Tinker's War (The Tinkerer's Daughter Book 2) by Jamie Sedgwick Read Free Book Online Page A

creature. Did he have bones and blood like the rest of us? It seemed so. Did he have muscles and organs and nerves? With a few more moments, I might have been able to defend myself, but my vision was already going black.
    I heard a sick, crunching sound between our bodies and the Vangar’s hand relaxed ever so slightly. I sucked in a deep, gasping breath. The darkness faded to the edges of my vision and I saw a look of shock sweep over the barbarian’s face. He lowered his eyes and stumbled back, and I followed his gaze to see the crimson-coated blade of a cutlass protruding from his chest.
    The sword vanished, and the Vangar tumbled to the floor. Robie appeared behind him, his face covered in wine and blood, his features etched with concern. “Are you well? Did he harm you?”
    “I’ll be fine,” I gasped, sucking in another deep breath of air. My fingers were tingling and spots swam in my vision, but I could feel my senses returning. Robie threw his arms around me. I was too exhausted to tell him not to. I leaned over, peering around his wide shoulders to see the other Vangar draped across the top of a table, blood pooling beneath him. I raised my eyes to stare into Robie’s face.
    “How did you do that?” I said.
    He looked down at me with a half-sneering grin. “Just because you’ve spent the last ten years delivering mail, doesn’t mean I have,” he said. His voice was chiding and teasing at once, and somehow made me feel like a perfect fool. I stepped out of his arms.
    “We have to go,” I said. “There’s no time to talk.”
    “Go where?”
    “I found others. They’ve gone to the bridge.”
    Robie stepped up to the door, making sure the street was clear, and then beckoned me to follow him. I cocked an eyebrow. At some point, Robie had gotten the idea that he was in charge. Admittedly, killing two Vangar warriors was an admirable feat, but it didn’t mean by any stretch that he could lead me around like a pony. I sighed as he disappeared into the street. Grudgingly, I followed. There would be time to put him in his place later.
    Silverspire was all but abandoned as we left. We passed only a handful of Vangars as we slipped through the streets toward the city gates, and easily evaded their attention. Once we were beyond the city walls we moved quickly, considering the fact that Robie couldn’t travel the treetops like a Tal’mar and we were bound to the forest floor. Despite Robie’s human shortcomings, we made good time to the bridge on the eastern coast. When we got there, we found the area dark and quiet.
    We hovered at the edge of the woods, watching for a moment. Robie took a step away from the trees and I reached out to pull him back. “What’s the matter?” he whispered. “There’s no one here. Your friends are gone.”
    I shook my head and pointed to the far side of the bridge. “A patrol,” I whispered. “The Vangars are hiding behind the bushes on the far side.”
    His human eyes couldn’t see them, but my Tal’mar vision saw their body heat emanating through the darkness like the embers of an old bonfire. I turned slowly, scanning the canopy of trees above us. A hundred yards to the north, I saw the telltale color and movement of warm bodies in the trees. I gestured for Robie to follow, and headed in that direction. When we reached the area, I stopped and stared into the trees. Robie stared at me, confounded.
    “What are you doing?” he demanded in a hoarse whisper. “There’s no other way across, you know.”
    “He’s right about that,” a voice said behind us. Tam appeared in the lower branches of a tree and dropped noiselessly to the forest floor. Robie leapt back, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword. I steadied him with a hand on his wrist.
    “Robie, this is Tam. The others are up there,” I said, pointing.
    Tam nodded at Robie. “I’m afraid you’re right, human. There is no other way across the strait. We once maintained boats here on the beach, but