Wicked As You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic #1) - Rin Chupeco Page 0,47

shook itself violently, trying to dislodge them. It stopped when the firebird dove, unleashing a fresh torrent of fire in its face.

There was another hideous roar, and a second ogre burst through the clearing. Ken turned to gawk at the new threat.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Run!” Zoe yelled. This time, Tala didn’t argue, her feet already moving before the other girl had finished. Alex kept pace beside her, but the new ogre quickly closed the distance between them.

Her mother was fighting her way toward the ogre with her father half a step behind, swinging at anything unfortunate enough to get in his way. But there were far too many shades, several sentient enough to recognize that she was their most dangerous opponent, and their constant barrage forced her to fight them instead of the large titan.

The firebird dipped low to breathe balls of flame right into the ogre’s face, forcing it a step back. The monster made another attempt to snatch it, but the firebird deftly evaded its clutches.

Then the ogre’s head jerked back, dark brown liquid seeping out of a deep cut across its cheek. One of the Katipuneros had drawn their arms back in perfect synch, and then swung at the air again. Sharp new blades of wind cut even deeper into the monster’s arms.

Zoe lifted a hand and made a quick, cutting gesture, like she was drawing back a bow, the whip following her movements. Slices of lightning gathered, tore into the ogre, one blow lashing it right in the eye. Tala reeled back from the force of its scream.

She stumbled when the ground rocked again, the strongest upheaval so far. She heard Alex gasp as he, too, tripped and tumbled. The ogre, bloody and half-blind, was toppling down on them.

Tala saw the large fist crashing down toward her head. And felt Zoe slam squarely into her side, pushing her and Alex out of the way.

“Zoe!”

There was a sickening thud. Tala scrambled back up, heart in her throat.

The ogre’s fist settled atop a small spinning column of air, working as several inches of buffer between it and Zoe’s straining face. Lola Urduja’s fan was a blur, her face fatigued as she strove to maintain the barrier.

The ogre reached out for Zoe with its other hand. Slices from her whip swiftly reduced the ogre’s skin to shreds, burning and cutting the arm right off. The creature shrieked.

“Your Highness!” Zoe’s face was white and drawn. “Take Tala and run!”

But the sheared limb had a mind of its own, The fist uncurled and lunged for Lola Urduja. The old woman dodged, but her shield of air crumpled abruptly, spinning out of control, the force of it hurling Tala and Alex back several yards.

The fist hit the ground, missing Zoe by centimeters. She lashed out with her whip again. Streaks of more lightning punched straight into the forearm, tearing at the skin.

But the limb was oblivious to pain. Its grip tightened, the massive fingers working up her leg. Zoe struggled to get free.

The noises from the battlefield dimmed around Tala, receding into the distance until all she could hear was her rapid, panicked breathing, and the furious beating of her heart. It felt like time had fallen around her in slow motion, as if she could see the spaces in between every movement. Zoe said to run; she did just that.

“Tala!” Alex yelled as she scrambled toward Zoe, but the words sound muted, as if they came from underwater. Something roared at her from overhead. The second ogre swung its last good arm down on her.

Tala swung her arnis sticks right back at it.

The sound when she made contact with the ogre was both the most unnerving silence and the loudest thing she’d ever heard. It felt like she’d lost her hearing, and at the same time she could feel the ogre screaming in a voice she was sure could be heard around the world.

Then the arm disappeared. It didn’t evaporate like the shadows did, or explode into a disgusting mix of bone and blood, or even disintegrate. It simply vanished into thin air, like it had never existed to begin with.

The firebird lashed out, sensing an advantage, and this time, the air did explode, flames shooting out to envelop not only the ogre’s arm that was still attached to Zoe, but its face as well.

The monster surrendered its hold, and Zoe rolled away to safety as the ogre smashed its face against the ground in a noisy, anguished