Then he ran through the confused, shaken crowd. “Kit! Run!”
The time scout dove at the fire instead, snatching something out of it, then whirled, knocking aside a white-faced soldier just before his arquebus went off with a roar. A lead ball slammed into the beach less than a foot short of Margo’s flying feet. The soldier snarled and charged. Kit brushed him to the ground. The man screamed. Malcolm caught the glint of push daggers in the firelight. Nothing like Aikido and a push-dagger blade to ruin your whole day.
Someone else levelled a crossbow at Kit’s back.
Malcolm delivered a flying kick that knocked the man to the sand, then he was past and running for the gate.
”Kit!” he yelled. “It’s disintegrating!”
Margo reached the gate first. It shrank savagely to a pinpoint. She sobbed out something Malcolm couldn’t quite hear. Kynan skidded to a halt beside her. The gate roared open again. Kynan glanced back and shouted. Malcolm looked wildly over one shoulder. Behind them, Amaro had taken a careful bead on Margo with his crossbow. Malcolm couldn’t do anything to stop him and Kit was out of position-
Kynan yelled and flung himself between Margo and the arbalestier. The Welshman knocked her to the ground with a sweeping blow, shoving her out of harm’s way. The slap of the steel spring was a hideous sound. Kynan screamed and collapsed like a punctured balloon. A steel shaft thick as Malcolm’s thumb slammed through Kynan’s body instead of Margo’s chest.
Margo sobbed once and crawled to him, trying to stanch the bleeding with her hands. Malcolm lunged the final yard to the gate. “Go!” He shoved her bodily through. She sprawled into Phil Jones’ shop with a hoarse yell. Malcolm scooped up the injured Welshman in a fireman’s carry. Kynan groaned and fainted. Malcolm lunged through, tripping over Margo and dropping Kynan to the concrete floor. Margo howled in pain and crawled out from under him. Malcolm came to his feet and whirled. “Kit!”