The Midnight Thief Continues

The Desperate Search

Intro:

When I was reading  Midnight Thief, I was always hoping for grand rescues and dramatic moments of peril. So when James stabbed Kyra and Tristam was left desperate to find and save her, I always wished he had succeeded that night. This is my alternate ending to that scene that might not further the story the way Blackburne needed, but is way more exciting to me, and hopefully to you. :)

    ~Hnem

(It picks up on page 260 of Midnight Thief)

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A runner appeared in the distance. Both Tristam and Flick snapped to attention, but Flick shook his head. "It's not her. Too heavy on his feet."

It was one of Tristam's soldiers, running as fast as he could. Tristam climbed down the ladder to meet him, with Flick just behind.

The man was breathing heavily. "The Demon Riders took her."

"What? How-"

Next to Tristam, Flick started to swear.

"One of our scouts saw Demon Riders carry her away. She was alive, but there was a lot of blood." 

Dread filled his chest at those last words. "Where did you see her?"

The messenger pointed and Tristam sprinted off in that direction. He heard Flick's footsteps pounding behind him and sped up even faster, as if he could outrun the voice of guilt. He thought he'd been prepared for anything, but---Demon Riders?

A cluster of shieldmen was waiting for him farther down. Martin was amongst them, pacing back and forth as a crowd of distraught beagles swarmed around him.

"We saw them leaving," Martin said, shaking his head helplessly. "They lost us in the alleys. The dogs just refused to follow."

There was a scatter of gravel behind him as Flick caught up. "What's going on?"

Tristam started to answer, but couldn't. In his mind, he saw Jack torn open from shoulder to hip and refused to imagine Kyra in his place. He tore his gaze from Flick and addressed Martin instead.

"They most likely headed toward the forest," he said, paying no heed to Flick's expletives. They couldn't lose her. "Search the entire area. We don't rest tonight until she's back safe."

"I'm coming too," Flick declared, narrowing his eyes at Tristam as if waiting for a challenge. Tristam only nodded.

He quickly organized his men into pairs and assigned each a section of the nearby area to search. He ordered Martin to continue trying with the hounds and to let him know if they took up the scent.

"Everyone report back the palace in an hour, or as soon as you find something. We can't let them slip through our fingers." As the men began to move out, Tristam turned to Flick who was standing by, roiling with visible anguish and fury. "Come with me?"

Tristam didn't wait for an answer as he began to trot off to the streets he'd mapped out for them to search. He heard Flick's steps close behind.

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This would be their last sweep. Then he would go and regroup with his men. At least that's what Tristam told himself for the tenth time that night. The hour had passed, but he couldn't bring himself to stop searching street after street,  nearing the city limits now, desperate energy still surging through him. And Flick seemed equally focused as he swept stealthily along beside Tristam, eyes scanning, scanning, scanning.