Like a gruesome downpour, blood trickled from my knuckles and pooled on the chilly marble surface underneath. I slumped against the wall, gasping for air as I felt the sting of scrapes and bruises all over my body. Though every muscle ached, there was no time to relax at this point. Regardless of Selena's desire, I had to keep her safe.
The Stregge and the assassins were too much at once, even with my power. They took more punches than I did. The Stregge had numbers on their side and they were skilled in hand-to-hand fighting. On the other hand, I had magic, sarcasm, and Stardust.
"Nicolo," Selena's voice trembled with fear, her eyes wide as she stared at the destruction around us. "What are we going to do?"
"What do you mean, we? Change of plans as you're about as useful as a fork at a soup-eating contest," I said through gritted teeth, pushing off the wall and forcing myself to stand tall. "We're heading upstairs. I've got a hunch that'll give us a better chance."
"Are you sure?" She hesitated, glancing back at the cursed mirror that had brought us both so much misery. It shimmered dangerously as if it knew it was being discussed.
"Positive," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. About as positive as the actress with big boobs who can't act running up the stairs to outrun a slasher when she should've run out the front door. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the grand staircase. Our footsteps echoed eerily in the darkened mansion as we ascended, each step taking an immense amount of willpower.
They're coming. Not right away, but even Stardust glanced back in anticipation. She had the look of enjoyment on her face. If any of us liked to fight, she did and was passionate about it. Getting away was a bitch, and taking a couple of knife cuts, a kick to the ribs, and a left hook to the face gave us a chance to get away. Luckily, the Stregge backed off.
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