Elves in the Woods

KAZ

I'd gotten hit harder than I expected.

My fingers come away red as I touch the line of my dark brown hair. While my magic controlled the mind, Jaerim's dealt with the body. And his magic was powerful.

Every step I take is weaker and dizzier than the last.

"Your Highness!"

A hand suddenly wraps around my shoulder, pulling back. And I instinctively reach for the knife against my thigh, the handle cold between my fingertips.

I blink, trying to clear my blurring vision.

Who...?

"Kaz! It's River."

The knife slips from my fingers. And I recognize River's blonde locks the same time I hear his shocked voice, his eyes wide in my direction.

"What in the—what happened?"

He grips my arm, wrapping it around his neck. My body sways heavily into his. I can feel the heat of the blood trickle down my back— and when I speak, my voice is barely audible.

"He...used magic."

There's a sharp breath.

"What?"