Page 11 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
“You’re a distrustful sort of chap, aren’t you?”
“Says the girl talking in riddles.”
Aislinn scowled. “Have you seen the dwarves or not?”
“No dwarves around here,” he said, jaw tightening. “Haven’t seen any for months.”
Aislinn narrowed her eyes. “You’re lying to me.”
“No, I’m not—”
“I’m accustomed to living with a liar, don’t insult me further. It won’t end well for you.” She moved forward, picking up her sword.
“You said you wouldn’t attack—”
“I perceive your lie to be an attack on myself. I am allowed to defend myself in turn.”
“That’s—” He started backwards, falling over a tree root. Aislinn knocked the dagger out of his hand.
Truth be told, she knew she couldn’t hurt him, but he didn’t. And she could stand here until dawn, if she needed to.
His eyes flickered, and his gaze darted to the side.
Aislinn’s head turned, following his glance. The stag wasmoving,climbing to its feet with awkward, jerky movements, its neck hanging limply where the bolt had skewered it. White, empty eyes stared out of sunken sockets.
It was very obviously dead.
And still moving.
It charged towards her. Aislinn leapt out of the way, light as a cat, scampering up into a nearby tree. The stag rammed against the trunk, trees flurrying around it.
Aislinn plucked another dagger from her belt, dropped onto its back, and drove her second dagger into its spine.
It didn’t die. It didn’t even collapse, or flinch, or doanything.
It couldn’t feel pain.
It charged again, flinging Aislinn off its back. She rolled against the damp, earthy floor, skidding upright, diving for her other dagger as it turned and staggered. She raced forward, slicing its side as she skidded past, but although half its insides spilled out, it didn’t stop.
She’d heard of the undead before, but she’d never encountered them. It was one of the darkest magics in Faerie, prohibited by all. She’d half dozed off in the lessons that had mentioned them, assuming she’d never have to fight any.
She would just cut off its head. That tactic usually stopped anything.
But how was it here in the first place?
She turned back to the young man, but he was standing in complete shock, staring at the stag with his face frozen in horror.
He didn’t even move when the stag turned to face him.
“Move!” she hissed.
He didn’t.
The stag charged.
Without thinking, Aislinn dived between them, head filled with half-baked plans of conjuring a magic shield.
The stag reached them before the spell could even form in her mind, its massive antlers spearing her middle and driving her back against the stone.
