Talon the Black (Dragonwall Series # 1)

Chapter 53 - The Impossible

Kastali Dun

Saffra freed an arrow from her bow. She watched it arc through the air, whistling towards the target. It struck a dummy's chest, but not its heart. She scowled. Three points were awarded for striking the head or heart, two for the chest or neck, and one for the abdomen, arms, or legs. With the Fall Tournament approaching, she had every intention of defending her title.

She walked over to the dummy some sixty feet away and recovered her arrows. Although it was midday, the sun's harshness was becoming less of a burden as summer came to a close, but it was still hot. Fortunately for her, she was alone at the longbow range. No one heard her swear in frustration as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Most archers preferred the short distance range. In fact, it was unheard of for a female of her stature—Riders excluded—to possess the strength necessary to pull the weight of the longbow, but she was not merely a female. Magic made her strong.

She found her position again. Taking a deep breath, she focused her mind on the heart of the dummy, nocked an arrow, and pulled her bow tight. Just as her arms tensed with the weight of the pull, the world around her began spinning. She steadied herself, but her sight blackened at the edges. The strength in her arm gave. She released her hold on the bowstring and heard it twang.

Everything vanished.

She was enveloped by darkness and cold, freezing cold. She shuddered, opening her eyes to the vision world.

There was a mountainous hold. It wasn't the first time she had seen it. Its harsh ramparts were like shards of broken glass decaying into the crumbling heaps of rock that settled around the mountain's base.

The picture whooshed forward. She found herself standing in front a man. His red eyes, evil and menacing. She knew these eyes—this man. Kane. But he wasn't looking at her. He was watching someone else. A woman.

Saffra's breath caught in her chest. She turned to find Claire. Blocks of ice tumbled into the pit of her stomach. Claire stood cloaked in black velvet. This was not the Claire she was used to seeing. She was changed. Her hesitance was gone. Instead she radiated pride, much the same way Queen Isabella did when she cursed the Marble Dragon.

Claire's face was stone. Unyielding. But she didn't see Kane watching her.

Kane laughed then, making Claire jump and glance around. The high pitch of his voice left Saffra trembling in the nothingness. He lunged, quick as lightning, shooting forward as he called out words in the old language. A ball of magical energy manifested between his fingers, growing into an orb with blackened veins. It expanded outward like a bubble.

She tried to warn Claire. She screamed harder than she ever had. A human would never stand a chance against an Asarlaí like Kane. But try as she might, not a single word escaped her chest.

Claire was going to die.

Sensing the danger, Claire moved with surprising speed. A staff materialized in her right hand and Cyrus's Sverak in her left. Saffra blinked, not quite believing. She crossed the two before her like a shield. Her lips moved so quickly, Saffra failed to understand her words, but she could hear the song in Claire's voice, not a moment too soon, either. The orb of dark magic shattered against an invisible barrier. A deafening crack split the silence. She gasped as the explosion of power surged through her, vibrating within her body, searing her like fire.

Her eyes flew open.

"Lady Saffra! Thank the gods." A worried voice met her ears, hushed and thick with emotion. She felt her lips pull apart into a pleased smile. She was resting in familiar arms. Her sight cleared from its blurry confusion and she found herself gazing into warm brown eyes.