“Mayhap you’re right. And I don’t like to be fooled.” Sethor raised his sword again.
“By killing Stone you’ll be placing a death sentence on your own head from his king,” Persimmon spat out, not really seeing a thing in the orb, but saying this to keep Stone from being murdered.
“How do I know you’re not lying just to save his hide?” asked the king. “Mayhap by letting him live, it’ll bring about my demise instead.”
“I only know what I see,” said Persimmon. “The gazing ball never lies. However, it is up to you to determine what it means.”
“Are you willing to risk it?” asked Stone. “After all, Persimmon does have some admirable powers.”
“Yes. You are more powerful than I expected,” said the king in surprise, slowly sheathing his sword. “That can be used to my advantage. Take them both to the dungeon, after all.”
“What are you doing, King Sethor? You cannot really believe them.” Rancor tried to discourage the king from letting them live.
“Persimmon. Do something,” whispered Stone.
She knew she had to do something quickly to settle the king’s mind and to make him believe what she said she saw was true.
“I see that Rancor is about to trip and fall,” said Persimmon, rubbing the crystal ball, but not really seeing a thing within it. But to make them think what she said was the truth, she used her power of moving things with her mind. She took a deep breath and focused on Rancor.
“That is nonsense. She’s a fake.” Rancor took a step toward the king, and when he did Persimmon used her mind to push him down.
“Ooomph!” Her powers worked. Rancor doubled over and hit the ground.
“There is the proof you need, sire. The girl obviously can see the future,” said Stone, giving her a quick nod of his head to thank her for what she did.
The king’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “Put them in the dungeon. And Rancor, if I hear another word about this from you or your friend, I’ll take my sword to both of you instead.” He turned to go while the guards escorted Stone and Persimmon to the dungeon.
“What now?” Stone whispered to her.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered back. “I have an idea.” Persimmon took another deep breath and released it, only praying to herself that what she had in mind would really work.
Ten
Stone felt a knot in the pit of his stomach as the guards slammed the iron barred door of the cell, locking both him and Persimmon inside.
“Rot in there, the both of you.” The guard chuckled as he hooked the ring of keys containing the one to the cell door to his belt and turned to walk away.
Stone was about to shout something back at the guard, but stayed silent when Persimmon placed her hand atop his arm. He looked over to her in question.
She smiled at him and nodded at the guard.
When Stone looked back at the guard, he saw the key ring lifting from the man’s belt. It slowly floated right over to the cell door. Stone hurried over and stuck his hand through the bars and grabbed it. When he did, it made a jangling noise. The guard stopped and turned around.
“What was that?” asked the guard, looking around in a suspicious manner. “What was that noise I heard?”
Stone quickly hid the ring with the keys in one hand, shaking the bars of the door with his other, making a loud rattling noise. “Let us out! Let us out, I say.”
“Quiet down,” shouted the guard, turning and leaving the dungeon.
“Your distraction worked.” Persimmon hurried over to the door to join him. “Thank you.”
“Nay, thank you for using your powers to get the key.” With his hand through the gate, he used the key to unlock the cell, and slowly and quietly pushed the door open. “I still have no idea how we’ll manage to walk out of here alive, but at least this is a start.”
“Aye,” agreed Persimmon, following him out of the cell. “If only one of us knew the layout and grounds of the castle, we might be figure out a path to use to escape.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Stone looked up to see the pesky elf standing with his back against the stone wall and his arms crossed over his chest.
“Father!” exclaimed Persimmon. “You came to save us. Thank you.”
“I’m only here at the request of Lira.”
“Oh,” said Persimmon, a frown washing over her face.
“How did you get here so fast?” asked Stone. “There is no way the others could have made it back to Kasculbough already, could they?
The elf gave him a strange look and shook his head. “You have no idea of my powers or of how fast I can really move, you big oaf.”
“Oh, that’s right,” said Stone. “I’ve seen you disappear in a blur. But the others can’t move that fast. There was no time for this all to transpire.”
“The raven returned to tell Talia-Glen and Alaina that you two so stupidly managed to get caught. Rhys and Zann wanted to bring their armies to the king’s door, but that would be an even dumber move right now. That’s why I offered to come instead.”
“Never mind all that. Can you get us out of here?” Stone scanned the dimly lit area, watching for the guards to return.
“I can. I used to work for King Sethor and I know every nook and cranny of this castle.”
