Chapter Six
PowerfulMagic
My father’s sword weights my hand familiarly. The simple feel of it makes my body react, throwing my posture into a position of defense.
Magic hums through me. It buzzes around my veins, reminding me that I have more to depend on than just a man-made weapon.
The men wait with tension held in their spines for the dozens of creatures to make their way closer. About a hundred yards separate them from us. With each passing second, nerves build higher in my body, my heart thundering until it’s all I hear in my ears.
I’m not waiting for this.
My jaw tightens. I close my eyes and try my best to focus on what I just learned fifteen minutes ago.
In a shuddering flash I’m in the air, my body resurfaces just above the creatures and I shove hard until my wings burst free from my back. Like a vengeful valkyrie I raise my sword and slam it down on an unsuspecting creature. As I land, its inky fingers wrap around my upper arm as my sword lodges in its shoulder. Pain shoots through me. Its fingertips start to sizzle against my skin, burning into me like hot tar dripping down my flesh.
I wince before heaving back and railing my blade through its core. Its sparkling eyes flash but the strike doesn’t deter the monster.
My lips purse as I realize the gods gave us unfair opponents. My powerful wings push down hard, raising me several feet in the air. With perfect aim I slice the blade down once more.
The creatures head topples off and bounces only once against the dirt. I can’t help but watch it roll, keeping my eyes locked on the empty red orbs in its tumbling skull.
Cheers erupt from the crowd.
At least they have the decency to applaud us instead of mock us.
My attention skims the crowd and it only takes seconds to find the little shit. Loki’s happy gaze locks with mine. He sits leisurely on the edge of the wall, closest to the action. A sweet wave is passed my way. A man at his side, Baldur, shoves him with a stiff movement, causing the trickster god to slide from his little perch on the wall. Loki’s happiness slips from his glowering face just as he disappears from sight once again.
Baldur nods to me before turning his back on the chaos that is now my life.
I push away the tangle of blonde hair from my face. Pain stings through me as long arms wrap around me, colliding hard with my body before shoving me to the ground.
The air is knocked from my lungs. Everywhere that the creature’s body touches mine is fiery pain.
Fire.
My palms burn of their own accord. The creature’s face is featureless, only shining eyes blaze back at me. No mouth, no nose, no features what-so-ever. I pull my hand back from its chest and raise it to its eerie face.
With intensity, I shove my magic out in heaps of anger and power.
White flames blaze from my palm, raining fire across the creature’s slick face.
Not a single cry of pain emits from the thing. It staggers back from me, its hands trying hard to pull away the flames consuming its face. Its skin starts to melt together, the hands becoming one with the head. White bone waves back at me as its arms begin to shake with frantic movements.
I have to force myself to look away from the bizarre and disgusting sight.
Daxdyn smashes his boot into one of the creature’s skulls. It quickly turns to sloshing mush beneath the force of his boot. He pulls back from the deformed thing, his lip curling as he stares down on it.
Another one is held between Darrio’s palms. Its long fingers push frantically against his biceps. Thick smears of black cover his skin from where the creature touches. Darrio’s fingers fume as he pushes his palms together with too much force and I have to look away just as the creature’s head starts to sink in on itself.
Another, one of only a few that are left, grips my throat with its stinging palm. In a flash Ryder is before me, flinging the thing off of me. He struggles with it for only a second. His fingers grip it jaw and he slams it hard into the dusty earth. Over and over again until its jerking movements halt entirely.
It seems almost too easy now. A little painful, but easy.
Trepidation tingles through me.
It’s a feeling of warning. Something is not right here.
My gaze flickers to the trickster god once again. He’s standing on the opposite wall now, pacing on the thin ledge while he watches me intently.
