“What about him?” Piers mouthed with a nod to Wycke.
Chynne made a shooing motion with a paw. Piers grabbed Saris by the wrist and hauled her toward the shadows. “What are you doing?” she cried. “Unhand me! Let me at that little traitor!”
“Chynne’s on our side. He won’t let anything happen to Wycke.” Piers hoped. “But if we’re there, he’ll be too worried about us to fight.” If only Piers knew how to work all the magic people kept saying he had.
He should’ve gotten his flashlight from George. His boot caught something in the dark. His grip on Saris kept him from going down. Piers patted the floor, lifting what nearly tripped him. The flashlight!
He kept the beam down to help hide them. What if he wished onlyhecould see the light?
“What happened to the light?” Saris whispered.
Okay, maybe he should wish only he and Saris could see.
“Up here,” she said, tugging him toward rickety stairs. “We can’t leave Wycke.”
Piers’ wish magic managed to silence their steps until he stood behind a railing beside the queen, staring down on the battle. Fireballs flew. More than a few embers glowed around the fighters.
Scorch marks marred Radre’s cloak.
A few scorch marks showed on Wycke too. Radre lobbed a fireball, then shot his gaze upward, spotting Piers and Saris. Oh shit.
“Saris! Run!” Piers shoved the queen. He’d worry about manhandling royalty later.
They seemed to be on some type of metal walkway over the warehouse floor. Piers looked down. Big mistake. The cloaked figures sprang to life, heading straight for the stairs.
“Get him! Don’t let him get away!” Radre screamed.
A flash of light shot over Piers’ head. He turned, keeping Saris behind him. She was the queen, and if these jerks wanted him, he’d be damned if he’d let her get hurt. “I’m going to try something, okay?” he murmured.
“What?”
Saris vanished. Hopefully, to join Jess and George at the coffee shop or wherever. Two robed figures faced Piers. He spun. Another two came from the other direction. He could will himself to the coffee shop or anywhere else, but not while Wycke fought down below.
Piers glanced downward. Wycke sagged, leaning against the wall to hurl another spell. His breaths came in ragged pants. Oh, ancestors, no! Piers really, really wanted him at the coffee shop. Nothing.
Damn fickle magic! The figures in front of Piers let down their hoods: one older man, one young woman. The man said, “We are the followers of Lady Nyanda Gimitri. We’ve been searching for you.” They appeared so serene. Mind controlling drugs at their finest.
Piers kept his ears pricked for Radre’s fan club behind him. “Why? I heard good old Mom wasn’t the kind of person anyone wanted around.”
The man stiffened. “Sorceress Gimitri is legendary.”
The woman snarled, “We’ve waited seasons upon seasons to restore her to her glory. Finally, we have the key.”
“Key?”
You, you idiot!Piers heard in his head.
Oh. He eyed the slightly manic-looking pair. Fanatics. Fucking fanatics.
Judging from the footfalls, the two behind Piers closed in. The woman in front of him grinned, a sick, vile expression. Piers’ skin crawled.
Grasping the railing with one hand, he took the only escape available. He leaped, swinging himself over.
And down.
He didn’t manage a superhero landing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE