Page 98 of Pretense

The grass lashed upward, wrapping around the spy. He let go of the gun to beat at the grass, giving a rather high-pitched squeal of fright as the grass caught his hands.

Another guard was rushing toward them. Yet there was something about him…Jalissa sent her magic toward him as well. Only when she had him bound did it register that he had reached into his tunic, as if for a gun, rather than toward his hip as an elven warrior would, looking for their sword or dagger. He also had a hint of scruff on his cheeks.

On the forest floor in front of her, Edmund groaned and dropped the gun, pressing his hands to his stomach. In seconds, blood coated his fingers.

He was bleeding from both the entry and exit wounds, a pool of red spreading over the moss around him.

Yet Jalissa did not have healing magic. She could not even press her hands to his wounds as she still held the two spies in the power of her magic.

Instead, she laced more of the grass with her magic and encouraged the plants to wrap around Edmund’s middle. Would it be enough? Would he bleed out before a healer could tend him? “Rheva!”

“Jalissa?” Weylind’s voice came from behind her, scratchy and deep from the smoke.

“There are four more assassins.” Jalissa tightened her grip on the spies she held in her power. The men struggled against the grass, but they could not break her magically reinforced plants. “I need Rheva.”

Even as she said it, a guard who had been approaching Rheva turned and bolted.

A root sprang from the ground and snagged the elf’s foot, sending him crashing to the forest floor with such force that his wig went askew, revealing human ears. Behind Jalissa, Weylind gave a growl.

The spy rolled and muttered something under his breath, a moment before fire licked around his fingers. He grabbed the root holding him in place, burning it away.

That would explain why the fire had started so quickly and proved so difficult to put out. One of the spies was also a human magician.

He scrambled to his feet. Before he had gone more than a step, ice shot toward him, hitting him in the back and knocking him to the ground. More ice wrapped around him, holding him in place. The ice coating his hands steamed, but Rharreth held him tightly in the grip of his magic.

Guards converged on Rheva. Protecting her, yes, but also preventing her from getting to Jalissa and Edmund.

If only Jalissa had healing magic. She would even take healing magic with the same level of power that she currently had. It would be so much more useful than the modicum of growing magic she possessed.

Blood slicked the blades of grass she had wrapped around Edmund. She grew more, even as she knew they would not be enough. He had been gut shot from only inches away, the bullet tearing through him before exiting out his back.

Both Weylind and Rharreth were shouting orders. More guards, both elf and troll, rushed about. A few of them took control of the spies Jalissa captured, and she released the magic holding them.

From somewhere in the trees, the group of Farrendel’s friends came forward, another human dressed as a guard bound and pushed in front of them. One of the warriors held the spy’s wig in his hand.

A fourth spy. There could be two more, lurking about somewhere, including the female spy.

But right now, she did not care where they were. Someone else would have to track them down.

Jalissa kept one hand pressed to the ground, holding the magical grass that tried to staunch the bleeding. She rested her other hand on Edmund’s shoulder. “Rheva!”

Edmund made a choking sound, curling even tighter around his stomach. He spoke between gritted teeth, yet his tone was light. “You sound worried. Glad to hear you don’t want me to die.”

“Of course I do not want you to die.” Jalissa gripped his shoulder tight enough it probably hurt. Not that her fingers digging into his muscle would hurt worse than what that bullet had done to him. “Now stop talking and save your strength. Rheva will be here soon.”

“At least I have the good sense to get shot in Estyra with healers nearby.”

How could he joke at a time like this? Jalissa wanted to scream again, this time in frustration. But that would not help him. “Rheva! I need a healer! Now!”

“Here.” Rheva knelt next to Edmund across from Jalissa, her voice calm and soothing. Her magic coated her fingers as she pressed a hand to Edmund’s forehead.

Edmund drew in a shuddering breath, some of the tightness in his face easing. Yet, his face remained gray and pale.

“Will he be all right?” Jalissa bit her lip and held her breath.

A slight frown crossed Rheva’s face. “We need to get him inside. There is some of his shirt inside the wound that will need to be removed before I heal him all the way.”

As she gestured to some of the guards and gave orders, Edmund rolled onto his back, reaching out to Jalissa with a bloody hand. “Warn Farrendel.”

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