Chapter 94

The hole at the bottom of the closet was so low that I could only crawl through it on all fours.

As I entered the near pitch-black space and strained my ears, I heard a noise coming from ahead. I put the dagger back into its holder and moved forward with all my might. The sound gradually grew closer.

Mary was wearing a voluminous nightgown. In this narrow space, it must have been very difficult for her to move. I carefully made my way toward the sound she was making, trying not to make a noise.

Suddenly, a warm, rectangular light spread out ahead. Mary had lifted the ceiling panel and opened the escape route. Mary's white nightgown stood out clearly. I must have been visible to her as well.

Along with the light, heavy sounds of combat echoed through the attic space.

Ragged breathing. The metallic clashing of swords.

The wet, heavy sound of something being sliced.

A man's scream, a roar, a groan.

Mary stopped moving. She might not have expected such a battle to be taking place at the escape point.

I pulled the dagger from its holder. At this distance and in this narrow space, I could only throw it with a side swing. It would lack accuracy, but it was better than being caught. Just as I was about to swing my arm back, Mary turned to look at me.

Her face was animal-like. Her upper lip was curled back like an excited dog's, and her eyes were wide and wild.

I threw the knife.

But a split second earlier, Mary had jumped down from the square hole into the dark gambling den where the fight was taking place. The knife missed and fell far beyond the hole.

I hurried to where the knife had fallen, retrieved it, and was about to jump down the hole when I hesitated.

A man with a large knife was waiting for me below.

Jeff was fighting three men with his sword, having already taken down four of the eight guards.

I threw the dagger from the attic. My favorite knife deeply pierced the shoulder near the collarbone of the man waiting to kill me.

I confirmed that the man had crumpled without a sound and jumped down the hole. As soon as I landed, I delivered a spinning kick to the neck of another guard. The man fell on his back and stopped moving.

(Where is Mary?)

But since Jeff was fighting two men, helping him was more urgent than finding Mary. I didn't have time to pull the knife from the man's body, so I picked up a nearby chair and swung it at the nearest man.

The man caught the chair with his hand, shouted "You fool!" and tried to raise his knife at me. Anticipating this move, I slid under his feet and kicked his shin hard with the heel of my shoe.

"Ah!"

His shin bone must have cracked. The man rolled over, groaning. I quickly stood up, raised the chair, and brought it down with all my strength on the man's head.

I confirmed that the man was no longer moving and searched for Mary, but she was gone. She must have escaped through the door.

I rushed to the door to chase after her, but the doorknob wouldn't turn. It was locked from the outside. Then I realized:

"Fire! They set the place on fire from the outside!"

Oil was spreading from under the door. Black smoke was seeping in through the gaps. It was only a matter of time before the oil caught fire.

Mary seemed intent on burning Jeff and me to death. We had to escape quickly or be burned alive. I retrieved my knife and threw it at the waist of the man fighting Jeff with his back turned.

"Ugh!"

The man fell. He couldn't move quickly anymore. Jeff swung his sword at the man, who was rolling around with the knife still embedded in him. Then Jeff pulled out my knife and handed it to me.

"Anna, let's escape."

"Wait. Mary and the guards might be waiting outside. I'll go out first and check the area. Then I'll come back down."

"Understood."

I leaned out of the window and jumped down onto the second-floor awning. From there, I leaped onto the branches of a cypress tree growing beside the building and looked around, but there was no sign of anyone. Had Mary escaped?

"Got it?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

Jeffrey jumped down from the third-floor window to the second-floor awning I had used. He hung from the awning with both hands and let go, landing with a thud. He ran over to where I had jumped down from the cypress tree.

"Where's Mary?"

"She got away. But she must still be nearby. I'll search the area around the building."

"Let's split up. I'll take the north side."

Time was precious. I nodded and ran to the south side.

"There she is!"

Hearing Jeff's voice, I ran back the way I had come. Mary was running ahead in her nightgown, barefoot. She leaped at the high wall, hesitated for a moment, and then climbed over it. From my position, she was too far away to hit with a knife.

As Mary was about to jump down into the neighboring property, Jeff's thrown sword flew.

The heavy sword grazed Mary's right shoulder as she was jumping, and she fell silently to the other side of the wall. I ran with all my might, leaped at the wall, and peered over to the other side.

Mary was fleeing through the dark garden. The fire from the burning house provided the only light in the moonless night.

Mary ran through the dark garden, holding her right shoulder with her left hand. Her white nightgown was dark with blood around her right shoulder.

Just as I started to chase after her...

"Whoa, let's call it quits here."

A man emerged from the shadows of the garden. His face, illuminated by the burning flames, was that of the bartender from the tavern. When I raised my knife, the bartender waved his hands in front of his face.

"I don't want to fight you. That woman is my prey. As long as you don't take her from me, it's fine."

"I don't have time to talk. Bye."

"Wait!"

The bartender chased after me.

Mary's figure was gradually getting closer.