Page 61 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
We were out of time.
I jerked the door open and sprinted across the pool area, staying close to the wall. Verena followed on my heels. The group across the cavernous room noticed us first and pulled weapons. I didn’t worry about swords and knives at our range, but one woman had a pistol.
She aimed it at me with a cold expression on her face. My uniform could stop a bullet, but she pointed her weapon at my head, and I had less chance of surviving that.
“Keep going,” the sorceress urged behind me when I slowed. “I’ll take care of that one.”
The next thing I knew, awhooshof strong wind swept past me, heading in the direction I ran. As I got closer, I watched it pick up speed and track like a large wave as it struck the female. She went flying back a dozen feet and crashed into the rear wall with her pistol clattering to the floor. Blood splattered the surface where her head had struck as she slid to the ground. I doubted she’d get up again.
To the left, the other team punched through the back door.
I rounded the corner of the pool, reaching a man with a sword who looked eager to fight me. The evil glint in his eyes said he was long past saving. Perhaps the magical virus had spread faster once we began taking out their group. The Kandoran would want their minions under firmer control after they’d been discovered, and they must have known we’d have no choice except to kill them if they couldn’t be saved.
My opponent swung his blade, showing a degree of expertise in positioning his body correctly. I had to dodge the strike and retaliate with my own. He blocked it with ease. While I continued to work on getting a kill strike on him, Rayna and Titan, the shifter with her, worked on the other three rebels. Space was tight if we didn’t want to fall into the empty pool, so we had to concentrate on not running into each other as we fought.
Verena lifted her hands, magic flowing outward as she used a spell to freeze two more men running into the pool area. She must think they could be saved if she wasn't executing them. The sorceress had promised to avoid killing if she suspected anyone had a chance.
I could feel the waves of malevolent energy from my target, enough that I didn’t need to see the marks on his chest to confirm his status. Not to mention, he was far faster and stronger than a normal human. That took a lot of dark power.
We traded strikes as we maneuvered around pool equipment and the other fighters. I spent so much time battling giant dragons with plenty of body surfaces to hit that I found facing off against a human was more difficult. At least, it was among those with extensive training and superhuman strength. The infected man swung his sword low and managed to slice my thigh.
His red eyes glowed with glee.
The cut wasn’t deep, but it slowed my movements slightly as he forced me to keep moving or get struck again. Blood seeped down my leg. I sucked in a deep breath and then went on the attack.
Faint surprise flickered in his gaze as I started striking faster and harder than before. I’d been testing him until then, but I’d finally got a handle on his rhythm and movements. Whatever training he had, it was repetitive. I could predict what he’d do next. And while he was strong, I was stronger. I’d only let him think otherwise.
Aidan shared some of his power with me the night before, and I took advantage of it.
I arced my blade high and then brought it down fast and hard toward his head. He barely blocked it, but I kept going and forced him to his knees. I swept my foot out and kicked him in his side. He fell over, grip loosening on his blade’s hilt. I struck him with my boot again, at his hands this time. His weapon went flying.
Drawing my sword back, I shoved the blade tip straight into his heart. His body slumped.
I gestured at Rayna, who’d finished her opponent. “Hold his head up for me?”
“Sure.” She leaned down to grab my opponent’s scruffy blond hair, grimacing. “Always my favorite part.”
“No kidding,” I said, swinging my blade hard and true. “I hate killing humans.”
“Yeah. Even with the bad guys, it feels wrong.”
Titan snorted. “No remorse for dragons, though?”
Rayna winked at him. “I keep them alive if they’re cute and nice. See how you’re still breathing?”
He chuckled and put up his hands. “I can tolerate you more than the others, but I have my limits. Keep at least five feet apart from me at all times, remember?”
“You’re no fun,” she said, giving him a pouty look.
“And you’re a deadly woman wrapped in a pretty package.”
They must have had an interesting conversation before we attacked. The shifters feared her even more than they used to fear me, but Titan and his friend Eliam at least gave her a chance. I appreciated them for that.
I took stock of the pool room. The other three rebels were dead with their heads removed, though I didn’t ask if their deaths were necessary. In the heat of battle, one did what they had to do. I trusted Rayna and Titan’s judgment. Verena was on the other end of the pool, leaning over the two men she’d magically frozen still. Her furrowed brows and the light coming from her fingertips told me she was extracting the dark magic from them.
I gestured for the others to follow me back toward the main corridor since we still needed to check the rest of the place. We’d just made it past Verena when our other two teams arrived. Conrad guided one of the rebels, shoving her down next to the other two with Verena.
“The rest of the place is all clear, but we only found four of them. How about you?”
