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“The priestess has yet to kill anyone with her magic,” the soldier insisted.
One of the men thrashed in the hold of his captors. “I beg you, sir! Let us go!”
“You will not be harmed-”
“We beg to you on behalf of our families!”
The leader snatched a spear from one of his men and pointed the tip at the pair. His eyes flashed with ire as he held the point close to their stomachs. “You will come with us without further protest or you will lose your blood as well as your magic!”
By this time Ben had reached the height of the wall and disappeared onto the rooftop. I clutched my balled, shaking hands against my chest as my eyes flickered between the wall and the confrontation. Relief mixed with my fear for Ben as I watched his shadow self fly off the roof and drop into the crowd of men.
Ben’s sudden appearance from the sky startled the men long enough for him to make quick work of all but the two who held the citizens and the leader. The head of the soldiers spun around and thrust the spear at Ben, who lithely dodged the attack and grabbed the center of the staff. He gave a yank that threw the soldier off his balance, and the bully plunged head-first to the ground.
The soldier rolled onto his butt, fury written across his face, but his anger quickly changed to fear as he found himself staring down the pointed end of the stick. Ben held the other end, and he looked at those soldiers who held the captives. “Release them.”
The soldiers looked to their commander for guidance and the man nodded. They opened their arms and the men scrambled out of arm’s reach and bobbed their heads to Ben as they flew past him.
“A thousand thanks!”
“A blessing upon your family!”
They vanished, leaving Ben alone with the soldiers. He stepped back and pointed the spear at his three remaining opponents. “Leave here at once.”
The leader glared at him as he climbed to his feet. “I refuse to leave my men behind.”
“They won’t be harmed. I swear it.”
The commander scoffed. “As if I would trust a man in a mask.”
Ben pointed the spear at the man’s throat. “You have little choice.”
“Commander. . .” one of the others whispered. “We cannot help them if we are dead.”
The leader pursed his lips but caught their eyes and jerked his head over his shoulder. Together the three strode past Ben and down the street. I waited until they were well past the point of seeing my features before I scurried out of my hiding spot and over to Ben where he stood surrounded by his victory.
I watched with a heavy heart as the soldiers disappeared down the street. “This place is getting worse.”
“And very quickly,” Ben agreed as he tossed the spear onto the ground and tucked his wings into his back. “So we had better hurry ourselves.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
We slippedthrough the shadows of the tense capital and reached the eastern part a few hours short of midnight. Ben changed back to his normal appearance before we scurried across the open ground in which stood the corrals and stalls.
“You are late, my friend.”
For the second time that night, my heart skipped more than one beat as a short, chubby figure emerged from the shadows underneath the owner tents. The figure lit a small match and the soft flame revealed the worried face of Faris.
“We were delayed by some trouble, but is the wagon ready?” Ben asked him.
Faris jerked his head over his shoulder and we followed him to one of the arches that led out of the city. He stopped us ten yards short of the exit and I noticed a soldier posted on either side of the portal.
“My eldest son, Salil, drove your wagon out to the nearest oasis,” Faris whispered as he nodded at the guards. “You will have to get past them yourselves, but he is waiting there for you.”
Ben clapped a hand on Faris’ shoulder and smiled at his old friend. “A thousand thanks, and we’ll be sure to handsomely reward you.”
“I care more about my son than a chest full of coins,” Faris murmured as he stared at the gate. “I told him to wait for your return with the wagon, and I ask that you return my property and my son to me.”
Ben nodded. “We swear it. You’ll see your son before the sun rises.”
