Mia pulled Ford backward as the monster lunged. He was too weak and drained to do much, and Grandpa–she didn't want to think about that until the monster was gone.
The bleeding eyes of the monster were vulnerable, and Mia thought quickly.
With her arm around Ford, she could feel the whittling knife he kept in the sheath on his belt. She drew it into her free hand as the monster snapped blindly into the alcove. Then, she released the man she cared all too much about and searched for a place to stab that would kill the creature instantly.
Disregarding her own safety entirely, she followed the pull with the knife in her hand, pressing forward.
The monster's movements were erratic, and so the pull shifted constantly, but Mia had been following her magical tugs since before she knew what they were. Her hand was drawn inexorably past the snapping jaws as she dashed forward.