Black Moon Draw

"We need a pendulum to start the pendulum," he replies. Double knotting the sheet, he turns me to face the edge. "Prepared to obey me, witch?"

"Depends on the command."

"As I thought. You need another lesson, and since I swore not to dismember you . . ." The Shadow Knight shoves me off the roof.

My screech stops short as I hit the extent of the sheet. Heart slamming into my chest, I grip my lifeline and stare down at the bay below.

"If it comes loose, tell me quickly," he advises.

You're such an asshole. I'm facing the wrong way to see his expression, but he sounds a little too amused shoving me off the roof to be an act of necessity only.

These lessons of his leave much to be desired. Is this how he trains his foot soldiers? How is anyone left alive to fight?

From the rooftop, he begins swinging me back and forth. I close my eyes, not about to throw up in the middle of my idea for rescuing us and pray he doesn't drop me.

At first, nothing happens, not until I'm swinging out far enough to reach the same level as the Shadow Knight. I open my eyes at the sickening sensation of free falling before the sheet catches me and glance towards him. He's focused and balanced atop the roof, his stance wide and the muscles of his arms straining.

The heavy tower starts to swing shallowly at first and then farther.

"Bringing you up!" he calls.

No argument here.

The Shadow Knight pulls me back to the top of the tower and steadies me on the swaying tower.

"We may succeed," he grunts, hanging onto the chain with one hand to keep his balance.

"If we don't fall or get crushed against the next tower over." I grip his tunic, not liking our precarious position at all. He's sturdy-footed enough that I almost believe he's immune to any sort of human weakness. We gaze at each other too long, as usual, his intensity making me want to wilt.

"Do not give up yet, Naia." He turns us until my back is to the chain. "Hold onto the chain. I shall fetch more."

I release him with a nod and wrap my arm around the chain. With no hesitation, he lowers his center of balance and moves towards the edge, lying down on his stomach. He's reaching for something beneath his perch - wooden beams maybe? - and then lifts his body up and over with control I've only seen watching the gymnastics portion of the Olympics on television.

Incredible. His sheer strength makes me shiver and his otherworldly agility causes my blood to light on fire.