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There is an equestrian trail behind this property. It smells strongly of their droppings. I do not know where itgoes.
I’m sure we can loop back through someone’syard.
“Ready.” Dimitri hefted the can, his fingers gripping the end of the fuse he’dmade.
He’d done more than that, I realized, now sensing magic emanating from the rag and thecan.
“Can you throw it all the way to the playhouse? And time it so it’ll blow up as it lands? All while not being shot by dark elves withcrossbows?”
“Uh.” He peeked out the doorway. “Maybe.”
Another faint twang sounded, and I yanked him back inside. A crossbow quarrel quivered from the edge of the door, inches from where the first one hadstruck.
Dimitri looked grimly at it. “I’ll find a way. Hang on.” He closed his eyes and ran a hand along the bottom of the rustycan.
He’s a natural maker,Sindarinoted.
You’ve seen his yardart.
He appears to have only one-quarter dwarven blood. Whoever his magical ancestor was, he must have been verypowerful.
“I’m ready,” Dimitri said. “I can throw it that far now, but I could use somecover.”
I pulled out Fezzik. “Are they behind the playhouse orinit,Sindari?”
Normally, I wouldn’t fire rounds in the middle of a residential neighborhood, but since they’d already thrown an explosive, it hardly seemed to matter. Besides, if someone else called the police, it would probably get rid of the darkelves.
In it, Sindari said.One is standing on the right side of it and pointing his crossbow in ourdirection.
I jogged over to one of the boarded-up windows that faced toward the playhouse. I found a gap large enough for Fezzik’s barrel and fired. As far as my eyes could tell, I was firing at the playhouse and empty air, but a grunt of pain reached my ears, so I’d at least grazed one ofthem.
For a few seconds, only I was firing, as the dark elves took cover. Shards of the wood from the playhouse flew all over the patio. Then crossbows fired from inside and behind the structure, quarrels zipping across the yard to thud into the window boards. One skidded through the same gap as I was using, and I jerked back as the fletching grazed myknuckles.
Were those quarrels poison-tipped? I had to be morecareful.
Dimitri leaned out and grunted as he heaved the gas canister. I resumed firing, not wanting the dark elves to notice him—or it. Sirens wailed as distant police cars sped into theneighborhood.
Whatever magic Dimitri had applied to the five-gallon can helped it sail farther than anyone should have been able to throw it. Fire danced on the end of the fuse. The can landed with enough velocity to crash through the roof of theplayhouse.
Two seconds after the can disappeared inside the playhouse, it exploded. Flames shot in all directions as the walls of the structure blewoutward.
I sprinted for the carriage house door, pushing Dimitri ahead of me. “Go,go!”
We rushed out, turning toward the trail Sindari had promised. I fired back over my shoulder in the general direction of the explosion, hoping to get lucky—and hoping I didn’t run out of ammo I might yet need thatnight.
Sindari started after us, but he paused, silver head rotating around. Then he raced toward the burning playhouse. He only made it halfway across the yard before springing atsomething.
The dark elf that he hit was still invisible to me, but from Sindari’s movements, I could tell he’d slammed into the chest of his target. He bit down with a snarl, shook something in his powerful teeth, then jerked away as something slashed into hisside.
“Does he need our help?” Dimitri stumbled—he was also glancingback.
“No.” I pushed him through the tall grass, dew dampening our pants as we ran. “He’s buying time forus.”
I didn’t point out that I would have gone back to help if Dimitri weren’t there. I owed it to him to get him to safety. He’d already gotten in far more trouble than he’d bargained for when he offered me aride.
A roar rang out over the sounds of battle and the wailing of the approachingsirens.
You’re a wonderful companion,Sindari.
