Page 35 of Tower of Tempest
He nodded his head at the other two, and they melted away into the distance. I turned to stare at the monument, thinking about all the amazing things I’d seen on this journey so far. To think, it had only been a few weeks.
The grass rustled behind me, a scraping of boots on the ground.
“What did you forget now?” I smiled and turned, freezing at the sight before me.
Three familiar men leered at me.
The men who’d taken my gold and satchel, whose cart I’d destroyed.
Stubbled Chin clucked his tongue. “Well, well, look who it is,” he said.
I scrambled off the rock, only wearing my socks, boots still lying on their sides. “What are you doing?” I asked.
Narrow Eyes glared. “You little bitch. You cost us everything when you pushed our cart off the cliff’s edge. All our goods gone.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, but I crossed my arms. “Well, luckily, you had my gold to spend.”
Missing Teeth stroked his jaw. “That gold ain’t worth even a quarter of the goods we had to sell and trade. The cart alone cost us easily quadruple that gold.”
“Well, you did attack me. You have no one to blame but yourselves.” I tried to remain calm, but my shaking voice betrayed me. “Let’s call it even.”
“Oh no.” Stubbled Chin took a step forward, flames dancing over his fingertips. “Your little tales about the spirits and their wrath isn’t going to save you this time.”
“Then I’ll fight back,” I said. “I’ll defend myself.”
They stepped toward me, and I realized I was backed up on a cliff. I had nowhere to run. I could shout for the others, but I didn’t want to put them in danger. If they even heard me, that was.
Missing Teeth held out his palm, and a whip made of fire unfurled. “See, we think you was telling those tales because you can’t use your own magic.”
My blood ran cold. “That’s ridiculous,” I said.
“Then show us.” Narrow Eyes summoned a ball of fire that he threw from hand to hand.
Wait a minute. I could show them. I’d been training for weeks. I wasn’t some poor, defenseless girl. I hadn’t been then, either, but now I knew how to use my magic.
I felt for the thread of power inside me and yanked hard at the same time that I pushed out my hands. Wind barreled toward them, blowing out the fire in their hands.
Missing Teeth stumbled back, glancing at the two others. “So she has magic, after all.”
The wind died down, and they all stepped closer.
“Three against one,” Stubbled Chin said. “Maybe you do have some power, but you’re no match for us.”
“Why ain’t she flying away?” Narrow Eyes asked.
I swallowed. The one thing I couldn’t yet do.
Stubbled Chin laughed. “So you don’t have all your magic then.”
My confidence faltered. No. I wouldn’t let them get to me. I could do this. I braced my legs just like Leoni had taught me during our lessons. This might be easier if I had an actual weapon on me, but my magic would have to be enough.
I lifted my hands up, summoning wind. I twisted my wrists, the wind circling around the men, who tried again and again to summon their fire to no avail.
“The wind is too strong!” Narrow Eyes yelled.
“She won’t outlast us. Her magic will weaken,” Stubbled Chin shouted back.
They were right. I didn’t have the stamina that took years of practice to build. They fought against the wind, inching closer to me, backing me right up against the edge of the cliff. I glanced behind me at the sharp drop. The dark sea raged far below, crashing against the side of the cliff.
