XVI

Yoreno didn’t know who it was, but someone on the other side of the book shelf to his left, started spiriting, his heavy boots thundering across the floor.

This sudden movement seemed to alarm of the killer, as he stood up quickly, his chair falling to the tiles with a loud thud.

Due to the Owl Eye tracking potion, Yoreno could clearly make out his outline in the darkness as he snarled, his hands dancing as he summoned a spell.

Yoreno jumped, slammed into the books on his right and fell, several of the volumes falling out of the case atop him as the killer jumped out of sight. But at least he had moved out of the way.

Glancing for the trail, Yoreno found that it lead up, atop the book shelf.

Someone turned the corner at the end of the isle he was in, but in this darkness, Yoreno couldn’t see who it was. “He’s atop the bookshelf!” he called.

Mai uttered something quickly and a plume of light shot into the air, lighting the entire library.

“There!” Sir Cedryk called from the other side of the bookshelf.

Yoreno jumped back to his feet and started running in pursuit of the killer, who was sprinting across the top if the book shelf above Yoreno and hurled multiple spells.

A man on the other side of the shelf cried out as he was evidentially struck by one of these magical projectiles.

Yoreno came up short when Dantera lunged over the bookshelves and, landed in front of the killer. He cursed, uttering something in his inhuman-sounding voice.

“Look out!” Yoreno called

But Dantera didn’t jump away, instead she deflected the magical projectiles—twice, three times, then surged forward with her rapier.

Yoreno wasn’t certain if Dantera had struck him, but the killer cried out—whirled around and sprinted in the other direction.

Yoreno turned and ran, preceding him back to the isle that ran perpendicular to the bookshelf he was on.

When he reached the end of the isle and turned, the killer thrust something in his direction. Yoreno ducked down and something struck the books behind him.

Standing back up, he raised his sword, but instead of jumping into the isle with him, the killer leaned toward his left and jumped, landing on another bookshelf.

Dantera was right behind him.

Before jumping off the bookshelf he was currently on, the killer turned and lunged several more spells. Yoreno jumped behind the bookcase as someone came up behind him.

“Stop this!” Dantera cried, clearly deflecting more magic as the sounds the spells made when she knocked them aside with her blade were something between a metal clang and the air being rent asunder.

“Yoreno!” Mai breathed as he held onto his shoulder.

“He’s going to go for the windows!” he said.

Mai didn’t wait, she leaned out and uttered an incantation just as the killer snarled through his jump. A plume of purple magic materialized in her hands and shot forth, landing near the window sill. The killer grunted amidst the sound of his boots hitting the tiled floors.

Unable to tell if he was hit, Yoreno lunged out from behind the shelf, leaving Mai and ran for the window.

But one of the castle guards beat him there. The killer turned and put his arm out, his thin blade taking the knight in the eye as he ran up to deliver a killing blow.

The castle guardsman didn’t even cry out as his body went rigid. He fell, collapsing at the knees as the killer withdrew his blade and rolled out the window which had previously been opened.

Dantera landed on the tiles next to the window as Yoreno called out, “He’s getting away!”

“No he’s not!” she cried and jumped through the window arms first.