Wanted ? Peter Pevensie [2]

Chapter XXII - A Captain Goes Down With The Ship

There were nights on the road that stormed emerged from clear skies and her bed would catch fire. In the terrors of her own sleep, Jadis was alive, torturing her. Ashton considered many ways to make it stop, including not sleeping at all. One of her most fearful nights, she would sleep curled up to Ben. If she lost control, the paragon diamond would be moved from his neck to hers. She explained to me that losing her power was like losing a lung, she ran off half her energy. Food tasted dull, the sun seemed to be fogged and her bones wanted to break. Even with all of that, it was always close to her. In the possession of her most trusted friend to protect him and everyone else.

I should have reminded her more often than she was accepted by Narnia. That no matter her past, she had made up for it a thousandfold. She was too guilt-stricken to allow herself to be happy. I'm never fully sure if she thought she deserved it.

A raven came to Susan late in the night, her handwriting was rushed but still known:

She plans to attack at dawn by sea. Create a blockade as big as you can without losing strength. Hold the Cair and you'll hold Narnia. Don't engage, just hold her off until I can get back in my mind.

"It could be a trap." Susan looked out the window and had a clear view of the open ocean.

"We don't have many options. The first light is in an hour and we might have less time than that before Peter wakes up and releases what we plan to do. It won't be long until he talks his way past the guards at his door."

"She didn't sign it, with worries of it being intercepted or misplaced. She protected it and us. She knew we would know it was her." I told them, "This is our best lead, and we have to follow it."

"Can she overpower the White Witch long enough to make a difference?"

"She can do it." Ben shook his head.

"How do you know?" I asked, hoping he would affirm my faith.

Ben's eye groped, his fur was yellowing and his voice never raised above a level of casual conversation, "And if I'm wrong, it won't matter. I'll be dead anyway. You'll follow soon after unless the Witch Bitch intends to keep you as pets. But my last acts on this Earth will not be doubting her."

I wondered if Ash considered out Narnia's leaders would crumble in her absence. We were boiled down to a mere fraction of us. "Evacuate the city. Get Theo on it. Start with the orphanages and schools. If the Witch has access to her memories, she will know to start there to hurt Ashton the most."

We all went out separate ways a million things to do and less than a hundred minutes to get them done. I sent the Cair into a state of emergency.

I ran through the halls, knocking on the doors of the reserved rooms of the Hood family. Marian opened the door, inviting me in.

The twins were the first I saw, both strapped the teeth in armor and bearing the family crest on a tattoo on their arms. I had seen Allie's once before, it was set at the back of her neck. She came from the other room. Holding a crossbow and counting her arrows.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" I asked them.

The youngest, Luca, only sixteen bounced his throwing knives in his hand. "Our father died with honor. The best we can wish for is the same."

I would not be the one to point out that he was still too young for battle by law. As the acting law, I elected to ignore it.

"We win together or we lose together. Either way, we will mourn together as well." Syler laced his boots.

"We will all meet again in Aslan's country." Adrian nodded, looking beaten down but not broken.

"We ask one thing of you." Allie stepped to me in front of her brothers, she stood with her family above all else. As I expected and respected her. "Leave Mason to us."