Loki: Chaos by Swift Jadin

Author:Swift, Jadin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lancashire Lane Books
Published: 2018-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

A sharp, windy blast from the northwest heralded a storm, and Loki smiled as the sun disappeared behind a thick blanket of fog rolling in from the sea. Fashioning a sling from Lady Logotha’s veil to carry the egg against his chest, he sprinted through the growing gloom to the fortress’ inner gate and was gratified to see luck was still with him.

Only a single guard remained on duty while the rest had rushed up the hill to check out the disturbance in the hall. As quiet as a cat, Loki stole up behind the man and slit his throat with silent, predatory efficiency. The guard slumped into his arms with a gurgling sigh, and he dragged the body back into the guardhouse. Wiping his blade clean across his thigh, Loki slipped it back into the waistband of his trousers and loped across the open space of the courtyard, dropping out of sight behind a pile of empty wine barrels. Squinting through the thick pea-soup fog, he tried to visualize a clear path through the maze of outbuildings confronting him.

If his memory from the ride into the keep served him, the guard’s barracks stood to his right, a forge and a blacksmith’s shed was to his left, and the stables were straight ahead. All of the buildings in the courtyard were either mud brick or wood, too flimsy or too small to hold a captured dragon, and Loki had no idea where to even begin looking. Damn, he thought, this wasn’t going to be easy.

Shouts from the direction of the gatehouse followed by a string of guttural commands issued in a language Loki didn’t recognize alerted him someone had discovered the slain guard. Torches flared around the barracks as the remainder of Bukgrog's mercenaries streamed out into the encroaching fog.

Loki cursed. His time had officially run out.

“Come on, come on,” he muttered under his breath. “You wretched reptile, I know you’re here somewhere.”

But where, damn you, where?

The bobbing torches spread out across the outer bailey prompting Loki to find a more secure hiding place. A small, mud-brick tool shed was the closest building he could reach without being seen. It was far too small to house a dragon, but with the mercenaries so close, he had little choice.

It would have to do.

Loki clutched the dragon’s egg close to his chest and ran.

***

With the sound of running boots not far behind, Loki flung himself into the shed. He’d barely time to duck down behind a pile of rusting farm implements when the door flew open, and a pair of guards barged in, their torches flaring across the shed’s dark interior.

Loki held his breath. Willing himself to become one with his surroundings, he listened to the scraping of rough-shod heels across the wooden floor and prayed to remain unnoticed each time the light from a torch threatened to reveal his hiding place.

Then, from across the compound, came the call of a trumpet ordering the mercenaries to regroup. Cursing in their guttural language, the two guards backed out of the shed and slammed the door.

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