Wraith(42)

‘Come on,’ I said suddenly. ‘We need to move.’

‘She needs medical attention and somewhere to rest. If we can get her back to the castle, I can sort her out.’

The very last place we were going was Stirling bloody Castle. ‘Don’t you get it?’ I hissed at him. ‘The Filits had her locked up. She knows something that they want about some stupid Stone thing. They’d cut open her skull and read what was inside if they could. We’re not in Holyrood now, mate. This is Stirling.’

His head lifted and his dark eyes stared at me. All of a sudden he was very pale. ‘What did you say?’

‘This is Stirling.’ I was getting impatient now. ‘And the Filits aren’t as sweet and friendly to us as they are to you. They’ll kill her, given half the chance.’

He didn’t blink. ‘About the Stone. What did you say about the Stone?’ His voice was low and urgent.

The shouts were getting louder. There would be goblins here before we knew it, scrambling over the rubble or running around via an alternative route. ‘There’s no time for this!’ I grabbed his arm. ‘We have to go now!’

For a heart-stopping moment I was sure he was going to refuse and drag me to the goblins. Then he gave a terse nod and stood up, helping Ange to her feet. She wobbled, barely able to hold her own weight. De Florinville did the decent thing and scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. Given how little she usually had to eat, even when she wasn’t being held prisoner, that was probably true.

‘Lead the way then.’

I swallowed. It was the middle of the day and it would be difficult to avoid detection. If we were going to do this, we would have to do it fast. I pointed right. ‘This way.’ A second later we were off.

I had no idea what Gabriel de Florinville was thinking and right now I didn’t care. As long as he kept up with me and kept hold of Ange, we’d be alright. The one thing in our favour was that the sudden shocking renewal of bombs from the Gneiss lines meant that the streets were deserted; everyone who had been milling around had no doubt taken cover in bunkers and basements.

I kept one ear cocked, listening for the chilling, familiar whine of missiles but it seemed as if the Gneiss goblins were done for now. I wondered if they’d been deliberately targeting the Tolbooth – and therefore Ange – or if it was de Florinville they wanted to kill. Maybe they were just bored. What the hell did I know?

Rather than taking the most direct route and marching through the main Stirling streets, I led the way down quieter side streets, pausing whenever I heard something. Unfortunately that was often; whichever way we turned, the sound of goblin boots hammered on the roads and pavements. They were certainly calling out the cavalry.

We skirted along a narrow street and ducked into an alley. I stopped to check on de Florinville and see whether he was managing with Ange’s weight. She might not have been heavy but she was awkward to carry. The Dark Elf merely smiled at me, a flash of white teeth indicating he knew what I was doing and that he was perfectly fine. Truth be told, he looked as if he were simply out on a jaunt. There was certainly no sign of strain on his face. I nodded in acknowledgement and turned back, confident that I could move a little faster.

At the end of the alleyway we came to a wider street that we needed to cross. Not only was it open, with views in both directions, but there was a market at one end that was frequented by both goblins and humans. There were also high buildings with excellent views of anyone down below. This spelled danger but there was no other side route we could take to get to our destination without being noticed. We simply had to take the risk.

I sucked in a breath, glancing this way and that before I decided it was safe. I’d barely taken a step into the street, however, when I was yanked back. De Florinville pulled me into his side, holding me close. I’d have protested if it weren’t for the sudden sound of a vehicle approaching.

It was alien to my ears; even the Filits hadn’t been able to procure petrol to use within the city walls since the first months of the siege. When they needed something carrying, they simply grabbed the nearest citizens and set them to work. The wealthier families who were still around did the same, although they offered token supplies in return. To be honest, I preferred the goblins’ brutal methods. At least they were more honest.

Ange moaned softly in de Florinville’s arms. Worried, I forgot about the approaching petrol guzzler, leaned across and checked on her. She was even paler than before.

‘She’s going into shock,’ de Florinville told me brusquely. ‘I can help her but we need to be somewhere safe first where I can lay her down.’

‘Ten minutes,’ I said, ‘if that.’ The sound of the approaching vehicle got louder. De Florinville hissed under his breath and stiffened. Alarmed, I jerked my gaze towards his. ‘What is it?’

‘Those aren’t Filits approaching.’

I shook my head in confusion. ‘Then who…?’ My voice trailed off when I heard the shouts from the few people who were brave enough to look out of their windows. ‘Gneiss?’ I whispered. ‘But how? Why now?’

‘Hush,’ he cautioned, urgency vibrating through the word.

A moment later the vehicle passed, some kind of armoured truck with its low suspension suggesting a heavy load. I stared. At least a dozen Gneiss goblins clung to the sides and the top. Their expressions were grim and fixed and they didn’t look left or right. Given our proximity to the road, that was probably what saved us.