“Still, I’m an angel. You can’t…”
“Do you know what happens when a shifter watches their mate die? They either kill themselves or go mad.” A vicious grin split my face. “Welcome to my madness, motherfucker!” And with a slash of my wing the angel lost his head.
The enemy had only sent one of the vile air-wielders after me. They’d dismissed me as easy to overcome, weak. I would show them the error of their ways.
A quick scan of the battlefield showed me where I was most needed. Yes, Vyns and Rook and Bayn all seemed lost in their own minds, but they also still fought as best they could. They flailed wildly and though it did little to the elves and sylphim attacking them — and they looked increasingly rough — they were all tough. They’d survive a little longer. Koar looked worse, and would need help sooner, but Izzy needed me the most.
With these steel wings, I couldn’t fly, at least not well, but my shadow-step carried me quickly across the field, to Valnea’s own shadow.
Her earth sense must have alerted her the instant I touched the ground, because she spun and met my wing attack on her sword.
Her eyes went wide.
“A shifter?”
I used her confused shock, attacking relentlessly with a savage roar. She defended well, even being on her back foot. But my goal wasn’t to kill her. Well, that wasn’t true. I burned with a fierce desire to kill her, but what I wanted more… was for Izzy to recover. And every second I kept the false queen occupied was another for Izzy to heal and regain her strength. She wouldn’t need long.
A manic laugh escaped my lips as I landed a blow on the befuddled false queen, a deep gash, slicing through her fancy armor to draw blood on her shoulder. Then another cut to her abdomen.
“What are you!” Valnea hissed, eyes wild.
“I’m everything you didn’t expect,” I quipped. “I was there, in your room when you plotted against all the races. Everyone knows of your treachery. I see you in the dark when you least expect it. I am shadows and death!” And since our little fight had moved us around a bit, I used my shadow-step to get behind her again and this time she didn’t spin fast enough and I slashed her leg out from under her.
She fell, but instantly earth pushed her back to her feet, her wounds healing. She was tough, but… I’d done what I’d came for.
“I’m also one hell of a distraction, aren’t I?” I bantered. “Isn’t there someone else you should be fighting?”
The realization hit Valnea as Izzy reached her, fully recovered. Izzy grabbed the woman’s shoulder, spun her and clocked her hard in the jaw.
Valnea stumbled, reeling.
“Thanks!” Izzy said to me with a radiant smile. “I just needed a moment. I’ve got this now!”
I nodded and let her resume her fight with Valnea.
I took out the sylphim nearby so they’d not bother her, then I went to join Koar in his areal battle. I couldn’t fly, not quite, but my shadow-step could get mevery closebehind some of those dragons, into their own shadows. I shifted to my hybrid form and blinked myself up there, sinking my clawed feet into a dragon’s tough hide and slashing with my wings at the same time.
Another wild laugh escaped me as that dragon faltered and Koar realized why.
I kept stabbing that dragon with my wings as he fell, then I let my wings out and glided away as the dragon hit the ground, dead.
I’d just killed a dragon one-on-one.
And that’s when it hit me.
I’d saved Izzy.
Me.
Not any of the other guys.
I’d resisted the sylph mind control.
I’d fought Valnea toe-to-toe and held my own.
I’d killed a dragon.
Holy fuck!
