Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,41
would already be dead.” Sanders stopped by the next gate. Marc hated how small the city was. “Okay, shut up.”
Listening for the sound of crickets, Marc closed his eyes and drank in the sound, remembering how fast they moved and how terrified Leilius was of being face to face with one of them again.
This was a bad idea.
“Let’s go.” Sanders jogged out with his body bent and his head looking all around. Gracas and Rachie went immediately after. Leilius waited for Alena, and headed out next, leaving Marc and Xavier.
“C’mon,” Xavier whispered furiously, grabbing Marc’s arm. “You do this better than anyone else.”
“I hate that fact.” Marc swallowed, matching Alena for sound, and jogged out of the safety of the city.
As the walls fell away, the big, bare night reached out and grabbed him, offering nowhere to hide. Space stretched out to the sides, putting their flight across the open completely on display. Ahead, crouching in the darkness, lay protruding stumps and discarded branches, trying to catch their feet and slow them down.
This was the absolute worst gate to leave through, which was why no one was planned to. Here they were, completely exposed to anyone with a bow in hand.
Marc put on a burst of speed, running in front of Alena and Leilius and forcing Xavier to hustle to catch up. Then he overtook Sanders and nearly dove into the trees, so desperate to be under cover he couldn’t think straight. Once there, he huddled down and caught his breath, fighting his fear with the need to survive.
Sanders jabbed him in the shoulder before pointing to the right and then up. He did the same to Xavier. Xavier nodded and plucked at Marc’s shirt.
Marc shook his head. His panic hadn’t quite overcome the fear. He was still mostly frozen solid.
Sanders’ big, heavy hand slapped down on Marc’s shoulder.
“You have this in you, boy,” Sanders said. “Keep your wits and use your intuition. Xavier will prevent anyone from sticking a knife in your gut.”
Marc winced again from the heavy, manly slaps. When it ended, he took a deep breath and refused to think about what he was doing, and how stupid it was to be outside the walls with the Graygual. Instead, he focused on remaining as quiet as possible as he wound his way up and over, probably above S’am on the hillside. His foot fell softly and precisely, the effort slow and tedious. Xavier didn’t complain, just kept pace and stayed silent. They didn’t need to voice that their life depended on not being detected.
After a while, the music of the night surrounded them. Marc closed his eyes and listened, thinking he could hear a couple patches where the sound was dead. Chances were that he was mistaken, but he couldn’t worry about that now. Instead, he sat there. He’d never been able to sneak up on S’am, even in the Shadow Lands when she didn’t have her mental power. She could hear him, or sense him, and often see him.
But that one time he had refused to play her game and just sat? She’d been annoyed and come to him. She’d had to get really close before she sensed him, and if she had been the enemy, he could’ve had her. Maybe. Hopefully, because that was the strategy he was employing. And if they never crossed his path? So much the better.
Xavier plucked at his sleeve. Marc shrugged him away. Xavier plucked again, a little more insistently. Marc slapped his hand.
Something skittered in the brush. A rock being kicked down.
Animals didn’t kick rocks.
The breath caught in Marc’s throat. Xavier went rigid beside him. The crickets all around them had fallen silent.
Something was above them. Oh shit.
Breathing deeply and evenly, Marc did not move. Not a single muscle. Not even a twitch. Xavier, thank all that was holy, did the same, relying on Marc to lead with his fear. A presence pushed at Marc’s back.
His muscles started to quiver, the urge to run almost overcoming him. A tiny sound reached his ears. No more than a single blade of grass rubbing against a pant leg.
His breathing started to get shallow. He held his knife in a tightly gripping fist. The presence drew nearer, but still he did not move. Xavier next to him, his breath soft even in contrast to Marc’s, hopefully knew what was coming, and planned to attack.
The presence stopped just above them. This was it. Now or never.