Free Breath of Dragons (A Pandoran Novel) by Barbara Kloss Page B

flashing wheel of silver, sinking right into the giant's weapon-wielding wrist, pinning it to the wooden support beam beside him.
    Time returned to normal and the giant howled, a frightening, animalistic sound, as he struggled to pull his wrist free.
    "Go!" I yelled at the boy. "Get out of here!"
    The boy's eyes flashed with something—curiosity? Wonder? And then with a mischievous grin, he vanished into thin air.
    I blinked.
    The boy was… gone . Just like that. And I suddenly found myself face to face with an enraged and very ugly giant.

Chapter 5
    Myez Rader
     
     
    T he giant's huge fist flew straight at my head. Apparently, he'd unpinned himself.
    Thankfully, his size made him slow and I managed to duck just in time. Instead of landing in my face, his fist hit the huge pile of crates behind me. The crate that had taken the brunt of the force exploded and little pieces of wood scattered everywhere. I found my dagger on the ground and snatched it up, right as he punched again. I dodged at the last second, noticing the small crowd gathering in my periphery.
    So much for going unnoticed.
    You're the one who picked a fight with a giant. You just had to interfere, per usual.
    Conscience— duck —not now, please.
    Alex and Vera rushed forward, trying to distract the giant away from me. I thought it might work, too, until the giant swung both arms, easily throwing Alex and Vera back into the crowd.
    Fabulous.
    I fleetingly wondered why Alex or Vera didn't just use magic, but then I realized the use of such power would immediately expose us for what we were.
    The giant pummeled through the wooden support beam I'd been standing behind, and the balcony of a second story collapsed. I rolled just in time to avoid being buried beneath the rubble. Luckily, the collapse put a few stone-and-mortar obstacles between my giant and me. I scrambled to Vera and Alex, who yanked me to my feet, and the three of us pushed and shoved our way through a now very large crowd. Once we emerged, we ran—right into a small band of armed men who all looked as if they'd just stepped out of a gladiator ring.
    "Not so fast," barked the one in front, sword raised.
    I sighed inwardly. Couldn't we catch a break? I was beyond exhaustion, my left arm felt like a lead brick, and my legs were starting to feel tingly.
    "You three come with us," continued the man who had spoken, and the guard beside him withdrew a set of handcuffs.
    Vera unsheathed both of her swords, and Alex released me so that he could draw his. I drew my dagger, though considering how it trembled in my hand, I didn't think I'd be much help in this fight. The giant bellowed behind us, a barbaric, angry sort of sound, while the guards in front held swords raised and an eager crowd of spectators huddled all around us. Alex, Vera, and I each exchanged a glance, and then Vera charged with a yell.
    Mere seconds before we collided with the guards, a voice rang through the streets, " ENOUGH !"
    Everyone and everything stilled at the sound—even the giant. There was a thickness to the air, some kind of invisible power that held everything tightly in its grip. It was suffocating and heavy, as if the air had suddenly turned to sludge, and then as fast as it had come, it was gone.
    The voice had belonged to a man standing in the doorway of a nearby building. He stepped out of the shadows, and the crowd parted for him. He looked so out of place here in all this filth. He stood out like a priest in a brothel. His red robes were clean and trimmed in gold, his dark hair neatly cropped, and he wore a gold hoop in one ear like a pirate. Each finger was decorated with a jeweled ring, and when he closed those fingers into a fist, the air shuddered with power.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the giant flee behind one of the buildings, and some of the onlookers had already slipped away.
    "I fear you are abusing my guests." The man's voice was smooth and controlled as his intelligent dark eyes leveled a