Page 34 of Ransomed to the World
If she could hold him off for five minutes, the potion would fade.
And she would lose him forever.
Not acceptable.
She could try to knock him out, but she knew from experience that the fucker had a thick skull. Chances of her being able to take him down without injury were slim to none. Running was not an option.
She managed to dodge his first swing, but she’d forgotten how incredibly quick he could move. Before she could back out of range, his fingers tangled in her long hair. She twisted, pain prickling along her scalp, and she quickly lifted her blade, slicing cleanly through the strands.
Annora called on the afterworld, hoping to hide in the darkness, but he just charged through it like he could sense her.
Shit…the potion.
When he came at her again, she picked up one of the large femur bones and slammed it down on the hand reaching for her, wincing when she heard his bones crack. Instead of retreating, he gave a roar of challenge, and his fist flew.
She barely lifted the femur she held up in time, but it might as well have been a toothpick. The bone snapped under the blow, and she found herself flying backwards. She landed in a pile of bodies that fell apart under her with a crunch of bone. She scrambled to pull herself out of the corpses, putrid liquid squelching with her every move, the decaying bodies seeming to be doing their best to hold her down.
One of the trolls behind her kicked out, sending her sprawling back into the center of the cavern, and she barely managed to hang onto her sword.
Flora gave a cackling laugh, scratching a spot on her neck, oblivious to her skin peeling away or the blood trickling down her throat.
Annora dragged herself to her feet, pain rippling down her spine as she moved. She had at least one broken rib, if not more. Her hip was bruised, and the arm that held the bone felt like a wet noodle after the numbing blow he gave her.
Instead of letting the pain cripple her, she embraced it until she was aware of every inch of her body. But she knew her limits. Too much more damage, and it would affect her reaction time.
No, there was only one way to end this—she just needed to be brave enough to do it.
When he charged at her next, she inhaled deeply and held her ground, her sword dangling at her side. Instead of plowing her over, he reached out, his hand closing around her throat, his fingers nearly encircling her neck.
He hauled her off her feet, and she knew from experience not to struggle. His hold was unbreakable. She would only succeed in ripping out her own throat. She grabbed his wrist in the effort to support some of her own weight and keep her neck from snapping. Her hand came to rest over the mating mark, and she felt a spark flow between them. When he pulled her closer, she released the breath she’d been holding, and a wave of dark particles streamed out from her parted lips to dust the air between them. It hit his face, seeping into his nose and clouding his eyes.
His hand tightened, and her head swam dangerously, the room dimming.
Then his grip loosened, awareness flooding his eyes, their natural lavender color blooming bright, tiny shards of black from the afterworld lingering, keeping him sane. His hair swayed forward, static crackling, the strands caressing her face as recognition settled in him.
Horror widened his eyes when he realized his hand was wrapped around her throat. When he would’ve dropped her as if she burned him, she tightened her grip on his wrist.
We only have one shot to take out Flora.
He gave a barely-perceptible nod.
Throw me.
He winced, but didn’t protest. They had to get this right on the first shot. As soon as the bitch figured out Mason was no longer hers to command, they were both dead.
It was a risk.
It was also their only chance.
Mason must have agreed. His body bulked up more, if that was possible, like he’d been holding himself back despite the potion. He stood at least eight feet tall, and she dangled from his grip like a toddler. He searched her face, as if memorizing her features, and worry flitted through her mind about what he had planned.
Mason—don’t do anything stupid.
She didn’t have time to say more. He whirled, sending her flying through the air. Annora barely stifled her squeak and quickly brought up her sword, chuckling at the shocked expression on Flora’s face. Unfortunately, the bitch was fast and dodged out of the way.
Instead of taking Flora’s head, the sword sliced into her arm. Annora had enough time to see the appendage was dangling by just a tiny bit of flesh before the ground came rushing up. She rolled, plowing through a pile of bones, then collided with the cave wall with a resounding thump that stole her breath.
“You fucking bitch!” Flora glared, rage leaving her eyes gleaming red. Black blood splattered the ground. Ignoring her injury, Flora grabbed a stalagmite nearest her, snapped it off, then launched it through the air like a spear.
