Kai barked, “Gavriel, stop her.”
I glanced back. The cloth on the wyvern’s head shifted as the beast wavered, and Gavriel hesitated, hands still wrapped around the damp fabric as if he didn’t want to remove even an ounce of pressure too soon.
Kai’s voice sharpened. “Now.”
I quickened my pace, not checking to see if Gavriel obeyed or not. Stone slapped under my shoes, and cold air knifed into mythroat. I veered hard into the next alley, moving in the direction Olen had mentioned.
Not as many people were running down the street. Hopefully, they’d gotten to the shelters.
I cut left around a toppled barrel and nearly went down when my foot caught on a broken cobblestone. I caught myself on a wall and pushed off again, teeth grinding as I forced my leg to obey.
“Stop running!” Gavriel shouted. “You can’t get away.”
He was wearing a heavy fur coat and armor, and it sounded like his steps were far slower than mine. As long as I didn’t slow my pace, I’d be fine.
“Yeah, watch me!” I threw myself forward, forcing my stiff muscles to move faster. Olen had told me to go straight down this path until I spotted the elk fountain.
The alley opened into a wider street, and noise slammed into me—metal striking metal, shouts tearing through smoke, the deep bellow of horns, and a rolling thunder of boots and bodies. Firelight flickered against stone, casting everything in jerking orange pulses.
The fight was close, which meant I had to be careful. The last thing I wanted—other than being caught—was getting stuck in the middle of an actual battle. I cut across the alley while mentally noting Olen’s instructions so I could get back on course. I had to lose Gavriel. I kept close to the buildings as I neared the main road and what I guessed was Market Square, based on its openness and a number of shattered booths that lay in pieces around a large fountain.
Now I could see the shine of armor through the haze. Soldiers clashed together in clusters, black-armored warriors pressed against gray-armored ones with blades flashing. A line of gray warriors had formed near the marble fountain, enough to block the majority of black warriors from advancing as thegray warriors pushed forward. Bodies moved in tight patterns—practiced, brutal, efficient. But it didn’t seem like the gray warriors, who I assumed were the Dusk Forces, had much of an advantage.
My skin prickled, and instinct had me focusing on the towers in the wall beyond me and then the shadows overhead, on any shape that might drop on me from above. The air vibrated with distant roars, but the battle in front of me was close and hungry. They were all focused on each other, and there was a gap in the fighting to the left that I could take advantage of.
Gavriel’s footsteps had fallen away, but I was certain he wasn’t far behind me. I slid along the fountain’s curve and tried to pick a path that kept me out of the main crush, aiming for the Eastern Wall Gate Olen had described.
Three black-armored soldiers emerged from another alley and stepped into the square. One saw me and pointed.
I tensed as my hand went back to my pocket. Then I remembered I’d dropped the knife. Well, obviously, I hadn’t planned well.
I angled away and broke into a run, but strong hands seized me from behind. The hard grip bruised, and something that felt like metal clamped over my wrists, so tight that I thought my bones might break even through my coat. My captor adjusted his grip to hold my wrists in one hand. I sucked in a sharp breath and kicked one leg back. Rage flashed through me, so hot my vision narrowed. Pain shot up my foot as I stomped down on metal. I hissed, teeth bared, and tried to wrench free anyway.
I turned, half expecting to see Gavriel, but a black-armored soldier had caught me.
A sour taste filled my mouth, and adrenaline coursed through me.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he growled in my ear. His other hand fisted in my hair and wrenched my head back.
The other three approached, scanning me up and down.
“Let go of me, or I’ll bite your face off,” I snarled. My pulse kicked hard, and I yanked against the grip on my arm again.
He jerked my head back harder as he continued to grip my arms with his other hand, forcing me to bend unnaturally. As I twisted, I glimpsed him holding both my wrists with his metal glove. There didn’t seem to be any exploitable weaknesses from this angle. Shit!
“Unhand her!” Gavriel’s voice rang through the air behind us. “She’s not a part of this war!”
Two of the black-armored soldiers unsheathed their swords and started toward him. “Then come take her back.”
“Take her behind that building. Let’s see if she’s worth the trouble.” One of the soldiers in front of me grabbed me by the chin, his metal gloves digging into my cheek so hard I was sure he cut me.
I spat at him, the spray of saliva spattering over his helmet. “Hands off!”
They laughed harshly, and my vision blurred as pain ripped through my mouth. I didn’t even see which one had hit me. I sagged back, ears ringing. I blinked, trying to shake off the disorientation and get coordination back into my limbs. Blood filled my mouth, and I spat it on the ground.
“She’ll be fun,” one said, his voice echoing and distant. “Everyone will want a turn with this one even if she does have some ash and soot on her. That fire must have been worse than we thought. Don’t ruin her mouth yet.”
“Soldiers,” a deep voice barked in front of me. When I opened my eyes, I saw that a fourth black-armored warrior had arrived. His armor was sleeker, and his helmet had a spike and horns,all black. A carved black crest of a full moon was situated on the brow, surrounded by branches. “You should know better than to conduct yourself in this fashion.”
