AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ace narrowed her eyes right back but nodded. At least she’d gottensomeinformation out of him; if it was reliable information was yet to be determined. "Go ahead without me." She grabbed him by the back and shoved him toward the back of the building. "I'll meet you there."
Before Ace could even finish her sentence, Shelby was already moving into the shadows. At least he listened. Now she was alone. There were no gods in her head to direct her, nor the chanting of prayers to give her context of anything going on around her. Ace was utterly alone.
A couple of buildings back there’d been a ladder propped up against the roof where it looked like they were doing maintenance. She knew she had to get there. The plan was already forming in her mind and she wiped away a droplet of water that rolled down her face. The rain was slowing and the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. She took this as a sign. Whether or not it actually was she couldn't know until she asked tomorrow when the gods would be back.
What if they didn't come back? That was entirely unlikely. Ace was both excited and completely disgusted with the idea of just being her and her thoughts again.
The disturbing feeling remained, all centered around the idea of her being alone…forever. She thought she'd enjoy being just herself. Instead, she felt empty and lost. She shrugged it off as she saw Shelby disappear. Then she took one step and then another until she was standing in the street and a ray of sunlight was cast upon her, throwing her shadow behind her and giving anyone who looked a good view of her features.
A few guards stopped and turned to look as she came to a pose with her hands placed on her hips and said, "Here I am. Want to play a little game?"
Ace
The guards did, in fact, want to play a game. They raced toward her, closing the safety of distance between them. Ace stretched her hand out in front of her and felt the holy fire burn a little hotter. She let the brilliant orange turn into a glowing rage.
"Stop!"
Warmth spread behind her eyes, the fire burning fully in her gaze now. Judging by the way the guards skidded to a halt, a cloud of dirt blooming from their heels, pebbles scattering around them, they could see it flashing in her eyes too.
"The game goes like this…" She edged her way to the opposite side of the street. One small step after the other.
Metal whispered against its sheath as a sword was pulled from the nearest guard’s waist. Ace dared to take her gaze off the men to look down at the polished point of the blade where her reflection stared back at her. Not only were her eyes glowing and brighter than normal, she could see the fire moving. It flickered in and out as it fed off her emotions.
"That wasn't very kind of you." She lifted her arms in mock surrender. Another sword was drawn. "You haven't even heard the rules yet."
Then she was running. Her cloak lifted off her back and billowed out behind her. She pushed all her strength into every bounding step. Her arms pumped and her upper body tilted into the movement. This was just another day in the life of Ace, she thought to herself.
She'd run away from guards so many times before and gotten away. Now would not be any different. She wouldn't allow it to be. All she had to do was get to that stupid ladder.
Guards grunted in surprise as she burst into a sprint. Five guards in total followed her. She swore one of them even muttered. "Not again," under his breath before heaving himself after her.
"In the name of the queen, you must stop!" One of the men from the back shouted. How very noble of him.
The rest of the guards surely heard the commotion and would soon be on their way to join in. Passersby froze to watch the spectacle, their attention fixed on the criminal girl with the law chasing behind her. This was the third time she'd caused a scene this week. That was a record and one she wasn't proud of. Would there be rumors about her? There had to be now. Because as she rounded the corner of the alley she'd seen the ladder in, she made eye contact with those who pressed their faces against the shop’s windows to watch.
They gasped and bolted upright. If there were any other signs of repulsion, Ace didn't see it. She was glad she hadn't because she already felt the twist in her gut like a knife blade as she remembered the first people she'd surprised after coming back to life.
Worn wood was chilled by the day in the shade of the alley. It was smooth from likely years of use as Ace's palms met the rungs. She placed her boots on the first step and turned in time to see one of the guards sliding into the alley.
"This would be a lot more fun if you'd let me play my game," she scolded him before she began to climb.
He huffed out a breath—or was it a laugh?—before another guard was at his side. Ace didn't stick around to watch as they piled up and fought over who was going up the ladder next.
Weight tugged at her heel, keeping her from taking another step up. She tried to keep going, tried to keep moving, but that weight turned into further strain. Fingers wrapped around the toe of her boot, hooking into the laces. They'd been faster than she'd thought.
Ace shook her leg and when that did nothing to help she reached for her cloak. The bow that tied it around her shoulder released in a single pull of the string.
Material caught in the wind, fluttering down her body length. Finally, it draped across the face of the man under her that held her so tightly. He shook his head in an effort to clear his vision, and his fingers slipped off her foot.
Go! Her mind screamed. Now was her chance to make up some lost ground.
She scampered up the last of the rungs and began darting over the shingles on the roof. The top of this building was older and the shingles were missing in large patches. It would give the guards a rougher surface to help them run faster. Another disadvantage for her.
But could the guards jump?
For twelve months Ace had worked on the skills needed to keep herself hidden from the public. She'd become a better thief too. One skill she was getting quite good at was jumping between buildings.
The guards were rolling themselves onto the roof and forcing their way to their feet when Ace reached the edge. On this end of the city, the buildings were farther apart than where they'd all been crammed together near the castle. She had seconds to examine the length before tossing herself over the edge.
