“Oh, piss off, all of you,” Mallory snapped.
“Get your weapons,” Nell said.
We raced toward the far wall, which held an assortment of blades, and excitement replaced my previous gloom. I needed this. A solid workout, without almost dying.
As I was reaching for my weapon, booming thunder rocked the room, and the concrete floor swayed.
What the…?
My ears rang as I stumbled backward in shock.
“Get down!” Nell shouted, dropping to the ground and putting her arms over her head.
I dropped, following her example just as another blast rocked us.
My ears buzzed. Pieces of concrete rained down as smoke rolled into the room. Glancing to the side, I saw Nell pop up, waving her arms through the silty air. Following her example, I climbed to my feet, and Kaja bumped me.
“What the fu—” Nell’s eyes widened as a half dozen figures strode into the room.
It took a nanosecond for me to process the situation and draw conclusions.
The people walking through the smoking doorway weren’tpeople.
The assortment of shifters—including bear, panther, fox, selkie, and hawk—weren’t here for a tea party.
We were under attack.Again.
“Weapons!” Nell shouted.
Practical practice just gotreal.
I grabbed a set of blades and tossed them to Mallory, who caught them smoothly and then spun with a ferocious look on her face. Barbie’s clone grabbed another set while I handed a pair to Kaja.
I went to hand a long broadsword to Nell when she shook her head at me. “I’m shifting.”
Before I could finish nodding, pelts of cinnamon fur rippled down her arms and across her chest, and she dropped to all fours as her clothes ripped from her body—her wolf body. I grabbed two blades and spun to face the attacking pack.
A selkie warrior, dressed in black leather armor, pointed his sword right at me. “You killed my mate.”
Mariah Carey? The psycho who sang every student into a stupor while they tried to kill us?
Was I supposed to apologize?
“Then take her and go!” Mallory shouted, dropping into a defensive stance with her blades out.
Bitch.Note to self: never trust Mallory. One hundred percent treacherous.
The selkie warrior shook his head. “The alpha king stole this island from us, and we want it back for our kinds. Every single alpha heir will be slain in retribution.”
Probably not the best time to chat about negotiation, but … really?
The bear shifter reared up on his hind legs and roared, a fierce and terrifying battle cry.
Wolf-Nell tipped her head back and howled, a deep and chilling answer of “Hell no!”
There was no getting out of it now. Where were the palace guards? This place sucked on security.
A blur of feathers drew my eye upward just as a hawk dove at my face, talons extended. Bird shifters loved to go for the eyes. Taking out the throat was then a lot easier.
