Chaos Storm (The Flight of the Griffin Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

eyes. Water was cascading down to the street from a broken gutter, the splashing noise covering almost all sounds of conversation that filtered through the thin, cracked glass from inside. Several strained notes came from an accordion, and someone was trying hard to sing, a woman's voice cackled with laughter as she tried to hush him.
    'Ya daft ol bugger… buy me a drink an stop yer caterwauling…'
    Casting around the deserted street, Pardigan blinked invisible, eased open the door and slipped inside.
    He found himself in a darkened hallway just off the main drinking area, which was to his left whilst a wooden staircase, directly in front of him, lead up towards floors above. Pardigan started to climb, taking care to place his weight at the edge of each step to make as little noise as possible. Reaching the top of the stairs, he entered a longer hallway with several doors to either side, which he assumed opened into bedrooms. Light was spilling from under one door about halfway along the passage; the only other light was from a lone candle fluttering feebly in a wall bracket at the far end.
    A board squeaked under his boot, Pardigan stopped, carefully holding both the spell and his breath. The muted sounds of the drinkers below may have muffled the sound but…
    'That you Sim… Sim?' the voice came from behind the door with the light and Pardigan's heart skipped a beat. Moments went by, and the door remained closed. Softly, easing out his breath, he crept on towards the two last rooms at the end of the corridor, the rooms overlooking the street and the palace beyond. When he had studied the building from the street, it was from these rooms that he hoped he might be able to place-shift into the tower opposite.
    Reaching out a hand he cautiously tried each door, but found them both locked. Muttering a silent curse, he became visible so he could concentrate better and dropped to one knee by the first door. Pulling out a piece of stiff leather from the folds of his cloak, he gently forced it between the lock and the doorframe. With his other hand, he worked a curved spike of metal into the lock itself and with all his concentration, patiently felt for the mechanism.
    Someone coughed, and he stopped what he was doing and instantly went invisible. He turned around… nobody there… a shiver travelled the length of his spine. It must have been one of the sleepers behind another door. Light flashed beneath the doors and, moments later, thunder rumbled; the storm was getting closer. Despite the chill of the night, a bead of sweat rolled down Pardigan's forehead, and he absently wiped it away. Visible once more, he returned to the lock and gave a sigh when the leather finally obliged, easing further in as the door creaked open. Quickly replacing the tools in his cloak, he slipped into the room and closed the door.
    It was dark, but Pardigan could just see that the bed was made-up and some travel bags were on the floor beside the table. Obviously, the occupant was still out, or more likely downstairs getting drunk. He crossed to the window and pulled it open. Damp night air rushed in, blowing the threadbare curtains around like loose sails, he ignored them and gazed across the gloom at the palace and the windows of the western tower, there were several. The rain was really tipping down now, the air filled with a cacophony of noise as it pelted the roofs and street coupled with the wind, which was gusting harder. He could still make out the dark looming shape of the palace through it all. The most promising window was almost level with the one he was on and showed a well-lit room; however, the problem was he was still about fifty spans away, further than he had ever shifted before. He looked up and down the street for alternatives, and saw a warehouse a little further along that appeared to be a little closer and was definitely taller than the Inn. It may give better access to higher rooms in the tower and was worth investigating to