Page 41 of Elora and the Crow

He tried to shift again, this time into a rat, one of the easiest and least complicated of his transformations. There was still only an eerie emptiness, and the anxiety turned to panic.

Dairem and Witan were both looking at him now, and Dairem nudged Witan. “Isn’t he supposed to be an animal?”

“Supposed to be,” Witan said with a frown.

“Whatsa’ matter, asshole? You can’t shift?” Dairem taunted.

Jonah didn’t reply, but something on his face made Witan’s eyes widen. “Holy fuck, he can’t.”

“What?” Dairem stared at Jonah. “Maybe when I clocked him with the pipe, it knocked out his abilities?”

“Maybe,” Witan said. “Either way, your job just got a lot fucking easier.”

Dairem laughed before stomping toward Jonah. The grin on his face fell off when Jonah’s fist shot out, and Dairem’s head snapped back. He cupped his face, staring in disbelief at the blood pouring from his nose.

“You broke my fucking nose!”

Jonah didn’t bother to reply. Instead, he kicked the big fae in the knee and then drove a fist into his stomach. It was like hitting a fucking rock, and he danced backward, shaking out his hand when Dairem swung at him with an angry roar.

“Oh, I’m gonna turn that pretty face of yours into mincemeat,” Dairem snarled.

He charged forward like an angry bull, and Jonah ducked to the side, sticking his foot out and grinning when the fae tripped and sprawled in the cold snow.

He was back on his feet in a flash, shaking his head and splattering blood across the snow. “You motherfucker.”

Jonah shrugged out of his jacket and cracked his neck before winking at Dairem. “Is that all you got, big boy?”

Dairem snarled and charged again, swinging at Jonah, who dodged it easily before punching him in the kidneys. Dairem’s face paled, and he grabbed his side and backed away.

“For fuck’s sake, Dairem, stop fucking around with this guy. It’s freezing out here,” Witan said.

This time, when Dairem charged, his big body seemed to float, and he easily dodged Jonah’s kick to his sternum, grabbing Jonah’s foot and lifting him off the ground. He threw him into a tree, and Jonah grunted in pain as he landed in the snow. Fuck, he was pretty sure a rib had just snapped.

He bounced to his feet, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side and ducked back when Dairem suddenly appeared in front of him and swung at him. He wasn’t fast enough to dodge the blow. How could he be when the fucking asshole was using his fae magic? The only paranormal faster than a fae was a goddamn vampire.

Dairem’s fist caught him on the chin and knocked him back into the tree. His throbbing skull slammed against the hard trunk, and he barked out a cry of pain as the world shimmered and danced, and Dairem grinned.

“Not so fucking cocky now, are ya?”

He moved toward Jonah, his big body bounding lightly across the snow. Fuck, he was suddenly a lot more agile and graceful, which meant he was also using his anti-gravity magic. Jonah wouldn’t be able to dodge his blows… not when the big fae used magic to make his weight lighter and allow him to move faster.

Jonah closed his eyes and tried to shift again, his brain lighting up with fear when nothing happened. What the fuck was going on?

Big hands grabbed him by the throat, cutting off his airway. He kneed Dairem in the nuts, coughing and retching and stumbling away when Dairem bellowed in pain and released him.

“You fucking cheater,” he snapped as he cupped his crotch. “You don’t hit a guy in the balls, dude.”

“Fuck you,” Jonah croaked before jumping on Dairem. He wrapped his left arm around the fae’s neck and punched him repeatedly in the face with his right hand, the blood flying from Dairem’s broken nose to splatter against Jonah’s face.

With a roar of rage, Dairem tried to shake Jonah loose, but Jonah hung on grimly and continued to punch even when his hand broke with a harsh crack against the fae’s granite hard face. His only chance of defeating Dairem was by staying close and -

With another roar, Dairem tore loose and staggered back. His face was a bloody mess, his nose even more swollen and bruised, and his voice had a nasal stuffy quality when he said, “I’m going to kill you, shapeshifter.”

Jonah reached under his shirt and yanked the iron pendant free, holding it in his fist as he stared at Dairem. “Come and get me then, asshole. I don’t have all fucking day.”

The fae appeared before him in a flash, and Jonah slammed the iron pendant against the big fae’s chest. Dairem yowled a high-pitched scream as smoke billowed out from under Jonah’s hand, and Dairem wrenched away from him.

Dairem stared in disbelief at his charred and smoking flesh in the shape of the pendant before touching it lightly with his fingers. “Iron,” he mumbled.

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