Angelfire
Page 91
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"Your Guardian injured me greatly," Geir rasped, glistening blood dribbling from his lips and down his chin. "I needed to feed in order to heal and finish you off, Preliator. I'm much stronger now that I've had a snack."
Overwhelming revulsion made me stagger back on my heels, nearly col apsing to the floor. Geir tossed Jose's body to the side, but with so much force that the poor man flew twenty feet and crashed into the wal . Geir turned to face us squarely, and I could see that his clothing was shredded and soaked dark with his own blood. The only satisfaction I had was the knowledge that Wil had done that to him. Nathaniel raised the shotgun, but Geir was there in an instant. His monster hands yanked the shotgun away from Nathaniel and chucked it at the wal hard enough to snap the barrel off the stock. He grabbed Nathaniel by the throat and hurled him at the same wal . Faster than my eyes could see, Geir was on top of Nathaniel, throwing punch after punch. Nathaniel ducked, and then Geir's fist plunged through the steel wal of the hul . He pul ed it back in and water burst through. The metal had flayed Geir's hands to ribbons, and his blood cascaded into the salt water pouring inside, but the reaper's skin healed quickly. Water rushed into the hold with a thundering noise. The ship was going to sink.
A wave of fury washed over me, crashing heavily. I was tired of it al . The monster in front of me had slaughtered innocent people only because he could. He'd hurt me, terrified me, hurt Wil , who had tried to defend me, kil ed humans who had tried to defend me when they couldn't even defend themselves. Al of this would be over. I'd end it tonight.
"El ie!"
Wil 's voice came from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, not ready for him to interfere. He could sense what raged through me, but I wouldn't let him stop me this time. I could control my power. I could control myself. There was no madness coursing through me this time but only fury in its purest, darkest form. My power spiraled around me, pushing the water at my feet away.
"No." I threw my power at Wil and it hit him like a wal , preventing him from coming any closer.
He threw his shoulder into the barrier, but I didn't give him another inch. His eyes, bright in the gloom, met mine, but his gaze was firm, as if he could read my mind and knew it was no use trying to bring me back from the edge. Even if he wanted to stop me, calm me down, it would be impossible. At that moment, as my power pounded on the inside of every last inch of my skin, desperate for release, I was very aware of how much damage I could to him and everything else on that ship.
"Get the sarcophagus!" Nathaniel roared as he fought off the demonic vir. "Throw it over before Ivar takes off with it!"
Wil 's gaze left mine at last and he nodded. He bolted to the wooden box containing the sarcophagus, sweeping it up over his head effortlessly. He ran back up the stairs.
"No!" Geir shrieked. He darted away from Nathaniel, but I caught him with my sword in his bel y before he escaped. He snarled at me, sharp teeth bared, and grabbed my throat, squeezing hard. His other hand clenched my wrist and pul ed my sword from his body as flames of angelfire lapped up his chest. Time slowed, and everything around me blurred except for Geir. He swiped his talons at my face, but I jumped back and swung my swords. The flames slashed through the darkness, casting twisted flashes of light and shadows across our faces. My blades sliced across his bel y, but not deeply enough to kil him. I kicked him in the chest as hard as I could and he soared backward, smacking into the far wal .
"Nathaniel!" I shouted.
He turned to me, eyes wild.
"Go help Wil ! I'l keep Geir busy."
His mouth dropped. "But--?"
"Go!"
He obeyed, disappearing from the hold. I spun back to face the reaper, who grinned at me as his bel y wounds closed up and scarred within seconds.
"Now it's just you and me, baby," he sneered, his eyes cold yet blinding like sunlight.
I stepped back on my heel, summoning my power. The trawler shivered and groaned.
Geir launched himself toward me, and as I raised my sword, he vanished right in front of me. I swung, slicing through air, and he reappeared to my right. I slashed my other sword at him but met only his disembodied laughter echoing through the hold as his form disappeared into the darkness.
"You're going to die down here, little girl," his voice sneered.
My eyes searched around me, and my heart pounded with fear. If I couldn't see him, then how could I fight him? I let the fury wrap around me, drowning out every distraction, every creak and whine of the ship, the rushing of water, everything but the heartbeat of my enemy stalking me from somewhere in the blackness. I felt none of the uncontrol able bloodlust that had consumed me during my final battle against Ragnuk; instead, my mind was now disturbingly clear as I ached to release my power. Now it obeyed me, not the other way around.
I felt energy flicker behind me and spun like a tornado, swinging the flaming Khopesh up. The blade cut through Geir's throat. He staggered back, spil ing blood, gurgling and clutching at the wound. When his skin didn't burst into flames, I knew my strike hadn't been enough to kil him. With a cry, I stabbed my other sword up and under his rib cage, destroying his heart. He col apsed forward onto me, drenching me in his blood. I shoved him off of me, disgusted, and ripped my sword back out. I felt the hook on the back of the blade catch on his ribc age, and things inside ripped and crunched as I wrenched the Khopesh free.
Geir staggered toward me, his face twisting in horror and agony. One hand fel away from his throat and grasped at his torn chest. A dark, brackish flood spread from his wounds, and flames erupted over every inch of him, licking over his body and drowning him in light. His claws swung at me, engulfed in angelfire, until they crumbled into ashes. In moments the rest of his body burned up, his flapping wings vanishing last, until nothing remained of the reaper but ashes drifting in the water rising to my knees.
Overwhelming revulsion made me stagger back on my heels, nearly col apsing to the floor. Geir tossed Jose's body to the side, but with so much force that the poor man flew twenty feet and crashed into the wal . Geir turned to face us squarely, and I could see that his clothing was shredded and soaked dark with his own blood. The only satisfaction I had was the knowledge that Wil had done that to him. Nathaniel raised the shotgun, but Geir was there in an instant. His monster hands yanked the shotgun away from Nathaniel and chucked it at the wal hard enough to snap the barrel off the stock. He grabbed Nathaniel by the throat and hurled him at the same wal . Faster than my eyes could see, Geir was on top of Nathaniel, throwing punch after punch. Nathaniel ducked, and then Geir's fist plunged through the steel wal of the hul . He pul ed it back in and water burst through. The metal had flayed Geir's hands to ribbons, and his blood cascaded into the salt water pouring inside, but the reaper's skin healed quickly. Water rushed into the hold with a thundering noise. The ship was going to sink.
A wave of fury washed over me, crashing heavily. I was tired of it al . The monster in front of me had slaughtered innocent people only because he could. He'd hurt me, terrified me, hurt Wil , who had tried to defend me, kil ed humans who had tried to defend me when they couldn't even defend themselves. Al of this would be over. I'd end it tonight.
"El ie!"
Wil 's voice came from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, not ready for him to interfere. He could sense what raged through me, but I wouldn't let him stop me this time. I could control my power. I could control myself. There was no madness coursing through me this time but only fury in its purest, darkest form. My power spiraled around me, pushing the water at my feet away.
"No." I threw my power at Wil and it hit him like a wal , preventing him from coming any closer.
He threw his shoulder into the barrier, but I didn't give him another inch. His eyes, bright in the gloom, met mine, but his gaze was firm, as if he could read my mind and knew it was no use trying to bring me back from the edge. Even if he wanted to stop me, calm me down, it would be impossible. At that moment, as my power pounded on the inside of every last inch of my skin, desperate for release, I was very aware of how much damage I could to him and everything else on that ship.
"Get the sarcophagus!" Nathaniel roared as he fought off the demonic vir. "Throw it over before Ivar takes off with it!"
Wil 's gaze left mine at last and he nodded. He bolted to the wooden box containing the sarcophagus, sweeping it up over his head effortlessly. He ran back up the stairs.
"No!" Geir shrieked. He darted away from Nathaniel, but I caught him with my sword in his bel y before he escaped. He snarled at me, sharp teeth bared, and grabbed my throat, squeezing hard. His other hand clenched my wrist and pul ed my sword from his body as flames of angelfire lapped up his chest. Time slowed, and everything around me blurred except for Geir. He swiped his talons at my face, but I jumped back and swung my swords. The flames slashed through the darkness, casting twisted flashes of light and shadows across our faces. My blades sliced across his bel y, but not deeply enough to kil him. I kicked him in the chest as hard as I could and he soared backward, smacking into the far wal .
"Nathaniel!" I shouted.
He turned to me, eyes wild.
"Go help Wil ! I'l keep Geir busy."
His mouth dropped. "But--?"
"Go!"
He obeyed, disappearing from the hold. I spun back to face the reaper, who grinned at me as his bel y wounds closed up and scarred within seconds.
"Now it's just you and me, baby," he sneered, his eyes cold yet blinding like sunlight.
I stepped back on my heel, summoning my power. The trawler shivered and groaned.
Geir launched himself toward me, and as I raised my sword, he vanished right in front of me. I swung, slicing through air, and he reappeared to my right. I slashed my other sword at him but met only his disembodied laughter echoing through the hold as his form disappeared into the darkness.
"You're going to die down here, little girl," his voice sneered.
My eyes searched around me, and my heart pounded with fear. If I couldn't see him, then how could I fight him? I let the fury wrap around me, drowning out every distraction, every creak and whine of the ship, the rushing of water, everything but the heartbeat of my enemy stalking me from somewhere in the blackness. I felt none of the uncontrol able bloodlust that had consumed me during my final battle against Ragnuk; instead, my mind was now disturbingly clear as I ached to release my power. Now it obeyed me, not the other way around.
I felt energy flicker behind me and spun like a tornado, swinging the flaming Khopesh up. The blade cut through Geir's throat. He staggered back, spil ing blood, gurgling and clutching at the wound. When his skin didn't burst into flames, I knew my strike hadn't been enough to kil him. With a cry, I stabbed my other sword up and under his rib cage, destroying his heart. He col apsed forward onto me, drenching me in his blood. I shoved him off of me, disgusted, and ripped my sword back out. I felt the hook on the back of the blade catch on his ribc age, and things inside ripped and crunched as I wrenched the Khopesh free.
Geir staggered toward me, his face twisting in horror and agony. One hand fel away from his throat and grasped at his torn chest. A dark, brackish flood spread from his wounds, and flames erupted over every inch of him, licking over his body and drowning him in light. His claws swung at me, engulfed in angelfire, until they crumbled into ashes. In moments the rest of his body burned up, his flapping wings vanishing last, until nothing remained of the reaper but ashes drifting in the water rising to my knees.
