Page 7 of Awakened and Betrayed
I move toward the door, but Nash steps into my path, and I stop. I give him an irritated glare.
“Is that a problem?”
He doesn’t move or answer, just shoots a quick look to the others. I follow his gaze and notice that each of them are on their feet like they’re ready and waiting to spring into action.
“Am I a fucking prisoner here?”
Enoch steps towards me, and I tense automatically.
“Not exactly, but wandering off on your own is probably not the wisest move given what happened last time.”
“And who gave you dominion over mymovesand decisions? I sure as hell didn’t.”
Enoch takes another step towards me, his eyes simmering with frustration. “By the moon, Vinna, is self-preservation not one of your many abilities?”
My eyes bounce quickly around the room before locking back on Enoch’s exasperated gaze. “Guess not,” I answer straight-faced, and then shove Nash out of my way.
He lets out a surprised yelp as I sprint for the door. I fling it open and dash out into the thick warm air. Curses and shouting sound off behind me, but I don’t give a shit. I pump my arms and dig in with my legs, quickly falling into a fast run. I don’t have time to assess my surroundings and come up with a solid plan for evasion, because the heavy pounding of footfall is loud and ominous behind me. I’ll just have to wing it.
A shimmering green wall of magic shoots up fifteen feet in front of me, and there’s no way to avoid it unless I stop. I’m not giving in that easy though. They’re going to have to do a hell of a lot more than put up a shiny magic wall and think that’s going to be enough.Come on runes, don’t fail me now. I angle my body so it’ll hit the magic barrier shoulder first and I continue to charge like a raging bull.
A familiar tingling sweeps over me as I slam into the green-tinted magic. There’s enough resistance in the barrier to sting as my shoulder makes contact and it’s probably going to leave a bruise. But it only slows me a little before the barrier shatters all around me as I force my way through. I run for the stone wall that borders Enoch’s property. I call on the runes on my legs, coaxing extra power from them so I can leap high enough to clear the ten-foot wall. Suddenly with my next stride, the ground is no longer solid beneath my feet. The hole that just formed beneath my foot throws me off balance, and I trip, smashing into the groundhard.
Momentum tries to force me to skid forward through the grass, but something solid is holding on to my foot, and I’m jerked and stretched into a forced stop. It fucking hurts. I feel for whatever’s now surrounding my calf and ankle. I look down to find that my foot is surrounded by grass and dirt.What the hell?I look like I’ve somehow grown out of the soil, like a fucking flower ready to bloom.
I can’t remember which one of these assholes has elemental magic, but I know I have them to thank for this.Stupid prick, I could have broken my fucking ankle.I know Nash could technically heal it, but I’m sure it would hurt like hell before that could happen. I pull on my calf but it doesn’t budge, and I’m aware that the others are running towards me. The lead I had disappears like sand through my fingers.
Thinking back to everything I’ve read so far about elemental magic, I call on mine and push my palm towards the earth surrounding my foot. Nothing happens. I try again to separate the grass and soil from my entombed leg, but my inability to make anything happen is laughable. I let out a frustrated growl. How the hell can I do half the shit I do, but I can’t make the ground willingly release my foot when I want it to?
I give up on trying to force my fickle magic to cooperate and instead focus on muscling my foot out of the ground. I painstakingly pull and jimmy myself free and then flip the bird to the hole left behind in the grass.
I get up, and I get ready. I’ve got maybe ten seconds until irritated, bossy male casters surround me, and I fully intend to put up at least a half-assed fight. Contrary to how this looks, I’m not actually trying to escape. The fucked up truth is, I don’t have anywhere to go. But when each of them stood up to stop me, so sure that I would have no choice but toobey, I couldn’t fight the overwhelming need to give them, and their attempt at control, a littlefuck you.
They close in around me, hands raised with magic and ready to keep me at bay. My lack of magical ability is clearly going to put me at a massive disadvantage. The fact that the earth just ate my foot, and I couldn’t do shit about it, is a brutal reminder of just how fucked I am fighting magic with magic.
My go-to selection of blades aren’t an option, since I’m not trying to kill or maim anyone, and I quickly run through what else in my arsenal might piss them off and give me a leg up without making them bleed...too much.
5
My new prison wardens form a semicircle around me, assessing me and my defensive stance as they come to a stop. Staff in hand, I wait to see who’s going to make the first move. I’m met by narrowed eyes and various looks of irritation. In an effort to sprinkle a little more intimidation around, I expertly twirl and maneuver my staff around me in a way that would make Donatello jealous.
Pebble moves towards me but stops suddenly when Enoch and Kallan start yelling at him.
“If you go near her when she has a weapon in her hand, you’ll be out of this fight in seconds,” Enoch warns him.
Pebble looks back at me, and I can see the doubtful debate going on in his head.
“Trust us, bro, that is a fight you can’t win. Use your magic, that’s your best bet.”
I call on a throwing knife and chuck it at Kallan. I make sure to only hit him with the handle of the small blade, but I throw it with enough force that it will leave a nasty bruise. The hilt connects with his shoulder creating a hollow thunk sound, and the weapon tumbles toward the ground. I let go of the magic holding the small blade solid, and it disappears before it touches the ground.
“What the fuck?” Kallan shouts.
He drops whatever magic he had ready in his hands and massages his shoulder with a wince.
“You’re just going to sell me out to Pebble like that?” I accuse him, trying not to grin. “I would have only knocked him around a little. Just enough to wipe that cocky grin off his face.”
On cue, everyone looks over at the paladin, where surprise, surprise, he’s smiling that overconfident, smartass smile.
