toward Cassandra.
He crashes into her chest, the impact causing her to collapse in on herself. The Skins holding onto her arms are pulled together like a giant clap, smashing into Tristan and each other. They release their hold, bouncing off and propelling in opposite directions.
Tristan powers away. “Now, Cassandra!”
The blast of light is almost instantaneous, and the Skins disintegrate.
“Never touch me again,” Cassandra says fiercely, even though the dudes are dead.
Tristan flies back to her, coming to float in front of her. The Skins have seen what just happened, and they’re not happy about it. They flock in, creating a tidal wave of evil.
The next thing Tristan knows, Brielle’s beside him, Jareth on the other side. Cassandra shoots forward, coming to hover beside Jareth.
Creating a wall of Zodiac awesomeness.
Except behind the Skins, still miles away but hurtling with impressive speed, is the asteroid. In a few minutes it’ll bowl the Zodiacs and Skins out of the way like they’re weightless pins.
Tristan braces his legs and clenches his fists. “Time to neutralize the threat.”
“I prefer to call it kick some ass,” mutters Cassandra.
Tristan shoots forward. “That’s what I said.”
A second before he hits the Skin coming at him, he twists, extending his leg and ploughing it into the Skin’s chest. The chest plate on the man’s suit crumples, but Tristan turns away before he can see what the damage will mean. Whether the death will be a quick or a slow one.
More Skins are coming. And each one of them is going to have to die, too.
Brielle appears by his side, executing one hell of an uppercut. When the Skin tries to land his own punch, Brielle executes a smooth backflip, moving out of reach. Impressed, even though there’s no time to be, Tristan can’t help but admire her style. Despite being encased in a sleek and sexy suit, Brielle knows she’s not a strong offensive fighter, so she’s staying defensive.
Smart.
“Tristan!”
He spins around, seeing why she just called out his name. Two Skins are coming at him. Fast.
Brielle does another graceful flip, landing behind him. She spins, her back to his, ready to fight.
The Skins attack, two more joining their friends. Tristan kicks and punches, the movements swift and sharp. The suit, with the added protection of Brielle at his back, fuels Tristan’s strength. Dealing strike after strike, he absorbs each blow that gets past his defenses, determined that none of them will reach Brielle. And none do. Each time Tristan moves or ducks or spins, Brielle’s there with him, as if they’re moving as one.
Like they’re connected somehow.
To his left, Jareth has created a double of himself. The two forms in their metallic black suits hit and parry so fast, the Skins can’t keep up with which one is the real Jareth. The strategy is giving him more time as he formulates his attack.
“Genius!” Tristan calls out to him, not taking his eyes off his foes and the blows he’s dealing.
Ploughing his foot through one Skin’s chest, he slams the heels of both hands into another’s, sending him reeling. Brielle calls another warning, and a quick pirouette and his elbow smashes the Skin’s helmet.
Tristan moves fast, Brielle right there with him, but the Skins keep coming. They take the blows, retreat, then attack again, never giving up. Tristan’s pulse feels like a freight train, his breath starting to come in gasps. Bolts of light spear through the inky blackness as Cassandra ducks and shoots. There are now three Jareths and even Tristan isn’t sure which is the real one.
But with each Skin neutralized, four more seem to replace him.
“Tristan!”
It’s Cassandra, her voice full of panic. Looking over, Tristan sees her struggling, even though there doesn’t appear to be anyone around her. Jareth quickly covers the distance between them, only to be hurled backward by an unseen force.
It’s then that Tristan realizes some of the Skins are still invisible. No wonder it feels as if there’s an endless supply of them. Who knows how many are littered throughout the vacuum around them.
Tristan and Brielle hurtle toward her, Tristan ready to slam into Cassandra again, but the Skin releases her before they get there. Blindly, Cassandra shoots off several bolts, but they don’t connect.
The Zodiacs contract together, conscious that an unknown number of enemies are now surrounding them.
“You should never have left on your own, Cassandra,” Tristan growls in frustration.
Cassandra holds her hands wide and shoots. The bolts of light do little more than look like shooting stars as they hurtle away.