Page 53 of A Court So Dark
Moving as fast as I could on all four, I lunged behind one of the mirrors just as Runik loosened a second attack. I braced myself for an explosion of glass and shards to join the splinters already embedded in my body.
Instead, I heard a muffled cry, followed by athud. I dared peek from behind the gilded mirror to find the sorcerer lying on the floor, his voluminous robes pooling around him. His own spell had bounced off the mirror and hit him.
The guards stood, Cardian on the floor between them, and stared at Runik in confusion, as if seeing him defeated was something they could have never predicted.
In unison, their gazes abandoned the sorcerer to look for me. They found me peeking from behind the mirror and drew their swords with azing, but there was something in their expressions that told me they were afraid. Had they not seen what happened? Did they think I was the one who fell Runik? They had been dragging Cardian away, so maybe they’d missed the split-second result of the sorcerer’s miscalculation.
Their scared expressions and that pressure pushing against my ribs drove me to my feet and out of my hiding place. As I stepped out, a small object hiding behind a second mirror caught my eye.
The transfer token!
It seemed luck was on my side today.
Moving casually, acting as if my heart weren’t trying to pound its way out of my chest, I picked up the token and palmed it.
“Go on. Leave.” I made a sweeping motion with my hand, trying to sound generous. “Unless you don’t value your lives and want to end up like a husk.” I stared pointedly at Cardian.
They took a step closer, brandishing their swords. Even though they looked scared of me and my threat seemed to have some effect on them, there was clearly someone else they feared more.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced toward the door we’d used to enter this peculiar room. Flinging my hair behind my shoulder, I started walking in that direction.
“As much as I would like to stay and find out why you would rather take your chances with me than whoever would skin you alive for letting me escape, I have to go.”
Moving with the grace and speed of the Fae, the guards rushed forward and blocked the exit.
“You’re not going anywhere,” one of them said.
I put a hand up and willed the energy in my chest to manifest. For a second, nothing happened, and I started to fear that the attack I’d unleashed on Varamede had been a fluke, but then a ball of light appeared there, powerful and threatening. I stared at it in awe. It was beautiful, really, and it threatened to hypnotize me with its dancing quality. It was nearly blinding, like a million diamonds reflecting sunlight and bouncing back and forth.
“I don’t want to shoot your hearts out of your chest, but if I must, I will do it.” As I said the last word, I peeled my eyes away from the beautiful display and stared at the guards with murderous intent.
Part of me wanted to pretend I only wished to intimidate them, but another part of me knew I was capable of delivering on my promises.
One of the guards inhaled deeply and the other one sniffled. They were afraid, all right, but still, I was promising them a swift death, which was likely much better than what they would receive from… whom? Cardian, if he survived? No. I had a feeling it wasn’t Cardian.
I had a feeling it was Kellam Mythorne that terrified them so.
They pressed forward, pointing their swords straight at my chest.
“I warned you.” I jerked both hands forward and released the blazing heat of my light power.
As time slowed, I imagined them limp on the floor, gaping holes in their chest. It was a horrific tableau, and in the last instant, I prevailed over the darker side of me, and I held back, quickly changing the direction and intensity of my attack and aiming it at their faces.
A weaker beam of light hit them. They screamed. Their swords clattered to the floor as they pressed their hands to their faces and stumbled around drunkenly.
Oh, God!Had I blinded them for life? The thought horrified me, but I couldn’t linger on it. I had to get out of here, and at least I had spared their lives.
I started to run back toward Kalyll, then stopped short. The pressure around my chest wasn’t strong, and I feared the energy left in me wouldn’t be enough to pierce the sphere. Whirling around, I looked at the guards. They were screaming, palms pressed to their eyes. One of them was on his knees, speaking words in a language I didn’t understand. The other one was weeping and shaking his head.
My hands tingled. I needed more energy. I would have to kill one of them, after all. Then I noticed something, something moving under Runik’s robes. He wasn’t dead. Heedlessly, I ran to him. Peeling his hood back I nearly screamed at the sight of his face. It was twisted and contorted, the mouth a slash with no lips that revealed a rictus grin. Hundreds of small scars like slashes from a razor marred his weathered skin, and wisps of hair clung to a pale scalp.
“You tortured Kalyll,” I said, wrapping my hands around his neck.
His eyes sprang open. They were clouded and small specks of black moved inside them like ants. I resisted the urge to vomit and started drawing his energy just as he attempted to fight back. In an instant, I was done. His face was even more hideous than before, dried out and cracked.
“You’ll never hurt anyone again,” I spat.
There was someone else in this room who deserved the same fate. I let go of the sorcerer, stretched to my full height, and turned toward Cardian. I took two steps toward him, determined to end him.
