Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
The moment my feet touched the dock, my legs swaying beneath me as they tried to recall what it was to be on solid land, a great pink fog rolled in from the bay and poured through the streets. Air froze in my lungs as I watched the surrounding people disappear in the cloud, leaving behind their frantic shouts of fear and confusion.
A hand suddenly wrapped around my wrist and I jumped, instinctively trying to jerk it free.
“It’s me,” Nylian whispered in my ear. I relaxed, allowing him to pull me along. We ran as best as we could, weaving between the people and enormous crates that only appeared when we were less than a foot away from them.
The pink cotton-candy fog stretched everywhere, obscuring my view of the city. But it also meant that no one could see us. Nylian maintained a breakneck pace, forcing us to cross countless blocks as fast as my legs could carry me. Several times I wanted to stop him, but he had to know Ulmenor and its people better than I did. If it was safe for us to stop, he would let us stop.
After several blocks, the sweet scent of flowers replaced the salty air, giving it a clear crispness that I couldn’t put a name to. It was clean and almost decadent. Slowly, the fog was fading, and it was becoming easier to make out the buildings. Elegant carriages filled the streets and streetlamps popped on, one after another, with a warm yellow glow. But this was magic rather than oil and flame.
When I could no longer catch my breath, Nylian pulled us down a shadowy alley and slowed to a brisk walk. Only after a few more turns that took us away from one of the major streets did he stop. I leaned on a cool stone wall, holding my side against the stitch that was slicing through my organs. My throat was raw and my lungs burned. This body might be in damn good shape, but I still didn’t have any hope of keeping up with the elf, who wasn’t even panting.
As I stood there, trying to suck great gulps of air into my lungs, Nylian ripped off the veil, head covering, and dress that he wore over his clothes. He wadded them all up and shoved them into a dark corner before turning to me.
“I’m sorry, but we need to keep moving until we can find a safe place to hide,” Nylian murmured as his nimble fingers plucked away my veil. “That spell of Jasper’s would have sent all the City Watch scrambling for the docks. It’s likely that they’re on high alert now, searching for anyone who might have sneaked into the capital.”
“Fuck. What…what…about…Adeline…and Jasper?” I gasped.
“Hopefully they’ve gotten away.” He gave a small shake of his head when I tried to form more words. “The plan was always for us to part ways after reaching the shore. They have their business, and we have ours.”
Not great, but I couldn’t argue with him. My hopes for Adeline and Nylian fizzled completely. Maybe they weren’t meant for each other. I ignored the strange knot in my stomach that suddenly disappeared and focused on what was ahead of us. Adeline would take care of Jasper and get him to a wizard who could teach him something.
For now, Nylian and I needed to stay alive long enough to make a plan that would get us closer to the people who might have the information we needed.
With the stitch in my side fading, I had enough energy to take off my head covering and pull off the baggy blue dress. That pale hue was not my best color, but at least it had hidden my bag and the sword strapped to my back.
“Hey, why did I have to shave if I was always going to be wearing a veil?” I demanded as I wadded up the fabric and tossed it aside.
“Oh, you didn’t. I was just wondering what you’d look like clean shaven.” The evil elf flashed me a wicked grin, and I raised my fist to bring it down on top of his head. He caught it easily and shoved me against the wall. Crowding close, Nylian tipped his head toward me so that his nose brushed my cheek. Even after our time trapped on the ship and the running through the winding Ulmenor streets, he still smelled like a walk through the woods after the rain. “And I was right. You’re even more handsome now.”
What the hell was I supposed to say to that?
All the fire and irritation rushed out of me like air from a balloon. Shameless flirt.
Nylian suddenly released my arm and stepped away. “Caught your breath?” he asked, as if nothing had happened.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
“Stick close to me, and don’t do anything stupid.” He held up a finger, his expression turning deathly serious. “No distractions. Follow my lead.”