Yet, as much fun as it was, I knew I couldn’t keep it up forever. Where the hell was Trsiel? As a last resort, I put my fingers in my mouth and whistled as loud as I could. As I did, the Nix sprang to her feet. I kicked. Her hand shot out, grabbing for my foot. I managed to abort the kick just as her fingers grazed my ankle. I danced away, out of reach of that iron grip.

“You think you’re clever, don’t you, witch?” she said. “But the harder you hit, the harder I’ll hit back. Haven’t you learned that yet?”

She lunged for me. I sidestepped out of the way, pivoted fast, and aimed a roundhouse kick at the back of her knees. My foot connected with a crack and she dropped to her knees.

As I kicked again, the Nix ducked in time, then grabbed at my foot, getting just enough of a grip to pull me off balance. I twisted away and rebounded with a side kick that knocked her into the wall, dirt raining down.

“You want the amulet, witch?” she said. “You keep it. I’ll go the other route. Less satisfying in the long run but—” She smiled. “Temporarily, perhaps very satisfying indeed, if done right. So why don’t…”

She flew at me, hoping to catch me off guard, but I veered out of her path and wheeled to face her again. Running footsteps pounded in the tunnel. Trsiel. Finally.

The Nix started an incantation. A portal, or so I assumed. But the words sounded familiar…and I didn’t know any portal-opening spells. It didn’t matter. Whatever she was casting, I wasn’t about to let her finish.

I spun and kicked, but the Nix backed out of my way. She lifted both hands, then fluttered them down. A spell with hand gestures? Had to be sorcerer magic. As I readied another kick, she stopped casting. I braced myself, but nothing happened.

“As good a spell-caster as a fighter, I see,” I said…and dropped her with a front kick.

Trsiel flew through the doorway. I was off to the side, up near the door, so when he came through, his back was to me and all he saw was the Nix sprawled across the floor.

She lifted her head.

“Trsiel!” she said. “Look out! Behind you!”

He swung around, sword raised. Then he saw me and stopped.

“Trsiel!” the Nix shouted. “It’s her. She cast a glamour spell.”

Glamour? Oh, shit! That’s what the Nix had cast. A sorcerer glamour spell…to make herself look like me. A protest flew to my lips, but Trsiel’s sword was already sheering toward me, too fast for me to say anything…or to dive out of the way.