Not yet, I murmured. Not just yet.
I agree. Taylor's voice was so close beside me I jumped. Death shall not find you just yet, but it will come, huntress. Even now, your flesh weakens. Soon, your heart will stop, and you will find yourself trapped in this place of nothingness, never to move on or be reborn.
Panic surged and I scrambled upright. Or tried to. My legs were like jelly and they refused to support my weight. One heartbeat later, I was on my knees. Which was stupid, because the wounds weren't real. The hounds hadn't chomped and chewed; I was whole and unhurt and fit.
But no matter how much I repeated that to myself, it didn't seem to make one jot of difference. Maybe the umbra didn't work that way.
Nevertheless, I took a deep breath, imagined it flowing through my being like a sweet breeze, blowing away the hurt and the pain as it refilled the wells of my strength.
Then slowly—and somewhat unsteadily—I climbed to my feet, Amaya clenched tightly in my hands. Her fire dripped from the end of the steel and formed a wide circle around me, as if drawing a line in the sand and daring Taylor to cross.
He didn't accept the challenge. He remained where he'd appeared, his arms crossed and satisfaction oozing from his pores.
Standing there watching me die seems a bit anticlimactic after all your huff and puff, I commented. I was under the impression you wanted to kill me yourself.
I wanted a challenge and you certainly provided it. But I am no fool. I have you here now, and here you'll stay.
I snorted. You can't stop me from returning to flesh, Taylor—
On the contrary, he interrupted. I can.
Fear slithered through me. I was playing into his hands, I knew that, but he was far too watchful for me to release the one ace I held up my sleeve. Or on my arm, as was the case with the Dušan.
No one has that much power, Taylor. Not even someone like you.
His amusement swam around me, taunting and stinging. Do you remember Dorothy?
Yes. I continued to swing Amaya back and forth, watching him warily. The Dušan had settled into my right forearm, her glow fading but not her readiness. She felt like a coiled spring, ready to explode from my flesh the minute I gave the word.