Page 120 of A Dance of Water

"Begin," Vale called out.

She jolted at the sound of his voice. She had nearly forgotten the King was there, he had been so quiet. But she would nevertrulyforget.

"Now it’s time for the real fun, Princess," Tharen leered.

"W-wait—" she started, fear gripping her. Her hands fumbled, searching for him, for something to ground her.

"Brace yourself," the mage commanded.

All at once, Luella was caught in a whirlwind?—

Air roared around her, whipping her hair against her face and stinging her skin. She couldn’t hear herself breathe, let alone think and focus, over the roaring gale.

The wind swallowed the sound of rain completely.

Alone.Alone. The terrifying thought spun in her mind, as dizzying as the windstorm itself.

She couldn’t even feel the threads over the pounding in her heart and roar of the wind.

She gasped, chest heaving as she spun in a circle, out of sorts as she tried to gather her bearings. Her feet stumbled against the battering force of the wind. A harsh gust knocked her to the side,and she couldn’t save herself from falling. Her lungs ached, overfilled with air, each breath a painful rush.

Luella’s face slammed against the wet ground, mud on her skin. She whimpered, curling her legs up to her chest as she pressed her palms over her ears. She would do anything to make it stop.

Please.

Please, make it stop.

Bastian?she sobbed in her mind.Help me.

She didn’t know if he answered, didn’t know if he even heard her.

The wind faltered around her.

Desperate yelling pierced the air. Then, came a sharp, splintering crack, louder than the storm itself. Her soul spilled outward, and darkness rushed in.

40

ROARING WIND AND (FALLEN) TREES

GRAVES

The demon struggled in Graves’s hold.

"Calm the fuck down," Graves said lowly.

On Azgorath’s other side, Bastian held him. The vampire was no match for the demon’s strength—none of them truly were. Graves felt sweat on his temples, locking eyes with Bastian, who was bedraggled, red eyes flashing.

"Let me go!" Azgorath roared. He didn’t even look at them, focused entirely on Luella, where she lay amid a cyclone.

Tharen stood by the Princess’s side, watching with crossed arms as she struggled. Air was forced down her throat into her lungs, and her mouth opened in a silent plea for help.

Fury made Graves see black.

His gloved hands faltered, and Azgorath easily overtook Bastian, jamming an elbow in the vampire’s stomach. Bastian curled over, pressing a hand to his gut as he wheezed.

Not a powerful blow. Graves knew the demon was capable of much more. At least he was aware enough to fucking stop himself from ripping out Bastian’s spine.

Azgorath’s feet thundered on the muddy ground.

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