“Oh, what’s wrong? Worried what the flame will feel like on that mortal body?” I taunted as I moved out of the living room. The only sound was the crackle of flames as snow fell through the destroyed roof. I began pulling energy, but not to me. Into the sky above.
I wasn’t buying his silence. I missed, I know I did. I looked around the room, wondering what his game was. He stepped in front of me out of nowhere. I was hit in the side, something stung. Then I was swinging. I broke his nose, and went in for more. He slashed at me with a bloody blade. Blood? I held his eyes as I felt my side. Hot, sticky liquid coated my fingers. Before it fully registered he kicked me in the chest, knocking me back into the brick outer wall. Something in my back shattered as I hit then dropped. I tried to get up only I couldn’t move my legs. Shit! Pain forked through my body as I tried to pull myself away from the wall.
Abaddon cackled as the wall slammed down on me. I cried out as I was pinned to the floor. Bricks covered me from shoulders to feet. I tried to pull myself out but my side and back screamed in agony. Black dots danced in front of my eyes. I needed to stop the bleeding. Focusing, I pulled energy and quickly began closing that. The music was still playing.
Abaddon came over and smiled. “Now you’ll listen.” I ignored him as he kept talking. “It won’t take too long for you to bleed out, so you better make a choice soon.” The wound closed, I opened my eyes to glare at him. The energy in the clouds was almost ready. Abaddon tossed a few fireballs into what was left of the bedrooms. The apartment started to burn. He turned back to me. “Just to give you more incentive.” He rubbed his hands together and paced in front of me. Atticus was coming…
“You see, I want your talents. And quite frankly I don’t need you, per se, but your body,” he explained. I started laughing.
“You just broke my back, you idiot,” I told him, laughing through the pain.
“You know your abilities can fix that,” he chided. “Since you’re not willing, I’m going to take your body and use it to destroy the city.” I peeked up at the sky. It was ready.
I met his eyes. “Good luck.” I directed the energy from the clouds towards him. The first bolt of lightning hit. So did the next. He started backing away but they kept hitting him as I pushed him back to the kitchen. He couldn’t possess me if he couldn’t touch me. I left some energy in the clouds just in case. He got to his feet, his clothes singed, his hair sticking out from his head. If I wasn’t in so much pain it would have been funny.
His eyes glowed red as he strode towards me. Oh shit. I tried to reach for the clouds, but before I could, something dove from the sky and plowed Abaddon through the remaining walls and into my apartment.
The sounds of fighting reached me. I dropped my head to the floor and tried to think. Falk; he was the fastest flyer. The others wouldn’t be far. I tried to pull myself out but it was no good. The weight pressing down on my damaged spine and ribs was killing me. I closed my eyes and pulled energy. I sent it down my spine. I found the shattered pieces and quickly brought them back through the tissue to where they should have been. Then I began piecing it back together. I worked quickly but jigsaw puzzles were never my thing.
There was a huge crash. My eyes opened as Falk was thrown back this way. Before he hit anything his wings popped out, flapped enough to slow him and set him down, then his wings were gone again. He was battered and bloody. I didn’t know how much longer he could hold out. Abandon strode through the destroyed doorway.
Three others dropped through the ceiling. Zahur dropped a plastic shopping bag, Ranulf and Atticus landed in a crouch. Atticus’s gaze ran over me then went to Abaddon. “Get her out of here,” he ordered. Zahur headed for me, along with Falk. Ranulf and Atticus went after Abaddon.
“What’s damaged?” Zahur demanded as they started moving bricks off me.
“Ribs, burn and a freaking shattered vertebra,” I grunted. “Working on that last one.” I closed my eyes and focused again while they worked to get me free. It took a little time but I managed to get the pieces back together and lightly fused. It wouldn’t survive another hard blow, but right now I just needed it stable and not causing more damage.
I opened my eyes and nodded to Zahur. They each grabbed one arm and pulled me out from under what was left of the bricks. My damaged vertebra strained and I cried out as fire shot down the nerves of my lower body. They stopped moving me.
“We need to go; this place is going to burn to the ground,” Falk announced, his voice rough. He carefully moved me to my side then lifted me up into his arms. I screamed into his shoulder as torture racked my body.
“We’re going now. Take her, I’ll tell the others,” Zahur announced.
“Tell them to get clear, the sky is going to tear the place apart,” I warned, I couldn’t concentrate enough to direct it. Falk shifted me into a better spot. I sobbed in his arms.
“I’m sorry, I know it hurts, we’ll fix it soon, Evie,” he rasped down at me. I nodded that I heard him. His wings began to flap and we were off the ground. He was a smooth enough flyer that it didn’t hurt.
Suddenly raw fury poured through me. I gasped as it hit me.
“Atty…” I sent without meaning to.
“Here.”
“He’s run off, let’s get her safe.” Atticus’s voice was harsh. A hand brushed over my hair, it felt good.
“Lightning is going to hit any minute,” I warned.
“Falk, keep her just in case. Ranulf take point, I’ll watch your backs. Go!” Atticus ordered.
We started flying, the Christmas music faded away. Then the sky unleashed on the apartment building, lighting up the night in flashes.
I floated in pain as we flew.
The sound of church bells began to ring. It was Christmas. I licked my lips.
“Merry Christmas, guys.”
Epilogue
I don’t know how long we flew through the snow, but eventually we landed somewhere. The others spoke, then I was somewhere warm. Falk set me down on something soft. I whimpered in pain.
“Zahur,” Falk called. A bag opened somewhere as I opened my eyes. There was a ceiling; a plain, wood-beam ceiling. A needle went into my arm. Everything became kind of blurry.
Zahur came into my sight and started pulling my shirt up so he could see my side. “Looks like she had a stab wound but she healed it.” He probed my ribs. I cried out. “Several broken ribs.” He dropped my shirt and pulled down the neckline a bit. “And what looks like a third degree burn across her upper chest.” He made me look at him. “You said vertebra, did you fix it?”
“A light fusion, won’t take a hit but it’ll hold until after I rest a bit,” I explained. He nodded, then got to work.
“What do you need?” A man’s voice asked. Zahur demanded several things.
I floated there, waiting. I looked around the room. Everyone else was here, where was he? I needed to tell him.
“Atty,” I called.
“Here.” Warmth filled my mind making me want to smile. I opened my eyes and looked again. I didn’t see him.
“I can’t find you,” I sent, the thought laced with confusion. Why wasn’t he here? I had to tell him.
“I’m circling back on our trail, making sure we weren’t followed,” he explained.
“Where am I?”
“Saint Patrick’s Church. With the Templars. The others are there, you’re safe,” he answered gruffly.
Zahur began to rub his healing goop over the handprint burn on my chest. I bit back a curse.
“Why?” I sent through the pain, whimpering aloud.
“I’m sorry Evie, but you don’t want this to scar,” Zahur explained. I didn’t need an explanation, I just needed my husband.
Another prick in the arm. The pain faded. Zahur went back to work on the burn. I floated.
“Evie? Can you hear me?” Zahur called. I nodded. He checked my eyes. “You’re going to go to sleep, okay?”
“Atticus,” I muttered. I needed to see him
first. It was important.
Zahur gave me an understanding smile. “He’s checking our trail-” A door slammed open. Zahur turned to look behind him.
The bed dipped on the other side. The scent of parchment filled my nose. I opened my eyes to find Atticus’s worried face.
“Falk, check our trail out past two miles,” Atticus barked over his shoulder. Then he was taking my hand in his. “I’m here, luv.” His other hand gently brushed the hair back from my forehead.
The world was fading… he was here…
“Love you,” I barely told him before the world went dark.
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Also by B. L. Brunnemer
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Found (Books of Stone Book 1) Page 32