alarmingly closer, but he was having trouble getting enough breath to propel him any faster, and his body threatened to collapse. He pushed himself to his limit, but it wasnât enough. The vehicleâs arrival was imminent.
With Alex too far away to do anything, Samheed, Carina, and Sky jumped out into the road. The vehicle swerved and slowed. Alex stumbled, overcorrected, slipped on loose gravel, and fell to the road. Charlie jumped from his arms just in timeas the spell component flew from Alexâs grasp. The gargoyle reached out and nimbly caught the component between two thumbs as Alex skidded to a stop on the ground behind him.
Stunned and in pain, Alex lay still for a second, then came to his senses and scrambled to his feet, his breath too ragged to even allow him to say thanks to Charlie. He took the component, staggered forward, and left Charlie behind.
âHide,â Alex warned Charlie in a ragged voice. It was all he could manage.
Charlie hopped to the side of the road and lay down in the ditch, then crawled up to the edge of it to watch.
Alex focused on the scene before him and picked up his speed once more. The vehicle had stopped. The driverâs window was down. Sky, Carina, and Samheed were gesturing and playing their parts perfectly. As Samheed took the lead role in acting out their predicament, Sky glanced over her shoulder anxiously, and saw Alex. Immediately she turned back toward the car and shifted her position to block Gondoleery from being able to see him approach.
Come on, Stowe! Alex urged himself. He was nearly within range now. With Sky blocking his view, he didnât seeGondoleery open her door. He barely saw Lani leap out of the car. He could tell that something was happening, but he couldnât hear what anybody was saying.
Yet everything became instantly clear when Carina flew backward, a dagger of ice sticking through her shoulder. Samheed, blasted off his feet in a fiery burst, landed on the ground with flames taking hold of his clothing.
Alexâs heart stopped. He saw Lani desperately searching Sullyâs pockets, but he realized at the same time she did that in this disguise, and in character, her component vest wasnât accessible. And Sky had little magical ability, if any. Instinctively, Sky moved back and put her hands in the air.
Alex had no trouble seeing Gondoleery now. The high priest raised her hand and pointed toward Sky.
Alex had no time to think. He slowed, raised his spell component with an aching arm, focused on Gondoleery, and let it fly, yelling at the top of his lungs, âPulverize!â
At the shout, Gondoleery turned. She saw Alex and leaped toward Sky, trying to dodge whatever it was heâd cast. Sky grabbed the old woman by the face and pulled her to the ground, then tried to fight off the high priestâs kicks and punches.
Laniâsdisguise began to melt, and all too slowly she began changing once more into the Lani everybody knew. She floundered inside the suit with her mishmash of Sully/Lani body parts, trying frantically to get the clothes off so she could help. Carina, still skewered, dove at Samheed, knocking him to the ground, and rolled him over, desperate to put out the flames.
Alexâs clear component sailed slowly through the air, trying to reach its intended target. But Alex had been too far away and his body too spent to give it the proper launch. With Gondoleery rolling on the ground with Sky, the tiny component hit the side of the vehicle and bounced to the ground.
Then, with an excruciating cracking sound, the entire jalopy imploded, shattering into a billion tiny pieces. Alex watched in horror.
Lani dove for cover, still tangled in the suit. Gondoleery paused in her fight with Sky to see what the noise was, and Sky clocked her with all her might, three fast blows right in the face, knocking the old woman unconscious. And Charlie, behind Alex, came running soundlessly, except for his little
With Alex too far away to do anything, Samheed, Carina, and Sky jumped out into the road. The vehicle swerved and slowed. Alex stumbled, overcorrected, slipped on loose gravel, and fell to the road. Charlie jumped from his arms just in timeas the spell component flew from Alexâs grasp. The gargoyle reached out and nimbly caught the component between two thumbs as Alex skidded to a stop on the ground behind him.
Stunned and in pain, Alex lay still for a second, then came to his senses and scrambled to his feet, his breath too ragged to even allow him to say thanks to Charlie. He took the component, staggered forward, and left Charlie behind.
âHide,â Alex warned Charlie in a ragged voice. It was all he could manage.
Charlie hopped to the side of the road and lay down in the ditch, then crawled up to the edge of it to watch.
Alex focused on the scene before him and picked up his speed once more. The vehicle had stopped. The driverâs window was down. Sky, Carina, and Samheed were gesturing and playing their parts perfectly. As Samheed took the lead role in acting out their predicament, Sky glanced over her shoulder anxiously, and saw Alex. Immediately she turned back toward the car and shifted her position to block Gondoleery from being able to see him approach.
Come on, Stowe! Alex urged himself. He was nearly within range now. With Sky blocking his view, he didnât seeGondoleery open her door. He barely saw Lani leap out of the car. He could tell that something was happening, but he couldnât hear what anybody was saying.
Yet everything became instantly clear when Carina flew backward, a dagger of ice sticking through her shoulder. Samheed, blasted off his feet in a fiery burst, landed on the ground with flames taking hold of his clothing.
Alexâs heart stopped. He saw Lani desperately searching Sullyâs pockets, but he realized at the same time she did that in this disguise, and in character, her component vest wasnât accessible. And Sky had little magical ability, if any. Instinctively, Sky moved back and put her hands in the air.
Alex had no trouble seeing Gondoleery now. The high priest raised her hand and pointed toward Sky.
Alex had no time to think. He slowed, raised his spell component with an aching arm, focused on Gondoleery, and let it fly, yelling at the top of his lungs, âPulverize!â
At the shout, Gondoleery turned. She saw Alex and leaped toward Sky, trying to dodge whatever it was heâd cast. Sky grabbed the old woman by the face and pulled her to the ground, then tried to fight off the high priestâs kicks and punches.
Laniâsdisguise began to melt, and all too slowly she began changing once more into the Lani everybody knew. She floundered inside the suit with her mishmash of Sully/Lani body parts, trying frantically to get the clothes off so she could help. Carina, still skewered, dove at Samheed, knocking him to the ground, and rolled him over, desperate to put out the flames.
Alexâs clear component sailed slowly through the air, trying to reach its intended target. But Alex had been too far away and his body too spent to give it the proper launch. With Gondoleery rolling on the ground with Sky, the tiny component hit the side of the vehicle and bounced to the ground.
Then, with an excruciating cracking sound, the entire jalopy imploded, shattering into a billion tiny pieces. Alex watched in horror.
Lani dove for cover, still tangled in the suit. Gondoleery paused in her fight with Sky to see what the noise was, and Sky clocked her with all her might, three fast blows right in the face, knocking the old woman unconscious. And Charlie, behind Alex, came running soundlessly, except for his little
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