Kendril, I—” she buried her face in her hands. “I still can’t remember anything…”
Maklavir placed his hand on the girl’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Jade.” He glared at Kendril. “How do you know it’s her they’re after, anyway? It might be you , for all we know.”
Kendril looked up from his pistol. “What? A nice guy like me?” He glanced over at the two tavern workers, who were still sitting against the far wall. The tavern maid was weeping softly. “Relax,” Kendril said gruffly. “I’m not going to hurt either of you. But no one can leave right now. If the men watching this place see it, we’re done for.”
Maklavir sat down in a chair next to Jade, his hand still on her shoulder. “If they’re after one of us, then why haven’t they made their move?”
Kendril crossed to the window, edging up against the wall and peering carefully between the cracks in the curtains. “I don’t know. My guess is that they’re waiting until later. They’ve been quiet so far, and I think they want to keep it that way. No one else has even noticed the sentries are dead, as far as I can tell.” He moved the curtain slightly with his finger and peered out. “They think we don’t know they’re here. As far as they’re concerned, they have all night to make their move.”
Maklavir shivered. “I see.” He rubbed Jade’s shoulder. “What exactly do you propose we do?”
Kendril scowled. He looked at Jade, then the innkeeper and the tavern maid, then back to the front door. “I’m not exactly sure. They have all the exits covered, and the whole place is being watched.” A rumble of thunder sounded loudly overhead, and the rain seemed to suddenly increase in tempo.
“Can we try to make it to one of the gates?” asked Maklavir hopefully. “Sneak out without being seen, perhaps, and overpower the guard?”
The Ghostwalker shook his head. “I doubt it. I barely made it in the back door by myself. All of us trying to make it without being seen would be near impossible.”
“ You can leave,” said Jade suddenly. All eyes turned to her. She brushed back her hair, her eyes filled with resolve. “You can all leave, right now. It’s me they want, not you. I’m sure of it. I’ll stay here. Please,” she said after a short pause, “it’s your only chance. I don’t want to be responsible for anything happening to any of you.”
Maklavir shook his head. “We don’t know that it’s you they want. For that matter, we don’t know what they want at all.”
“It’s me. It has to be.” She glanced at Kendril. “You think so, too, don’t you Kendril?”
The Ghostwalker said nothing, but quickly looked away.
Jade sighed. “Please, I’m asking all of you. Leave me here. It’s the only way.”
“Absolutely not,” said Maklavir. “I know the situation seems grim, but I have no intention of abandoning you to these thugs. Not without a fight, at least.”
Kendril smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”
The men were tense. Reginald could feel it, like a static charge in the air. They no longer sat, but stood uneasily by the door, fingering weapons and glancing periodically out the windows. Only Montrose remained seated in his rocking chair, chewing thoughtfully on his now unlit pipe. Outside the rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the thunder and lightning were drifting further away. It looked like the worst of the storm was over.
Montrose pulled out his pocket watch once more, just as he had done half a dozen times in the last half hour or so.
“Eleven twenty-three,” he said quietly.
A few of the thugs dared a peek out the window. Even through the falling rain, it was obvious that candles were still flickering in the common room of the inn across the street.
Reginald sat down in one of the wooden chairs, swishing his cape to one side. “You understand she is not to be injured?”
Montrose nodded, his eyes looking out the window. “We’ll keep her
Maklavir placed his hand on the girl’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Jade.” He glared at Kendril. “How do you know it’s her they’re after, anyway? It might be you , for all we know.”
Kendril looked up from his pistol. “What? A nice guy like me?” He glanced over at the two tavern workers, who were still sitting against the far wall. The tavern maid was weeping softly. “Relax,” Kendril said gruffly. “I’m not going to hurt either of you. But no one can leave right now. If the men watching this place see it, we’re done for.”
Maklavir sat down in a chair next to Jade, his hand still on her shoulder. “If they’re after one of us, then why haven’t they made their move?”
Kendril crossed to the window, edging up against the wall and peering carefully between the cracks in the curtains. “I don’t know. My guess is that they’re waiting until later. They’ve been quiet so far, and I think they want to keep it that way. No one else has even noticed the sentries are dead, as far as I can tell.” He moved the curtain slightly with his finger and peered out. “They think we don’t know they’re here. As far as they’re concerned, they have all night to make their move.”
Maklavir shivered. “I see.” He rubbed Jade’s shoulder. “What exactly do you propose we do?”
Kendril scowled. He looked at Jade, then the innkeeper and the tavern maid, then back to the front door. “I’m not exactly sure. They have all the exits covered, and the whole place is being watched.” A rumble of thunder sounded loudly overhead, and the rain seemed to suddenly increase in tempo.
“Can we try to make it to one of the gates?” asked Maklavir hopefully. “Sneak out without being seen, perhaps, and overpower the guard?”
The Ghostwalker shook his head. “I doubt it. I barely made it in the back door by myself. All of us trying to make it without being seen would be near impossible.”
“ You can leave,” said Jade suddenly. All eyes turned to her. She brushed back her hair, her eyes filled with resolve. “You can all leave, right now. It’s me they want, not you. I’m sure of it. I’ll stay here. Please,” she said after a short pause, “it’s your only chance. I don’t want to be responsible for anything happening to any of you.”
Maklavir shook his head. “We don’t know that it’s you they want. For that matter, we don’t know what they want at all.”
“It’s me. It has to be.” She glanced at Kendril. “You think so, too, don’t you Kendril?”
The Ghostwalker said nothing, but quickly looked away.
Jade sighed. “Please, I’m asking all of you. Leave me here. It’s the only way.”
“Absolutely not,” said Maklavir. “I know the situation seems grim, but I have no intention of abandoning you to these thugs. Not without a fight, at least.”
Kendril smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”
The men were tense. Reginald could feel it, like a static charge in the air. They no longer sat, but stood uneasily by the door, fingering weapons and glancing periodically out the windows. Only Montrose remained seated in his rocking chair, chewing thoughtfully on his now unlit pipe. Outside the rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the thunder and lightning were drifting further away. It looked like the worst of the storm was over.
Montrose pulled out his pocket watch once more, just as he had done half a dozen times in the last half hour or so.
“Eleven twenty-three,” he said quietly.
A few of the thugs dared a peek out the window. Even through the falling rain, it was obvious that candles were still flickering in the common room of the inn across the street.
Reginald sat down in one of the wooden chairs, swishing his cape to one side. “You understand she is not to be injured?”
Montrose nodded, his eyes looking out the window. “We’ll keep her
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