| |
“Now that is a secret weapon,” my mimic remarked as my jaw dropped open. He burst into laughter. “So secret, that it’s not even a weapon!”
I didn’t feel the same. My breath caught in my throat, sudden emotion flooding me.
There were ten of them, huddled between the sorriest looking big birds I’d ever seen. The birds were probably big enough to fly with a man on their back.
“Oosquer,” the mimic suggested. “Those things Saboraak was pretending to be. She hated that, remember? Look at their bedraggled plumage! I’m on her side. You should never have agreed to make her pretend to be one of these!”
But I wasn’t listening to him. I was grinning like a fool at a smiling Hubric standing at the center of all the others. In the back, behind the sad looking oosquer, was Kyrowat, giving me the evil eye. Of course. I could save him from death itself and he’d look at me like I’d offended him.
“Hubric,” I said casually, like I was out on a stroll.
“I should have known it would be you,” Hubric said. “Bataar said he thought that the Ko’roi should have power over the golems.”
“He should. Over all the golems,” Bataar said from beside Hubric. His eyebrows were raised critically. Seriously! This guy!
“Well, I apologize for not being magical enough for you. Weren’t you supposed to be sheltering my people and leading them while I was gone?”
“Yeah!” my mimic said. “Score!”
I felt a flicker of shame. Anything the mimic thought was good was probably petty.
Bataar didn’t have time to answer. At that moment there was a cry from outside the ring of golems.
“Skies and flaming stars!” I spat. “Come on! We have to hurry!”
I spun, running toward that little gap between the golems. It wouldn’t be wide enough for a dragon or one of those oosquers.
“Back!” I ordered it, but as it shuffled back the first guard came racing forward. I raised my staff to fight him, deflecting his first blow.
“Use the golem, you fool!” Bataar called from behind me. “What good is that stick compared to them?”
Oops.
“Fight!” I ordered the golem and then immediately wished I hadn’t. The golem rushed forward, scooping up the guard in his metal jaws and running toward the sleeping camp like an enraged bull.
“Skies and Stars!” Bataar said from behind me and as my cheeks heated in embarrassment, he pushed past me.
“The doorway!” I shouted, pointing toward where it sat on the cart. “Hurry!”
If they got tangled up fighting an army, we would lose for sure. That was our only chance out of here.
I looked over my shoulder to see the other Kav’ai already mounting their oosquer, hunched low on their backs, belly to back as the awkward creatures flew toward the doorway.
I’d lost track of Hubric. I hoped he was mounting Kyrowat.
Everything was happening too quickly. The Kav’ai were streaking past me, the sentries were sounding the alarm. Screams rose from where the golem had disappeared into the camp, the guard in his mouth.
The door of Apeq’s pavilion opened, and in the light of the green braziers, I could see him clearly outlined. I could have sworn our eyes met over the distance, even though I couldn’t pick out the details of his face.
An icy rush of terror shot down my spine. We needed to get through that doorway. Now.
Soldiers charged toward us from every direction, weapons lowered, battle cries and shouts on their curling lips. I braced myself, staff in hand, counting the oosquer. Six, no seven were past me. Was that all? I thought it was.
Kyrowat squeezed between the golem forms, hopping on the ground beside me like he didn’t know if he should fly or leap.
“What are you waiting for, boy?” Hubric barked. “That’s the last of them.”
Kyrowat flamed urgently to the side, his flame sweeping across the first soldiers to reach us and then he was running forward, leaving me exposed.
I was exposed and alone in the sand with nothing but golems behind me and every soldier who could get here quick enough closing in on me.
“Grawlix,” my mimic growled.
I braced the quarterstaff in my grip, ready to fight.
“Bataar is going to laugh at your funeral,” the mimic said.
He was right. But the oosquer and the dragons had passed. Already, they were diving into the doorway like ducks plunging into a lake for fish.
Everyone else had something to ride. Everyone but me.
My eye caught the nearest golem.
Oh.
Yeah.
If I thought about it, I’d never be able to do it. I gritted my teeth and plunged toward the nearest golem, scrambling up his slick metal back and onto the saddle.
“Forward,” I called as he leapt into a run and I was thrown back into the metal saddle. Ungh! These things had not been designed for comfort.
“You didn’t need that tailbone anyway,” the mimic mocked.
We ran toward the ring of encircling soldiers until they scattered before us like birds on a path. Their shouts and taunts followed me, but I wasn’t worried about them. I was worried about their leader. He’d see this as provocation. He’d follow us as soon as he could move this army. And there were so many more people and golems here than I ever imagined was possible.
I followed the line of oosquer through the doorway and out into the night beyond. We’d escaped their grasp, but only for the moment.