It moved very, very quickly. Tessa took the last stairs in a leap and threw herself between Jakob and his assailant. “Go away! Leave us alone.”
The Poly caught her and squeezed. Squeezed until she felt her ribs pop. Squeezed until she couldn’t cry out, couldn’t breathe, until grey spots swam before her eyes. But this pain brought her resolve.
One of her arms was free. Though her hand felt nearly numb, she remembered that there had once been a knife attached to it. It glinted in the light as she raised it high, and plunged it to the hilt in the Poly’s left eye. Surprisingly, it did not let her go, but it did loosen its grip long enough for her to take a ragged breath.
Jakob came up behind her and wrenched the Poly’s arms wide. “Drop. Crawl away with your head covered.” Tessa did as she w
