Page 12 of Wilds of Wonder
“I was defending myself and he... I think he might have had a heart attack. I didn’t do anything to him, though. I swear.”
“Except run away after he died?” Driscoll pointed out.
I wrapped the scarf back around my neck. “Okay, smart-ass. Yes, I did do that, but I was scared. In shock. I wasn’t thinking clearly. So I came here.”
“And brought the frost guards upon us,” Leoni hissed, any sympathy I’d seen now gone again as she scowled, the bun on her head making her look even more severe.
“I’m about to break down this door and arrest all three of you!” the guard shouted, the door now a wall of shimmering ice as his magic encapsulated it.
“Just a minute!” Driscoll called. “I’m... naked and need to get dressed.”
The guard scoffed. “Seriously?”
Driscoll’s words must have had some impact because he didn’t come barging into the room. Not yet anyway.
“Okay,” Driscoll whispered. “We have two options: we either turn her in or we all escape out that window.” He pointed at the window behind us.
Leoni groaned.
Driscoll shot me a pitying look. “Like I said, it’s a bit of a moral conundrum for her. She really hates to break the rules and has been breaking more of them recently than she’d like, which I think is giving her an identity crisis?—”
“Will you shut up?” Leoni massaged her temples.
My heart hammered. If they decided to turn me in, I’d have to fight them and run. Not ideal. It would be much easier if I had their help escaping this situation.
Leoni’s eyes rolled upward as she thought through the options.
“I’m coming in on the count of three. I suggest you back away from the door to avoid getting impaled with ice shards!” the guard shouted.
“Leoni,” Driscoll urged.
“One!”
The water cuffs still hovered over Leoni’s palm as she stared atme.
“Two!”
“I really don’t want to be impaled by ice. I don’t want to be impaled by anything.” Driscoll’s smile turned wicked. “Unless it’s a big, stiff?—”
“Three!”
The door shattered into a million ice shards, all of them flying through the air. Leoni grabbed my arm and wrenched me backward. I shook from her grasp and scooped up my chest as the three of us bolted toward the window. She shoved it open, and without warning, pushed me right through the opening.
My stomach leapt to my throat as I careened through the air, clutching the chest, not enough time to form a plan while my body was in a free fall.
“Why would you just shove her like that?” Driscoll yelled.
“I didn’t exactly have a choice,” Leoni shouted back. “I figured she’d drop the chest!”
Not on my life. Not when doing so could break it. Although not doing so could break me.
I barreled toward the ground and stared in horror as it came alarmingly close. Something thin snaked around my waist, yanking me right before I made impact.
I peeked one eye open, realizing a vine was holding me. I shot a look above me to see Driscoll commanding the vine, using his earth magic.
I breathed heavy, my pulse still thundering, blood roaring in my ears while my stomach slowly lowered back in place. The guard stuck his head out the window as the vine dropped me the short distance to the ground, Leoni and Driscoll shimmying down behind me.
“Halt!” the guard shouted from above. “In the name of Queen Larissa, ruler of the frost court?—”
