her back into the trunk and whipped her left blade
out without turning the rest of her body, as that would have sent
her hurtling toward the ground. Though she hadn’t had a chance to
look, she knew before her blade hit the attacking tentacle that she
would meet her target. Its path had been clear in her mind, and her
arm barely needed a command from her brain to act.
She hardly felt any pressure as the sword
cut through the tentacle, but the thorndevil’s ear-splitting cry
told her she’d succeeded. Once again its eyes fixed upon her, and
this time she didn’t want anyone to distract it. She needed it to
face her and get closer. That was the only way she could reach its
weak spots and kill it.
“ Hiiii monster,” she
taunted in a singsong voice. It was about ten feet in front of
her—too far to reach with her blade as long as her back was pressed
against the tree trunk. The branch was too thin for her to go
forward, though, which meant she needed the thorndevil to attack
her if she was going to reach its throat.
Its long snout turned to point right at her,
and it bared its sharp teeth, which dripped with yellowish-green
acid. In the corners of her eyes, she could make out the remaining
tentacles curling behind it and the serpent-like tail beating
angrily against the ground.
“ La, la, la,” she sang,
holding her stare. “Come get meeeee—”
The thorndevil took the bait, just like she
knew it would. And the moment it moved to snap its jaws at her, she
used the tree trunk as a springboard to launch herself forward,
stretching both swords out in front of her. As she shot through the
air, her scalp brushed the creature’s chin. Then the blades pierced
its throat, spewing hot liquid onto her face.
She slid downward, cutting through the
creature as she went, and relished the sensation of winning. More
blood spilled form the lengthening gashes she created, and the
monster’s gurgling cries shook the air.
By the time she planted
her feet on solid ground, the thorndevil was dead. It remained
upright for about three seconds, then collapsed onto its side. A
great thud shook
the forest.
I win,
monster . Aurelia lifted her chin with
satisfaction. No matter how many beasts she killed, each victory
tasted fresher than a swig of water on a hot day. She swung her blades by her sides, silently
thanking Connor for giving her the best present a fighter could ask
for. They’d not only made the monster turn to her at just the right
moment, but cut through the thorndevil more cleanly than any normal
blades would have. In fact, they’d kind of saved her.
Her fight wasn’t over yet, though; there was
one more monster to face. This time, she wouldn’t be caught by
surprise. And once she’d knocked Storm out, she’d snap that evil
wand of his like she originally planned, so he couldn’t use his
dark magic against her again. Then she would wake him and demand to
know what he wanted with her.
She met his glare, which glinted from the
light of his glowing wand. Her own eyes, she imagined, were also
sparking from the light of her glowing swords. This was the
moment—now, when he was still off-balance from the fight with the
monster.
Before she could make her move, though, a
flurry of brightness flashed before her. Six Sentinels—identifiable
by their Triumvirate-issued gold cloaks—were goldlighting onto the
scene.
Knowing her glowing blades would draw their
eyes, Aurelia rushed to stick them back into their sheaths, causing
the light to vanish before the Sentinels materialized. Even she
would have a hard time defeating half a dozen magical opponents.
But if they couldn’t see her, she’d have a better chance at getting
away.
A woman’s stern voice cut through the night.
“What’s going on here?”
Another flash briefly lit the darkness as
Storm tried to goldlight away, but the woman shouted a spell and
aimed her wand at him, stopping him before he could vanish. He
doubled over as though struck by a fist, then
out without turning the rest of her body, as that would have sent
her hurtling toward the ground. Though she hadn’t had a chance to
look, she knew before her blade hit the attacking tentacle that she
would meet her target. Its path had been clear in her mind, and her
arm barely needed a command from her brain to act.
She hardly felt any pressure as the sword
cut through the tentacle, but the thorndevil’s ear-splitting cry
told her she’d succeeded. Once again its eyes fixed upon her, and
this time she didn’t want anyone to distract it. She needed it to
face her and get closer. That was the only way she could reach its
weak spots and kill it.
“ Hiiii monster,” she
taunted in a singsong voice. It was about ten feet in front of
her—too far to reach with her blade as long as her back was pressed
against the tree trunk. The branch was too thin for her to go
forward, though, which meant she needed the thorndevil to attack
her if she was going to reach its throat.
Its long snout turned to point right at her,
and it bared its sharp teeth, which dripped with yellowish-green
acid. In the corners of her eyes, she could make out the remaining
tentacles curling behind it and the serpent-like tail beating
angrily against the ground.
“ La, la, la,” she sang,
holding her stare. “Come get meeeee—”
The thorndevil took the bait, just like she
knew it would. And the moment it moved to snap its jaws at her, she
used the tree trunk as a springboard to launch herself forward,
stretching both swords out in front of her. As she shot through the
air, her scalp brushed the creature’s chin. Then the blades pierced
its throat, spewing hot liquid onto her face.
She slid downward, cutting through the
creature as she went, and relished the sensation of winning. More
blood spilled form the lengthening gashes she created, and the
monster’s gurgling cries shook the air.
By the time she planted
her feet on solid ground, the thorndevil was dead. It remained
upright for about three seconds, then collapsed onto its side. A
great thud shook
the forest.
I win,
monster . Aurelia lifted her chin with
satisfaction. No matter how many beasts she killed, each victory
tasted fresher than a swig of water on a hot day. She swung her blades by her sides, silently
thanking Connor for giving her the best present a fighter could ask
for. They’d not only made the monster turn to her at just the right
moment, but cut through the thorndevil more cleanly than any normal
blades would have. In fact, they’d kind of saved her.
Her fight wasn’t over yet, though; there was
one more monster to face. This time, she wouldn’t be caught by
surprise. And once she’d knocked Storm out, she’d snap that evil
wand of his like she originally planned, so he couldn’t use his
dark magic against her again. Then she would wake him and demand to
know what he wanted with her.
She met his glare, which glinted from the
light of his glowing wand. Her own eyes, she imagined, were also
sparking from the light of her glowing swords. This was the
moment—now, when he was still off-balance from the fight with the
monster.
Before she could make her move, though, a
flurry of brightness flashed before her. Six Sentinels—identifiable
by their Triumvirate-issued gold cloaks—were goldlighting onto the
scene.
Knowing her glowing blades would draw their
eyes, Aurelia rushed to stick them back into their sheaths, causing
the light to vanish before the Sentinels materialized. Even she
would have a hard time defeating half a dozen magical opponents.
But if they couldn’t see her, she’d have a better chance at getting
away.
A woman’s stern voice cut through the night.
“What’s going on here?”
Another flash briefly lit the darkness as
Storm tried to goldlight away, but the woman shouted a spell and
aimed her wand at him, stopping him before he could vanish. He
doubled over as though struck by a fist, then
Similar Books
