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“I recommend being quiet,” Eucilla said to Delilah. “I know you can sense the curse etched into my blade. I don’t need it to kill a werewolf, but it does make things easier.”
Realizing the dracken wouldn’t know, I said, “That’s not Delilah.”
Eucilla’s head tilted to the side and her gaze narrowed at the woman as she processed this information. “How unfortunate for Delilah. I had hoped to free her as well.”
“Delilah chose this,” the sluaghna said.
“That’s a lie,” I said, unable to stop myself. “She had no idea what you were about until it was too late.”
“Even if that’s true, little wizard, she was running a warlock trafficking ring. There’s more blood on these hands than you could possibly know.”
“She is trying to distract you, Nora,” Eucilla said. “Don’t let her.”
Movement surged on the path, more shadows detaching from the cliff face, and Delilah’s nostrils flared. She glowered at Eucilla as Constable Cade, Sam, and Gretchen moved into view. Sam collected Janice, drawing her off the path in short order and I breathed in relief. Cade moved to my side, blocking my view of Brock and Gretchen, but I imagine much the same was being done for the poor werewolf boy.
Eucilla’s mouth quirked at the edges, her attention still fastened on Delilah. “I’m sorry, were you stalling for time too?”
“Just can’t stop having your power shackled, can you?” Cade whispered to me and reached for my cuffs.
I huffed a soft laugh, surprised and relieved and full of urgency. “We have to go back!”
Cade paused with my cuffs, his mouth tightening into a grim line as he took in my nail-less finger and the make-shift bandage on my arm. Still, he unfastened the cuffs and let them drop to the dirt. He might have meant to heal me, but I drew away and faced Eucilla, determined to move around them and rush back to the clearing with its terrible circle.
“We’ve got this, Nora,” Cade whispered, holding firm to my shoulder to keep me from moving.
“I’m sure you think you do,” Delilah said, her gaze angling at Eucilla’s sword. “And the answer is yes, I was stalling too.”
Dread poured through me. An instant later, vines burst from the path, lashing and snapping through the air with lethal intent. Cade yanked me back and I staggered, falling against the craggy cliffs with bruising force. Dazed, I blinked and watched as he lifted his other hand. Three vines whipped toward us, and I shielded my face with my arms, prepared for a great deal of pain and death.
Neither arrived.
Peering out of the meager shield I’d made of my arms, I found Cade crouched low to the ground, his fingers knuckle-deep in the earth. Before him, the three vines shriveled, wrinkling up and collapsing into themselves. There was a distinct, crackling sound and their liquid sheen dried to dust. They crumpled over and collapsed to the dirt.
Delilah let out a shriek and clutched her arm to her gut, but even in the dark I could see the damage. Her left hand turned grey, wrinkling and shriveling down to bone in seconds. And then her fingerbones began to crack, puffs of white dust breezing away from the appendage. Cade remained where he was, but his head turned and what I could see of his expression looked intent.
Command over water, I realized.
But I would never have imagined he could pull the water from a living thing.
Eucilla swung her sword in a neat, precise arch, but she was no longer aiming for the sluaghna woman. Another vine had erupted from the earth, its wicked thorns on course for the lieutenant.
There was an odd, slick sound as the sword sliced through the vine, severing it in half. The top portion plopped to the ground near my feet, and I jerked back. Everything was moving so fast I couldn’t track it all. At some point Sam and Gretchen had gone, no doubt to bring Janice and Brock to safety, and I had some distant sense of relief knowing they were out of harm’s way. But Derrick was still at the clearing having his soul eaten, and I started hunting for a way back.
Eucilla and Cade could handle Delilah. The very least I could do was try to interrupt Montgomery before things got too far.
Vines continued to shoot up from the ground, all aimed at the lieutenant, who was parrying and swinging her blade with fluid grace. Delilah retreated several steps and Eucilla strode forward, those slanted, too-large eyes of hers intent on Delilah, who was still grasping her left arm in furious shock.
With a snarl, Delilah leapt off the path and down into the ravine below. Her body crashed through several tree branches and in seconds she disappeared. I blinked, equal parts amazed and horrified. I meant to make that jump myself a few hours ago and it sounded far more unpleasant than I imagined.
Eucilla stepped to the edge. “Constable Cade, I trust you to see to Derrick.”
Cade nodded once and then Eucilla pushed off, arms wide as though she were diving into a pool of water rather than a crowded ravine. But then she tucked her head and the whole of her body followed the curve, making a neat somersault in the air before she reached the first of the treetops below and disappeared.
“Stay here. Gretchen will be back for you.”
I scowled at Cade, hurrying to catch up as he made his way up the curving path. “I’m not a useless twit and you can’t do this alone.”
“It’s dangerous,” he said, but to his credit he didn’t stop walking.
