Sinister Magic: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #1) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,36

coughing noises, actually. We’re looking to talk to someone out here. Not you.”

He tilted his head, glancing past me.

I hoped Mom wasn’t doing anything to draw attention. I could hear Rocket whining and growling, but I didn’t risk taking my eyes from the speaker. Even in human form, werewolves could move like lightning.

“We are the protectors of this forest,” he said. “If you wish to talk to someone, you must go through us.”

To either side of the trail, wolves prowled closer, all focused on us, all watching. I sensed from the leader that he wanted a fight.

I didn’t want a fight, not with my mother here, and not against so many. While I didn’t doubt my own abilities, I also wasn’t usually dumb enough to take on a whole pack at once. I wished I hadn’t been so focused on the dragon—I should have sensed these guys earlier.

“Will you let us go if we walk away?” I doubted it, but I wanted confirmation. Mom’s vague resource wasn’t so exciting to me that I would risk her life to get to him or her.

“The Ruin Bringer fears to fight us?” He tilted his head to the other side. “This is not what I expected from you.”

“The name is Val, thanks. I only fight critters that commit crimes—or that pick fights with me.”

“Critters. You diminish us and belittle us. This is unacceptable. You shall not pass. Nor shall you run away. There are many who will be pleased to learn of your death, and our pack will grow in status when we slay you.”

“Or we’ll slay you, and your pack will be plucked apart by crows and vultures. Maybe owls that will later hack you up in pellet form.”

He threw his head back and laughed.

The attack came not from the front but the sides.

Be ready, Sindari warned me as four massive wolves rushed toward us.

Back to back, I replied, already firing.

The wolves zigzagged, trying to dodge my shots. They were fast, but not faster than Fezzik. All four of my first rounds thudded into the chest of one of the wolves rushing me. It yowled in pain as one of its legs gave way, and it tumbled to the side. The one beside it sprang for my throat.

I fired at its chest even as I ducked. More of Fezzik’s rounds thudded into fur and flesh.

The wolf snarled instead of screaming, jaws snapping, but I squatted lower to avoid them. Its momentum took it over my head, and Sindari, even though he was fighting his own battle, facing two that had come at him from that side, found time to leap up and eviscerate the wolf as it passed over him. His great claws slashed into its belly. This time, the wolf screamed, its entrails falling out.

In my peripheral vision, I saw the rest of the pack rushing in and spotted my mom with her back against a tree. She wrestled with Rocket’s leash even as she pointed her handgun at one of the wolves.

“I have to help Mom,” I shouted, warning Sindari that I was leaving his back.

She fired at a wolf, the bullet taking it square between the eyes. But the magical creature shook his head as if it were armored and that barely hurt. He snarled and crouched to spring.

As I charged toward Mom, yelling to divert the pack’s attention, I yanked Chopper out. I couldn’t fire, not when that wolf was so close to her.

The crouching wolf saw me coming and switched his target, springing for me instead. His powerful muscles bunched and propelled him straight toward my head.

Keeping my cool, I sidestepped quickly as I swept my longsword up, the blade flaring with blue light as if Chopper anticipated battle. The wolf saw the threat and twisted in the air, snapping at my head and trying to rake me with its claws.

Even as I dodged the attack, I lunged for an unprotected flank. Chopper found his side and cut in deeply. The wolf squealed and huge back paws kicked at my face. I glided out of the way, tearing my blade free as the claws flashed past, an inch from my eyes, the smell of his earthy pads hitting my nostrils.

Mom fired her Glock, and I knew another wolf was after her.

With fear for her and fury at our enemies warring in my heart, I rapidly finished off my attacker as he hit the ground. Blood poured from his half-severed neck, but he twisted and lunged one more