On a Razor's Edge (Darkness #3)(35)

At a jog I aimed for the heart of the most noise, the night flickering bright with explosions or blasts of spells. Looming trees illuminated with a rainbow of glows for seconds at a time, serious spells and charms zinging around the place. Apparently the caped white mage had found the non-caped variety. I had no doubt Toa was winning.

Until I got closer.

Dodging in between the trees with the agility born of someone I wasn’t, I saw a blast of white leave the fingers of a glowing blond ghost, his hair flying in the breeze like feathers, so like the vampires in the stories, with his graceful elegance and ethereal beauty, I nearly recoiled thinking another magical kind of person had shown up. As a huge wolf bounded in front of me, teeth bared in a drool-flinging snarl, I properly saw what Toa was up against. How many Toa was up against.

Trek stood some distance away on a rock outcropping, blasting spell after attack spell Toa’s way. Those, Toa seemed to block without too much concern, wiping them aside with a defensive spell, and then throwing his own in return. The problem was the Dulcha. There were dozens aiming for Toa, giant beasts with fangs and claws, hurling magic or flailing razor-sharp claws. Some even created other representations of themselves, spinning charms and spells as if they were human.

A sickening realization hit me. They were human—at least the essence of them. The body long since dead, their blood and Trek’s magic had created these disgusting monsters. Toa didn’t have any Dulcha because he wasn’t a murderer of innocent people. The very thought of it was as revolting as it was rage inspiring.

Toa had to cast three spells to Trek’s one. Stefan had sent less than half a dozen warriors. The Mata, for their part, fought fiercely, tooth and claw biting and scratching beast or man, able to cut through monsters like magically coated blades. So, we had some brawn, but not a lot of magic throwers.

No pressure.

Here we go, let’s add some of my own monsters to the mix!

I pulled up the sleeves of my hoodie and let the magic fill me. Calling the elements, I drew in so much fire my face felt hot.

Three wolves surrounded me, facing out, snarling and growling as one. Now two Dulcha noticed me on the scene. That, of course, drew enemy eyes. One even pointed.

Howdy boys and girls! Wanna see a magic show?

I sent a blast of orange toward a tree way behind enemy lines, my power going up in an arc and falling like a star. I always made the absolute best monsters with orange. In the dark distance I could see a tree burst into magical fire, orange flame licking up the side into the top, the whole thing shimmering until a huge foot yanked out of the ground.

I sent another. They would come toward me, trampling and killing anything in their path. That would get Trek looking.

I tried to take off toward Toa, but a snarling wolf cut me off, the three—now four guard wolves—trying to herd me out of harm’s way.

“Do you want to die? Because without me you have no chance unless you run!” I raised my voice high, trying to throw it over the sounds of howling from my tree creations.

“Move!” I yelled.

The wolf in front of me stuck its tail between its legs, whining as I ran around it. A second later they tailed me, watching my back and flanks like a hunting party.

I shot past a vicious tiger, a massive paw slashing through the chest of his opponent. Blood and guts spilled out to the ground, making me gag.

Near Toa, I saw a giant—and I mean giant—Kodiak bear, wielding huge claws with the sharp intellect of Tim. He stood over fifteen feet tall when upright, swiping at Dulcha with hundreds of pounds of raw power. Bodies were ripped in half if they got too close, monsters with twisted heads and strange bodies came apart like statues made of leather, then puffed into smoke. Still, he could barely keep them at bay, those attacking making clones of themselves somehow, shooting magic and drifting toward Toa.

Time to sound the siren.

“Leave the Dulcha to me!” I screamed.

The shaggy bear’s head swung toward me, huge tufted ears twitching. He stood on his back legs, his massive body dwarfing all those around him, while he let out a ground-shaking roar.

I sucked in the magic, feeling my chest spark, a flame within, glowing to life. Hotter and hotter the magic around me swirled, my limbs catching on fire, my skin prickling. More and more, calling those monsters, one or three at a time, tempting them with my raw power.

“Here monster, monster, monster. Join me!”

Huge men came at me, glowing tattoos and swords, trying to cut me down where I stood. They felt my draw, felt me calling the power, like the North Pole attracts compass needles. Wolves surged forward, keeping the enemy at bay, letting me call the monsters. The tiger jumped in my path, launching at a six and a half foot guy about to strike at me, the tiger’s jaw fitting around the guy’s head. I turned my head away as the head popped off.

I held the power, the magic pulsing out in waves, turning every Dulcha in my direction. I saw my tree men, wanting a piece of that action, too. This was about to get messy.

I blasted some trees while I waited, red streams firing out from my hands. I sent a spiral of flame toward Trek, a satisfied laugh filling me as his cap caught on fire. My laugh turned into giddy cackling, the magic infusing my body and prickling my skin.

I needed to release soon. I couldn’t totally shut off the tide.

“Clear out of the way,” I instructed my growing mass of animal body guards as the first five heinous monsters glided my way.