Page 91 of Of Flame and Fury
He clasps my hand and guides me onto the roof. Roaches as large as Gemini, with bleached human faces, skitter toward us. I blast the closest one, my pent-up magic unleashing in a furious bolt and almost knocking me off the roof. Gemini holds tight, keeping me in place.
My fire struck a hole in the roach’s chest and the section of roof behind it. Empty sockets where eyes should be glance down as my fire eats through its ribs. Its mouth opens. There’s no tongue or teeth. There’s only blackness to release the gurgling sound from deep within its throat. I think its dying until I realize it’s a call to arms. Dozens of roaches crawl from the levels above and below, their bizarrely slender feet moving fast and clicking against the tiles.
Gemini throws back his head and howls,callinghis twin.
My strikes hit each mark and beyond, further damaging the burning manor and causing it to tilt. Gemini grips my shoulders. “Taran, the manor is coming undone. Your fire is making things worse. We can’t risk hurting Destiny if she remains part of the house. Go. I’ll take care of these Nytes.”
For all he promised he wouldn’t throw me again, Gemini does, down another level and onto his twin’s back. More out of instinct, I snag the tuft of his neck, hanging on for dear life as he finesses his way down the multi-tiered roof.
From this part of the manor, I can see the lake, rear lawn, and the stone steps leading down to the gardens and beach. The lake is agitated and whirling with magic. Blue, green, and clear sparkles scatter across the water into the air, creating dangerously large waves that pummel the shore.
My cheek presses against the wolf’s fur when he dives to the next level, each altitude providing a different view of the madness.
Destiny was right. Celia didn’t make it anywhere near the perimeter. No one did. Everyone left is fighting a horde of Nytes along the sand, lawn, and woods in between, including Uri and all his remaining vampires.
The night sky is alight with magic. Witches from across the globe cast their curses and hexes while the roars of battle sound from the most powerfulweresand vampires of their kind. My pulse beats in rapid bursts, my body trembling with how badly I need to join the fight.
Gemini’s twin peels back his fangs in a snarl, barely making a sound as his nails scrape the stone of the topmost terrace. We’re off the roof but still far from the battle.
Johnny makes sure it stays that way.
I’m launched across the terrace when an anaconda Nyte slams into Gemini’s twin. Stars burst into my vision as my head bangs the rough surface. I tilt my head up, calling to the twin and barely forming my words as the snake coils around him.
The twin squirms, beating the snake against the stone and digging his fangs into its flesh. I swear when my head becomes too heavy to keep elevated. In the sky, a moth with iridescent wings of silver flutters by. I can’t be certain the image is real and blink several times to clear my head. I can’t just lie here. Not if I want to live.
My head falls to the side in the direction of the lake. I see several injuredweresdrag Celia down the length of the beach, fighting to keep her away from the increasing waves obliterating the shore. She screams to Aric, who falls back. I don’t understand what’s happening until Fate’s latest masterpiece breaks through the water and faces off with Aric.
A sea dragon, several stories high, emerges from the lake, its partially eaten body falling away from his frame and splashing against the tumultuous water. Sharks with human hands (more of Johnny’s creations) leap from the lake, gobbling up the bloody wads.
Koda and Bren rush to stand with Aric, as do thewereswho were close friends with Aric’s father. It’s only them, but it’s all Aric has now.
Johnny is playing for keeps and has our allies surrounded. Theweresdon’t get far with Celia; they loop around, leading her away from an advancing group of Nytes. The only way out now is across Lake Tahoe. But, no way can they risk taking Celia through with those monsters roaming the deep.
“Buck dis sheet,” I mumble, forcing myself up.
The moth I saw earlier flutters back, circling me. I’m suddenly alert when its asexual body and multiple arms flap excitedly and dive for me. I fire and miss, fire and miss, fire and,oof, it’s on me.
Its pincher feet secure my ankles. One set of hands press onto my chest, the other wrench my hands over my head. Another arm protrudes through the Nyte’s belly just to press a finger to my lips and “shush” me.
“Let me tell you a story,” it slurs in its garbled speech. “Where once a pretty little thing and her pretty little sisters thought they could save the world.”
Its voice is the thing of nightmares. It racks my heightened nerves and urges me to plead for my life. My chest rises and falls in convulsive motions, the moth’s weight threatening to crush my ribs with each small breath I draw.
“How about…” I swallow several times, struggling to catch my breath.
Its hand strokes back a strand of my hair. “Yes, my sweet?”
“How about instead of a story…you fuck a donkey instead?” I suggest.
The moth laughs. Aside from spreading more of its weight against my chest, it’s too captivated by the scene unfolding at the beach to bother with me.
My head falls to the side. I push aside the hurt, using my anger to build my fire. I can’t strike with my arms held down. But I can damn well kindle my fire from my core and surround my body with it. All I need is a little more air, and I can help my friends.
Theweresattack the dragon at once. Aric scales the neck, yanking through the layers of deteriorating muscle, desperate to reach the brain.
The sea dragon shakes its head, swaying from side to side, trying to fling Aric and the wolves at the sharks. Bright orange light ignites from the sea dragon’s underbelly, billowing smoke and fire from the holes in its neck.
“Aric,” Koda howls.