Page 42 of Shielded Heart 1
Drakkal turned his head toward Arcanthus, brows low. “You’re serious?”
Arcanthus nodded. “Trying to use my head for once in all this, just like you want me to. That’s the quickest way in and out.”
“All right.” Facing forward, Drakkal swung the hovercar around so it was alongside the building, guiding it up to the marked window.
Arcanthus brought up his holocom screen and sent a message to Samantha.
Stay away from the window.
Her reply came a few seconds later.
What? Why?
The hovercar came to a stop beside the window. Arcanthus swung his second auto-blaster over his other shoulder, pushed the door open, grasped the edges of the doorframe, and pulled himself partially out of it. A two-meter gap separated him from the window.
“Get me closer.”
“Don’t want to ruin the door,” Drakkal said.
“Drak, I will—”
The hovercar lurched toward the building. Arcanthus growled a curse and wrapped his tail around the seat behind him, anchoring himself in place as he swayed forward. The car door scraped against the side of the building, producing a shower of sparks and the groan of metal-on-metal.
They were only twenty stories up; nothing to worry about, right?
“We’re having a long conversation when we get home, azhera,” he said as he straightened. The wind whipped his long hair around his face. He bent his leg and thrust it forward, kicking the window.
A circular, fist-sized crack formed in the glass. He kicked it again, and the damage spread; even against his enhanced strength and metal feet, the material they used for windows on these buildings was incredibly durable.
There were several hissing sounds from behind and beneath Arcanthus in rapid succession.
“Shit,” Urgand growled from inside the cab. “We’re taking fire from the street.”
As Arcanthus bent his leg for another kick, a bolt of plasma zipped through the space between him and the building, passing close enough for him to feel its heat on his face.
“Kiloq, Koroq, see if you can get an angle on them,” Drakkal growled as the hovercar drifted away from the building.
“Swing me back over,” Arcanthus shouted.
“It’s too dangerous, Arc.”
More plasma bolts darted through the air. Arcanthus risked a glance down to see three people on the street below, firing their auto-blasters upward. The hovercar was armored, but that armor wouldn’t hold out indefinitely.
He shifted his third eye toward the window, which had two circular points of damage with cracks radiating outward from them. It probably needed two or three more hits to break; he didn’t have time for that. “Just get me some momentum, damn it!”
Drakkal uttered a curse. The hovercar moved farther away from the building before swinging back like a pendulum.Arcanthus adjusted his grip on the doorframe and bent his legs, releasing his tail’s hold on the seat.
What if it doesn’t break?
Ithasto break. I’m not giving it a choice.
Arcanthus launched himself forward, lifting his arms, elbows in front, to shield his face as his body crossed the gap.
The window didn’t shatter—it buckled and cracked, breaking out of its frame to fall into the apartment with Arcanthus atop it. Arc landed hard, his elbows smacking the floor while his abdomen caught on the window frame. He felt the impact even through his armor.
Gritting his teeth, he dragged himself fully inside and stood, swinging one of the auto-blasters into his hands. He scanned the room, heart lodging in his throat when he didn’t catch sight of his mate.
“Samantha?”
