A drop of venom splashed from the basilisk’s mouth, scorching the ground and sending up a waft of toxic smoke.
Spark tucked and rolled, coming up under the creature’s belly. Drawing her boot dagger, she slashed at the back of its ankle, above where the sharp spur jutted out. The blade slid harmlessly off the thick scales, and she had to fling herself to the side as the basilisk hissed and kicked out.
Okay, not vulnerable in the ankle.
Breath rasping in her throat, Spark darted back toward the cover of the rocks. A painful heat hit the back of her shoulders, and her steps slowed until she stood motionless, facing the solid granite, but not protected by it. The basilisk had caught her in its evil gaze.
Come on—move! She desperately tried to budge, but her character was frozen, helpless. Her heartbeat pulsed through her, quick and urgent. She could hear the basilisk approaching behind her, its steps unhurried. It knew it had her.
Except… it didn’t.
Spark called up her trump card, and the reason she’d picked a Kitsune to play in the first place. The scene in front of her shifted, the colors washing out, the sounds three times louder. She was dimly aware of the audience reaction as she morphed into fox form.
The basilisk was nearly upon her. She heard it halt and bend down, the snick of its beak opening as it prepared to give its venomous death bite.
Whirling, she gathered her four paws under her and leaped.
She landed on the back of the basilisk’s neck, where scales turned to feathers. Scrabbling for purchase, she forced herself closer to the top of its head. The creature shrieked and shook, trying to dislodge her. Droplets of burning venom singed her fur. She was slipping…
And then she was holding on, back in her human form, her dagger still in her hand. She raised it high and plunged it into the basilisk’s right eye. The blade entered with a liquid splat and the creature swayed.
Spark leaped free as the basilisk toppled to the ground, dead. Her heartbeat sounded loud in her ears, but the familiar victory rush sang through her blood—fear turning to exhilaration in that curious, quicksilver alchemy she loved.
The watching crowd cheered, and Spark blinked herself back to reality. She wiped the sticky blade of her dagger and re-sheathed it, then pumped one fist high. The applause rose.
“There you have it,” she said. “A taste of Feyland. Did you like it?”
The audience responded with screams of approval as she logged out of the game and pulled off her helmet.
A strand of her hair was stuck to her cheek and she felt a trickle of perspiration drip down her neck. It was hot under the lights, and she was flushed with success. A tech handed her a bottle of water. She took a quick gulp, then strode to the front of the stage.
The watching faces were still smudges, and she wondered for a second where Aran was in the crowd.
“I don’t need to remind you to come early tomorrow,” she said. “The demo line will be long, and I’m sorry that not everyone will get a chance at the FullD. As a consolation, I’ll be at the VirtuMax booth signing autographs. Please stop by.”
“I’ll take your consolation any day!” a guy yelled, and the crowd laughed in agreement.
Spark smiled, but didn’t respond. She’d learned not to engage. Last year, she’d had a brief interplay with someone in the crowd who had then ended up stalking her for months. Not fun.
Pulsing music rose through the speakers and the lights flashed through the spectrum of colors. The show was over. Waving, she sent her gaze across the entire theater, then headed for the wings.
The soft shadows enfolded her, and Spark drew in a breath. That had been some good play, though half the crowd wouldn’t believe it hadn’t been scripted beforehand. She didn’t do well with scripts.
In the early days, VirtuMax had tried to run her through pre-planned scenarios. She’d hated them, and finally had insisted on playing live. It gave her the edge she needed, knowing that she could fail in front of everyone. And she had failed a couple of times—which just seemed to endear her even more to her fans.
“Great job, Miss Jaxley,” the emcee said, coming up and slapping her on the shoulder. “You going to any of the parties?”
“Not tonight. Big day tomorrow.”
She needed a shower, and some rest. Besides, the parties got old fast. It wasn’t her idea of a fun time, being surrounded by people who either were too tongue-tied to say anything or were doing their best to impress her, and making fools out of themselves in the process. None of it was genuine.#p#分页标题#e#
Longing for her friends in Crestview twisted through her. When she got back to her suite, she’d message Jennet and they could share some girl gossip. Maybe she’d even tell Jennet about meeting a cute guy today.