straightened.
“ Don’t test me, Sentinel.”
His voice was frightening in its calmness.
Aurelia took a tentative step back, hoping
the presence of an evil Enchanter would be more interesting to the
Sentinels than the crunch of the forest floor. She couldn’t let
them catch her and drag her back to the Triumvirate—especially when
she was so close to freedom. If they got her, they’d lock her up
for running away, then probe her mind to find out where she was
going. And once their spells dug the answer out of her and revealed
that she was trying to join the rebels, they’d kill her.
It was escape or die.
She kept her hands on the hilts of her
double swords, ready to strike again if she sensed danger
coming.
They must’ve seen the
light from the fight and heard the ruckus, she realized. They must’ve thought
they’d be saving the day. And that’s what they’ll tell everyone,
for sure. She rolled her eyes, already
seeing the headlines in tomorrow morning’s newspapers. The
Sentinels would claim credit for her victory—again—and the
Triumvirs would probably praise them for their valor when they
hadn’t done a thing other than lie. That was how the Triumvirate
worked—glory went to whoever the Triumvirs favored, rather than
those who deserved it. She clenched her teeth to suppress a
snort.
You’re welcome, jerks.
“ Arrest him,” the woman
said in a steely tone.
She’d barely finished speaking before Storm
threw up his wand with a shouted incantation. Green-edged fire shot
toward the woman, who met it with a spell of blue sparks, stopping
it halfway. The other Sentinels sprang into action, throwing blasts
in Storm’s direction, but he wasn’t about to go quietly. Twisting,
he sent his magic shooting toward the others in a brilliant arc.
The Sentinels didn’t scare easy, though, and they fired back
ruthlessly. Colored light blazed from seven different wands,
wrestling for dominance over the surrounding blackness.
It was a spectacular sight, but Aurelia
wasn’t about to stay and watch. With her enemies busy fighting each
other—and apparently forgetting that she was there—she had a chance
to get away. She’d have to travel the last ten miles to the Way
Station on foot, leaving her motorbike and knapsack behind. They
were too close to the battle, and it wasn’t worth the risk of being
seen to fetch them. She could do without.
Step by tentative step, she walked backward,
allowing the shadows of the forest to swallow her. She moved
deliberately, doing her best to avoid making noise. Loud as the
Sentinel’s fight against Storm was, she didn’t want to risk
alerting them to her absence. She hoped to be long gone before the
confrontation ended.
But even if she could escape this time, she
didn’t think Tydeus Storm and his dark magic would give up so
easily. He’d been seeking her, after all, and though she didn’t
know what he wanted, she was sure it couldn’t be anything good. Not
only did he use the same magic as the monsters, but he’d said that
the Rising was his enemy. If he didn’t side with the Triumvirate
and he didn’t side with the Rising, that meant he supported the one
enemy that could unite both sides: the Lord of the Underworld. It
was the only explanation, since he used the Lord’s magic.
Aurelia reached one arm behind her, feeling
for obstacles, but kept her eyes on the fight. Though she moved
slowly, she couldn’t completely silence her boots, and her heart
leaped into her throat as a twig snapped beneath her heel. She
froze, holding her breath and half expecting someone—maybe Storm,
maybe a Sentinel—to goldlight to her location.
But bright spells
continued flaring beyond the trees; the battle was still going on,
which meant both her enemies remained distracted. She exhaled, but
relief wouldn’t come. An uncomfortable feeling gnawed at her gut as
she realized that if the Sentinels hadn’t come, she’d be the one fighting Storm. And
as much as she wanted to
“ Don’t test me, Sentinel.”
His voice was frightening in its calmness.
Aurelia took a tentative step back, hoping
the presence of an evil Enchanter would be more interesting to the
Sentinels than the crunch of the forest floor. She couldn’t let
them catch her and drag her back to the Triumvirate—especially when
she was so close to freedom. If they got her, they’d lock her up
for running away, then probe her mind to find out where she was
going. And once their spells dug the answer out of her and revealed
that she was trying to join the rebels, they’d kill her.
It was escape or die.
She kept her hands on the hilts of her
double swords, ready to strike again if she sensed danger
coming.
They must’ve seen the
light from the fight and heard the ruckus, she realized. They must’ve thought
they’d be saving the day. And that’s what they’ll tell everyone,
for sure. She rolled her eyes, already
seeing the headlines in tomorrow morning’s newspapers. The
Sentinels would claim credit for her victory—again—and the
Triumvirs would probably praise them for their valor when they
hadn’t done a thing other than lie. That was how the Triumvirate
worked—glory went to whoever the Triumvirs favored, rather than
those who deserved it. She clenched her teeth to suppress a
snort.
You’re welcome, jerks.
“ Arrest him,” the woman
said in a steely tone.
She’d barely finished speaking before Storm
threw up his wand with a shouted incantation. Green-edged fire shot
toward the woman, who met it with a spell of blue sparks, stopping
it halfway. The other Sentinels sprang into action, throwing blasts
in Storm’s direction, but he wasn’t about to go quietly. Twisting,
he sent his magic shooting toward the others in a brilliant arc.
The Sentinels didn’t scare easy, though, and they fired back
ruthlessly. Colored light blazed from seven different wands,
wrestling for dominance over the surrounding blackness.
It was a spectacular sight, but Aurelia
wasn’t about to stay and watch. With her enemies busy fighting each
other—and apparently forgetting that she was there—she had a chance
to get away. She’d have to travel the last ten miles to the Way
Station on foot, leaving her motorbike and knapsack behind. They
were too close to the battle, and it wasn’t worth the risk of being
seen to fetch them. She could do without.
Step by tentative step, she walked backward,
allowing the shadows of the forest to swallow her. She moved
deliberately, doing her best to avoid making noise. Loud as the
Sentinel’s fight against Storm was, she didn’t want to risk
alerting them to her absence. She hoped to be long gone before the
confrontation ended.
But even if she could escape this time, she
didn’t think Tydeus Storm and his dark magic would give up so
easily. He’d been seeking her, after all, and though she didn’t
know what he wanted, she was sure it couldn’t be anything good. Not
only did he use the same magic as the monsters, but he’d said that
the Rising was his enemy. If he didn’t side with the Triumvirate
and he didn’t side with the Rising, that meant he supported the one
enemy that could unite both sides: the Lord of the Underworld. It
was the only explanation, since he used the Lord’s magic.
Aurelia reached one arm behind her, feeling
for obstacles, but kept her eyes on the fight. Though she moved
slowly, she couldn’t completely silence her boots, and her heart
leaped into her throat as a twig snapped beneath her heel. She
froze, holding her breath and half expecting someone—maybe Storm,
maybe a Sentinel—to goldlight to her location.
But bright spells
continued flaring beyond the trees; the battle was still going on,
which meant both her enemies remained distracted. She exhaled, but
relief wouldn’t come. An uncomfortable feeling gnawed at her gut as
she realized that if the Sentinels hadn’t come, she’d be the one fighting Storm. And
as much as she wanted to
Similar Books
