Page 52 of Oath of the Wolf
It slowed him down, but it wasn’t enough to stop him completely.
Brynn scrambled to the side, clawing to her feet.
Guin leapt up and barked, ears back and tail straight out.
“We can talk about this.”Brynn kept her hands out in front of her.
Tolvir was unarmored.He hadn’t thought to protect himself from a sorceress, it seemed.
With only wool and linen protecting him, Brynn knew exactly the spell to fell him.She could slice through his unprotected neck like butter.Unfortunately, killing his only son would do nothing to prove her innocence to Ovrek.
“You know this is wrong,” Brynn said.“Else you wouldn’t have sent the guards away.”Brynn was fully confident that Ovrek didn’t know about this.
“You killed her,” Tolvir growled.“You’re not going to get away with it.”His accent thickened with his anger, making him harder to understand.
“The person who killed her is getting away with it.”Brynn silently prayed for him to see reason.“But it wasn’t me.Think, Tolvir.Why would I hurt an insignificant concubine?Why not your mother?Why not you?”
“She wasn’t insignificant!”Tolvir roared.
“Oh, no…” Realization struck Brynn.Tullia had told the truth about one thing, at least.“You poor boy…”
That had been the wrong thing to say.
Face still red from her burns, Tolvir picked up Brynn’s leather bag in the corner and swung it at her like a flail.
She raised her spells defensively, but in the tight space, she couldn’t retreat far enough.The satchel smacked through the first line of her spells and without Brynn having the space to retreat far enough, Tolvir closed the distance and slammed her against the tent brace, making the whole structure shake.
“Stop now!”Brynn ordered.
Tolvir wasn’t listening.His hand wrapped around her neck, slamming her back harder.
Brynn saw stars and darkness claimed the edges of her vision.
Guin bounded across the tent and attacked Tolvir’s ankle, snarling and growling.Her little teeth locked onto the back of his leg wraps as she yanked back.Tolvir kicked the puppy, sending her sprawling across the tent with a yelp.
Brynn grabbed his wrist, clawing back his sleeve.She touched bare skin and then it was over.
She sent a jolt of power through his veins.Tolvir screamed, his arm locking up as heat tore up his tendons and muscles.Dark marks singed his wool sleeve and he stumbled back, gasping and crying out in pain.
Brynn inhaled sweet air, staggering to find her balance.She pulledkainto herself, healing her neck and vocal chords.“I can do worse to you,” Brynn wheezed as her body pulled itself back together.“Leave now and we can forget this.”
With his right arm cradled against his chest, Tolvir straightened.He drew his eating knife from his belt, looking back up to her with murder in his eyes.
“Don’t,” Brynn warned.“Don’t try it.”Brynn had killed greater warriors than this atheling, faced far worse odds.
Tolvir either didn’t know or didn’t care.He dove for her.
Stupid, stupid boy.
Brynn wrapped a spell around his neck and cinched it tight.
Tolvir fell to the ground gasping.He clawed at invisible air, helpless and powerless to do anything to defend himself.
Brynn stepped over him, reaching Guin.“Come here, little girl.”
The puppy yelped as Brynn scooped her up.
“I’m sorry.”Brynn stroked Guin’s fur, feeling out the bruises.She didn’t appear to have any broken bones, so Brynn eased more power into her, healing her injuries.She left Tolvir writhing on the floor.
