I can’t speak. My grip on the sword tightens, knuckles white as a bone.
“Hmm. But you…” The creature takes another step closer; the false face shimmers and melts slightly before it hardens again. “You have a much better face. I think…I think I’d rather wear yours.”
It lunges.
I barely duck under the first slash, throwing myself sideways with my blade up—water explodes around me. The mawless moves faster than anything that size has any right to. The steel of my sword clangs against its claws.
I’m outmatched.
My arm screams with the force of every block. The creature doesn’t fight like a man. It's toying with me, letting me exhaust myself.
“Where’s your light, pretty one?” the mawless hisses. “Where’s the gift your blood promises?”
My vision flickers, and I stumble back. My pulse roars in my ears. Magic. I need my magic. But my head throbs, and I still don’t know howto call it. Every time I try, my magic comes wild and uncontrolled. Panic rises in me, and I freeze. I can’t think or make myself move.
A claw rakes across my side, making my blood spray the water. I cry out and drop to one knee.
The mawless looms over me. “That’s better,” it purrs. “On your knees. Face up.”
Its hand comes down, and it stretches its fingers to me. I scream. Not a sound of pain. A sound of rage. Of terror. Of something older than words rising through my throat like shattered glass.
For one moment, the world is lit by burning light.
But my magic goes out almost instantly. The water crashes back down, and steam hisses around me. The mawlessscreeches in fury, but it’s still standing.
My vision blurs and my arms feel heavy from the scorpion's venom, but I raise my sword again.
The mawless chuckles. “Good,” it whispers. “Fight harder. I want to see your face scream when I take it.”
It surges forward, and I’m not fast enough. The blade slips from my fingers as I hit the ground.
The world goes dark.
Chapter 16
?---- Kallan(Flashback) ----?
The stone wall of the tower is slick with dew, but my grip is sure. Below me, Torin whispers through gritted teeth, "Gods, remind me again why we are doing this?"
I grin over my shoulder, my blond hair brushing my brow. "Because it's Alira's birthday, and Renya said no boys allowed."
He huffs. "Because that always stops you."
"Never."
With one final pull, I reach the balcony and swing myself up with practiced grace. I crouch and offer a hand down.
Torin follows with far less grace, landing with a quiet grunt. "Next time, we usethe front door."
"Less dramatic," I whisper.
Muffled laughter spills from inside the room through the gauzy curtains. Two shapes move beneath candlelight. Serenya and Alira are curled up on a mountain of blankets and pillows with wine goblets in hand.
"Think they'll scream?" he asks.
"Ihopeso."
I pull back the curtains and step inside.
