Page 16 of Taken By Shadows

Winter froze over me. Like the warmth in the Four Corners had drained with my blood from my face. They knew I was different.

“How can you tell?” a flat voice wondered.

I didn’t care who asked. Dark spots formed in my vision as Locke pressed a gargantuan hand to my back and pushed down harder, unchecked in the excitement.

I had to get out of here. I had to. Somehow.

Even if I died trying.

“She’d have used it by now if she could. There’s something wrong with this one. Isn’t that right, girly?” Gold Teeth knelt to be eye level with me.

I was momentarily distracted by his keen ability to perceive me without caring who I was.

He yanked my head up with a grip on my hair, gouging my scalp.

Now or die trying.

I spat a full gob of spit, and hopefully some bile, straight at his eye. A sour flame burned in me as I glowered at him.

A stifled laugh from one of them was choked and swallowed. The others had the good sense to stay quiet and busied themselves as soon as I spat at their commander. They began rifling through everything. The packs, the food.

His glove came away covered in spit as he wiped his eye. I braced for the strike I knew would come. A cold smile spread across his gaunt face. Enacting. Patient.

Just as I thought he’d strike, there was a call that pulled his attention.

“What’s that then?” One of the tattooed twins picked up the leather-bound crystals, and my heart sank into the frozen pit of my hope.

The unmistakable plink, plink, plink sound of crystals tumbling to the ground, one on top of another, clattered across the clearing.

But that was all the distraction I needed.

Now or die trying.

I leaned forward as far and as fast as I could. I cracked my skull on Gold Teeth’s nose. I was dazed for a second, but I gathered myself for another attack.

“Bitch!” Gold Teeth cried, spittle and blood flying past his beard as he clutched his face.

Locke instantly had me back to my feet and pressed to him.

I crashed my head backwards into Locke to try to dislodge him from around me, but my skull hit a stone wall of muscle and flesh. There was not even the smallest sign that I had hit him at all, save for the ringing in my ears.

Gold Teeth was still clutching where I’d struck.

At least that one had done some damage. My mind went inky and colourful all at once, a swirling mess of paint all knocked together. The navy of the sky mixing with the green grass. And gold. Gold teeth.

Someone handed him the crystals.

“Knew you’d have them somewhere. Been holding out on us, girly?” Gold Teeth held up the adamyte to examine it.

Even in such a murky setting, the colours were beautiful. Breathtaking.

Locke’s hold around me tightened as he squeezed. I let out an agonised, breathless sound.

My heart sank.

A useless part of my mind reminded me that I had been planning to use those to get across the Corners.

Dead people didn’t need riches.