Hooded by A A Woods

Author:A A Woods [Woods, A A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781951803049
Publisher: Marduk Publishing
Published: 2020-03-26T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty: Nurkaij Strikes

The door burst open and Byrna rushed in, followed by her brothers.

“What’s going on?” Carlette demanded as she and Tuk leapt to their feet. She tried to ignore the way Byrna’s eyes flashed to her still-damp cheeks, the curve of Tuk’s arms that hinted where they had just been.

But Byrna’s snide smile didn’t come.

Something was very wrong.

“Nuri soldiers,” Byrna said, grabbing Carlette’s arm. Carlette yanked herself free.

“I’ll follow,” Carlette said, voice biting.

Suddenly, Byrna’s nose was inches from her own.

“You caused this,” the Moian girl snarled, breath smelling of copper and fury. “I don’t know how, but I swear to the Fethidi demons, I will find out.”

“What are you talking about?” Carlette said.

But Byrna wasn’t listening. She was already shoving outside, the door swinging in her wake. Carlette glanced at Tuk before they hurried out after her.

The forest outside was unrecognizable. Thick, viscous smoke wafted towards them on a wind of shrieks. A distant crash echoed. Panic and shock braided together in a toxic haze, filling the emptiness that had been serene less than an hour ago.

“What happened?” Tuk whispered.

Byrna was loading her slingshot, Tabis shifting nervously at the edge of the deck.

“I should ask you,” she growled without looking up. “A Nuri fleet is bearing down on this city. Three outlying villages have already burned and they’re pushing toward the capital.” Byrna’s eyes flashed up. “Why do you think that is?”

Tuk paled, the rosy flush on his cheeks vanishing.

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, lifting chained hands, shaking his head. “What could I have possibly done?”

“No one could have followed us,” Carlette added, trying to keep her voice reasonable. “I don’t even know where we are.”

Byrna snarled and grabbed the front of Tuk’s jacket.

“Hey!” Carlette said, trying to get between them, but Byrna had the iron strength of a climber, the unbreakable grip of a girl raised in the trees.

“If I ever find out you had anything to do with this, the spiders will be the only ones who find your body.”

Tuk didn’t balk. He leaned into Byrna’s face, his nose less than an inch from hers.

“I didn’t. Do. Anything.”

Byrna threw him away. Tuk stumbled but Carlette grabbed his arm, keeping him upright.

“Are you okay?” she whispered, but was interrupted by the thundering footsteps of Byrna’s father sprinting towards them.

“They’ve taken the northern guard tower,” he panted. He already had a bloody gash on one cheek.

“What do they want?” Carlette asked.

“What the Nuri always want,” he said, voice strangely calm among the whorls of chaos. “To burn witches.”

Tuk tugged on Carlette’s elbow. Pulled her ear close.

“I know what’s happening,” he hissed. “They brought over our new ships from Vaijan, the city’s latest invention. Zanburs, Commander Invitas called them. They must have located the Hanging City just in time to test them out.”

“Tuk,” Carlette said with a swallow as Byrna helped her father strap on his armor. “Did they follow us here?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Tuk said. “I swear.”

Carlette wanted to say more but she was interrupted by Byrna throwing her a bandana.

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