by M. O. McLeod
Rimselda watched Kurma from afar and ran down the dock, her feet pounding on the old wood. Jackie and O’bellaDonna were right behind her as she caught up to Kurma, who was full Raptor, fighting what looked like goonies on steroids. Rimselda changed on command and flew the rest of the way down the dock; it was so much faster than running.
All the Phantoms had were their nails and teeth. Kurma had daggers—very long daggers that punched holes in skin and sliced through bones. Two of the Phantoms had already run off, afraid of dying by Kurma’s hands. Only three men and Santino remained. Kurma was too quick for the bulky one; he was big but slow, and he swung hard but couldn’t connect. The patchy-blond one was hiding behind the one with the quick legs, who could duck and dodge her blades but couldn’t block. Kurma got a few slices in.
Santino had barely lifted a finger but hung by her brother as if he were his guardian. Kurma was Allie’s guardian, not Santino! She stopped chasing after the quick one, let the slow one come to her, and waited for the sneaky one to get comfortable. She wanted him most of all; everyone else was trying to kill her, but not him. He was only trying to save his own neck. Kurma wanted to ring it for him like the chicken he was.
The big one stepped out in front and aimed for Kurma’s midsection. Big mistake.
“Watch out for her feet!” Santino saw it happening before it did.
Kurma levitated in the air with her wings, and with both clawed feet kicked VIN in the temple as he tried to maneuver around. He hit the ground with a thud. This left Leon open, and he almost peed his pants. He didn’t like this bird-bat woman. She was too quick like a cat, cunning like a rat, and slivered like a snack. She was an abomination, and Leon was angry at Santino for never revealing to him and the guys that his little girlfriend had been changed as well, only she had wings and they didn’t!
Santino stepped in. He hated Leon, was angry at him for all the right reasons, but he wouldn’t let Kurma kill him or any of his Phantoms for that matter. Santino raised a huge hand that would have come crashing down on her head had it not been for a metal dagger that pierced his thick wrist. Santino froze in place as the pain shot up his arm. How could this be? Even the cops’ bullets hadn’t pierced his skin. Only Kurma’s daggers had any effect on him.
She stood a few feet away, slicing Leon’s head off.
“Nooooo!” screamed Santino. Another dagger pierced his other wrist, and both arms were pulled up high over his head so his body lifted and his feet left the ground. Something wasn’t right…he was losing! Santino had never lost a thing in his life.
32.
I Declare War
