Gavin reacted on instinct, using everything in his power to endure it. He could feel the resistance within him, and he could feel that there was something else going on. Even as he worked, he struggled. He had to embrace the enchantment.
Olivia had given him the enchantment to help with his speed, and as Gavin drew upon it, he could feel energy flowing within them. He held onto that and added to it by pulling upon the core reserves within him. He had used quite a bit of strength trying to get into the fortress in the first place, and already he didn’t know if he had enough strength to withstand this attack.
Without it, he wouldn’t have been quick enough.
Gavin swept the sword around. It slashed through the vines. He carved through one after another, and each snaking attempt of the vines to reach him missed. Gaspar stood to the side. One of the vines started to slink toward him, and Gavin rolled, sweeping through it.
He glanced over at Gaspar. “Be careful. She’s incredibly dangerous.”
Gavin ran forward, still holding onto his core reserves, but there was not nearly as much power left. He could feel that fading.
He thought about what he needed to do to weather this attack. If only there was some way of replenishing his stores of the core reserves. The El’aras had some way of doing so, but he didn’t.
Something wrapped around his ankles, dragging his feet out from under him. Gavin swiped at it with the blade and missed.
He got to his feet, and he tried again. The energy within him continued to fade. He stumbled and rolled on the ground, then slashed at the bindings that she’d wrapped around his ankles. He managed to get up to his knees, and he swung the sword again, trying to sweep through the power she used on him. She lashed at him with another series of vines, which held him. Gavin couldn’t move his arms. He tried to jerk them free, but he couldn’t.
“Here you thought you would displace me again?” she asked, moving toward him. “I made sure you were involved. Let us call this your complete payment for services rendered.”
She constricted the vines around him, and they held tightly. Gavin jerked, trying to free his arms, but he wasn’t able to get his arms to move. She had too much power, and she was holding onto him too firmly.
“You made a mistake, Gavin Lorren,” she said with a smile. “I heard the rumors about you. Of course, in a place like Yoran, rumors about Gavin Lorren would be unusual. Then I saw you.”
“What do you mean you saw me?”
“You were there the day they claimed the egg. They were supposed to hand it over to me then, but the constables intervened. I decided to find a way to ensure your involvement and negotiated a trade. A child for the egg.” She grinned. “It was easy to maneuver it after that.”
“You were responsible for what happened to Alex for revenge?”
“Seeing as how you always have a soft spot for doing the right thing…” She grinned at Gavin and shook her head. “Such a foolish notion. I would’ve figured that with your training, you would’ve viewed the world in a different way. But since you’re the reason I’m here…”
The vines continued to squeeze around him, and Gavin thrashed against them. Reaching for his core reserves, he still couldn’t call upon the strength he needed to get free. There wasn’t anything left within him.
The Mistress of Vines stalked toward him. A tendril of power streaked from her hand and started to wrap around his neck. “Once you are removed, then the rest of them will be too. I will solidify my power here. It won’t take long for me to remove even the constables.”
“No,” Gavin said, glancing to his partner for a moment.
“Do you really think you can stop me?”
Gavin tried to tap into the core reserves. All he needed was a little. Just to touch that power. Nothing more.
There wasn’t much strength left. Some bubbled deep within him though.
Could it be enough?
“No,” he said again.
“If you can’t hold me, then who can?”
“He can,” Gavin said.
The figurine moved forward. It slammed into the Mistress of Vines. She cried out, and Gavin was released enough to wiggle the sword. He carved through the vines holding him, and he scrambled back.
“Where is the powder you found at Cyran’s?” he asked Gaspar.
“Why do you want that now?” Gaspar asked.
“Because I think it may be the only way we’re going to be able to defeat her.”
She wrapped her vines around the golem and started to tighten them. Mekal cried out, as she crushed the power from the creature. With a surge of energy, it shattered.
Gaspar reached into his pocket and handed the pouch over to Gavin. He dug into the pouch and hurriedly began to shake its contents loose.
Hopefully this will work!
Gavin darted toward the Mistress of Vines. She spun to face him, and the vines twisted and stretched toward him. They reached for his arm that held onto the sword. He struggled with them, but with his other arm, he shook the powder at her.
It created a cloud.
She coughed and then took in a deep breath. “What was that? Do you think your distraction will hold me?”
Gavin jerked on the vine, trying to free his sword arm, but he couldn’t.
The powder hadn’t worked. Here he’d thought it might have been poison that would eliminate magic, but that hadn’t been it at all.
What had Cyran used on me?
Maybe it wasn’t even the same thing. She turned toward him, and the vines started to squeeze again. This time she used a much thicker vine around his throat. As it constricted around him, Gavin coughed, trying to hold his breath.
The vine was too powerful, and it crushed his throat. Gaspar rushed toward her, but she swept at him with a surge of vines, and he was thrown off to
