The High Druid's Blade (The Defenders of Shannara, #1)(80)

Her eyes were open and staring off into the distance. If she heard him, she wasn’t giving any indication of it. Her face had a stricken look, and her hands were balled into fists.

He looked up again. “What happened just now?” he asked the boy. “I saw the old woman coming after you. Was that the witch?”

Grehling had moved over next to Leofur and was cleaning off the blood on her face and arms with a piece of cloth torn from his shirt. “Chrysallin couldn’t go any farther; she was ready to collapse. So we hid in that alley. Leofur had this weapon—a kind of portable flash rip. She’d already used it twice on this creature that was tracking us. A beast of some kind. Did you see it anywhere while you were looking for us?”

“I saw it, and you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Go on. Tell me the rest.”

“Leofur was going to use this weapon on the witch. But somehow the witch tricked her and everything exploded in her face and she went down. Then Mischa came after Chrysallin and me. She taunted Chrys about the torture and the gray-haired Elven woman. And then the Elven woman was there—she just appeared. She said something—I couldn’t hear what—and Chrysallin seemed to lose all control of herself. She started screaming. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever heard. It was terrible! The Elven woman just blew apart. Then Mischa was pinned against the wall and crushed. There was nothing left!”

Paxon looked down at his sister. How could she have caused any of this to happen? What was going on? He hugged Chrys tightly, as much to reassure himself as to try to get through to her, but there was no response. She just knelt there, leaning up against him, looking at nothing.

The young woman Grehling called Leofur was stirring now, coming awake, moaning softly and holding her head as she sat up. She glanced around, saw Paxon with Chrysallin, nodded to him, and said, “You’re Paxon.”

“You’re Leofur,” he responded. “Are you all right?”

She looked down at herself, running her hands over her arms and body and nodded. “What happened to Mischa?”

“We don’t know exactly,” Grehling answered. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine. What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“Chrysallin did something to her. She screamed at her, and Mischa exploded against the building wall in the alleyway. There’s nothing left.”

Leofur gave him a doubtful look. “Help me stand up.”

The boy did as she asked, and when she was on her feet she started back toward the alley, staggering a bit as she went.

“Are you trying to make sure?” Grehling called after her, getting up to follow.

“I need to get my flash rip back,” she threw over her shoulder. “Want to help me find it?”

He went after her at once, and she stopped to let him catch up. When they were out of sight, Paxon bent close to his sister and began whispering.

“Listen to me, Chrys. I don’t know what’s going on here. You have to wake up and tell me. You don’t need to worry about Mischa. She’s dead. You’re with me now. You’re safe. No harm can come to you. I won’t let it. I’ll take you to Paranor and keep you there where no one can get to you. We have Healers who are very good at helping people who have been treated the way you have. They can make you better. Can you understand me?”

No response.

He hugged her tighter, stroking her hair. “I love you, Chrys. I’m so sorry this has happened. I would do anything to take it back. I hate myself for not doing a better job of looking after you. But don’t leave me. Come back from wherever you are. Everything will be all right if you do.”

Grehling and Leofur reemerged from the alley ruins and came toward him. Leofur was carrying a strange weapon, one he had never seen before. She had called it a flash rip, but as far as he knew no one had ever seen a flash rip this small. It made him wonder what other sorts of weapons you could find in the Federation that maybe even the Druids didn’t know about.

“How is she?” Leofur asked, kneeling next to him. She seemed better now, her voice strong, her gaze steady as she looked at him.

He shook his head. “I can’t get a response. She won’t speak to me.”

The young woman gave him a reassuring smile. “Give her time. She’s been through a lot, but she’s a very determined girl. She’s stronger than you think.”

“Can you do something for me?” he asked her abruptly. “Can you accompany Grehling to the airfield and find out if Arcannen has flown out of the city? Or at least if his private airship is still there? I need to know where he is. And ask if anyone has seen a Druid about. I came here with a Druid to find Chrys. His name is Starks, and he was chasing Arcannen when I saw him last. Would you see if anyone knows anything about what’s happened to him? If you find him, tell him where I am.”

“I can do it by myself,” Grehling announced at once. “Leofur is hurt. She can stay with you.”

“I don’t doubt for a minute you can do it on your own,” Paxon said quickly. “There doesn’t seem to be much you can’t do. But it wouldn’t hurt to have someone with a portable flash rip to watch your back.”

“He’s right,” Leofur agreed. “I’m coming with you.”

“If you catch sight of Arcannen, don’t go near him,” Paxon added. “Don’t try to stop him, don’t even let him see you. Just come right back here and tell me.”