Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
At the next block, our footsteps stumbled to a stop as we came upon the blackened building billowing red flames and smoke. Windows were blown out of the building as well as other nearby buildings. Several people lay on the ground close by, not moving under the bits of rubble. I couldn’t tell from where we stood if they were dead or knocked unconscious.
I started forward, but Nylian caught my wrist, stopping me. He didn’t look in my direction but focused all of his attention on the guards and servants gathered around us. Without an ounce of hesitation, Nylian bellowed orders, sending servants and guards this way and that to help injured people, check other buildings, and make sure no one was still in the burning building.
The servants jumped in to follow his orders, but the guards seemed more reluctant to leave his side.
“Your people are dying while you babysit me!” he roared, getting them moving at last.
The captain of our protection detail glared at Nylian and ordered one guard to stay behind at Prince Xeran’s side to make sure nothing happened to him. Not perfect, but it was a considerable improvement over what we’d faced earlier.
I turned my gaze away from the building, the smoke stinging my eyes. Just as I turned, I caught sight of two robed figures darting down an alley. One peeked over their shoulder, and I swore it was Jasper’s flushed face half-hidden in the hood.
“There!” I shouted, pointing at the alley.
Nylian didn’t question it. He darted off in a flash with me in tow. The guard assigned to us squawked in surprise, but I soon heard his pounding footsteps following behind us. The duo in black wove their way through the narrow warren of alleys and back streets until they made a mistake. A dead end.
The smaller of the two figures spun to face us, sword zooming out of its sheath, only to have their shoulders slump. The figure jerked off their hood to reveal Adeline’s familiar scowl.
“What the hell!” she snapped. “You scared me to death. And you had to bring the Watch along with you?” She waved her sword at the guard, who was standing a few feet behind me with wide eyes and mouth hanging open.
“We didn’t know it was you,” I argued.
“But we had a guess,” Nylian mumbled with a shake of his head.
“Yeah, well, we need to get out of here now.” Adeline turned the full force of her glare on the poor guard, who was still stuck with us.
“What’s going on? Who’s this human? What is she doing here? Is she the one who caused the explosion?” As the young guard spat out questions, he drew his sword, his eyes darting between the four of us.
“The explosion wasn’t Addie’s fault!” Jasper cried, jerking off his hood to reveal his pale face and what appeared to be a plump chipmunk clutching strands of his hair on the top of his head.
“What the—” the guard gasped.
“And now the tableau is complete,” Nylian muttered. He turned his attention to the guard and bowed his head. “So sorry about this.”
Before the poor palace guard could even react, Nylian stepped toward him, grabbed the wrist of the hand holding his sword, and gave him a hard jerk forward, pulling him off balance. As the man stumbled, Nylian whirled and slammed his fist into the back of the elf’s skull. In the blink of an eye, he crumpled to the ground, his sword clattering against the stones as it fell from limp fingers.
Nylian released his hold on the guard and smirked at me. I felt like I should be applauding. It was quite a spectacular but simple move.
“I guess this is the opportunity we were waiting for,” I said, grinning at my companion.
“Agreed.” He turned his attention to Adeline and Jasper. “Is it too much to hope that you know of a way out of the city that doesn’t take us through the main gate?”
“No,” Adeline replied.
“Aaahhh!” Jasper cried out as the chipmunk on his head chittered, chirped, and squeaked in its high-pitched voice while jumping up and down. It pulled on his hair, using the strands like reins on a horse.
“Gods, let me just kill that thing for you so we can focus on serious business.” Nylian marched toward Jasper, but the young wizard threw up his hands and backpedaled, attempting to ward the elf off.
“You can’t! He’s not a chipmunk. He’s my mentor.” Jasper argued.
I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose and pinched, fighting off the headache that was forming. It could be from the smoke or from Jasper-related chaos. I hadn’t decided yet. “Your mentor is a chipmunk? This might explain why you’re having such trouble learning magic.”
Adeline let out a long, frustrated groan as she shoved her sword into the sheath at her side. “We don’t have time for this. Long story short, Jasper changed his wizard teacher into a chipmunk by accident. Now, can we get the hell out of here?”