Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Twenty

Aiden dropped to the ground, instinctively covering his head. The shopkeeper shouted and ran into the backroom. As he was about to slam the door, he rushed the woman in behind him. She stole a handful of ribbons and shoved them into her purse as the shopkeeper's eyes were directed out the window.

"Are you coming?" The shopkeeper asked.

A horse screeched in the street. Nova. "No." Aiden crouched lower to the ground. The shopkeeper looked at his cash register and then back at Aiden. He frowned. Another gunshot sounded in the street. That decided it for him--he slammed the door shut. The latch slid into place. Part of Aiden wanted to run out the back door, but he couldn't. He was worried about Nova, who was out in the street and just as scared as he was.

He crawled to the windows and peeked out. He reached into his boot and withdrew Tanner's gun, still loaded with six shots left. He steadied a finger over the trigger and the other on the hammer. Aiden startled, nearly jumping straight out of his dusty old socks when the glass window shattered on the other side of the shop. He ducked, clenching his eyes shut until he was sure he was safe from any rogue bullets.

Out in the street, a man drew his top hat from his head, puffed his cheeks out and spit into it. Flicking the sweat off his brow with a daring list of the neck, he twirled his arm about, hat and all. It was like a sleight of hand. He tossed the hat into the air. Ever so confidently, it found a place back on his head. Out from behind the saloon dove a barrel-chested man. Aiden couldn't make out his face until he lifted himself up off the ground on his arms. It was Silas Noble, sure as anything. His face was covered in scrapes. He shot his gun. It missed the man in black and hit the dirt road. A wagon led by mules tore by, motivated by the heat of the bullets to a wild gallop. Silas Noble crawled up into a cart for shelter. The man in black strolled forward, shooting bullets at the cart.

Aiden hurried through the broken window. It was now or never. He untied Nova from the hitching post. She bucked wildly as he pulled her into the alleyway of the general store. Aiden tried to calm her down so that they could ride back to Aydesreve, but she refused to comply. Out in the street, Silas Noble reached up from behind a crate and shot the man in the leg. He fell back. The man extended his pistol and fired a bullet. It hit Silas Noble's horse in the shoulder. The white horse reeled back and squealed. It stomped about in pain. Nova cried in disapproval. Again, Silas Noble fired at the man and missed. He shot another bullet. It rumbled through the air and hit the man in the chest. Silas Noble stood above the crates and put his gun back into his holster. He spit his bullet from his mouth and vigorously shined it against his trousers. The man in black lay dying on the dirt road. He tried to lift his gun, but his arms were too weak. Silas Noble sidled up to him. With his foot, he nudged the gun out of the man's hands and kicked it. It trundled through the dirt street. The man rasped for breath. Silas Noble brought his gun forward and cocked it. He shot the man one last time.

Silas Noble's horse continued to grunt and squeal in pain. The blood was mingling with his white coat and running down his long front leg. Silas Noble went back to the horse to sop up the blood. He stroked the horse's mane while he pressed down on the wound with his other hand. The horse tried to bite him, but Silas Noble cooed at him until he was pacified.

While Noble was distracted, Aiden finally soothed Nova and hopped on her back. He willed her out of the alleyway, but as soon as she got in the street where the white horse was, she began to cry and rear. Aiden held on to her neck and calmed her back down onto all fours.

"Ey, you," Noble said in a brittle voice.

"Oh, hello." Aiden turned Nova around and walked her back into the alleyway. He'd just go out the back way.

"I scared you off?" Silas Noble called. "I thought you had more stones than that."

Aiden sighed and pulled Nova to a stop. "How's your horse?"