Ruein: Fires of Haraden: Action/Adventure Necromancy Series (Books of Ruein Book 2), G.O. Turner [little bear else holmelund minarik txt] 📗

sized up the half-orc. He was certainly strong enough. He could lower himself partway, then allow her to climb down to his ankles. If he could withstand that shoulder wound. That’d cover enough distance for Liv and Twigs to weather the remaining fall.

“I got it,” chirped the gnome. He pointed to the wall’s back corner. Reaching into his side bag, Twigs withdrew a lump of clay. “I can make us a bridge.”

Ruein eyed her sister.

Liv stared back and then squeezed the little gnome. “Well, do it, druid!” Liv snatched him up, and the four charged for the parapet’s end.

Twigs jostled between Liv’s padded underarm and breastplate. His little hands, warming and shaping the clay, did not stay his complaint. “Hey, hey, easier. I’m not exactly a master craftsmith here.”

With no wall left to run along, and the volcano towering over, they paused and caught their breath. Twigs reassessed the distance. His jaw canted, brow strained. “Alright…maybe not a bridge.”

Liv glared.

Steel scraped on stones from the court. Ruein spied the Elite. They hooked their halberds at the thorny vines and yanked to clear a path. Time was running out.

Twigs grabbed the end of his clay bridge. The crude shape he thrust back upon itself and reworked higher. Signaling Liv to lower him, he planted his feet on the wall’s edge and slapped his work to its side. It jutted from the wall, like an erect phallus.

Liv gaped at him, cockeyed. “What the hells is that? Where’s the bridge?”

Twigs shrugged. “Building seemed closer way back there. My bridge wasn’t going to reach. So, I worked with what I had.”

Ruein grabbed her sister. “Let him work.”

Dropping into druidic, Twigs touched his staff to the lump of clay. The stone beneath shifted.

The grinding of stone on stone scraped and scrawled below them. Its hardened nature answered the druid’s call, reasserting itself outward. Mortar and rock stretched and reformed well past the clay construct. Jutting out, it extended a narrow ramp, rising out over the street below.

“Good, Twigs.” Ceer ruffled his buddy’s scruff. “Ruein and Liv, go. Twigs and Ceer cover backs.”

Before Liv could argue, Ruein shoved her into a run across the span. Their speed mounted into the climb. Twenty yards out, they hurtled from the end.

Liv hit first, crashed into shingles and rolled. Not graceful in the least, the necromancer rocked up against Lightbringer armor. Both prone, they clutched for handholds upon the slick surface.

Ruein managed to sit up then leaned for a view of Ceer.

Twigs perched himself upon the half-orc’s uninjured shoulder and was waving a hand as if sprinkling seeds. Ceer charged the stone outgrowth, a commanding depiction of physical prowess. He vaulted into the air as the gnome continued to sprinkle in his wake.

Ceer’s sandals landed beside the sisters with a smash of broken shingles. A few of Twigs’ scatterings tinkled to the rooftop beside.

Caltrops.

Genius. Multi-pointed, spined tacks, designed to maim. That was one way to prevent the Elite from following. I need to start giving these two more respect.

Ruein got to her feet, hauling Liv up with her. “The only reprieve we can hope for now comes with distance. We’ll make for cover once we’re far from the Apex.” Ruein shoved them into motion, casting her gaze back for pursuit.

Volcanic lightning continued its streaking dance across the brass-plated citadel, its flashes periodically illuminating the volcano below. The garrison flickered from one of its closer strikes.

Something black moved along the uppermost tops.

25

Heaving her armored-boots over slick shingles, Liv pressed against her breastplate. It pained her, just beneath. Was her burning rib cage some echo of Evets’ warping sorceries? Or was it something else?

Her teeth gnashed with each misstep. Why the hells am I even running? Not for myself. It made no kind of sense. Her cause was just and on the side of light. Shegar Negrath had even entrusted her with his good name. Liv had to put this right.

She would.

Her damned dead sister and the others were being the rash ones. Their actions had placed them all in jeopardy. Did that make them wrong? Then again, what sort of Lightbringer would leave her fate to a kingdom of underdarkers? Would that be an act of faith…or just stupidity?

Crossing from rooftop to rooftop, Twigs, Ceer, Ruein, and Liv continued farther from the garrison. Curtains of rain obscured Liv’s vision. The way became difficult as her soaked armor padding became heftier.

Dropping onto the next graveled surface, Liv turned to Ruein’s unfurled cloak as her sister’s black boots landed alongside her. Ceer made a toss of Twigs. The splayed bundle of gnome arced over the alley and Ruein stepped in to catch. Releasing him, Twigs scampered ahead, searching for their next vantage.

Liv regarded her sister. She hadn’t had a chance to fully explain about this…this death angel. The shrouded woman must’ve been stalking them, listening to their conversations. Her comment was too similar to one she’d had at the bathhouse the night before.

Made sense. Evets had called her a whore.

The shroud reeked of evil. But fuck all! Undead don’t get winded, much less are they able to stand against divine light. Ruein must’ve missed the mark on that. Still didn’t bring them any closer to knowing what sort of damned thing she was.

What was all that? One monster killing another?

Nothing about this job made sense. Hells, midway into their fight, had the shroud been more intent on her kill? Or…it seemed as if she came to her def—

Ceer landed, plowing through tiles after his little buddy.

Ruein turned and her vacant eyes held Liv for a moment. Not the time. Liv needed distance, and room to sort this whole sordid shit-show.

The half-orc and gnome paused at the roof’s edge, gauging their next leap.

Marching forward, Liv called, “What is it?”

“Jump too far,” said the half-orc.

“For Ceer?”

He ran his tongue over a tusk, eyeing Liv. “For Lightbringer.”

Shit. Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Ruein craned out over the edge. Her dead eyes stared across the span. “On the next roof,