Behind us the others still battled. They had a lot more of the creatures to deal with. I was relieved to see that Brace and Lucy were still holding their own but – where was Colton? I was about to worry when I noticed a flash of white, and realized he was in his wolf form. Ripping the crap out of a bug. All good. He was in his wolfy element.
Melting chocolate eyes and hard features caught my gaze, and the lopsided grin he threw my way had me shaking my head. Brace loved to battle. Crazy-ass Walker.
“Don’t you find it so very convenient that the crags are keeping your friends busy? It allows us to have some lovely alone time with you girls.” The first was such a chatterbox.
His voice was thin, dry and high-pitched. Like his vocal cords had been strangely pieced together. Sort of like a musical instrument in desperate need of tuning.
Oh, and apparently the ugly bugs were called crags – I’d have named them fugs. For obvious reasons.
The Seventine had not moved from where they had initially positioned themselves in a straight line of freak. And while the first spoke, the rest just stood there wearing identical expressions and – our hair. Which I was totally going to rip from their heads.
No talking to them, Delane said through our bond. We fight.
Yes! Ria’s tone was strong. Talking will only clue them in on what we have planned. Not talking makes the enemy uneasy.
They both made great points, but I was pretty sure the Seventine were not our usual enemy force. Still, I wasn’t one for small talk with tiny killer dolls anyway.
The shadows were upon us still. Sapha’s eyes glowed red, and I knew that she was feeling her element right then. We moved as one unit, gliding over the darkened ground, cloaked from sight. Eva was close to my right, and I could see her zeroing in on the Seventine. She blinked more than a few times, before shaking her head.
They have no weaknesses, she said, her voice kind of choked. There’s a strange red link between them, like they’re chained or joined together, but I can’t see a weakness. It’s as if they have no spirit at all.
I couldn’t even be surprised about that. I’m not sure they do have a spirit or soul. They’re just energy, a single force which exists in seven vessels. That’s the chain you see. They’re basically all the same thing, just filtered down through the ugly doll suits.
So how do we fight them? Fury asked.
We don’t. A sigh escaped me. We just need to separate them so I can get to the first. I’ll be able to trace him into the cave and the rest of his brothers will follow. Jedi is setting up a cage inside to hold them while we do the ritual.
I felt a filtering of joy along the bond.
Jedi is very powerful and smart.
The words were from Sapha, and they were strangely soft for the solemn Drone.
He teaches me things, so many things. He makes me feel safe. Safe … it’s an odd feeling.
Her musings were kind of cute. She clearly had no idea that she liked Jedi. This relationship was going to be fun to watch. I could already imagine Jedi’s confusion about what to do with the very serious Sapha.
I heard a screech from behind us and turned to find Nandia, Sapha’s phoenix, lifting up one of the massive fugs. She dragged it across the field, before dropping it into a large pit of fire. The fire had come from Crete. Gods, he was like Fury, only fluffier.
Brace was no closer to me, still lethally cutting his way through the creatures. The damn fugs seemed to be multiplying, and it was only through the effort of the sacred animals and the rest of our group that they weren’t completely overrunning our people.
I should be by your side, Brace grumbled through our bond.
My eyes were drawn to him again; hot damn, people. Brace was lethal, graceful, and hotter than Hades. I sort of loved the fact that he preferred to fight hand-to-hand rather than relying on Walker energy. It especially came in handy when facing giant ugly bugs who were most likely immune to energy balls, since they were formed from the Seventines’ energy.
Plenty of time for that. Just keep everyone safe. Stress made me bossy.
Keep yourself safe, or no one will be. The dark warning reminded me of Brace’s power.
It filtered through me, touches of the cyclonic storm which could literally rip beings to pieces. I could sense that he was close to letting go of that energy and tearing through the Seventines’ fugs.
I forced myself to focus; we had slowed our movements but were closing in on the Seventine. They still hadn’t moved, which gave me an uneasy flip-flopping feeling low in my gut. Why were they so calm? Did they not fear us at all?
“Are you ready to join us, ancient one?”
The first was still talking to me, all pleasant-like. As if they weren’t facing down seven crazy, dirty, shadow-cloaked chicks barreling toward them.
You’re so popular, Supes. Fury sounded amused. Everyone wants a piece of you.
Shut it.