Page 114 of Down from the Tower

Two guards rush at her. The clover and the spade. I redirect my attention for a moment, sliding into the shadows and shifting just behind them.

The first I slash in the throat with my scythe, the second I stab through the jugular with my other blade. I haven’t gotten to truly fight with the living in quite some time, and now it doesn’t feel like the gold is keeping me from my strength.

Neither strike is enough to kill these superhuman men, and I didn’t expect them to. Taking hold of the first man's chin as he falls, I let the shadows free from my palms and rip his chin back forcefully.

The tearing sound of flesh is barely audible over everything else, and I leave his head partially attached when I feel his soul snap free of his body. Turning to the other, I twist my fingers in an arch and send the shadows forward, down, straight through his open mouth as he goes to scream. They surge down his throat, making him gape in horror.

I spread two fingers, stretching them, watching as he chokes around the feel of being stretched, stretched, stretched…

His body tears apart at the seams, the shadows stretching his skin and bones past their limits. It takes a moment longer for his spirit to separate, and I don’t bother dealing with their souls as I face the other two. I spare a glance for Rapunzel who stands against the Queen whose hands pulse with magic. Midas lies unmoving not far off, but the slight rise and fall of his chest explains why his soul still isn’t in my domain.

I quickly take out the man carved with a heart as Rapunzel does something I miss, and the two women scream bloody murder at each other. I go to grab the last man with the diamond scar, but he twists at the last moment, one of his swords catching me in the side of the head.

I miss his move because I’m watching her. Rapunzel spins around the clearing, alternating between her hands and hair a bit unevenly, dodging the Queen’s attacks. The Queen’s wrist is bent the wrong direction, and she seems to be avoiding using it now that Rapunzel broke it.

Stumbling from the blow, I twist and try to hit the man with the butt of my scythe. He’s more resilient, kicking hard at my side to knock me off balance, and he jumps over to land on top of me. I grunt, and he uses all his strength to grab the scythe and rip it away from me.

“Death to you, Reaper,” he snarls. “I look forward to taking your place.”

The words hardly register. If the Queen plans to replace the Reapers, she needs stronger men.

Losing the scythe isn’t the end, so I call the shadows forward and use their dark strength to squeeze his neck. He doesn’t have control of the darkness like I do, and I plunge the shadows through his nose, ears, and mouth.

Without warning, there’s a great shudder that suddenly echoes all around us, like the souls of many are screaming for help. The wall shakes in the distance, something I notice as the man above me succumbs to the dark, shadows leaking from his eyes just before I feel his lifeline snap and he slumps down against me.

I shove him off immediately, spinning to call my scythe to me. When we fell we rolled along the ground, and my scythe is too far to reach without calling for the shadows. It’s closer to Rapunzel than I am, and as she tries to dodge the Queen’s attacks she stumbles on the handle. True to her Mad self, the Queen takes advantage of the momentary slip and goes for the kill, sending me into a panic as I try to launch myself across the clearing to protect my golden girl.

My princess is stunning but still untrained. The Queen will use that weakness and exploit it.

When the Mad Queen lunges at her I use my shadows to push her backward, feeling my energy start to sap. I’ll be out of magic soon and even the cover of darkness won’t rejuvenate my energy quickly enough. Rapunzel is still out of reach, and the Mad Queen looks my way before she screams, rushing towards me as I call the shadows forth. At least now her attention is off Rapunzel.

We fall together, her hands moving to slash at me. She snags the tunic and tears before I can shove her off. Her sharp nails rake over my chest.

She’s going for my heart. The powerhouse of her control.

I throw shadows at her, and she deflects with her blood magic. She isn’t as beaten down as she should be, so I force more and more magic at her to keep her at bay.

If I could get to Rapunzel, we could shadow hop away. But the moment I’m not a target the princess is, so we have to slip into the darkness together.

I crack the Queen’s head back with the shadows, but she’s intent on only one thing. Without the scythe I don’t have my most powerful weapon against her, and even when the shadows grip her chin, just like they did the guard, she surges forward and digs her hands into my flesh..

In me. Through me. Her hand slides into my chest, burning a path to her destination, and I hiss when she clenches my heart.

“Oh, right,” she snarls, laughing humorlessly. “Reapers hold no heartbeat.”

She squeezes, ready to rip it from my chest and drink. I dig my hands into her wrist, enjoying the brief moment where the shadows overwhelm her power and make her feel true pain.

It won’t be enough, but maybe Rapunzel will get away.

“Zarev!”

I can’t look while the Mad Queen is trying to rip out my heart, but her eyes shift behind me and widen. Instead of squeezing and ripping my heart from my chest, she releases it to roll and dodge to one side.

A glancing blow catches her cheek, leaving a deep cut as the blade misses a fatal strike. I whip around to stare, watching as Rapunzel gasps for breath, heaving up the scythe for a second time.

No fucking way. Only those touched by Death can wield a weapon of the dead.

But her father once gave her the Golden Touch, and it was almost too much for her soul to take. Perhaps that’s the moment when she became like me.

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