I don’t remember old times, but sure. I just got a new sister, and I don’t intend to lose her. The brother-in-law…. Well, that was regrettable. Especially since I think I would have liked Victor more than Evengi at least.
I stride forward, calling on my demigod’s specific ability to draw the shadows closer to myself. I cannot create darkness since that is the goddess Neltruna’s domain, but her son can deepen what darkness there is.
Which is a skill that has come in very handy as an assassin. I also use my sorcery to take control of my daggers despite the fact that they are still in my hand. If there’s something I’ve learned from assassination contracts against other sorcerers, it is what sort of tricks they will use.
They will go for whatever is the sharpest object first, even if it is your own. I’m guilty of it myself, I’ve cut down many a man with his own sword.
But only one sorcerer can control an object at a time, so with my own power wielding it I don’t have to worry about Lek trying to wrest my knives away.
I flip my knife over in my hand so that the hilt is out to Talyria. “Here, to replace your other one.”
She raises her eyebrow probably sensing my control already on it, but she takes it without an argument. I race forward, diving for the wall on the other side of the door while Lek flings the book with the dagger embedded in it my way. It crashes against the wall where I had just been.
I can hear Lief grunting as he tries to keep the dead back. It’s a difficult position to be in, dead cannot be re-killed. My father claims that necromancy is the most powerful form of sorcery, as does my sister Natasya, but I like to think that any demigod patron can bring you great power if only you know how to wield it.
I press my shoulder against the door frame as I peek into the room, taking in the potential weapons that Lek has at his disposal. The first thing I notice is a bookshelf bearing several books and a model ship that could be used to bludgeon. There is a small writing desk in the corner where the quill could likely do some damage. And then there is the fireplace, although this late into the night it is really more of scorched embers. Still, they could be trouble in a sorcerer’s hand.
Either way, I can’t see anything too risky in the room unless Lek tries to rip apart the support beams and bring the ceiling down which I doubt he would do since he is in here. Not to mention that it would take an incredible amount of power to do so, and his power is already redirected in reanimating the corpses that Lief is fighting.
Talyria races across the hall and throws herself against the wall next to mine. She peers around the corner, but her eyes skip over all the potential weapons that could be flung her way and instead go directly to Victor.
A detail that Lek doesn’t miss.
“Allow me to reunite you with your husband,” Lek says as he conjures another wave of green smoke. Four bodies? He must be half mad if he thinks that he can sustain that sort of power.
As if to remind me of the threat that this necromancer poses, Lief cries out down the hall. I whip my head around my eyes widening as I see him stumble back just as Ibram swings his knife to where he had been standing. I need to act quickly and defeat the source of the necromancy because that is the quickest way to ensure that the dead are stopped as well. Short of complete dismemberment there is no other way to kill that which is already dead.
“What?” Lek gasps out in shock as I turn my attention back to him.
The green smoke is pooling around Victor, but nothing happens. He doesn’t rise to attack us, and it’s clear that Lek was expecting that. Instead, the smoke dissipates, heading back towards his hands.
“Surprised?” Victor asks, weakly. “Yeah, it turns out I’m a bit hard to kill.” He raises a finger and taps it against the ground. It’s obvious that he is still in bad shape, in fact I’m as surprised as Lek that he is still alive.
I need to take advantage of his surprise. I glance at Talyria to see if she is ready to strike but she is just staring at Victor with shock and hope written across her features. I don’t have time to signal her, I have to take advantage of Lek’s surprise. I race across the room, my dagger drawn. Lek whirls in time to see me and his eyes widen. He raises his hand, calling on the model ship just like I knew he would. I’m about to dive to the side to avoid it and let it crash into the wall. It will create wood splinters but hopefully I can deliver a blow before that happens, but then suddenly a small green creature with eight legs—a miniature kraken?— appears out of nowhere and lands on Lek’s face.
The necromancer lets out a cry of surprise as tentacles wrap around his ears and tangle in his hair. I am easily able to duck under the ship that has stopped midair with Lek’s attention divided. I reach his side, sweeping my leg out and kicking his ankle while I deliver a blow to his neck with my elbow at the same time.
His scream is cut off halfway through as he drops to the ground hard, the kraken still there wrapped around his face. I flip my dagger over, ready to deliver the final killing blow but suddenly Talyria is there. She lands on top of him, straddling his body with her own. She cries out and plunges her dagger into Lek’s chest.
His back arches for a second and then he lets out a loud gasp and goes limp. The kraken disappears, and I am left looking into his blank gaze.
Dead, the necromancer is dead at last. But not before he did his damage.
I came here to steal a spellbook, I shouldn’t care about any of these people except for Lief and yet, I can’t help but feel an acute heaviness in my soul for the loss of the night.
I turn toward the door just as Lief stumbles in. I race toward him, wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug before I pull back to study him. I run my hands down his chest as I take him in.
“Lief, Lief, thank goodness. Are you hurt? Oh no you are!” I gasp out as he moves his hand to reveal a long scratch on his arm.
“I’ll live,” he says softly. “Which is more than can be said for most.” His eyes are locked on something over my shoulder. I turn to see Talyria there kneeling over Victor.
“Victor? Victor?” she asks as she rests a hand on the side of his face.
“I knew it was going to jetting hurt, but not quite this much,” he says as we approach. Up close I can see that Victor is in a bad way. There is blood everywhere, his chest is completely soaked in it. More blood runs out of his mouth, trailing down his lip and disappearing into his beard.
I feel a lurch in my stomach reminding me that I haven’t fed in a while. I will have to satiate that thirst later, right now we have a very big concern.
I kneel down next to Talyria who has dropped to her knees next to Victor, her eyes empty save for the tears welling up in them. “What can I do?” she asks softly.
