Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
The roar came again, all around me now, all through me, calling me. Begging me to seek that darkness within and become one with my gargoyle. To finally find that balance and fight my way out.
“Where we at, Hank?” the voice near my ear called. “Hank!”
“Hank is currently indisposed,” Edgar said from somewhere close.
My jailor was suddenly ripped away, and his fingernails scraped across my rough gargoyle skin.
“He tasted delicious, though,” Edgar said, and I could just see him grab someone by the throat with his hand and rip it clean out. “He probably ate a lot of candy. I love a good candy-soaked blood source.”
“Hey, Jessie,” Nessa said from just behind him, strain in her voice. She smiled down at me before stepping over and straddling my prone body. “Ouch. That wing looks like it— Crap, Edgar!”
A puff of insects zoomed in on Nessa’s left before materializing into Edgar. He launched himself face-first at the neck of someone reaching for Nessa.
“What the—” was all the man got out before his eyes rolled back in his head, and the vampire let him slide to the ground.
“Close one,” Nessa said, her face closed down in concentration. She held knives up but didn’t seem to be using them. A glowing red orb grew between her fists and then shot out, slamming into two people pushing in. They screamed and fell away. A new orb, yellow this time, immediately took the place of the first.
I hadn’t thought she’d had much power, but she certainly seemed to have plenty now.
“Don’t worry, Jessie,” Edgar said, stabbing his finger through someone’s eye. “Did you see that move? I think of you every time I do it. Anyway, Sir Steele is coming. He’s almost here.”
“Yeah, we’re just playing for time”—Nessa’s face closed down in concentration again as another glowing orb materialized between her hands—“in the number-one most dangerous place in this whole field.”
“Oh, well, I don’t know about—” The last of Edgar’s words were muffled as he clamped down on someone’s neck.
An enemy trooper shoved Nessa from behind. The orb she had zipped out to the right, splashing across a couple people. Their screaming was cut off quickly.
She turned and stabbed the man who’d pushed her, but by the time he was out of the way, three more had shoved in to remove her.
“What’s all this?” a man with thin black hair said, incredibly cool under pressure.
“Edgar,” Nessa said, her voice wavering. She shot a spell forward as I struggled to get up and my wing twisted painfully beneath me.
Bald Guy took the blast with gritted teeth. His eyes flared hot, and a disgusting smile curved his lips. “Pretty little thing.” He snatched forward, grabbing her throat. “I think I’ll keep you.”
She slashed with a knife, aiming for center mass. She should’ve known she would never reach, not with the difference in their arm spans. If she’d had training, she would’ve aimed for the arm or wrist holding her.
I curled in my wing, struggling to roll over. Gargoyles weren’t great on the ground like this. Wings got in the way.
Austin was closer now, so close, but moving slowly. They’d obviously doubled their efforts to block him off. They were trying to stand between him and me so as to get me out of there. I doubted these guys cared about fallen soldiers.
Nessa was ripped away with a choking yell, and someone else dove on top of me. He rolled over to offer me up, and another grabbed me. I was hauled closer to a blond-haired man with a large overbite, my wings and arms pinned. A crowd moved around me, securing me in.
“Let’s go, let’s go, hurry!” an enemy shouted. “We’ve got cover.”
I had to shift and fight. I could do more spells without my hands in my human form because I could speak the words. Hell, I could move in my human form, unhindered by these dang wings.
Before I could commit, I was ripped to the right. A fist smashed down on my head. Another dug into my ribs. The pain was minimal but wouldn’t be in my human form. This might be a wait-and-see situation—let them carry me out, act docile, and then light them up. I was running out of options.
I closed my eyes to still the panic and focused on the moment. On my magic. On Austin working closer. He wouldn’t give up on me. Even if I were taken, he wouldn’t give up. He’d come for me. I wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Another person pushed in close.
“I got her upper half, you take the lower,” my captor said. “These things are strong—the males are, at least. Two should be enough for a female. Keep a close eye, though.”
“Got her. Here we go, run her out,” the guy that grabbed my feet said.