Chapter90

It turned from the first, the second cut the shoulder, and the third stopped between two black fingers.
Didi went cold at that, and Gazel's eyes widened a little when the monster looked at him with no smile left on its face.
"That's enough," it said again, quieter this time.
Its other hand moved before Gazel could pull back.
The claws drove into the center of his chest and his armor burst apart on the spot. Didi heard the wet crack from where she stood, then Gazel's whole body jerked once around the arm lodged through him.
"Gazel!"
The monster lifted him off the ground with one hand, staring up at him while blood ran over its wrist. Gazel's sword slipped from his fingers and hit the ground, the gold light around it breaking apart a second later.
It yanked its hand out and let him drop, hitting the ground on his back, not able to get up.
The monster looked at the blood on its claws, then licked one knuckle without taking its eyes off Didi.
She screamed again and stumbled forward, then stopped after two steps as her legs suddenly felt too weak to hold her.
Memories of the past came crashing through her, remembering Gazel kneeling to tie the straps on her practice sword when she was too small to do it right, or when he carried her back to her room after she fell asleep in the library.
Him standing outside her door all night after the first time she had a nightmare about monsters.
'No,' she thought, staring at the blood spreading under him. 'No, get up... please get up.' 
Her sword slipped from her fingers and hit the ground while the tears finally filled her eyes, making her barely see him anymore.
"Gazel," she said, then louder, her voice breaking on his name, "Gazel!"
The monster watched her for a second, then gave a low laugh that made her whole body go cold.