needed to use magic, and I didn’t want either Lydia or Russell to know that I could use illusion magic. Lydia would probably report me to the Inquisition like the good empty-headed little girl that she was. And Russell…I didn’t think he would report me to the Inquisition. I hoped he wouldn’t report me to the Inquisition.
I thought of what he had said about elfophobia.
Well. Better not put him in that position.
I scooted next to Russell and whispered in his ear.
“Listen,” I said. “Three orcs. They’ve got Lydia. I think we can take them. But you have to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”
He nodded, gripping the AK-47 tight.
“I’m going to go around the corner,” I said. “I’ll do something to distract them, something that will make them turn around. Then I’ll start shooting. Don’t come around the corner until I call.” I thought for an instant. “When you hear me shout ‘bookstore’, come around the corner and shoot at any orcs you can see, but don’t hit Lydia and for God’s sake don’t hit me. Don’t come around the corner until you hear me shout ‘bookstore’. Do you understand?”
He nodded once more.
I patted him on the shoulder and crawled back to the corner, peering around the edge. The orcs continued their argument on the imbecility of humans, but they had bound Lydia’s wrists behind her back, stuffed a gag into her mouth, and wound a rope around her neck as a leash. She had stopped struggling, but instead cried in silence, her entire body trembling with it.
If she lived through this, she was going to have some nasty nightmares.
Maybe I could keep them from getting any worse.
I scooted forward, ducking behind one of the pallets of toilet paper. Neither the orcs nor Lydia noticed the movement, and the cardboard cartons blocked Russell’s view of me.
Which meant I was free to cast a spell. I gathered power, focusing my will and mind, and silvery light flashed from my free hand. I cast the Masking spell around myself, and I Masked myself as a duplicate of the Archon I had killed in the bookstore, with the same black uniform, the same Elven features, the same hair and eyes.
Then I took a deep breath and got to my feet, the Masking spell converting the tap of my running shoes against the polished concrete to the click of heavy boots. The orcs spun, leveling their weapons at me, and I put all the hauteur into my disguised voice that I could manage.
“What is the meaning of this?” I snapped in the Elven tongue. “You dare to point your weapons at an Archon? Lower them immediately.”
“Master,” rumbled the orcish soldier in charge as they lowered their weapons. “You startled us.”
His dark eyes strayed to the AK-47 in my hands. I suspected the Archons did not sully themselves by carrying weapons of human design.
“Why are you wasting time with human females?” I snapped, stopping a dozen paces away. I glanced further down the corridor, one part of my mind holding the Mask in place, the other calculating distances. I didn’t see any other orcish soldiers or Archons in the service corridor, and I took a step to the left, moving closer to one of the pallets of toilet paper. That should give Russell a clear line of sight to the orcs, and I could take cover behind the pallet if this went bad.
The orcish soldier looked confused. “You…commanded it of us, master.”
“What nonsense is this?” I said. Lydia’s bloodshot eyes turned towards me, full of fresh fear. “This negligence is…beware!” I pointed the AK-47 in their direction. “The foe comes! Prepare to fight!”
The orcs had been well-trained, and they spun to face the other direction, raising their AK-47s to cover the corridor. Lydia looked in that direction as well. It was absolutely perfect.
“Bookstore!” I shouted, letting my Mask dissolve, and I raised my gun and started shooting.
I caught the orc on the left first, and the back of his head exploded.
I thought of what he had said about elfophobia.
Well. Better not put him in that position.
I scooted next to Russell and whispered in his ear.
“Listen,” I said. “Three orcs. They’ve got Lydia. I think we can take them. But you have to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”
He nodded, gripping the AK-47 tight.
“I’m going to go around the corner,” I said. “I’ll do something to distract them, something that will make them turn around. Then I’ll start shooting. Don’t come around the corner until I call.” I thought for an instant. “When you hear me shout ‘bookstore’, come around the corner and shoot at any orcs you can see, but don’t hit Lydia and for God’s sake don’t hit me. Don’t come around the corner until you hear me shout ‘bookstore’. Do you understand?”
He nodded once more.
I patted him on the shoulder and crawled back to the corner, peering around the edge. The orcs continued their argument on the imbecility of humans, but they had bound Lydia’s wrists behind her back, stuffed a gag into her mouth, and wound a rope around her neck as a leash. She had stopped struggling, but instead cried in silence, her entire body trembling with it.
If she lived through this, she was going to have some nasty nightmares.
Maybe I could keep them from getting any worse.
I scooted forward, ducking behind one of the pallets of toilet paper. Neither the orcs nor Lydia noticed the movement, and the cardboard cartons blocked Russell’s view of me.
Which meant I was free to cast a spell. I gathered power, focusing my will and mind, and silvery light flashed from my free hand. I cast the Masking spell around myself, and I Masked myself as a duplicate of the Archon I had killed in the bookstore, with the same black uniform, the same Elven features, the same hair and eyes.
Then I took a deep breath and got to my feet, the Masking spell converting the tap of my running shoes against the polished concrete to the click of heavy boots. The orcs spun, leveling their weapons at me, and I put all the hauteur into my disguised voice that I could manage.
“What is the meaning of this?” I snapped in the Elven tongue. “You dare to point your weapons at an Archon? Lower them immediately.”
“Master,” rumbled the orcish soldier in charge as they lowered their weapons. “You startled us.”
His dark eyes strayed to the AK-47 in my hands. I suspected the Archons did not sully themselves by carrying weapons of human design.
“Why are you wasting time with human females?” I snapped, stopping a dozen paces away. I glanced further down the corridor, one part of my mind holding the Mask in place, the other calculating distances. I didn’t see any other orcish soldiers or Archons in the service corridor, and I took a step to the left, moving closer to one of the pallets of toilet paper. That should give Russell a clear line of sight to the orcs, and I could take cover behind the pallet if this went bad.
The orcish soldier looked confused. “You…commanded it of us, master.”
“What nonsense is this?” I said. Lydia’s bloodshot eyes turned towards me, full of fresh fear. “This negligence is…beware!” I pointed the AK-47 in their direction. “The foe comes! Prepare to fight!”
The orcs had been well-trained, and they spun to face the other direction, raising their AK-47s to cover the corridor. Lydia looked in that direction as well. It was absolutely perfect.
“Bookstore!” I shouted, letting my Mask dissolve, and I raised my gun and started shooting.
I caught the orc on the left first, and the back of his head exploded.
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