Page 164 of White Wolf
He yelled and collapsed, landing awkwardly on his good knee. Fire leapt from his hand, and Kolya spun again, dodging, a black wraith against the snow.
Nikita rushed to join him.
Feliks surged to his feet, cursing and spitting, drawing his own gun.
Katya lined up another shot –
And a black shadow landed on the barrel of her rifle. She gasped in surprised and almost dropped the gun.
It was a raven. It cocked its head and croaked at her, completely unafraid.
“Get off!” she hissed, and tried to shake it off.
It croaked again, and flew at her face.
~*~
Sasha was still in pain, but it was manageable now. He had his feet under him, and was moving faster now, regaining strength. He growled, and his wolves answered him, flanking him, all of them moving as a pack.
Kolya danced around fire, knives reflecting the bright light of the flames.
Nikita sprinted across the clearing, running for the wounded mage.
Two things happened at once:
Rasputin sat up.
And the ravens dove from the trees and attacked them.
~*~
Nikita was three strides away when Kolya slipped a knife into Philippe’s belly.
The mage roared…and burst into flames.
The fire flared up hot and bright, pushing Nikita back.
Kolya yelled and staggered back…and he was on fire, too.
But unlike Philippe, he screamed and shrank from it. While the mage stood, impossibly, unscathed within the fire. Not consumed by it, but held within it, protected.
Nikita raised his gun though he feared it was useless, and black birds swept in front of him. Descended on him, beat at his face with their wings, scratched at him with their talons.
It was the ravens. Philippe was controlling the ravens.
He shielded his face with his arm. Tried to.
Someone grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.
The birds lifted away, and he faced Rasputin.
The vampire stood upright, trembling, the side of his skull an exploded ruin where Katya’s shot had exited. Nikita could see his brain. Blood oozed down the side of his face, clotting his beard.
“Look at me,” he rasped.
His eyes took hold of Nikita’s, held them open, pinned him in place.
Yes, this was nice. Just standing here. That was fine.
