I was now halfway along the metal gangway. It was stupidly long – wrapping around the entire wall of this factory.
Suddenly, the faceless assassin jerked to the side, wrapping both his palms around the railing. A second later, a charge of magic spread from his touch, eating into the metal. There was an earsplitting crack as it spread through the metal railing, reached a rivet, then plunged down into the grating that made up the floor.
Suddenly the whole gangway lurched as a powerful wave of force charged through it. It threw me to the side, and if it weren’t for my sudden quick reflexes, I would have fallen under the railing, rolled off, and killed myself on the concrete 5 m below.
The faceless assassin kept both hands locked on the railing and tilted his head even further to the side. I had just enough time to watch his nostrils flare as he allowed another pulse of magic to spread from his touch and slam into the metal.
This time there was a god almighty crack as the metal gangway split halfway down the middle.
I kept hold of the railing, using every ounce of strength I had to wrap my frigid, white-knuckled fingers around it.
It was the only thing that kept me alive.
Because, a second later, the gangway started to pull away from the wall.
I screamed as the railing I had hold of popped free from the gangway.
But I didn’t die. Instead, the fireflies returned. Quick this time. So fast I couldn’t push them away as they swarmed through my mind.
Directly beneath the section of walkway I was on was a large, haphazard pile of metal sheets. The sheets were curled, their razor-sharp edges pointing upwards.
It was a death trap.
But I didn’t have any choice – the vision moved through me. It forced me to let go of the railing just in time, just before the entire gangway pulled away from the wall in a shriek of metal.
I sailed down the short half-meter distance to the pile of metal sheets. I did not, however, fall against one of those razor-sharp edges and end up sliced in half like a knob of butter.
Instead, as the sparks swarmed through my vision with more power than I’d ever felt, they timed my descent perfectly, they curled my body to the side just at the right moment, and they saved my life. I struck the metal sheets, sliding down them, tucking my arms against my stomach, pulling my left hip to the side.
The metal sheets began to tilt, and with a screeching, grating noise that filled the air, tumbled to the floor.
And I tumbled with them. I wasn’t, however, squished. Instead, at the right moment, I pushed into a dive role, struck the concrete, and managed to save myself.
No. I didn’t save myself. The sparks did.
I heard the faceless assassin let out a grating scream. There couldn’t have been too much left of his throat, because it sounded as if somebody was trying to shriek through a straw.
There was a great clatter of feet on metal and a hiss like steam escaping a pipe. Then he threw himself off the remnants of the metal grating, sailed through the air, and landed several meters in front of me. Instead of smashing headfirst against the damaged concrete, a cloud of magic escaped his feet at the last moment, cushioning him so he didn’t crush his legs.
He didn’t pause. Didn’t wait to tilt his head to the side and consider me with his eyeless face. He threw himself at me, a cloud of magic breaking in his wake.
I jerked to the side, ankle catching on one of the curled-up scraps of metal. It cut easily through my jeans and sliced across my skin sending a smattering of blood over the dirty floor.
I felt a wave of power slam into my side. It struck me with such force, it sent me spinning backward into the mound of metal sheets. This time I wasn’t so lucky, and one of the sharp edges sliced into the back of my thigh.
I screamed, jerking my head to the side as pain blasted through my body.
The assassin lurched towards me, magic still lapping off him in waves.
Though my mind was spinning from pain and fear, I held on to one fact – the faceless assassin couldn’t afford to use too much magic. Do that, and it would cost him his nostrils and ultimately smother him.
… So all I had to do was make the bastard use up more of his power.
I somehow found the strength and coordination to lurch to my feet, blood slicking my ankle and pooling beneath my shoe. It felt like I’d sliced my thigh through – blinding pain pulsed out of it and ate up into my hip.
I pushed the pain away as I skidded towards the broken remnants of the gangway.
The gangway was a warped mess of metal. It could provide defense and a weapon.
I felt a whoosh past my right shoulder and threw myself to the side just in time as a shot of green magic slammed over my shoulder. It caught the wet ends of my hair and burnt them to ash. If the magic had hit me, it would have burnt my arm clean off.
Finally, I reached the broken gangway, hooking a hand over one of the jutting sections of railing and using it for purchase as I dropped to my side. I reached around with my hand, desperately searching for a piece of broken metal – for a broken pole or scrap of sheeting or shard of steel – anything.
I had no idea how the assassin
