Scorched Treachery (Imdalind, #3)(70)

This time, I didn’t wait for the pressure to build. I just sent the pulse into the wood and sent the shards of wood into the air into a fiery explosion.

The effect was instantaneous. The remaining tourists screamed and turned to run toward the narrow opening in the canyon that had led them here, the only way to truly escape. They panicked and screamed as they ran, and I was swept up with them as they fled toward safety, their exodus taking Sain and I along for the ride. Edmund and his guards were forcibly turned about and separated as the crowd intercepted them, forcing them toward the bottleneck that was now forming in the crowd.

At any other time, I might have expected Edmund to attack. He saw mortal life as useless, but they were his cover as much as they were mine. He was being smart.

So was I, and I couldn’t wait any longer.

I stomped my foot into the ground, sending out a pulse of energy that shook the mountain. It rippled away from me and sucked the energy out of the legs of all those within range. Mortals fell as the power surged through them, their primitive minds signaling an earthquake as they screamed in fear.

I kept the shield strong around us as I took off into the sky, Sain’s body unsupported as he dangled below me. I couldn’t risk bringing wind to support his weight as that would be much easier for Edmund to detect. Sain would have to wait until I was sure we were not being followed.

Edmund and his men had fallen to the ground with everyone else, my unexpected magic pulse too much for them to fight against, but he recovered quickly, and instead of searching the people on the ground, he was scanning the skies.

He lifted his hand as his eyes moved, a surge flowing through his palm as he searched for us. His magic waved through the empty skies, and it would only be a matter of seconds before it would intercept with me, signaling to Edmund exactly where we were.

I felt his magic wash over me. It was the sign of the end, but I wasn’t going to give up without a fight. I turned abruptly in the air, changing course, hoping that he would assume I had continued in the same direction. Sain dragged through the air below me, my magic making him weightless but still not able to support him without drawing attention.

I sped us through the canyon and over the farmland that surrounded the beautiful city I had been born in.

“Are they behind us?” I asked, careful to keep my voice low and controlled. “Are we being followed?”

“I don’t know…”

My jaw clenched. Of course, we were being followed. It was a stupid question really. My only hope was that they were following the wrong glare of the sun, the wrong gust of wind, that their guess as to where we were going was wrong.

We sped through the air as farmland slowly turned to city. The red-roofed buildings of Prague looked up at us as I moved over the narrow cobbled streets and right to the center of the city, the small bend in the river serving as my compass.

I set my jaw and increased my speed. I could see the cathedral now and the clock was just on the other side of the river.

We were almost there.

“Wyn! Look out!” Sain screamed, his voice ripping me from my focus on our goal and straight to the car that had exploded away from the ground below us, the large heap of metal making a beeline right for us. I screamed at the sight and reacted, my fear controlling my actions more than my logic.

I blinked once in reflex, and the car exploded in the sky. The weapon that had been hurtled at me turned into a ball of fire in the sky.

I swore loudly and spun out of the way of the explosion, drawing wind to support Sain as I flailed and fear caused my shield to evaporate. Not like it mattered, they obviously knew right where we were anyway.

I twisted my body through the air, searching for them, only to see Edmund streaming toward us, about three hundred feet behind us. For one stupid second, I rejoiced that it was only him, but then reality caught up.

Edmund was right behind us.

I sent my hand out, my magic surging through the air in a line of fire that worked itself into a wall, a barrier that I hoped would slow him down. The wall moved toward him, the attack lingering in the air as I grabbed Sain and dropped us toward the crowded streets below.

“Is he following?” I spat as I dragged the old man behind me by the hand.

“What kind of question is that?” he yelled as we landed in a large courtyard in front of an ornate fountain, cherubs and snakes shooting water behind us. We landed roughly near a large group of people, causing several of them to scream in surprise. “Of course he is following us.”

I ignored the group of people. I ignored the screams. I tuned it all out and turned toward the man who was now falling through the sky toward us.

“Your magic… Can you help me?” I asked Sain, my eyes trained on the wicked man who was set on killing us both.

“Not unless you want to know what you are going to have for breakfast.”

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face, the wicked gleam floating up to Edmund who only smiled more.

“Get to the clock. Meet me at the Golden Gate.”

I didn’t wait for his response. I didn’t make sure he could do it; after all, it wouldn’t matter if he could get to the clock if I didn’t stop Edmund. Or at least slow him down.

That was realistically the only thing I could hope for.

I swung my arms wide, sending what was left of the tourists and residents away from me. They slammed into buildings and landed in the fountain, but I didn’t care. If I didn’t get them away, something far worse was going to happen to them. Broken bones they could recover from, melting skin they could not.