Storm & Shield by J. D. Evans

Author:J. D. Evans [Evans, J. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf, mobi
Publisher: Whippoorwill Press LLC
Published: 2020-02-19T23:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

AYSEL COLLAPSED AGAINST a wall as the sun set against the ocean. She should have been able to catch the bastard, but her magic and her legs weren’t obeying her anymore. A suspicion had been worming its way into her consciousness despite her vehement denials, and she pushed it away once more. She was overextended, that was the problem, simple as that. To save the Sultana, and Bashir, she’d done something she’d never done before, moved faster than even she had known she was capable of. Aysel could not have told anyone how she did it, she’d simply willed it to happen and it had. She’d puzzle through it later, but for now, she was drained more completely than she ever had been. Sleep was what she needed, then she could see to her wound and go hunting for the remaining assassin.

It wasn’t too much farther to Ela’s inn, if she could just stay on her feet. And if no one decided she was an easy target and tried to rob her. Aysel grimaced. She was an easy target. Wheel the wound hurt. She’d thought the bolt had grazed her, and when she felt the wound, it was shallow, but it was bleeding more than it should, and she felt weak and addled. The fear that kept worming its way past her denials was that the bolt had been poisoned. If that were the case Aysel doubted she had any chance of surviving. She was too far from the palace and the more sophisticated physicians who might be able to treat such a thing. Even then it would require knowledge of the poison, and since she had lost her quarry once they entered the city and she was overtaken with exhaustion, there was little hope for that.

She reached the corner of the inn where it sat on the intersection of the main north-to-south road that ran through the Merchant Pier district and the smaller lane that led to the water. Aysel paused to breathe, trying to summon the strength it would take to get to the door and inside and find Ela amongst whatever crowd filled the place. Hopefully Ela would take her in again. Harun had thought she was trying to steal from him. The sun was just a thin line at the edge of the water now, and once it set the inn would only get busier.

“Aysel?” a man’s voice said. Aysel’s mind had turned to thoughts of Bashir, how nice it would be to have him to carry her just then, and so that’s who she heard. She turned toward the speaker and was confused to see Harun’s willowy form.

“I’m surprised you came back. The palace lackies are looking for you.” He clutched the pouch at his waist, the one with the silver medallion, his eyes narrowed at her. Aysel wanted to explain she wasn’t a thief. She took a step and collapsed to her knees.

“What…”

There was blood on her salvar, she noticed. Had she bled that much? Shouldn’t have.

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