“Thank god he isn’t that smart,” Wisp said in the same low voice.
“If he doesn’t show signs of releasing them in the next few minutes, be ready to act. We need the crowd on our side if we are going to escape with our lives,” Jala said, turning her head so those on the dais couldn’t read her lips. Her eyes sought out Finn to make sure he had heard and he nodded slightly with a smile. From the look on his face she guessed her husband was hoping the prisoners wouldn’t be released.
“I think Jail is working on the crowd. They are getting rather rowdy considering how many guards there are about,” Neph said, glancing over his shoulder at the commons that were now pushing closer to the dais.
“It’s going to be hard to get out of here without trampling people. What the hell is Kellis waiting on?” Wisp grumbled.
Jala ignored the banter as she watched a Justicar climb onto the dais to whisper something in Kellis’s ear. She couldn’t make out the words from here but knew Marrow had heard them clearly from the way his ears were cocked. What did he say? she asked the Bendazzi through their link.
They have been searching for Chastity’s daughter as well as a few others. They have not found them and are concerned that they may have breached the Barrier, Marrow replied quickly, his head still cocked and listening.
“Are you going to release the prisoners, Kellis, or are you going to continue this farce?” Jala called loudly.
“If you continue your harassment, girl I will find you guilty of obstructing justice,” Kellis warned, his face turning red with anger.
“This is talking, Kellis,” she said calmly as she drew her hands up before her. Pulling swiftly on her magic she summoned a force blast and sent it crashing into the dais. Wood splintered as the platform broke down the center sending those standing above tumbling to the ground. “That is obstructing,” she added quietly and the world exploded into chaos around her.
She was dimly aware of Finn spurring his horse toward where Valor had fallen before the guards surrounding her swarmed in. “Get Chastity!” she bellowed to her companions, but didn’t take the time to see if they had listened. Snarls erupted from Marrow as the Bendazzi tore into the closest guards.
Taking her reins tightly in one hand she used another force blast to push the remaining guards back from her horse and searched around wildly for Kellis. If she could just manage to kill that bastard, the Barrier on the city might come down. She knew he was the center of all of their troubles. A flash of bright yellow caught her eye and she saw Devron pulling himself back onto what remained of the platform. His expression was one of pure fury as he glared at her before disappearing back into the Hall of Justice. There was no sign of Kellis, however, and she suspected the coward had retreated at first signs of trouble.
A wave of fire sprang to life behind her and she glanced back to see Neph pushing the guards away with the flames. There was no sign of Wisp nearby and she desperately hoped the Fae had gone for Chastity. Angry screams rose from the crowds beyond and the sound of fighting was everywhere. She had never seen a riot before and wondered briefly how many people she had killed by starting one today.
“How did I ever think we could make it back to my district in this,” she whispered as she summoned more magic for a spell. A guard staggered back against her leg and she kicked him hard away from her. The man spun as he fell and blood from his torn throat sprayed across her leg and horse. His stomach was torn in jagged strips where Marrow had raked him. Bile rose in her throat at the sight and she turned back to the fighting willing her breathing back to normal.
Wordless shrieking arose nearby her as Marrow drug another victim to the ground and she hastily called a Windblade to cut down another guard raising his sword against her Familiar. The spell sliced the man in half as it stuck and she looked away quickly from the gruesome sight.
With effort, she closed herself off to the suffering and fell into a steady rhythm of fighting. Her side was gradually getting pushed back as the guardsmen rallied against the commons. They needed to get out of here soon and she knew it, but she still saw no signs of Finn, Valor or Chastity.
“Jala, look out,” Neph called behind her.
Looking up sharply she saw two Justicars moving swiftly across what remained of the platform toward her. Magic was no good against them and she struggled to think of a spell to help her. One staggered and dropped with a black arrow shaft protruding from the slit in his visor and Jala silently thanked Wisp. The Fae was deadly accurate with her arrows.
“We need to withdraw!” Neph yelled, his words almost lost in the ringing of swords.
“I know, but I don’t know where the others are!” she yelled back, unsure if he had heard her. The second Justicar was almost upon her and she still hadn’t decided what spell to use. Movement from her left drew her eye and she watched in amazement as Finn plowed hard into the Justicar that was nearly on her. She hadn’t even seen where her husband came from. The Justicar recovered quickly and rounded on Finn with his broadsword. Finn deftly dodged the cumbersome weapon and drove in hard with his twin blades flashing. Sparks flew off of the Justicar’s armor as Finn pushed him back with a flurry of blows. There weren’t many that could match him in speed and the Justicar was overmatched.
“Follow Valor, Jala!” Finn yelled back to her as he continued to press his opponent.
Looking around frantically, she spotted the knight mounted on Finn’s grey mare. He was cutting a swathe toward her with brutal efficiency. She could make out a crumpled bloody form laying across the saddle in front of her. By the pale blue fabric she knew it must be Chastity and her heart sank as she realized the figure wasn’t moving.