Excerpt: Kavanagh

Rin panicked. He seized the metal spear and yanked it out from the noble’s lifeless body. It gave out a final nauseating spurt of blood. He swung the spear around to defend himself, but it was too late. The assassin brought her blade down against his weapon and knocked it away. Rin scrambled over to where it had landed, feeling the thrusts of her knife miss him by mere inches. He took hold of it again, gripping it as though it were his lifeline. He turned and threw it awkwardly. The spear spun sideways in midair, and the woman parried it with a subtle movement of her arm.

Suddenly, she was behind him, knife pressed against his back. His heartbeat sped to a steady thrum in his ears. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear: “I’m sorry.” Her wrist turned, adjusting the blade’s angle for the kill. He only had one chance.

Cascis halad… He struggled through each step of the spell, taking what seemed like minutes to complete it. …firme ariluia… yilah… She hadn’t stabbed him yet, at least he thought she hadn’t, so there was still time.

…duxi. The assassin let out a shriek as her wrists were drawn behind her back and snapped together by an invisible force. She struggled against the restraints, but Rin whirled around, hand balled into a tight fist, and punched her in the cheek. Without the use of her arms, she fell over prone, legs thrashing. Any fear in Rin’s mind instantly turned to rage as he wrenched the knife from her clutched hands. He brought his knee down on her chest, hard. One of her ribs gave way under the blow. He suppressed the urge to vomit, but his bloodthirst continued to rise. He took the knife in both hands, point down. She was pinned. He could take her life at any moment.