The gods have mercy!
Why am I plagued by Calcites with air magic?
Her green eyes lock onto Finn, and before I can blink, she raises her hand. The air around Finn shimmers and distorts. His eyes widen, and his mouth opens in a silent gasp. Horror impales me as he falls to the ground, clutching at his throat.
I surge forward, yank his broadsword from his weapon belt, and rise with it in hand. “Stay away from us.”
Unfortunately, Alvina just smiles at me. “I’m not here to harm you, little spy.”
Little spy?
I’m not little. I’m short! There’s a difference.
I adopt a cool tone as I lift Finn’s sword higher. “What do you want from me?”
“What do I want?” She rolls her eyes. “Has anyone ever taught you proper manners?”
Indignation flares through me. “You’re the one who...” My focus darts to Finn’s unconscious form, and I note the rise and fall of his chest.Thank the gods, he’s still alive.“...just incapacitated my guard. And yet, you have the audacity to scold me about manners?”
Alvina reaches into the bag tied to her waist and yanks out a leather pouch. “Add this to Cenric’s tea.”
I lift Finn’s sword even higher. “Tea? Cenric doesn’t drink tea.”
She steps closer. “Drop the sword, Everly.”
Instead of listening to her, I tighten my grip and step back, daring her to try to take it from me. I’ll cut her before I give up this weapon.
Alvina raises her hand, and the air distorts like heat waves rising from sunbaked stones. An invisible force yanks at the sword, and I struggle to maintain my grip, but it’s like trying to hold on to a slippery fish. The more I try to hold on, the more it slips away. The weapon wrenches free and soars through the air, landing beyond my reach.
I gasp, darting my eyes between the sword and Alvina.
“Now,” Alvina says, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Isn’t that better? There’s no need for violence between us.”
“Magic is violence,” I say through my teeth. “Especially when you use it to control others.”
She ignores me and drops the leather pouch into my hand. “Add this to Cenric’s tea.”
“I already told you. He doesn’t drink tea.”
She rolls her eyes and lets out a huff of frustration. “I don’t give a damn how you do it. Just make sure it gets done.”
I let the pouch fall to the forest floor, my voicefirm. “No.”
Alvina’s eyes narrow as she leans down to scoop up the pouch. “You will. Or I will ensure that your friend here pays the price.” Before I can react, she places her foot against Finn’s throat, applying enough pressure to make her threat clear. “Is that what you want? To be responsible for this man’s death?”
“I’m not a fool,” I say as I look at the pouch still clutched in her hands. “Whatever vile concoction you have in there will probably kill Cenric. I won’t be a part of that.”
Her cloak slips down her shoulder as she shrugs. “Why does that bother you? He’s the nephew of the man who keeps outsiders like you on the fringes of society.”
It doesn’t matter who Cenric is related to or what his uncle has done. Murder is still wrong, no matter how Alvina tries to justify it.
I square my shoulders and meet her gaze head-on, my voice unwavering. “I will not help you murder people, Alvina. I don’t care who they are or what they’ve done. I won’t have blood on my hands.”
Alvina’s eyes darken like the sky during a thunderstorm. “You will regret this decision. I gave you a chance to do this the easy way, but now...” She raises her hand, and the air around Finn shimmers.
“No!” The scream rips from me as I lunge forward to stop her. She throws up her hands, and a gust of wind slams into me, knocking me back.
I hit the dirt hard, the impact jarring my bones. Frantic, I try to gain my feet, to reach Finn, but her magic keeps me rooted to the ground.
