Chapter 9: A Despicable Trap

Chapter 9:
A Despicable Trap

 

I ASKED PROFESSOR NARCISSE to appraise the Sacred Tree’s Sapling.

“Th-this is amazing. It’s just as I’ve read: Monsters really do protect the sapling. How many of them did we face on our way here?!”

“Then you’re sure it’s real? It’s the Sacred Tree’s Sapling?” I asked.

The professor nodded, his eyes sparkling with fascination. He wasn’t even looking at me. All of his attention was glued to the sapling. “Yes, there’s no mistake. Saplings have been discovered many times before, but the last one withered and died. More importantly, the scholars of the republic have realized that there must be some deeper underlying meaning to the locations where saplings are found. It would be best to secure this location, and…”

Wow, this guy could ramble forever. I dropped my bag and pulled out an acrylic case. Then I ripped the plant out of the ground. “Up we go!”

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!” Professor Narcisse screeched, his face contorted with despair.

I smiled as I plonked the sapling down into the container. “This was the whole reason we came here. I figured it would be the perfect bait for the Six Great Houses. Good thing we found it.”

I’d suspected it would take us days. We were lucky to have found it so quickly.

“The sapling was your objective? You mean you knew it was here?”

“I didn’t know for sure. But lucky for us, it was. I’m going to use this to lure out that bastard Pierre.”

My intel indicated that the nobles desperately coveted these saplings. Marie hadn’t been totally clear on the specifics, but she did know this was a key item in the game, so it had to have some profound meaning.

“Hold on,” Narcisse begged. “I will contact my family, and we’ll have Pierre return your ship. Please, offer the sapling to the republic. It isn’t something to gamble with.”

I finished transplanting the sapling into its new container and put the case over it, cradling it in both hands.

It shouldn’t wither. At least, not for the time being. I hope. Then I looked Narcisse in the eye. “No. I want to knock Pierre off his high horse.”

Narcisse shook his head in dismay, unable to comprehend my feelings. “Oh!” he said, looking up. “But we could at least secure the area. If one sapling was able to grow here, we may be able to get our hands on another—”

He stopped mid-sentence, turning pale as he glanced around.

“Jilk! Look at this enormous Suspension Stone!” Julius shouted, proudly cradling the thing in his arms. “And it’s all ours.”

Jilk gazed at it enviously. “Your Highness, please lend me the shovel next.”

“I cannot do that. I want to gather more of these myself.”

While the two of them quibbled like children over a toy, Chris pulled off his sweat-stained shirt. They had already set about excavating the area and gathering metals into a pile.

When he was finished, Chris wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “Quite the accomplishment. We got a good haul. Though it will prove difficult to carry this much back.”

Their digging had made a mess of the entire area.

“What are you buffoons doing?!” Narcisse howled.

I took out my terminal and began fiddling with it. After a moment, the ship that had brought us here slowly dropped down from the ceiling.

“I-Isn’t that your ship, Leon? How does it move without anyone to man it?!”

As soon as something new drew his interest, Narcisse calmed right down.

I turned to Julius, who was still balancing an enormous Suspension Stone in his arms. “Take all the treasure aboard. I’ll sell it off once we get back.”

“Bartfort, your ship moves on its own?”

“Yup, sure does. Also, you should know that by ‘get back,’ I mean we’re not selling any of this until we’re in the kingdom. You’ll just have to make do with an advance payment in the meantime.”

“That’s fine, but…”

Apparently, they were all more interested in my ship. I hastily climbed on board, not interested in giving them a complete rundown. “I’ll go get the equipment we need. You guys load up.”

Inside, I discovered a letter that hadn’t been there when we left. There was also a paper bag pull of dog food for Elle. I scanned the contents of the message and then tucked it away in my pocket.

 

***

 

At around that same time, several men in black suits were boarding the Einhorn where it sat at anchor in the harbor. Their leader was dressed in flashy clothes, and a stole was draped around his shoulders.

Pierre rolled up to greet them. “Heya. You’re still kicking, I see.”

The portly man removed his hat deferentially. “Lord Pierre, I see you have found an even more ostentatious way of entertaining yourself.”

“And who is this man?” Luxion asked, curious.

“Huh? Sheesh, you sure are annoying. He’s a merchant. The kind that sells under the table, if ya know what I mean.”

“Intriguing.”

The man puffed on a cigar and ordered his men to hand over a number of leather bags. Pierre’s minions examined the contents. Each one was filled with rolls of cash.

“Just as described, Mr. Pierre.”

“Good. Then bring out the merch.”

The bills the merchant offered amounted to tens of millions of yen. In return, Pierre’s flunkies hauled out an enormous ball that glowed faintly green.

The merchant’s lips peeled back in a wide smile. “Pleasure doing business with you, as always.”

“I’m grateful too,” Pierre said. “That Precious Orb has lost most of its juice, but it’s lined my pockets nicely.”

Luxion eyed the object, carefully recording all the data he could.

So this is a Precious Orb. From what I hear, you find them inside fruit from the Sacred Tree. It has a considerable amount of energy. This is the first time I’ve seen one, though. This country keeps them under strict control.

It seemed fishy that Pierre was selling something so precious behind closed doors. Luxion could only guess he had a secret deal with this merchant.

The merchant smiled. “Now that we’ve seen to that business, how soon will you be able to secure your position as the new head of House Feivel?”

Pierre smiled darkly and bit his thumbnail. “My father has taken great interest in this ship. I told him we’ll go to war with the kingdom eventually, so we can steal their technology and mass produce it. That delighted him. I may be able to inherit his seat without even making my older brother disappear.”

“That is wonderful news! I was wise to invest in you.”

Luxion continued noting everything down. So Pierre aims to inherit his father’s position, and he’s teamed up with this merchant to sell off Precious Orbs. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that he’s trying to secure funds to achieve his goals.

Pierre was even willing to take down his older brother to climb to the top. Luxion had to admire the boy’s spirit. That ambition was a quality Leon lacked. Alas, Pierre’s motivation couldn’t compensate for his lack of social skills.

As Pierre chatted with the merchant, his lackeys started counting out the money. Although they were technically his subordinates, most of them looked like thugs. Or pirates, now that they had a ship. One of them came scrambling over.

“Mr. Pierre! We have trouble!”

“Stop shouting. What’s going on? Have those losers from the kingdom invaded?” Whatever it was, Pierre didn’t seem too concerned.

“It’s not that. Someone found a Sacred Tree Sapling! And it hasn’t withered yet!”

“Seriously?” Pierre’s eyes widened, and he leaned closer.

“Yes. The only problem is, it was one of the exchange students who found it. And the worst part is, it was Leon. He’s brought it to the school and is demanding that you come see him.”

Luxion floated quietly, observing.

Pierre pulled a face. “He had the nerve to call me out? Hm, but I do want that sapling. Still, even I can’t move too boldly on campus.”

“Th-that’s not all. Miss Louise seems to be backing his challenge, and he has Professor Narcisse on his side too.”

“Louise?” Pierre fell into silent contemplation. Apparently, Narcisse was irrelevant to his interests. “Well, whatever. It’s worth going to take a look at least.”

Luxion lingered behind as Pierre and his minions hurried to the school. They already have the Sacred Tree, and yet they still covet this sapling. I can understand why they might want it, but their actions almost look…desperate.

His red lens gave off an eerie glow.

 

***

 

When we reached the academy, I was escorted straight to a reception room. I kicked back and put my legs on the coffee table, balancing the sapling in one hand.

The teachers scowled at me.

“Mr. Bartfort, surely you can understand that attitude is inappropriate.”

“This is precisely why I say these Holfortians are savages.”

“Please put the sapling down. What happens if you drop it?!”

Their responses varied, but all of them were panicked by the presence of the sapling. Surprisingly, it was Professor Clement who took charge.

“Calm down, everyone. Narcy, please explain what’s going on.”

“Professor Clement, why are you clinging to my arm?”

“Oh, goodness. I am, aren’t I? How naughty of me!”

He was theoretically trying to mediate, but Professor Clement soon took the opportunity to sidle up to Narcisse.

What’s with that bizarre nickname—Narcy?

Clearly, Narcisse was Clement’s type. Despite what he’d said, Professor Clement showed no signs of backing off. Still, Narcisse remained oblivious to his affections.

Damn, he sure is slow on the uptake. If he can’t take a hint like this, it’s not my fault if it ends in disaster.

The other teachers averted their eyes and fell silent while Miss Louise chastised me.

“Leon, your behavior is unbecoming.”

“My bad. I guess I can’t help it. You know, since I’m just a ‘savage, wannabe adventurer’ and all. It’s not my fault I’m being so rough with this sapling. I was just born this way.”

My sarcasm prompted some bitter looks. I dropped my feet and put the sapling (or rather, my sapling) on the table. Although I kept my hand firmly planted on the case.

“Enough chitchat,” I said. “How long will you keep me waiting? Bring Pierre.”

“Please address Lord Pierre by his proper title!” one of the professors babbled. “He hails from one of the Great Houses. Miss Louise, I beg you not to align yourself with this ruffian.”

I glanced over at Louise, but she showed no sign of listening to her teacher. “Who I choose to align myself with is no concern of yours.”

She was practically a princess, so they could say nothing more. Although they brought up a valid point: Why was she going out of her way to support me? I didn’t get the sense that she was trying to take advantage of the situation.

Professor Narcisse breathed a sigh. “It looks like he’s here.”

The door burst open, and Pierre waltzed in with his lackeys. It was still early in the day, but they all reeked of alcohol. Pierre looked indignant, but as soon as he saw the sapling, his eyes went wide.

“Is it the real deal?” He completely ignored me, stretching out his hand.

“Don’t even try it,” I warned, lifting the case off the table.

He glared at me. “Bastard. How dare you take that tone with me!”

The seal on the back of his hand began to glow, but Miss Louise stepped in. “Stop it. It’s two against one here, Pierre.”

“Piss off, Louise! Or do you really intend to oppose me? The tree chose us both. We should be on the same side!”

Pierre thought mutual pride in being the tree’s chosen meant a whole lot, but his protests fell on deaf ears—Miss Louise wasn’t backing down.

“Pierre,” said Narcisse. “Don’t do anything foolish.”

“So now the wannabe scholar is taking sides too, huh? Can’t believe you’d let this rat take a sapling of the Sacred Tree. Don’t you have any pride?!”

The other teachers kept their mouths shut, not daring to reprimand him. This was getting on my last nerve.

“Enough,” I snapped. “You go on and on, like some whiny dog. Listening to you just pisses me off. I think it’s about time you made good on your promise.”

Pierre’s followers looked like delinquents who were always ready to go, but they couldn’t do anything with Narcisse and Miss Louise on my side.

Pierre, on the other hand, shoved his hands in his pockets like a street thug as he leaned close to my face. “What did you say?”

“We talked about this before,” I reminded him. “You said that if I put something of value on the table, you’d agree to a match. Or does the memory escape you? Ah, how rude of me. Maybe the details were too difficult for your tiny brain to handle.”

His face flushed. “Screw you! I’ll kill you right now!”

“Be my guest, if you think you have the balls. Although this sapling will go with me.”

I waved the case in front of his face, and his mouth snapped shut. The sapling was only a key item in the game, but its existence in real life was plenty useful.

“Put the Einhorn on the table,” I said, “and I’ll agree to a match. Let’s make it a simple duel. We’ll battle each other in Armors, on the condition that you don’t use the Sacred Tree’s power.”

For a split second, Pierre’s eyes widened. He hesitated, shaken by my request. “Why should you decide the rules? That’s not fair.”

“Not fair, huh? Ironic, considering the surprise attack you launched on us. Maybe you should look in a mirror.”

“Ugh!” He was on the verge of exploding again, but there was nothing he could do while I had two other crest-bearers backing me up.

“Quibbling is a waste of time,” I said. “Unlike you, I’m not a coward. That’s why I’m offering a fair fight. Just the two us, Armor against Armor. Miss Louise and Professor Narcisse can act as witnesses. Or is that still not good enough? Don’t tell me you can’t win unless the fight is rigged in your favor?”

Pierre amused me, if only because his reactions were so predictable. “Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll do it.”

“Good. Then why don’t we swear by the Sacred Tree? I’m betting this sapling. If I lose, it’s all yours.”

“Fine. If I lose, you get your ship back.”

“No. There’s no point in you returning my ship if it’s empty. You’re going to return everything you stole. You got that? Everything. The second you lose, you hand it all over. Directly to me.”

If he gave the ship back without Arroganz, I’d be livid. There was no way I’d let that fly.

Pierre pulled a face. “Fine. I’ll give your stupid stuff back. If I lose, I’ll return everything I took. There, satisfied?”

He was so confident he’d win that he wasn’t interested in the specifics.

“And you need to do it directly,” I reminded him. “Right in front of me. I mean it. Everything.”

“Yeah, yeah. If you beat me.”

“Very well,” Narcisse interjected to confirm. “Louise and I will act as witnesses. You both agree to these terms and swear an oath to the Sacred Tree, correct?”

Yes, this is perfect. I grinned from ear to ear. “Of course.”

Pierre scowled. “Hold up a second. Does he even have an Armor?”

Aww, how sweet of you to worry about me. I shrugged. “Nope. I figured the republic could supply me with one.”

That should have been the end of our discussion, but Pierre was relentless. “No! It’s not fair for the witnesses to help you out. You have to get an Armor yourself, otherwise our agreement is void.”

Miss Louise opened her mouth to argue, but I held up my hand. “Fine. And what do you expect me to do if I can’t find one?”

“Then you have to fight without. It’ll make for an amazing show. You may be Holfort’s little ‘hero,’ but you’ll be a sitting duck before me. I can already picture you blubbering and pleading for mercy. It’ll be glorious!”

I matched his maniacal grin with my own. “All right.”

Miss Louise gasped, horrified. “Leon!”

Pierre shot a glance at Professor Narcisse. “He agreed to it. You guys don’t have any complaints, right?”

“Pierre, you won’t get away with any underhanded scheming,” Professor Narcisse warned.

But with that, he lifted his right hand, and a magic circle appeared on the floor beneath us. This was a necessary step to swearing on the Sacred Tree. Once our showdown was over, the tree would hold us to our agreement.

“As sworn before the Sacred Tree,” said Narcisse, “you have entered into a holy duel. I hope the gravity isn’t lost on either of you.”

That was probably his way of warning us against any behavior that undermined the sanctity of the match.

I held the sapling close to my side. “You have nothing to worry about from me.”

Pierre motioned to his followers and started for the door. “Good luck finding an Armor in time.” His eyes narrowed, conveying the underlying threat.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll manage.”

 

***

 

Pierre was in good spirits as he returned to the Einhorn. He took a swig of liquor and paused in the storage area where Arroganz was kept. The Armor was newly decorated with a number of sharp, spiky protrusions.

Pierre cackled. “He really is a complete moron!”

All of his followers agreed. Pierre drained the bottle in a single gulp and tossed it away. It shattered, but no one paid it any mind. The inside of the Einhorn was littered with garbage, and a cleaning robot silently set about handling the mess.

“He actually thinks he can get his hands on an Armor. What a fool.”

One of Pierre’s lackeys passed him another bottle. “That was pretty merciless of you, Mr. Pierre—sayin’ he’s still gotta fight, even if he can’t get an Armor.”

“It’s his fault for being so gullible.”

They spoke as though they’d already won.

“Getting my hands on that sapling should be more than enough for my father to appoint me his heir. Then I can send my older brother packing,” Pierre said, thinking about what he would do after he became the head of his house. “House Rault won’t be able to swing its weight around then. And I’ll claim that stuck-up Louise as my arm candy.”

“Uh, are you sure that’s a good idea?” one of his lackeys chimed in. “I’ve heard rumors that she’s set to marry Mr. Hugues.”

“Like I give a crap. Once I have the sapling, her father will beg me to marry her. Louise is the only woman out there who’s good enough for me.” Pierre struck on another idea. “But I should get some insurance, just in case.”

He smirked, anxiously awaiting the day of his match.

 

***

 

Lelia hovered in front of Leon’s house. She had a memo in hand as she stepped up and pressed the doorbell, but to her dismay, no one answered.

“You have to be kidding me,” she said, annoyed. “Why isn’t anyone coming?”

She continued to jab her finger on the doorbell until a passerby hurried over.

“Miss, the person who lives here hasn’t been home for a while.”

“What?”

They were apparently a neighbor, because they were able to fill her in. “He packed up and took off. It looked like a lot of luggage for a simple trip. I found it odd. That’s why I remember. I wondered if he was moving.”

“D-do you know where he went?!”

“Not a clue. The guy had started living with a girl—one about your age. I assume the two of them eloped.”

The person took their leave, and Lelia gasped in disbelief, dropping the note she’d been holding.

“This can’t be. If it’s true, then I’m in serious trouble! Aaaaaaah!”

She stood there screaming for a good long while, cradling her head in both hands.

 

***

 

“What are we going to do? Seriously, Big Bro!”

“Shut up already, Miss Marie.”

As the day of our duel approached, I took refuge at Marie’s place. The best way to stay safe was to huddle up.

When I tacked “Miss” onto Marie’s name, tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, come on! If things go on like this, you won’t find an Armor in time for the duel. It’ll be hard enough to beat Arroganz as it is. If you try to fight him with your bare fists, he’ll squash you like a bug!”

“It’s not my fault. No one is selling. The merchants here are stingy.”

“This is no laughing matter!”

Marie was being meeker than usual, probably because she thought I was still angry with her. Even now, she was waiting on me hand and foot. I took a sip of the tea she’d prepared and wrinkled my nose.

“It’s lukewarm. Pour me another.”

“As you wish.” She swallowed back her tears, snatching up my cup and stalking out into the hallway. Once she thought I was out of earshot, she started cursing. “Stupid tea freak! What the hell is wrong with him?!”

She was so naive that she thought I wouldn’t hear. How like her.

I stretched out in my seat, contemplating how to pass the time until the duel. “If I can’t get my hand on an Armor, I guess I really will have to face Arroganz with my bare fists. Hmm, what a dilemma.”

My partner was nowhere to be seen, but I still glanced over my right shoulder, as if I expected to see him hovering there. “That stubborn idiot,” I grumbled.

Noelle popped into the room. “Hey, is something going on with Rie? She’s shoving a thermometer into a teapot and muttering to herself. And she keeps alternating between adding warm and cold water. Is she performing some kind of experiment?”

Marie had to be fussing over the temperature of the tea. No wonder Noelle thought she was experimenting.

“I’m just teasing her. She performs best under pressure.” Why hadn’t she just put in her best effort to begin with?

“Oh, really?” said Noelle. “You two sure are close. Anyway, there’s someone here to see you.”

“Who is it?”

“Louise.”

 

***

 

Miss Louise was waiting at the front entrance. The moment she spotted Noelle, she crossed her arms beneath her voluptuous breasts and scowled. “So she really is living here.”

Noelle turned away. “Just drop it.”

“Hmph. I don’t have time to play games with you anyway. Leon, I heard that you haven’t been able to secure an Armor yet. Is that true?”

I nodded.

Her brow creased with frustration. “Sadly, I cannot help you.”

“Because of your part in our oath to the Sacred Tree?” I guessed.

“Precisely. Pierre might not have put much thought into what he was saying, but the rest of us take our oaths to the Sacred Tree very seriously.”

Noelle frowned. “Sacred Tree? Don’t make me laugh.”

They glowered at each other, and I clapped my hands to interrupt them.

“Enough, no fighting. So, Miss Louise, is that all you came here for?”

“Afraid not. I would like you to bring the sapling and meet my father. We can ask him to negotiate with House Feivel on our behalf. That will resolve this matter much more smoothly than this dreadful duel.”

I assumed she meant to arrange an exchange—where I gave up the sapling in exchange for the Einhorn. That would theoretically solve the problem, but I couldn’t agree.

“Not good enough”

“And why not?! If you go through with this duel, you’ll be a dead man!”

No man could face an Armor with his bare fists. I knew that much.

“I appreciate the fact that you want to help. And I can forgive most transgressions, but not Pierre’s. He has to pay.” I should have crushed him sooner. Instead, I’d fussed over his importance to the game, like a fool.

Noelle peered at me, full of concern. “Um, hey, maybe you shouldn’t push your luck. I agree that Pierre is at fault, but that’s exactly why you should let Louise handle this.”

“The two of you do realize why I’m called the Hero of Holfort, right?”

“Huh? Um, because you’re strong?” Noelle offered, confused.

Miss Louise gave the query some deeper consideration. “Because of your good fortune, I assume? No matter how powerful a person is, no one becomes a hero without the chance to prove themselves.”

“Bingo! You’re both right, but I would answer a little differently. Being a hero means not going into battles you can’t win. You only fight someone if you know you can beat them.”

“B-but isn’t that underhanded?” Noelle blurted.

“W-well,” I stammered. “Being underhanded on the battlefield is a virtue.”

Luxion had said as much, so it had to be true.

 

***

 

The day before the duel, Pierre and his lackeys went to a tavern to celebrate.

“My triumph is assured! Drink up, boys!”

His thugs chased off the regular patrons and placed their own orders. As Pierre nursed his drink, the owner edged over and plucked up the courage to speak.

“Lord Pierre, I’m afraid your tab is already quite substantial. Also, please ask your companions not to cause further trouble.”

Pierre lifted his cup and tipped the contents over the man’s head. “What was that? You think you can give orders to a great lord like me?”

“N-no, I would never dream of—”

“You and your ilk are garbage. You should be thanking me for the fact you can even live in the republic!” Pierre threw a punch at the man, but it had less effect than he desired. That only incensed him further. “Boys, trash the place!”

At his command, Pierre’s gang of ruffians leaped to their feet and began tearing the tavern apart. The panicked owner latched on to one of them, trying to stop their rampage.

“Please, no more! I beg of you!”

“This is your fault for pissing off Mr. Pierre!”

The thug flung the man to the floor. The owner’s wife and daughter hurried over to his side and wrapped their arms around him.

“Dear!”

“Dad!”

Pierre’s lips twisted into a deranged grin. “You know what, alcohol isn’t nearly exciting enough. We deserve a real celebration, and you’ve pissed me off. Maybe I should make your family pay.”

The man sensed Pierre’s meaning, jumping forward to shield his wife and daughter. “No, stop this!”

Pierre lifted his right hand, calling roots through the floorboards. Pierre’s subordinates gathered around as the roots twisted themselves around the owner.

“You two are coming with us.”

The ruffians led the man’s wife and daughter away while he stretched his hands out after them. “Let them go!”

Pierre sneered. “Oh, I will. After I’ve had my fun. Right now, you should be more concerned for your own well-being.”

He went outside with his flunkies, and they set the tavern ablaze. The two women sobbed as the flames swallowed the building.

“Nooo!”

Pierre cackled gleefully. “See what happens to anyone who opposes me?!”

The townspeople looked on bitterly. None of them dared say a word. Eventually, military showed up to see what was going on, but as soon as they realized Pierre was involved, they set about extinguishing the fire without bothering to arrest him.

“Just do what I tell you, peons!” Pierre bellowed.

Behind him, the building smoldered.

 

***

 

It was the day of the duel, and I still hadn’t managed to get my hands on an Armor. I was at the mansion, stooping beside Elle as she gulped down her food.

“Make sure you eat it all. Your master will be coming back soon.” I didn’t expect her to understand, but she did pause to look at me briefly.

Kyle stood behind me with his arms crossed. “I see you’re as carefree as ever, Earl Bartfort. Won’t you please take this more seriously?”

“Eh, it’s not my fault. Elle has a soothing effect on me.”

“Your duel is today. Can you win?”

“Hmm, good question.”

He stared a hole through me. “I will choose to believe that you have some kind of plan. My mistress has been acting very odd lately.”

I lifted myself up. “Don’t worry. Odd is her default.”

Carla hurried over with a brown paper bag. “Earl Bartfort, a package arrived for you.”

“You don’t say?”

“Yes, although no one knows who sent it.”

“Don’t worry about that,” I said, taking the bag from her. Inside was a black leather glove with a knuckle guard. I tucked it into my pocket and pointed at Elle. “You’ll stay behind to look after her, right?”

“Yes,” said Carla. “I will take good care of her!” She had lured me into a trap once before, but you wouldn’t have known it by how earnest she looked now—as if she’d left all her scheming days behind.

“I’m counting on you.”

“I’m coming to root for you with everyone else,” Kyle interjected.

“Yeah? Then you better place your bets on me. I’ll make you filthy rich.”

“Regrettably, Alzer does not allow betting on matches sworn on the Sacred Tree. My lady informed me of that.”

“Huh, seriously?” What a bummer. I’d been hoping to bet on myself again. Oh well, such is life.

“In that case, I’d better be off. See you guys later.”

As I turned to leave, Noelle came running with the sapling in her hands. “Leon, you forgot this! You’d be in serious trouble without it.”

I stroked my chin. As I stared at her, an idea popped into my head. “You keep it.”

Noelle’s forehead wrinkled. “What? Really? But it’s super important, right?”

I chuckled. “I get the feeling it’ll be a lot safer in your hands than mine. Don’t worry if someone steals it from you. I’ll be sure to get it back.”

“I’ll keep it safe.” Noelle hugged the sapling close and flashed a smile. Just for a moment, I felt envious of Jean.

Ugh, what’s wrong with me? I’m already engaged!

 

***

 

Marie called over her shoulder as she left with the boys. “Carla, please look after Brad and Elle!”

Carla hugged Elle as she saw everyone off at the door. Once they were gone, she took the dog outside for a breath of fresh air. “Come on, let’s go out for a bit.”

Stepping out into the garden, Carla noticed that the gate was ajar. She walked over to close it, but before she could, a man reached out and grabbed her.

“Huh?”

Carla gaped for a moment before panic set in. Men in black suits forced the gate open and flooded in to surround her.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” she demanded.

“This girl’s all we need, right?”

“Yep.”

“Well then, let’s take her and go.”

They pulled out a rope, striking fear into Carla’s heart. Brad stepped out of the house, wondering what all of the fuss was about.

“I only meant to take a peek and see what was going on,” he remarked. “Looks like we’ve got more trouble on our doorstep.”

“Mr. Brad!”

“Release her now,” Brad warned. “Before I make you.” He was poised to fight, although he still hadn’t recovered from his injuries.

The suits exchanged looks.

“Shall we hurt him?”

“May as well. We can look for the sapling while we’re at it.”

Cold sweat ran down Brad’s forehead. “Well, this is troubling. And I’m still not in top shape.”