Page 173 of Elven Shadow

It couldn’t be too late, could it? Not already. Not now.

She should have had enough time left to still summon her own magic before it completely gave out. If she couldn’t conjure her spear, she couldn’t use what was left of her magic to restore the rest of it.

She wouldn’t be able to heal herself.

Fighting back a hiss, she stared intently at her hand this time, pressing her back flat against the rear of the vehicle, and tried again.

One more conjuring flick of her wrist, and only a smattering of pale silver sparks erupted from the center of her palm.

By the Blood, no. Notnow…

This couldn’t be the end of her. It wouldn’t be. She wouldn’t let it.

Her racing heartbeat pounded in her ears, rushing through her senses, overpowering every other sound as she tried again and again to summon her spear. Her drumming pulse even drowned out another sentry guard’s incomprehensible shouting across the yard before the troll just on the other side of the vehicle barked back his reply.

Hurry. She had to hurry.

Thiswas her only chance…

Another hissing, sizzling crackle as the troll sucked down one final lungful of tobacco smoke and nicotine.

Silver sparks flashed in Rebecca’s hand—once, twice, three times.

The troll’s cigarette plunked into the dry grass scattered across upturned dirt at his feet.

Another burst of silver sparks, and a powerfully surging wave of energy coursed through Rebecca all at once. The next upswing of renewed energy from the livening effects of Zida’s emergency vial bloomed in her core and spread outward.

Then there it was.

The swirling, mercurial silver orb was all Rebecca could summon, but it was there.

The troll stomped on his cigarette butt, smashing it back and forth into the ground with the toe of his boot before clearing his throat. Then his footsteps moved across the dry grass, heading steadily toward her.

With no time to consider how close she was cutting it, Rebecca flicked her wrist, and the swirling silver orb of her magic became the glinting, deadly-sharp blade of her Bloodshadow spear.

Half a second before the troll rounded the side of his vehicle and stumbled upon her hiding place.

They both froze, gaping at each other, but Rebecca recovered faster. Barely.

She thrust her spear toward him, but it was a one-handed attack delivered at an awkward angle by an elf who simply wasn’t at the top of her game.

The troll spun to the side against the vehicle’s rear fender, his one glowing orange eye widening when Rebecca’s spear tip sliced right through the metal frame of the truck as if the vehicle were made of butter.

Rebecca reached for the spear shaft with her left hand now too—out of habit and an attempt to reinforce her grip for one final launching attack. An inability to feel anything below the center of her left bicep, though, made a good grip impossible.

She didn’t have the time to realize her mistake before the troll’s fist flew toward her face.

Hissing, Rebecca ducked beneath his swinging blow, then kicked out against the side of his leg to send him stumbling off balance.

With a snarl, the troll only went halfway down, his bad knee slamming into the dirt. Then Rebecca was on him, throwing herself against him for a full-body tackle, trying to wrestle him to the ground with one hand still tightly clenched around her spear because she couldn’t afford the time it would cost her to summon it again only to fail the next time.

Fortunately for her, the cacophony of noise already filling the prison yard drowned out the sound of her quick, merciless scuffle with the troll guard.

He was surprisingly strong. With Rebecca in her weakened state, he was almost strong enough to bring her down and end her solo mission with his next attack.

The troll got in two quick punches to her gut that made her double over in the grass while he picked himself off the ground. Then he scrambled toward her to deliver a final blow.

After that, she knew, he would sound the alarm, and all of Harkennr’s gang stationed at the Old Joliet Prison would know there had been a breach.

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