Confident Solace was indisposed, I focused on removing the icicle lodged in my hip. Every movement sent bolts of white-hot lightning down my legs and up my side, causing my feet to tingle and hand to go numb. On a panted exhale, I gripped the ice. My hand slipped more than once as it grasped the ice, causing bile to rise in my throat and blood to sluice from the wound.
An agonized sob rent from my chest as the icicle came loose with a sucking noise that would haunt me for the rest of my life, blood quickly filling the hole left behind. My hip throbbed in cadence with my heartbeat, but I had little time to rest and recover.
Pushing to my knees, I took a deep, shaky breath before sending another tendril of Pain toward Solace. This strand took on a mind of its own, wrapping around her neck and head before dissolving into her skin.
High-pitched screams and wails tore from her throat, rebounding off the ruins to disappear into the quickly darkening sky.
Night would be upon us soon, and I could use that to my advantage if I was able to pull the second spear from my calf without losing consciousness.
Refusing to look at the injury, I wiggled my leg slightly and was nearly brought to the ground once more as I felt the ice graze bone. It had punctured the left side of my calf, missing bone, thank Fate, but pierced straight through muscle to the ground beneath.
Sweat beaded on my brow and dripped down my back as I reached behind and felt the edge of the spear. It was thick, probably half the size of my wrist, and I fought down rising bile.
Solace’s screams turned to little mewls and whimpers, and I knew I had little time remaining.
Fuck, this is going to hurt.
Panting, I closed my eyes before adjusting my grip on the end of the spear. It was shockingly cold against my heated, sweaty skin and made it hard to grip.
On the count of three. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, the scent of charred wood and ash filling my lungs.One, two . . . three.
With a cry that broke halfway, I yanked with all my might, feeling the ground give way to the spear as it sluiced through my calf and out the other side.
Immediately, my vision blackened as I retched. Hot blood ran from the open wound down my calf and into the deadened ground.
Shaking, weak, and with blurry vision, I pushed to my hands and knees before attempting to crawl away from Solace.
Each movement was pure agony, my legs protesting every inch forward, but there was no other option.
Slowly, I made my way toward a small structure. Using the fallen wall as leverage, I pulled to my feet, knees knocking and nearly giving way as my injured legs attempted to support my weight.
How the fuck am I going to walk?
I closed my eyes for a moment and dug my palm into the rough wood in an attempt to force my thoughts away from the sheer agony that radiated from my hip and calf.
My heart beat a rough cadence in my ears, and it took me a moment to realize that Solace’s haunted whimpers were no longer echoing.
Instead, a hushed, almost reverent silence fell across the Valley as if every blade of grass, every rock and stone, were held in suspense.
I stopped breathing and focused on the sounds around me.
There was nothing—no crunch of dirt or movement of debris to indicate where Solace had ventured.
The hair rising on the back of my neck was the only warning I had before I heard the rushing of wind.
My eyes flew open as my hair began to swirl around my face, obstructing my view and whipping my exposed skin.
Shit!
Adrenaline flooded my veins, urging me to run and seek shelter elsewhere. Injuries momentarily forgotten, I pushed from the dilapidated wall and sprinted toward the remainder of the village.
The wind whistled and groaned its own melody that drowned out my pounding steps and racing heart as I catapulted through the ruins in search of shelter.
The swirling vortex behind me grew in strength, picking up the remains of houses with loudcracksandbooms. Debris sailed through the air to land hundreds of feet from where it originated. A particularly large wooden beam fell in front of my path with acrackthat shook the ground. Without breaking stride, I vaulted over it, head whipping in every direction in search of a place to hide.
When she unleashes that . . .
I didn’t want to think about what would happen to me if I remained in the open.
