Accompanied by the crunch of smashed wood, the Shaper’s Flail flew out of the wrecked autocoach. Composed of six heavy iron balls joined to a central ring by weighty chains, the flail whirred to the jungle cat, simultaneously pummeling it and wrapping it up. With two legs pinned, the huge feline ended up on its back, hissing and struggling.
The armored rider Mira had unseated was now on his feet clutching a double-bit battle-ax. He clomped toward Cole, weapon raised high. Curling his legs, Cole prepared to lunge away from the downswing of the heavy weapon.
Before he could move, a golden rope lashed the rider’s ankles together, jerked him upward, and flung him against a boulder across the ravine. The gigantic jungle cat went still as arrows accumulated.
Jace whipped the ragbeast a couple of times, but the golden rope passed through it without grabbing hold of anything. The attack seemed to spur the tattered mass of fabric into action. After whirling in place for a moment, the ragbeast swished by Cole, doing no more damage than a thrown pile of laundry.
Cole went and retrieved his sword from the big cat, jiggling it to wrench it free. He wiped the blade against the animal’s fur.
At the top of the ravine, near the bridge, a horse gave a loud whinny. Cole glanced up in time to see the steed rearing. A rider slid off before both silhouettes moved out of sight.
Wings fluttering, Twitch landed beside Mira. He crouched and helped her to her feet. The ragbeast glided swiftly upstream alongside the trickle of water.
Joe ran over to them, holding an arrow ready against the bowstring. “Mira, get that rider.” His bow pointed toward the top of the ravine.
“Flail, attack,” Mira ordered. The tangle of balls and chains disengaged from the fallen cat and zoomed up the slope of the ravine. At the top, it paused.
“Flail, attack,” Mira repeated, gesturing in the direction the stranger had gone.
The flail hovered benignly.
“I’m trying to picture the rider,” Mira said. “He moved out of sight before I really saw him. I think I have to see the target. Should I go up the slope?”
“No,” Joe said quietly. “It isn’t worth the risk. Can’t you command the flail to strike whatever is within range up there?”
“It isn’t an attack dog,” Mira said. “I have to direct it.”
Joe nodded. “I hit the rider’s horse with an arrow. I’m not sure how much damage it did. We can’t let him escape. He could round up reinforcements. I should go after him.”
“How’d they make the autocoach run wild?” Twitch asked.
“They must have reshaped it somehow,” Jace said.
“But Declan made the coach,” Mira murmured. “It would take quite a shaper to hijack a Grand Shaper’s work.”
“Might have been shapecraft,” Cole said. “If shapecrafters can mess with the shaping power itself, who knows what else they can do?”
“They organized Mira’s power into Carnag,” Twitch said. “Why couldn’t they tamper with a semblance?”
“Whatever their skills, those were no ordinary soldiers,” Joe said. “You just met some Enforcers. And one of them is getting away. I can’t let that happen. He probably won’t go to the legion or any regular authorities, but there may be others of his kind in the area.”
“We’re splitting up?” Jace asked.
“For now, yes,” Joe said.
“We follow the road?” Twitch checked.
“It will take you to Carthage, on the border between Sambria and Elloweer,” Joe confirmed. “Honor’s star has held steady in that direction. If danger forces you to abandon the road, Mira knows how to follow the star.”
Cole glanced at Mira, who had turned her gaze to the sky. To help guard the precious secret that Mira’s mother could mark the location of her five daughters, only Mira and Joe knew what Honor’s star looked like. If that information ever leaked to the High Shaper, the girls would be doomed.
“Am I just flustered?” Mira asked. “I don’t see it.”
Joe looked skyward in the same direction she was peering. “Oh, no,” he muttered after a tense pause. “You’re right. The star is gone.”
Chapter 2
STARLESS