The Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull Read Free Book Online Page A

I’ll tell the authorities.”
    Now Ansel grinned. Even from five stories away, the expression made Cole want to run and hide. Ansel removed his sickle from his satchel. “The authorities? Tell you what, Scarecrow. I’m a man of my word. You come down here, let me have a look at that freemark, and I promise not to harm you. We’ll straighten things out between you, Adam Jones, and the authorities. If they agree that you’re free, I’ll pay you handsomely for the trouble. Run, and I’ll find you, hack off that hand with the phony mark, burn it, and drag you back to the Sky Raiders in chains. Choice is yours.”
    â€œHow about option three?” Cole asked. “You already wrecked my life and the lives of my friends. How about you find some new slaves to pick on?”
    â€œNot gonna happen, Scarecrow.”
    â€œYou might end up chasing me for years,” Cole said.
    â€œNot likely,” Ansel replied. “If so, I can afford it. The trick is living within your means. You stash away a little here, a little there. Go ahead, run off, and I’ll accept it as your admission of guilt.”
    â€œI don’t like you and I don’t trust you,” Cole said. “I’m leaving. You’ll never see me again. If you do, you better watch out.”
    Ansel gave a dry laugh. “You just threatened me! That makes you the only living person to have done so.”
    Several paces behind Cole, a door crashed open. Ham staggered through, breathing hard, face red, pate sweaty.
    â€œAway,” Cole said, and he sprang back across the alley. He glanced down at Ansel. “Really?”
    â€œI never agreed he wouldn’t come up the other building,” Ansel said.
    â€œDoor at the top was locked,” Ham apologized.
    â€œLeave me alone,” Cole said. “I’m not running because I’m guilty. I’m running because you’re chasing me.”
    Without waiting for a response, Cole pointed his sword, gave the command, and jumped to a more distant rooftop a couple of stories higher than his current position. Two more hops, and he found himself near a major street. After some brief reconnaissance, Cole jumped down into an empty alleyway adjoining the street. Trying to shake the suspicion that he was being watched and followed, he exited the alley and joined the crowd.

C HAPTER
    Â 5 
    EAST CARTHAGE
    A s he made his way eastward through the streets of Carthage, Cole struggled to regain his composure. Without the Jumping Sword, Ansel would have nabbed him. Cole was unnervingly aware that he had almost become a slave again. It had been nice to pretend the freemark had ended that problem. But if Ansel cut off the hand with the freemark, what protection would he have?
    Cole tried to look casual and blend in, but he kept flexing the fingers of his marked hand. It wouldn’t stop shaking. He felt exposed. Should he have kept to the rooftops, using his Jumping Sword to put more distance between himself and Ansel? Or would that have only drawn more attention? Should he find a place to hide? Or would that just give Ansel time to catch up? Cole quickened his pace.
    Ham had shown up out of nowhere. How many more of Ansel’s people were already in pursuit? Cole strained to recall the different slavers from the caravan, watching for them in all directions.
    Twitch had been right about crowds. There were too many eyes. Sure, you gained some anonymity among the big groups of people. But if you were being hunted, you ran the risk of crossing paths with the wrong person.
    You also risked not seeing the people chasing you. In his imagination, Cole could almost feel the cool touch of steel as a wickedly sharp sickle slid across his throat from behind. He kept one hand near the Jumping Sword, ready to draw it and take off if needed, crowd or no crowd.
    Would Ansel really sever his hand? What kind of a world was this? Cole’s problems used to involve getting