Free Heir of Pendel (A Pandoran Novel, #4) by Barbara Kloss Page B

direction of the shadow. Vera frowned while Thaddeus folded his arms and mouthed the word, "Lucky."
    There was no way of knowing who was near the exits, but I doubted it was a cathedral guard. A guard wouldn't be so concerned with stealth. Whoever was in here with us didn't want us knowing they were here, and something told me it wasn't Drago Campinelli.
    Causing a distraction was useless. Our spy already knew our location. Still, I didn't feel comfortable stepping out into the open without knowing how many others were in here with us. Unfortunately, Thaddeus saved me from further introspection by waving his arm out from behind the large column. There was a series of soft clicks, air whizzed, and darts ricocheted off the marble wall behind him and clattered to the floor.
    I narrowed my eyes at him, but he only shrugged. And without another word, the three of us sprinted for the exit. Clicks and air whizzed as we ran. Ducking and leaping, pausing to hide behind columns. I dove, sliding across the floor on my stomach as a dart grazed my back, and then I launched myself up on my feet again, almost colliding with the shadow in front of me.
    I ducked as a sword sliced where my neck had been. I slipped around my assailant, jabbing my elbow hard into his spine. He cried out and staggered, and I drew my sword, ramming the hilt against his neck, rendering him unconscious. Vera and Thaddeus were engaging in battles of their own when another figure came up behind me. I stopped her arcing scimitar with my sword. She was strong for someone her size, but too wild. She raged at me and I kicked her hard in the gut, knocking the wind from her. She curled forward to catch her breath, and I grabbed her sword arm and broke it over my knee. She screamed in pain and collapsed, and as she fell I noticed the edge of a tattoo on her neck.
    Morts? Here?
    More shadows emerged from the niches in my periphery. How many others were here? Had they been waiting to ambush us? And where were the cathedral guards? They should have heard the fighting by now. Thaddeus staggered beneath his opponent, but before I could step in, Vera rammed her hilt into the man's skull. The man slumped to the ground, and Vera grabbed Thaddeus's hand, jerking him back to his feet. The three of us sprinted for the sign marked "Uscita" hanging above one of the doors, our tread echoing through the nave. I expected the doors to be locked and was surprised when they weren't. With a twist and a shove, I opened the door and the three of us bolted into the frigid night air.
    The wide, circular piazza shone with the golden hue of lanterns, and a light drizzle made everything wet. We sprinted down the broad stairs, ducking as more darts whizzed past. A few Italian guards lingered near the columnar arms of St. Peter's Basilica, and when they saw us they started forward, shouting things in Italian. But more Morts also emerged from behind the columns of the colonnade, and they ran toward us.
    "How did the bloody Mortis worshippers know we were coming here?" Thaddeus yelled as we sprinted past a fountain.
    My boots splashed through small puddles on the cobblestones. "You're asking me ? They're your father's men!"
    "That doesn't mean I know—Hellfire!" Thaddeus yelled, pitching forward. "That dart almost got my cheek!"
    "Well, quit talking and pay attention!" Vera yelled back.
    We reached the end of the long colonnade, and I glanced back. There were at least a dozen Morts tailing us. The Italian guards seemed to be hanging back, too scared to enter the melee. We could never outrun so many Morts. Not here. Not without magic. Sirens wailed in the distance and Thaddeus shrieked in fright. "What is that sound ?"
    We sprinted, but I had no idea what we were sprinting toward. I had no idea how to find Drago—especially in a city this size—and we certainly couldn't do it with Morts on our tail. Vera cried out and staggered.
    "Are you hit?" I yelled back at her.
    She hobbled along. "No,