Pirate Chronicles

“Let them go,” he breathed, wiping the blood from his mouth.
“Let them go?” Nicholas spat out in shock. “They have my sister.”

He didn’t see her in the room that was starting to empty, although a few would never leave. In a pile by the door lay a heap of trampled bodies with faces distorted as heels and limbs kicked and suffocated in their desperate need to escape.
“Going after them will not bring her back. If she was taken, it was done before they entered here.” Tavin limped over to an upturned chair and righted it while Michael went to scout out the balcony.

Nicholas watched him go and hesitated following. If his sister’s body lay out there, he didn’t feel capable of seeing her, not yet.

Tavin eased his bulk into the cushioned chair, grateful it held him. His back was to the mess of bodies. Even though he had seen years of bloody battles, somehow the sight never became familiar to him. If he truly scrutinized the scene, he knew he’d be sick all over himself.
“Alright, Nicholas,” Tavin said with a relieved sigh when Michael returned without any news of the girl. “Have your sire bring back one of those wenches with the wine.” His fellows chuckled and Nicholas looked around.

The hall was empty and he tried to calm himself down enough to think but his bones ached and his face still throbbed from the impact of the blow. He didn’t even want to contemplate the cut on his chest. Nicholas had to keep a clear head, had to believe his sister was alive and safe. His next order of business was locating her. But where would she hide? The first idea that entered his head made him want to laugh.

As children, they used to play hide-and-seek. Being a bit older made them excellent playmates. He would stand in their playroom and count to one hundred until he heard his sister run wildly down the staircase. When she was very young, he would call out her name, asking where she was and most of the time she would giggle, giving off her location. Once they became older, ten and thirteen, her skills at hiding improved.

Nicholas would hunt around for hours until he found her curled up in one of her secret places. The idea struck him so hard he nearly doubled over with relief. For once, he had a plan and, at that moment, he needed something to cling to since sanity wasn’t enough. Nicholas never turned to God for strength, but he sent up an inner plea for help.

“I think I know where she is.” The group of men followed Nicholas as he led them deeper into the mansion.
* * * * *

As the screams in the main hall increased with the realization of what was happening, Madeleine pushed past wide-eyed spectators and servants all asking hysterical questions. What is going on? Who is screaming?