Chapter 188

Amaris turned and started to run as the woman went back inside and closed the door. She was out on a large terrace now. There was a huge stairway that led down to the next level. Amaris knew that there was no time, the King would discover that she was gone at any moment. Amaris ran to the top of the stairs, when she heard voices below. They were speaking in hushed tones, but it was clear that there were several people down below her. She stopped at the top of the stairs and spun to see if there were any other exits from the terrace. Unless she went back in through the door and into the castle, there was no other way off the terrace. Amaris turned back to the stairs, and took the first few steps down. She scooted toward the middle to see if she could catch a glimpse of who was talking. She could see the arm of someone that standing under the stairs, but that was all she could see. Amaris backed away from the side and stood very still while she was thinking of a way past them without being caught. The first thing that she needed to do was to figure out who was below her. Were they guards, or were they servants? Then she needed to find a way past them. Amaris decided to listen a little more to the conversation thinking she might be able to take advantage of any information she over heard. "Our original way we were going to do it is useless." Amaris heard a man's voice say. "We need to go back in then. It won't be long now before we are all missed, and they will want us all back inside." Another man's voice responded. Then Amaris heard a voice that she would recognize anywhere. "Gran what do you think?" Amaris' head snapped up. It was Anna, and she was talking to Gran. Amaris ran down the steps and around the side of the stairs as fast as she could. The whole group jumped and moved to protect those in the middle. They all froze. Amaris heard a squeal of excitement, and was grabbed up and hugged thoroughly. It was Anna. "Mari! I am so glad you got out of there." Anna said into her hair as she continued to hug her. Over Anna's shoulder, Amaris could see Gran and Anna's parents. She also saw Taji, Jason and Persia. All the brothers were there, but no sign of their cousins, Michalis and Nikos. Amaris' heart gave a lurch of guilt. Her eyes returned to Gran. She had not seen her in so long. Amaris released Anna and moved around her to wrap her arms around Gran. Amaris needed to feel that she was real. Gran held on to Amaris tightly. "Oh my girl!" She said in Amaris' ear. Then Gran released the hug and grasped her shoulders. "You have grown up so much in a short time." Gran's penetrating eyes seemed to scan her from head to toe. She pulled Amaris back in for another hug. This time Gran went up on her tip toes and whispered into her ear. "Do not worry. I will take care of you all. The little ones will be safe." Gran stepped back and looked at Amaris' knitted eyebrows. It was an odd thing for Gran to say. There were no children here that Amaris knew of, but maybe there were still more villagers that were being held prisoner that Amaris did not know about. Now that Gran had stepped back Amaris was handed from one to the next of the group in hugs and pats on the back in welcome. Anna's voice brought everyone's attention back. "Now that we have Mari, we need to get out of here. Where are we going to?" Anna looked from Amaris to Alexis to Taji, then to Gran. Alexis looked at everyone else and began to speak. He took his usual place as the leader. "I think that we should split into two teams. One to take the women and get them to safety, and the other to go back in and get the other prisoners out. Taji, Andreas, and Ben, you will take the women, and get them to the safety of the town that is six miles up the forest road." The men started to nod their heads in response to the orders. Gran stepped forward and held her hands up. She looked tiny next to all those huge werewolf men. "Hang on. I think that we all need to get out of here. All of you head on out and let Mari and I take care of the others. We can get them all out and to you. Now get going." She said and made a shooing motion. All of them looked down at here with their mouths open. Anna's parents started laughing. "Come on. You guys need to learn when you are out ranked." Anna's Dad said laughing. He started grabbing the shoulders of some of the brothers standing around Gran who were still in shock that this tiny woman was ordering them around. They all started to move. Alexis was last to move his feet, and he gave a nod of respect to Gran and then turned and started jogging and quietly calling for the others to keep up. Amaris watched them all go not sure what just happened. How did she get volunteered to go back in there and save everyone with just Gran? Gran's hand was back on Amaris's arm. "My girl we don't have much time. We need to move quickly. The King must have realized by now that you are not in the arena. His guards will find us out here soon enough." Amaris knew that she need to focus and to hurry. She looked Gran in the eye. "What do you want me to do? I am not sure that my powers will be able to get everyone out of there. My powers did not work when we were in the temple." Gran grabbed both of Amaris' arms again. "Taji said that you gave him healing powers and he was able to heal Lyle in there. He was able to heal me out here. I think you will be able to use your powers from here to get them out of there. Try. Try it now before we run out of time. If you need help I can lend you some of my power. Your powers will not have depleated very much yet." Amaris was not sure what Gran was talking about, but she focused herself anyway, closed her eyes and began to concentrate.