Page 121 of The Thief

Argento hurled another energy ball at Bear, who was charging him from the opposite side. Bear howled in pain when it seared the flesh off his left bicep. The Mage blasted Mercy’s wolf, who yelped but never let go. Argento wailed as Mercy jerked her body backward with such determined force that she finally ripped off his hand. Blood sprayed onto the floor.

Mercy’s wolf kept the hand in her mouth like a trophy.

Seizing the opportunity, Bear lunged and stabbed him in the chest.

Argento beat him in the head with his bloody stump, blood splashing everywhere. Bear had pinned the Mage’s good hand behind his back to suppress his magic. Using his body, he shoved the Mage onto the floor. Bear fell on top, knocking the wind out of him.

Then he did what he had fantasized about ever since Mercy told him about that night: he gripped Argento by the throat and squeezed it tight.

The Mage brought up his knees and forcefully knocked Bear off-balance.

Mercy’s wolf jumped between them, teeth flashing as she went for Argento’s throat. When she yelped in pain from another energy blast, Bear grabbed Argento’s head and twisted it until his neck cracked.

The Mage went limp.

“Mercy, let go.” Bear didn’t dare touch her while she had blood in her mouth. Once their wolves got a taste, they went into kill mode. “Calm down. I’m okay.”

Her growls ceased, and she paced the room restlessly.

Bear’s hand slipped in blood as he pushed himself to his feet. He needed to finish this. A broken neck wasn’t enough to kill a Mage—only temporarily stun him. You had to either burn or decapitate them to finish the job. His gaze swept around the room until he saw the massive meat cleaver on the wall above the counter. He walked over and gripped the thick handle. The decorative piece had a substantial weight.

Bear turned just as Argento rose off the floor. The Mage flashed to him and grappled for the cleaver. Bear had the clear advantage of strength… and both his hands. Yet the Mage wouldn’t let go. Since Argento hadn’t removed the knife from his chest, Bear knocked his arm against it.

“I will kill you,” Argento growled, fighting for the large weapon.

The Mage had a grip of the top, twisting the large blade toward Bear’s neck. One false move and the sharp blade would sever his throat.

Argento’s head bobbed to the side, and his neck looked misshapen. Since his eyes were unfocused, Bear wondered if he registered any pain. So he kneed him hard. Electric sparks showered from the man’s fingertips, signaling an impending attack, and Bear simultaneously kicked the Mage and pulled the cleaver free.

Mercy erupted into action. She snapped at Argento’s throat but wasn’t large enough to knock him over. Still, she gave it her all. The Mage shielded his neck with his mangled arm and fought her off with his good hand—his only hand. He blasted her with energy, knocking her wolf back five feet.

Bear hefted the blade before quickly realizing it was a two-handed job.

Instead of flashing away, Argento wielded a blue ball in his hand and zeroed in on Mercy. When he reeled back his arm, Bear swung the blade as if felling a tree with an axe.

The blade sliced clean through his neck as the Mage threw his arm forward. The light left his hand the second his head left his shoulders.

A fiery explosion knocked Bear off his feet and slammed him against the counter. Because his swing hadn’t come to a stop, the momentum of the heavy cleaver propelled him forward. The blade clanged against the tile when he hit the floor.

In the aftermath, the stench of burning flesh and a chemical smell filled the air. Pain radiated through his left arm, and Bear covered his ringing ears as he stared up at the ceiling. Someone walked by in his peripheral with a red object in their hands. Bear twisted his head to get a better look.

Calvin held a red fire extinguisher, white smoke shooting from the nozzle and clouding the room like a battlefield.

Mercy.

Bear rolled onto his stomach and faced Argento’s lifeless body. When he got his bearings, he turned away and crawled toward the entryway where Mercy’s wolf lay motionless. His eyes blurred with tears at the thought of losing her.

Bear cradled her in his arms. “Mercy,” he croaked, fearing he’d lost it all.

Gradually opening her eyes, she thumped her tail against the floor. Bear felt life breathe into him again, and he quickly checked her over. Unable to find a scratch, he decided the blood was Argento’s. Regardless, she’d taken a brutal shock.

As Bear’s hearing slowly returned, he heard Calvin coughing.

“You’ll be okay.” Bear stroked her face and searched her grey eyes for any sign of improvement. “My brave girl.”

And she was. He’d never seen a timid wolf do a complete turnaround, and it made him wonder if the amnesia had affected her wolf’s behavior. If Mercy wasn’t certain who she was, why would her wolf be? It all made sense. Now he was finally seeing a glimpse of the warrior she really was.

Calvin casually strolled to the back door and opened it. A gust of wind blew in, causing the cloudy residue from the fire extinguisher to swirl around as it settled.

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