Page 125 of Sonnets and Serpents
Love, my armor.
Love, my sword.
Without magic or blade, she still had words.
“He trusted you!” Eliza shouted in Pravish, stopping just out of reach of the circling combatants.
Kerem’s dark eyes found hers with a special hatred, the kind reserved for a pest that had already been dealt with but came crawling back. His gaze darted to the ground, and she didn’t understand why until a flurry of squeaks caught up to her, rats spilling past her legs to leap and gnaw at Kerem as he fought.
At first, she felt a surge of hope that Henry would be one of them, that the battle would already be finished.
But the Artifact in Kerem’s hand maintained a steady glow, and each rat that touched his skin fell to the ground, twitching. Eliza’s heart lurched until she realized Henry had to be safe, or else the remaining rats would flee. Instead, they circled, making lunges but held at bay by the threat of Fluid Casting stopping their hearts.
Eliza had to do something.
She jumped atop a jutting portion of rock, making herself as noticeable and distracting as possible. Then she laid into Kerem with all the fire she possessed, determined to keep his attention.
“I knew there was something wrong about you from the moment we met. I knew you were a predator, but Silas believed in you. He looked up to you. Helovedyou!”
Gill lunged, and Kerem dove aside. His face dripped sweat, and he’d lost his spectacles. He clutched the Artifact to his stomach, his fingers digging like claws into its bone surface.
A few daring rats nipped at his ankles, but though the bites landed, the rats still fell dead.
He was an Affiliate with decades of experience controlling his emotions. What could Eliza say to break his focus?
“How could you?” she demanded, raising her voice. “You called it a shock that his father tried to kill him. You said you’dneverdo the same!”
Kerem’s eyes cut sharply to hers, and for a moment, the hatred was gone. The snarl on his face now held a mixture of frustration and pain.
Gill took his opening in a surging attack. Kerem dodged, but too slowly, and the sword point tore through his side, spilling blood. He cried out, but he managed to grab Gill by the throat, his other hand on the glowing Artifact.
Eliza remembered Silas being held in the same position. Remembered his scream. She leapt to the cavern floor, running forward but already knowing she was too late.
Gill clamped his hand down on Kerem’s arm, and they both recoiled as if struck by lightning. While Gill spat blood, Kerem clutched his side.
Then he transformed into a familiar black-patterned adder, launching a strike.
Eliza halted, sick to her stomach at witnessing the stolen magic.
Could she still save Silas if his magic had already been taken?
Gill’s sword swung a fraction too late, only skimming the gray scales. Either he was thrown off by Silas’s magic in the wrong hands or he was hesitant to kill.
Regardless, Kerem’s bite landed, and in a puff of mist, Gill transformed into a snake. As Kerem turned human once more, the new snake lay curled and cowering at his feet.
Eliza swallowed. She stood only a few feet from Kerem.
With a weary sigh, he touched his side, stopping the blood. Perhaps, in that moment of delay, she could have run if she tried.
Instead, she seized her final chance to distract him.
“You’re usinghismagic?” Her heart cracked in her chest, pain in every beat. “Silas would have given the worldfor you, but to you, he’s just a source of venom. Just another power in an Artifact.”
Kerem’s eyes flashed, and he took a menacing step forward, but Eliza beat him to it. The storm inside had never been stronger, and she steered full-speed ahead, crashing into him with all the rage she held. He stumbled with a grunt, but even so, he caught her by the throat. Quick as a snake.
His eyes narrowed in a smug victory.
Then they widened. “You’re not an Affiliate? But the rats ...”
