Lover Uncloaked (Stealth Guardians #1) - By Unknown Page 0,105
Finlay whined behind them. “You promised me!”
Zoltan spun his head back to the traitor. “I promised you nothing! Do you really think we want a leader who’s willing to betray his own race? Those are not qualities we value.”
Finlay took a few hesitant steps toward them. “But you have to help me. I did this for your kind. So you could be stronger. You owe me.” His eyes darted nervously toward the Stealth Guardian who seemed to gain the upper hand now. “You have to help me. They’ll kill me if they get to me.”
“Help you?” Zoltan asked, tilting his head.
Leila watched as his expression changed, a faint smile playing around his lips, making him look more human. But the coldness in his eyes betrayed his friendly smile.
“I’ll help you. I’ll make sure they won’t kill you . . . ”
A relieved expression spread on Finlay’s face as he took another step closer. But a moment later, Zoltan pulled his dagger and flicked his wrist, aiming the blade at the traitor. It hit him between the eyes.
“ . . . by killing you first,” he finished his sentence.
Leila felt his grip on her arm easing in the same instance as the shock of the cold blooded murder charged through her body. It gave her the courage she needed. If she didn’t act now, he would pull her into the vortex.
As Zoltan watched Finlay’s dead body tumble to the ground, Leila shoved her hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out her can of mace. She pointed it at her captor and pressed the button, releasing the stinging vapor. He let out a roar, but his hand on her arm loosened and she pulled free. While his hands went to his face to cover his eyes, painful screams issuing from his throat, she reached for the pendant and ripped it from his neck.
His hands reached for her, one of them hitting against her shoulder. But she held onto the pendant, even as Zoltan blindly swung his fists in her direction.
“Aiden!” she yelled and whirled her head toward the fighting Stealth Guardians.
She caught Aiden’s gaze as he fought a demon in the middle of the cavern.
“The pendant!” she yelled and tossed it in his direction, watching how he drove his dagger into the demon, then tossed him to the side, lunging for the pendant.
In the same instant, Zoltan, seeming to have regained some of his lost vision, snatched her wrist. She witnessed how his eyes went to Aiden who at that moment caught the pendant in his hands, then tucked it safely into his pants pocket.
Realization spread on the demon’s face. “The drug. It was in there?” He lashed her with an angry glare.
“You’ll never get it!” she bit back, relief that the blueprint was out of Zoltan’s hands flooding her.
“I still have you!” he hissed.
“No you don’t!” Aiden’s furious voice responded.
Leila’s heart beat into her throat as she witnessed Aiden jump toward Zoltan, sword in hand. Zoltan instantly released her and tossed her from him with such ferocity that she lost her balance, fell and slid to the edge of the vortex, coming to a halt only inches from the churning fog and air.
She scrambled to get away from its pulling force, her hands searching for anything to grab onto as her feet were pulled into the darkness. She saw Aiden stare at her situation in horror, but at that moment Zoltan engaged him with a weapon he’d pulled from behind his back.
They exchanged blows, the sound of the clashing blades bouncing off the walls. Zoltan was taller than Aiden, more bulky. He appeared stronger and more massive, yet Aiden fought with fire and determination. Suddenly, Aiden’s form flickered briefly and he disappeared only to reappear to Zoltan’s left a split-second later. However, the demon seemed to have anticipated his move and had already turned to fend off the next blow.
Leila took her eyes off the fight, struggling to find a hold on the slippery limestone. Her hand found a ridge and gripped it. Steadily, she pulled, nudging her body an inch farther out of the gaping hole. It gave her enough leverage to move her other hand toward the same ridge. She found purchase with her second hand. But the pull of the vortex increased, making her unable to move. All she could do was keep her position, her legs in the vortex up to her knees, her body stretched out flat on her stomach.