Two broke their line to intercept me, shields snapping up.
The front one swung his baton in a practiced arc, aiming for my ribs. I stepped into the blow instead of away, catching the shaft on my forearm and letting the jolt slam through me. Pain crackled along my nerves, and my muscles spasmed.
I let my knees buckle.
“I’ve got her!” He leaned in, weight shifting, ready to restrain me.
I smiled up at him. “No, I’ve got you.” My fingers locked around the tiny gap between his glove and wrist-guard.
My venom poured into him.
His eyes went wide behind the visor of his helmet. He didn’t even scream before his heart stopped.
I shoved his collapsing body and baton into the second shield-holder and used the momentum to pivot. My dress skirt flared, the enchanted fabric making me feel like I had to look cool. My bare leg hooked around the second human’s arm. Itwisted, letting gravity do the work as I slammed him face-first into the ground.
His visor cracked, and my fingers jabbed into his exposed neck.
My power flared as I sent more fatal venom into his bloodstream.
I ducked on instinct, a baton whistling through the space where my skull had been. I jumped and rolled away from the hit, the silk of my gown whispering across the stone.
Another human fired their rifle at me. Whatever round he shot grazed my side, burning cold, but I didn’t stop.
My palm slapped the front of his helmet.
I couldn’t reach skin, but I could kill without my power.
I snapped his head back, and he stumbled. Driving my knee into his chest, I stomped on his leg, hearing the bone snap.
He dropped, and I kicked his throat, basilisk strength vibrating through my muscles with the kick, crushing his wind pipe.
He didn’t get back up.
Gunfire shot off, and a magic shield flickered weakly to life on my left. It was sloppy and rushed, but it deflected at least two bullets.
“Your left!” Drecken shouted, his voice cracking.
I turned just as another human lunged, a knife gleaming in his hand. I didn’t have time to dodge. His blade sliced across my thigh, tearing the slit of my dress wider and drawing a line of blood as it separated my flesh.
Stinging agony followed, but I caught his wrist in both hands.
His knife hand stopped an inch from my throat.
We stared at each other for a second.
“Bad fucking idea,” I hissed. “How do you expect to get my DNA if you kill me?”
“Your corpse,” the man spat.
“Not happening.” I shifted my grip, letting the blade’s edge press into my skin just enough to distract him. Then, my knee came up hard between his legs.
He gasped, doubling over, and my fingers slid under the edge of his glove, into the warmth of his skin.
He trembled as my venom flooded into him.
I watched him turn into a wooden husk in an instant, dying brutally as roots slipped out of his orifices.
Behind me, a roar split the air as raw, furious draconic magic burned through my matebond with Jesper. He surged forward in a blur, catching a human who’d aimed a rifle at my back.
