Page 125 of Destined to Fight

Kelly pushed at its shoulders, trying desperately to get a good enough hold to toss it, but it moved so damn fast she could barely keep up.

Everything she tried just didn’t seem to work. She couldn’t get her blades under it well enough to cut at its throat, and each time she tried to roll or scoot out from under it, the thing somehow managed to stop her. How a body without arms could keep her down was beyond her.

Its teeth chattered as it tried again and again to bite her. In a last-ditch effort, Kelly called all the water she could, thinking, if nothing else, the thing would float away.

Just as she channeled her power, Fabian flung the body from her and did some slicing and dicing.

Kelly jumped up and ran to Kade, slicing the arms from one that was on him. It turned to her then, its eyes wide with hunger. She swung one blade at its neck in a right hook motion, getting through at least half of its neck, then she ducked, and it stumbled over her. Kade finished the job by ripping its head off and tossing it to the porch.

He helped her up quickly.

Are ye all right, lass?

Just peachy. This is a nightmare I’m going to relive for decades.

More are coming. I dinnae ken if we can hold them back much longer. I may have to fly ye out of here.

No, we’re staying. Hey, dead bodies float, right?

Kade saw exactly what she was thinking through their link.

Nae, lass, not when they’re this dead.

Shit.

Another one came at them, and Kade quickly dismembered it.

His thoughts came through in pieces as he ripped it apart limb by limb.

I dinnae… think there… is a safe... way to… move that many of them.

She thought for a moment, fighting off the dead as they came to her.

I really think we need to just light them on fire. Like, all of them.

They’ll run away too fast and catch the whole damn neighborhood on fire.

Not if I pull water from the lake and put them out.

There will be a lot of stragglers.

And there are a lot of us here to chase them. What other option do we have? They knew exactly how to get us to run. The only way to win is to stop being predictable by playing it safe and light these things up.

For a moment, the lawn cleared, and Kelly was able to look upon the wriggling body parts that were scattered about. Hope struck her—maybe they wouldn’t have to pull off some crazy stunt. Then she looked up and saw the next swarm coming down the street. Hundreds of dead bodies were running straight for them.

“Where the fuck did they find all of these damn bodies?” she wondered out loud.

“We will discuss that later. Yer idea is our last option before we fly you out of here.”

“I’m going back to the porch to talk to the other mages.”

Not caring if they agreed, Kelly fought her way over and through dead body parts to make it back to the porch.

The fire mage looked exhausted, and the warlock didn’t appear much better.

“I’ve got a plan.”

Hope shone on Zaara’s face. “Please tell me it involves anything but lighting these bastards up one by one.”

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