Page 7 of Cursed By Malignant Magic
I clamped my eyes shut, my fear of heights and what I would see so far below forcing me to leave them shut despite the instinct to look at the giant monster currently holding me in its claws.
No one would come to help me, and I had no magic to defend myself. I was on my own, and it looked like it was going to have to be done the old-fashioned way.
I took a deep breath and braced myself for the pain, then lowered myself so that I was only being held by one arm again. I was a little more prepared this time, enough that I was able to focus on something else.
I fumbled the fingers of my free hand for the knife in my boot, the muscles in my stomach aching. It was a tiny knife, and I highly doubted that it would be enough to stop such a massive creature, but it wasn’t like I had much of a choice. Without my magic, it was the tiny knife or hold still and wait for this thing to eat me.
It wouldn’t be a pleasant death—of that I was sure—so I pulled the knife free as soon as I found it.
With every last ounce of strength in my body, I pushed myself up against the weight of the bird's massive claws.Gripping tightly to the hilt of my blade, I thrust downward with all my might. The impact sent a jolt through my arm and nearly caused me to lose hold of my knife as it bounced off the unyielding surface of the hard talon.
But I refused to give up, determined to land a solid blow.
With a panicked yelp, I tightened my grip on the knife and tried slashing instead, but once again, the blade did no damage to the claw or the…paw? Whatever it was that held me.
One last try. I reeled back and slashed the blade as hard as I could upward, catching the bottom of the bird's leg. Whatever nearly indestructible material made up its claws, the same was not true of its leg. My knife slashed through, but the bird didn’t so much as squawk.
Its sharp claws, as long and deadly as daggers, tightened their grip on me once more, in a last desperate attempt to hold its writhing prey. The bird's wings beat furiously against the wind, sending us both soaring higher into the sky.
Panic surged through my veins as I struggled against the powerful creature, trying to break free from its grasp. With every passing moment, my chances of survival seemed slimmer and slimmer.
Had I mentioned that I was an idiot? It took me a terrifyingly short amount of time to realize my mistake. True, being held in the air by a massive bird was a very good way to die, but being let go by said bird while still in the air? Also a good way to die.
I had never given much thought to how exactly I would die, but I spared a moment's thought for Ehuna, who would be furious that I had disobeyed her orders, and now I would die because of it.
If there was an afterlife, she would never let me hear the end of it.
My heart pounded against my chest as I plummeted towards the ground, helpless and at the mercy of gravity.
I frantically searched for my magic, knowing it was my only chance of survival. As I fell, I stretched out my arms and legs in a futile attempt to slow my descent. But the rushing wind tore at my body, whipping strands of hair across my face and stinging my skin like tiny needles.
My left gauntlet, the one specially crafted for shielding, was my only hope as I funneled every last ounce of power into it. A futile attempt to save myself from being shattered upon impact with the unforgiving ground below, like a stomped berry.
Finally, my magic flared to life in a tiny circle before me, but it was too late. The shield trembled and contorted, struggling to protect me, but something had gone terribly wrong with my gift. The explosion of the magical bomb earlier in the day had clearly affected it, leaving it weak and strained.
It would not be enough to save me.
The deafening screech of a massive bird rang in my ears as my body slammed into the earth with a sickening thud. Pain and raw magic coursed through every bone in my body, causing me to cry out in agony.
My body gave out, and everything flashed to the deepest black.
Chapter
Five
The low murmur of voices pulled me out of my slumber once again. My head felt heavy and throbbed in time with my heartbeat.
For a brief moment, I was convinced I was back in Ehuna’s wagon, that everything since then had been a vivid dream. But as I shifted, a stray leaf on the ground tickled my nostril, reminding me that it had all been real.
My body screamed in protest as I slowly inched onto my hands and knees, each movement sending sharp pains shooting through my muscles. Cold, damp leaves pressed against my skin as I struggled to find my balance. But before I could even reach a standing position, a wave of dizziness overcame me, forcing me to drop my head down and rest it against the leaves.
I hated the shivering in my bones, almost as much as I hated the fact that I could barely pull myself onto my knees. Even through my haze of aches, I could hear the voices that had awoken me, and considering the way my luck had been so far, I was not at all confident that the people speaking were anyone I could trust.
If I lay here, I was liable to get even more hurt than I already was, which was the only reason that I managed to push myselfup on my hands and knees once more. I was too spiteful to die, even if the pain made me want to lie back down and take my chances of slipping back into unconsciousness.
Up, up.
Finally on my knees, I fumbled with the massive rock in front of me to haul myself upright, or at least close to it. I suppose I was just lucky that I hadn't landed on top of that rock instead of on the ground. The bird might not have been intending to kill me until we got back to wherever it had planned on taking me, but if I’d landed on that rock, I’d be split open like a nut.
