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.“I’m Dean.And this is Han.”“Nice to meet you,” the Elvana said with a broad smile and quick bow.“Bravic.” Bravic nodded toward Kala.“And you met Oieda,” Dean said.Oieda smiled awkwardly and bowed.“We’ll get food,” Dean whispered.“And once we’re sure the soldiers aren’t watching, we’ll let you free.”Kala frowned.“You expect me to believe that you paid a fortune to feed me breakfast and let me go?”“I don’t believe it, myself,” Bravic grumbled.“But it’s true.”“Once we eat—” Dean began, but Oieda’s foot kicking him beneath the table cut him off.“I don’t think we’re going to be able to eat,” Han whined as he tilted his head to the doorway.Several soldiers walked into the room.“The soldier’s insignias—crossed swords on red—they’re the same as the man you outbid for Kala,” Oieda pointed out.Kala stiffened as he felt the cold steel point of Dean’s dagger press against his wrist.“You buy me to kill me?”“He’s setting you free, stupid,” Bravic snapped as Dean cut Kala’s straps.“Why?” Kala asked with a mixture of mistrust and disbelief in his voice.“So I can die fighting while you escape?”“No!” Han blurted, now upset.“That’s just the way he is.He was going to set you free the whole time.”Kala scanned Dean’s face.Dean shrugged and his hands went out.As the soldiers walked forward, Bravic started to pass his axe to Kala.“Thank you.” Kala pushed the weapon back.“But you keep it.You can use it better than I, and I need a slightly bigger weapon.” He grinned.Kala leapt to his feet and cast his bonds aside.He ripped the collar from his neck and roared.The soldiers stopped in their tracks, paralyzed with fear as Kala picked up the long wooden bench.With a crackling of wood, the bench slammed into two soldiers and smashed them across the room.Two other soldiers turned to run outside but stopped as several more ran in, including the soldier Dean had outbid.The companions readied their weapons and moved back against the wall as they prepared for the onslaught.Kala tossed the broken bench aside and snapped a thick leg off the table.“Go.I can hold them off.” Kala grimly smiled.“We go together.” Dean drew his sword.Han pulled on the handle of the back door, but it wouldn’t budge.“This door’s locked.The only other one is past them,” Han pointed out.“If only Carimus were here,” Han said.“He’d have some spell with smoke and fire.”Dean thrust his hand in his pocket.The soldiers cautiously approached again.His fingers clasped around the lighter.He pulled the lighter out and held it above his head.He waved his hands in the air.Everyone stopped moving as they watched him.Trying his best to sound ominous, Dean shouted:“Yabba-dabba-doI curse you.May this Bic do the trickAnd your mothers all get sick.May this spell fry your tailsAnd turn you all into snails!”He lit the lighter and turned up the flame.“It’s a wizard!” one soldier shrieked.The rest of the soldiers screamed in horror, turned, and trampled one another as they fled through the door.“Move!” Kala exclaimed.He turned and kicked the door.Wood and splinters flew into the air.The door flew off its hinges, opening to an alley.The companions dashed out the back door.They raced down alleys that twisted and turned until they were well away from the tavern.As they slowed to a stop, Han turned to Oieda and with a grin from pointed ear to pointed ear, he panted, “I told you he’s from the Heavens.”CHAPTER NINETEENVolsur“I’ll go with you to stop Volsur,” Kala announced as they stood in the shadows of the alley.“I know a safe way into the castle.It’s through a service courtyard.We’ll have to get through the main gates, though.”“How do you know the way?” Dean asked.“I guarded the castle before it fell.I know every inch,” Kala said.“Thank you, Kala,” Dean said, “but I can’t let you.”“What?” Han’s hands shot up.“The big guy could be helpful.”“You still don’t trust me?” Kala asked.“We could use—” Bravic started to say, but Dean held up his hands to cut him off.“Hold on,” Dean said.“We don’t think we’re going to be coming back out of there.I can’t ask you to die.”Kala’s large eyes stared at each of the companions in turn.After a minute, he rolled his huge shoulders and straightened up.“Volsur must be stopped.As I said, it was my job to guard the castle, and I failed.I have to try.”Dean looked down at the ground and clenched his jaw.Han slid up next to Dean.“We could use him, and he said he wants to go,” he loudly whispered.Oieda grabbed Dean’s arm and dragged him around the corner of the alley.She spun him about and got right in his face.“He knows the way.He knows the risk.The only debate is your fear.”“You’re not helping,” Dean muttered.“I’m no leader.It feels like yesterday that I was sleeping under a bridge and praying for a hamburger.Now I’m trying to figure out how to stop a wizard, and I could get you all killed.I don’t know what to do.”Dean’s eyes searched hers.She squared her shoulders and set her jaw.As he continued to look to her for some words of advice, her dimple appeared.“Suck it up, buttercup,” she smirked.Now it was Dean’s turn to glare.She put her hand on his shoulder.“Sometimes you need to dig deep.You can’t bear everyone’s pain.A warrior knows when they need help.Use your tools.Don’t throw us away.This is your time.Be a leader.Seize the moment.”Dean grabbed her around the waist and kissed her.Her arms went out and her eyes flew wide.He held her until he felt her relax.She kissed him back, and his chest swelled.Dean pulled away and quickly said, “Don’t hit me.I had to do that.”Oieda swallowed and nodded.“When I told you to seize the moment, that wasn’t what I meant.”“I know.I—”“Hello?” Han stepped around the corner and tossed his hands up.“This is supposed to be a group discussion.”Oieda held up a hand.“One minute.”Han’s lips mashed together, and he stomped away.Oieda turned back to Dean, and he held his hands up.“I’m sorry.I shouldn’t have just grabbed you and—”She grabbed Dean’s leather jacket and yanked him against her.Dean inhaled as he crashed against her body.Oieda’s left hand wrapped around his waist and her right ran up his back and through his hair.Her lips pressed hard against his.Now it was Dean’s turn for his hands to flop awkwardly at his sides.He had kissed girls before but none had ever come close to the ferocity Oieda kissed him with.His heart raced.Oieda pinned him against the wall, and her mouth claimed his [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]