Page 102 of Heart of the Summer Queen

“Though I wish to prolong your torment for centuries more,” Isidore muses, “I fear you may seek some tender-hearted witch and beg her to release you swiftly from your curse.”

Still, Elaric does not respond. He cannot deny her words. Doing so risks her suspecting his true motives in coming here.

“Have you nothing to say?” Isidore rolls back her delicate shoulders and sighs. “Very well. Death it shall be.”

thirty-seven

Isidore raises her hand, and the earth shudders as razor-sharp icicles burst from the ground, their deadly points glinting in the moonlight.

Elaric leaps back just in time to avoid being impaled. No sooner than he lands does a quick blast surge from his palm, which Isidore deflects with a bolt of her own.

I need to move. Now. The two of them exchanging blows is the greatest distraction I’ll get. And I must act before Elaric is hurt. Isidore wields far greater power, and I don’t know how long his magic can withstand hers.

As Isidore summons a swarm of blades to rain upon Elaric, I bolt from my hiding place, rushing down the stairs in a low crouch. Hoping the surrounding chaos cloaks my movements. Though centered on Elaric, a few shards detonate farther out, one narrowly missing me.

I twist my shoulder away. The bolt skims so close I feel its deadly kiss.

Just as I’m sliding underneath the nearby stall, another shard plummets toward me. This time I’m a second too slow.

I fail to yank my arm to safety before the shard slices through cotton and flesh alike. It clatters onto the cobblestones, leaving my forearm oozing blood.

Pain blazes through my arm, and I clench my teeth to bite back a cry. The blood coating that shard could alert Isidore. And I can only hope she doesn’t spot it before I strike.

The blizzard rages on. Elaric maintains his shield while shards pile around him. Several slam against my stall with such force I fear it’ll collapse and expose me. I grip my sword, angling the hilt away from Isidore’s sight to hide its gleam amid the darkness.

The storm ceases.

Elaric releases his shield, and the square descends into an uneasy quiet.

It doesn’t last long before Isidore shatters it.“You still resist me? Perhaps death is not what you seek after all.”

“The only death I seek is yours,” Elaric says, tone glacial.

A shrill laugh escapes her lips. “Through what means? Your magic is but a fraction of mine. You may wield winter, but Iamwinter.” With effortless grace, she flicks her wrist, loosing a volley of conjured arrows.

Though Isidore’s expression remains impassive, the shield Elaric conjures requires more effort than before, evident from his furrowed brow and strained temples. His spell also forms slower than hers. When it finally manifests, it does so a second too late.

An arrow slams into his shoulder just before his shield can cover it. The blow causes him to stagger, but his shield stays intact.

With wicked delight twisting her lips, Isidore unleashes a second, far stronger volley. Elaric struggles to hold his shield, jaw straining against effort and pain. It just manages to stand until her assault stops. Then he forces himself upright and flings the shield’s remnants at her—a hasty attack.

Though it comes quick enough to surprise me, Isidore blocks it easily with her power, barely sparing a thought.

She stalks toward Elaric, closing the distance between them. Her eyes shine brighter with every step, fixing upon the wound in his shoulder.

Ice writhes up from the ground at Isidore’s command, slithering toward Elaric.

He conjures a blade to parry the first chain, fracturing off a few shards before it recoils. A second chain rises, attacking from the other side. The clash and clatter echoes through the markets square as he fends off both.

I slide from under the stall’s drape and scramble to a cart ahead, pressing low against its planked side. After a moment, I dare to glimpse around the edge.

Isidore is focused on Elaric, seeking to ensnare him with her serpentine chains. He’s summoned a globe now, and it seems to provide better protection than a blade. Fortunately for me, his efforts make Isidore concentrate harder on overcoming him.

At last she halts her assault, realizing Elaric isn’t yet weakened enough for capture. She lets the chains dissolve into glittering dust, and then with a flick of her wrist, unleashes another volley at Elaric.

I seize my chance to strike.

Sword raised, I charge from behind the cart, praying the clash of Isidore’s attack against Elaric’s shield will mask my footsteps.

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