China nodded to the Cleaver and he stepped forward. Darquesse glanced at him and turned his lungs inside out. He fell, clutching his throat.
China raised an eyebrow. “I see.”
“I’m glad. The Sceptre?”
“I don’t have it here,” she said. “I’ve hidden it. If you can get me out of here, away from Mevolent’s forces, I’ll give it to you.”
“I’m not here to bargain, I’m here for the Sceptre.”
And then the room exploded.
To her eyes, it all happened so very slowly. The wall to her right caved in, buckling the floorboards and the ceiling, filling the air with shards of wood and stone. Darquesse was picked up, thrown sideways, out through the opposite wall as what looked like the whole building splintered and came after her. She fell to the street, ears ringing, barely able to hear the explosions that followed in rapid succession. A mortar attack, maybe. Softening the opposition before the big push.
She rolled on the cobbled street, the remains of China’s building falling around her. Her skin was lacerated but it was nothing major. She sat up. A few streets away she could see the Redhoods charging, people running from them in terror. She saw Lord Vile, his shadows whipping through the paltry defences and barricades. The bad guys were coming.
She got to her feet, pulling a piece of floorboard from her neck. Screw that. The bad guy was already here.
She was pretty sure China survived the explosion. Darquesse hadn’t seen how she’d fared, but she was confident that a woman like China Sorrows would not be taken out by a mere mortar round. Which meant she was retreating to as secure a location as she could find – which was probably where she had the Sceptre hidden.
[...]
She walked until she came to a little tavern. Oh, it looked like such a nice little place. So gentle. So unassuming. She pushed the door open, went inside. It even smelled nice. She walked up the stairs, found China and Anton Shudder waiting for her. China had a few cuts and bruises, but apart from that she was her usual beautiful self.