Helena slams her crystal wine glass onto the table. In the palm of her hand, a violently swirling, concentrated sphere of wind magic instantly begins to form.
At the same time, the five black-clad assassins lunge forward. A sudden, heavy numbness washes over my body— Fighting through the creeping paralysis, I twist my wrist sharply. perfectly from my heavy silk sleeve into my palm. I hold it up awkwardly, bracing for the impact.
But before the lead assassin's blade can even reach my face, the air in the room shatters.
Two arrows made of pure, blindingly green magical force shoot in from the darkness outside the balcony. The first arrow completely bypasses me, morphing into a glowing magical rope that whips entirely around the lead assassin's neck. In an instant, it violently yanks him backward, ripping him off his feet with the force of a hurricane.
