by Ben Chandler
Missy’s mouth moved, but no words came out. She wasn’t even sure she had anything to say. She was paralysed, inside and out. Her mastery of Adad’s strength hadn’t been enough to destroy this creature. How was she supposed to face it now? What could she do if even a Totem couldn’t kill it?
‘Not that I’m a sore loser, I hasten to add,’ Akabasan went on, ‘but you did just decapitate and defenestrate me, so I think I’ve got fair cause to be somewhat miffed about how the whole affair turned out. But never mind! To prove how generous and forgiving I am, I’ll tell you something good. What you seek is far south of here. Go to Tien Ti. Search for a place where the fire of the earth is bent to the will of humanity. Once there –’
Akabasan’s head exploded. His spell broken, Missy shook herself all over and stared at Fox, who was standing on the windowsill, still hanging half outside of it, clinging to the wall there. One gauntleted fist occupied the space where the Demon’s head had just been. Missy’s teacher had climbed the outside of the tallest tower in Drachstadt to save her.
‘Ah, thanks,’ Missy mumbled, her head still foggy from whatever Akabasan had done to her.
‘You didn’t do too badly on your own.’ Fox jumped lightly down from her perch and into the hall. ‘For your first time, anyway.’ Her lip quirked up in distaste as she stepped over the pool of black blood that was seeping out of the Demon’s corpse. ‘Though, next time, make sure the thing’s dead before you throw it out the window.’
Missy nodded. Her mouth was dry, her senses still preternaturally heightened by the Quillblade’s power. ‘Yes, Fox. I’ll do that,’ she said.
