Shadow and Bone

The stag had fallen on his side and lay in the snow,
breathing heavily, his black eyes wide and panicked.
I felt Mal move before I saw him. He turned his bow on the
stag and let fly, but a blue-robed Squaller stepped forward, his
hand arcing through the air. The arrow swerved left, falling
harmlessly into the snow.
Mal reached for another arrow and at the same moment the
Darkling threw his hand out, sending a black ribbon of
darkness rippling toward us. I raised my hands and light shot
from my fingers, shattering the darkness easily.
But it had only been a diversion. The Darkling turned on the
stag, lifting his arm in a gesture I knew only too well. “No!” I
screamed and, without thinking, I threw myself in front of the
stag. I closed my eyes, ready to feel myself torn in half by the
Cut, but the Darkling must have turned his body at the last
moment. The tree behind me split open with a loud crack,
tendrils of darkness spilling from the wound. He’d spared me,
but he’d also spared the stag.
All humor was gone from the Darkling’s face as he
slammed his hands together and a huge wall of rippling
darkness surged forward, engulfing us and the stag. I didn’t
have to think. Light bloomed in a pulsing, glowing sphere,
surrounding me and Mal, keeping the darkness at bay and
blinding our attackers. For a moment, we were at a stalemate.
They couldn’t see us and we couldn’t see them. The darkness
swirled around the bubble of light, pushing to get in.
“Impressive,” said the Darkling, his voice coming to us as if
from a great distance. “Baghra taught you far too well. But
you’re not strong enough for this, Alina.”
I knew he was trying to distract me and I ignored him.
“You! Tracker! Are you so ready to die for her?” the
Darkling called. Mal’s expression didn’t change. He stood,
bow at the ready, arrow nocked, turning in a slow circle,
searching out the Darkling’s voice. “That was a very touching
scene we witnessed,” he sneered. “Did you tell him, Alina?
Does the boy know how willing you were to give yourself to
me? Did you tell him what I showed you in the dark?”