… I’m the mayor. I should be present for—”
Jataan took a step forward and Humphrey stopped talking.
“Yes, well, I do have many other issues to attend to. Lord Reishi,” he said curtly before turning on his heel and shuffling out the door.
“Follow him, Little One,” Alexander said silently.
“Yes, My Love.”
“He’s not really as insufferable as he made himself out to be,” LaChance said. “Truth is, he’s been a real help managing the day-to-day operations of the town.”
“I have no doubt,” Alexander said. “Unfortunately, he’s working for one of my enemies.”
“What?” LaChance said, genuinely surprised and a little flustered by the revelation. “Who?”
“I’m pretty sure that Nightshade is a man named Titus Grant. He’s stabbed me in the back both literally and figuratively. If he’s here, we need to deal with him or he could disrupt this entire operation.”
A wyvern roared, fury and pain echoing into the sky. Alexander bolted for the door and set out at a dead run toward the aerie. His friends fell in behind him. More sounds of battle reverberated through the trees as they neared. A wyvern leapt into the air, coming into view only briefly before a shadowy creature of almost translucent darkness latched on to its wing and tore the thin membrane to tatters. The wyvern snapped at the shadowy attacker and it vanished, leaving only wisps of darkness fading like smoke on a breeze. But the damage was done. The wyvern crashed to the ground, its wing no longer able to support it in flight.
Alexander arrived to find all eight wyverns injured and a number of handlers dead or dying. Kiera stood in the middle of the aerie , flanked by several Sky Knights looking for any further threat, but the forest fell silent save for the sounds of wounded wyverns.
He stopped several feet from Kiera, her colors roiling with rage. Outwardly, the only indication of her feelings was the ferocity in her eyes.
“Report,” Alexander said.
She took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking.
“Shadows came out of the forest and attacked the wyverns. We fought as best we could, but there were too many of them. They didn’t attack us unless we got in the way … they were just after the wyverns.”
“Lita, tend to the wounded. LaChance, I need twenty Rangers and horses for all of my people.”
Lita went to work immediately, caring for the wounded Sky Knights. LaChance pointed at one of his men. The Ranger turned on his heel and ran for the stables.
“Who do you think did this?” Jack asked.
“Probably Yasim,” Alexander said. “This sounds like a spell I’ve seen him cast.” He opened his Wizard’s Den with a gesture and went to his magic circle, while Jataan stood just inside the doorway, his hands casually clasped behind his back.
Alexander slipped into the firmament and thought of Yasim. Sure enough , he found the Royal Assassin in a steep ravine not half a league from the aerie. He was accompanied by the same four men who had guarded Alexander’s tent during their journey to the Western Province. A dozen assassins were with him as well, the very same men that the Babachenko had threatened to send after Abigail. Alexander rose into the sky and mentally mapped their location.
He emerged from his Wizard’s Den to the sound of horses approaching at a gallop.
“Stay mounted,” he said to the Rangers, as he took the reins offered to him and hoisted himself into the saddle.
“Listen up. We’re going after the Andalian Royal Assassin and his men. All of them are dangerous , so don’t hesitate to strike.” He turned to LaChance. “Have your fastest ship made ready to sail.”
LaChance saluted and started issuing orders.
“I would join you, Lord Reishi,” Kiera said.
“ Good. Mount up,” he said, spurring his horse toward the forest.
Chapter 5
The terrain was rough, but not unmanageable for the nimble horses favored by the Rangers. As they reached the ridge looking
Jataan took a step forward and Humphrey stopped talking.
“Yes, well, I do have many other issues to attend to. Lord Reishi,” he said curtly before turning on his heel and shuffling out the door.
“Follow him, Little One,” Alexander said silently.
“Yes, My Love.”
“He’s not really as insufferable as he made himself out to be,” LaChance said. “Truth is, he’s been a real help managing the day-to-day operations of the town.”
“I have no doubt,” Alexander said. “Unfortunately, he’s working for one of my enemies.”
“What?” LaChance said, genuinely surprised and a little flustered by the revelation. “Who?”
“I’m pretty sure that Nightshade is a man named Titus Grant. He’s stabbed me in the back both literally and figuratively. If he’s here, we need to deal with him or he could disrupt this entire operation.”
A wyvern roared, fury and pain echoing into the sky. Alexander bolted for the door and set out at a dead run toward the aerie. His friends fell in behind him. More sounds of battle reverberated through the trees as they neared. A wyvern leapt into the air, coming into view only briefly before a shadowy creature of almost translucent darkness latched on to its wing and tore the thin membrane to tatters. The wyvern snapped at the shadowy attacker and it vanished, leaving only wisps of darkness fading like smoke on a breeze. But the damage was done. The wyvern crashed to the ground, its wing no longer able to support it in flight.
Alexander arrived to find all eight wyverns injured and a number of handlers dead or dying. Kiera stood in the middle of the aerie , flanked by several Sky Knights looking for any further threat, but the forest fell silent save for the sounds of wounded wyverns.
He stopped several feet from Kiera, her colors roiling with rage. Outwardly, the only indication of her feelings was the ferocity in her eyes.
“Report,” Alexander said.
She took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking.
“Shadows came out of the forest and attacked the wyverns. We fought as best we could, but there were too many of them. They didn’t attack us unless we got in the way … they were just after the wyverns.”
“Lita, tend to the wounded. LaChance, I need twenty Rangers and horses for all of my people.”
Lita went to work immediately, caring for the wounded Sky Knights. LaChance pointed at one of his men. The Ranger turned on his heel and ran for the stables.
“Who do you think did this?” Jack asked.
“Probably Yasim,” Alexander said. “This sounds like a spell I’ve seen him cast.” He opened his Wizard’s Den with a gesture and went to his magic circle, while Jataan stood just inside the doorway, his hands casually clasped behind his back.
Alexander slipped into the firmament and thought of Yasim. Sure enough , he found the Royal Assassin in a steep ravine not half a league from the aerie. He was accompanied by the same four men who had guarded Alexander’s tent during their journey to the Western Province. A dozen assassins were with him as well, the very same men that the Babachenko had threatened to send after Abigail. Alexander rose into the sky and mentally mapped their location.
He emerged from his Wizard’s Den to the sound of horses approaching at a gallop.
“Stay mounted,” he said to the Rangers, as he took the reins offered to him and hoisted himself into the saddle.
“Listen up. We’re going after the Andalian Royal Assassin and his men. All of them are dangerous , so don’t hesitate to strike.” He turned to LaChance. “Have your fastest ship made ready to sail.”
LaChance saluted and started issuing orders.
“I would join you, Lord Reishi,” Kiera said.
“ Good. Mount up,” he said, spurring his horse toward the forest.
Chapter 5
The terrain was rough, but not unmanageable for the nimble horses favored by the Rangers. As they reached the ridge looking
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