“‘I warned you about being a hero, Gabriel,’ he growled, twisting the blade. ‘Heroes die unpleasant deaths, far from home and hearth.’ “I grabbed his hand in one bloody fist, keeping it locked on the hilt. Drooling blood, I dragged myself forward on his sword until the crossguard was pressed against my belly, and with my other hand, I seized his throat. “‘Who the fuck told you I was a hero?’ “The old man’s eye grew wide, his mouth opened in a scream as the flesh of his throat began to blacken.
