My limbs froze, yet I shook myself from the stupor. Lunging for the urn, I snatched it up and ripped away the cords—tearing its lid free and hurling its contents at the guards. The dragonflies shot out, whirring louder as though enraged. The soldiers’ faces paled, yet they were well trained as their arms flew up, their spears carving the air with rhythmic blows—one of them calling for reinforcements. As the dragonflies fractured—some already re-forming—more guards raced into the room, crowding the entrance. The creatures plunged toward them, stinging their faces and necks. Swollen bumps pushed through their skin, a reddish violet hue, as the soldiers gasped in pain. Tao and I raced toward the door just as a solider leapt forward to block our path, swinging his sword at my head. I slashed at him feverishly, driving him back. We were running out of time. Soon the soldiers would overwhelm the dragonflies, they would stop us … the air already stirring with the beginnings of a spell.

Gripping the hilt of my blade with both hands, I flung it up to meet the soldier’s blow—my arm throbbing as I shoved his weapon away. He staggered back, weaving to catch his balance, his sword arcing toward me once more. I twisted aside, his blade sliding across the air where my chest had been. Crouching lower, I kicked at him, my foot colliding with his stomach. He gasped even as he dove forward to grab at my face covering. I darted out of reach, dragging my blade across his arm, slicing his flesh. Blood gushed out, a cry wrung from his throat—the whirring from the dragonflies escalating into a frenzied pitch.

My energy surged, summoning a gale to knock him aside—no need for subterfuge or caution now. At least our faces were still concealed; we had a chance of escaping unscathed, though the odds were rapidly diminishing.

“More soldiers are coming!” Tao yelled.

We bolted from the chamber, sprinting across the grassy lawn. Magic flowed from my hands, calling down a cloud as we raced onward in a jagged path to evade the soldiers. As we scrambled upon our cloud, an ominous whistling sliced the air. Tao and I ducked low, holding our breath as arrows hurtled over us. Sweat dripped from my brow, my limbs ached—yet I dared not pause, channeling more energy into the wind that swept us upward in a twisting route to throw off any pursuers.

We soared in silence for a long while, our eyes searching for any sign of danger. Only once the luminous glow of the moon lit a path through the night did I tug away the covering from my face. It had seemed a foolish idea before, but I was grateful for it. If someone had recognized me … I shivered at the thought.

Tao’s arms were wrapped around his body. “We were lucky. Beyond lucky, to have escaped.”