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“Traitorous child,” Sheriff Clairmont screamed as grappled with Garrick. “I’ll see you whipped.”

Garrick thrust his father back. “You couldn’t manage to hang me,” he shouted.

The sheriff reached for his sword but found himself grasping only air. The guards must have disarmed him.

Garrick laughed.

With a guttural scream, Sheriff Clairmont raised a fist to strike Garrick. Grace spun, using James as an anchor point, and kicked at the sheriff’s knee with all her strength. Hissing in pain, the sheriff buckled, and Garrick leapt on him.

Lord Leroux, Mr. Stanton, and Willa burst through the surrounding commotion to join them. Willa’s father grabbed his brother-in-law by the collar and hauled him to his feet. “You’ll not lay a hand on these children, Gustav.” Mr. Stanton took over restraining of James.

“Unhand me!” James cried. “I will have what I deserve! I will be mayor!”

Willa scoffed and rolled her eyes as she approached Grace. “My dad and Mr. Stanton have these pathetic men handled. Let’s get you out of here.”

Grace glanced around. Her parents and brother were gone, whether lost to the crowd or safe in an unknown location, she wasn’t sure. The barrage of arrows had ceased and the patrolmen were regrouping, looking around for a way to vent their rage.

Grace nodded and turned to follow Willa, but from the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a flicker of movement behind the platform.

Turning, she saw the mayor rushing toward the side of town hall, her verdure cloak draped over his shoulder.

In an instant, she knew where he was going. His copse. He was heading toward the Zerudorn gold!

As Garrick followed Willa, Grace turned the other direction to pursue the mayor.

Chapter 28

Grace dodged a few of the patrolmen by weaving amid sparring citizens and entered the town hall.

Catching a glimpse of the mayor running up the stairs to his private rooms on the third floor, she followed, taking the steps two at a time. About halfway up the second flight, she realized that she hadn’t thought this through. She didn’t know what she could do, but she knew she had to do something.

She burst through the doors into the mayor’s residence and found an opulent sitting room. Vines of gleaming gold snaked along its walls, but she would have to deal with that terrifying situation later. The mayor caught sight of her and took off again, rushing through a doorway near the back of the building. Grace followed him through moments later.

The door opened onto a balcony with a long staircase leading down into the mayor’s copse. By the time she reached theground, she’d gained on him, but not enough to catch him. He grabbed at a low-hanging branch and threw it at her.

Grace dodged, watching the stick closely, fearful it had some trace of gold on it. When she turned back toward the mayor, she could no longer see him. Grace cursed, pressing toward the center of the copse, where she knew she’d find the Zerudorn gold. She arrived, but saw no sign of him.

She searched frantically. Where was he? Where should she go?

Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of movement and turned just in time to see the mayor flying toward her in a tackle, as though he’d come out of nowhere. She hit the ground hard, and the mayor landed on her left side. Adrenaline rushing, she felt no pain and kicked at the man to pull herself free.

Scrambling to her feet, she saw what had helped him hide from her—her verdure cloak. He hadn’t secured it but held it upside down, draped over himself. Grace darted, grabbing for the cloak. Her hand closed on the slick fabric, and she yanked it from the mayor’s hand. Taking off in a run, she circled the man in unpredictable weaving, avoiding the scattered Nix ice she and her parents had brought there, as well as the patches of gold and the oaks in which it was embedded. She latched the cloak around her neck while she ran, as she’d practiced a thousand times.

She spun back to face the mayor and stopped. He climbed to his feet and they stared at each other. As the mayor took a step, Grace shifted, keeping him at a distance, giving herself time to think of a plan.

What could she do? She lacked the strength and the weaponry to defend herself. Worse, their circling movements had brought the gold within reach. He must know how dangerous it was, but she wouldn’t put it past him to grab a handful and chuck the liquid her way.

Grace could only think to climb. So she did.

She positioned herself near a tree unaffected by the gold and waited until it seemed they’d come to a standstill, then suddenly scrambled up into the branches.

The mayor dashed to grab her cloak, but he wasn’t fast enough, and he didn’t try to climb.

After swearing in anger, he began to laugh.

“You think you’ve escaped me? You have nowhere to go. You are stuck in that tree.”

Grace didn’t respond, her mind still racing. What could she do to stop him?