The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [122]
James considers what he says a moment then replies, “I’ll take care of that. You two just get up there and take those men out when it appears.”
“We’ll be ready,” Jiron says.
“Alright then,” he states. Then to Shorty he asks, “You ready?” When he gets Shorty’s nod, he begins moving across the roof closer to the men watching from the windows. A slug makes its way into his hands as they come closer. “How close do you need to be?” James asks.
“Another five feet should be sufficient,” he replies.
Moving closer, James keeps a constant eye on the men in the windows. Only the fact that he and Shorty are moving in darkness while the men in the windows have light coming up to them from the alley below, prevents the men from seeing them. It’s easy to see the Eye within the Eye’s Court is no military man. He has torches burning all around the building to prevent anyone from sneaking up close, yet at the same time, it ruins the night vision of his men. The shadows become even darker when there’s a light nearby.
Shorty taps him on the shoulder to indicate they’re close enough and he stops. “When the man on the roof looks away,” James whispers. With slug in hand, he watches the man up there on the roof. They haven’t long to wait before he looks away. Letting the magic flow, he launches the slug and strikes the man on the fourth floor in the chest, knocking him back into the building. Shorty’s knife strikes home a second later and the man on the third floor staggers. James looks on in fear as it looks like he’s about to fall out the window, but then he slumps forward. Half in and half out, he lies there dead in the window.
They wait a moment to see if a cry arises, but the night remains quiet. “Now for the other two,” James says as they make their way over to the section of the roof opposite the remaining two men in the windows. And then just as before, they get into position and wait for the man on the roof to again turn away. When he does, slug and knife fly.
Jiron joins them just as the two men are struck and killed.
James nods to the man on the roof. “When he looks away, I’ll create the ramp and you two get up there fast,” he tells them.
“You got it,” Jiron says. Removing one of his knives, he crouches there ready to go.
James modifies the spell in his mind. Creating the shield that will be the bridge is a piece of cake, however to make the surface have better traction so they won’t slip on the way up, that takes some doing. When he thinks he’s got it right, he turns his gaze to the man on the roof. Seconds go by and still the man continues to look out. Then just as James thinks he isn’t going to look away again, he does.
“Now!” James whispers as one of his softly shimmering barriers appears. Beginning just in front of them, the barrier slants upward until it touches the roof’s edge of the Eye’s Court.
Without hesitation, Jiron leaps up and begins racing toward the man on the roof, Shorty is right behind him. They make it a third of the way when the man turns back and sees them coming toward him. Only the shock of seeing them where it is impossible for them to be prevents him from immediately sounding the alarm. Just as he comes to his senses, a knife flies and takes him in the upper chest, right at the base of the neck.
Jiron makes the roof as the man falls, and disappears as he moves to engage the other three men up there. When Shorty reaches the edge, James sees him throw another knife then disappears further onto the roof.
Motioning for the others to follow, James hits the barrier ramp running. When he reaches the section of the ramp that extends past the roof’s edge and over the alley below, he gets a touch of vertigo as he looks below. Three stories down, the ground almost seems to beckon him. He can see the guards down there stationed at intervals all along the edge of the building.