Page 20 of The Pactbound Angel (The Soul Mirror Duet #1)

It lunged, faster than should have been thought possible for a creature of its size.

I bore my shield down to block it, but I was not fast enough.

It grabbed my leg in its jaws and heaved backwards, throwing my balance.

Landing hard on my back with a whoosh, the air forcefully exited my lungs.

My hand struck the ground hard, and the longsword within it fell from my grasp.

I reached for the sword’s grip when the alligator began to drag me back to the water, my weapon quickly out of reach. Georgina hopped off of M.A.L.C.O.L.M.’s shoulders as she yelled, “M.A.L.! Attack!”

Beep. “FINALLY! KILL MODE!”

The automaton’s lighted eyes turned from a gentle yellow to bright red. It gave an echoing scream and descended upon the alligator.

Beep. “DIE, BIG LIZARD!”

Hovering over the alligator, whose crushing maw was beginning to bend and kink my plate greaves in its mighty jaws, M.A.L.C.O.L.M.

punched down on its head. The alligator let me go and howled in pain, shaking its head as though to clear it.

M.A.L.C.O.L.M. continued to hammer his fists into the alligator’s skull, keeping Wixin occupied.

Crawling to my longsword just as Raewyn was running towards me, her hand extended with prayer already on her lips for healing.

Ramiren spotted an opportunity, jabbing his rapier into the alligator’s left eye. It recoiled with a screech. Ramiren backed away, looking at me, and calmly yet forcefully asked, “Are you injured?”

I picked up my longsword and stood, putting a test weight on the leg the alligator had grabbed. Definitely injured. Stifling a pained grunt, I limped back over to the alligator, doing my best to dodge Raewyn’s hands. “I’m fine!”

“You’re not! You’re limping!” Raewyn argued, pointed at my leg.

My answering growl made me sound a bit more like the alligator than I wanted to admit. “Heal me later , Raewyn!”

Then Ramiren called out, “There’s a section behind his skull. A crack in his bone plates!”

Yes, a joint between sections of his bone armor.

..good eyes, Ramiren. Raising my longsword above the preoccupied alligator, above its neck where Ramiren had indicated, I jammed the swordpoint downward with a silent plea to Horyn.

My prayer was answered as my weapon sliced straight through this time. The alligator gurgled and jerked.

Beep. “PERISH!”

M.A.L.C.O.L.M. swung down with his other mechanical fist, just above where my sword was. I twisted as his fist landed, and a sickening crunch followed. The alligator shuddered and finally laid still .

Pulling my longsword from the creature, I stumbled to the driest spot available.

Raewyn began to pray again, calling upon Minue to repair my damaged leg.

I plopped down onto the ground as she did so, inspecting my injury.

There will be no repairing the greaves without an armorsmith.

Gingerly removing it by unbuckling the straps around my calf, I winced more at the sight than the pain.

The twisted greave had cut into my leg, causing several deep lacerations.

I’m lucky it didn’t bite my leg off. Someone knelt next to me.

Expecting it to be Raewyn, but instead, it was Ramiren.

He looked at my leg, watching blood pooled and dripped onto the ground, then back to my face.

He said nothing for a long beat, as though he was inspecting me. “You were not fine.”

My hand did little to staunch the wound, but Raewyn finally stepped forward, placing gentle hands on my shoulder as I shrugged and tried to respond casually. “I was fine. I barely felt it.”

You are such a liar.

The bleeding stopped, and the cuts closed under my hand. Raewyn’s work.

His tone was soft, not chiding, but instructive. “You should be more truthful if you are injured. Raewyn’s intervention may be needed in the Feylands during a fight, not at the end.”

His tone made warmth glow in my lower belly, and lower, while his words made me flustered. I had to finish the fight. There was no time.

Patting my sister’s hand that still rested on my shoulder, I thanked her. She gave my shoulder a squeeze before she let go and straightened. “You’re welcome, and he’s right, you know. You need to be honest with me if you’re hurt.”

Surrounded and ashamed, there was no path forward but to agree. “Yes, very well. I will not avoid you again, Raewyn. My apologies.”

I stood and put some test weight on my leg. It felt sound enough to walk, if a bit achy. “Does anyone see the bunyip?”

Georgina, after inspecting M.A.L.C.O.L.M. for dents, piped up. “He ran off. Probably to tell the hag that he got us killed with an overgrown gecko.”

We need a way to track him. “Can anyone track?”

Georgina smiled proudly. “M.A.L. can!” She reached into his ribcage from underneath. There was a soft click when she pulled a tiny lever. M.A.L.C.O.L.M.’s eyes went to a soft yellow again.

Beep. “TRACKING COMMENCING. STATE YOUR TARGET.”

Georgina said, clearly enunciating the word, “Bunyip.”

Beep. “AFFIRMATIVE.” The automaton looked down, then around the area, and began to walk steadily in one direction.

“We’d best follow. He won’t stop until he finds it.” Georgina clapped her tiny hands in glee.

I spoke low and slow, “Now, about the location of your mistress’s home.”

The bunyip shrank from my raised sword. We had cornered it in a small rocky alcove, and as it looked around, it saw no way to escape.

It whined. “My my, I am sorry! Perhaps a deal can be made.”

Ramiren stepped forward. “A deal, it is. Your life for the location of the mischief hag’s home. Do we have an accord?”

The bunyip began to bob its head. “Yes yes, my my. An accord.”

Ramiren extended his hand, which made the bunyip recoil. “The pact is sealed.”

The bunyip paused, then extended its paw to the pactmaker.

Ramiren commanded sharply, “Repeat the words, bunyip.”

The bunyip blurted, “The pact is sealed!” Its face twisted with confusion. “My my, but why? Is this needed? Necessary?”

“It protects you and us, bunyip. A pact sealed is a pact protected. Dangerous consequences can happen if it is broken.”

My gaze bounced between the pactmaker and his newest pactee, wondering what these consequences might be. Ask him about it later.

The bunyip nodded vigorously. “My my, I understand. My life for the location of my lady’s hut.” It turned and pointed its body. “Due east from here, maybe five miles, in the middle of a woody clearing.”

Ramiren showed his sharp canines in a threatening smile. “Now, was that so hard?”

The bunyip whined, its tail tucked and ears back.