Making Peace by Adam Smith

Author:Adam Smith [Smith, Adam]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Published: 2018-01-18T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

At first, the hammering sounded like it was coming from inside my own head.

The bell towers over the city had tolled two in the morning by the time Sen, Tavel, and I finally made it home. I had yanked off my shirt and my sword belt and collapsed into bed. Sleep had taken me instantly and I’d had no dreams. I couldn’t guess what time it was now, but it did not feel like an entire night had passed. I cracked an eye and checked for daylight, but there was none through my window.

The hammering came again, clearly booming from my door. I resolved to ignore it.

The screams which came next I couldn’t ignore. “They’re breaking through!” Captain bellowed. “Get back!” A smash, splintering wood, glass shattering.

I was out of bed in seconds, fingers already snagging the sword belt hanging from my bedpost. Ugly bashed the door off its hinges as I was buckling the belt. He saw I was up and turned toward the next door, Sen’s room.

The screaming, the smashing, and Ugly not wasting breath on orders all sobered me up in record time. Boots, belt, pants, sword: good enough. I gave up on finding my shirt, slung the strap of my leather writing bag with all my papers across my chest, and followed Ugly out into the hallway. My sword hissed as I yanked it free of its sheath.

Shield stood fully armed and armored at the head of the stairs leading down from our third floor bedrooms. The healers had done their work, though she still had bandages wrapped around the top of her head and covering one eye.

Sen emerged fully dressed from his room as groggy as I had been, but he came to life when he saw Ugly’s face. Two of the staff, a young man and a young woman, were carrying Vapor upright by her shoulders. Her feet dragged, and her head lolled with each step.

The sounds of fighting echoed up through the stairwell. It had to be Tavel or Captain, maybe both. Pungent smoke filled the air. A growing heat radiated from above us. I glanced out the hallway windows and saw light dancing against the walls of other buildings.

Ugly pointed at himself and Sen. “Second floor, clear it. Then move to the first floor.” He pointed at Shield and me. “Rearguard. Evacuate the staff. You don’t leave before they do.” With that, he drew his two blades from his chest harness and stormed past Shield down the staircase. Sen followed.

I looked to Shield for orders. She opened her mouth to speak, but we both had to duck when all of the windows along the hallway exploded inward. Arrows rained through the gaps. The two staff members holding Vapor screamed and almost dropped her in their panicked attempt to take cover.

I grabbed the young woman’s arm and shouted to be heard over the noise. “Stay low!” I hunched down and moved to join Shield. She met us halfway and covered the kids with her kite shield.

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