Otto goes flying across the room, and I gasp for breath. I feel lightheaded and try to apply pressure to my wrists. I try to use a healing spell, but the lack of blood and exertion of magic is holding me back. Every time I whisper “sana” my arm starts to heal but opens back up again. After this is over I need to spend more time learning stronger healing magic. A clang of chairs alerts me to the corner of the room as I watch Otto hit the floor, Dax jumping on top of him. His fists are powerful as he hits Otto. My hits didn’t make a dent at all, but I watch as Dax strikes him hard enough to shift the clay.
“You thought to hurtmyfucking witch? You mindless piece of shit.”
Dax hits Otto again, hitting him hard in the face repeatedly. It’s not the same sound as if he was hitting bone, it sounds like an earthquake in the restaurant as Dax’s powerful fists hit him over and over. Floor boards crack in half under the weight of Otto’s head hitting the wood. The walls in the room shake and the restaurant is being destroyed. My eyes widen in shock as Dax drags Otto across the bar top, glasses shattering loudly against the walls and floors. His strength is astounding. But the moment he takes a chance to look over at me, Otto strikes.
Dax breathes heavily as Otto is able to grab Dax by the waist and run him into a wall, Dax’s back hits hard against the wall, all the framed images come crashing to the floor. Otto wraps his hand around Dax’s throat, doing the same thing he did to me, but he doesn’t try to cut him. Just tries to block or crush his airway.
I feel weak, so weak, but I need to act fast. Think, think. He’s basically an inanimate object. Even though he can move, he moves at the behest of his creator, he’s clay. "Surge sursus,"I say as I watch the golem rise from the floor. It shocks him enough that his grip loosens from Dax’s throat, and he falls from the floor as the golem continues floating until he hits the ceiling.
Dax is back on his feet as he comes to check on me. With Otto up on the ceiling for now, we’re fine. His large palms grab my face as he looks at my arms and eyes. A low groan leaving his lips.
He takes a pocket knife from his back pocket and I flinch as he pops the blade.
“I’m going to take care of you, you’re okay, babe. I got you,” he says as he slices his wrist and drops his blood on top of my bleeding arms. He pets my hair as I watch his blood heal my wounds. I still feel so out of it, like I can’t think.
“It will stop the bleeding and heal your wounds, but you still lost a lot of blood. How are you feeling?” I don’t answer and his palms are on my face. “Little witch?”
“Tired,” I say, pressing my face against his palm.
“We need to get the scroll from his mouth and destroy it,” he says, and it dawns on me that I don’t know shit about golems. If he wasn’t here, I would have probably died.
“Why are you here?”
“Doesn’t matter. Can you get him down from the ceiling?” I nod and flick my wrist, sending Otto to the floor. The weight of his body breaking even more floorboards. I don’t think insurance is going to cover this mess. He’s stunned enough that Dax is able to straddle him, his hands shaking as he grits his teeth and pries his mouth open with his powerful fists. “Blair, grab the scroll.” I can tell that Dax is mustering every ounce of strength he has to hold his mouth open. Otto hits Dax’s side, and he winces, but continues to hold his jaw firmly.
I feel like I might fall over, but I wobble over to where Dax has him pinned, and I grab the scroll poking out from his cakey mouth. As soon as I have it free, Dax lets go of Otto, a small flame appearing from Dax’s fingertips as I open the scroll and read the name before Dax lights it on fire.
As soon as the scroll is lit aflame, Otto turns to dust beneath Dax’s body, making his knees land on the hardwood.
I fall hard on the ground next to him, my legs hurt, I feel sick. I want to crawl into a hole and sleep for five days. Dax’s muscular arms are wrapped around me quickly. Shushing sounds are made into my dark hair as I feel him pick me up and cradle me to his chest.
“You need to get some rest, some blood, too. I’m going to take you home, sweet girl. Daddy is going to take care of you.”
“No one ever takes care of me.” It’s like word vomit as I look up at his green eyes.
“Now someone does. This might make you feel more nauseous. But I promise you’ll be okay.”
“Wha—”
It’s like I’m sucked into a vacuum and my body shifts within itself or is shaken like a paint can as a loud pop cracks through my ears. We’re instantaneously in front of my house. Dax puts me down on the grass as I empty the contents of my stomach. His large hand rubs soothing circles on my back.
“Get it all out, babe. You’re all right. I’m going to take care of you. You did so good for your first portal. And the way you handled that golem. I’m so proud of you.”
I groan as nothing else is coming out of my stomach and Dax picks me up again, my head lolling backward. I want to sleep.
He jostles me slightly. “Stay awake for me, pet. Need to check you out before you go to sleep.”
I blink up at him and hear my cousin’s screech from the porch. “What happened to her!”
My cousin’s soft, small hands feel different from Dax’s. “That big bald fucker attacked her at Hex. He was a golem.”
“Otto was a fucking golem?”
“Apparently. She lost a lot of blood and used a lot of magic.”
“I have some transfusion potions. Take her up to the bedroom. I see the dried blood, but where are the cuts?”
“I took care of that already.”
