Curse of the Shadowmage - Mark Anthony [55]
Kellen bit his tongue to keep from gasping aloud.
Faladar was growing angry now. "I've told you that I don't know your friends. I won't tell you again."
"I think you lie, innkeeper," the black-robed stranger hissed menacingly. "I think you have seen them."
"Get out of my inn now," Faladar growled. He raised meaty fist threateningly. "Get out, or I'll-"
It happened with eerie swiftness. The stranger snaked out a gloved hand and gripped Faladar's throat. The innkeeper didn't even have time to scream. The black-robed man squeezed his hand shut. There was a terrible crunching sound, and a spray of blood splattered against the whitewashed wall. The stranger opened his fist, and the innkeeper crashed to the floor.
Kellen clamped a hand to his mouth to keep from screaming. Fear propelled him up the stairs. Quickly, he slipped back into the chamber where the others were sleeping. He woke Mari first.
"Who's there?" she asked in sleepy confusion. Kellen realized he still wore his concealing cloak of shadows. He whistled a sharp note, and the dark aura vanished. The others were awake now. Mari gazed at him in surprise. "Kellen, what is it?"
He explained in quick, breathless words. Two minutes later they were ready to go. They didn't know who was following Caledan, but considering the importance of their mission, and given the stranger's actions, it would be best to escape first and speculate later. It was a tragedy that poor Faladar had paid for his hospitality with his life, but there was nothing they could do for the Innkeeper now.
Morhion opened the round window. "It's about a dozen feet to the ground below. We'll have to jump."
Cormik eyed the window skeptically. "You can't be serious."
The mage gave him a flat, unfriendly stare. "I've never been more serious in my life."
"I was afraid of that." Jewel went first, leaping nimbly out the window. Morhion followed. It took a good bit of shoving on Mari's part, but she got Cormik and his paunch through the window. He landed below with an audible thud!, but from his whispered cursing he was quite all right. Kellen was next. He scrambled easily down a vine that was too weak to support the others. Mari came last, landing on her feet as gracefully as a cat.
At first Kellen thought they had made their escape undetected. They retrieved their horses from the stable and rode hard away from the inn; no outcry followed them. Soon he heard the rushing sound of water. They were close to the river now. But then a piercing shriek shattered the chill night air. Wide-eyed, Kellen glanced over his shoulder and saw a dark form running toward them with unnatural speed.
"It's him," he gasped. "The stranger I saw."
"Keep riding," Morhion instructed. "I'll stop him."
The others pressed on while the mage whirled Tenebrous around.
He raised his hands over his head, shouting a harsh word. Blazing purple magic crackled between his hands. With all his strength, Morhion hurled the sizzling orb of magic toward their pursuer. The orb struck its target and exploded in a sizzling spray of violet sparks. The stranger was thrown violently backward, tumbling to the ground.
The others reined their horses to a halt and returned to Morhion. The mage smiled sharply in victory. "I think our pursuer will follow us no longer."
Cormik spoke then, his voice filled with awe and fear. "I think you should have knocked on wood when you said that, Morhion." He pointed with a chubby finger. "Look!"
Slowly, the stranger rose to his feet.
"That's impossible…" Mari started to say.
As the moon broke from behind a cloud, they could see that the stranger's robe had been ripped to shreds by the force of Morhion's magic. Now for the first time, in the pale light, they could see their pursuer clearly. It was not human.
Jewel swore. "By Shar in all her darkness, what is it?"
Morhion answered her grimly. "It is a shadevar."
The creature took a halting step toward them. Kellen stared with terror and fascination. He had never seen anything like the shadevar. Its hide was gray and rough like stone. Onyx barbs protruded