Page 86 of Sinister Magic

Sindari lowered his fangs toward the alchemist’s throat, but another wave of pure energy came crashing into the lab. It struck hard, flattening me to the floor and hurling Sindari across the lab. He smashed into a cabinet, breaking open the doors, beakers and flasks tumbling out and shattering all aroundhim.

Mages stood in thedoorway.

I swore and shoved myself to my feet, swinging my gun toward them as two dark elves charged in. When I fired, my bullets bounced off invisible barriers around them, ricocheting into the ceiling and nearby cabinets. I switched Fezzik to my left hand and pulled out Chopper, hoping the magical blade would cut through theirshields.

A few feet away, Synaru-van reached into the bosom of her robe—why hadn’t I checked there for weapons?—and pulled out a vial. Before I could stop her, she flung it to the floor at myfeet.

Holding my breath again, I sprang backward and scrambled as far from the cracked glass as I could. Synaru-van was too far away to reach with Chopper. I fired at her, hoping she wasn’t shielded, as blue smoke writhed from the floor, its tendrils stretching towardme.

One of my bullets sank into her shoulder, and she shrieked, but my victory was short-lived. Invisible energy slapped against my wrist with bone-crunching force, and I couldn’t keep from crying out and dropping Fezzik. One of the dark elves rushed to protect Synaru-van as the other sprang forme.

I still had Chopper in my other hand, and I stabbed like a fencer to keep him back. The blade pierced his shield, and his eyes bulged as the point dug into his chest. For the first time, one of them retreated, scrambling madly back out ofreach.

Taking advantage, I reached into my pocket to pull out a grenade. I had the blood. It was time to blow my way out of here. Maybe the ceiling would collapse, and I could climbout.

But even as I slashed and cut my foe, slicing into flesh three more times as I kept him between me and the others, another mage by the door flung a hand up. He had no trouble targeting me around his buddy, and that same invisible power struck me again. It hurled me back against acounter.

Sindari was pinned by magic, one of the mages completely focused on him, but he kept trying to break free. He shook his head, roared, and waded forward, as if against a stiff wind. But two more dark elves ran inside, fingers splayed as they added their power to that of the others. Sindari was knocked back again. His muscles strained under his sleek fur, but even he wasn’t strong enough to fight that muchpower.

Outside, the chanting had stopped. Would the entire assembly swarm up here to use those torture implements on me? Or would one of them simply shoot me and endit?

My grip tightened on Chopper as two dark elves approached. I vowed to go downswinging.

My chest was as tight as my grip, and I grimaced, embarrassed and furious at the wheezes coming from my own throat. I was a warrior, damn it, not somecripple.

“Do we kill her, Synaru-van?”

The alchemist stood back, a hand gripping her bleeding shoulder, and looked like she wanted to nod vigorously. But she said, “Not yet. I will question her first. We must know how she found a way in and if others know about our entrances. If so, we will have to cave them in and make others. Just tie her up for now. And someone get rid of that slaveringtiger.”

Sindari was still straining against the magic, trying his best to get to the dark elves, to protect me fromthem.

I swung Chopper as one of the uninjured dark elves tried to get close. Before the blade could connect, he twitched a finger, and I flew all the way back to the corner. My face caught the edge of a counter as I crashed down. Blood flooded my mouth as I accidentally bit my tongue, and I crashed to myknees.

The chanting of a spell, not some religious fervor, came from the doorway. My charm didn’t translate the words, but Sindari’s headbowed.

I’m sorry, Val. He knows how to force me back into thefigurine.

It’s allright.

I don’t want to leave you. You needme.

I know, but I’ll figure something out. I’ll call you again as soon as Ican.

The figurine grew warm against my chest, and Sindari turned to silver mist, thendisappeared.

I hoped I hadn’t lied. I hoped I would get a chance to call himagain.

An entire pack of dark elves strode toward me. More milled in the tunnel, peeringin.

I couldn’t win, not right now. Maybe Synaru-van would question me alone. But they would take all of my belongings before tying me up, and I was nothing without my magical tools, nothing that could defeat mages andalchemists.

One of the dark elves reached down for me. I rose on my knees enough to slam a side kick into hisstomach.

I smiled grimly around the blood dripping out of my mouth. Maybe not quitenothing.

But with so many more dark elves behind him, it was a futile effort. They fell over me, using their magic to pin me down. I turned my back to them and wrenched an arm free long enough to tug two of my charms off my leather thong, their tiny metal hoops snapping. I shoved them into my underwear an instant before both of my arms were pulled behind my back. I wished I’d dared pull the cat figurine off, but they had seen Sindari and would know to look for hischarm.

They spun me around, shoved me against the wall, and proceeded to search me and steal all my stuff. Chopper, my phone, the sample kit, my dagger, my grenades, and even my inhaler—shit, I wheezed as I saw that go, worse than a heroin junkie watching her stash getconfiscated.