A Dance of Crystal and Flame Formatted

“Listen, Aria,” he hissed. “Either you stay and take your chances with me, or I guarantee you will die. And it won’t be a pleasant death. You think you’re invisible here but you’re not. You have half the creatures in this world searching for you.”

I glared at him, regaining some of my dignity, my full lungs a surprisingly pleasant sensation. “I’ll take my chances with them.”

He hissed, jaw clenched, hands balled into fists.

“No, you won’t,” he muttered. Yanking against my wrist he pulled me forward until I slammed into his chest. His other hand moved to grab the back of my neck. I don’t know what he did, but an electric current seemed to ripple out from his fingers, shivering down his spine, and the world suddenly went black.