His red-rimmed eyes narrowed. His sword began to tremor in his white-knuckled fist.
“You can’t hide in there forever!” he howled.
“I am not hiding,” she replied, in a voice as dry as the fire’s. “I am here. I am unarmed. There is nothing to stop you from cutting me down.” When he made no reply, she goaded him further. “Perhaps it will make you feel braver if I turn my back to you.”
“b***h!”
Almost in spite of himself, he lurched toward her. She reached out as if encouraging a child to walk. Bluish flames cascaded down her arms. “Come,” she crooned at him. “The fire is hungry. And it likes the taste of your flesh. Come and let it feed on you.”
A spasm of unreasoning fear contorted his sweat-slicked face. He jerked to a stop, then glanced all around him. His panic sheered off into wild
