Page 20 of Throne of Ice and Blood
Whirling around, I sprint down the street in the other direction. Pounding feet echo behind me as the dragon shifter gives chase.
“Stop her!” he bellows at the citizens on the street.
My heart lurches.
But none of the humans step out into the road to stop me. In fact, after casting a glance towards the man I just saved and the unconscious soldier I left in my wake, they do the opposite. They leap out of my way when I hurtle down the street.
Grabbing the railing of a small porch, I swing myself around the corner of the building and sprint into a narrow alley. I need to make him lose sight of me. My heart thumps in my chest as running footstep pounds against the cobblestones far too close behind me.
I whip my head from side to side, trying to plot out an escape route. Running from pursuers? I’ve done that a hundred times before in the Seelie Court. The only problem is of course that, back then, I knew every street like the back of my hand. And now, I have absolutely no idea where I’m going.
The alley ends abruptly before me. I blink in shock as I skid right out into a wide square full of market stalls and people. And more soldiers in silver armor.
Panic pulses through me. I need to get out of sight before the man behind me can call out and tell them that I?—
“The human in the black cloak!” the soldier behind me shouts. “Stop her!”
Three soldiers in silver armor whip their heads in our direction.
Mabona fucking damn it.
Sprinting to the left, I weave through a sea of market stalls and shocked people who gasp and stumble out of the way as I barrel past them. Colorful awnings on their wooden booths flutter in the wind, and the scent of baking bread and spiced meat drift through the air.
I dart around a wide stall selling meat pies. A sheet of fabric appears right in front of me. Shoving it up, I roll underneath it and jump to my feet at the back of the booth on the other side. A man with large round glasses scrambles out of his chair so fast that he knocks it over. It hits the ground in a clattering of wood.
“Sorry,” I mumble as I duck underneath his shelves full of clocks and pocket watches.
“There!” an angry voice shouts from somewhere on my left.
A soft curse rips from my lungs as I take off down the alley of market stalls. Ducking and twisting through the crowd of people, I set course for the nearest road that leads away from this crowded square.
I let out a breath of relief when I finally detach myself from the last group of people and can run unhindered down the side street I picked.
But I only make it halfway down before dread washes through my veins like ice.
At the end of the road I’m sprinting down is a house.
Panic blares through me.
This is a dead-end street.
Screeching to a halt, I cast a panicked look over my shoulder. There is only a matter of time before the dragon shifters reach this road. And once they do, they will see me.
And I have nowhere to hide.
My heart slams against my ribs as I turn around so that I’m facing the mouth of the street while I continue backing farther towards the dead end. I’m going to have to fight them. Or manipulate their emotions. Or manipulate their emotionsandfight them. Four of them.
If only I had my knife. Then I could… Then I could what? Take on four trained dragon shifter soldiers on my own? Goddess above, this is never going to work.
A yelp slips from my lips as a strong hand suddenly wraps around my upper arm and yanks me to the side. My stomach lurches as the ground disappears underneath my foot when I take a step to the side.
Someone curses under his breath next to me, but I don’t have time to look at who it is because I’m busy falling down the short steps into some kind of cellar. The wooden steps dig into my body as I roll down them before I hit the floor with a huff.
Wood groans as the trapdoor I fell through is pulled shut. It’s followed by a soft thud as the man at the top of the steps bolts it with a thick wooden bar as well.
“Ow,” I groan as I roll to a stop against the side of a crate.
The man whips his head towards me and puts a finger against his lips. I snap my mouth shut right as voices echo from somewhere above.
