Kindle the Flame (Heart of a Dragon Book 1) by Tamara Shoemaker Page A
Authors: Tamara Shoemaker
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Ashwynd pushed through the crowd. The leader shook his whip at anyone who stood too long in the road impeding their progress. People shoved to get out of the way.
Cedric's legs froze. It was all too much—the noise, the shouting; the chaos keened wildly in his ears. He couldn't move. He could only stare at the advancing horses and pray to the Great Star to take him home, to remove him from the insanity.
“Oy! Loony. Clear the road. The King's General is on 'is way to the Palace.”
The bearded face peering at him from beneath the helmet looked fierce, and warning bells clanged in Cedric's mind. He commanded his legs to move, and slowly, he managed to back up.
Not quickly enough, however.
Two feet hit the sand in front of him. Thick calves coated with curly, dark hair hid behind leather guards that laced clear up to the kneecap. A wide leather belt cinched a white tunic, but the sword that swung in the sheath snagged and held Cedric's attention.
“Taking your time, boy? We don't 'ave all day to wait on you.”
Two hands grasped his arms and spun him around. The guard's leather gauntlets chafed Cedric's bare side.
At Cedric's grunt of protest, the guard shook him, and Cedric's teeth closed on his tongue. He tasted blood.
“Who do you think you are, standing in the middle of the King's Road, blocking traffic?” Another guard slid off his horse and advanced, his frame tall and menacing.
“I didn't know this was the King's Road.” Cedric's s's lisped across his injured tongue.
A burst of laughter erupted from the man's lips, and he backhanded Cedric across his cheek. “Fool. How could you not know?”
Cedric shook his head to clear the pain. His lips felt thick now. “How am I to know it is the King's way when I have never before seen this city or walked these streets?”
The man stared at him, his dark hair framing the craggy face, the thick gold bar that pierced his ear. With a jerk of his head, he nodded to the guard that held Cedric's arms. “Bring him in.”
Cedric's arms were twisted farther behind his back, and he was wrangled toward a horse.
Every instinct of self-preservation rose. Cedric writhed and strained against the man's iron grip. The guard cursed under his breath as he wrestled with him.
One wrist slipped free. Then the other. With a bound, Cedric broke away, sprinting into the crowd of gaping onlookers.
“After him!”
Cedric glanced over his shoulder. They weren't far behind.
He dashed down the street, stumbling into people, brushing by anyone that stood in his way, darting down an alley and reemerging on the other side. A market scene opened in front of him—vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, baskets, carvings, and everything.
“Got you, vermin.” The guard grabbed for his arm, but Cedric whipped it out of reach, leaping over a watermelon stall, scattering the heavy green fruits across the cobblestones. Red flesh and black seeds burst from the split fruit, and the guard who had followed Cedric slipped, sprawling across the stones.
Cedric leaped sideways, bowling over the fruit vendor, who cursed and shook his fist. Cedric bolted up a set of rickety wooden steps that wound up the side of a building. One flight, two, three. A flat roof drew near. The noise of pursuit beat an ominous rhythm behind him. His lungs pumped, and every skill he'd ever learned in the Rockmonster Dwellings, every trick for survival, every instinct kicked into high gear. He vaulted onto the pitched top of the building and sprinted across the expanse.
“Stop!” A guard's voice rocketed across the rooftops, echoing in the empty space. Pounding footsteps thudded behind him. The roof's edge drew near, and adrenaline pulsed through every vein in Cedric's body.
Cedric leaped. The neighboring building seemed impossibly distant. He wasn't going to make it; it was too far. The yawning chasm opened beneath him. Tiny people milled in patterns below. The cacophony of a city street jostled the air. He was
Cedric's legs froze. It was all too much—the noise, the shouting; the chaos keened wildly in his ears. He couldn't move. He could only stare at the advancing horses and pray to the Great Star to take him home, to remove him from the insanity.
“Oy! Loony. Clear the road. The King's General is on 'is way to the Palace.”
The bearded face peering at him from beneath the helmet looked fierce, and warning bells clanged in Cedric's mind. He commanded his legs to move, and slowly, he managed to back up.
Not quickly enough, however.
Two feet hit the sand in front of him. Thick calves coated with curly, dark hair hid behind leather guards that laced clear up to the kneecap. A wide leather belt cinched a white tunic, but the sword that swung in the sheath snagged and held Cedric's attention.
“Taking your time, boy? We don't 'ave all day to wait on you.”
Two hands grasped his arms and spun him around. The guard's leather gauntlets chafed Cedric's bare side.
At Cedric's grunt of protest, the guard shook him, and Cedric's teeth closed on his tongue. He tasted blood.
“Who do you think you are, standing in the middle of the King's Road, blocking traffic?” Another guard slid off his horse and advanced, his frame tall and menacing.
“I didn't know this was the King's Road.” Cedric's s's lisped across his injured tongue.
A burst of laughter erupted from the man's lips, and he backhanded Cedric across his cheek. “Fool. How could you not know?”
Cedric shook his head to clear the pain. His lips felt thick now. “How am I to know it is the King's way when I have never before seen this city or walked these streets?”
The man stared at him, his dark hair framing the craggy face, the thick gold bar that pierced his ear. With a jerk of his head, he nodded to the guard that held Cedric's arms. “Bring him in.”
Cedric's arms were twisted farther behind his back, and he was wrangled toward a horse.
Every instinct of self-preservation rose. Cedric writhed and strained against the man's iron grip. The guard cursed under his breath as he wrestled with him.
One wrist slipped free. Then the other. With a bound, Cedric broke away, sprinting into the crowd of gaping onlookers.
“After him!”
Cedric glanced over his shoulder. They weren't far behind.
He dashed down the street, stumbling into people, brushing by anyone that stood in his way, darting down an alley and reemerging on the other side. A market scene opened in front of him—vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, baskets, carvings, and everything.
“Got you, vermin.” The guard grabbed for his arm, but Cedric whipped it out of reach, leaping over a watermelon stall, scattering the heavy green fruits across the cobblestones. Red flesh and black seeds burst from the split fruit, and the guard who had followed Cedric slipped, sprawling across the stones.
Cedric leaped sideways, bowling over the fruit vendor, who cursed and shook his fist. Cedric bolted up a set of rickety wooden steps that wound up the side of a building. One flight, two, three. A flat roof drew near. The noise of pursuit beat an ominous rhythm behind him. His lungs pumped, and every skill he'd ever learned in the Rockmonster Dwellings, every trick for survival, every instinct kicked into high gear. He vaulted onto the pitched top of the building and sprinted across the expanse.
“Stop!” A guard's voice rocketed across the rooftops, echoing in the empty space. Pounding footsteps thudded behind him. The roof's edge drew near, and adrenaline pulsed through every vein in Cedric's body.
Cedric leaped. The neighboring building seemed impossibly distant. He wasn't going to make it; it was too far. The yawning chasm opened beneath him. Tiny people milled in patterns below. The cacophony of a city street jostled the air. He was
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