Blood for blood, a voice rallied in my mind.
Crack!I threw my head forward, headbutting her with force.
My arms became dead weight. But that single motion, that crunch—stirred something inside me.
Yes, that’s it. Wake up!
Blondie reeled back, grabbing at her nose as blood washed over her lips.
“You’ll pay for that!” she screeched.
Her hands flew up and my throat suddenly constricted, crushing in on itself. I couldn’t breathe. Invisible fingers wrapped firmly around my neck.
Blackness started to dot my vision. My fighting heart slowed, pain fading to peace . . .
Boom!
An explosion of golden light blasted from my throat, launching her backwards.
I choked, gasping for air as my vaulted mouth released. Clarity fizzled back into my vision.
What the hell was that? I thought I was?—
Heavy footsteps thundered against gravel. I lifted my head, limbs still stone, but I caught a glimpse of a cloaked figure rushingforward.
Wait, not just any cloaked figure. A hulkingly large elf of a man.
Alvar.
The hoard of spiders instantly fled, like roaches scattering from flames.
My entire being sagged with relief. A beautiful sword sparkled silver light as Alvar stood over Blondie’s body. For a moment, he stared, recognition haunting his face. With one clean swoop, he drove the bottom down.
Clunk!
The pommel slammed into her skull.
“Uh, I think she was already unconscious,” I slurred, mouth growing heavy and tongue alarmingly slow. My eyes felt like molasses dripping closed.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Alvar blurted, steely and commanding. The scar on his face deepened as his features darkened. “Open your eyes, Carwynn!”
A muffled laugh slipped my lips at the sound of his accent.Car-vin.W’s were hard for him apparently.
My brain turned to cotton, light and fuzzy. Honestly, I almost preferred it to the alternative. It sedated away all my sorrows.
“Drink,” Alvar ordered. He lifted me effortlessly into his arms, cradling me like a baby about to be fed. A glass vial touched my lips. Large fingers parted my mouth, forcing the bitter tincture down.
I gagged. It burned like vodka.
“Good,” he rumbled, neon eyes observing me.
Pins and needles lit across my body. It started at my head, then trickled down, until slowly, I felt all my extremities again.
I clutched my throat—where those decrepit, invisible hands almost took my life.
Gone. The gold choker was gone.
“Enchanted,” Alvar said, eyes narrowing. “You were smart to fuse magic into your necklace for protection.”
