Page 139 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
“Youare the reason I’m an international criminal, forced into hiding. I can’t even go to my favorite bakery anymore!” she ground out. Again, not fair; she was the leader of the Blackfog spies, and from what I knew, already an international criminal. I’d just told everyone what she looked like, and she’d turned around and exposed me, so I’d actually call us even.
[You have been affected by the Skill:Watcher of Fate. Time until effect wears off 00:00:41]
“Fate has stopped answering my prayersbecause of you!” Alice yelled. “And I can’t even enjoy the simplicity of your demise because it’s going to take meyearsto undo your meddling. The very idea of it makes me want to take every extra second to really savor this moment!”
[You have been affected by the Skill:Watcher of Fate. Time until effect wears off 00:00:28]
“I’m going to void your heart, and then I’m going to use [Sever Fate] on your body, so evenifyou’ve hidden a piece of it somewhere, no one will be able to revive it.” She laughed with pure and utter malice. “And when I’msureyou are dead, I’ll usethis.”
She summoned a small vial, wagging it in my face. “You thought I’d used my last one in the church, didn’t you? But no. I’ve been saving this one foryou, Madame Potts.”
Her plan was a bit overkill, to be honest.
Not that it was going to work.
“And when I’m done”—she lifted one hand and pressed it firmly against my heart—“I’m going to collect your ashes and scatter them on the floor of Fate’s temple as an offering.”
[You have been affected by the Skill:Watcher of Fate. Time until effect wears off 00:00:09]
“Goodbye, Madame Potts.” Her smile was so breathtakingly beautiful. The seconds ticked down until, “By the Will of the Eternal Rest, [Void Arrow].”
The attack was already piercing my chest when her skill ended … and taking half damage meant nothing for an instant-kill hit that ripped a hole through my heart. As I slumped to my knees, too many things happened all at once.
Alice touched my head and followed up her previous attack with, “[Sever Fate],” before promptly dumping the vial of molten ash vane on me. A bunch of notifications told me what was happening while I palmed Menlomin’s Horn to purify the poison.
[You have been affected bySever Fate. For twenty-four hours, you are immune toRaise,Resurrect,Revive, orRespawn.]
[Single-use itemPhoenix Featheractivated. When you would otherwise die, you areReborninstead. Health Points 777/777. ManaPoints 1215/1215. All status effects nullified. All curses undone. All equipped items at max durability.]
[You have been hit byMolten Ash Vane. Do you wish toPurifytheMolten Ash VanewithMenlomin’s Horn. Yes/No.]
Alice realized something was wrong when I didn’t just dissolve into a pile of ash. “WHY WON’T YOU JUST DIE?”
“[World Bridge].”
To activate the spell, I had to be in motion, so I pushed myself away from her to stand.
Both of us appeared on the bridge I had set up in view of Her Eminence Feliwyn sleeping by the shores of Lake Loria. Previously, my battle with Alice had ended on the Coral Palace sky bridge … and that had been a disaster.
Maybe here she’d wake up Feliwyn early, and the dragon would eat her.
Stumbling from the forced transport, Alice snarled, “You b—”
“WHY DO ROGUES WEAR LEATHER?” I yelled at her. It was the first riddle I could think of, and it threw her off-balance long enough for me to get off another spell.
“Enter by the Channels, [Troll Magic]!”
Alice shrilled, “You can’t trap me here with your stupid riddles! [Portal]!”
She appeared not ten feet away on the other side of the bridge, turning toward me in triumph.
Of course she did; I hadn’t cast any bridge spells to keep her. My purpose in bringing her here had been to get her out of my house long enough to move it, preferably somewhere she wouldn’t think to look for it.
“It’s because they like Hide,” I answered the riddle for her.
“That’s it—I am going to void you until there’s nothing left,” she hissed, lifting one hand.
“You’ll have to find me first. [World Bridge].” I stepped backward and portaled away.
