Page 117 of Swordheart
Halla thought briefly about trying to explain. Then she thought better of it. As long as Sarkis was in the sword, he was safe, and there was a chance that he could get out and free both her and Zale.
“Invisible?” she said, putting as much scorn as she could into the word. “That’s your explanation?”
“It was magic!” shouted Mina. “Don’t you try to deny it!”
“It was n—” Halla started, whereupon Mina punched her in the stomach.
Halla fell over, curled into fetal position.
Zale dropped to their knees and threw their arms around Halla’s shoulders. “Enough!” they snapped. “This woman is under Temple protection!”
The leader of the highwaymen rubbed his forehead and said, to no one in particular, “This is all starting to seem like a really terrible idea.”
Halla sucked in air, trying to get her breath back. The assault had come out of nowhere.
Why is she so angry at me? What did I ever do except try to be nice to her?
“I’m telling you!” said Mina. “It was all fiery! She made him appear! She’s got some kinda magic! Brett saw it, too!”
Halla held up a hand, wheezing.
“Enough, Mina,” said the leader. “She can’t very well answer when you’ve knocked the wind out of her.”
Mina scowled.
“Easy,” whispered Zale. “Breathe. You’ll be fine. The muscles spasm, that’s all. It’ll pass. Just breathe.” Halla could feel the priest’s own breath heaving in their lungs, and guessed that they were not nearly so calm as they seemed.
“I haven’t got any magic,” gasped Halla, once she could breathe again.
“Then where’s that man now? The one who attacked us?” said Mina.
Halla couldn’t think of who she was talking about. “What? No one attacked you! You pulled a knife on me!”
“Your guard!” shrieked Mina. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
Think. What answer takes the focus off Sarkis?
“Him?” Halla feigned disgust. It wasn’t hard, with Mina standing in front of her. “I fired him once I got to Archon’s Glory. He was always grabbing my arm.Whydo men always grab you by the arm?”
One of the bandits, a middle-aged woman with iron-gray braids, let out a loud bark of laughter and covered her mouth.
The bandit leader rubbed his face. “I’m going to tie you up now,” he said. “I apologize, priest, but if my people keep pointing crossbows at you, there might be accidents. I give you my word that you, at least, will be released unharmed.”
Zale inclined their head. “I shall include your assurance in my report to my superiors,” they said coolly. The leader winced.
The bandit woman was the one who tied their hands. She gave Halla a gap-toothed grin. “In front, so you can do your business later. Wiggle your fingers there, love, make sure you’re not gonna lose a hand.” Halla obeyed.
Zale, Brindle, and Halla were led into the woods. One of the bandits led the ox and wagon after them, down a track carefully disguised by trees.
“Well, this is unpleasant,” said Halla, as the bandits propped her against a tree. “Although I guess I’m glad they haven’t killed us.”
“A gnole is glad, too.”
“The Temple would be very upset. We have an arrangement with the underworld, you see. We are granted safe passage and criminals may come to us for healing without fear of arrest.”
Halla blinked at them. “I didn’t know that.”
“It is not an arrangement that the Temple advertises very loudly.”
