From her elevated position on the bench, Rylana could anddidhurl one of the bags of rock candy over the stage and at the man. But it was a long way to throw such a heavy projectile, and she doubted it would reach.
“Get down, Jildarin!” Rylana shouted as she leaped to the ground and ran toward the side of the stage.
The crossbow fired, but it wasn’t loaded with a deadly quarrel. Instead, a cylindrical glass vial flew toward Jildarin's station.
He’d heard her warning and ducked low. The projectile sailed over his head and landed on the ground beside the judges’ tables. It shattered, gritty gray-green powder flying up.
“Keep cooking,” the announcer cried, though she dropped her megaphone and waved for the peacekeepers to investigate the trouble. “Once the sands of the hourglass start, they cannot be stopped!”
Closer to the press seating now, Rylana threw another bag of rock candy. The crossbowman had reloaded and was aiming a second vial, and he didn’t see her projectile coming. It smacked him in the forehead. He pitched backward, dropping his weapon. It fired wildly as it fell, and a vial landed on the stage and shattered several yards from Jildarin. He only glanced at the spot and continued cooking.
Several uniformed gnomes ran toward the crossbowman with two golems stomping after. Rylana lifted another bag of rockcandy, but she’d hit the attacker hard enough that he remained down, curled on his side and grabbing his forehead.
When Rylana checked on the goblins, the arsonist was jumping off the top bench. He sprinted away from the arena, darting down the rocky slope toward the lake and out of view.
On the stage, Yerin lunged toward the vial that had shattered. He grabbed some of the powder that had fallen out and looked toward Jildarin.
“Watch out!” Rylana warned again and ran toward the stage.
But a golem and two peacekeepers interceptedher. One of the gnomes wore the rank of captain, and she cursed. He was probably in charge of the entire security detail here. And he was after the wrong person.
“I’m helping,” Rylana said, attempting to dart around them. “Yerin is trying to sabotage Jildarin. He knows he’s going to lose!”
Though she was fast, the magical golems had even greater speed, and a stone-like hand clamped onto her arm, halting her. On the stage, Yerin ran at Jildarin with the powder clenched in his raised fist. As Rylana tried unsuccessfully to escape, her gaze raked over the vial that had hit the ground near the judges’ table. That gray-green powder. She recognized it. Two hells.
While in the middle of whisking eggs, Jildarin took several steps back from his station, his implements still in hand as Yerin approached. Yerin hurled the powder at him, but Jildarin sprang lightly away, easily avoiding it. Instead, the flying particles struck the chef at the station next to Jildarin's. The person yelped and dropped what she’d been working on, then backed away as magic rippled around her. Before everyone’s eyes, she turned into a huge jaguar.
Shocked and confused cries came from the judges, crowd, and nearby chefs. Tan with black spots, the jaguar bunched its muscles and sprang at Yerin. He cried out, throwing his arms up, and the great feline crashed into his chest, knocking him off the stage.
“That powder forces shape-shifters back into their native form!” Rylana yelled as the peacekeepers gaped, seemingly not knowing how to react.
The jaguar didn’t stick around. She loped out of the competition area and into the city.
All the while, Jildarin kept whisking his eggs. As the peacekeepers recovered and advanced on Yerin with their golem assistants, Jildarin returned to his station. He gave Rylana another nod before he redoubled his focus on his dish. She was relieved when the peacekeepers hauled Yerin away, but she remained in a golem’s grip.
“Will you let me go?” she tried to ask calmly and reasonably. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You took the law into your own hands by turning an innocent bag of candy into a weapon.” The captain of the peacekeepers, who remained nearby, pointed toward the press area. The crossbowman still lay on his side, gripping his head and groaning. Somewhat melodramatically. Was hetryingto get her arrested?
“He’s fine,” Rylana said. “Andcandycan’t be considered a weapon.” Though maybe those heavy bagsshouldhave come with tranquility ribbons knotted around them. “Besides, I was protecting Jildarin.”
“We do not allow vigilante justice. You will be taken to?—”
“She’s my friend, Captain Laridon,” came a familiar voice from behind Rylana.
Sylin had appeared, and she carried more of the glass vials in her hand. Had she recovered them from the crossbowman? Rylana hadn’t even seen her at any point during the day. Sylin held the vials out toward the gnome captain, as if offering the evidence for consideration.
“Rylana is a retired mercenary, not a vigilante,” Sylin added.
“Likeyouare retired?” the captain added dryly.
It took Rylana a moment to realize they knew each other. Evenso, it was another long moment before the gnome captain signaled to the golem and said, “All right. Let her go.”
As soon as her arm was freed, Rylana stepped back to stand beside Sylin, though she was confused about why her elf-assassin comrade had any sway with the peacekeepers.
“You called me your friend,” she said.
“To simplify matters, yes. The gnomes would be confused about the complicated nature of our relationship.”
