Page 66 of Silver & Gold
Seth’s nape prickled. “What kind of someone?”
Raider drew back to look at Seth. His eyebrows scrunched. “What do you mean what kind of someone?”
“This area … we’ve been in the borderlands for a while. The scorpions were the first sign.”
“First sign of what? When I asked you about the scorpions before, you blew me off.”
“I know. It would’ve led to even more questions, and I just wanted us to get—”
At the sound of shouting back at the caravan, Seth and Raider both turned. With the palanquins circled, Seth couldn’t see what was happening in their midst.
There was no time to guess what new danger had arisen. Drawing his sword, Seth went charging across the sands. Raider quickly outpaced him. Red kaftan streaming in his wake, Raider darted between two of the parked palanquins and out of sight.
Seth raced after him and burst into the center of the caravan, ready for whatever desert creature threatened them now. He skidded to a stop, spraying sand.
Four of the Hammer had their swords at Raider’s throat. Raider was standing frozen, obviously having been taken by surprise. Nasrin and several others of the Hammer were standing at a slight distance. Nasrin was shouting for everyone to stop, to wait, to talk.
Well out of the danger, the arcanist Fadesh had Seth’s pack at his feet—and Seth’s notes in his hands.
Shit!
Seth had been so damn careful about staying close to his palanquin and gear. And no surprise, the first time he left his notes unguarded, trailing after Raider because he was worried, that sly shit had dug through everything.
Fadesh had undoubtedly found the maps that Seth had kept to himself. Had Seth marked the canyon? He couldn’t remember. Goddamn it, he probably had.
“Betrayal!” Fadesh shouted, his black hood back for once, his face red with righteous indignation. “Lies! They never intended to take us to Ulam and the Alchemist’s Stone! I told you, Nasrin!”
“Amir, Sasha, Rasul, Oban, lower your swords!” Nasrin ordered. “Raider, stay calm, we’ll figure this out! Seth—ahh!”
She broke off as she was forced to abandon her commands to whip up her sword and deflect Seth’s chakram.
Chaos ensued.
A dozen blades came flashing at Seth. He met them with hard blows. Too busy to catch his chakram on its return, he lost track of it.
Ducking, spinning, and slashing, Seth fought his way to the edge of the melee. He spotted Raider weaving through it all, trying to get clear of the blades and fists.
Seth wished like hell he could get to Fadesh and his pack with all his notes, but the arcanist had vanished.
“The palanquin!” Seth shouted to Raider when they managed to get close enough to each other in the fight. Seth’s chakram gleamed in Raider’s quicksilver fist. Raider’s scimitar was busy in his other hand.
The instant they had carved out the space to turn, they spun and raced to the palanquin. Seth launched himself into the driver’s seat while Raider dove in the other side.
As Seth fired up the engine, Raider slashed at one of the Hammer that caught up on his side. Then he lunged across Seth’s lap to fight back another that had come at Seth.
The palanquin lurched into motion.
“Hang on!” Seth shouted and flipped the switch on the booster that Julian had given him.
The brilliant young arcanist had pulled a few parts off the arcane boat they’d taken down the Burudu and converted them into an additional power source, just in case. But there had been no chance to test it. Seth prayed to the gods it would work.
The palanquin sprang forward, throwing them both back against the bench. Seth’s heart tried to leap from his body.
He wrestled with the control yoke, barely keeping the palanquin on its feet as it charged forward in an ungainly, lurching gait.
There was a loud crack, a whip snapping. The palanquin was yanked back. One leg folded. Raider, weapons abandoned on the bench, vanished from sight as he swung on the canopy frame and scrambled over the palanquin.
Seth wrangled the palanquin back onto its feet. As they lurched forward again, free, Raider swung back into his seat.