Call the Witch

Chapter 30 The Only Duel

"We're all alone now ." Affirmed a voice.

O'Faolain came out from behind a tree and stood four metres away from me. I had already noticed his presence while I was with Evan.

In a low voice I borrowed the energy of the forest, causing a swirl that lashed my clothes.

"I, Fáinne Strange, daughter of Naoise1 Strange and Sorcha the Imperious, challenge you to a duel to the death!" I dared him.

He didn't introduce himself. It was not necessary, I learned all about him.

I wore my dark green tunic for the formal occasions and I had tied up my hair so that wouldn't get in the way. On my hips I carried two ritual knives. I held Goibniu's ring in one hand and in the other Evan's ring. I didn't want to put it in the same hand as the other. In my right hand I wielded the shillelagh.

"Shall we begin?" I asked.

I was impatient, but it was a mistake, and I barely calmed down.

"Of course."

Suddenly he ran towards me but I dodged him. He had taken me a little by surprise. Then he attacked me again and I defended myself with the shillelagh. After exchanging a few blows, he made a feint with his hand. I did not have enough reflexes to stop the beat I was going to deal with the stick and he ripped it out of my hand, throwing it away from me.

"Shit." I thought.

The hybrid had snatched the shillelagh and in top of that he had been measuring my forces and my speed.

I wanted to kick him, but he was also fast and walked away from me a couple of meters. The hybrid disappeared before my eyes and my blood froze.

"Does he become invisible? What do I do know?" I thought desperately.

I listened in case I heard his footsteps, but it didn't help. I got a punch in the stomach that made me bend over and cough. He hit me in the face and I had to use almost all my strength not to lose my balance and fall to the ground. My lip began to bleed. I looked for the shillelagh to have in my possession a long-range weapon. I located it and ran. He followed me, but I took it first. I stood up and started to move the stick around me nimbly and defensively.

I was unaware of what I had to do. I didn't hear him and I wasn't going to see him coming and I knew he was watching me, looking for an oversight. I had no combat experience. I felt helpless. I took a deep breath, trying to find a solution. And then it started to rain.

The water dripped down his body, drawing his outline.

"Thank you, Prince. I owe you a big one."

I threw myself into the attack, taking the rain to my advantage, which had taken him by surprise. I hit him on the side with cruelty. When he bent down because of the pain, I took advantage and struck him again on the shoulder. He became visible. I wanted to throw a third blow, but he threw himself back and I didn't get there in time.

We gasped for breath in the rain, looking at each other on guard, searching for the right time to attack. I held the shillelagh with both hands. I hesitated between taking the initiative and waiting, but perhaps it was better if I went ahead, before he used any tricks.

"Why did you choose him?" I wondered.

"Ahhhh!" He exclaimed as if he were delighted. "He's very intelligent and creative. He's a special kid. That makes him more delicious."

I ran to him, but he dodged me and stood behind me. The hybrid put his arm around my neck and I tried to separate it so that he wouldn't choke me. He put the other hand in my stomach and I was horrified to see that his hand was generating cold. He was trying to freeze me. Just then the rain stopped and I burned his arm with my hands. He shrieked and retreated, clutching his burnt forearm. I took the opportunity to draw the iron knife. I brought my right hand up to my left shoulder to get an impulse and I nailed the blade to his ribs, where it remained lodged. The hybrid screamed in pain. I wanted to elbow him in the mouth of the stomach, but suddenly he became faoladh1. I was aware of what he was because I had shook his hand at Evan's house, but I was still paralyzed by the impression for a few fateful seconds. Again he punched me in the stomach so hard that I fell to my knees. I put my hand to my mouth. He tried to attack me again but I created a flame in my left hand and threw it at his chest. It started to smell of burnt flesh and hair. I almost threw up.

All of a sudden Prince appeared, grabbed me and moved me several meters away, until leaned me on a tree.

"You can't intervene." I said. "But be alert." I whispered.

Furious, the werewolf ran after me. I drew the silver knife, which was a little longer than the iron one, and simply waited for him.

"Prince!" I shouted.

The tree where I had leaned bowed and moved a branch violently, pushing the warlock against my knife, which was stuck in his stomach. He spat blood as it fell on me.

"You... chea... ted..." He managed to say between coughs, scratching my back.

"¿How does it feel" I began as I tried to push the knife upward, slitting his abdomen, "as life escapes you?" I asked with disdain. "I only cheat with cheaters."

"We are... the same." Murmured the dying man.

"I'm afraid not. I don't live at the expense of others."

"You... live... of their... problems..."

The blade stumbled over the sternum and I released it. The gruagach(1) fell to the ground. Before he died I used the quartz ring to absorb his powers. Then I ripped off my knives and used the silver one to cut his neck, making sure he was dead.

"They don't call me "the Implacable" for nothing." I thought and everything went black.

(1)Southern Irish kind of warlock.