Grey regen 10

With a lazy grin, Rat drew a long curved dagger from his belt and walked up to me. He kept eye contact as he drew the blade across my throat, and I could distantly feel the warmth of my blood spilling down my front.

My body collapsed to the ground, and Rat leaned over me. Although I couldn’t move, I could still feel it as the dagger plunged into my side, my back, and finally my heart. My eyes fluttered closed, and my breath stilled.

****

Once again taking her by the horn, I spun Lady Caera to face me, doing her the honor of not slitting her throat from behind. Her eyes focused on something behind me, widening, and a smile spread over her face instead of the terror I should have seen.

Turning slowly, I found Grey on his feet, his wounds healed, his skin unblemished by my blade. But I knew I had stabbed him…cut his throat, pierced his heart…the blood still soaking his clothes proved I had!

Kage cursed and drew his scimitar, but he did not get the chance to attack. A black shadow burst out of Grey’s body, slamming Kage to the ground. I hardly noticed, unable to look away from Grey’s golden eyes.

It all made sense now: that impossible confidence the man couldn’t hide. Even now I couldn’t sense his mana at all. Not because he was some odd little Sentry, capable of masking his presence…no. It was because he was just that much stronger than me…but I’d taken down bigger, stronger, harder bastards than me before.

My core ached as I pushed mana into my regalia again, casting sonic stasis. A low hum of sound vibrated out from me, the exact frequency required to interrupt the nervous system, preventing all movement.

The shadow wolf froze in place, its jaws hanging over Kage’s face, drool dripping off massive teeth. Kage was paralyzed as well, on his back under the creature, his mouth open in a howl more fear than battle-cry. Behind me, I heard Lady Caera’s breath stop in her lungs.

The golden-eyed ascender was motionless. I smirked and twirled my dagger for him to see.

“Do I need to sever your head from your neck to ensure you don’t get back up again? Perhaps, after I’ve done that, I’ll burn it just to be safe.”

Impossibly, he shook his head. “I’d rather you don’t.”

Although I could see the certainty of my own death blazing within his eyes, I refused to go down without a fight. Spinning, I lunged for Lady Caera. If I could use her as a hostage, then—

Then he was next to me, the handle of a jagged amethyst dagger glowing between his fingers, the blade in my belly. In my core. My magic released with a burst of angry static that made my ears ring. I could hear the woman’s steady breathing, and Kage’s growling as the beast pinned him to the floor.

The strength left my body as I sank to the ground at Grey’s feet. My blood flowed freely, filling the grooves of the glyph.

Above me, the golden light began to flicker. With the last piece of my strength, I stretched to see the relic.

The barrier, so long impenetrable, faded away.