The Fading Dream Read Online Free PDF Page B

remnants of the carriage fell all around her. She felt the sheer power of the lightning as it passed over her, and just the force of its wake was enough to set her nerves tingling.
    “Get to the alley!” Thorn pulled Cadrel to his feet and shoved him toward the edge of the street. She could see Lanner in the mouth of the alley, shielding the prince with a field of shimmering energy projected from his bracer. Delru hadn’t been so lucky. Thorn could see a shirt of light chain mail gleaming in the gaps in his smoldering clothes. The enchantment in the armor had saved the bodyguard’s life, dispersing the full force of the blast. But his skin was charred and cracked, and he’d fallen to one knee. It was a miracle he was still conscious, and he wouldn’t be running anytime soon.
    “Go!” he cried, voice rough with pain. Thorn was searching for some sign of their assailant, but Delru had already found the target. He loosed a bolt from his crossbow, firing into a tavern; glass exploded from the other windows as Delru’s quarrel released a charge of concussive force. He pulled back the winch, a second quarrel sliding automatically into place. “Go! I’ll cover you.”
    There was no time to hesitate. Thorn raced across the street, and Lanner shifted his shield to make room for her. She slipped past the two Cyrans. “Follow me. Lanner, keep close to the prince. Quickly!”
    Wroat was the first human city in Breland, far older than Sharn. When Galifar united the Five Nations, he rebuilt Wroat to be a jewel of the newly unified kingdom … and in the process, he left segments of the old city buried and forgotten. Thorn sprinted down an alley, the others close behind. Cracked steps led down to a rusted gate.
    “Through here,” Thorn said. Bars had snapped and fallen away, leaving just enough room to squeeze through the barrier. The tunnel beyond was cold, dry, and dark; the ever-burning lanterns had been scavenged and sold long before.
    “No light!” Thorn hissed as Lanner reached for a sunrod. “Form a line and hold hands. I’ll guide you. Lanner, I want you at the rear, and you keep that shield up.” The darkness posed no obstacle to Thorn, and she led them quickly and carefully through the abandoned tunnels, warning them of gaps in the stone and other hazards.
    “Aren’t we heading the wrong way?” It was Essyn Cadrel. “It seems to me that we’re moving away from the King’s Bridge.”
    “We are,” Thorn said. “You were ambushed on your way there. Whoever attacked us knew your plans. They might have prepared a contingency. So the last thing we’re going to do is to follow your original path. There’s a footpath that runs underneath the Queen’s Bridge. There’s a host of guards at that gate; once we’re there, we’ll be able to get safe passage to the island.”
    “Clever,” Cadrel said. “I suppose that it helps a bodyguard to be able to think like an assassin.”
    “Oh, yes. I’m doing excellent work tonight. But I’m not the only one, am I?” She tightened her grip on Cadrel’s hand. “Those killers knew exactly where to find us. Either they attacked every coach that left the consulate, or they knew about the decoy operation. How do you explain that?”
    “Do not doubt my friend Essyn.” It was the first time Prince Oargev had spoken since the attack. His voice was strong and steady, but there was a great sorrow to it. “This is not his doing. I have seen the anger growing in the eyes of my subjects. I have heard the whispers amongmy servants. I am certain I have been betrayed by someone within the consulate.”
    “I do accept some of the responsibility, Your Highness,” Cadrel said. “I … For all that I proposed the scenario, I didn’t take the threat as seriously as I should have. I saw the pieces and crafted a possible story from them, but I didn’t truly believe it would come to pass. I should have been more careful, should have restricted the number of servants who even