Page 74 of The King’s Queen

The sensation of fear and darkness was so close, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.No, no, no!

“Drop the cellphone.” The tracker stood outside Pat’s door, holding a handgun level with Pat’s head.

Chapter Seventeen

Chloe

All air left my lungs.

“Drop the cellphone and get out of the car,” the tracker repeated. “Now.”

Pat glanced at me, mutiny in his eyes.

“Don’t,” I warned him in a whisper.

The tracker pistol whipped Pat, who grunted as he fell back in his seat.

The tracker pressed his handgun to Pat’s temple with one hand and snatched up Pat’s phone with the other, flinging it over his shoulder.

“Shadow, get out of the car.” The tracker racked his handgun, loading a bullet. “Now.”

I opened the door and slowly got out, my leather harness only half on and my backpack falling on the pavement. My heart was beating erratically, and already my hands were starting to sweat.

The tracker stayed by Pat’s side, his eyes on me as he opened Pat’s door. “Out, human,” he said.

Pat, his hands raised, eased his way out of the car, uncoiling so he stood next to the half elf.

I watched my brother, trusting him.He’ll make an opening, I just have to take advantage of it.

“Now,” the tracker purred. “Back away—”

Pat struck like a snake, his hands coming up under the tracker’s, forcing the gun to point toward the sky.

He tried to knee the tracker in the groin, but the half elf had already leaped backwards, releasing the gun into Pat’s hands.

I shrugged on my harness and unsheathed my sword during the struggle, before turning into a cat and darting under the car.

By the time I emerged on the other side, Pat had the gun pointed at the tracker, who seemed remarkably unconcerned with the change of power.

“Drop the gun,” the tracker said.

Pat narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to refuse, and the tracker snapped his fingers.

Elf magic grazed my ribs, and a circle carved into the road lit up, illuminating the five terrified humans sitting in it.

Their hands and feet were zip tied together, and duct tape had been smoothed over their mouths, keeping them silent.

The glowing circle underneath them had to be the source of elf magic. It was an angry red color, made up of interlocking script that I recognized as elvish.

Oh, no.My stomach squeezed into a knot.He’s got us.

“Drop the gun,” the tracker repeated. “Or they’ll be destroyed.”

A muscle twitched in Pat’s jaw, but he flicked the safety of the gun back on, then held one hand up in the air before he bent over, setting the gun down on the ground in front of him.

I flicked my tail, trying to judge if I could scurry back under the car since the tracker seemed most keen on Pat at the moment.

“Stay, shadow.” The tracker retrieved his gun and pointed it at Pat.

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