Desire Untamed (Feral Warriors #1)(82)

She remembered something Lyon had said about, a Radiant who'd thrown fire. Focusing inward, she pulled the power into her palm and threw it, hard, watching it land well short of its target, disappearing in a puff of smoke as it hit the floor. But she wasn't deterred.

Magic, she reminded herself, worked… well… like magic.

Jag attacked Lyon's clone, biting the hand that held the sword. But the other clone leaped in to attack him.

The great cat went down.

Moving closer, Kara pulled more fire, this time visualizing the flame hitting the second clone and spreading, consuming him. With a heave, she threw the fire and watched her visualization turn to reality, the flame spreading over his body like an oil slick. The clone yelled with pain, falling backward as fire engulfed him.

Before she could call the fire again, let alone find the steel to destroy the man who looked so much like the one she loved, Lyon's clone leaped at heir, tackling her to the ground. Her breath rushed out of her body, her head cracking against the floor, the radiance evaporating as it if had never been.

In her head she heard Lyon's voice. Kara!

Lyon's face swam before her dazed vision, then disappeared as sharp teeth dug into the side of her neck and began to suck the life's energy from her battered body.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-three

The weight left her in a flash of spotted fur.

Kara gasped for breath, feeling the blood trickle down her neck from where the clone had fed from her. Her ribs cried with pain, but she struggled to sit up, then stumbled to her feet as Jag ripped out the heart of Lyon's clone and tore its head from its body. The last of the clones had gone down.

Her gaze searched frantically for the real Lyon, needing reassurance, and found the cat with Paenther, surrounding the witch.

Are you all right? His voice rang through her head as the cat's head swung toward her. Not certain how to answer a voice in her head she just nodded.

She's trying to shield herself from us, magically, but she's weakening. Can you help Jag?

Her mind slowly clearing, she realized the spotted fur that had saved her was lying at her feet, his blood spreading in a pool around them both. She gripped her aching ribs and reached for the downed cat.

"It's me, Jag. I'm going to try to heal us both," Forcing her hands away from their protective cage around her middle, she pressed her palms to Jag's blood-soaked fur and pulled.

The fire came slowly, but it came, filling her with warmth, then heat, then light as she went fully radiant. Little by little,, she felt the pain ease from her body, and sensed the strength flowing into Jag, mending his torn flesh. When his jaguar's head gently butted her arm, she knew she'd succeeded. He leaped to his feet, then startled her with a quick lick of his tongue on her cheek.

A soft burst of laughter eased from her throat, and she stroked the spotted cat as he passed her to join the others.

Kara bent down to pick up one of the blood-soaked swords lying on the ground and slowly went to face the woman who'd caused her so much pain.

The three cats snapped and clawed at the witch, wearing down the unnatural barrier she hid behind.

Zaphene laughed.. "You can't touch me!" But her voice rang with fake bravado. In her eyes, Kara saw the hard shine of fear.

Kara went to stand beside Lyon, seeing bloody streaks across his back. She laid her hand lightly on one of the cuts and poured healing energy into him.

I love you, he said in her mind.

She stroked his muscled back. "And I you." She met the witch's copper-ringed gaze. "You're not going anywhere, Zaphene."

"Vhyper will be back."

"Vhyper will be free of you once you're dead."

Something in the witch's eyes made Kara shiver.

Zaphene shook her head, her smile certain. "Vhyper is not under my control. He's no longer one of you."

"What is he, then?" Kara repeated the question Lyon put in her head.

"The Daemon blade, when it drank of the Ferals' blood, stole Vhyper's soul. Vhyper does Satanan's work, now."

She dies, Lyon said.

Kara patted Lyon's back. "I want the killing blow."

She sensed his approval.

Agreed, my little warrior.

"If I add my power to yours, can we break through her barrier sooner?"

Yes. Do it.

Kara laid the sword at her feet, then pressed her palms to the backs of the cats on either side of her, Lyon's, and Paenther's. "Jag, come lean against my leg, please."

The cat trotted obediently to her side and slid his head against her. With her gaze locked on Zaphene's, Kara pulled a great fist of power from the Earth and directly into the cats until their very fur began to glow.

Then, as one, the three huge cats flew at the witch, tackling her to the ground in a tumble of fur, high heels, and Mage blood.

Zaphene screamed as the cats' strong jaws ripped at her limbs. Lyon's paw covered her face, holding her down as he lifted his maned head to Kara, pride shining in his eyes.

Your turn, little warrior.

Kara picked up the sword. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined intentionally taking a life. But this thing needed to die.

"Let her see me," she told Lyon.

Lyon lifted his massive paw. Copper-ringed eyes stared up at her with terror.

"You'll never mess with me or mine again," Kara vowed. She lifted the blade high over her head, and plunged it down in a shower of fire and blood.