Kellan blinked away tears and forced his hands as close together as his pinned shoulders would allow, drawing deep from the river of his power. He formed a small sphere that looked for all the world like a miniature sun, then twisted both hands and hurled it towards his approaching adversary.
Maurius knelt down on one knee holding up both hands and Kellan saw the air warp and shimmer with red light just as his attack struck with the force of a small fusion reactor going critical. The elder Sentinel rocked back by the force but angled his own shielding to deflect much of the energy, even as Kellan directed bolts of electricity from four tiny cloud formations he’d manifested around Maurius. As the bolts struck, they flashed so brightly that Kellan was momentarily blinded and lowered his hands in exhaustion while squinting tightly to regain his sight. Before he could do so, two more piercing ribbons of pain radiated through his body, this time from each hand as, they too, were pinned against the wall.
Kellan cried out and tried to draw unformed power to heal himself but, while it served to sharpen his mind somewhat, a quick glance at the blood which continued to flow from all four wounds made clear what the young Sentinel already knew: he was in big trouble—again.
Maurius rose from his crouched position, hands still outstretched from his last attack, and smiled as he began to slowly walk toward Kellan. He made several gestures and the mouth of the alley became opaque, some sort of visual barrier cutting them off from potential passers by.
“I’ll admit, you surprised me, Kellan. I haven’t had a thrashing like that in, well, ever. Then you even managed to escape—very impressive. But, then, I’ve had a year or so to think about it and decided that our next encounter would need to be a bit less,” he paused, glancing up at nothing then continued, “civil.”
Kellan shook his head again mumbling mostly to himself, “More than a year, but—”
“—But it was just yesterday?” Maurius laughed again. “To you, it was yesterday my ignorant young friend.” Then, Maurius’ smile faded, his face growing hard. “I spent the last year, recovering and then making up to my benefactor, Asmodeus for disappointing him. I assure you, that was not enjoyable. But, he’s given me another opportunity which brings us to our pleasant meeting tonight.” Maurius paused again, cocking his head as he watched Kellan struggling against spikes pinning him to the wall. “How do those feel? I imagine they hurt. You can’t heal your way around them, if you are trying, and they will not react to any energy you direct at them. A tool from Asmodeus.” Maurius’ voice lowered menacingly, “Apparently he thought I needed some additional help, insurance against an insolent little pup. Do you have any idea how much that upsets me—that he would think I needed help to deal with you?”
Kellan’s mouth was dry and his first attempt to speak came out as nothing more than a croak.
“You have something to add,” asked Maurius, “Please, enlighten me with your perspective.”
Kellan tried again. “As…Asmodeus shouldn’t have blamed you. Not your fault.”
Maurius took a step back and breathed deeply, “No. No he should not have.”
Kellan continued to shake his head and repeated, “It’s not your fault; finding good villains has always been tough. You guys really need some kind of Angie’s List or something so he can check ratings.”
Kellan’s head smashed against the brick and he tasted blood from a blow he hadn’t even seen struck. Now Maurius’ face was a hair’s breath from his and the young Sentinel noted, oddly, that he had very fresh, minty, breath.
“I am not,” growled Maurius, “a source of amusement for you. I am going to kill you. I am going to kill everyone who you love. I am going to destroy every thing that you care about. You are going to die knowing that, and knowing what an abject failure you are.” Then, he stepped back again, raising a hand to his chin in thought. “Perhaps, I won’t kill two of them. Perhaps I will take the young one who you dote on so freely and that military whore you used to sleep with, and drop them both off in the workroom. They won’t die there you know. They will just exist, forever. How does that sound?”
Kellan stared at Maurius silently as his mind clicked mechanically through thousands of options, each one dismissed as unworkable. Fear began to well up in him as he saw a smile spread across Maurius’ face.
“Yes, that’s it. That’s what I wanted to see. No jokes now, are there? Then, I guess our time together has reached its end. Don’t worry, you won’t be completely dead until I get you back to the workroom.”
Kellan saw a jeweled short sword appear in Maurius’ hand, condensing from red mist which slipped off its gleaming blade like drops of blood. He drew it back, lips curling in a bizarre mix of excitement and hatred, then paused as he saw Kellan staring over his shoulder into the distance.
Maurius turned just as the portal winked out behind a shadowy figure that had leaped through head first, hands extended to break its fall and propel it in a curled ball to one corner of the alley where it seemed to vanish in the gloom. Kellan felt the power as Maurius’ eyes blazed red and the air shimmered with his shielding. He gestured forcefully and air whipped down the length of the alley, stirring up debris and hurling it towards the open end but not revealing whomever had exited the portal.
“You cannot save him,” yelled Maurius, “He’s already dead. He just doesn’t know it yet. It’s not too late to save yourself. I have no interest in you. Leave now and—” Maurius broke off as Kellan saw a faint glint and heard the elder Sentinel curse, pivoting his body as if struck. There was a metallic clatter and Kellan looked down to see a small dagger lying on the pavement, its blade clean, having not pierced Maurius’ shield.
Two more blades appeared in rapid succession, both striking Maurius square in the chest, or would have, were it not for the shimmering red aura that stopped each inches from his flesh. All three blades seemed to originate from behind a large green dumpster near the mouth of the alley. Kellan, again, felt energy being channeled and made to call out a warning when he saw a figure dart out from behind the cover in a flash of green and red. Moments later a gout of flame erupted from where the figure had been hiding, followed immediately by half a dozen jagged bolts of energy that seemed to chase it toward the opposite wall where it took several steps directly up and flipped backwards to the middle of the alley. There it stood, facing Maurius, who had summoned two glowing balls of flame which now spun menacingly in each hand.
Kellan’s eyes widened as he struggled in pain against his bonds and stared past Maurius at the figure before him. Loose curls of flaming red hair framed a porcelain face with high cheekbones and a softly cleft chin. She was a tall, well muscled, woman, in her late 20s or early 30s, clad in what looked like a dark green wool tunic and brown leather pants, each looped with numerous daggers and other throwing weapons along with a short sword strapped to each hip. Lit by the flaming spheres Maurius held, her eyes seemed amber, but Kellan knew they would be light brown, like autumn wheat. Her face was flushed with exertion bringing color to cheeks while her full lips turned upward in a mischievous grin as she locked eyes with Kellan.
“Hello, Sweetie. A little bird told me you could use a hand.”
“Shannon?”
She winked.
“Look out!” screamed Kellan and he desperately formed a shield around her as Maurius hurled the first ball of flame. It struck her and the shield shimmered, absorbing the blow, then Kellan felt it it falter and vanish. His head lulled to one side from the exertion and watched in horror as Maurius released the second flaming sphere while Shannon stood motionless, still wearing her small impish expression.
It struck her directly in the chest, flames engulfing her, while Kellan failed to stifle a strangled sob. With flames licking all about her, Kellan saw Shannon tilt her head back and reach up both arms as if seeking divine intervention. The flames began to falter, spinning about her more and more rapidly, changing from blood red to emerald green, whereupon they gave a final swirl and then seemed to be absorbed by her a
s a sponge does water. She lowered her chin, staring directly at Maurius, who took an involuntary step back from the flame haired woman whose eyes now glowed as if they were made of molten emeralds.
As she lowered her arms to unsheathe the swords from her hip, Maurius saw, for the barest of moments, an image on her wrist—a small dove.
“Impossible!” he yelled, “Impossible. I killed you. I watched you die.”
In response, Shannon spun both blades menacingly and showed her teeth. “Actually, you evil bastard, you killed my mother, which is really bad news for you.”
Growling in frustration, Maurius thrust out his hands and first billows of wind rushed past her, followed by a string of red bolts cascading from micro-clouds all about her. As each bolt struck it vanished, causing Shannon’s eyes and the soft green aura surrounding her to brighten further.
She tensed and leaped to the right, foot stepping once on the top of the dumpster to propel her lengthwise to the other side of the alley where she again reversed direction and hurled herself downward toward Maurius, screaming with decades of pent up rage and anger.
Maurius’ shield parted like silk meeting razor. Shannon’s spinning blow sliced through his robe at chest and stomach, nearly slicing through the summoned armor beneath. She braced herself against the wall nearest Kellan, lifted up both feet, and kicked outward, striking Maurius full in the face and sending him sprawling toward the mouth of the alley. In a second motion, smooth as quick silver, she grasped the spikes holding Kellan and tugged. As each came free, he could see her eyes dim slightly with the effort She turned back to face Maurius while Kellan slumped to the alley floor.
“That all you got?” she taunted, thrusting both arms outward, hands each gripping her small curved swords. “No more fire and lightning for me? Come on! Burn me like you did her!”
Maurius stood silently, regarding Shannon as her eyes slowly reverted to their natural color, green aura fading. He shook his head and the wicked blade again formed in his hand. “No, child, I do not think I will feed you anymore this night. My powers cannot touch the soul-born as you well know, but my blade most certainly can. I’ll finish what I started back in that flea bottom you called home.”
The two hurled themselves at one another, their weapons meeting with sparks and the shriek of metal on metal. Shannon was a blur of motion, using every object within the alley as distraction, weapon, cover, or all three. Maurius brought down his gleaming blade time and time again, only to find it biting nothing but air.
Each time he overextended himself, Shannon would dart under his guard and land a lightning quick strike, first against Maurius’ shield, and, later as he tired, against the summoned armor that remained his final defense. The two performed their deadly dance with neither able to gain advantage on the other until Shannon saw Maurius’ powerful lateral attack provided a momentary opening and lashed out. Her mouth opened in surprise as her double bladed attack on his exposed torso was deflected with a spark of red glowing energy as a small shield manifested then vanished. Cursing herself for being taken in by his feint, Shannon tried to correct her balance, but Maurius swept his right leg outward, knocking her to the ground hard enough for the air to escape in a whoosh and her blades to clatter away.
Maurius screamed as he whirled his massive blade in an arc with two hands, driving it down while Shannon held up two crossed daggers in a feeble defense she knew could not save her.
“Fuck you, asshole,” yelled Kellan with a deeply affected Austrian accent, and Maurius looked up just as a small flaming orb the size of marble weaved its way past Shannon’s supine form and softly touched the elder Sentinels cheek.
The sword continued downward but paused, tip quivering above her nose for a moment then vanished to red mist while Maurius shrieked in pain, raising both hands to the ruin that was his face. He staggered toward the mouth of the alley and a glowing red portal rotated into view. He stepped through but before it could wink out, Kellan saw a glint of metal followed by a bloody dagger protruding from Maurius’ back. The portal closed, leaving the alley in gloom as Kellan collapsed next to Shannon, who remained propped up on one arm. The other, which had released the dagger, still pointed where the portal had been.
“Goddamn it,” she yelled.
“What? What is it?” cried Kellan.
“That dagger was my mother’s, Kellan Thorne, and I want it back!”
Meghan glared at the younger woman. “I definitely heard something. Dammit, Juliet, I said get back in the store, now!”
Juliet pressed the side of Kellan’s .45, catching the magazine in her left hand. A quick glance showed her its magazine was full. Juliet replaced it, pulled back the slide to chamber a round and looked cooly at Meghan. “Nope.”
“You don’t know what’s out there,” Meghan growled, “I spent last week killing werewolves.”
“And I shot the Archangel Raphael with this very gun; I’m glad you are catching up,” replied Juliet, the corners of her lips curling up smugly.
“Jerk,” said Meghan.
“Bitch,” answered Juliet.
They both smiled.
Meghan took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at Juliet. “Ok, you turn the knob. I’ll kick the door open. You crouch low. I’ll aim high. Don’t shoot anything unless I say so. Agreed?”
Juliet nodded.
“Ok—here we go. Turn it. 3…2…1”
Meghan braced herself on her back leg and slammed the military boot of her right foot hard against the door. It burst open, revealing the darkened alley as Juliet took a step onto the landing and crouched, sighting along her .45.
Kellan was on his back, with streaks of blood scattered around him. A woman lay partially over him, braced on forearms, loosely curled red hair cascading down, obscuring much of his face as she pressed hers close to him.
“Vampire!” yelled Juliet, and started to squeeze the trigger.
“Hold!” screamed Meghan.
The woman’s head whipped up, eyes glowing a bright green. Her arm blurred. Juliet’s hands flew to the side, losing her grip on the .45 and she watched, stunned, as it clattered to the alley floor along with a small dagger.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” yelled Kellan, leaning up on his elbows. “Nobody, kill anybody!”
The alley seemed to crackle with tension. Meghan hadn’t moved from her offensive sideways stance. Kellan could see her weapon trained directly at Shannon’s head. For her part, Shannon had a wicked looking dagger in each hand and Kellan could see her arm muscles rippling in anticipation of a forceful release.
“Ladies…” Kellan said calmly, “Stand down ladies. We’re all friends here.”
“The vampire bitch glamor’ed him, Meghan. Shoot her in the face.”
“Juliet, no! Meghan, no! She’s not a vampire. Jesus, this is Shannon.”
Meghan took in the lithe figure of the woman before her and saw the intensity in her eyes. That intensity reminded the Marine of the reflection she saw that morning. This woman knew conflict and horror, and had overcome both. Slowly, she lowered her weapon, sliding it in the holster under her left arm, and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“Yeah, well, fuck, Kel. She doesn’t look fourteen to me.”
“She grew up?” Kellan offered, his voice sounding apologetic, then lapsed into coughing, with blood foaming on his lips. “I don’t feel so good.”
“Is that house yours?” demanded Shannon, “Is it safe?”
Both women nodded.
“Help me with him. He’s lost a lot of blood. We need to get him inside and help him heal.”
Kellan barely stirred as Meghan and Shannon lifted him from the alley floor. His eyes fluttered and head lulled to one side as they laid him on one of the large leather couches in the reading nook.
Shannon slipped out a dagger and made to cut free Kellan’s shirt, when Juliet groaned softly causing the older woman to glance at her. “What?”
“Nothing. He just loves that shirt is al
l.”
Shannon snorted. “Loves it enough that he’d rather us lift those ruined arms than cut it off him?”
“Definitely!” Meghan and Juliet answered in unison.
Shannon looked back at the bloody T-shirt, lips moving, “Saving people, hunting things. The family business.”
“He got it at Dragon Con,” offered Juliet by way of explanation.
“He’s an idiot,” replied Shannon, but started to roll the shirt up from his waist. Juliet rushed over to gently lift his back up while Meghan slowly raised his arms.
Kellan’s eyes flew open and he cried out in pain as Shannon finally pulled the shirt free. He slumped back against the couch breathing rapidly. “Are you three trying to finish the job of killing me?”
Shannon glared at him, then gestured pointedly at Meghan and Juliet. “Those two said you didn’t want this stupid shirt cut off you,” she said, brandishing the blood soaked cloth.
Kellan tried to focus and recognition flashed across his face, “Good call. Got that at Dragon—” His head slumped back against the pillow and his breathing deepened.
Shannon leaned in and softly placed her lips on Kellan’s, causing Meghan and Juliet to exchange a pointed glance. Kellan stirred and Shannon reached behind his head, pulling him more deeply into the kiss.
“Awkward,” murmured Juliet, looking away.
“Uh, what the hell are you doing?” asked Meghan as she grabbed hold of the younger woman’s shoulder, pulling her away and she turned to Meghan, eyes blazing green. Both Meghan and Juliet took a half step back. Shannon held up a hand.
“Just a moment. Where are the entrances to this building?” she asked.
“Why—” began Juliet, but Meghan interrupted.
“This way. Follow me.”
Shannon did, and the three of them first approached the back door near Kellan’s office where Shannon stopped, rubbed both her hands together, and then leaned forward—placing them on the door. Moments later a soft green glow could be seen emanating between her fingers and she stepped back.
Sentinels of Creation: A Power Renewed Page 25
