Kamiyo estimated the castle would now have enough supplies to withhold a siege for several months—providing the walls took care of everything else. Having spent so long on the road alone, Kamiyo had seen enough of the demons to know their capabilities well. He couldn’t imagine them bringing ladders and scaling the walls or constructing trebuchets and mangonels.
But he couldn’t see them giving up either.
Philip heaved his backpack onto his shoulders again and puffed. “We should get moving again. The demons could attack any time. I’m sorry I’m dragging us down.”
Kamiyo’s own body was close to falling to pieces too, but he consoled himself by telling himself that once he made it behind the castle walls, he would collapse and take a rest. He just needed to push himself a little longer. “You’re fitter than you give yourself credit for, Philip. I thought I was in good shape after being out on the road so long, but you’re matching me step-for-step.”
He smiled. “Used to do the London marathon every year. My wife had brain cancer, so I used to run to raise money.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. She beat it. Went through a year of hell, having to shave her head and puking all the time, but she never gave up. I suppose the marathons were a way for me to thank her for that—to suffer just a little of what she did. She could have given up and left me and Bray all alone, but she didn’t. I always used to think of her cancer as a monster, eating her insides, but it was real-life monsters that eventually killed her. None of us had any idea, did we? If I had known what was coming…”
Kamiyo nodded. “You would have spent more time at home with your wife, with Bray? Anything but work your arse off for a future that didn’t exist.”
Philip looked at him, a glassy look in his eyes. He nodded.
“Me too,” said Kamiyo. “I wish I’d experienced the taste of living before it all turned to ash and chalk. Philip, you had a wife, a child, businesses… I never got to have any of that. I envy you, Philip, even if I would never ever wish for the amount of pain you’re in.”
Philip stopped walking and seemed upset. His Adam’s Apple bobbed up and down. Eventually, he put out his hand. “Thank you, Christopher. I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time. What you did back there to deliver that baby…” He sighed. “I know there was nothing else you could have done for Bray.”
Kamiyo held the man’s hand tightly and looked him in the eye. “We might have lost whatever chance of a life for ourselves, but there’s a castle full of kids that still have a future. We just need to keep them safe.”
“We will.”
Aymun had stood by listening. Now he spoke. “Then we should make haste, brothers.”
Kamiyo nodded and resumed walking. He yelped when something struck his face and then gave him a hefty bonk on the forehead. It didn’t hurt, but as he stumbled in fright, he caused a racket—the sound of thin metal against metal.
Aymun slunk into the bushes, glancing around like a spooked leopard.
Philip steadied Kamiyo and glanced around warily. “What the heck? Who put these up?”
Kamiyo saw the strings hanging from the branches, each one adorned with cans, bottles, and other pieces of rubbish. “It’s an alarm system,” he said, then grinned. “It means we’re nearly home.”
“Thank God,” said Philip. “Forget all that stuff I said about running marathons, because I’m going to puke if I don’t sit down soon.”
Kamiyo gave him a gentle shove. “Not long now. Let’s keep moving.”
42
TED
The castle courtyard was abuzz. Frank rang the bronze bell beside the well in case there was anyone caught outside. Steven dropped the portcullis.
The adults gathered around the campfire, the de facto lieutenants of the battle to come. Steven shook his head. “You told us the attack would come in the middle of the night. It’s still daytime.”
“I know,” said Frank. “We can’t worry about that now. Everything is set up. We’re ready. Get your teams in place.”
Frank glanced around. “Where’s Steven?”
“He’s down at the lake,” said Hannah. “He hasn’t brought today’s catch up yet.”
“Damn it!” Frank turned towards the rear courtyard. If Steven made it back soon, he would be fine. The attack would come from the front—according to Vamps.
But the young man had also claimed the demons would come during the middle of the night.
“Frank, get up on the front walls. I want to know what’s coming out of the forest. Hannah, get up at the rear. I’m not so sure we can trust our Intel. And get Steven back inside these walls.”
“Roger that, boss.”
“What about me?”
Ted turned to see Carol. He had forgotten all about her. She’d been sickly for a long time after her Typhoid Fever and spent most of her time babysitting the kids. “Oh, Carol, yeah. I, um, need you to get the youngest children inside the castle. Take them to the upper floors and block the stairwell with whatever you can find.”
She smiled a quivering smile, one prone to evaporate if she fell victim
