Without a sound, the two of them climbed out the window and headed off into the night.
The kingdom was always quiet at night. And not just because everyone was asleep. The guards were always out in full force. They were out at all times, but the night shift was heavily guarded.
Curfew was nine o’clock. It was one o’clock in the morning, well past that time. Milo knew that it wouldn’t be easy to get back to the Myriad, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t wait any longer. It had to be now.
They kept to the shadows as they made their way through the town. Most of their movements involved hiding behind cottages and sprinting to the next one when a guard turned their back.
What felt like hours later, they cleared the town and made their way across the countryside. While the town was populated by cottages and stores, the countryside was littered with farms and livestock. Cara and Milo had to run across many fields to reach their hideout.
When they finally reached it, they slowed down. Milo stopped and looked at the old barn for a while. It was an abandoned barn, one that had belonged to Cara’s cousin. It had yellow siding and a green roof. From the outside it looked old and beat up. But inside, it was a completely different story.
The second they walked in through the door, Cara and Milo were swarmed. Milo couldn’t keep track of everyone who came up to him. He recognized them all, but they moved through so fast that the second he recognized a face, another one appeared as they welcomed him back. All twenty-three members or the Myriad must’ve been there that night.
George was the last to come up. He was a short, fourteen year old boy who had sandy blond hair and green eyes. He was Milo’s right hand man when Cara wasn’t around. They had met just a few years back and quickly became friends.
He shook Milo’s hand, but looked directly in his eyes. There was an intense look in his eyes as he said, “Don’t ever do that again. You had them scared half to death.” By them, Milo was sure that George was referring to the rest of the Myriad.
Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this? Milo wondered. I was only gone for a few days.
“Yeah,” he said out loud. “Never again.” George nodded and moved on to talk to Cara.
Milo took the chance to look around the barn. Nothing had changed. The sink was filled with dishes – as it always was having twenty-five or so teenagers living together – hay bales were stacked in front of the windows, and the makeshift blankets and pillows were in a mess on the floor. Why couldn’t someone simply fold them or move them out of the way during the day?
But what really caught his eye was the blue carpet on the floor. The corner was folded up and it wasn’t straight. And that could only mean one thing.
“You had to use the hideout?” he asked, turning to face George. George was in the middle of a conversation with Cara, but his attention changed when he heard the word hideout.
“Just last night,” he admitted. “Guards came by. Farmer down the road gave us the signal. I got everyone down there just before the guards busted in.”
Milo’s heart ponded. “So they found our hideout.”
“Not exactly,” George responded, lowering his voice. “They think they did, but I’m sure they gave up that idea when we were nowhere to be found and the place was ransacked. So we’re safe for now.”
Milo breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren’t for the farmers that lived around them, the Myriad would’ve been taken down a long time ago. Thankfully the farmers weren’t scared of the Myriad. It was a small blessing.
“We need to talk,” Milo said suddenly, quiet enough that only Cara and George could hear. “Now.” George nodded and turned to the rest of the kids.
“Listen up everyone!” To Milo’s surprise, they all stopped what they were doing and turned to face him. “Go back to sleep. By morning, Milo, Cara, and I will have a plan. You’ll need you rest.” Milo watched in awe as they all wandered over to their sleeping places and got into bed. He always had to fight to get them to sleep. How could George do it so easily? Maybe leaving had been a bad idea.
George led them up a ladder to the upper decks of the barn. It was filled with old hay bales and abandoned bird nests. But it was also where Milo, Cara, and George slept. It was their little reprieve from the rest of the members. They were like family, but like family, they got annoying at times. They needed their breaks from each other.
“First you need to tell us why you left in the first place,” George said as they sat. Milo glowered.
“I don’t need to tell you anything. Why do you need to know every little detail of my personal life?”
“Because it had to do with the Myriad. That’s why.”
“No it didn’t,” Milo retorted. “I went into town to meet with my mother. And it just so happens that she betrayed me to my father. Okay? Are you happy now? Stop accusing me of hiding things.”
Both George and Cara were stunned. Whatever it was that they had been expecting him to say, it wasn’t that.
“There’s more going on than both of you can imagine,” he continued.
“So tell us,” Cara said, scooting closer to him. “We’re her for you. We’re a family, remember?” But Milo just shook his head.
“We’ll talk in the morning. Right now we need to sleep. I have lots planned for the week coming up.” Without a second glance at his friends, he laid down in his makeshift bed and closed his eyes. He’d need his rest if they were going to storm the castle the next day.
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