As I watch, my leg twists and bends, snapping back into place. The unbearable pain of the shattered bone eases and I find I'm able to wiggle my toes again. I stare at it in wonder. Even the gash on my arm has knitted itself back together.

"Run!" Eko screams and I look up to see Kravimik leaping from the window towards him.

It's easily a twenty foot gap but Kravimik closes the distance with ease. He swings his fist at the spot where Eko was just standing but Eko is too fast. He hops over the railing and plummets to the factory floor. His landing is as graceful as a panther and he barely makes a sound. He rushes to my side and pulls me to my feet.

I'm shaky and nauseated and I wonder fleetingly if I might be concussed. Would my magic be able to heal a concussion? I don't know but apparently there's no time like the present to find out. 

Eko drags me to the closest door, weaving through the heavy machinery that dots the factory floor. There's a crash behind us that lets me know Kravimik is close behind but I don't look back. The door leads to a hallway and I can't tell if it's the one we took earlier. They all look the same with their peeling white paint and concrete floors. I lost my flashlight in the fall and now our only source of light is Eko's which bounces around as he runs.

He takes us through doors and around corners at random, trying to put as much distance between us and Kravimik as possible. I can hear him crashing after us, following us through this labyrinth of a factory. We push through a worn wooden door and almost tumble as we barrel down a set of stairs leading to a basement.

Rows and rows of shelves hold abandoned boxes filled with parts. Dusty labels announce their contents; screws, nuts, blades, paint. Eko pulls me into a small alcove under the stairs where a gap in the boxes leaves a space small enough for one.

"You must remain here," he whispers urgently.

I shake my head. It still feels foggy from the fall. "You can hide here together. We just need to move one of the boxes and you'll be able to fit."

He takes my hands. "No, my lady. I should not have brought you here. Ogres are creatures of murder and rage. I had not realizes the extent to which the magic of the seal had soothed this nature. Our only hope is for me to distract the beast while you escape. He will not likely be able to kill me but you are much more fragile.

His magic makes us afraid and he will follow the scent of our fear to us. When he does, I will lure him away from the door so you may sneak away. Prepare the car and I will follow when I can. You will know I have perished by the burn of the blood bond."

He traces the scar on my palm. He brings my hand to his lips and kisses the raised white line. I open my mouth to protest, to tell him he should stay and we can figure out a better plan, but before I can he darts off.

The silence that follows is suffocating. The ache in my head has eased slightly but I've burned through so much of my magic reserves to accomplish this much healing and my stomach is aching again. I miss the old days where my problems were things like choosing which bar to eat at and avoiding The Arc instead of death and Ogres.

The door to the basement cracks open and a shaft of dull light spills in.

"Tasty morsels love to hide," growls Kravimik from the top of the stairs. "Meat is tastiest when flavored with fear."

My heart leaps into my throat and I think I might choke on it. The terror of his presence washes over me and tears well up in my eyes.

Kravimik sniffs the air. "You may choose how to die. Like a rabbit in a hole or a warrior on the battlefield. Either way, make peace with your death."

He stalks down the stairs and the metal creaks under his weight. I curl in on myself, trying to make myself as small as I can. He's so close I can feel him. Unlike Eko, his magic rolls off of him like waves. Actually, they're more like tsunamis. They crash into me over and over, tasting of iron and battle.

I have the presence of mind to try to eat some of it, gather my strength, but paralyzed as I am with fear I can't manage more than a nibble. The taste mixes with the salt of my tears.

At the bottom of the stairs now, Kravimik turns towards my hiding spot. "Come now, little rabbit, you cannot hide from me."

There's a crash from the shelves. "Kravimik!" Eko's voice is far away.

Kravimik pauses, no more than a step away from my hiding place. He chuckles. The sound makes my blood run cold.

"Fear not, little rabbit," he rumbles to me, "I shall return for you."

Then, he turns and heads towards the direction of the crash.

When he's out of sight my breath comes a bit easier. I try to stand and find that my legs are made of jello. Instead, I crawl. Inch by inch I make my way to the stairs, jumping at every sound. I pull myself up the steps, one by one. When I'm only halfway up, there's a yell and a crash from behind me. I turn to see Eko staggering down the aisle towards me, a gash in his forehead closing up as I watch. Kravimik emerges from the shelves behind him and grabs him by the back of his sweatshirt. Eko's eyes go wide as Kravimik hoists him over his head and throws him into the shelves like a ragdoll. He goes straight through, disappearing into the next row and taking several boxes with him.

Kravimik laughs, "I've always wondered what fae tastes like. Tonight I shall wonder no longer."

I look to the door then back at Kravimik as he turns the corner and disappears back into the stacks. In that moment, my head finally clears as the magic finishes its work. I have to go back. I made a blood pact to protect him and keep him safe. Racing back down the stairs, I ignore the part of my brain that's screaming at me to flee.

I can see Kravimik through the shelves as he advances towards a woozy Eko. He's taking his time, playing with his food. Eko is trying to scramble to his feet but Kravimik has a length of rope in his hands that he tosses around Eko's neck. He yanks Eko backwards. Eko pulls at the rope, trying to untangle it, but Kravimik keeps it taut and uses it to drag Eko towards him. I can see the box on the shelf next to him where he got the rope and I reach through the stack to take one too.

As quickly and quietly as I can, I scale the shelves. The ceiling is tall for a basement and I tower over Kravimik. Positioning myself as best as I can, I take careful aim. Then, I fling myself at him.

It takes him by surprise and I use the moment of confusion to loop my rope around his neck.

"Eko, run!" I scream.

Kravimik flails and, for a second, the fear that has settled so deep into my bones that it makes my teeth chatter disappears. I use that second of clarity to take hold of his magic and pull. The tsunami rushes into me so quickly that it's dizzying. I feel it flooding my body, making me stronger, making me angry. Kravimik roars and bucks against me, trying to throw me off. My grip is firm, though, and it'll take a lot more than that to get rid of me.

The more I swallow his magic, the more I want. It's power, it's bloodlust, they overtake me. I let out my own roar. Kravimik finally manages to reach far enough to grab hold of me and he flings me off of him. I twist in the air, some instinct leading my body, and land on my feet. I haven't released my hold on his magic and, though it comes slower now that I'm no longer touching him, it still flows freely.

"What sort of sorcery is this?" He bellows, dirty fingers clawing at his head, his heart.

He charges me. Excitement and confidence and fury rage through my body and I meet him head on. Our bodies clash and, despite our considerable size difference, I hold my own. He cries out in rage and my own bloodthirsty screams join his. I feel invincible.

The world falls away and there's nothing except our fists, our claws, our teeth. I barely even notice when one of his blows connects with my jaw and my mouth fills with blood. I just grin. It feels so good to fight. Every strike I land feels like a release. I understand instinctively how to use the advantage of my smaller size in these tight quarters.

It's like a dance. He swings, I parry and counterattack. I strike, he blocks. Finally, we break apart, both of us panting with the exertion. For a second, I think he'll come at me again, then he laughs.

It's a hearty laugh from deep in his belly. "I have not fought like that in many years. You are a strong opponent for one so small."

I smile back at him, blood still staining my teeth, my hands on my knees as I catch my breath. "You're not so bad yourself."

He puts a fist to his chest. "You have an Ogre's heart. I'll let you live to fight another day."

I mimic his motion because it feels right.

I search for Eko in the gloom. The darkness isn't such a barrier anymore now that there's Ogre magic coursing through me and I spot him quickly. He's standing with a long broken pipe held firmly in both hands. His stance looks like he's about to attack but his face is a mask of confusion.

Kravimik follows my gaze

"Ekonimos," Kravimik nods, peering at Eko.

"Hello, old friend," Eko replies weakly.

"Come," Kravimik says, "It seems we have much to discuss."