Page 24 of Reaper's Quest

Chace stretched his head forward and frowned. “Don’t see anything dangerous.” He shifted his gaze to me. “Except maybe Raven.”

The edges of his eyes crinkled with silent laughter.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” I sneered.

He responded with a smug smile then looked away.

“Keep your heads on the task,” Mr. Aldine snapped. “Just because you don’t see a danger doesn’t mean one isn’t present.” He heaved a heavy breath and squared his shoulders. “Nothing is going to get done by us standing here all day. Let’s go.”

He took one step onto the bridge and waited. Nothinghappened. He took another. Still nothing. He moved forward five steps, then ten.

“Come on.” He waved Chace and me forward.

The stone path before me appeared normal enough.

“Here we go,” I said under my breath.

Surveying the sides of the bridge, I spied no trap waiting to spring. Still, I stepped cautiously, and I prepared myself to lurch out of the way at the first sign of danger.

Chace kept pace at my side. I caught his narrowed sideways glance every now and again. No doubt he picked out every little thing I did wrong. He was probably making a list.

Chace and I trailed in Mr. Aldine’s wake down the center of the bridge. Iron lanterns adorning the side railings flickered to life as true night began to slip over us.Nearly at the halfway point, Mr. Aldine stopped and flared his hands at his sides, signaling us to halt.

Ever since we’d exited the train, I’d felt a charge in the air around us. Likely a result of the flash bombs. But there, on the bridge, the atmosphere felt electrified three-fold.

I shuddered as Chace whispered, “What is it?”

Our elder raised a hand, as if to feel the air, possibly studying something unseen. The space in front of him shimmered in a slight shade of aqua—a wall of distortion cutting across the bridge from side to side. Its presence slightly morphed the view of the walkway and wall beyond.

Squaring my shoulders, I shifted my weight and swallowed the ugly lump in my throat.

What exactly am I looking at? An energy field? Magic?

I tilted my head. The barrier expanded continuously in all directions, possibly surrounding the entire citadel. Whateveritwas, it was likely dangerous, and so I held my ground.

“What are you guys looking at?” Chace stepped forward.

I reached for him out of instinct, attempting to hold him back, but I missed. Rivals or not, I didn’t want to see him hurt…or worse. Thankfully, he stopped at Mr. Aldine’s side.

“Halt right there.” The call came from the far side of the bridge.

Nestled against the right side, where the bridge met the citadel wall, stood a small guard tower.

A guy in uniform stepped free and cupped his hands around his mouth to help his voice travel. “This area isn’t safe to pass. I suggest you turn around and go back from whence you came.”

He was the first living thing we’d seen since exiting the train. Aside from the flying creatures.

I inched a tad closer so I might get a better view. From the play of darkening shadows on the glass of the guard tower, I suspected another guard might be holed up within.

“We have business here,” Mr. Aldine called. “We need to get inside.”

“No outsider has had business here in years. Longer, even,” the guy replied.

Mr. Aldine cupped his hands around his mouth. “We’ve been sent by the Collections Office.”

“Collections?” The guard stood taller.

A guy in civilian attire stepped free from the tower, confirming my suspicions. The two individuals exchanged words and then spun their attention to Mr. Aldine.