Ulric snarled nearby, and Rourke turned to see what was happening.
Three cars came toward them.They stopped some distance away and witches spilled out of them, balls and lightnings painting the night sky in different colors.
"They were waiting."Ulric moved around, never letting the witches out of his sight.
"Which means this must've been the plan."Fucking Jiprix must have been sent to get Ezra to lure them here.A fucking trap.
"Kill them."His voice flew over those closest to him, and he heard the order being repeated.
Shixyll exited one of the cars and hate welled up inside of Rourke.He wanted her dead, wanted her gone.
A ball of blue flew toward him, and he had to more or less throw himself at Ulric to avoid getting hit, but it only angered him more.Fuckers.
* * * *
Chapter 22
Ezra ran.He started out walking, thinking there was no way Jiprix could follow him.Since he wanted him alive, he wouldn't turn him inside out, but when fireworks lit the sky some distance away, he ran.Curses.Different-colored blazes.
He could sense Rourke there, and it petrified him.They were trying to kill him.
He ran.Ran as fast as he could, ran until he tasted blood at the back of his throat.He might be a useless witch without any battle skills, but he would not let them kill Rourke.He would not let them kill Ulric or Geri or Farkas or Connor or Due or the dark-haired woman with the blue eyes either.He might not know anyone else, but he didn't want them dead.
They were his pack mates now.
He ran and stumbled over a fallen branch.Fuck.His knees hit the ground, but he pushed himself up again, still clutching the car key, and continued forward.When he looked around, the shadows moved.Two wolves appeared in front of him.Huge.Monsters.
Then, as if they were able to speak to each other they took up place next to him, one on each side, facing the direction of the fight.Had they come to get him?
"I'm sorry."
One of them bumped his hip with its forehead, and Ezra ran his hand over the fur.Warm and soft."Is Rourke okay?"
A nod.
"I stole the key from Jiprix and left him in the car."He gestured to where he'd come from."I'm so stupid."
Another head bump urged him forward.Ezra took a deep breath."Okay, let's go."He didn't have a clue what he was to do.He couldn't fight anyone, but maybe once Rourke saw him, he'd make the pack retreat.This was his fault, and it was his only way to save lives--get them to stop fighting.
He took up a light jog, the wolves trotted at his pace and never left his side.
A couple of minutes later, the sounds of the battle reached him.There were snarls and growls, shrieks and laughs.Who could laugh at a time like this?
He almost tripped over a body on the ground.The wolf to his left rolled it over, and Ezra sucked in a breath.Ezama's lifeless eyes reflected the purple of Shuzur's lightning.Her throat was torn out, and Ezra curled his fingers tighter around the car key.She had never spoken a kind word to him, but it still shook him to see her dead.
The wolf to his right gently bumped its nose against his hand.
"Sorry.She was..."He couldn't find a kind word."Ezama.Her name was Ezama."Blowing out a breath, he walked past her and hurried forward.
Only a few seconds later, the mayhem came into view.At first, Ezra couldn't make sense of what he was seeing.A sea of bodies.The wolves moved fast, winding between people and flying curses, while the witches were more stationary.Some had shields, and many of those who didn't, hid behind those who did.
Shixyll stood in the middle, a grin playing on her lips as she flung her hands forward.He could almost hear the jingle of her bracelets, which was an illusion.There was no way some soft jingling could be heard over the screams, snarls, and growls.
A pained whine sounded nearby, and Ezra turned toward it.One of the men who'd been in the dining hall when he'd made the soup for Jiprix contorted, and his legs were slowly transforming into a tree trunk.No!
Ezra scanned the people closest.Izibine had her arms outstretched behind a shimmering shield, her fingers curled like claws and her eyes were like deep dark pits.
Without thinking, Ezra rushed forward.He crashed through the shield.The magic brushed against him, but it didn't hurt him.It could have.He had no idea what kind of shield it was, but he couldn't let her set one of the wolves on fire.
