Luna Queen's Fury

31 Lies

Jeremiah's heel slams down on my shin with such force that my bones snap like a matchstick, drawing a blood-curdling scream from me. He laughs at my agony, kicking my shattered leg as I writhe on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Fucker!" Ryker growls, tackling the man away from me. He throws all of his weight at the threat, slamming him back first into the rubble-filled ground and driving the air from his lungs.

I groan, grating my teeth against the pain as I look around for my fallen blade, spotting it several feet away. Metal on metal rings out among screams and desperate pleas as fighting resumes.

As if in slow motion, I see Leah stalk towards Mira's crumpled, unconscious body as Chloe desperately shakes her. Fear grips me, knowing if we don't do something, all will be lost before it starts.

Willow growls and hits Leah with a broken spear handle, catching her off guard. My heart drops as she turns on my cousin, lifting her hand to cast her aside.

Leah's threat is the motivation I need to push the last few feet and grab the blade, throwing it the instant I can. I hold my breath, watching the Guardian blade fly true and bury deep in Leah's shoulder, drawing her attention to me.

Shit!

Red and black flames streak towards me, leaving me scrambling with no hope to get out of the way in time. I close my eyes and scream as someone drags me out of the way at the last second, jamming my already broken leg.

"Christ, how bad is it?" Jude asks, cradling me against his body as he shields me.

"My leg," I cry out, tears streaming down my cheeks. The broken bones grinding against each other with every movement sends fresh waves of agony through me, making catching my breath hard. "Fuck!"

As gently as he can, Jude sets me down by the wall and scans our surroundings. Leah stalks towards us and rips the blade from her shoulder, tossing it away.

She brings both arms up, summoning more flames before flicking them towards us. Jude drops low in front of me, blocking me with his larger frame and braces for the impact that never comes.

A wave of blue flames blasts across hers, dissolving them instantly. My eyes dart to their source and my hope soars seeing Mira on her feet with Chloe and Willow supporting her.

"Get away from her," Mira growls. The air around her shimmers brighter as she channels her magic.

"I've been waiting a long time for this," Leah warns as she turns her full attention to Mira.

'Be careful,' I whisper through the link.

'You too.'

I force my attention away from the witches, looking to make sense of what's happening around us. Jude stays hunched by me, fending off attackers when they get too close.

Civilians pile up and bang on the doors, desperate to get away from the carnage. The center of the room is ripped open with a gaping hole in the floor. Red symbols glow around it, casting unholy light while streaks of red and blue flash as the witches size each other up.

Everywhere fights are in progress and bodies litter the ground. Some look to have been from the blast, others from the guards. Our defenders are split into three groups. Sara fights alongside her warriors on the far side, trying to protect Mira's flank. The Guardians lead the handful of guards struggling to protect Mira, Chloe, and Willow while Jude and Ryker are off to the far side, cut off with me.

Ryker's upper hand with Jeremiah is short-lived as he fends off attacks from Aiden now too. Emboldened, Jeremiah slashes at Ryker with a blade of his own, leaving the guard on the defence, struggling to keep up.