That small, wrinkled hand left every Wizard Apprentice present staring in shock. The arm reaching through did not look long either, clearly belonging to an equally diminutive body. Only the words accompanying that booming laughter snapped the apprentices out of their daze, but it made little difference. They merely backed away slowly, none of them knowing what to do.
Our chance to question the well might be ruined, Ruger thought.
The heat in his shoulder, coupled with that unforgettable wrinkled hand, made the answer self-evident.
As the arm struggled, the faint tolling of the town's bell could still be heard.
The Nightmare Wizard Apprentice in the dark yellow Wizard robe frowned deeply. Once the old woman finished speaking, he began scanning his surroundings, and many other apprentices followed suit.
Ruger joined them, turning his dog's head and glaring fiercely around him, while his mind raced for a solution and tried to anticipate what would happen next. Layden was doing the same, gravely surveying the surrounding Wizard Apprentices. When he saw some of them begin to retreat, he started moving as well.
Ruger backed away slowly and glanced to one side. Vito smiled at the two of them.
Ruger understood at once. Vito had already thought of them-or rather, could not help suspecting them.
After all, the old woman had said they were her lucky stars. Most of the people here had traceable backgrounds, and Vito, who eavesdropped day and night, knew more about that than anyone. Apart from Vito himself, Ruger and Layden were probably the most unusual people here, making them perfect suspects.
Yet Vito still followed close behind as the two retreated.
The other Wizard Apprentices knew the origins of this Land of Fissures and understood this little space attached to the Nightmare World. That made them the