Obsidian Ridge - Jess Lebow [28]
The other rider, fumbling with his crossbow, gave up on the endeavor, tossing it away and pulling his sword. He kicked his heels in and galloped toward the Claw at full speed. Twisting away from the attack, the Claw leaped into the air. Grabbing hold of the rider's shoulder, he pulled himself up onto the back of the horse. The blades of his gauntlet bit deep into the man's flesh, and the guard curled into a ball, dropping his sword and falling sideways off the horse.
Grabbing hold of the reins, the Claw climbed into the saddle and turned the mount around to face the carriage. A pair of eyes peered out of the upper compartment for a flash, then the curtains over the window were jerked shut. Of the guards, only the driver remained standing. He held his blade out before him, but it shook in his grip as he surveyed the carnage on the ground.
The Claw eased the horse forward, and the driver raised his hands in the air.
"I surrender."
"Drop your sword," said the Claw.
The driver nodded nervously and did as he was told.
"Now leave," said the Claw.
"L-leave?"
"Go back to the docks." The Claw rode up beside the driver, looking down at him through the dark holes in his mask. "And tell everyone there about what happened to you today. You tell them that the Elixir trade is finished in Erlkazar."
"Uh… uh, y-yes," stammered the driver. "Certainly. As you command."
"Go now. Before I change my mind."
The man turned and ran back toward the water and the seedy side of Llorbauth.
The Claw climbed off the horse and approached the carriage. The doors on the flying coach were still closed, and the curtains were pulled tight against the windows.
"In the name of the King Korox Morkann, I command you to exit the carriage."
Nothing moved.
The Claw cleared his throat. "You are to be taken to Llorbauth, where you will be tried for trafficking in black magic."
Still nothing.
"You saw what happened to your guards when they resisted. This is your last warning. Come out and surrender, or I will take you by force."
The latch clicked, but the door stayed shut for a long moment. Then, slowly, it creaked as it opened. It was dark inside with the curtains pulled tight, and though the door was open, the passenger didn't immediately appear.
The Claw was struck cold by a terrible thought. "Invisible," he muttered.
Leaping up onto the edge of the carriage, he reached his arm inside the coach, swiping around blindly. Nothing. Nothing.
Then his blades caught, and an earsplitting screech filled the car.
"Damn, damn, damn!" shouted a voice. "I'm cut! I'm bleeding!"
Then the air crackled, and the hair on the back of the Claw's neck stood on end. A bolt of blue-white energy shot out of the coach. The Claw barely had time to throw himself backward as the magical lightning whizzed past him and impacted the road. Rocks and dirt flew everywhere, covering the bodies of the fallen guards.
The Claw landed flat on his back, the front of his cloak singed. Jumping to his feet, he closed on the carriage, not stopping to brush the dirt from his chest. A hand shot out of the open door, pointing a wand at him with its shaky fist.
Not waiting for another blast, the Claw swung down with his right gauntlet, catching the wizard's hand under its razor-sharp blades and raking four deep gashes along his forearm. The man squealed like a stuck pig and dropped his wand as he clutched his bleeding arm.
Grabbing the wizard by the collar of his robe, the Claw dragged him out of the passenger compartment and dumped him onto the ground in front of the carriage.
The man was thin and rather sickly looking-not exactly as the Claw had imagined him. He wore fine, red velvet robes and sported a well-waxed moustache on the front of his narrow face. Lying on the ground, he pressed his robes against the pumping wounds, moaning.
"Please," he said, sobbing and rocking side to side. "I've done nothing. You have the wrong man."
The doors to the lower compartment were still wide open. The inside was full, stacked to the ceiling with sealed crates. Smashing his fist