?"
Cambucy just sighs. She is also hoping for a rescue but is trying to be the voice of reason.
After all, an attack by a rival gang is more probable than a child breaking through the tough defenses of the mansion.
Those hardened rcenaries are still there, after all. No child would be able to beat them.
The battle sounds ended, and the silence that followed was even more anguishing.
Everyone in there knew what it ant to have a gang breaking in. They would be taken to another place and suffer a lot of abuse on the way.
After so ti, they heard voices outside. At this point, all the girls were grouped at the back of the room, holding hands.
Except for Lillian, Cambucy, and Mimby. They were between the door and the other girls, ready for anything.
The door opens.
"And don’t even think of trying anything funny."
"Yes, of course."
"Mom!!!!!"
"Yaci!!!!"
Aurea was still threatening the cowering overseer, while Yaci stepped in and imdiately spotted her mother and ran towards her.
:::
PoV: Aurea Annes
So, my mother is alive and safe.
I can’t let myself be emotional right now.
"Mom, let’s save the hugs for after we’re safe. Let’s get out of here first. Everyone, the rescue is here. If you want to break free from this life, just follow us."
"It’s okay, everyone. For the ones who arrived later, she’s my daughter Aurea. And that’s... Mimby’s daughter?"
"Yes, she’s my daughter."
Lillian maintains her composure, understanding the gravity of the situation, while Mimby is in tears.
"We don’t have much ti before the guards or other people notice sothing’s going on and send in reinforcents. So, let’s go."
The girls look at each other. The ones who already knew from before are the first to react and hurry, swiftly followed by the others.
I stayed in the doorway to dissuade any idea the overseers could harbor about locking us in.
This is not good. If I turn the girls invisible right now, the overseers will know and will tell any pursuers that might co afterwards.
Damn, I didn’t think about this. So, for now, let’s proceed without the spell until we are upstairs.
We can then use so of those rooms to switch to invisibility without anyone seeing it.
I guide them upstairs. When we reach the hall of the battle with the rcenaries, the poor priest is still trying to do so first aid on his friends.
I hear so gasps behind . I know, I’m sorry for the gore. But it was necessary.
I lead them through the sa corridor we ca in. I open one of the side doors, and it’s a lavishly decorated room with a big open window that leads outside.
"Hurry, enter here."
As the girls enter the room, I go to check the window. There doesn’t seem to be anyone outside.
I close the curtains just as a safety asure and turn back.
Everyone is inside. Yaci is the last to enter and closes the door behind her. It’s good that she understood my thinking without needing to say anything.
"Okay, now cos the hardest part of our plan. We have secured lodging to hide for a bit, but it will be hard to reach there. I’ll cast an invisibility spell over everyone so we go unnoticed."
"Will we be able to see each other under the spell?"
"No. And it’s for this reason that we’ll have to go in line, holding each other’ hands. We can interact with each other normally, but any physical interaction with any other person will break the spell for everyone."
The girls gulp and take each other’ hands, without the need of more explanations. Good girls.
"I’ll be in the front, and yaci will be the last one. We will have to make two stops along the way so I can cast the spell again before it wears off. Any questions?"
"No."
They all answer in unison. They seem to have understood the plan.
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