Midnight Frost

“We need him alive, Rory!”
    Covington tried to back up, even going so far as to duck behind a pile of rocks, but Rory followed him, stalking him as coolly as a Fenrir wolf would its prey. A second later, the librarian screamed. Rory must have sliced him open with his own dagger. I just hoped she’d let him live, like Ajax had said. No doubt the coach wanted answers about the Reapers—answers Covington might be able to give us.
    Those were the thoughts that raced through my mind as I scrambled to my feet. I raised Vic, ready to fight whoever came my way—and immediately had to duck down as a Reaper’s sword whistled by my head.
    Clash-clash-clang!
    The Reaper and I fought, exchanging blow after blow after blow, before I was finally able to cut through his defense and bury Vic’s point in the man’s chest.
    “That’s my girl!” Vic crowed. “On to the next one!”
    I pulled the sword free, stepped over the dead Reaper, and started forward. Then, I stopped, unsure where to go.
    Because the ruins were in complete chaos.
    The Reapers had launched themselves at my friends, their black robes whipping around them like a wave of death spilling forward into the flower-filled courtyard. Ajax, Alexei, and Rachel were at the front of the fight, holding the first surge of Reapers at bay. Ajax and Rachel were using their swords to battle the evil warriors, along with their daggers, while Alexei swung his twin swords every which way, cutting into all the Reapers he could reach.
    Behind the Reapers, the Black rocs screamed out their fierce battle cries. Some of the Reapers slapped the creatures on their sides, urging them to zoom through the air, join in the attack, and dive-bomb my friends from above.
    But every time one of the Black rocs took flight, Daphne raised her bow and loosed a golden arrow. She was one of the best archers at Mythos, and her aim was true. Roc after roc plunged to the ground, already dead before their bodies hit the rocks. Carson and Oliver flanked Daphne on either side, protecting her from the Reapers who managed to slip past Ajax, Alexei, and Rachel.
    “Gwen!” Alexei shouted.
    He used his twin swords to cut down first one Reaper, then another. But before he’d taken more than a half dozen steps in my direction, two more Reapers had moved to block him.
    I waved him off. “I’ll be okay! Help the others protect Daphne! She’s the only way we can keep the rocs from joining in the attack!”
    Alexei didn’t like it, but he nodded and started working his way back to the others.
    “Oh good,” a voice purred behind me. “She’s sent away her bodyguard.”
    I turned to find Vivian and Agrona standing behind me, along with their two rocs. Both of the Reapers were holding swords. They slowly advanced on me, and I raised Vic once more. Vivian was still holding Lucretia, and the red glow of the female sword’s eye was even brighter than before.
    “Look,” Lucretia purred. “Dull little Vic might finally get some use in the fight after all. If my first blow doesn’t just snap his puny blade in two.”
    “Lucretia!” Vic shouted. “Come over here and say that!”
    “With pleasure!” the other sword crowed back.
    And those were all the insults they were able to exchange before Vivian and I charged at each other.
    Clash-clash-clang!
    Clash-clash-clang!
    Clash-clash-clang!
    We battled through the ruins. Over rocks, around rocks, ducking and darting, moving back and forth and up and down, trying to get every little advantage we could to hurt the other girl as much as possible. We trampled the flowers underfoot, our boots smashing the beautiful blossoms into runny smears of color. Petals whipped through the air at our frantic movements, and the crisp scent of the flowers took on a thick, coppery stench as blood spattered onto the blossoms from the nicks and cuts Vivian and I were able to inflict on each other.
    Finally, I managed to drive her back against a large boulder and slashed out with my sword. Vivian ducked to one side just in time to keep me from taking off her head, but I still managed to open up a deep gash on her right cheek.
    Vivian gasped in pain and surprise and brought her fingers up to her face. She pulled them down, staring in disbelief at the blood on her hand.
    “You cut me,” she said. “You cut my face .”
    I twirled Vic in my hand. “I’ll do more than that, before this fight is through.”
    “Not so fast, Gypsy,” Agrona said.
    Up until now, she had just