Page 13 of Wilds of Wonder
Leoni grabbed my arm again and yanked me forward as I stared. The guard held out his palm, summoning daggers of ice that he shot directly at us.
Leoni twisted her wrist, a wall of water rising up behind us that the shards hit, making them dissolve.
“Run!” Leoni yelled while I stared shell-shocked, gaze shifting between the wall of water and my new companions, unable to believe this was happening. Everything had fallen apart so quickly.
Leoni let out a frustrated grunt and, for the third time, snatched my arm and pulled me forward.
I stumbled after her while still clutching the chest as passersby stared.
“Don’t let them get away!” the guard shouted from somewhere behind us.
He knew my husband was dead. Thought I murdered him. I was in major, major trouble.
I tugged my arm free from Leoni’s grasp and pumped my legs.
“Finally.” Driscoll dodged a man pushing his wooden cart full of steaming cider. “I was starting to think she didn’t know what ‘run’ meant.”
A loud crash sounded behind us, and I turned my head to see Leoni’s wall of water tumbling down, drenching anyone in its vicinity, steam rising from the victims’ bodies as they lay in the snow. Women and children shrieked and dove out of the way, and the guard’s head had disappeared from the window of the inn. I really hoped he was alone. We might be able to dodge him yet.
I whirled in a spin to avoid a man using his magic to clear away the snow on the road. “Sorry!” I yelled behind me, following Driscoll and Leoni as they hurried down the street.
The snow was slushy and wet under the rising sun, and soon the street would be cleared away for the day.
“We need to get off the main road,” I called ahead as they continued to run.
“Any suggestions?” Driscoll asked. “Because in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re not exactly from around here.”
Before I could reply, four guards emerged from alleyways into the street in front of us, slowing us to a stop.
“We have to go back,” I said, mind racing through our options, any places we could duck into and hide. I spun, cloak whipping behind me, and ran right into the guard who’d been in our window.
His pale blond hair gleamed under the silver helmet all guards in the frost court wore. “Going somewhere?” he asked.
I stumbled back, Leoni and Driscoll now at my side.
“How do I get myself into these messes?” Driscoll whined. “Sure, I’llcome to the frost court. No problem. We’ll just find Emory and then be on our way.” He rolled his eyes. “Spoiler alert: we’re never just ‘on our way.’”
“Shut up,” Leoni said out the side of her mouth.
The guard in front of us stepped closer, ice crackling from his hand and forming a long sword that he raised up and pointed at my neck. The icy tip pushed into my skin.
“I didn’t kill my husband,” I said.
He reached out, and I was afraid he was going to grab the chest, but instead, he yanked the blue bracelet off my wrist, the one that every citizen of Fyriad had, that we used to buy things. There went all my access to our money.
He shoved the bracelet in his pocket.
“I’m innocent,” I insisted.
He cocked a brow. “Really? Because it looks like your husband died and you ran.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Yes, it looked exactly like that. And there were no witnesses to back up my side of the story.
His eyes dipped to the chest I clutched tight to me. “Not only that, but you stole items when you ran. Valuables belonging to your husband?” His lip curled. “Disgusting behavior for a lady of the frost court, for a valued ambassador’s wife.”
“These are not my husband’s,” I snapped, tightening my hold on the chest, on my most precious artifacts.
“Can you just let go of that thing?” Driscoll whispered. “We’ll get you a new chest. Fill it with new trinkets.”
