I feel her fear thicken through the bond.
I can handle this. Do you trust me?I plead.
Those beautiful eyes meet mine again. I stroke her soft skin and snarled hair. She finally says the one word that sets me free.
Yes.
Then stay here and close your eyes.
A flood of emotions open to me, but her thoughts shut. I slide away from her, and her eyes close tightly. I fashion a sword from the ground beneath my hands. Stones swirl into a thick, sharp edge, perfect for lobbing off the head of a giant.
The warrior lowers himself into the pit, sealing his fate as a dead man.
Confused sounds come from deep within the ground.
The heat of anger blocks out the chill of night, and I feel the way that the ground beneath him gives and moves in time withhis steps. I whisper to the stones, telling them of his sins. Of his ugly, pathetic excuse for a life.
When I land on the ground behind him with a thud, the stones reach toward me, their old friend.
"What are you doing here?" I growl. My spell light illuminates the space.
He turns to look at me, then staggers back.
"You. What the hell are you doing here? Where's the whore?"
The giant’s eyes land firmly on the sword in my hand. His eyes widen to the point of bulging out of his skull and his hand feebly goes to that whip on his hip, which carries the blood of gods know how many beings.
"Before you die, you should know you disgust me," I say calmly. "And no one will mourn your passing."
He protests, but I raise the sword and slice. It sings through his flesh, relieving the body of his enormous head. It falls to the ground, onto the spot I had cleaned for Melisa. I reach deeper into the ground, feeling the drain on my power as I let the stone take him. It opens and encapsulates him with ease, but I'm left panting in the end.
The long hours, the worry, and the lack of sleep while tending to Melisa all weigh on me, and I sag to the ground.
Ra'Sa?
It is done,Ruh’flor.
The sweet tones of her voice caress my mind. Her voice could call me back from death itself. I do not know how I ever existed without her presence.
I let out a deep sigh and reach toward the ladder, only to stumble and then sag back against the ground.
"Ra'Sa!" She calls, coming down with me, and fixing the pit’s cover back into place.
She draws me up into her arms, but I'm barely aware. She lacks my strength, but her soft curves pressed against me is enough.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Too much magic. It’s been too long since I used so much,” I say, swallowing to ease my bone-dry mouth.
She makes a frustrated sound, then brings us both on the ground. “Lay your head on me. Close your eyes.”
Obeying her words, I rest my head onto her lap. Instant relief soothes my aching head.
“You shouldn’t have killed him,” she mutters.
I take a deep breath, enjoying her scent. “What man would I have been if I hadn’t?”
She lets out a long breath. “I don’t know what was wrong with me. He sounded drunk—I should’ve just flirted with him. It would’ve been over quickly and?—”