Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan Page A

the impact and snarled at him.
    Taniel looked around. He needed someplace to take cover and reload. An old brick warehouse twenty paces away would do. “Time to go,” Taniel said to Ka-poel. He jerked her to her feet and ran for the warehouse.
    Out of the corner of his eye he watched the Privileged’s fingers dance. It was a fascinating thing, watching a Privileged touch the Else—if that Privileged wasn’t trying to kill you. With their mastery of the elements a skilled Privileged could throw a fireball or call lightning.
    Taniel felt the ground shudder. They got behind cover of the warehouse, but the building rumbled. He felt the scream wrench itself from his throat in anticipation of the powers that would tear through the building and destroy them.
    The building cracked, jerked, but it didn’t explode. Smoke billowed from sudden cracks in the mortar. An audible wump split the air. Then everything was still. They were alive. Something had stopped whatever sorcery the Privileged had been about to throw at them.
    Taniel glanced at Ka-poel. He felt a shaky breath escape him. “Was that you?”
    Ka-poel gave him an unreadable look. She pointed.
    “After her. Right. Come on.”
    He sprinted out into the street, switching his spent pistol for a loaded one. He paused a moment when he saw Julene and Gothen running toward them.
    Julene looked like a keg of powder had exploded in her face. Her hair was scorched, her clothes blackened. Even Gothen had a wild look in his eyes and black marks on his shirt, and sorcery wasn’t supposed to be able to touch him. The sword in his hand was missing a foot of blade.
    “What the pit did you two do?” Taniel said. “You were supposed to come back and get me before going after her.”
    “We don’t need a damned Marked getting in our way,” Julene replied with a rude gesture.
    “She shouldn’t have known we were there,” Gothen said. He gave Taniel a sheepish look. “But she did.”
    “And she did that?” Taniel pointed at Gothen’s broken blade.
    Gothen frowned. “Oh, for pit’s sake.” He threw the half sword on the ground.
    “We stand here talking and we’ll lose her,” Taniel said. “Now, Julene, try to flank her, I’ll—”
    “I don’t take orders from you,” Julene said, leaning forward. “I’ll go straight down her throat.” She tugged at her gloves and took off running down the street.
    “Damn it!” Taniel slapped Gothen’s shoulder. “You’re with me.”
    They headed down a side street, then onto the next main thoroughfare, running parallel to Julene.
    “What the pit happened?” Taniel asked.
    “We found her in an astronomer’s shop,” Gothen said between gasps as he ran, swords, buckles, and pistols rattling. “We circled the place, checked all exits, and laid our trap. We were just getting ready to go in after her when the whole front of the building blew off. Julene barely shielded herself. I could feel the heat of the explosion! That’s not supposed to happen. I should be able to nullify any aura she can summon from the Else. No fire, no heat, no energy from it should reach me, but it did.”
    “So she’s powerful.”
    “Very,” Gothen said.
    Taniel saw Julene sprint past an alleyway the next street over. He came up short and took a deep breath, motioning for Gothen to stop. Something was wrong. He turned around.
    “Ka-poel?”
    She’d stopped in the mouth of the alley. She put a finger to her lips, her eyes half-lidded. She pointed down the alley.
    Taniel gestured for Gothen to go first. He would void any traps or sorcery flung at them. Taniel lifted his pistol, keeping it aimed just over Gothen’s shoulder. The alley was filled with debris—trash, mud, and shit; a few half-rotted kegs. Nothing big enough for a person to hide behind. It was well lit by the noonday sun.
    “There!” Gothen surged forward, and Taniel caught a movement in the alley up ahead. He blinked, trying to see clearly. It was as if light were turning in on