said, this is my boom stick. You want a piece of it? And the next one of you who makes that kid there bleed is not going down as easy as the last one, if you know what I mean. Summer, get behind me.”
Instead, I picked up the soldier’s sword. It had dropped when the bullet had bisected his mostly unused brain. Yes, that might not be a kind thing to think of the recently deceased, but anyone who followed Turi deserved it. He demanded absolute obedience from his men, so they were all pretty much bleating sheep in the end. The sword, however, was pretty nice. Turi didn’t spare the expense when it came to weaponry. It was heavy for me, but I could wield it.
“I don’t need to hide now,” I explained to my new friend before I brought the sword up and back, making contact with the complete idiot who’d been sneaking up behind me. Like I couldn’t hear him breathing and walking. The sword made hard contact with the soldier’s leather vest. Luckily I’m pretty strong, and I put my full weight behind that thrust.
I heard a low groan as I shoved it through his chest.
“I like you, Summer,” Kelsey said, moving toward Kor, who seemed to understand that this wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d thought it would be. He had his sword up and his remaining men flanked him. “But until we have that talk, I need you alive. I can handle these guys.”
“Yes, apparently you can use your boom stick. I’ve heard it called a gun.” Just because it seemed like Kelsey was perfectly competent, and she’d told me herself she wasn’t evil, I wasn’t about to drop the sword and sit back while she fought.
“Oh, you’re going to be so much fun.”
I wasn’t sure if she was talking about me or killing all the men in our vicinity because she immediately went to work. She shot the soldier coming up on her left. It was obvious to me the woman had incredible aim, almost preternatural, because she’d barely glanced the man’s way and yet a neat hole had appeared right between his eyes. She didn’t look back to make sure she’d gotten him. She’d moved on to dealing with Kor. She kicked out, shoving him back before he could bring that sword down.
“Do you know who you’re protecting?” Kor asked, snarling Kelsey’s way. “They call her the Destroyer for a reason. You would do the planes better to give her into my custody. Only my king can control her evil.”
Though I knew he was wrong, shame still flooded my system. It’s a terrible nickname. Summer, the Destroyer.
“Oh, I’ll control her evil if I need to. She doesn’t know it yet, but it’s kind of my job, and I’ll totally take her off your hands. If she destroys things, I’ve got a few people I would like her to work that mojo on,” Kelsey said right before she turned and shot the soldier running at her from behind.
She missed that male, or rather he ducked at an excellent time and her shot went wide. Kor started to attack. His men followed his example and I found myself hefting the sword I’d found as one of them came after me.
“Don’t kill her!” Kor shouted out.
Pain flared along my shoulders as I blocked a sword that would have come down on my throat. Due to the unique nature of my being, I heal fairly quickly, and Turi’s soldiers knew that. However, with my magic contained, I wasn’t sure if even I could heal a slit throat. I forced myself to fight back, though the sword wasn’t my favorite weapon. I went on the offensive but now there were two soldiers attacking, one to my front and one at my side. I moved between them, trying to back away.
I heard the gun go off again, saw another soldier fall out of the corner of my eye. Kelsey was fighting hand to hand when all the attackers had swords.
My heart beat hard in my chest. Despite how magnificently she fought, Kelsey and I were still going to be overwhelmed. I could see it so easily. She would die fighting for me, and she didn’t even know who I was.
Or I could die. I think about death far too much for a creature who wasn’t supposed to be able to die. I saw the big sword coming my way, felt the air swooshing around me, and