"Such a foul mouth for such a pretty face." Blackbrand's smile awakened something dangerous in me, something sharp and cruel, a desire to rip that grin off and play with his severed head. My frost reacted instantly, blooming from the green flower in my palm, the cold rising like a breath of winter that wished to devour the world.
A wave of ice shot forward, wide and sudden, rushing straight at him. It was simple, intentional, a distraction masking my next move. I flicked my fingers in a practiced motion, and the acupuncture needles hidden under my clothes answered the command. They slipped between my knuckles like whispers. Thin, deadly, crimson-tipped.
I'll make you regret opening your mouth at me.
The needles launched themselves beneath the sweeping ice, weaving through the frost like invisible serpents. They aimed directly at his exposed torso, the soft glow of enchantment pulsing faintly as they cut through the air.
