A Glimmer of Hope (The Avalon Chronicles #1)(105)

“You’re just not good enough. I wonder how much killing Reyes took out of you. Can you still use your power?”

Chloe swiped her leg out toward Elias’s, forcing him to step back into Layla’s path. Layla shot up from the ground, launching herself at Elias, grabbing hold of his arm, and getting her legs around his neck, dragging Elias to the ground in a flying armbar. She locked his arm in place and wrenched it back, breaking the limb but Elias refused to drop. He used his good arm to lift Layla and smashed her down on the floor.

Darkness swarmed Layla’s vision as her head struck the ground. Elias picked her up to do it again when Chloe tackled him, taking him down. Layla fell onto her back, the air knocked out of her, and rolled onto her front, forcing herself back to a standing position as Elias beat on Chloe.

Layla ran back into the fray, and avoiding a kick from Elias, planted one of her own into his stomach, just as Chloe spun around and kicked him in the side of the head.

Elias rolled with the blow, kicking out and catching Chloe in the chest with his foot. He avoided a second strike from Layla, grabbed hold of her arm, and threw her over his head into a nearby boulder.

Layla hit the floor and spat blood onto the ground, before quickly rolling to the side to avoid Elias’s stomp to the face. She rolled again and again, as Elias continued his barrage, trying to land a kick. He was only stopped when Chloe kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling.

Elias was fast and strong, and was soon back on his feet, staring at the two women before him. “Come on then,” he said with a smile.

Chloe and Layla traded kicks and punches with Elias, each trying to find a weakness in their opponent. Most of the blows were blocked or avoided, but occasionally one of Elias’s would get through, leaving the other woman to fight him alone for a few seconds, which was long enough for his strength and speed to give him an advantage.

After a minute of fighting, the punches and kicks had taken their toll on all three combatants.

“That strength and speed of yours is waning,” Chloe told Elias. “You can’t keep this up forever—you’re using too much of the power you’ve just given yourself by coming to this place.”

“You can’t talk. You used a lot of your energy blowing a hole in the roof. If you hadn’t, this wouldn’t be a hand-to-hand fight. Besides, I have enough power to kill both of you.” Elias darted toward Chloe, before changing direction at the last second and snapping a vicious back-handed punch toward Layla.

Layla deflected it, but the force of the blow pushed her back, allowing Elias to strike out with a foot to her knee. She landed on her back and avoided the stomp, as Chloe kicked him in the stomach, forcing him to put distance between them.

“You know, Layla, I didn’t mean to kill your mum. Nergal wanted her alive, and it just went south. Total accident on my part. But your death isn’t going to be as quick as hers, I promise you that.”

Layla got back to her feet. She knew that once the adrenaline wore off she’d ache and probably not be able to move much, but that was then, and right now she needed to stop Elias. She needed to beat him. Not for her, not for Chloe, but for everyone whose life he’d stolen, for the people at the train depot, for Blake and Bianca. She allowed the rage and pain of the last few weeks to fill her.

Chloe ran toward Elias, who blocked her punch, but she ducked under his arm, twisting as she moved until her elbow connected with his nose. She spun back to face him, punching him in the kidney as she went. Elias grabbed her by the throat, picking her off the ground, and Chloe reared back, kicking him between the legs with everything she had.

Elias tossed Chloe aside with fury, screaming in pain as he staggered back toward the edge of the chamber. Chloe struck a rock formation and tumbled over it, crashing into the wall with a fearsome impact.

Layla felt that last drop of rage fall inside. It overflowed, spilling forth in a guttural roar. She charged toward Elias, leaping up and driving her knee into his chest, slamming him against the wall once more. All of her need to hold back, to never quite let go, was forgotten in an instant.

She punched his chest over and over again, pushing him down to his knees. She continued as she moved up his body to his face, until he was on his back on the ground. Layla straddled his chest, using her knees to pin his arms as she unloaded a barrage of blows to his head. Elias’s face was torn part, his nose flattened, and his lips ripped open from the force of the blows. One eye was swollen shut and the other had turned a blood red, but Layla refused to stop, refused to allow Elias even a chance of getting back to his feet.

After what felt like hours, Layla allowed herself to sit back. Her hands hurt, and she knew she’d broken at least one finger.

Elias chuckled, a bubble of blood coming out of his mouth. “Didn’t think . . .” He coughed and spat blood, which trickled down his cheek. “. . . you had it in you.”

Layla got to her feet and dragged Elias into a sitting position against the wall. She smashed her knee against his face. “You.” Smash. “Will.” Smash. “Never.” Smash. “Hurt.” Smash. “Anyone.” Smash. “Again.” Smash, smash, smash, she continued, until she could no longer tell what Elias had once looked like.

Chloe wrapped her arms around Layla, dragging her away. “Don’t. You can’t turn back once you’ve killed. You might need to be that person one day, but you need to be sure.”