"Aegis!" Tamara cried, and as she threw up her hands a bright orange light spread from her fingers, erecting a glittering magickal shield in front of her.

Godda's sword scraped along the shield as though it were made of metal and the Faerie Princess cursed in the language of her people. But she was a creature of magick and a simple spell was not going to protect her prey. She swung the sword around with such speed that it whistled through the air and became little more than a red streak. The blade struck Tamara's spell-shield a second time, and then a third, and each time the impact sent spikes of pain up Tamara's arms. On the fourth blow, she could not hold the spell any longer. The shield dissipated.

"Godda, no!" Wild Edric called, but in her peripheral vision Tamara could see that he was reluctant to interfere.