The Wastelands (Part II of the Runner Series)

Chapter 2

The room has fallen deathly silent. My eyes dart immediately toward Will standing over the messenger's shoulder. His steely gaze meets mine; his jaw clenches.

"Your Majesty," he calls out to Meg, "we should dispatch all our available troops to the Wall at once."

Some of the colour has drained from the Queen's face, but her command is nonetheless decisive. "Do whatever you must to protect our people." Her hand squeezes mine once before I release her to leap over the table and join the people streaming toward the front door.

I shoulder my way through the crowd and catch up with Will at the front of the group, falling into a half-run alongside him.

"We will get there quickest if we travel by roof," I tell him.

He glances down at me and back at the crowd behind him. I follow his gaze, noting that we are joined not only by the guards stationed at the Palace, but also by plainclothes citizens, their faces etched with similar looks of grim determination. It occurs to me suddenly that the rebellion isn't so far behind us.

"I need to stay with my troops," he says, his voice low.

"You will lose precious minutes if you stay on the ground. You heard him, Will. The Wastelanders are already breaking through the gate; we need to head them off as soon as possible."

"I am the commander of this army—I can't abandon them at the first threat of war."

"You aren't abandoning them. We'll meet them at the Wall—you'll just have a few minutes head start."

"Don't be foolish, Kay. You don't know what's out there. Stay with the group."

We have reached the sweeping drive in front of the Palace and Will turns away to direct the crowd into the armoury. The keepers have already begun unloading various weapons and are handing them out to the grasping hands. The stables have been opened and the grooms lead the great, stamping horses toward their riders.

I shoulder my way to the armoury and select a bow and quiver, figuring that I'll want something I can use from a distance. With the weapons slung on my back I turn away from the preparation and sweep my gaze to the South. Squinting, I can barely make out the low burn of fire stemming from the base of the City. I scan the tightly packed roofs ahead as I mentally calculate my route, estimating the time it would take me to reach the Wall.

"Kay, come on!" I tear my eyes away from the ominous, flickering light in time to see Will swing up into the saddle of his horse. He grasps the reins of another and holds them out to me expectantly.

I take one step back. "I'll meet you there."

"No, Kay." His voice is low with warning and I feel a spurt of indignation, taking another step back almost involuntarily. I watch Will's expression harden as I consider his words and the utter senselessness of rushing headlong into the Wasteland.

Yet, still I take another step back.

"Stay with the group, Kay. That's an order." The reins are thrust out once more.

And in that instant, I make up my mind

I whip around and sprint full throttle through the gate; somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I register a stream of curses in my wake.

I cross the wide street and leap at the wall in front of me, heaving myself up onto the roof in a matter of seconds. Below me, I can hear the sound of hoofbeats stampeding down the Palace drive. I glance over the side of the building in time to watch Will's army charging past, the few dozen horses followed closely by a grim-faced crowd, clutching their various weapons tightly as they hurry toward the Wall.