The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 55

Ines charged at the villain, the man who was a danger to them all. One stride and she felt adrenaline pump her courage. The elf stayed rigid, watching. Two strides and she closed the gap between them. Still, he was frozen. Three strides and she was on him, her mouth opening to let out a warrior scream.

Then he moved, ready to meet her, and her blade swung in the air without hitting its target. His powers awakened inside him, no madness in it or rage, only control. Ines sprung forward and aimed high with her sword. He ducked, just as she had planned, and that was the only chance she needed.

She called to her magic and immediately felt the familiar energy flood her limbs. She focused her attention on her opponent, his source of magic, and tried to break his defenses as she lunged low with her weapon in hand.

Her blade skimmed across his calf, and he hissed in pain. She expected him to drop back, but he was stronger than she had hoped. He shrugged her sword off like an annoying bug and hit her with his magic in full force. Ines staggered back from that tremendous blow and felt the world shake under her feet.

Once more she tried to weaken his powers by draining him. With gleaming white eyes and outstretched hands she twisted, watching for another opening, but there was none. He was aware she was aiming for his powers, and that she was still shocked by the hit she had received.

He was growing impatient. His expression was hard as stone and his body revealed boredom. Ines, never being one to hesitate, gathered her strength and tried to strike him again, trusting herself to manage to outsmart him. As she nimbly began her attack, he was quick to fight her off, but she was quicker to make a comeback.

What she wasn't quick enough for, though, was another bone-rattling assault from his magic. His powers were so great she felt her legs momentarily give away, and the man took advantage of her weak state. He instantly darted forward and snatched her from behind. When Ines felt a sharp blade on her throat, she realised she had lost that round.

'Make a move and she dies,' the elf snarled.

The others immediately froze in place and stared at him with wide eyes that screamed fear. No one dared to move, worrying his magic would kill her before they could snatch her away from his grasp. Ines glanced at Matthew, and when she saw the deep frown that had formed on his face, she knew his mind was racing.

'I have given you a great offer. I don't like wasting my time on worthless people,' the man declared.

Ines nodded at Matthew, beckoning him to back down and rethink their whole plan. At first Matthew was hesitant to comply with her request, but after seeing the other elves grudgingly let go of their powers, he followed suit and put his sword down.

'Alright,' he calmly said.

Ines saw them wait for the man's next move. They didn't speak, they didn't blink, they just stayed still. The tension between them was palpable and it made her nerves go haywire. Seconds passed and still he held her captive, maybe because he enjoyed playing with their patience.

The elf eventually let her go. And that was his biggest mistake. Ines gritted her teeth in determination and raised her sword for yet another assault. The elf noticed her white eyes staring back at him with hatred. He raised a brow, as if he was truly intrigued by what she would do next, but he didn't wait for her to move first.

He sent a huge wave of black magic, a blow to send her flying, and she only lurched away as it whizzed past. Right then she realised she had never fought anyone so strong, but she wouldn't get discouraged at the first drawback. She called up her powers and charged at him.

Her sword darted out and he easily slipped around it. It whipped across, shoulder-high, not as low as he had expected, and it managed to skim his left arm. His throat let out a snarl and his eyes narrowed as he reassessed her abilities.