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It was past time to leave. The crowd could turn ugly in a moment.

He had seen crowds like this before. His cheek throbbed with the memory of the results of one such mob. He had been the center of that one as well, for all that the insults had been in elvish as his own people turned on him.

He tensed, every muscle poised to react. His magic crackled beneath his skin, and he barely tamed it from exploding from his fingers. He could not use his magic on an Escarlish crowd. Essie’s friend Lance might find it fascinating, but the Escarlish citizens would not take it kindly if some of their own were attacked by an elf.

As Essie reached for Ashenifela’s bridle, a louder shout came from the crowd. A tomato whipped out of the mass of people, and it took all his discipline to do nothing but ease out of its path so that it sailed past his shoulder and splattered against the brick wall behind him. Bright red drooled like blood on the brick.

“Your Highnesses, please mount up.” The guard shoved Farrendel toward his horse, hands hard against the small of Farrendel’s back.

Farrendel dug his heels in, a hint of a crackle filling the air. He fought his instincts that wanted to lash out at the Escarlish guard shoving him.

“Farrendel, we need to go.” Essie touched his arm.

He suppressed his magic. With a nod, he took his horse’s reins from the guard.

They swung onto their horses. Two of the guards led the way, forcing their horses into the crowd. The other guards clustered tightly around Essie and Farrendel, so tightly he would not be able to use his magic even if he wanted to for fear of taking out those nearest him.

The shouting. The jostling. It prickled against Farrendel’s skin, and he scanned the crowd. Too much danger here.

The guards led the way through the parting mob, turning the corner from the small side street where Lance’s workshop was located to one of the broader streets. Some human women with young ones bustled between the shops selling various small magical devices and mechanical devices, but human men outnumbered the women.

Behind them, some of the crowd from the alley spilled into this street. In minutes, the crowd grew dense and seething. Shouts filled the air.

Not good. Not good at all. Farrendel kept his horse tucked close to Essie on Ashenifela. If something bad were about to happen, it would happen soon.

Several rotten vegetables flew in their direction. The women tried to hurry their children from the boardwalk. With the street so crowded, many of the women and children had nowhere to go, trapped in corners without shops to duck into for safety.

A prickle across his scalp. He whirled, flaring his magic around them so abruptly all the horses snorted and shied, except for the two elven horses. A rock bounced from the shield of his magic.

But his instincts still screamed. Movement caught the corner of his eye.

Down. He needed to get Essie down and safe.

He launched himself from his horse and tackled Essie, cradling her against his chest. She gave a tiny squeak as they fell. He twisted and landed in a crouch, Essie pressed to his chest to keep her from slamming into the cobblestones.

A man stepped from the crowd, lifting a gun even as the crowd jostled him. A gunshot cracked, but the muzzle was not pointed at Farrendel or Essie.

Dropping Essie, Farrendel spun on his heel and flung himself forward, putting himself between the bullet and the unintentional targets. His magic flared and crackled around him, and something sparked into the smell of sulfur and heated metal.

He gritted his teeth at the screams behind him. A human woman hunched over her daughter. Did she understand that he was protecting her? Or did she think that Farrendel was the one attacking?

The gun lifted again. He could not allow the man with the gun to fire it again into this volatile crowd.

With a flick of his wrist, Farrendel sent a shaft of magic forward, latching it around the gun.

The man howled, both his hand and gun wrapped in glowing, blue magic. The howl could not be pain, as Farrendel kept most of the power out of the magic to keep from hurting the Escarlish man, for all he had attacked royalty.

Two of the Escarlish guards rushed to the man. As soon as they gripped his arms, Farrendel released his magic, letting it disappear into sparks.

Behind him, the human woman and child were still sobbing. How much would he be able to reassure them?

He knelt, facing them. “I am sorry you were frightened.”

Essie rested a hand on his shoulder, her voice warm. “Are either of you hurt? I’m sorry you were caught in that.”

“We’re fine.” The woman swiped at her face, straightening. Her hands remained clenched on her daughter’s shoulders. “Was...was that a gunshot?”

The daughter peeked up at Farrendel before focusing on the ground once again.