Dragon's Gift Complete Series - Linsey Hall Page 0,4

me.

I dived low, feeling the heat streak across my cheek, and drew a potion bomb from my sack. It was bright green, the glass gleaming in the light of the street lamps. I rolled onto my back and hurled the bomb at him just as he threw another fireball.

I scrambled right, taking a hit to my left hip. Pain flared hot and fierce. But the demon shrieked.

Nailed him.

I rolled over to see him flailing, the acid eating its way to his heart. It was a nasty potion bomb, one that I wanted to keep perfecting until it killed more quickly. I didn’t like the suffering, even though I used them on demons, who probably ate kids or something horrible like that.

Well, maybe if he was a kid-eater, he should suffer.

I shoved the ridiculous thought away and scrambled to my feet, searching the square. Bree continued to fight off the giant monster, while the two demons held their human captives.

More demons had appeared from the rooftops, but the man from the shadows was taking care of them quickly. As I watched, he strode up to one, not a single weapon in his hand. Was he an elemental mage? Maybe he’d hit him with lightning or something.

But nope.

He got close to the tall gray demon, who swung a wicked-looking sword at him. The man dodged the blade, then reached up and tore the head right off the demon.

“Holy fates!” The words escaped before I realized. He fought like a freaking gladiator.

“I know, right?” The words sounded from out of the blue, but I couldn’t see anyone.

What the heck? I looked around, but saw nothing.

Maybe I was imagining them. I was too busy watching the man, anyway. Somehow, he managed to dodge the arterial blood flow. I reached up and touched the demon blood that had now cooled on my forehead.

It was impossible to dodge arterial blood spray. It was too fast.

Not as fast as this guy, though, who clearly had to have some kind of magical speed.

He charged around the square, taking out demon after demon. More appeared, two of them so close to me that I had to turn my attention from the gladiator to fight off the monsters that would kill me as soon as look at me.

I spun to face an oncoming demon. He was too close for a potion bomb—no way I wanted to risk getting hit by the splash—so I raised my sword. “Come and get it, big guy.”

He grinned, his yellow fangs making my stomach turn. He’d have breath like dead bodies, I’d bet a crate of double chocolate cookies on it.

He raised his blade, and we clashed, steel against steel. I dived and parried, narrowly avoiding a slice that could have taken off my leg. He had strength and reach on me, but I had speed. I struck for his sword arm, cutting deep.

He roared and dropped his blade, his green eyes flaring with rage. He raised his other arm, revealing a hand tipped in massive claws, and swiped at me.

I jumped backward, feeling his claws swoosh past my face with only a centimeter to spare. I dodged forward, sinking my sword into his gut.

He gurgled this time, hissing an obscenity that sounded something like “-iserable -unt.”

I could only guess where he was going with that, but frankly, I didn’t care. Instead, I kicked him in the stomach to dislodge him from my blade and spun to face the fight again, triumph welling within me.

I was too late.

A demon was only feet away, moving so fast that I couldn’t get my sword arm up. He grabbed me by the neck, cutting off my air. I gasped, but the air caught in my throat.

Panic swelling in my chest, I raised my sword to strike. He knocked the blade away with his free arm, and the steel clattered to the cobblestones. It was the most terrifying sound I’d ever heard. Losing my weapon while in the grips of a demon. He raised me into the air. I kicked my legs, struggling to break free, and stared death in the face.

2

Acid-green eyes glared out from a pale-white face. Silver horns reached for the sky, decorated with black scrollwork. His fangs were four inches long, dripping with saliva. And his magic bubbled with evil, feeling like a bath in hot oil. My skin burned fiercely all over.

I reached for the dagger at my thigh, but he grabbed my arm. Shit.

I tried with my other hand, but he was unnaturally