Page 40 of The Shadows of Excess

“Shit,” Justice muttered under his breath. “Maci, the shadow dragon. She’s here.”

A surge of apprehension pulsed through me. My arrows were deadly to demons, but a shadow dragon? Could they even make a dent in such a creature? There was only one way to find out.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The massive dark shadow surged toward us with alarming speed. We would all be dead if I didn’t do something. Without thinking, I loosed my arrow. It whizzed through the air before vanishing into the shadowy mass.

An ear-piercing hiss tore through the night, and the dark shape reeled as if wounded. But that was only the beginning.

Dark silhouettes rushed toward us like malevolent, swirling clouds. I grabbed the squirt gun filled with holy water, firing at any shadow that dared come near. The air filled with more enraged screams, each one piercing through the chaos, assaulting my ears.

Justice’s voice cut through the turmoil. “Damon, did you plant the damn coin?”

“Yeah, it’s done, all right?” Damon shouted from behind me. The sound of his gunshots punctuated his words, each shot followed by demonic screeches. “And I’m giving these ugly freaks a lead farewell party!”

I loosed another arrow at a shadowy figure. “Did you say the spell?” I called urgently.

Damon fumbled with the words. “No. Vocal…vaca…”

Justice didn’t hesitate. With a clear and commanding voice, he declared, “Voca ad Lisa per vim phoenix.”

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the ground, expanding like a mushroom cloud. Piercing screams of agony filled the air, and the demons recoiled as if the light were physically scalding them. In that fleeting illumination, I caught glimpses of figures in dark robes and a massive, injured dragon sprawled on the ground. It was impossible to tell if the creature was dead or merely incapacitated.

The light twirled into the dark sky and formed a golden arrow. It rippled through the air, coming back toward us.

No, not at us. It was coming directly for me.

“Sawyer, look out,” Justice cried, tossing me behind him.

The roar of fear in my ears drowned out his warning as I watched the arrow approach with lightning speed. He moved to shield me, but the arrow swirled around his vampire reflexes and struck me in the chest, plunging into my heart. Pain exploded through my body, my senses overwhelmed as I collapsed to the ground. Darkness took over as everything went black…

* * *

A cool rag pressed against my forehead brought me back from the edge of unconsciousness. “Sawyer, can you hear me?” A voice laced with worry cut through the darkness.

I groaned, my head tossing from side to side in a daze. My feet kicked out, tangling in what felt like sheets or blankets.

“Easy, Sawyer, it’s just us.”

My heart raced as my vision gradually cleared, revealing Damon and Justice looking down at me. Concern etched Damon’s features. “Whoa there. You’re giving off some serious flashlight vibes with your eyes. They’re freaking glowing!”

“What?” Confusion clouded my thoughts.

Justice sat beside me and gently pushed my hair away from my face. “He means your eyes have turned gold.”

I furrowed my brow, still struggling to piece together my thoughts. “What happened? Why?”

Damon looked confused and concerned. “After that arrow zapped you, it was like someone hit the off switch on those freaks. Demons, poof, gone. And the dragon? Vanished into thin air.” He exchanged a baffled look with Justice. “I mean, I’m all for winning, but this is like winning a game you didn’t even know you were playing.”

I flung the covers off. Cold air rushed over me, making me shiver.

Justice caught my wrist. “What are you doing?”

I scowled and twisted my hand. “I want to see my eyes.”

He gave me a stern look. “No, you need to stay in bed.”

“Fine.”

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