Black Moon Draw

The Desert Knight glances between us before stepping forward and snatching my arm. He yanks the hood off and glares down at me.

"Boy, what have you done?" he all but bellows towards his son.

Westley is speechless, fear on his features for the first time since I've met him.

"Nothing," I say quickly, mind racing. If I'm caught, Westley can still get word to the Red Knight and plan with him to help the Shadow Knight. "I . . . uh, I put a spell on him, one that forced him to aid me."

That does it.

"Stand back!" The Desert Knight releases me like I'm a hot potato, face flushing with anger while his eyes drop to the medallion. The men with him scramble away while Westley remains in place. "You said you could not use it!"

"I only can every once in a while. It just so happened to work this morning." I lie once more. "I used it on him to help me escape."

Drawing a knife, the Desert Knight snatches my neck, dragging me onto my knees. "Release him, witch, and I will not gut you right now!" he growls.

Not sure what he expects a magical witch to do, I pick up the medallion, close my eyes, and toss one arm out to my side. After a few seconds, I open my eyes. "He is released," I say as solemnly as I can, loudly enough for the teen to hear.

The Desert Knight twists to see over his shoulder.

I wave Westley away.

He obeys and backpedals until he's standing between two of his father's men.

"You will not go near my son!" The Desert Knight turns his attention back to me. "I know how to kill you. I planned on waiting for my victory to be complete, for your Shadow Knight to watch you die at my feet!"

He's cutting off my ability to breathe and I clutch his wrist.

"Or you can use your magic for me and I spare you."

"N. . .no!" I gasp.

"Then mayhap I should kill you now!"

"You . . . curse . . ." Choking, my vision is turning into tunnel vision, the edges of my mind going black. Pain is trumped only by panic.

I'm suffocating . . . spiraling into darkness . . . the world growing quiet, fuzzy, dull . . .

Silently, I scream for him to stop.

A flare of fire shoots through me from the medallion, zapping him hard enough to shove him back.

I collapse and suck in air, coughing hard. My throat burns and I touch the tender skin around my neck. The world is wobbly, my senses all over the place as they're revived by the sudden flow of oxygen in my brain. Dazed, I realize I'm lying on the ground and push myself up.