Page 100 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“Valter is nearby. I need you to find out which direction,” she said, using her magic to draw up more tree roots. The element of surprise was gone now though, and they were actively combating her too.
“I don’t?—”
“Do it, Lange,” Corbin cut in.
Lange was quiet, his jaw clenching before he said, “I can’t do that and keep this shield in place. I haven’t had enough practice. It’s too much.”
“Then your lover will need to shift,” she said simply, tightening her grip on the dagger as the sentinels moved closer. “But mark my words, if Valter gets to us first, death would be a kindness. He knows what you both are. He has plans. You wonder why I am the way I am? You would find out firsthand how I became one of the monsters.”
“If we do what you say, then what?” Lange countered. “We’re still fucked.”
“We go to the woods. They won’t follow, and even if they do?—”
“We arenotgoing into the Dreamlock Woods,” Corbin interjected.
“Then we may as well let them take us to Valter,” she replied. “Choose your nightmare.”
Corbin cursed under his breath, shoving a hand through his hair. “Apparently you’re my fucking nightmare,” he muttered, straightening again. He glanced at Lange, so focused on holding that shield in place, before he said, “What I said in the truck stands. Get us out of this, and then you tell us everything.”
Eviana didn’t bother answering, drawing up her magic to the tips of fingers in one hand and tightening her grip on the dagger in the other. It was the only weapon they had that could actually kill a Legacy, but she didn’t want to kill them. She wanted them incapacitated so they could slip bands on them. If they couldn’t use their magic, they would be no match for her, Lange, or Corbin. The problem was they were outnumbered and only had so many sets of bands.
Which is why Corbin needed to shift.
“I need to know where Valter is so I know which direction to go,” Eviana said. “If Lange needs to lower the shield to focus on that, we need to be ready. At our strongest.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Corbin muttered, stretching his neck from side to side. “You ready, Lange?”
The male nodded, small beads of sweat at his hairline.
“Protect him like you care for him,” Eviana said.
“I love him,” Corbin snapped.
That would do. She assumed that meant he would do whatever was necessary to keep him safe.
With a nod, Lange lowered his shields. The sentinels wasted no time, power racing for them. The earth magic wasn’t an issue. She was stronger than anyone here. More than that, she didn’tneedthe roots and plants around her. Using them simply didn’t drain her reserves as quickly.
The water attacks were harder to dodge. Snares of water and knives of ice. Corbin was able to fend off most of those, although she felt the sharp slice of magic more than once as they fought.
“Where is he?” she demanded, needing Lange to hurry the fuck up.
“He’s trying,” Corbin snapped, freezing a whip of water while Eviana struck out with her foot, shattering the ice.
“He needs to try harder,” she retorted, rallying her magic. Her palm facedown, she raised her arm. The rocks and rubble around them rose with it, hovering in the air above their heads. The sentinels panicked, covering their heads, but they didn’t veer away. Too close. They were too close.
With a surge of strength, she brought the debris closer, concentrating it above the closest two before letting it fall. One sentinel went down, buried beneath the asphalt pieces. The other took a hit to the head, a wide gash cut down the side of his face, now dripping blood.
“You fucking bitch,” he seethed as she planted her feet, needing him close to plunge her dagger into his heart.
Until a giant mountain cat appeared, mauling the male and taking him to the ground.
About godsdamn time.
Sleek and powerful, the mountain cat’s jaws clamped around the male’s throat. An Anahita Legacy, daggers of ice appeared in his hand, but they became water before they could be plunged into the cat’s side. Apparently, Corbin could control his water element while in his shifted form.
Interesting.
Eviana whirled to Lange, finding him with his eyes closed. She opened her mouth, ready to berate him for not knowing yet, but he held up a hand.
