“No, I shouldn’t call them Nazis. Their desire for purity will make the Nazis appear cute and fluffy by comparison.”
“They haven’t killed anyone recently,” Kavon said, his voice tight, but his discomfort with the conversation flowed through the bond. “And I am uninterested in ancient history. You attacked FBI agents on a public street and endangered bystanders in the process.”
“I didn’t think there was a statute of limitations on mass murder.” Butler tilted his head like a bird. The extreme body posture resembled something from a movie on demonic possession. He turned his attention back to Darren, and the itching discomfort returned. Kavon stepped in front of Darren. “Mason Butler, you are under arrest for assault against a federal agent, endangering the public, destruction of public goods, destruction of private property, and assault.”
Butler angled his shoulders to face Kavon. “Is that how you're going to play it?” he asked in an amused tone.
“Yes.”
“You don't have the authority to arrest me.” The black storm clouds circled faster. When Cruz had tried to set up his own Talent kingdom, his power had created a storm, but it had been chaotic. This was far more controlled and powerful.
Kavon had to raise his voice over the roar of the wind. “I do have the authority. You are a citizen of the United States of America, and whether you have chosen to join with a guide or not, you are subject to the same laws that every other American citizen is subject to.”
“I don't recognize your authority. I choose to be a citizen of the spirit plane. I am a shaman.” He raised his hands into the air and threw his head back. “I answer only to my god!”
He sounded like one of those sovereign citizen idiots claiming independence right before a patrol officer broke out their window and dragged them out of the car. Lightning crackled and power pressed down against Darren.
An inhuman cry filled reality and Pochi appeared midair, his small body headed for the calm, blue eye of the storm. Bennu exploded into flight, leaving Kavon’s bull to trumpet angrily and rear up a few feet before slamming the ground .
Darren couldn’t see Pochi, but Bennu’s shadow plunged into the center of the storm. Darren blinked and Anzu appeared. He dove straight down, his beak open as he screamed. Rain fell, but the winds grabbed it and hurled it in a circle around them. Darren stepped back to take advantage of the small bit of shelter the vehicle and the protection spell attached to it offered. The winds were so great that the SUV rocked in the hurricane force winds.
Bennu’s cry was a raucous, guttural warble that pierced the roar of the storm, and Anzu reversed mid-flight, thrusting his claws out toward Bennu. Darren curled his hands into fists.
Seconds before the two birds crashed into each other, Pochi darted between Anzu’s outstretched legs, his beak slicing into Anzu’s stomach so a thin line of blood appeared. Anzu’s head flew back as Pochi crashed into it. Anzu screamed and snapped his armored jaw. However, Pochi evaded with a series of sharp turns that Anzu couldn’t follow.
Bennu pursued, his own claws reaching for Anzu and occasionally ripping out dark feathers. The three birds had a strange and deadly game of tag above the street, their wings disrupting the storm and spawning dozens of tiny funnel clouds.
“Focus on the human!” Butler pointed at Darren at the same time the radio clicked twice. A triple click answered, and Darren held his breath. Anzu froze mid-flight, his massive head swinging around to focus on Darren.
“Go!” Kavon yelled, and Darren jumped into the SUV. Out the front windshield, he watched Anzu dive toward him. One side of his face was rust-red with smeared blood, and he opened his skull-like mouth to give a shrill scream.
Bennu cried out and turned to chase Anzu, but he didn’t have the speed to catch up. Darren held his breath, but then thousands of wasps swarmed out from under the SUV. They created an impenetrable cloud that massed around Anzu’s head. Anzu exploded into a frenzy. Flailing and snapping, he twisted about in the air, but then Pochi slammed into his side, and Anzu slammed into the ground with an Earth-shaking thud.
“Leave him alone!” A blue halo enveloped Kavon’s head before fire burst from his hands and streamed toward Butler in slow motion. Butler threw up an arm to shield himself.
“You have no idea how much magic my god gives me,” he shouted.
Kavon’s