Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

I'm not sure why Ben's line of questioning bothered me so, but I found myself irritated. Maybe it was because I didn't feel special. I mean, sure, the Prima Staff had somehow placed itself in my path, but it was the staff with the gift of magic, not me. All I had to do was blow or ride it.

But maybe that was the problem. Being the wielder of the Staff was more like being a passenger, but having my own magic was being behind the wheel. That was a lot more responsibility, and as we finished our meal I stood with a heart burdened with a little more responsibility.

We spoke our farewells to our host and ventured out into the night. Ben had hardly led me more than halfway up the alley before he stopped and half-turned to me. "From here on we should remain silent unless it's absolutely necessary to speak."

I nodded, but I couldn't help but gasp a little as Ben's Dragon Thief outfit slipped out and covered his body. I'd missed that handsome attire and his enigmatic mask over half his face.

A snort escaped me and Ben gave me a questioning look. I shrugged and pointed at my mouth. His eyes showed his amusement as he spoke with his mind-speech. "You can speak this once."

"This is an evil way to keep a woman from talking while the man is free to do so," I teased.

He chuckled. "Quite a reversal. I'll have to enjoy it while it lasts."

I put my hands on my hips and scowled at him. "Why, you little-"

"Compliments for another time," he scolded me as he took my hand and led me up the alley. "We have some pools to visit."

"Shouldn't you be quiet, too?" I whispered to him.

"Only you can hear me right now."

As I stumbled along behind him, my eyes wandered to his back. I couldn't help but ask the question that popped into my head. "Why don't we just fly there?"

"It would be harder to approach the ghasl by air than by land, where the trees along the river will provide us some cover," he pointed out. "And the island doesn't have any large birds, so our presence in the skies would be very much noticed by the residents."

We flitted through the dark, silent streets. Hardly a soul was to be found save for those who frequented the taverns and pubs that dotted the blocks. We found ourselves half a block away from one such rowdy establishment when we heard a pair of slurred voices approach us, cutting off our path across the street and forcing us to stop at the mouth of an alley.

The pair had their arms draped across the shoulders of their companion as they stumbled down the street. Their voices filled the air with a bawdy tune that echoed up and down the street.

"We fill our pockets with gold! We fill our mugs with beer! We fill our lives with joy! We fill our hearts with cheer!"

I couldn't help but smile at the hearty tune sung with blustering voices. Their good cheer, however, was interrupted by the arrival of a contingent of half a dozen soldiers. They carried their spears high in the air as they marched up the road toward the men. The sight of them sobered the men up real fast, but their stumbling feet betrayed them as they turned and tried to scurry away. At a signal from the head of their company, most of the soldiers rushed forward and grabbed the men about the back of their shirts.

The men quaked beneath the merciless gaze of the lead soldier. "P-please, sir, we have done nothing wrong!" one of them protested.

"You attempted to run from us," the soldier countered as he caught the eye of one of the men who had held back. The man stepped forward and presented a box to his leader. "Why did you do that?"

"W-we were frightened by your spears, sir," the other replied.

"And yet you still quake," the soldier countered as he opened the lid of the box and removed an aqara from the container. He turned back to the men and held out the ball toward them. A very faint glow emanated from the sands. He glided the ball over both of them and the orb grew brighter. "Is it because you know you are holding back a gift from His Majesty?"

"We did not know, sir! We swear it!" one of the men bawled.

"You will face proper punishment on the Kneeling Stone," the soldier informed them as he set the ball back into its box.

My heart skipped a beat as I thought back to those two men who had been sacrificed on the Kneeling Stone. Their agonized faces were etched into my mind. I couldn't let that happen again.

I rushed forward, but Ben caught my arm. He yanked me back and to the side so I was behind him. I glared up at him and stabbed a finger at the men.

He caught my eye in his cool, calming gaze as he spoke inside my head. "I understand how you feel, but rushing in will only doom you, as well. The king will have your magic drained and banish us from the island, and then we won't be able to help anyone."

My ire was still high, more especially because I knew he was right. "But we can't just stand here!" I hissed.

"I don't intend to," he countered as he turned his head and leaned out just far enough to peak around the corner.

Ben tilted his head back and inspected the two-floor house against which we leaned. He scooted me back a few paces and stepped back to open his dark wings. To say they were cramped in that tiny space would be an understatement. The tips not only brushed the walls but curved inward to wrap around me.

"Stay here and stay hidden," he commanded me as he turned to the wall and dug his clawed hands into the dried mud.

In that way, he made his own handholds and eased up the wall. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched him make the perilous ascent while the lead soldier directed his men back the way they came. The sobered men, however, dragged their feet and pleaded for their lives.

"Please, sir! Spare us the Kneeling Stone!"

"We have so little! We would die before we fed the Thaqiba!"

The leader glared at them. "You have enough to satisfy the aqara, so you have enough to give to the Thaqiba. Or would you rather our country fall to the wrath of the seas again?"

"But we have families!" one of the men protested. "They will starve if the stone takes our lives!"

"The priestess has yet to kill anyone with her magic," the soldier insisted.

One of the men thrashed in the hold of his captors. "I beg you, sir! Let us go!"

"You will not be harmed-"

"We beg to you on behalf of our families!"

The leader snatched a spear from one of his men and pointed the tip at the pair. His eyes flashed with ire as he held the point close to their stomachs. "You will come with us without further protest or you will lose your blood as well as your magic!"

By this time Ben had reached the height of the wall and disappeared onto the rooftop. I clutched my balled, shaking hands against my chest as my eyes flickered between the wall and the confrontation. Relief mixed with my fear for Ben as I watched his shadow self fly off the roof and drop into the crowd of men.

Ben's sudden appearance from the sky startled the men long enough for him to make quick work of all but the two who held the citizens and the leader. The head of the soldiers spun around and thrust the spear at Ben, who lithely dodged the attack and grabbed the center of the staff. He gave a yank that threw the soldier off his balance, and the bully plunged head-first to the ground.

The soldier rolled onto his butt, fury written across his face, but his anger quickly changed to fear as he found himself staring down the pointed end of the stick. Ben held the other end, and he looked at those soldiers who held the captives. "Release them."

The soldiers looked to their commander for guidance and the man nodded. They opened their arms and the men scrambled out of arm's reach and bobbed their heads to Ben as they flew past him.

"A thousand thanks!"

"A blessing upon your family!"

They vanished, leaving Ben alone with the soldiers. He stepped back and pointed the spear at his three remaining opponents. "Leave here at once."

The leader glared at him as he climbed to his feet. "I refuse to leave my men behind."

"They won't be harmed. I swear it."

The commander scoffed. "As if I would trust a man in a mask."

Ben pointed the spear at the man's throat. "You have little choice."

"Commander. . ." one of the others whispered. "We cannot help them if we are dead."

The leader pursed his lips but caught their eyes and jerked his head over his shoulder. Together the three strode past Ben and down the street. I waited until they were well past the point of seeing my features before I scurried out of my hiding spot and over to Ben where he stood surrounded by his victory.

I watched with a heavy heart as the soldiers disappeared down the street. "This place is getting worse."

"And very quickly," Ben agreed as he tossed the spear onto the ground and tucked his wings into his back. "So we had better hurry ourselves."