“They’ll be setting up wards along Sorcerers Row,” Sienna called back. “Let me go first when we reach the entrance.”
“Of course, dear.” General Pollack sounded pained. “But we have to get out of here first!”
Emily felt her body shake as they made their way down the street. The sheer emotion unleashed by the riot was staggering, a wave of rage and hatred that threatened to suck her into the mob. She readied a spell in one hand and clutched Frieda with the other, trying to escape a very primal terror. Cold logic told her she had enough magic to protect herself, but it wasn’t enough to make her feel safe. The crowd would rip her to pieces if it could lay hands on her.
“Stand aside,” Sienna snapped.
Emily looked up. A dozen men charged towards their small group, faces twisted with fury. They all wore dark green tunics and caps, marking them out as devotees of the Horned God. Now…she braced herself, just as Sienna threw an overpowered force punch at the leader. A blast of magic picked him and his comrades up, tossing them through the air and slamming their helpless bodies into a nearby temple. They fell to the ground and lay still. It was easy, even at a distance, to tell that some of them were badly wounded, perhaps even dead.
“Keep moving.” Sienna glanced back at Emily. “We have to get home fast!”
Emily swallowed, but did as she was told. Sienna was right. Emily just didn’t like it. She braced herself as another group of Hands of Justice came around the corner, readying a spell, but the fanatics ignored them. They were more intent on slamming into the rioting worshippers and teaching them a lesson. The clubs they carried were less dangerous, she supposed, than swords, yet she knew hundreds of people were going to be hurt – or killed.
She shivered as the chant grew louder. “Justice…Justice…Justice…”
The streets grew quieter as they hurried away from the temple. Dozens of guardsmen had materialized at one street corner, setting up barricades and turning away anyone who wanted to head to the temples. They looked terrified, a couple even sidling away as soon as they had the chance. Emily didn’t blame them. There were enough rioters in the area to smash through their lines, if they decided to rampage through the rest of the city. She wasn’t sure there were enough trained guardsmen to put an end to the riot.
They’ll have to use magic, she thought. A pair of black-clad sorcerers, wearing blue armbands, hurried up to join the guard. And who knows what that will do?
“General,” a guardsman called. “Is it true?”
General Pollack slowed. “Is what true?”
“Is he dead?” the guard asked. Others looked up, hoping to hear the answer. “Is Vesperian dead?”
Say no, Emily urged, silently. Rumors were already spreading…but, if they were lucky, perhaps they could keep them from spreading too far. People wouldn’t want to believe that Vesperian was dead. Don’t pour fuel on the fire.
“Yes,” General Pollack said. “I saw him die.”
Emily cursed, inwardly, as they picked up speed again. Telling the guardsmen the truth had been a mistake. Even with the best will in the world – and that was lacking – Vesperian’s death would cause economic shockwaves. Now…who knew how many people would run out of money while the council tried to figure out what to do? Or how many others would seek redress through violence?
A cold shiver ran down her spine. Beneficence was battening down the hatches, shopkeepers slamming their doors and sealing the windows while stallkeepers hurried away in all directions. A number of young men massed outside some of the shops, carrying all sorts of makeshift weapons. Emily couldn’t tell if they intended to do some looting or prevent it. Perhaps they didn’t know either. Their gazes flickered over the small group, then looked away. No doubt they’d recognized General Pollack or his wife.
The noise dimmed, slightly, as they turned into Sorcerers Row. A handful of sorcerers were hastily raising wards, casting charms over anyone who stepped through them. Sienna spoke briefly to the leader, who nodded shortly and motioned for the group to enter the street. Emily was surprised to note that the various magic-users seemed to be working together surprisingly well. Normally, getting powerful sorcerers to cooperate was a little like herding cats.
The prospect of a mass riot might just have concentrated a few minds, she thought. There were so many wards and defensive charms flickering through the air that she suspected some of them were interfering with the others. It was not going to be a peaceful night. And they might have decided to put old grudges aside to defend their homes.
She turned, peering back towards Temple Row. A cloud of smoke rose into the air. Beneficence had a working fire service, but she doubted the firemen could get to the fire while the mob raged. The flames might not be a major problem on Temple Row – the temples were all built of stone – yet if the fire spread further, it would turn into a disaster. Most of the homes in Fishing Plaice were built of wood. The poorest and most helpless citizens would find themselves without a roof over their heads.
“Get inside,” Sienna snapped. Emily could feel the wards, cracking through the air. “Now!”
She hurried into the house. Sienna slammed the door. A moment later, the wards crashed down too. Emily tested them, briefly. They were simple but tough, linked directly to Sienna’s mind. Breaking them would be a complex task, one almost certainly beyond her. No one could enter or leave the house without Sienna’s permission.
“The coffin,” Karan said. “We left it behind!”
“They won’t touch it,” Sienna said, shortly. “I saw to that.”