I threw my dagger. It carved through the empty air, spinning into the alley. A moment later, a narrow sword appeared in Took's back.

Lira dodged my dagger, but didn't have time to pull out her weapon.

Good.

I knelt, grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in the air. The dust settled, the small stones sprinkling on the ground, but not outlining a humanoid shape.

Where are you?

Took's body shook. The sword in his back slid out of his wound and floated to my left.

There she is!

I leapt forward, slashing downward with my short sword. The floating sword whipped up, meeting my weapon in the bind.

An invisible kick to the inside of my lead leg broke my stance. I grunted, falling to one knee. The hovering sword raised in the air and chopped down at my right shoulder. I blocked the strike with my short sword, willing my dagger in my right hand and slashing in a wide arc in front of me. The dagger's blade slapped against the leather armour of her leg.

I used the distraction to cross my short sword with my dagger and trap her sword's blade. Two hands against one, I forced myself to my feet and pushed her sword back.

Lira was injured and fighting with her off hand.

I could win!

"There you are."

I turned to the alleyway.

Van Lagos emerged from the shadows with a wild gleam in his eyes, blood splattering his leather breastplate. In his right hand, he held a scimitar. In his left, another made of orange-red fire.

Shit.

Van Lagos lunged forward, lashing out with a diagonal slash of roaring flames.

I kicked off Lira's stomach to stumble back and create distance from the invisible noble. I let myself fall, the arc of fire flying inches from my face. I tucked my legs to my chest, using the momentum to roll over my shoulder and into a crouch. I glanced from Van Lagos to the floating sword in front of me.

There was only one thing to do.

I ran.

I dashed across the main road, my shoulders tensed, waiting for the blow to my back.

Instead, the attack came from above.

The motes of fire hovering overhead rained down like a hundred tiny spears.

Spirits below!

I cut a serpentine path across the open ground, narrowly avoiding the shafts of fire that sizzled behind my boot heels.

At the final stretch, I jumped, landing face-first through the broken entrance of the nearest house.

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THUD!

Metallic dust filled my mouth. I raised my head, blinking the particles out of my eyes. A lone table stood on my left, surrounded by a family of chairs. A rusted pot hung from a tripod above a fire pit. Two cots next to the back wall rounded out the room, with a gaping hole between them. I crawled toward it, knocking aside an old wooden bowl.

As I crawled, the room became clearer.

No, brighter.

I lifted my head to a burning thatched roof. I got to my feet and ducked as a fiery spear shot through the window. I stumbled out of the hole, pressing my back against the wall and finally took a moment to breathe.

I needed space. I needed time. I needed a plan.

I poured will into my jacket and ran off to find my friends.

# # #

I used the narrow alleyways between houses to circle back to the battlefield, ducking into the broken back wall of another abandoned home. I leaned against the wall, dropping the enchantment and catching my breath.

I had no doubt Lira and Van were still hunting me, but that wasn't my only problem. Hunger and fatigue were eating away at my will. If I didn't end this fight soon, they would catch up to me before my enemies.

"Hold this line or I'll fuck your mothers!"

My ears perked up at the familiar voice coming from the other side of the house.

I pushed myself off the wall and poured will into my jacket. I crept to the front of the house and peeked through a smashed window.

It was Castille!

She was alive. She was better than alive. Castille was leading Rugar's mercenaries! She formed a line with a handful of survivors on the left side of the battlefield. Four houses away, I recognized the cloaked figure working her magic behind the mercenaries.

Isla!

I breathed a sigh of relief. Together, they were beating back the remains of the Lagos cartel. Without Lira and Van Lagos, their forces were falling apart.

I almost laughed. Instead, I froze.

My will consumption spiked. Someone was watching me.

In a split second, I made the biggest gamble of my life.

I did nothing.

If it were Van Lagos, I would be burned alive, but if it wasn't...

Yes!

Instead of the crackle of flame, I was greeted by silence. It was Lira. Her Landbound ability let her see through my jacket's enchantment.

While I looked out of the window, she was moving closer. I held my weapons tight to my body, stifling a yawn as my will was exhausted.

The corners of my vision darkened.

I steadied my breathing.

The timing had to be perfect.

One...

Two...

Three!

I whipped around, throwing my dagger in front of me. It was swatted aside, the sharp end stabbing into the white plaster wall.

A heartbeat later, something sharp stabbed into my right shoulder.

"..."

I screamed, slashing my short sword at where I guessed her left arm would be.

My weapon slapped against something hard. The sword tip in my shoulder was ripped free, and a second later, Lira's sword fell to the floor without a sound.

An invisible fist slammed into the side of my face. The world tilted. I stumbled back, right hand grasping for something to keep me upright.

I burst through the front door, falling in front of the entrance.

I blinked the stars out of my eyes, pushing off my right elbow and left foot to put distance between me and the entrance.

"Aren't you tired of running, Jacob?"

I let out a frustrated sigh.

To my right, Van Lagos loped toward me with his scimitars lowered to his sides.

I grimaced, moving my short sword to my right hand. There was one last trick I could play, and I only had one chance to get it right.

"Why delay the inevitable? It's time to end this," Van Lagos said.

I flashed him a tired smile.

"You're right. It's time."

Lira appeared in the doorway. Her right arm was still wrapped in a sling.

"Van, wait. We need him alive to find the gold."

Van Lagos raised an eyebrow.

"Is money all you care about, Lira? My brother died like a dog, and he still draws breath."

"Van, please… We need that gold."

He sighed, staring at me for a long, hard moment. Our eyes met, and for a moment, the world became silent.

Van Lagos shook his head.

"No… No, on this night you die, Jacob. On this night, my brother is avenged."

He raised the fiery scimitar in his left hand.

"Wait!" Lira shouted.

He ignored her, his full attention was on me.

Perfect!

I poured will into my jacket. Van Lagos' eyes snapped to the sky. I willed my dagger into my left hand. As darkness flooded my vision, I used my last bit of strength to throw it in a perfect arc at Van Lagos.

And my dagger found flesh.

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