Page 42 of Ashes of Gold
“Run,” I yell, rushing over. “Take cover.”
She tugs on her leg with her hands, but her foot seems resolved to stay put. “The ground—i-it’s like glue or something. I-I can’t move.”
“Pull the shoe off, genius.” I pull her arm over my shoulder and she slips her foot out of her shoe before we take off running. Another incendiary blaze flies past. Heat washes over my back, sizzling my nerves. I dart one direction, then the next, zigging and zagging, trying to shake the arrows, which are chasing me like there’s a target on my back. I pull Bri along and look for Jhamal, but in the chaos I don’t spot him. I let Bri go and skirt a corner and she hops off. But the arrows follow me, zipping around the building at my back. An arrow slams into the storefront, its sign going up in flames. My shirt tugs and something stings my side. Another arrow zips past.
“Zora,” I yell. “Do you see the direction they’re coming from?”
She shakes her head but hurries off to investigate.
Arrows fly toward us, one then another, in succession, their fiery glow reflecting off puddles on the ground. The air is thick with their heat. I motion for Bri, then shove us sideways as a cluster of magic shoots past. They spin in the air before heading right back toward us.Were we followed?
I run, dragging Bri toward a raised dumpster, ducking underneath it. The air is foul, but I swallow the urge to hurl. An arrow slams into the metal can we’ve turned into a shield.
“Every move we make, the arrows twist to follow.”
Bri pants beside me, gulping down air, but doesn’t utter a word. Flames zip past in her bright blue eyes. I peek from beneath the wooden platform, our cover.
“The arrows. They must sense movement,” I say. “What kind of magic does that?”
“Uhm, uhm.” Bri’s bangs are glued to her forehead and her hands shake as she shoves some gadget back in her bag. “I… uhm… okay, think.”
“Breathe and think. I have you.” I grab her face, forcing her to look at me when the wooden legs to the platform catch fire. We pull ourselves out and run, another arrow hot on our tail. It’s like being chased by the sun. Jhamal bounds over, his shield at our back.
“Down.” We scrunch together tight on the pavement behind the golden barrier attached to his arm. Fire slams into it, but snuffs out.
“It’s chasing me,” I tell him. “Or all of us… I don’t know.”
We look at Bri, but her expression is frozen with fear. We needbetter cover. On all sides. The streets are a pile of nothing but for an overturned commercial transport vehicle.
“There!” I point and we dart that way. “Come on, help me push!”
Jhamal pushes on the vehicle to try to turn it so we can get in. Metal groans.
“R’ski ya!”I thrust and the car rolls. “Inside, now.” Arrows rain like a hailstorm, coming faster and more at once, slamming into the roof of the car, the windows spiderwebs of growing cracks at each jab. It’s so hot, I can’t feel my skin. “Bri, anything you can think of? A magic that behaves like this?”
“Uhm… uhm…” She’s never been under pressure like this.
I get it. But, damn, I need her to get the fuck with it. “BRI!”
“More are coming,” Jhamal says, head peeking above his shield. “The shooters must be nearby.”
The back door of the vehicle opens and a smoky haze follows Zora inside. Flames slam into the door as it clicks shut.
“I couldn’t find anyone,” she says, her face lined with disappointment, like she’s let us down. Or herself down. Or both, maybe.
“It’s okay,” I say. “We’ve got this.” Somehow. Someway.
“I did notice that the arrows are shooting from an upstairs window in a taller building. But no one is there. I-I looked… I looked everywhere.”
“A trap.” Bri swallows, panting. “It’s a trap. They’ve booby-trapped this area, a-and looks like I stepped on the trigger.” Her shoe. That’s why it wouldn’t move? She inhales a big breath and lets it out slow. “I’m sorry I froze, Rue. I’m—”
Zora scoffs. “So, what needs to be done?”
Jhamal flashes her a look that saysbe nice. But she ignores him, too.
Fire knocks overhead.
Think, Rue.“Okay… magic is energy,” I say.
