Jace sprang to his feet. “Mira? What do you want with Mira?”

Pickett looked from Mira to Jace. “I want nothing. I’m under orders. None of you know this slave. Not really. She is here under false pretenses. The High King will have his property returned.”

In the distance, Cole heard the drumming of many hooves. Others in the room seemed to notice the rumble as well. All else was quiet for a moment as they listened.

Pickett cleared his throat into his gloved fist. “Please believe me that this business will conclude much more pleasantly if we resolve the matter before Commander Rainier arrives.”

Cole risked a glance at Mira. Her eyes were wide. She looked panicked and uncertain. The situation was unraveling. They had to get away. What could he do?

“The girl has some shaping skills,” Adam said. “It makes her natural value at least five times more than a talentless slave.”

“Understood.”

“And you’ll give us ten times her value?”

“Fifty times the value of a common slave? I suspect that could be arranged.”

“You suspect or you’re sure? Are you empowered to negotiate or not?”

Picket rubbed his mustache. “Very well. If it will settle the matter without a disturbance, done.”

Cole got up and started toward the hall to the back door. If he skirted the walls, keeping away from the center of the room, he might be able to slip away unnoticed. Twitch looked at him questioningly, but Cole subtly waved away the attention. A few other men glanced his way, but most kept their eyes on the negotiation.

Adam rubbed his hands together. “That’s a generous offer. Seems almost too good to be true. Deals seldom are. Makes me wonder what I’m missing.”

“The High King wants the girl and would prefer to have the matter settled quietly,” Pickett replied. “Even so, you have my best offer. I won’t agree to more.”

Cole reached the hall to the back door. He turned his back to the negotiation and started down the corridor. Just a few more steps and he would pass out of view from the common area.

“Where do you think you’re going, boy?” Pickett asked sharply.

Cole froze. Trying to stay composed, he turned to find the legionnaire staring at him, along with everyone else in the room.

“I have to pee,” Cole apologized. “I was trying to hold it. When you have to, you have to.” Forcing a small smile, he crossed his legs.

Pickett waved a dismissive hand. “Fine. Be quick about it.”

Cole hurried down the hall and broke into a sprint once he knew he was out of sight. He raced out the back door and heard the thunder of approaching horses much more clearly. The legion wasn’t at their doorstep yet, but judging from the sound, it would only be a minute or two before the first soldiers arrived.

He found the bow and the shawl under the deck right where he had left them. Would he really shoot those soldiers? For Mira, if he had to, yeah, maybe. There might be a big army coming, but Cole doubted their horses could fly. Mira had to get aboard a skycraft.

Items in hand, Cole rushed through other halls to reach his room. If they were going to try to get away, he needed his gear. He strapped on the Jumping Sword as he exited and then settled the shawl over his shoulders. He returned to the common room from the hall that led to the stairs to the skycraft hanger. The drumming of hooves was slowing down right outside.

On his feet now, Adam was shaking hands with Pickett. “You’ve purchased one very expensive slave,” Adam said.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Pickett replied.

Releasing his hand, Adam shrugged. “It’s how we scrape by.”

Nobody had noticed Cole return. Was he really going to do this? Adam had sold Mira. Any second, more soldiers would enter. Cole didn’t want to see her get captured, and he couldn’t lose his one link to finding his friends. It was now or never.

Heart pounding, Cole raised his bow and pulled the string back until an arrow appeared. Keeping the feathers near his cheek, he pointed the arrow at Pickett. Nobody was looking his way.

“Not so fast!” Cole yelled.

That got their attention.

Pickett and the two other legionnaires placed their hands on the hilts of their swords. Pickett glared at Adam. “What is this?”

Adam raised both hands. “Not my doing. That boy is a slave, not an owner. He’ll wish he was never born after we disarm him. The girl is yours. If she runs, we’ll help give chase. You’ve got too many comrades out there. I don’t want the deal spoiled.”

On the far side of the room, the front door opened, revealing a sea of legionnaires. Beyond the mob pressing toward the doorway, Cole could see others on horseback, some dismounting. The first couple of legionnaires stepped through.

“Now, Mira!” Cole called. “Time to go.”

Chapter 17

FLIGHT

For a moment all was still. The legionnaires at the front door halted. Cole was undoubtedly the center of attention—some of it confused, much of it angry.

Then Mira lunged from her seat and the spell was broken.

Pickett and his two comrades drew their swords and rushed forward in a crouch, using the raiders at the tables as shields. The legionnaires at the door drew their weapons and burst in as well.

Joe sprang from his chair and tackled Pickett hard. Leaping up, Joe produced a silver tube and pointed it at one of the other legionnaires. When nothing happened, he slapped it, then pointed it again.

One of the legionnaires was moving quickly enough to cut off Mira’s escape. Cole pivoted and prepared to release his arrow.

Before he let it fly, a golden lash snapped forward, coiling around the legionnaire’s boots and jerking him into the air. The lash flung the soldier brutally against a wooden support beam, and he folded with a loud grunt and crumpled to the floor. Jace held the other end of the golden rope.

Mira raced past Cole, who held his position, bow bent, covering her escape. Jace whipped a second legionnaire in the face with his golden lash, and diving over a table, Joe blindsided the stunned soldier.

“Don’t spoil this, men!” Adam bellowed. “After her!”

All around the room, raiders sprang to their feet. Many shuffled toward Cole. Another large group headed for the hall to the back door. Cole noticed Pickett slip into that hall, ahead of the mass of raiders.

Outrunning the other raiders, Jace and Twitch dashed by Cole. “Let’s get her out of here,” Jace gasped without slowing.

Sidestepping so he could face backward, Cole retreated, arrow nocked and ready. The oncoming raiders collided with one another as they crammed from the wide room into the bottleneck of the hallway. Some stumbled and fell, further clogging the passage. Jostling one another, they grimaced and elbowed and made slow progress. Eli was among the foremost. Giving Cole a meaningful look, he motioned for him to run.