I stare off into the distance as I hear voices approaching us. I freeze, but the voices thankfully continue past us. I look back to Nash waiting for him to instruct me, but instead of telling me how to heal his ribs Nash just stares at me wide-eyed and open-mouthed.
“Seriously Nash, I don’t know how much time we have. If you want help, you need to walk me through it!”
This seems to snap him out of whatever brain stall he’s experiencing.
“Just place your hand on me, skin to skin, and picture pouring your magic into me and healing any injuries. The process is more complicated than that, but that’s the best way I can describe it," he admits.
I take a deep breath and run my hand up beneath his dirty and tattered shirt placing my palm on his ribs. I close my eyes and do exactly what he just told me to do. I don’t feel anything responding. I reach into myself more and think about the visuals that Ryker told me he uses. I tap into my source of magic and picture scooping some of it out in my hand and pushing it into Nash.
My hand starts to warm against Nash’s skin, and in minutes his breaths go from labored to deep and smooth. I can somehow instinctually feel his bones knit back together and his lung repair the puncture. He must have been in severe pain. I stay there just a minute longer making sure he doesn’t need any more from me before I pull away.
Nash is staring at me in awe now, and a trill of shock flits through me when I realize all the bruises on his face are gone too. I move back over to Talon and repeat what I just did for Nash. I don’t know why I didn’t think about trying to heal him before. But no matter how much magic I try to push into Talon it won’t sink in. I try for as long as I dare before finally accepting that it’s not going to work. I growl quietly, frustrated by my magic and my inability to make it work.
I somehow healed Nash, so I’m not a complete dud but nothing I’m trying with Talon is fucking working, and it’s maddening. I shake off my anger and refocus on the next phase of theget the fuck out of hereplan.
“Do any of you know how to fight?” I ask mapping out the room and calculating the best plan of attack.
“We’re all Paladin Conscripts," Enoch informs me.
His admission stops me in my tracks. They’re training to be paladin? I look at each of them. Well okay then, I did not see that coming. I shake myself out of my shock, and we all huddle closer together so we can whisper plans back and forth. We all realize pretty quick that our options are mostly limited to fighting, fighting, and more fighting.
Once that settled in, we quickly worked out the details. Parker--the biggest of the group--is going to carry Talon. Me, Enoch, Nash, and Kallan – which is apparently the name ofJared Letolook-alike--will fight our way out to where we can hopefully find some means of escape.
We place Talon in the now-dark corner by the door, and I hope with everything that I have that he goes unnoticed the next time the lamia come in. It’s getting darker and darker by the minute, and I’m hoping the lamia don’t have amazing night vision and the darkness works in our favor. The rest of us make our way back to our chairs, intent on pretending that we’re still tied up. The plan is to attack when we have a good shot at the lamia closest to us the next time they come in.
My runes to increase my hearing are still activated, and thankfully we only have to wait a little while before I hear several footsteps and chatter coming towards us. I hear them clunk down the stairs and disengage the lock on the door. It squeaks open, and I hope with everything that I have, that they won’t spot Talon’s feet sticking out from the corner. Several of them stride confidently in thankfully not noticing anything amiss.
“Alright, pets it’s time to go.”
One of the lamia announces as he bends over to untie me. His head jerks up in surprise when he discovers no rope where it should be around my ankles. I bring one short sword quickly through his neck, blood spattering my face and body as his head drops to the floor. The room explodes in chaos as each of us attack as ruthlessly and quietly as possible. I decapitate two more lamia, and Enoch and Kallan finish off the other three. I watch dazed as the bodies slowly turn to ash and disintegrate around us.
There were eight lamia down here before, including Faron, and we just eliminated six. I cross my fingers and hope only two more stand in the way of our escape. Parker picks up Talon’s limp body draping him across both shoulders and follows us up the stairs. I go first, silently making my way up, followed by Enoch, Parker, Nash, and Kallan. I barely poke my head above the top stair, quickly taking in what’s around us, before ducking back down.
We’re in some kind of storm cellar set in the middle of a wide open space with a dark house to the right of us. I spot a group of lamia loading things in big SUVs and talking about fifteen feet to my left. I notice another cluster of lamia congregated closer to us on the right. As soon as we show ourselves, they’ll be the first ones on us.
I lean down and turn to Enoch trying to communicate with my hands what I see. I’d love to think I’m using some pretty sweet special forces hand signals but in reality, it probably looks like the worst game of charades in history. I can’t help but think how much easier this would be if I could speak in his mind like I can with my Chosen. I mentally facepalm when I realize I haven’t even tried to use my link to them to get help. I consider quickly trying to send them a message, but the slamming of doors and impatient voices brings my attention back to trying to get us out of here, right now.
I call on several of my throwing daggers and dash quickly out of the protection of the stairwell. I pull and release daggers as quickly as possible as we run in the direction of the cars. Lamia fall and start turning to ash before the others seem to realize they’re being attacked, but as soon as they do, all hell breaks loose, and they converge on us. Enoch is throwing fireballs, and Kallan is hurling glowing orbs as we run. I begin cutting the heads off of anything that gets near me or appears injured, and I curse when a bunch of lamia start pouring out of the old, dark house.
I’m cutting lamia down in a lethal and steady rhythm, as we push our way closer to the cars. I see Faron flash around the corner of the house and I watch as his eyes turn red and his fangs drop. I separate another head from its body, and Faron bellows a feral roar. I let go of my short swords and hurl a throwing knife in his direction. In a flash, he dodges the killing blow, but it still manages to sink into his shoulder. He seems unfazed by the injury as he continues to bear down on me like the predator he is.
“Well baby Sentinel, aren’t you just full of surprises," Faron taunts, taking in my weaponless hands.
Quicker than any of the other lamia have displayed, Faron races toward me and then pounces. He gets a hand around my neck before I can do anything and thank the stars he’s trying to capture me and not kill me, or I might be dead right now. I call on my short swords and run both of them into his chest slicing up as he tries to pull me into him. The cocksure look in his eyes fades when he realizes he doesn’t exactly have the upper hand. His claws on my neck drop, and he sinks them into my wrists trying to pull himself free of my blades.
Something hits me from behind, but my shields automatically activate and whatever it was bounces off of me. I release the magic holding the swords in his chest, and they disappear. I feel the shredding of my wrists as I pull free from his claws, but I force myself to ignore the pain. I bring my hands up to his neck, call the swords back into my hands forming an X at the base of Faron’s throat. I scissor the blades and watch triumphantly as his head rolls off of his shoulders.
“That’s for Talon," I declare and turn looking for the next threat.
A shout calls my attention to the left, and I see the others pressing to the vehicles. I run to join them when out of nowhere a lamia charges Parker and slams into him. I watch as Talon and Parker hit the ground and Talon’s body skids away. I’m racing to reach them but I’m too far away, and I watch helplessly as the lamia sinks its fangs into Parker’s throat and tears it out.
I scream in rage and horror, sprinting towards Parker. My magic surges, answering my call and a pulse shoots out from me turning every lamia it touches to ash instantly. I slide into Parker and clamp down on his tattered neck with my hands. I immediately start calling on Healing magic and shoving it into him. My hands burn white-hot, and I scream at Parker to hold on. A lamia goes up in flames dangerously close to me, and I look up to find Enoch’s avenging face as he throws more fireballs at the few lamia that seem to be left.
“Come on Parker, fight, I’m here, and I’ll get you out like I promised, but you have to help me!” The wound in his neck is closing, but Parker is still limp and not moving. I jump up to defend against two more lamia coming at me from behind.Where are they still coming from? I look around and see Kallan make it to the driver’s door of a black Suburban. The engine turns over, and I continue to cut away at attacking lamia.
Nash grabs Talon’s body from the ash-covered ground and throws him over his shoulder. A lamia jumps toward them and rakes his claws over Talon’s side before Enoch lights the attacker on fire. Talon yells in pain and Nash hurriedly pushes him into the open back of the SUV. I call on the runes on my arms for extra power and pick up Parker carrying him toward the car.
Enoch meets me halfway and steals Parker from my shoulders. I cover both of them as Enoch makes it to the car and gets Parker in. Nash dives into the passenger seat quickly followed by Enoch jumping into the back. Enoch leans out of the still-open door and lights the remaining Suburban’s on fire, before slamming the car door and sealing himself inside. I kill two more lamia before jumping into the very back with Talon and pulling the door down. Kallan peels out, no instruction or encouragement needed and we speed maniacally down the dirt road.
