The second Bas came out of the door, he sent three blasts to the three vans on the other side of the parking lot. He was quick and efficient, and the vans exploded in a fiery blast, one after another. Everyone ducked automatically.
Holy crap on a cracker. I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire city heard that.
“Overkill much?” Hiro said as he and Bas ran behind the cars near me.
Bas just shrugged, then yelled, “Incoming!”
Brinik had turned around, looking more pissed off than I’d ever seen him, and he threw another immobile spell right at me, even though I hadn’t even done anything to him yet.
But that was about to change.
Inside, I’d been too far away to do anything since I couldn’t throw magic around the way witches could, and he’d been too far away for my sword.
But out here… out here, I hadplentyof room.
The spell hit the car I was using as a shield, and I knew exactly what to do.
With a huge grin on my face, I grabbed Roman’s collar with one hand, yanked his surprised face down to mine, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I love you, Roman. Follow my lead.”
Then I leaped, sliding along the hood of the car, and rushed away from him and toward the evil bastard that’d tortured me as a kid. I didn’t give Rome a chance to respond, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he had my back.
Calling on my dragon was freeing, and I let out a mighty roar as I charged right for Brinik.
He screamed and threw a shield up, and I slammed right into it, knocking him backward several steps. And then I raised a claw and sliced right through the damn thing.
Being a dragon was the best, and maybe this asshole could’ve taken me when I was a kid, but not now. Not anymore. Never, ever again.
Roman roared behind me, but I wasn’t worried at all about him. He could handle himself against these terrible, little, vile men.
I hesitated for only a moment, wondering if I should try to apprehend Brinik instead, but I dismissed the thought quickly. This needed to be done so we could go back inside and help everyone else.
Help all those victims, all of Brinik’s victims.
This man, this horrible, cruel, disgusting blood witch was responsible for so much pain and suffering.
He needed to be done.
He needed to be gone.
And I could make that happen.
I opened my jaws and bit down.
Chapter Forty
Roman
What the hell just happened?
Did Oakley seriously just tell me they loved me, then take off running?
That little shit.
They were too far away, and I didn’t want to screamI love you tooacross the parking lot, so I shook my head with a reluctant smile—seriously, they were such a shit, a shit that I truly, wholly loved—and I ran after them even as my heart thudded with happiness in my chest.
Brinik had that menacing look on his face again, but the second Oakley’s body began to grow and golden scales appeared on their skin, that grin faded into fear.
He should be scared.
