Red Hawk (A Charade Of Magic Book 3) by Helen Harper

Author:Helen Harper [Harper, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Fifteen

It might have only been a ten-minute trudge but it felt far longer. The chink of light from the grate disappeared and we were forced to feel our way along the tunnel, one hand on the shoulder of the person in front. I kept a tight grip on Isla and enjoyed the reassuring weight of Laoch’s hand on me.

It was a far from pleasant trek, and I marvelled that Belle had found her way through on her own. At least whatever had made the snuffling snorts didn’t come any closer. It was about time we had some good luck.

We moved on in silence, not stopping until Belle murmured from the front. ‘There’s an exit here. When I was here an hour ago, there were a few guards nearby so I didn’t climb out.’

‘I’ll deal with them,’ Laoch said. He dropped his hand from my shoulder and squeezed past. ‘The rest of you stay until I tell you it’s safe to come out.’

I bit back my immediate reaction and refrained from telling him that he should hold back and keep himself safe. Laoch was at full strength, powerful, more than capable – and I suspected he needed to prove that to himself as well as to us.

After a few minutes his voice called down, telling us it was safe to ascend. We climbed up one by one and emerged blinking into the daylight. When it was my turn, I swung around and my gaze immediately fell on the two liveried guards standing to one side. They were both conscious, neither was bleeding and neither were tied up. Instead, Laoch was chatting to them, tilting his head as he listened grimly to what they had to say. I glanced at the others.

‘Well,’ Angus remarked, patting his stained clothes with a wry grimace, ‘if I wasn’t a dirty traitor before, I certainly am now.’

We were all dirty now. I sent him a faint smile then edged over to Laoch.

‘There’s a permanent curfew in place,’ one of the guards was saying. ‘Everyone is supposed to stay in their homes. Anyone out on the streets is to be punished.’ There was no need to ask what the punishment was; I could see it in his face.

There was a sudden dull thud from a nearby street, like a door slamming shut. Both of the guards jumped and their hands immediately strayed to the weapons at their belts. ‘It’s no’ our own people we have to worry about,’ the guard said in a shaky voice. ‘No’ the ones in here or the ones out there from Edinburgh. It’s the fucking Afflicted. They’re everywhere. They’re out during the day as much as at night, and they don’t have any qualms about attacking anyone they see. We’ve lost a dozen men in the last three days from my troop alone. If they’re no’ dead then they’re Afflicted themselves now.’

‘What are the Mages doing?’ Laoch asked.

Both guards snorted derisively. ‘Nothing,’ the first one answered. ‘They’re hiding away in the City Chambers and refusing to come out.

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