Gisila tackled me to the floor. “Check the phone, Orrin!” She wrapped her hands around my throat and squeezed.
With Gisila behind me I was limited in how I could fight back. Ideally, I’d flip over and jab my thumbs into her eyes.
I was able to get my arm up behind me, so I applied my elbow to her throat. Not to try to knock the air from her—I’d made that mistake already—but to use as a lever and force her back just enough to get some space between us.
Orrin, meanwhile, casually crossed the loading station, heading for my phone.
With the extra maneuvering space, I peeled myself off the floor and slammed into Gisila, letting my weight sag into her.
Gisila struggled for a moment with the change in her balance, giving me enough time to flip over in her grasp so I faced her, blinking in surprise when I felt a flicker of fae magic.
What the…?
Orrin picked my phone up and tapped the screen.
“Show me what it says, Orrin.” Gisila tried to wrestle with me. For all her superior strength she didn’t seem to know even a basic grapple hold.
I wriggled in her grasp, able to keep her from getting a strangling hold on my throat.
Orrin stared at my phone.
“Orrin!” Gisila snapped. “Bring it here!”
Orrin looked up from my phone, a slow and dangerous smile spreading across his lips. “Hold her,” he said. “They found him.”
Gisila blinked in confusion. “What do you mean hold her?” She demanded, but the suggestion wasn’t meant for her.
I rocked my lower body, flexing my abs and drawing my legs up so I could wrap them around Gisila’s arm. “Got her! Go!” I shouted to my squad, who had slowly been registering in my senses.
Gisila scoffed. “What are you—”
A gun banged, and Gisila broke off in a guttural scream, shot in the arm.
She fell backwards, but she couldn’t get away since I was anchored to her arm, so she collapsed next to me.
I kicked her in the abdomen—careful to use my heel since hitting her still felt like slugging a wall—then scrambled away.
Gisila had just enough time to peel her head off the ground before blue lightning struck her, crackling as it ran up and down her limbs. Purple fire ignited on her back, and the feeling of wizard magic engulfed my senses with such strength I felt it in my molars.
April and Juggernaut.
The lightning and fire faded, and Gisila groaned in pain. She boosted herself to her knees. “You—”
Binx—in her cougar form—tore across the lobby, leaping over the gate in a physical feat that would have impressed even Paddy.
She launched herself at Gisila, landing on her back and scrabbling to bite at the dragon shifter’s neck.
Gisila screamed as she grappled, trying to rip Binx off her back.
Brody emerged from the shadows in his wolf form, his blue eyes shining. He bit down on Gisila’s left wrist, his impressive bite force likely damaging her bones as he held her.
Sobbing in pain, Gisila kicked at Brody—sending him flying—then managed to wrench Binx off her back.
“Block her—she’s going to get the elf weapon!” I shouted.
Metal crunched as Medium-Sized Robert—entering the lobby with a surprising amount of silence—scooped up the crumpled gate. “Duck!” He flung the gate at Gisila, which smashed into her and pinned her to the ground.
I exhaled my relief, then jumped when I realized Orrin and Grove were standing next to me.
