The Prodigious Nim, Part Thirty-Four

{Raven} 

Raven lunged toward Melisa.

In the process, she forcibly pushed aside all the memories that threatened to surface.

The early morning chats, the giggles Raven would often hold back, the late nights spent staring up at the ceiling as they chatted until one, usually Melisa, would tap out. 

They had no place here, not anymore. They were just distractions, weaknesses Melisa could exploit. 

It was Melisa or her. The organization didn't accept failure. And, Raven wasn't about to throw her own life away. 

Raven's focus narrowed to a single point, a deadly precision honed by years of training. Her target was clear:

Melisa's purple throat, vulnerable and exposed.

One quick strike and it would all be over.

But Melisa was not the helpless victim Raven had anticipated.

Even as Raven closed in, the nim girl's hands were moving, tracing a spellsign in the air with lightning speed.

An incantation fell from her lips.