Hybris clutched her side, her eyes wild and furious.

Liiiiliiiith.

A gnarled talon brushed the back of my neck and I spun around, chest heaving, aflame with magic for one brilliant moment.

Hybris peered into the gloom, then, her face pinched with fear, vanished.

Liiiiiliiiith.

I pushed to my feet and amped up my magic as high as it could go. I tried to fight the fog, squinting through the ashy streaks on my face and the gloom to find the cow ...