Page 149 of A Tower of Half-Truths
The highwayman chuckled. “Much as I appreciate your eagernessto cooperate, I can’t let you go that easily. There’s been a lot of smugglers through my woods as of late, so we’ll need to search your coach.” He flashed Evrard a wide smile; a patch of sunlight illuminated a gold-capped canine. “A routine inspection, is all.”
The woman brought her horse closer to the carriage. She peered through the window, and her gaze swept past the three Ether-veiled figures without a second glance. Then, her eyes widened.
“Looks like they’ve got a wizard’s staff in here,” she said.
Alain hissed through clenched teeth. His staff wouldn’t fit in the secret compartment, so he’d left it lying on the floor. Evidently, the coach’s dim interior was no match for the highwaywoman’s keen eye.
“That old thing?” Neldren said. “It’s just my walking stick.”
“Then you won’t mind if Kella takes a look,” the leader said.
“By all means,” Neldren replied flatly.
The woman, Kella, slung herself off her horse. She was tall, muscular, with the weathered look of someone who spent most of their life in the sun. She opened the door and reached for the staff. Her fingers came within inches of Ellice’s foot.
She picked up the staff, sniffed it deeply as if she were sampling an oversized cigar. Then, she opened her mouth and licked it, leaving a six-inch trail of saliva on the wood. Alain uttered a sound of abject disgust.
“Genuine ebonwood. Definitely a wizard’s staff,” she said, then peered at the crown. “Hold on, it’s missing one of those magic gems.”
“Gem or no gem, where did someone like you find a wizard’s staff?” the leader demanded. “If you’re a wizard, then I’m the Duchess of Dyerland.”
“Dunno what to tell you, mate, other than you’re making a big stink over a walking stick,” Neldren said with an indifferent shrug in his tone.
“Don’t bullshit me. Where did you stash the gem, and what other stolen goods are you hiding in there?”
“As my partner told you, we’re just passing through.”
The leader’s eyes darkened. “Search the coach. Tear thegodsdamned thing apart if you have to.”
Kella tossed Alain’s staff back inside the coach and grabbed the handhold next to the door. As she began to pull herself up, she vanished—along with everything else. The world plunged into darkness as the smell of ash permeated the air.
“Go! Now!”Neldren shouted.
Cloaked in Ether and immersed within Neldren’s summoned shadows, Mavery couldn’t see or feel a thing around her. Reins cracked, wheels rattled. Kella yelped, followed by a heavy thud in the dirt.
“Bast, get the mage!” the leader yelled from somewhere in the distance.
On all sides, horses panted, hooves thundered against the dirt path. To Mavery’s right, something zipped through the air, followed by a dullthunk.
“Fuck!” Neldren cried. “Bastard shot me!”
“Nel!”Ellice screamed, but her voice was trapped in the veil of Ether.
All at once, the shadows dissipated. Mavery blinked as her eyes readjusted to the light. The carriage was moving at a breakneck speed, though the male twin—Bast, the leader had called him—had managed to keep apace with it. Outside the right-hand window, he lowered his bow as his horse slowed to a canter.
“The shadows!” Evrard said. “They’re gone!”
“Godsdamned kutauss poison,” Neldren groaned. “Can’t use my magic. Don’t look atme! Focus on the road and keep driving.”
Alain extended his left hand. It became corporeal again, and Mavery worried that his arcana was also failing. But then he placed his palm flat against the nearby wall and began to chant Etherean beneath his breath. Once again, his hand turned invisible—and so did the section of wall beneath his skin. Like a slate being wiped clean, the carriage vanished, beginning with the corner closest to Alain and spreading toward the front.
Alain commenced a new string of syllables with a slightly altered rhythm. The driver’s seat vanished, though it somehow still supported Neldren and Evrard. They appeared to hover six feet above the ground.
“What the…” Neldren said, peering downward. He clutched his right arm, which had the shaft of an arrow sticking out of it. Blood dripped between his fingers, spattered the dirt directly below him. He fumbled with something at his hip, then raised his injured arm with a glint of silver. He tried aiming his pistol at the approaching highwaymen, only to lower his arm again with a hiss of pain.
Alain furrowed his brow. His gentle whispering had turned to strained muttering. Yet, the veil seemed unable to reach Neldren and Evrard.
“Ellice, grab Nel,” Mavery said. “His coat, anything you can.”
