Page 201 of Sword & Shadow
Taking Ethenn and Ilain’s distraction as her opportunity, Evylin listened to the whisper of her Warrior instincts. She pushed off the glass floor, leaping to climb onto the snake’s back. The width and height of the rounded body were almost twice her size. It should have been an impossible leap. But Evylin felt the charge of magic in her muscles, and when she jumped, her body flew through the air.
Evylin landed squarely on the creature’s back. Raising her fiery sword, she slashed at the thick scales. They crackled, fissures popping and spreading, but to her frustration, the heat of the flames only turned the sand to glass, effectively resealing the wounds.
She cursed as the serpent’s body shifted under her feet, writhing in protest as she attacked. Her footing dislodged, she sprang off its back, tucking and rolling to break her fall. Darting for Ethenn and Ilain, Evylin grabbed the Warrior’s arm and proffered the ruby sword.
“I need the Wind Relic,” she said.
In one swift move, Ethenn tossed his bow, and she flicked her sword into the air. They caught them simultaneously. In his hands, the Fire Relic transformed into a cherry wood bow with a gold grip and veins of flickering rubies running along its limb. The Wind Relic became a silver, dual-ended sword.
“Go!” Ethenn shoved Evylin away as the Guardian’s gaping maw descended. It slammed the glassy floor where they’d just stood.
While Ethenn and Ilain darted toward the dais and the Time Relic, Evylin sprinted straight for the Guardian. She spun the Wind sword in her hand. Its narrow handle was too short for her liking, so she tested the boundaries of her control, imagining the shaft growing longer. The Relic listened.
In her hand, the Wind sword’s center hilt lengthened, becoming something between a staff and a sword. Reaching the snake’s side, Evylin slashed with the sword, a deep cut splitting its glassy skin. White sand poured from the wound as the Guardian hissed in rage.
Evylin smiled. “All right,” she whispered, striking again with both ends of the sword. “Let’s dance, shall we?”
A flaming arrow pierced the side of the serpent’s head, distracting it. Evylin leaped onto its back once more. Using the staff-like sword, she spun her wrists left and right, over and over, as she paced down the Guardian’s back. Stripes gaped along its scales, sand leaking from the wounds.
The snake noticed her nonchalant parade, twisting to strike at her.
Evylin dropped to her stomach, the breath puffing from her lungs as the creature’s head sailed over her body. It coiled over itself, and she pushed back to her feet. Holding her balance proved precarious as the Guardian slithered, readjusting to attack again. Another of Ethenn’s arrows struck its jaw.
With Auden and Deckard’s power combined, Evylin had hoped they’d have killed the creature by now. She glanced their way, realizing suddenly the reason for their delay. The men were on a separate timeline. Out of the five of them, she and Ethenn seemed to move at the fastest speed. Their ability had something to do with being Warriors, she supposed. Deckard and the Calders were much slower to gain ground.
She looked ahead. Ethenn and Ilain were close to the dais. Retrieving that Relic was essential if Deckard and Auden were going to defeat the Guardian.
The serpent’s body rolled under Evylin’s feet. She didn’t have the luxury to watch Ethenn and Ilain’s progress. With a fierce jab, Evylin punctured the Guardian’s hide with one end of the Wind sword. Ensuring it was firmly embedded, she ran, dragging the blade with her. Her muscles flexed, fighting the drag of the weapon. It tore a long gash, sending a waterfall of sand over its side.
The Guardian let out a garbled cry in pain.
Evylin slid across its back, dodging its strikes. Her feet shifted with its movements, her abdomen flexing to maintain her balance. She spun the sword and sliced another stripe, letting the sand puddle on the ground below them. With every move and swipe, her body listened readily. Her senses were perfectly attuned to the world around her, regulating the brightness, the sounds, and the exertion.
The Guardian drew back to strike again. A line of silver and gold arrows stuck out of its body, neck, and head. Each reflected off the glassy scales. She planted her feet, ready for the Guardian’s attack.
When the serpent snapped, Evylin pushed off its back and tucked her knees. Flipping head over heels, she sailed through the air. The Guardian rammed into a nearby column. Evylin landed on the diamond-shaped head, her feet planted right between its long, branching horns. She spun the Wind sword, chopping one of the horns in half.
The beast raised its head, hissing in rage.
Evylin rocked with its thrashing. She crouched and gripped the remaining horn to keep her footing. Ethenn’s drawn-out call reached her ears, her name slowed by Time.
She slammed the Wind sword’s blade into the serpent’s head, holding on as she turned toward the dais. Ilain stood at Ethenn’s side, Relic in hand. They were still moving at a slower pace than she was. She watched Ilain hand the glimmering Time Relic to him with what looked like languid movements.
In Ethenn’s hand, the Fire bow became a sling. He fitted the Time Relic inside and prepared, his eyes locking with Evylin’s.
She gave him a nod, and he reared back, twirling the sling, then released.
The Time Relic sailed through the air.
Evylin steadied herself, watching carefully. Given their varying timelines, she had to pace herself with Ethenn and Ilain. The projectile flew steadily toward her. She took a deep breath, watching its course. Pulling the Wind sword free, she relied even more on the magic within her.
The world slowed down just as it had in Dunneshead. She could see everything in infinitesimal clarity. Ethenn and Ilain watched, wide-eyed and hopeful. Deckard and Auden stood at the back, clasping one another’s arms, hearts pounding. Sand flowed from the Guardian’s wounds as it slithered and wriggled, trying to displace her from its head.
The Time Relic glided through the air, its path too low for her to catch.
Evylin pressed her lips together and ran. The Wind sword shifted again, becoming a short sword. She jumped off the back of the serpent’s head, jamming the sword into its neck, slowing her descent. Sand poured out of the slit over her. She spluttered, shaking her head and spitting out the grit. Then she released the sword, pushing off the Guardian’s neck.
Evylin dove, extending her hand as far as she could.
