You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
"Suffer, pay, regret I was ever born?" I suggested.<br />
I remembered fighting with my mom, how I'd been on the defensive the whole time. That<br />
wouldn't work this time. I had to attack. Jabbing forward, I tried to land a blow on Elena. No<br />
luck. She anticipated my every move.<br />
Suddenly, from behind her, Isaiah groaned as he started to come around. She glanced back, the<br />
smallest of motions that let me swipe the sword across her chest. It cut the fabric of her shirt<br />
and grazed the skin, but nothing more. Still, she flinched and looked down in panic. I think the<br />
glass going through Isaiah's heart was still fresh in her mind.<br />
And that was what I really needed.<br />
I mustered all my strength, drew back, and swung.<br />
The sword's blade hit the side of her neck, hard and deep. She gave a horrible, sickening cry, a<br />
shriek that made my skin crawl. She tried to move toward me. I pulled back and hit again. Her<br />
hands clutched at her throat, and her knees gave way. I struck and struck, the sword digging<br />
deeper into her neck each time. Cutting off someone's head was harder than I'd thought it would<br />
be. The old, dull sword probably wasn't helping.<br />
But finally, I gained enough sense to realize she wasn't moving. Her head lay there, detached<br />
from her body, her dead eyes looking up at me as though she couldn't believe what had<br />
happened. That made two of us.<br />
Someone was screaming, and for a surreal second, I thought it was still Elena. Then I lifted my<br />
eyes and looked across the room. Mia stood in the doorway, eyes bugging out and skin tinged<br />
green like she might throw up. Distantly, in the back of my mind, I realized she was the one<br />
who'd made the aquarium explode. Water magic apparently wasn't worthless after all.<br />
Still a bit shaken, Isaiah tried to rise to his feet. But I was on him before he could fully manage<br />
it. The sword sang out, wreaking blood and pain with each blow. I felt like an old pro now.<br />
Isaiah fell back to the floor. In my mind, I kept seeing him break Mason's neck, and I hacked<br />
and hacked as hard as I could, as though striking fiercely enough might somehow banish the<br />
memory.
Change language