ground.
“Run!” ordered the Gold Wizard, and he broke into a jog.
Reina grabbed Austyn’s hand to make sure she didn’t lose him, and they ran after the wizard. The Gold Wizard dashed into the thick of the crowd, where they got shoved and knocked every-which-way trying to follow him. The Dark Minion yelled after them, but the noise of the crowded docks obscured its words.
The Gold Wizard led them through the crowd to the wooden pillars of the dock. Instead of going out on them, he wove his way parallel until they reached the smaller crafts. Reina glanced behind them. A swarm of Dark Minions pushed their way through the crowd. The Gold Wizard drew a knife. Reina’s jaw dropped. Did he think they could fight that many Dark Minions with one puny knife? She put her hand on the pommel of her sword. This wasn’t a good place to pick a battle, restricted as they were by all the boats and people.
The Gold Wizard jumped into one of the smaller crafts and slashed the rope tying it to the dock. “Get in here!”
“You’re stealing it!” Reina shrieked at him, hardly believing her eyes.
“Get in!” roared the wizard. “Before they catch us!”
“You can’t steal someone’s boat!” Reina protested.
The Gold Wizard reached out and pulled Austyn into the boat. He landed in the bottom with a cry and stared up at Reina, eyes wide.
“Get in, or we’re leaving you!” The Gold Wizard grabbed the oars of the boat.
Reina had no choice; she jumped in. She turned. Some angry fishermen pelted down the dock, and the Dark Minions broke through the crowd behind them.
“We just stole someone’s boat,” she said, guilt fueling her anger. “Maybe this is the only way they have to make a living.”
The Gold Wizard rowed away from the dock with quick strokes. “We’ll make it up to them later. This is all for a good cause.”
“But it’s still wrong!”
The Gold Wizard glared at her. “You want us to get caught by the Dark Minions and killed? You want us stuck on the wrong side of the river and ripped apart by harpies? We had no choice! This was the only way. Anyway, if we had time to ask them properly, surely they’d donate one boat in the cause of the Chosen One!”
Reina couldn’t believe what she heard. “You intended to steal someone’s boat the whole time! I don’t believe it! That’s evil.”
The flush on the Gold Wizard’s face told her she had guessed rightly.
“If they did catch us, you’d deserve whatever they did to you!”
“You may get your wish,” the Gold Wizard muttered—and he rowed harder.
Reina turned towards shore. Dark Minions piled into boats to follow them.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Thirteen: Down the River
At that moment, the boat hit the current and jerked forward with a lunge that knocked Reina into the bottom. She pushed herself up again. They streaked down the river in the midst of the fastest current. Behind them, the Dark Minions and the docks had passed out of sound range, but she guessed they yelled as they pointed at them. Then one of the Minions’ boats hit the current and rushed after them.
“We aren’t going to stay ahead of them forever,” she said. “There’s more of them, and they have larger boats—they’ll catch us.”
“We have other things to worry about,” snapped the Gold Wizard.
Reina looked forward and gasped. The river crashed around a sharp bend, with rocks on either side. They were heading into rapids. The Gold Wizard turned back to the oars.
“Call out directions!”
Austyn huddled in the bottom of the boat, eyes wide and face pale. Reina hated the Gold Wizard for putting him through this. There has to be a better way to get across. And we’re not even across yet—we’re stuck hurtling downstream. But despite her thoughts, she gave her brother a reassuring smile.
Rocks rose out of the water ahead, a little to the right. “To the left, the left,” she shouted. The boat surged right. “Your other
“Run!” ordered the Gold Wizard, and he broke into a jog.
Reina grabbed Austyn’s hand to make sure she didn’t lose him, and they ran after the wizard. The Gold Wizard dashed into the thick of the crowd, where they got shoved and knocked every-which-way trying to follow him. The Dark Minion yelled after them, but the noise of the crowded docks obscured its words.
The Gold Wizard led them through the crowd to the wooden pillars of the dock. Instead of going out on them, he wove his way parallel until they reached the smaller crafts. Reina glanced behind them. A swarm of Dark Minions pushed their way through the crowd. The Gold Wizard drew a knife. Reina’s jaw dropped. Did he think they could fight that many Dark Minions with one puny knife? She put her hand on the pommel of her sword. This wasn’t a good place to pick a battle, restricted as they were by all the boats and people.
The Gold Wizard jumped into one of the smaller crafts and slashed the rope tying it to the dock. “Get in here!”
“You’re stealing it!” Reina shrieked at him, hardly believing her eyes.
“Get in!” roared the wizard. “Before they catch us!”
“You can’t steal someone’s boat!” Reina protested.
The Gold Wizard reached out and pulled Austyn into the boat. He landed in the bottom with a cry and stared up at Reina, eyes wide.
“Get in, or we’re leaving you!” The Gold Wizard grabbed the oars of the boat.
Reina had no choice; she jumped in. She turned. Some angry fishermen pelted down the dock, and the Dark Minions broke through the crowd behind them.
“We just stole someone’s boat,” she said, guilt fueling her anger. “Maybe this is the only way they have to make a living.”
The Gold Wizard rowed away from the dock with quick strokes. “We’ll make it up to them later. This is all for a good cause.”
“But it’s still wrong!”
The Gold Wizard glared at her. “You want us to get caught by the Dark Minions and killed? You want us stuck on the wrong side of the river and ripped apart by harpies? We had no choice! This was the only way. Anyway, if we had time to ask them properly, surely they’d donate one boat in the cause of the Chosen One!”
Reina couldn’t believe what she heard. “You intended to steal someone’s boat the whole time! I don’t believe it! That’s evil.”
The flush on the Gold Wizard’s face told her she had guessed rightly.
“If they did catch us, you’d deserve whatever they did to you!”
“You may get your wish,” the Gold Wizard muttered—and he rowed harder.
Reina turned towards shore. Dark Minions piled into boats to follow them.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Thirteen: Down the River
At that moment, the boat hit the current and jerked forward with a lunge that knocked Reina into the bottom. She pushed herself up again. They streaked down the river in the midst of the fastest current. Behind them, the Dark Minions and the docks had passed out of sound range, but she guessed they yelled as they pointed at them. Then one of the Minions’ boats hit the current and rushed after them.
“We aren’t going to stay ahead of them forever,” she said. “There’s more of them, and they have larger boats—they’ll catch us.”
“We have other things to worry about,” snapped the Gold Wizard.
Reina looked forward and gasped. The river crashed around a sharp bend, with rocks on either side. They were heading into rapids. The Gold Wizard turned back to the oars.
“Call out directions!”
Austyn huddled in the bottom of the boat, eyes wide and face pale. Reina hated the Gold Wizard for putting him through this. There has to be a better way to get across. And we’re not even across yet—we’re stuck hurtling downstream. But despite her thoughts, she gave her brother a reassuring smile.
Rocks rose out of the water ahead, a little to the right. “To the left, the left,” she shouted. The boat surged right. “Your other
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