I neared the area where we’d been blasted apart. A crater marked the spot. It wasn’t as large as the one in the center of the battlefield, and thankfully there were no bodies littering it – of course, I wouldn’t have cried had the Seventine been in there.
The half-Walkers were pulling themselves up from the various places they had been flung, and relief poured through me that each of them looked okay. Battered but okay.
Where were the ugly munchkins?
A scuff of noise from behind had me spinning around, but not fast enough. Small but strong arms crossed over my hips and yanked me down to the ground. As I hit the deck, I got a glimpse of the one which held me. It wasn’t the first. This one had white hair. I struggled, kicking out and blasting with energy, but the Seventine held me in a position which protected him from the worst of my blows.
I suddenly stopped, letting myself fall limp. He leaned in closer over me, and I felt his weird little hand reach down to grip beneath my throat. Despite their size, they were stronger than I was.
As he lifted my head up, using my neck as a convenient grip, I sprang into action. Swinging my right arm forward and palming him straight in the nose. Well, right in the place a nose should be. The white-haired freak’s head snapped back, and he shook himself a few times. I was up and on him before he could react again. I don’t think he expected me to be fast or trained. And I was both.
I punched him again, before reaching out to grasp his arm, flipping him around and placing my boot square in the center of his back and basically drop-kicking him across the dirt.
He looked strangely small, sprawled out like that.
Individually they weren’t very scary. Much of the Seventine strength was in their unity. Always together, always joined.
I wondered what their plan of attack was now that they knew we all couldn’t use our powers against each other. They were going to have to fight us the old-fashioned way.
White-hair was back on his feet. He glided across, his black robe disheveled. We faced off for a moment before he attacked again.
The little critter was fast, I’ll give him that, but then again, so was I.
Sparring started hard and fast, and I was the first to land another hit. Straight in one of the slash-like eyes. It shuttered closed, and he was down to two. Of course, my moment of cocky congratulations left me a step behind as he struck out. His two-foot kick to my side landed hard and, as a shard of pain shot up my body, I knew he’d broken at least three of my ribs. Ouch. Freaking ouch.
I could add breathing to the list of painful things that were happening to me right then.
Asshole.
The Seventine smiled, but it was weird, like the face did the movement, but there was no actual expression behind it. Like a sociopath practicing how to smile in the mirror. Especially with those dead eyes. They were black and slit-like. No color definition there at all.
I tried not to hobble as I advanced on him, but my ribs were not happy. He swung toward me, but I was expecting it this time. He favored the right side as an initial attack and, even though his fighting skills were exceptional, they were rusty. Which was to be expected. Fighting wasn’t like riding a bike. You might never forget the moves, but you did get slow. Your muscles did get weaker. Even for Walkers.
I used my elbow this time, and with my height difference managed to crack down across his face hard and fast. I split the skin he wore. A wide and deep gash. There was no real blood beneath, although I did see some red in the wound.
Knowing this was my best chance, I advanced again and a roundhouse kick took him down. He landed hard. I reached out and snatched one of his hands, before lifting him in the air and spinning around. I let him fly off like a shot-put. He was light, and I was strong from all the energy, so he sailed far into the distance.
I heaved in and out, my side still screaming at me as I looked around. All of the girls were fighting the Seventine. Delane stuck close to Sapha and Talina, our two most vulnerable. They faced off against the emerald-and black-haired Seventine. Eva had one on her own, the mahogany Seventine, her sword slicing away. The rest were against Fury and Ria. The girls were doing okay. No one could use their powers, so it was all about fighting skills.
I realized there was no red-haired Seventine in my line of vision. Where the hell was the first?
“Looking for me?”
The voice was close, to my left, but when I turned he wasn’t there.
“You should have joined us when I offered. Now when I destroy the worlds and take our rightful energy, there will be no place for you.”
Where the hell was he? How was he hiding from me?