Page 4 of The Warrior Priest
I doubted I played much of a part in saving him, but somehow he managed to keep both arms on the roof while his body dangled down. Seeing an opportunity, the two constables leapt at his legs.
At that moment, Rhys swung them up again. This time, the tiles held, and he pulled himself onto the roof. He lay on the sloping tiles and grinned at me. “Don’t look so terrified, Jac. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I tucked the pendant back under my shirt. “Merdu and Hailia, you’re mad! Why didn’t you just give yourself up? Or will you be thrown out of the order if your master hears of this?”
He sat up. “Never. I’m his favorite.” He stood and peered over the edge of the roof, just as two hands suddenly gripped the tiles from below. “Isn’t that interesting.”
I scrambled to my feet. “What is?”
“They’re still going. I’d have put money on them giving up by now. Come on. We’d better get a head start. You’re going to need it since you don’t have legs like a giant spider.” He indicated I should go up the roof ahead of him, much as a gentleman signals to a lady to enter a room first.
To the tune of grunts coming from the two constables as they tried to get onto the roof, I used all fours to balance as I scrambled up the tiles. “If you get me killed, I’m coming back from the afterlife to haunt you.”
“Our religion doesn’t believe in ghosts.”
“Then it’s lucky I don’t believe in religion.”
The ensuing silence felt heavy after the lighthearted moments we’d shared during our escape, but I needed to concentrate on my balance as I navigated the roofline, so gave it no further thought.
I came to a stop as the building butted up against a taller one. We’d need to repeat our climb if we were to continue that way. The only other way out was down the sloping roof on the other side then dropping into what appeared to be a courtyard surrounded by buildings. In other words, we would be easy to trap down there.
I turned to face Rhys. “I don’t fancy going up again.”
“Afraid of heights?”
“No. I’m tired of being chased.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Do you have a plan?”
One of the constables was on the roof, although he looked unsteady on the steeply sloping tiles. He was calling down to his colleague, instructing him on the best way to get up.
“Unlike you, yes.”
I was glad to see the humor return to Rhys’s eyes. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me that he’d been offended by my heathenism. All I knew was that I preferred his mischievousness.
“I have some skill with a knife,” I said. “I presume you have some skill with a sword. If we work together, we might have a chance.”
He chuckled. At the time, I had no idea why. Later, I would witness Rhys’s skill for myself. Even with his eyes closed and a hand tied behind his back, two bumbling constables would offer no opposition. If I’d known that then, I would have found his actions even more baffling. Why didn’t he just fight them then and there?
Perhaps he didn’t want to harm them. Or perhaps he was simply enjoying himself.
“I have a better plan,” he said.
“It’s about time,” I scoffed. “What do you propose?”
He looked down at the courtyard.
“But we’ll be trapped!” I said.
“I told you, Jac. Have a little faith.”
“Fine,” I ground out. “Do I go first or do you?”
I’d not even finished speaking before he was on his way down the sloping roof. He hung onto the edge and swung himself down to the ground, landing deftly on his feet. He held his arms up to me. “Jump. I’ll catch you.”
I stared at him, open-mouthed.
Behind me, the constable stood on the ridge of the roof. “Got you,” he snarled.
