Pale Lights

(She pulled the dead man in the way, his flesh taking the sword blow, and ripped the corpse’s pistol free. She aimed a shot at the lictor in the doorway and - a ripple in the air , then her bones began to rattle)

Angharad Tredegar killed the glimpse and let out a shuddering breath. The corner of her eyes stung, her veins felt like there were heated shards of metal shoved in them. They only hurt when she moved, but it was a reminder that there were only so many times she could pull on her contract before it killed her.

Lady Petra Doukas was proving to be something of a problem.

The priestess could only draw shallowly from the spirit she championed, having so far displayed two tricks. One of them had no effect on Angharad: the power that dazed and charmed had run afoul of the Fisher’s pride, as thick a wall as a woman might ask for. It was Lady Doukas’ second trick that she was finding it difficult to get around.

Seven words spoken in prayer to the Odyssean and a pointed finger would lead to a ripple of power that rattled Angharad’s bones inside her body. It lasted no longer than a second and while it hurt… not insignificantly, it did not appear to do actual lasting physical damage.

Which it hardly needed to, given that the pain and shakes nearly always toppled Angharad and if she fell to the ground the fight was lost. Without the cane, which she could not spare the time to head to her left to grab first, it was simply too difficult to get back up without first being shot.

Lady Apollonia Floros had, seemingly, left Angharad in a room with two traitor lictors, a priestess and a pair of still-snacking devils – who did not participate, only spectating and offering the occasional comment from the sideline. Yet from the very first glimpse Angharad had discovered there was a third lictor out in the hall who would rush in should there be noise.

So not three but four opponents, one of which could call on a spirit’s favor but had no true fighting skill besides. It should have been a grim minute’s work, and perhaps if her leg was hale and her dress strapped into place it would be. But while those two hindrances were in the way Angharad could not run and that kept getting her killed.

The problem was simple: she could not cross the room quickly enough to close range without being noticed, and she had only one knife to throw and slay someone by surprise. This was her undoing because the lictors were skilled enough marksmen that if they were allowed to fire two shots, the second usually hit her.