couldn't just leave Kyros.
Suddenly, light flared, surrounding the ruins with a wall of blue flame that stretched far above Raslin's head, as though reaching for the clouds above. Raslin stumbled back, startled and scared. Gripping the lantern more tightly, Raslin turned away, trying his best to ignore how his stomach flipped. Kyros was smart and he was resourceful. He'd get away. There was nothing he could do for Kyros, not if there was magic involved.
The only thing Raslin could do for him was to get his mother to safety, like he'd promised.
Extinguishing the lantern, Raslin tucked it behind a nearby tree and took off running back towards the village, going as fast as he could in the slippery snow. It took him far too long to get back to the village, and even longer to get back to the square.
The festival was still in full swing, with no sign of the confrontation at the ruins, not even a glow of light from the blue flames.
Raslin didn't know what that meant, and he was afraid of the answer. Searching the crowd quickly, Raslin stifled his frustration when he couldn't find Ailynn, Jallen, or Ambry anywhere. A quick query of Theri turned up that Ailynn hadn't been feeling well and had headed back home for the evening.
Thanking Theri and ignoring her question on whether he was all right, Raslin took off again, heading through the town to Ailynn's house. He slowed as he neared it, trying to catch his breath. The carriage was out front, already hooked up to Jallen and Ambry's horses, and Raslin stumbled to a stop, confused.
"There you are," Ailynn said, stumbling out of the house.
Ambry took her bag and scrambled up on top of the carriage to secure it. "Ras—"
"Are you all right?" Raslin asked, feeling unsteady as Ailynn embraced him, holding him tightly.
"They said we have to go now," Ailynn said, her face creased with worry. "That the men chasing Kyros are here, but they won't tell me if he's okay—"
"He is," Raslin said, refusing to believe anything else. "It'll be all right, Ailynn. Don't worry about Kyros."
"Did you see him?" Jallen asked, swinging himself up into the driver's bench of the carriage.
"Yes," Raslin said, and quickly related what he'd seen, downplaying the import of the confrontation for Ailynn's sake.
"If you knew they were here, why didn't you warn him?"
"I couldn't find him," Jallen said, frowning briefly. "Did they see you?"
"I don't think so." Raslin shook his head, wondering if, by suggesting the ruins, he'd inadvertently led Kyros right into a trap. If they'd gone back to Ailynn's house, Kyros might have at least been warned.
"They'll have seen his tracks," Ambry said. "Why are we wasting time? We need to go!"
"Wait," Raslin said, remembering the puzzle box. "Kyros gave me something to give to you."
"Get it," Ambry ordered, glancing around as though he expected to be surrounded at any moment.
Raslin nodded and dashed into the house. He left the front door open behind him, climbing the ladder to the loft with reckless abandon, somewhat surprised when he didn't crash back down to the floor in his haste. Retrieving the puzzle box, Raslin stumbled back down the ladder and back outside. Ailynn was already settled into the carriage and Jallen and Ambry were ready to leave.
"There's a trick to it—" Raslin began, holding the box up towards Ambry.
"Get in," Ambry cut him off. "You can show us later."
"But—"
"In," Ambry said, scowling. "We don't have time to argue, and they'll know you warned Ailynn. We're leaving with too much haste for that stupid cover story to be believed. Get in."
"Right." Raslin did as he was directed. He had none of his things, but there was no time to worry about that. Raslin shut the door and settled into the seat next to Ailynn. As the carriage jerked into motion, Raslin curled an arm around Ailynn's shoulders, holding her close, and tried not to think about whether they'd be caught, what would happen to Kyros now, if he'd done the right thing, and what
Suddenly, light flared, surrounding the ruins with a wall of blue flame that stretched far above Raslin's head, as though reaching for the clouds above. Raslin stumbled back, startled and scared. Gripping the lantern more tightly, Raslin turned away, trying his best to ignore how his stomach flipped. Kyros was smart and he was resourceful. He'd get away. There was nothing he could do for Kyros, not if there was magic involved.
The only thing Raslin could do for him was to get his mother to safety, like he'd promised.
Extinguishing the lantern, Raslin tucked it behind a nearby tree and took off running back towards the village, going as fast as he could in the slippery snow. It took him far too long to get back to the village, and even longer to get back to the square.
The festival was still in full swing, with no sign of the confrontation at the ruins, not even a glow of light from the blue flames.
Raslin didn't know what that meant, and he was afraid of the answer. Searching the crowd quickly, Raslin stifled his frustration when he couldn't find Ailynn, Jallen, or Ambry anywhere. A quick query of Theri turned up that Ailynn hadn't been feeling well and had headed back home for the evening.
Thanking Theri and ignoring her question on whether he was all right, Raslin took off again, heading through the town to Ailynn's house. He slowed as he neared it, trying to catch his breath. The carriage was out front, already hooked up to Jallen and Ambry's horses, and Raslin stumbled to a stop, confused.
"There you are," Ailynn said, stumbling out of the house.
Ambry took her bag and scrambled up on top of the carriage to secure it. "Ras—"
"Are you all right?" Raslin asked, feeling unsteady as Ailynn embraced him, holding him tightly.
"They said we have to go now," Ailynn said, her face creased with worry. "That the men chasing Kyros are here, but they won't tell me if he's okay—"
"He is," Raslin said, refusing to believe anything else. "It'll be all right, Ailynn. Don't worry about Kyros."
"Did you see him?" Jallen asked, swinging himself up into the driver's bench of the carriage.
"Yes," Raslin said, and quickly related what he'd seen, downplaying the import of the confrontation for Ailynn's sake.
"If you knew they were here, why didn't you warn him?"
"I couldn't find him," Jallen said, frowning briefly. "Did they see you?"
"I don't think so." Raslin shook his head, wondering if, by suggesting the ruins, he'd inadvertently led Kyros right into a trap. If they'd gone back to Ailynn's house, Kyros might have at least been warned.
"They'll have seen his tracks," Ambry said. "Why are we wasting time? We need to go!"
"Wait," Raslin said, remembering the puzzle box. "Kyros gave me something to give to you."
"Get it," Ambry ordered, glancing around as though he expected to be surrounded at any moment.
Raslin nodded and dashed into the house. He left the front door open behind him, climbing the ladder to the loft with reckless abandon, somewhat surprised when he didn't crash back down to the floor in his haste. Retrieving the puzzle box, Raslin stumbled back down the ladder and back outside. Ailynn was already settled into the carriage and Jallen and Ambry were ready to leave.
"There's a trick to it—" Raslin began, holding the box up towards Ambry.
"Get in," Ambry cut him off. "You can show us later."
"But—"
"In," Ambry said, scowling. "We don't have time to argue, and they'll know you warned Ailynn. We're leaving with too much haste for that stupid cover story to be believed. Get in."
"Right." Raslin did as he was directed. He had none of his things, but there was no time to worry about that. Raslin shut the door and settled into the seat next to Ailynn. As the carriage jerked into motion, Raslin curled an arm around Ailynn's shoulders, holding her close, and tried not to think about whether they'd be caught, what would happen to Kyros now, if he'd done the right thing, and what
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