Thick as Thieves by Tali Spencer

Author:Tali Spencer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

VORGELL raced down the center of the corridor as it curved. The damned hood of the cloak of shadows impeded his vision so he might as well be running in smoke, but he couldn’t afford to push it back to get his bearings. The heavy bootfalls of pursuing soldiers pounded at his back, farther away than before but still too close for him to the take the time to gather his wits. He had gotten used to having Madd be his wits, leaving him to deal with important things like understanding the layout of the castle. But his friend was already taken and if he wasn’t careful, he’d be next.

As he rounded the corner, he heard more commotion ahead. No soldiers yet, but something was coming. The tower’s center chamber still curved in a long line to his left. To his right, the castle wall butted at an angle against one of the vaulting arches forming the ceiling. The shadow on the other side afforded good hiding to a man wearing a magical cloak.

He had only to stand here, concealed by the cloak of shadows and wait.

A young woman wearing a gray cloak barreled around the corner, red boots flying as she ran. Black hair fell all around her face and shoulders as she turned to look behind her. Judging by the sound, soldiers were chasing her as well. Vorgell would have run right into them had he gone on. Instead, she was running his way and they were on her heels.

With only that thought, he reached out, wrapping his hand over her mouth. Throwing his other arm around her waist, he lifted her off her feet and pulled her hard against him. Her head came only to his midchest. Pressing her body and his to the wall, he released her waist and snapped his cloak over them both. “I’m wearing a cloak of shadows,” he said into her ear, keeping his hand over her mouth. “Make no sound and we might escape with our lives.” He caught just a glimmer as her eyes swiveled, trying to see him through the murk, but she nodded and ceased to struggle. He kept his hand in place as two soldiers thundered into view at the end of the hallway. From the opposite end, the soldiers who had been pursuing Vorgell shouted.

“Did you catch the man we were chasing?”

“’Twas no man! ’Twas a girl!”

“No, it was a man. Great big fellow.” The soldiers had met and now stood in the center of the hall, where the floor was inlaid with a full ivory moon set in a field of dark blue. “Didn’t catch good sight of him, but he ran this way. Looked like he could be that damned barbarian we snagged a while back.”

“Aw, hells. He tried to mount one of my boys, that one. I tell you, I’d know him, and what I’m hunting is half his size. Caught her trying to flee the tower and chased her back inside.”

“Probably a witch,” said the first soldier.

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