When the Raven Calls

Chapter 4

THE SHADOWS WERE COOL, BUT the stone was beyond cold. All things considered, though, it balanced out, because the air was so thick and warm that it felt like the ocean had risen up into the air and we were swimming as we walked.

Actually, without exaggeration, this was pretty reasonable for a late summer night next to the Isodel River. Watching the sparkbugs flicker back and forth across the manicured lawn of the waterside manor, the moon a crescent hanging in the clear sky, decorated with stars... It was beautiful. If it hadn't been for my not-so-silent companion, I would've been enjoying myself.

"You're serious? This is the plan?!" Chris asked in a stage whisper.

"Yep."

"The whole plan?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"No," I said, letting my annoyance leak into my tone, "I'm not sure at all, which is why we're crouching in wet grass, waiting to get caught by Warren Yaxley's beefy security guys."

"Oh, ha-ha. You know, when you guys told me, I thought you were joking. I figured you were going to tell me the real plan when we got here."

"Well, we were going to, but you wouldn't shut up long enough for us to get a word in," I said sarcastically, hoping he'd get the hint.

"Really?" he asked, an almost comically hopeful look on his face.

Cue sigh of frustration.

"No. This is the plan."

His face fell. "So, the plan is to get us killed."

"Yep. Same as every plan. Go out in a heroic sacrifice moment, pushing people away from a fake explosion."

His expression darkened, but he finally shut up, which I took as a sign that I had won.

Barely five minutes later, a patrol came by, finding us (as planned), grabbing us (sadly, also planned), and bringing us to the office of Warren Yaxley (I really don't know why we thought this was a good idea). Of course, we had barely even made it into the office when a commotion started downstairs and the guards had to rush off to fix that. I stood up, knowing that tag-teams would keep them busy for a few minutes while I snooped.

"I can't believe that worked," Chris said, standing with me, and skimming files. I took half a stack and passed the other half to him, figuring that while he was here, he could do some good.

I heard the distant sounds of frustrated cries as my best friends essentially ran in circles around the security guys, and bit back a smile as I imagined how it must look.

That smile died a moment later when I heard the sounds of glass crunching and a short scream followed by the sounds of people running.

"Go, go, go!" someone was yelling, but I had just found the paper. I shoved it in my bag and took off for the window, ignoring the door as it came crashing down. I didn't even look behind me (a rookie mistake) as someone came barreling in, just sprinted full speed for the window. I'd jump if I had too--we were only about a story up from the ground and surrounded by grass--but as it turned out, I never had to make that jump.

The man behind me reached forward, wrapping his hand around my wrist. I was already coming up with ways to break his grip when his index finger, along with some weird ring on it, hit my skin.

The blast was enough to shove him to to other side of the room, but I wasn't quite that lucky. I had been close to the window when the strange explosion of energy happened, so the sudden wind and force shoved me face-first through the window and sent me flying thirty feet forwards, tumbling to a stop on the grass. I laid there, the wind knocked out of me, for a few moments.