Doc made a sound of pure revulsion. “Who else have you hurt? Whose lives have you ruined?”
Sevrian scoffed. “I don’t ruin lives. I make people bend to my will.”
He was starting to shift. It made Ottis’ stomach twist, because he justknewSevrian would wait until Doc’s guard was down, to kick him where it hurt.
In a fair fight, Doc could probably take Sevrian down easily.
But Sevrian fought dirty.
Was Doc prepared for that? Or would Sevrian slide a knife between Doc’s ribs while Doc was still in his human shape?
“Doc, he won’t fight fair,” Ottis blurted, right before white feathers sprouted across Sevrian’s face. “He’s a griffin!”
Sevrian’s clothes tore as he shifted. The top half of his body turned into a giant eagle, and the bottom half turned into the hind end of a lion.
Doc didn’t seem terribly surprised by the sight. “Well, you’re an embarrassment to your species.”
Sevrian hissed. “I’m not like them. I’m not a spineless, worthless piece of garbage!”
Doc’s mouth twisted. “Coming from you? Forgive me if I don’t believe that.”
“Shut up!” With a shriek, Sevrian launched himself at Doc. “The rest of you, hunt down that omega and bring him to me!”
Doc’s eyes flashed red. “You will not touch him again.”
He jabbed his sword at Sevrian, only for the griffin to dodge with a midair barrel roll. Sevrian dropped to the ground and leaped at Doc, flapping one wing to spin away when Doc slashed at him.
Their fight sped up. Ottis’ heart lodged in his throat. Doc could shift into his dragon shape, but he risked someone sneaking away to leak his identity as a dragon.
He and Sevrian matched each other with slashes and dodges, kicks and scratches. Ottis expected Doc to breathe fire.
Except something flashed, bright and silver. It was a wicked knife in Sevrian’s back paw, there and gone.
Sevrian leaped for Doc and twisted to one side, shifting one wing back into an arm. He flipped his knife from his hind leg to his hand. The next second, he lunged at Doc with the knife.
Ottis’ heart stopped. Doc was still in his human shape—handy with a sword, but weak against sharp objects.
Sevrian was about to stab him.
There was no way Doc could avoid it; he wasn’t fast enough.
The knife drew blood.
Ottis gave a tiny cry, so tense that he thought he might shatter.
Doc’s gaze snapped toward the mansion. “Ottis?”
It was a split-second distraction, but it was enough for Sevrian to stab him properly this time. Doc grunted in pain.
Oh gods,Ottis thought, his stomach clenching.He got hurt because of me. Because of a stupid sound.
“Ottis is fine,” Hijinks said, firing the cock cannon.
THOOM!
White fluid smashed into the closest thugs and flattened them against the lawn.
Doc punched Sevrian and leaped away, putting distance between them.
