A cart rumbled up to the head of the drawbridge, where Mei stood. After a quick glance at the Souran driver, she walked to the back of the cart, jumped in, and inspected the faces of the ten Vanurians who were huddling on the dirty straw.
“You’re supposed to ask first,” said Sir Marcus.
The young had tear-streaked red eyes, the old carefully blank expressions, and all had life so Mei back climbed down.
“Mei.”
“Takes too long to ask.” Mei waved the cart forward. She wished Magdala were here with her plans and ideas to stave off the hordes.
“Mei!”
Saundra patted Sir Marcus on the shoulder. “Sir, I’ll talk to her.”
Sir Marcus nodded. “Just… tell her.” He stomped off.
The next cart rolled up.
“Soura for Sourans!”
Rotten fruit and vegetables pelted the Vanurians who shielded themselves with arms and bags. Again, Mei jumped into the cart, but this time she moved to shield the Vanurians while she inspected them. The missiles didn’t stop though, and she took a cabbage to the shoulder, its slimy leaves falling into the cart.
The Vanurians, a family of six, shrank back from her.
“Your faces,” said Mei.
“Murderers!”
Another volley hit the cart, but Mei spread her arms wide and took the brunt of it.
The eldest Vanurian looked up, a question in their eyes.
Mei answered it. “Just your faces.”
The Vanurian tapped their companions and whispered something, and soon Mei could see all of their faces and confirm that not one of them was the wraith or the little devil. She nodded to Saundra.
“Let them through!” shouted the corporal.
Mei leapt down off the cart, and it passed onto the drawbridge.
While another cart rolled in front of them, Saundra said, “I wish Lady Magdala was here.”
Mei climbed up into the new cart, swatted away rotten fruit, checked faces, and then climbed down. “Why?” She waved the cart through.
The corporal blushed and looked away. “She’s, uh, good company.” She stopped Mei from climbing up onto the next cart and did so herself. When she was finished, she climbed down and scratched at her scalp. “Mei, if you wanted to show Magdala something totally amazing, would taking her to the top of the wall count?”
Mei frowned as she parsed the question. It was a welcome distraction from the growing unease constricting her chest.
“Hey, you’re taking too long!” said a Souran driver.
Saundra gave him her sunniest smile. “Have a good day, citizen!”
Mei took the opportunity to check the next cart herself, which took less time because there were fewer rotten missiles. After she climbed back down, she caught the corporal sneaking glances at her. Still considering the question, Mei looked at the top of the Southern Line and imagined Magdala standing on there. She had been really excited about that blue hole they’d fallen into at Yumma. “She would love it.”
Saundra blinked and then grinned. “She would? Yes!”
“What are you two talking about?” Dwayne walked up to them.
“Nothing, my lord,” said Saundra, her expression stern. “May I ask what you are doing here?”
“Inspecting the carts.” Dwayne looked out at the crowd, which had stopped throwing fruit but had gotten rowdier. “What’s happening over there?”
Mei turned to the crowd, which she’d been steadfastly ignoring up till now. The garrison soldiers were having trouble keeping the citizens of Walton back as they pushed forward harder and harder. When someone screamed, the whole mob rushed at once, breaking the line. Screaming and wailing, one citizen leapt on a Souran soldier, and sank his teeth into the soldier’s neck.
“By the cup, we’re under attack!”
Mei unlimbered her rifle and took aim, but Saundra pulled the barrel up.
“No, you’ll hit citizens.”
Dwayne cut off Mei’s reply. “We have to get to Lord Kalan now.”
“Where is he?” Saundra drew her sword, her eyes still on the fiends.
“The Gate. Let’s go!”
Mei, Dwayne, and Saundra ran past two carts and pushed through soldiers running towards the chaos. When they passed Sir Marcus, he shouted out a question that Saundra stopped to answer, but Mei and Dwayne kept going. They got through the crowd just in time to see Melany place a small box on the far end of the drawbridge and light it. As Dwayne began to intone a spell, Mei brought up her rifle and fired, but the little monster dove out of the way, and before Mei could reload, the box exploded and Mei was knocked back, down, and into the water, which swallowed her.
Disoriented, Mei flailed, but then she was swimming to the surface, her rifle clutched in her right hand. Surfacing, she looked up then dove out of the way of the drawbridge splashing down into the moat.
“Help!” Dwayne thrashed , his frantic movements only barely keeping his head above the water.
Mei swam towards him then pulled back. Panic could drown two just as well as one. “Dwayne!”
“Help me!” His eyes were wide.
Mei’s voice was calm and clear. “Dwayne, hold your breath.”
Dwayne’s eyes widened, but he nodded and let himself sink. Mei dove beneath the surface, grabbed Dwayne around his waist and pulled him up. When they surfaced, strong arms reached underneath him and helped Mei pull him to the edge of the moat.
Once they were on land again, Saundra shook her head. “Why can’t you swim?”
Dwayne coughed up water and gave a weak laugh. “Why can’t you do magic?”
Mei touched her face, which lacked the burns she’d expected from being so close to an explosion. “You shielded us.”
“And we fell.” Dwayne looked around. “Can we climb back up?”
Mei inspected the sides of the moat, and, while the Walton side was sloped, the garrison side was a vertical wall made of immense, smooth stone blocks. “I don’t think so.”
Dwayne rose to his feet and looked around. “We have to get across.”
Mei forced her hands still, but she knew the truth. Liraya had cut them off.
Admaeus Speaks 
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