She lunged again, claws whistling past my throat close enough to part the air with a hiss, drawing a thin line of blood that stung like salt in a wound. But this time I was ready. I relaxed my body down to every last nerve before flickering sideways, activating Salem's sonic burst.
The dispersed energy exploded through my limbs in a violent ripple that tore at my muscles from within.
It wasn't the overwhelming power it had once once been when I was guided by that mysterious women—just a flash, a concussive wave of speed that made the air crack like thunder—but it was enough to bend the moment in my favor, time seeming to stretch as I moved.
My arm blurred, pen darting out like a viper's strike aimed straight for her collarbone. The tip nearly connected—but then she bent back at the last split second.
Damn it!
Pain rippled throughout my arm, steam hissing from my sleeve as my flesh began blistering and screaming in agony.
