Page 198 of Sword & Shadow
“Split up?” Auden asked dubiously.
“Two and three?” Ethenn suggested between his shots. “You and Evie go together. I’ll help the Calders.”
Deckard gave Evylin the opportunity to object. Instead, she took his hand and pulled the Night Relic from around her neck. It beamed a brilliant purple, a tremor of power threading through her hand and into his as it shifted into a sword.
“We run,” Evylin said.
Without another word, Deckard and Evylin rushed down the stairs, slipping past the Calders and Ethenn, stepping immediately into their own timeline together. They charged into the fray of Shades, bolts of Day shining past them. Auden’s magic moved at a fraction of a second behind Deckard and Evylin’s pace. Fire twisted around them, flying along with silver arrows.
The warmth of magic spread over Deckard’s skin, and he grabbed hold of it, sending its power surging through his veins. Hours of training with Auden had honed his connection withthe resources. While he still struggled to access Day or Time magic, as the highlord wished he would, hehadfound himself readily accessing the steady and expansive thrum of his primary resource—Night. Now, it whispered in his ears, urging him to access the well of power within him.
Deckard didn’t fully grasphowhe knew how to wield the resource. It wasn’t something he thought should be natural. However, he leaned into Hewitt’s training so long ago:“You don’t think about it. You do it.”
So without bothering to consider his actions, Deckard let the magic flow through him. The very edges of his vision darkened as he sent a single spiral of crystalline magic into the mass of Shades. The onyx-like shadow swirled and separated, piercing through three Shades at once. Ivory sand tumbled onto the glass floor.
Meeting the army of Shades, Evylin slashed through one and swept the legs out from under another before cutting it down too. She had to bend backward to avoid the attack of a new Shade. Deckard slammed his tricep into the Shade’s head, dazing it as Evylin regained her balance and drove the Night sword into the creature’s chest in a brilliant arc of violet light.
Deckard returned his focus to his magic, sending individual shadows in a sweep of glittering shards through a whole line of Shades. Each shadow dissipated too quickly. Without the ability to use both of his hands, the gestures felt weak and disjointed, as though he were fighting at half his strength.
Evylin’s fingers tightened on his, sending a tingling sensation up his arm. She wielded her sword with choppier thrusts than usual, her movements more erratic than graceful. As much as Deckard couldn’t help but enjoy their contact after so long apart, it hampered them both.
“On your left,” Evylin said but didn’t wait for him to heed her warning. She lifted their hands above her head, spinning underthem as though in a dance. Then she lunged in front of him, the Night sword’s vibrant purple glow slicing up into the Shade only inches from his side.
Deckard thought to thank her, but all his effort was focused on maintaining the small bursts of his power he was able to send forth into the fray.
“I need both hands,” Evylin said, shifting her feet as she struggled to defend.
Unable to assist her, Deckard twisted his free hand, guiding his dampened magic. “So do I.”
A Shade leaped at them, and Evylin swiped it down. Sand crashed into them both at its death. “Then we take turns,” she said and released his hand.
For a fraction of a second, Deckard moved more slowly than Evylin. Then her hand hit the middle of his back as she stepped behind him.
Time resumed its fast pace, and a fresh wave of focus hit Deckard. Heat coated his body, the magic filling him with its voracity. It murmured in his ears excitedly. The world turned a shade darker, and he raised both hands.
A powerful wave of magic broke forth, creating a wall of shimmering black crystals with a tinge of purple in their facets. A mound of sand was left in its wake.
With the Shades destroyed, Deckard looked for the Calders and Ethenn. They had made it much farther ahead in the Keep, Ethenn standing between the two Mages, sending off flurries of arrows. Fire and Day flashed around them as they made quick time toward the Chamber.
“We’ve got to catch up,” Deckard said.
Evylin’s hand dragged across his back and down his arm. “Hold onto me,” she ordered.
Forgoing her hand, Deckard placed his hand on her shoulder to allow her as much range of motion as possible. “Go,” he said, and they set off at a sprint.
The Night sword’s radiant amethyst glow reflected off the stark white glass of the room as she tore through oncoming Shades. Deckard’s dark shadows, weaker once more, aided where they could. They shuffled over the sand of fallen opponents, careful not to slide over the slick surface.
The hum of their attackers pounded in Deckard’s head, the steady clanging rhythm jarring. He clung to his concentration, letting Evylin’s steady presence guide his focus. Darkness severed dozens of Shades as his hand guided the shards through the air.
Halfway through the Keep, Evylin stopped as another wave made its approach. There were too many of them to count, and while Deckard and Evylin defended themselves readily, it halted their progress. Deckard’s shadows fended them off as a ranged attack while Evylin’s sword caught any that broke through his guard. However, without both of his hands and total attention, too many managed to slip past him.
Sand turned into tiny mountains at their sides. Evylin darted across to Deckard’s right, pulling her out of his grasp. His hand began to fall from her shoulder—time slowed—then she caught it—and time sped back up. He regained control of the crystalline shadows as she and her sword danced at his side. More Shades dropped.
Then Evylin spun. “Over,” she called.
Deckard didn’t even question his instincts. He bent down, and Evylin released his hand. A slow second ticked past. Evylin launched herself up, rolling over his back and landing to cut down a Shade on the other side.
Sand sprayed.
