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Chapter 1

I glanced at the tih school My Kings and Castles after-school clubthanks to soes the national committee had passed down As if the coht Noas running late for "sword" practice withto test the new foa tournament

The squeaky wheel of a rid of halls, the soft step ofthe only other sound as I strode for the exit Soirl squeaked in alarirl Not just any girl I’d recognize that voice anywhere It was Katie Johnson I’d had a crush on her ever since first laying eyes on that angelic face my freshman year Her voice emanated from Mrs Dalton’s classrooaped at the scene inside

Nathan Spelman had wrapped one of those meat-hooks he called hands around Katie Johnson’s narroaist He grinned "You know you want to kiss me, babe"

I stood in the doorway for a stunned s and Castles woodland elf had prepared e like this Nathan could pass for an ogre His neck had s, which was probably why he was an all-star football player It would be suicide to attack thatin me snapped Probably my sanity But I couldn’t care less Nathan held her helpless in his iron grip I ht be short, chubby, and require a B-cup s and Castles, I was a level twelve woodland elf Unfortunately, reality had graced ht and the slender dihboy after a few too many cartons of buttermilk biscuits I needed a weapon to stand a chance, preferably a bazooka

I sprinted to the janitor’s closet Sprintedand begging foropen I peered inside the s my nose A metal shelf held several containers of various cleansers I supposed if Nathan needed a chemical bath, any of theht I spotted the only serviceable weapon: a broom It was a far cry fro Arthur, but I didn’t have rabbed it

At thatflood of pain superheatedwhack-a-raine hammered my forehead I dropped the broom and pressed both hands to ony My sight blurred and I fell against the nearby shelf Spray cans rattled on the floor, and a bottle of soreen shattered and spread across the tiles, overpowering the other scents with the cloying odor of pine

The vice onas though nothing happened It felt like brain freeze only a gazillion tipains unless rotesque proportions A rush of endorphins tingled through ony cohtheaded and weak

A shriek froht supply a perrabbed the brooed down the hallith ait andhis lips on Katie’s tear-stained face His ust I was too angry at the sight to wait forto slow

"Release her!" I sround and pretended it was my elven attack staff with a plus twenty chance of a critical hit, like say, in the eneer boiling behind his ferocious gaze at the interruption Katie froze and her eyes widened with the saive scrawny Jeff Boyd when he’d challenged hed hirades, and was the first kid in s hadn’t ended so well for Jeff I probably should have learned frory to be pooping his pants

"Justin?" Katie said