A Court of Lies by Kate Avery Ellison

Author:Kate Avery Ellison [Ellison, Kate Avery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2018-06-27T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

KNIFE DRAWN, BRIAND crept through the tangle of vines that formed a web all around her. The light was murky and green, distorted and discolored by the storm and the leaves that surrounded her. She could hear the murmur of Nath and Tibus talking behind her and to her right, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. But the words didn’t matter anyway, just the tone. Theirs rose as their conversation volleyed back and forth, their voices rising to a heated pitch. They’d moved forward, but only a little bit. She couldn’t see them, but she knew it would look to an observer as if they were about to come to blows.

She crept along, her feet moving as lightly as the wind. She paused, sending the dracules ahead to scout for her. Sieya darted forward eagerly, but Vox hung back, reluctant and grumpy. His thoughts were full of charred wood and blood, and he whimpered as he nosed in the dirt at Briand’s feet.

Sieya saw nothing but more vines from where she’d gone.

Thunder crackled in the distance, and the leaves of the vines fluttered and swirled in the stiff breeze. The air smelled like lightning, and the vegetation was a sharp, vivid green color.

Calling Vox to come with her mind, Briand rounded a column and dropped to a crouch at what she saw.

Ahead, hidden behind another column, was a glowing white figure.

A ghoul!

As Briand watched, the figure drew a knife from its belt.

Not a ghoul, then. A bandit.

The figure moved, and she saw a second figure behind the first, also dressed in glowing white.

They must be waiting for the rest of the company to fall into their trap.

She checked in on Sieya, who had paused, quivering, to listen to a sound. The dracule caught a scent on the breeze, and she perked at attention, thinking of rabbits.

Vox had hidden in the bushes again, and through his mind, Briand saw that he’d become preoccupied with a butterfly-shaped flower.

She would scold him later. There wasn’t time to worry about disobedient dracules now.

Briand crept forward slowly until she reached the bandits. They were talking in low whispers. She pressed her blade to the neck of the one closest to her and said, “Don’t move.”

The one with her knife against its head went still, and the other scrambled up. Cloth covered the bandit’s face, so Briand couldn’t see who she was dealing with.

“Hands in the air,” Briand commanded. “Get them up where I can see them.” To the others, she called, “It’s all right now. I’ve got—”

A blow from the back caught her in the head, knocking her to the ground. Briand rolled away before a heavy wooden stick came down with a snap right where she had been a moment before. Her vision danced, bands of white streaking across it, and something wet splashed across her cheek. Blood? She was stunned. Numb. A heavy pain throbbed across her temple, but she was hardly aware of it as she stared upward.

A third

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