Page 86 of Pawns of Fate
Nicholas hit the ground with a painful thud as the shadows released him and raced for Kagon instead. The druid summoned a few shadows of his own, but Lysander’s overpowered him even faster than they had overpowered Nicholas. The darkness felled Kagon and dragged him across the cavern. Lysander waited with open arms and a knife.
He grabbed a fistful of Kagon’s hair and screamed in his face, “Are you questioning me, now? After months, no years, of unsuccessful experiments? You’re questioning me now? When we’re so close?”
“We’re going too far! You know I’m right!” Kagon managed to free one of his arms from the shadows and grab Lysander’s throat. “We’re no better thanthemif we continue down this path.”
Lysander swiped Kagon’s arm away, but must have lost some of his shadow’s power to do so, because Kagon freed his other arm and one of his legs. He knocked Lysander over, and the ensuing brawl was a tangle of limbs, violence, and tentacles of darkness.
They knocked over one of the tables, causing books and parchment to fly around like confetti at a celebration. It also launched Nicholas’s sword into the air. The weapon clattered tothe ground about a dozen feet away from him.
Nicholas quietly began to inch toward his sword, praying that Kagon’s fight bought them enough time.
Chapter 27
ROSE
Rose watched with horror and a little admiration as Kagon wrestled Lysander. She did not doubt that without Lysander’s magic, Kagon would have easily beaten him into a pulp. But Lysander’s shadows were vicious and fully focused on Kagon.
Which, Rose realized belatedly, left her and Nicholas free.
She looked at her husband, and her heart leapt into her throat. Nicholas was stealthily moving toward his sword. If he could get the weapon and cut through his ropes, perhaps he and Kagon could overpower Lysander. Hope eruptedin her chest.
Her eyes snapped back to the fight. If Kagon lost, she would distract Lysander long enough for Nicholas to get free.
“We’re going too far; you’re going too far, Lysander,” Kagon shouted above the clash of limbs and shadows. “We’re no better than the tower if we go about it this way.”
“Traitor,” Lysander snarled, “choosingthemafter everything we’ve been through? Everything we’ve done? You’re developing a consciencenow?” Lysander was practically howling now. “I can fix that, though.” A howl of wild laughter escaped his mouth as he activated a rune on his arm that twisted like a snake.
“You kept a control spell!?” Kagon’s voice was full of rage. He lunged, but to no avail. Kagon’s form warped, and he turned into the large, black snake Rose and Nicholas had first seen.
Lysander’s shadows snatched him up, wrapping around and around the thrashing creature.
“Of course, I kept a control spell, you idiot. I couldn’t have you biting me with those stupid teeth—all that venom. I needed a failsafe.” He ran his knife along the edge of Kagon’s fangs, taunting. “No reason to keep it now, though. I certainly don’t need you to assist me in your human form anymore.” Lysander winced and stabbed his knife into his arm, into the heart of the still-active spell. Kagon’s body shuddered.
“You’re a monster!” Rose cried out almost subconsciously, drawing Lysander’s attention to herself. Panic flooded her entire body; she felt like a rabbit caught in a trap from the way Lysander pinned her with his glare.
“He betrayed me!”
“All he did was tell you to stop torturing people! Nowyou’ve killed him!” Rose sobbed.
“Is that what you think? No, Kagon is very much alive. He’s trapped in his snake form.”
“So you’ve doomed him to life as a snake?”
“No,” he said with a wolfish smile. “I can make another spell. As long as he doesn’t bite me.” Lysander’s shadows released Kagon, who made no move to attack the shadow mage.
The wild hope that had bloomed inside her began to wilt. Even if Nicholas had made it to his sword, Rose wasn’t sure her husband could take on Lysander in his current state, and there was nothing she could do to stop the madness.
But then, as if in answer to her thoughts, a bolt of silver lightning struck Lysander from behind.
NICHOLAS
He watched inhorror as Lysander doomed his comrade to life as a reptile. What wasn’t this crazy bastard capable of?
But Kagon’s valiant efforts weren’t in vain. He’d bought Nicholas enough time to grab his sword and cut his way out of the ropes.
“You’re a monster!” Rose’s voice cried out. Nausea flooded through Nicholas, but he fought the fear. Hearing his wife’s terror caused something inside of him to lose control.
Nicholas started actuating the strongest spell he could. It would only knock Lysander out for a minute, but it would have to be enough time for Rose to run away. Nicholas eyed the mess of spell circles and runes Lysander had etched into the druid ruins. Once Rose was free, all it would take was a few good sparks to bring this whole cavern down, and Lysander with it.
