Anna
At the last second, the guard sensed something and twisted to look behind him. Cody missed his first grab and changed plans when the guard could plainly see him. He plowed his fist into the Ranti’s face.
The sturdy guard rocked back, but raised his weapon—a crossbow—and fired wild. The arrow whizzed by my head and hit a wooden beam, sinking a few inches in.
Cody grabbed the weapon with one hand and wrapped his long fingers around the Ranti’s throat—wicked, curved blades sprouted from the tips, and the guard’s eyes bugged wide as they sank into his neck. Then, in a blur of blond fur, Logan lunged past me and drove his claws into the Ranti’s large gut. The Dire hit hard, and all three went flying.
Angel? What’s going on?
We’re fine. Everything’s under control.
It doesn’t seem all that controlled,he judged.
Shouts, and the sounds of fighting, echoed from somewhere above us. Tyrez, Dani, and Aria had started their attack. I hoped they shredded Xumi.
I should wait until Cody cleared us to proceed, but my men were here, within reach...
My feet were moving before I’d finished the thought. I pushed the door open a crack—an empty hall.
It was the gloomiest hall I’d ever seen. Ancient stones formed the walls. Modern electric fixtures had been installed at intervals, but they barely lit the way. I ran, aware of the commotion behind me but not caring. I whipped around a corner and came up against a solid metal door.
No.I cranked on the lever-style latch, but it was locked. Below the latch was a keyhole. To be so close—I slammed my hands up against the metal. My throat locked up.
Strewth, Angel. You’re almost here. Don’t lose it now.
“I can open that, no problem.” Lucas appeared beside me as himself. The Ranti’s clothes hung off his smaller frame as he dug through his pack. He emerged with a weathered bit of oilcloth, which he unrolled to reveal gleaming lock picks.
The lock clicked open, and I pushed through the door before Lucas could move aside.
I ran into the room beyond and slid to a halt.
I’d seen the torture chamber through Matt’s eyes, but it was nothing compared to the reality. Along the walls were chains suspended from the ceiling far above, and from them hung my guys.
My guys. Matt and Talakai.
One offered his trademark lopsided smile. “Hi, Angel.”
I flung myself at him, leaping to wrap myself around his body. His feet were standing on metal grating, but he still grunted as I hung on him. I was pretty close to hysterical, holding on by a thread.
There was blood all over him. Sliced lines along the skin, and what looked like teeth marks on one shoulder...
He pushed his head into mine and inhaled, long and hard. “Angel, you feel and smell great, but did you come with a plan for getting these bleedin’ chains off?”
Right.I peeled myself off him.
Lucas walked around, assessing both Matt and Talakai with an experienced eye. “I can pick the locks on Matt’s wrist and ankle manacles,” he said. “But I don’t know how the collars were applied—there’s no lock or hinge. They’ll have to be cut off.”
“Don’t worry about the collars,” Cody said. “We’ll get them off once we’re out of here. Focus on the chains.”
Matt cleared his throat and said, “You’d better see to the Dragon, Angel. He’s in a right state.”
I turned around to meet a set of metallic-indigo eyes.
They were unreadable. No welcome in them—and nothing human either. When I reached for him, his energy was all jagged, as though he’d been pushed beyond tolerance.
He might look human, but all I sensed was beast.
Just like Matt, his wrists and ankles were encased in metal cuffs. But his hands were also wrapped in scaled-leather mitts. It had kept his talons buffered, but I saw holes punched through them in places.
