I looked up instantly, seeing Lady Claw sneering down at me. Her armor was well fitted showing off her curves, while still remaining practical. She held no weapon, but her hands were gleaming with long claw-like nails.
“I’ll gut you and eat your entrails,” she said with a feral grin.
How very pleasant.
The other one in human form with her… was Lynx. His face was hard. I could see a hint of remorse, but far more hatred and fury. He spat out his words when he spoke.
“We got the news of your betrayal just after you left our camp.” He clenched his jaw, showing his teeth in a mockery of a grin. “You played me for a fool, trying to sway me while gathering intelligence.” He shook his head. “Your House is a menace, and you are the rot at its core!” He held two long curved knives, both nearly the length of a short sword.
I scooped up one of my swords — only one was within arm’s reach — and rose, terrified. I may have been able to take Lady Claw and Lynx, but they were not alone. With them was a massive tiger, a powerful lion, and… the slinking, deadly form of a jaguar.
I could leap away, out of reach of all of them… but Silence would surely die. I knew I wouldn’t have time to bend and scoop him up; they were too close. I should have picked him up instead of my sword, but I’d made my choice and now I was stuck. If I left, Silence died. If I stayed… we both died.
MyHerogift decided for me. I couldn’t leave. Power surged into me, strengthening me as I settled into a fighting stance.
Lady Claw laughed, then lunged at me.
Chapter 24
It was a feint.Claw dodged away as I swiped at her. I had hoped to remove one of those deadly, clawed hands of hers, but she was too quick. The real attack came from Lynx and Lion. I knew it, I’d sensed the movement of both, Lynx from in front, Lion behind. I did my best to defend against both, shifting forward while blocking one of Lynx’s knives with my sword. The other I tried to block, but he was faster and the blade skittered along the front of my armor, hard enough to leave a gouge, but not hurt me. I wasn’t able to get out of the way of Lion’s attack entirely and his claws raked along the back of my left calf. I’d shifted enough that the cuts weren’t deep, but they were deep enough to bleed and that would cost me strength eventually.
As they retreated, Tiger and Jaguar surged in, Tiger leaping high, while Jaguar kept low. I waited for the perfect instant, then leaped a little while veering into my spider form, with the effect of suspending myself in the air, over Jaguar’s slashing claws and under tiger’s flashing teeth. They passed by and I returned to my form, lashing out as I did, a glancing blow on Jaguar’s hip. The large cat yowled.
I laughed with elation and victory. Five on one and I’d still managed to land a hit. Not a deep one, but enough to celebrate.
Lynx and Claw came at me from different angles, and I spun, going up on one leg to put myself near to sideways, lunging at Lynx, blocking his attack while moving the rest of my body out of his reach, and at the same time kicking Claw’s arm. I then threw myself at Claw, following up with a second, spinning kick and caught her shoulder, sending her to the ground. But I’d ignored the others for just a little too long, and I sensed a large shape — Lion — leaping at me while I was in the middle of my spin kick, I couldn’t get out of the way and tried to veer into a spider, but Lion was too quick and caught me mid transition one set of claws raking along my side, then slamming me — now a spider — down to the ground. I hit hard and three of my spider’s legs crumpled under me. Lion leaped away, but the damage was done.
I shifted back to human, feeling the pain in my left leg. I’d not be moving quickly from now on. And those claws had hit behind my armor, my exposed back above my hip, and I felt the burning sting of those four marks upon me.
I tried to move out of the way of Tiger rushing in, but put too much weight upon my left leg and fell, crumpling. Tiger was right there, hovering over me, mid leap as time slowed and I knew my death was imminent.
Then a sparrow — shifting into a small woman — hit the side of Tiger’s head in full flight and knocked the beast off course, the two of them tumbling off beside me.
A charging bull tore through the scene, scoring a glancing blow on Lynx, while Claw nimbly slipped out of his way. She managed a raking claw attack on Maverick’s flank. Then my Housemates were all around me, flooding in to surround me as Ant appeared, kneeling next to Silence. The large man looked at me and my wounds.
“Him first!” I said through gritted teeth and Ant nodded.
I tried to rise, but my leg gave out beneath me, and I cried out despite myself.
Shouldn’t I be stronger than this? Shouldn’t my gift be helping?
Your gift let you survive five on one for long enough for your friends to arrive. Now let them do some work for a bit.
I conceded that point to Auwei.
Ant gasped, finishing with Silence. I could see the weariness on his features as he turned to me. I wanted to tell him I was fine, to save his strength for fighting, but I couldn’t, I was aching and stinging and needed help.
I felt his soothing healing energies flow through me, my leg strengthening as my cuts shrunk, not completely healed, but enough to not bother me too much.
Then Ant winked and drew forth his staff. Yet I saw how he stumbled just a bit when he rose. I wondered how many others he’d already healed this night.
I rose and tried to take in everything going on around me, but in the dark my eyes couldn’t catch the movement. It was all too fast. So, I closed my eyes and let my spider senses take over.
Maverick and Amber were managing to get Tiger to retreat. Jack was attacking Lady Claw, and keeping her at bay. Ant headed for Lion, who was attacking Sparrow. Sparrow herself was a dervish of speed, flitting around the battle even in her human form, dodging the large cat’s attacks. I couldn’t sense Jaguar, perhaps he’d fled when the reinforcements arrived?
Fennec was on Lynx, though even as I sensed them, Fennec grunted and he went down. Lynx was stalking in for me. That was it for reinforcements from my House, the others must have been elsewhere in the battle and Sparrow had not been able to round them up.
I had one sword in hand and my other was close by. Diving at it, I rolled and came up with both swords before sinking into a fighting stance to face Lynx.
