Carpathian 21 - Dark Peril

don’t mind a little fight. It adds to the enjoyment when a woman fights, all that delicious fear,” Brodrick said, ignoring Reggie’s increasing distress. His partner began to drag himself toward the brush. “I love to watch their faces as they beg and plead, so willing to do anything for me, endure anything for me, just to live.” His laughter was taunting, filled with contempt. “Believe me, you’ll do the same.”

    She had a good direction on him now, if he stayed put, but she had to hurry. Her arms were beginning to feel like lead. She wiped the sweat from her eyes with her elbow, building the picture of him in her mind.
    His size. His shape. He was standing behind the fern and brush, his shadowy outline becoming distorted.

    “You should have killed me when you had the chance,” she said, wanting his response, wanting one more reassurance of his position. Her vision was astonishingly blurry.

    “When you give me a son, it will be my pleasure, and you’ll take a long time dying,” he replied, supreme confidence in his voice. “Just like old Reggie.”

    Reggie slumped on the ground, moaning, but his strength had run out with his blood.

    Solange drew a deep breath, and as she exhaled, she fired the arrow. Brodrick grunted. She waited, heart beating fast. The ground shook as Brodrick went insane, breaking through the brush, destroying everything in his path, his rage boiling over. Roaring, he rushed her shelter, smashing through the roots, driving right through the splinters of wood to grab her hair. He jerked hard. Solange sprawled on the ground, releasing the crossbow from her numb hand. He dragged her out of what was left of the root cage and threw her to the ground.

    Look at him. Keep looking at him. Dominic’s voice was calm.

    She felt that same calm. I have to do this.

    In a detached way, she heard the fists hitting her body, saw the snarling, twisted mask of hatred rising over her, but she didn’t feel anything other than a sense of purpose. This monster had killed nearly everyone she’d ever loved. He’d destroyed countless lives as well as an entire species. She watched him with an indifferent, impassive look that enraged him further. He bent over her, his hand on her shirt. Before he could rip it from her body, she poured every ounce of energy and will into the hand holding the knife.

    She slammed the blade home, right into his black heart. She didn’t have enough strength to push it as deep as she would have liked, but judging from the eruption of blood pouring around the blade, she was certain it would be enough to kill him. His eyes widened in complete shock. She could see he had never entertained the idea that a mere woman would be able to defeat him. Rage replaced shock and his hands dropped from the hilt of the knife to her throat.

    Before he could wrap his fingers around her neck, a blast of white-hot energy knocked him back and away from her. Dominic knelt beside her, his hands running gently over her body. Everywhere he touched, bruises healed.

    “I have to push the sedative from your body, Solange,” he said and proceeded to do so.

    He helped her into a sitting position. Solange rested her head against his chest for a moment. “Thanks. I’m still shaky.”

    Sensing movement, Dominic whipped around, his body shielding Solange as he faced Brodrick. The man ripped the knife from his chest, and using his last strength, went to throw it at Solange. Dominic spewed fire, a Dragonseeker trait rarely used. The flames engulfed the shapeshifter, burning bright red-orange.

    Solange raised her eyebrow. “I didn’t know you could do that. It’s kind of freaky.”

    He kissed her. “Just do not make me angry and you will never have to see it again.”

    She laughed softly. “I want to go home.”

    “Josef is finally finished. I can take down the laboratory,” he told her. “And then we can go home.”

    With her eyes on the fiery conflagration, and Brodrick’s screams filling the air, she sighed softly. “Get it done, then. I want to sleep for a month.” Her nightmare was finally over. The other shifters would scatter and they’d be someone else’s problem. Hopefully they would go where the law could reach them.

    Dominic concentrated on the laboratory itself, building the image in his mind. He had paid attention to every structural point. Beneath the earth he pushed the first wave up directly beneath the building. The earth shook. Brodrick crumbled and writhed