Adrenaline had given Lian the energy to flee. She made it to the nearest wall and summoned a small jet of fire to propel herself just high enough that she could grab onto the edge. Then she dragged herself up and over without looking back. The shouts from Juzo and the other guards were enough to let her know they were already in pursuit.
She didn’t drop all the way to the ground just yet. Lian moved along the wall then flowed smoothly to a nearby tree. Her goal was to stay aloft as long as possible to throw them off her path. Once she was in the tree, its leaves mostly shielded her from below, allowing her to travel from there to an adjacent roof with some obscurity. At least she hoped by the time they saw her again, she’d be far enough away that chasing her would be harder. Then she could slip to the ground and disappear completely.
Of course, her plan didn’t work out as well as she’d hoped. No sooner had she landed on the tiled roof that a signal horn sounded behind her, using a specific pattern to alert every citizen and guard within earshot to the presence of a fugitive.
Uh-oh…
Lian sped off, splitting her attention between where she was stepping and where she intended to go next. Around her, the town was coming alive. Ordinary people were coming out of their houses to see what the fuss was about while guards were pouring through the streets, trying to head her off. Some had even joined her on the rooftops, though few of them could keep pace; Lian was much more nimble.
Remaining above them kept her from getting herded into a trap, and so she maintained her altitude. All the while, she was heading toward the edge of town. Her only goal was to reach home; she would be safe at home. Taoru would always keep her safe. Still emotionally raw, she fought the guilt that rose to choke her and tried to maintain her focus on escaping. Everything else could wait!
Pausing at the edge of a rooftop, Lian glanced around. There were no guards nearby that she could see. The rest were stuck at a particularly long jump that she had used magic propulsion to clear. Certain she was momentarily secure, she took her time as she stepped back, preparing her next jump.
The leap was enhanced with a brief blast of flame, giving her just enough speed she landed squarely on the next roof. Only, there’d been no way to tell before that the tiles were loose! Lian felt her feet slipping a second too late, and she stumbled forward before she could catch herself. She tried to find purchase, hands and legs flailing as she did so, but the ceramic shingles were slippery from the rain.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
She fell.
A startled cry escaped her, followed by a grunt as something solid broke her fall. Disoriented, heart thudding loudly in her chest, it took Lian a moment to regain herself. That’s when she saw what, or rather who, she’d landed on.
The young man who had been caught by surprise was clearly as dazed as she was. Dark mahogany hair fell into confused brown eyes that caught her gaze and held it as firmly as his hands were holding her waist. His grip was firm, his heartbeat rapid beneath her palms.
He started to stammer an apology, changed his mind, and said instead, “I was expecting it to rain more today,” he gave her a sheepish, lop-sided smirk, “but the usual water, not people. I don’t think they make an umbrella for that…”
“Huh…?” Lian blinked at him, caught off guard by how gentle his voice was. She hadn’t realized yet she was sitting in his lap, their faces inches apart, and had totally forgotten the guards, too. “Umbrella for…” It clicked. “Oh! For people!” She giggled softly, feeling incredibly awkward all of a sudden.
“Are you all right?” The crooked smile was still on his face. “That was quite a fall…”
She nodded, her brain feeling cloudy. “I’m fine. Are you… Did I hurt you?”
“Don’t think so,” he answered. “Kind of hard to be certain. You’re, um, still sitting on me…”
Lian’s eyes widened, and she let out a gasp. “Sorry!”
Embarrassed, she scrambled to her feet, trying not to bump or bruise him any more than she likely already had. As graceful as she usually was, Lian couldn’t help feeling like she was all knees and elbows now.
She’d barely made it into a standing position, when her legs buckled. Lian stumbled forward against the man’s chest just as he reached out to catch her. She wasn’t sure if it was just that she was weak from exhaustion or if this strange fluttering in her belly was to blame for her sudden lack of coordination.
“Careful…” His face was so close she could feel the puff of breath on her cheek when he spoke. “You’re shaking. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
Those bright eyes gleamed down at her, making her mouth go dry.
Lian nodded. Exertion was weighing heavily on her now. All she wanted to do was lay down and never move again, but not yet! She had to get home! Though the urge to flee was strong, she continued standing there, leaning against the young man as though he were an ancient, stable oak tree that could hold her up forever…
Recognition flashed across her face. She could sense him now, the subtle tug of power ebbing beneath the surface. “You’re a…”
“There she is! I found her!”
Fear jolted Lian back into the moment, reminding her of the severity of her situation. Now wasn’t the time to rest, no matter how badly she wanted to. She pulled herself away from the other Zosara, apologizing once more as she did so. By sheer willpower alone, she summoned her last reserve of strength and dashed down the street away from the pursuing guards.