A Flight of Ravens by John Conroe (thriller books to read TXT) 📗

“What is the state of the kingdom?” I asked.

She turned to the blood-covered doctor, who had also heard my question.  He lifted his head and looked at first me and then Brona.  “Your Highness, the king is gravely injured.  He is not fit for rule.”  Based upon the slashes and punctures that I could glimpse around the medical people’s moving bodies, King Helat has been stabbed and slashed multiple times by someone who knew his way around a blade.

Everyone except the doctor’s people froze at his words.  I was the first to move, dropping to one knee.  “Your Majesty,” I said to Brona, bowing my head.  Beside me, Brent instantly followed suit, as did Erser, Torqness, Rose, and Salis.

Royal doctrine called for the heir to take over if ever the ruling king or queen of Montshire was incapable.  At this moment, the full power of the throne became vested in the crown princess, until and if her father regained competence.

“Your Majesty,” the others intoned in unison—except for the medical folks, who never stopped working on the king.

The princess took a deep breath before issuing her orders. “Colonel, secure the castle.  Captain DelaCrotia, Find Slinch—dead or alive.”

“Brent, you are with Her Majesty,” I told my young Shadow, handing him my sword.  Then I turned and headed out to find my team.

Chapter 36

Finding people is what I do, and tracking my own team was almost effortless.  Living, fighting, training, and working with the same people over and over makes my connection to them as strong as a Finder’s stone, perhaps stronger.  I would have found Brona the same way if I hadn’t gotten answers from Marda and Kisen.  It just took me a few moments to be still, to breathe deep, and to calm myself.

Once my heart rate had settled down, I felt a pull in a southwest direction, and possibly outside the castle walls.  I headed to the first floor and confirmed with Kesin that he had seen Cort and Soshi head out of the castle, and paused long enough to gather a sword and long knife from a pile of recovered weapons, then left Havensheart.

I took the reins of a messenger’s saddled horse right out of the hands of a royal stableman, who started to protest, recognized me, and went silent.  The horse, a big white mare, trotted out into the city’s streets as I followed the pull of my Talent.  Very quickly, I realized I almost didn’t need my ability to Find at all.  Almost.  Signs of a rapid, hectic chase were all around me as I rode through the streets.  Shopkeepers standing in their doorways, looking down the street.  A barrow boy righting his cart, an old woman helping him pick up his spilled potatoes and onions.  But at a couple of intersections where no one was obviously affected by the passage of swift, violent people, I took a moment to close my eyes and follow the unseen pull in my chest and head.

My Talent told me my team was headed toward the river, which, as I thought about it, made a certain sense.  With his plan to kill both king and heir unsuccessful (partially) and being pursued by Shadows, Slinch and his people would be in full flight mode.  It wouldn’t matter which road you took out of the capital; Montshire military would be easily able to track and run you down.  But if you hopped a boat on the river, the fast-running waters would move you swiftly out of the valley, leaving no tracks or scent.  There were multiple roads that crossed the Ott river, and a fugitive from the king’s justice could jump off on any of them.  A clever planner like Neil likely had resources and allies already emplaced along that route.

I flicked my reins at the borrowed horse, moving our pace faster.  The mare was young and well trained, handling the icy roads with agility that my stalwart Tipton would be hard pressed to copy.  Within minutes, glimpses of the river became visible between buildings, as did the bulky shapes of waterfront warehouses like my father’s.

The street took a sharp turn, almost a switchback, on a particularly sharp downhill section, and I chose to slow the mare for fear of her losing even her nimble balance.  With the slower pace came a reduction in the clatter of her hoofs, enough that I could suddenly hear other hooves clattering on cobblestone as well as the yells of angry people.  Some of those voices were familiar.

The dangerous turn behind us, I urged the horse to speed up, desperate to close with my team. We broke around the edge of a fish market and suddenly the wharf, warehouses, and riverfront opened up in front of us.  Immediately I saw bodies on the ground and people running.

The tall, skinny guy way out in front was clearly Neil Slinch, with quite a bit of distance between him and an unknown man and a woman who looked like Fontina trying to catch up.

Jella was standing in the middle of River Square, bow at full draw, and I no sooner saw her than she released.

The man running on Fontina’s heels pitched forward, a white-fletched arrow appearing in the center of his back.  Fontina spun around, a bolter held two-handed.  Jella dropped low as the brass-tubed weapon puffed out a cloud of quava pod gas.  I couldn’t tell if she’d been hit or not, but I pushed my horse into an all-out gallop.

Soshi popped around a corner and took her own bolter shot at the fleeing Ravens.  Slinch was well out of bolter range but Fontina stumbled, then fell to one knee.  She spun around, her bolter raising toward Soshi.  I was still too far away.

Suddenly, a massive, furred shape lunged out from the corner of a warehouse, clawed hands grabbing the black-haired Raven, who screamed as long claws ripped into her skin.  Ash slammed his tooth-filled jaws around the junction