Ioth: The Wildfire Cycle Volume 2 by D. P. Woolliscroft

Author:D. P. Woolliscroft
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2021-11-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

The Morning After The Frightful Ball

Without even speaking, they were all in agreement. They had to make sure Alana was unharmed. As soon as the man had reached the end of his story, the three friends were on their feet and out the door.

The bearer of bad tidings had been right about the streets, too. Ioth city guard were clearing the narrow cobblestone byways, which would have made it difficult to make it across town. So they took to the skyway. Across the flat rooftops they ran, leaping from one building to another. Occasionally, they met a canal where the gap was too great to jump, but it was usually possible to find tightly strung wires that bridged the gap, maintained by whatever thieves operated in Ioth (who probably lurked in the sewers somewhere, though fortunately they didn't have a history with them). Motega whispered a quiet word of thanks to them for their continued diligence in maintaining the tightropes against whichever officials were tasked with getting rid of them. He did all the way until they reached the grand canal, that is.

The span across the grand canal was too wide and too out in the open for any ropes or wires to remain uncut, especially at festival time. The streets below them were deserted, and so was the canal, save for patrols of soldiers, five at a time. And these ones were dressed in green and gold.

Why the fuck are Pyrfew soldiers on the street?

Two guards stood on the bridge that separated them from the foreign quarter, and even Motega realized it was not going to help the tense climate in the city if they cut them up on the way to their destination.

They had no recourse but to get wet.

The canal was warm and deep and their swim across was thankfully undetected. Eventually they reached the door step of the Ambassador’s residence, hardly difficult to find by the large flag of Edland flying out front. Stationed outside were guards dressed in black armor. The Ravens. Florian strode forward in the vanguard.

“Ho. Midnight. Joe. Put down your crossbows, it’s me,” said Florian to his former squad mates.

“Twins?” said Midnight. “What are you doing here? And why are you all wet?”

“No time for chit-chat. Is the sarge inside?”

Midnight flicked her head toward the door and Motega dripped inside after Florian. Nobody met them at the door, and there was no sign of any staff as they passed through the entrance way, looking in the rooms off the hallway to see where everyone was. Florian led the way into a sitting room where three people waited, all in complete silence.

Motega recognized Jill, the girl who had been brought on as Alana’s maid and attendant, sitting on a chair furthest away from the doorway and the windows that faced out onto the canal. She was looking at her hands in her lap and Motega couldn’t help but notice how her clothes had taken a bit of a beating.

Opposite her sat Dolph, his sword sheathed but resting across his legs.

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