The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy, Todd Harris

back out the window. “We don’t know how Rauber’s men managed to get it back, but we’ll discuss that later. Right now we need to flee before Dad’s guards catch up.”
    “Dad’s guards?” Lila asked.
    “And Greenfang,” Frederic added, following her out.
    “Greenfang?” Lila asked, even more baffled.
    Once outside, the five of them ran. They ran as fast and as far as they could, until, somewhere in a dark, garbage-strewn back alley of Erinthiopolis, Frederic saw a chair—an old, termite-ravaged chair that someone had tossed out with the trash—and sat down on it.
    “I’m sorry,” he said, panting. “But do you know how long it’s been since I’ve sat on anything other than a rock?”
    Seeing no sign of their pursuers, the others paused to catch their breaths as well. “Ooh, check it out,” Duncan said, rooting through a random rubbish bin. “Someone tossed out this perfectly good cap.” He pulled a purple tricornered hat from the trash and placed it directly on his head.
    “I’m so glad I ran into you guys,” Lila said, leaning on her quarterstaff while she removed her left boot and shook pebbles from it.
    “Where’s Ruffian?” Frederic asked, fanning himself with someone’s discarded spatula.
    Lila closed her eyes and shook her head.
    “Oh,” Frederic said softly, lowering his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
    “How?” Liam asked, putting his arm around her.
    “The Darians,” she said bitterly. “He made sure I got away, though. Oh, I wish we’d seen you there, Liam. How did we manage to miss each other in Yondale?”
    “Yondale?” Liam asked. “We were never in Yondale.”
    “But how do you know about the Gem then?” Lila asked. “The Darians are using the Gem to control King Edwyn in Yondale.”
    “Snow’s dad!” Duncan said. “We haven’t seen him in so long. Does he still have that piece of tomato in his beard?”
    “Wait, Lila, what are you talking about?” Liam asked. “The Darians can’t be using the Gem in Yondale. Vero is using the Gem on Dad— here !”
    “Impossible,” Lila said. “The Djinn Gem is in Yondale. Trust me—I saw it.”
    “So did we, kid,” Gustav said.
    “Well, the Gem can’t be in two places at once,” Frederic said.
    Lila’s nose twitched in frustration. “Look, all I know is that that freaky snake guy and a bunch of other Darians used the Gem on King Edwyn in Yondale. And it seems like they probably also used it on Briar to make her get on that ship.”
    “Briar?” Liam burst.
    “Oh, yeah!” Lila shouted, jumping up and grabbing Liam by the collar. “You got me so flustered I didn’t even tell you: Briar is alive!”
    All four princes—even Duncan—were shocked into silence. After a moment Liam threw his arms around his sister and hugged her tightly.
    “That’s the best news we’ve heard in ages,” Frederic said. “Briar is alive.”
    “I still have a chance to thank her,” Liam said softly.
    “And we can prove we didn’t kill her,” Gustav said.
    “And I can finally get back that pencil she borrowed,” Duncan added.
    Everybody stared at him.
    “It was a really good pencil,” he said.
    Gustav shoved him into a garbage can.
    Liam cleared his throat. “Listen up, people. This is serious. The Darians have taken over two kingdoms already. And we have no reason to believe they’ll stop there.”
    Frederic’s eyebrows shot up. “ That’s who was causing all that turmoil in the woods of Sturmhagen,” he said. “Darians—marching through on their way to conquer these other kingdoms.”
    “And we have to stop them before they take control of everything ,” said Liam. “Which they could do, since they have apparently retrieved the Djinn Gem. Let’s not forget what happened when Ella was under the spell of that accursed jewel.”
    “She almost killed you,” said Duncan proudly. “See? I remember some stuff.”
    “And, um, sorry to point out the obvious, but it seems like they’ve got at least two of these