Page 240 of Sword & Shadow
“That’s part of the plan, kid,” Jarrad replied, then shoved him into a back corridor. “Emmaas?”
“Two minutes.”
“Excellent.”
“Exactly what are we counting down to?” Thom asked.
“Our exit strategy,” Jarrad said with a cheery lilt.
At the back of the group, Isla shut the door, closing them into a servant’s stairwell near the front of the house. “Down,” she instructed.
The ten of them wound to the bottom floor, Emmaas now in the lead. He stepped to the entry door, holding up a hand. Cautiously, he opened the door to allow a slit of light through. Deckard peered past him to see roughly a dozen guards patrolling the entryway, spears and swords at the ready. Then Emmaas shut the door without a sound.
The Warrior turned back to the large party, his voice faint as he whispered, “When we get outside, head straight for thestables.” He looked pointedly at the Calders and Ephrians. “I made sure your horses were prepared. Saddles and all.”
“How?” Evylin asked.
Isla spoke up from the back. “When I learned of Renaul’s plan to send Caustin and his men to capture you, I hired Emmaas as our new stablemaster. We’ve been planning ever since.”
Rafferty eyed Jarrad. “Do you work here too?”
“Nah,” the Terrae Mage said. “It would have been too boring.”
“Couldn’t find a job you’d be good at?” Ilain asked.
Emmaas cut off Jarrad’s reply. “Thirty seconds,” he said.
Silence fell in the passageway. Cramped and anxious, the air grew stifling. The barest muffled conversation could be heard from the guards patrolling outside. Rafferty adjusted behind Deckard, pushing him forward into Evylin. She glanced over her shoulder at him, then smirked, leaning back into his chest.
All at once, a rumble shook the floor beneath their feet. A loud crack ripped through the air. The guards began yelling in panic outside their passageway. Struggling to maintain their footing within the small space, the Alliance members and Ephrians stumbled into one another.
Ethenn bumped into Ilain, and she set her hand on his shoulder. “Steady on, darling,” she said, grinning at his wide-eyed expression. “It’s only a bomb.”
“What the hell is a bomb?” Thom asked.
Rafferty’s silver eyes twinkled in the darkness. “It’s proof we’re on the right side,” he said with glee.
Frantic footfalls and gruff orders rumbled from the entry. The guards were distracted, thrown off by the explosion. Yet, Emmaas kept the door closed.
“What are we waiting for?” Deckard asked.
Emmaas held up a hand, eyes locked on his pocket watch. His lips moved slowly, counting. Seven, six, five...
Deckard wondered what he was counting down to just as another sharp, crumbling crack reverberated through the building. This one was closer, sending a wave of sound slamming into Deckard’s chest. He tightened his grip on Evylin. The only reason any of them remained upright was due to their tight quarters, the walls physically holding them up.
Before the explosion’s cacophony fully died out, Emmaas flung the door open. He darted into the entry, the hidden blades back in his hands. They flashed in the moonlight as he sliced down two guards. “Go,” he ordered.
Piling out of the passageway, their party sprinted for the front door. Or what should have been the front door. Now, it was simply a gaping hole.
Jarrad took the lead, guiding them. Any guards left alive after the explosion lay on the ground in wounded heaps. Their path to the stables was almost completely clear, and Deckard realized as they ran that the first bomb was a distraction. It had drawn many of the guards away, leaving only a handful for them to fight.
However, after the explosion, those few men were ready. They raised their weapons and charged, calling out for backup. Without time to stop and fight, Deckard flexed his hand, summoning his magic.
Jarrad was already on it. He thrust his hands toward a group of guards. The ground immediately gave way, tearing out from under them and swallowing them whole.
Deckard’s crystalline shadows swept through the rest. The black shards glittered in the night as they ripped through the guards’ chests, clearing the path to the stables.
“What kind of Mage did you say you were?” Jarrad asked in awe.
