Starsinger

Shackles

They ran. Aaron hurtled down the narrow dirt path, barely noticing the trees whipping past until a stray branch caught him full in the face. He swore with annoyance and kept running. Delia tripped on a tree root and would have fallen flat if Jace hadn't caught her. He didn't break his stride, half-carrying the mage as they ran on.

Raelyn faltered first. "Enough," she called, her voice hoarse. "Enough." She slowed to a stop and doubled over, coughing. Aaron gave her his water skin and she drank gratefully.

Jace, who had been supporting the mage, immediately released her. Delia stumbled backwards, panting. She was tall, taller than Aaron had realized, with a straight nose and a stubborn, rounded chin. Behind her right ear Aaron could see a tattoo of a curling flame with three small circles below it.

Jace rounded on Aaron. "Talk."

He could see the stormclouds brewing in Jace's eyes. Quickly and calmly Aaron told the striker that he'd followed Sapphire to the jail, where they'd been surprised and captured by the judge, and then they'd escaped. With the mage.

Jace zeroed in on Sapphire, a cold rage taking root. "That wasn't the plan."

"You rescued me," Delia said, still gasping. "I can't thank you enough—"

"Don't thank us yet," Jace said, hard as iron. "Who's Bryant?"

Delia jerked back. "What?"

"In the tavern, they said a man named Bryant was missing. They seemed to think you had something to do with it."

"This isn't the time—" Sapphire started, but Jace cut her off.

"Now is exactly the time. Did you know him?"

"Everyone knew Bryant."

"Did you hurt him?"

"No." Delia recoiled, staring at Jace incredulously. "Bryant and I were... close," A few dark strands of hair had broken free of her braid, framing her face. "He went missing a fortnight ago. Nobody knows what happened. They thought it was me because I sneak away sometimes at night to practice."

"Practice magic," Jace said. "Never know when you'll need to blast a tavern to pieces."

"That's not fair," Raelyn interjected.

"Jace." Aaron pulled his friend around to face him. Behind them, Raelyn helped Delia to her feet. Aaron kept his voice low enough that no one but Jace could hear him. "Not now. You're not thinking clearly."

Jace stared at him for a moment, fighting to regain control. Disobedience, danger, and now this mage... Aaron gripped his shoulder tight. You're here. You're okay. Breathe, damn it.

"They'll be sending a search party now," Jace said suddenly. "We need to keep moving."

"Maybe they won't." Sapphire rose, straightening her tunic. "They wanted her gone, and now she is. Maybe that'll be enough."

Jace glared at the scout. "Another risk we can't afford to take."

The striker set a hard pace. Aaron watched his friend nervously. There was very little danger of the villagers following them, even if they could track which way they had gone. But it wasn't fear of being caught that propelled Jace forward. He's going to burn himself out.

Raelyn was speaking softly with Delia. Aaron dropped back and fell into step beside them, desperate to distract himself from the void of angry silence that had opened between Jace and Sapphire and settled like a cloud over the entire party. It also distracted him from the memory of wrenching iron and shattering stone as Sapphire ripped the jail bars in two. He'd left that part of their escape out of his story. Not here. Not now.