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“Quickly,” I whisper as the tension mounts. “Someone could come by and notice the missing guards at any moment.”
“I’m going as fast as I can,” she whispers back. “Maybe if you –” Penny cuts off as the sound of voices approaches from outside.
“Shit,” she says, stuffing the last couple of bits of cloth into her pack and then tying it shut. “Come on, let’s get out of here. It’s not everything, but it’ll have to do for now.”
We start for the door, but the voices are louder there.
“Hold on,” one of them says. “Where are Marik and Jonneth? They’re ‘sposed to be on watch here.”
“Probably just slinking off to the tavern again,” the other voice responds. “You know them. Can’t stay away from the drinks and the women for a full night, it’s beyond those two.”
“Yeah, I ‘spose,” the first man answers. “But wait, what's that? Looks like bodies were dragged here. We’d better take a look.”
“Shit, you’re right.”
The sound of steel being unsheathed sends a cold chill down my spine.It’s time to move. Frantically, I take a look around, noticing a small window on the other side of the building. I grab hold of Penny’s arm and drag her over to it as fast as I can move.
Penny climbs up first, tossing her pack through the window before her. I follow on her heels, my tentacles sliding through the window frame just as the door creaks open. We hit the ground and immediately begin to run. They’ll find those bodies any second then the alarm will be raised. Stealth has lost its purpose.
“Murder!” comes a bellow from the warehouse behind us. “Murderers on the loose! Elves to arms!”
Bleary-eyed men and elves begin to emerge from their huts and manses, looking around with dazed expressions. Torches flicker into life all around as the call to arms goes up across the settlement.
“We need to reach the cliffs,” I say breathlessly to Penny as we sprint. “They’ll catch us if we head for the jungle. Disappearing underwater is our only chance.”
We dash through the town, hand in hand, adrenaline coursing through our veins. I guide us toward the northeastern edge of town where some of the richer elves have their manses on the cliffside. The land there drops off sharply straight into the ocean. I spare a look behind me as we approach the cliffs and see a contingent of dark elves hot on our heels.
“Zig-zag!” I bellow at Penny, knowing the fireballs will be coming for us any second. Sure enough, the elves' magical attacks begin to descend, arcing through the night sky as they streak toward us.
We run frantically for the cliffside, zigging and zagging as arrows and fireballs crash into the ground around us. We skid to a halt as we reach the edge of the cliff, looking down at the dark water fifty feet below. Jagged rocks poke up out of the ocean, the waves foaming as they crash into them.
“We have to jump, Penny,” I say, taking her hand in mine. “It’s now or never.”
Penny looks at me with a terrified expression, but it quickly transforms into resolve, and she nods.That’s my girl.
“Here we go,” I say, and we jump. The fall seems to take an eternity. Wind rushes past us as we fall, and then suddenly, we smash into the water, plunging deep beneath the dark surface.Well, we missed the rocks at least.
I keep hold of Penny’s hand as we begin to swim away from the isles, relief coursing through my veins. I keep us underwater for a few minutes, then bring us up to the surface to check for pursuit. Behind us the elves stand on the cliffside, launching attacks at us relentlessly, but we’re out of their range by now.
I begin to think we’ve made it out of this when suddenly shapes appear on the water, coming from the beaches to the south. Boats, three of them. Each one is loaded full of dark elven spell casters.
“Quickly,” I bellow. “Get below the surface and stay near me. I’ll try to lose them.”
It soon becomes evident that they won’t be shaken so easily, however. No matter which way I weave, they never seem to lose sight of us, even in the moonlight.
I keep moving, but the boats continue to draw closer. There must be some way I can lose them, but nothing is coming to mind. Slowly the realization begins to dawn on me.Those boats are faster than us. We have to fight. It’s the only way.
Understanding what needs to be done, I stop swimming and pull Penny to the surface.
“We’re going to have to fight them, Penny,” I say as my face changes to its humanoid form. “We can take them, but we have to be smart about this.” Penny nods trustingly as our bodies bob with the movement of the tide.
“This is what we’re going to do,” I begin.
23
PENNY
An arrow shoots past my head and sinks down into the water. A second later, another one goes past my hip. I ignore them as best I can and swim to the bottom of the boat.
