“Through the window?”she said, still thoroughly confused.
A crashing sound came from downstairs.
“Oh my!Pardon me, sir!”Jask said loudly, her voice carrying up from the inn’s main room.
“Watch where you’re going,” Kael’s voice shot back.
“Now!”I said, holding out my hand.
Elena sheathed her sword, grabbed her pack, and followed me out the window.
We scampered along the stable roof, keeping low to avoid prying eyes.But as we did, a “Psst!”came from below.
I peeked over the edge to see Darion sitting astride a beautiful brown-and-black horse with a silver mane.In his hand was the bridle of a second horse, a bit smaller, mostly white with black spots and a black mane.
“You stole horses?”I asked.
“I left gold,” Darion said.“You said I could travel with you as far as Grey Spit.If you don’t want me along anymore, you can take one horse, and I’ll take the other.”
At that very moment, Jask was shoved out the front door of the inn.“Go down to the docks, you drunk fool!”a man shouted from inside.Jask staggered back, apparently playing the part of a drunk sailor.Then she turned and saw Darion on the horses and Elena and me on the roof just above them.It took her all of two seconds to size up the situation.
“Let’s go!”she said, racing to the horses.“Kael will probably find out she’s missing soon.”
Darion sent me a questioning look.
“We stay together for now,” I told him.
We climbed down from the roof, and Jask swung up onto the back of Darion’s horse.I mounted the other horse with Elena riding behind me.But the moment we started to gallop away, a shout came from behind.I turned to see Kael racing out of the tavern.“Stop!”
When it was clear we weren’t heeding him, he started to shimmer, and ozone and citrus hit me like a wave.Then he blinked out of view.
“Kael has Chronothene,” I said urgently to Darion.
Before Darion could react, Kael appeared just ahead of us, holding out his hand.“I said stop!”
“Your call, Cas,” Darion said.
“I don’t trust him,” I replied, and Darion nodded.
Suddenly Jask was on the horse alone.The ozone-and-citrus smell hit me harder than ever before.I realized that Darion had shared his Chronothene with me.But something about two Chronothenes joining together made the whole experience extremely disjointed.I was vaguely aware that Kael and Darion were having an all-out brawl with punching, kicking, and tackling.Darion looked almost solid, but Kael was just a shadow.
I wanted to get off the horse and help, but the clashing Chronothenes prevented me from moving.But I could still see bits of what looked like a brutal fight.Darion kicked Kael, who doubled over.Then he delivered a final hard blow, and Kael crumpled to the ground.
Time came rushing back like a torrent.
Kael lay unconscious on the ground in front of us, face bloodied and bruised, clothes torn and dirty.
Darion stood before me in almost equally bad shape, a cut across his eyelid and his clothes a mess.
Then Darion fell to the ground.
Chapter forty
The Road North
IwasalreadymovingbeforeI consciously decided to do so, hopping off the horse and running to Darion’s side.Elena was right behind me.
He lay on the ground and looked up at me, eyes half lidded, awake but not fully there.At least he was conscious.He made an effort to stand, then fell hard on his rump.
