Chapter 24: Showdown
I know what I have to do. But when I lead Ravel back to the unguarded side gate, Steph is waiting for us.
She doesn’t say anything, not at first. She just plants herself, solid and unmoving, in front of the key. The look on her face makes me cringe. But I won’t be turned aside.
I motion Ravel to wait, and settle into a guard position, the one she’s drilled me on relentlessly. Not that it does me much good. She waits for me to get nervous enough to attack, and puts a quick, painful end to my first attempt—and the dozen or so increasingly desperate ones that follow.
Ravel stands back and watches me eat dirt over and over again, wincing and calling encouragement, but not interfering. Not that he could beat Steph in a fair fight either.
When I can no longer summon the
