Echoworld

He swung for her head, but the sword stopped a good foot from her head, hitting an invisible barrier.

While Wren was occupied with Shaun, Wren took the opportunity to stab her in the leg, just above the knee. Wren screamed in pain.

By that time, Shaun had retaken his sword and swung again, this time for her middle. And again, he encountered the barrier.

"Wren!" he shouted. Both looked at him, one holding her leg in pain, the other holding a bloody knife. "Go for it. She can't use magic against you!"

"Oh, but I can," the woman growled. She raised one hand towards Wren, palm facing her. Wren flew into the wall on the opposite end of the room. Her head made contact with a sickening thud.

Shaun ran toward her. He tried to help her up, while Wren limped over. She left bloody footprints in her wake. She grinned, somewhat evilly. "Like shooting birds in a cage," she said, raising her hands towards them.

Wren moved suddenly from her position on the floor, sweeping Wren's feet from beneath her. She hit the ground hard. The girl with the knife knelt dizzily next to the woman and held the weapon to her throat. "I agree."

Something invisible smacked the girl, knocking her out. Shaun took a stance with his sword, waiting for the inevitable attack. Something whooshed by his ear and he ducked. The woman slowly stood. "You? I thought I'd gotten rid of you. Oh, well." She caressed the fingertips of her right hand with those on her left. Her nails were now blades.

Shaun stepped forward, once again swinging his sword. It stopped halfway there; he was paralyzed. Wren smiled. "Magic is so much fun!"

She slowly walked toward him. Once she was right in front of his, she stroked his face with her fingernails-turned-blades. He could feel the warm sticky wetness of blood running down his face, but he could do nothing to stop her. Something on the ground behind Wren moved. Wren was coming around. Wren didn't notice anything; her gaze was fixated on Shaun.

"Now, my pet," she said coldly, "why would you want to harm me? What have I done to you?"

He felt his jaw become unfrozen. "You're evil."

She laughed lightheartedly, like a schoolgirl. "Me? Evil? Nonsense. I only rid the world of the imbeciles it seems to have an endless supply of. That's not evil; that's a favor."

"You burned down an entire city." Come on, Wren. Wake up. Help me out. "All of Andorville. That town couldn't have been full of imbeciles."

She ran her fingernails, no, blades through his short spiked hair. "Ah, yes. An unfortunate mistake."

"Mistake?! How do you accidentally -" He was cut off by a sharp backhand to the face, leaving grooves that dripped blood onto the white marble-floor. Wren rose silently to her feet, a look of fury in her eyes. C'mon kid, hurry.

Wren saw her friend standing there, frozen, with cuts all over his face. She was toying with him, he was diverting her attention. She could hear his mental pleas clearly.

She closed her eyes and stealthily entered Wren's mind. Okay. Brain. Little further down. Lungs. Bit to the left. Heart. Ha. Gotcha. She concentrated on slowing that muscle down, pouring her ire into that one task. Shaun's sword abruptly finished its journey into Wren's torso.

The woman's eyes flew open in surprise as she crumpled to the floor, clutching her side. Her eyes remained wide, even after the light of life had gone out from behind them.

Shaun shakily resheathed his sword. Wren did the same with her knife. They walked towards each other and embraced tightly. By the way her shoulders were shaking, he knew she was crying.

"Shh..." he whispered tenderly into her ear.