Page 18 of The Lich's Leverage

As I handed the axe to the orc, he did the strangest thing. He placed his hand on my shoulder and held it there.

“Thank you, friend.”

I could have used that touch to drain him dry. It was a true offering of trust and it moved me deeply. So few people had dared touch me for such a long time. The word friend meant something to me when accompanied with a gesture such as this.

“The guards dumped the minotaur’s mate here. They are up to something.”

I’d seen his energy mixed in with hers and knew immediately that they were mates.

“Well, then. Let’s pay ’em back for whatever it is.”

I nodded. He charged into the minotaur’s cell and began swinging. He emerged a moment later and threw the woman behind a table. Then he launched himself at the crowd of angry monsters. It was a sight to behold. A small bird emerged and began attacking at the orc’s command. A wondrous thing. They moved together like the most practiced of warriors.

A monster tried to sneak behind the crowd and get to the woman. I simply walked over and placed a hand on him. He felt like a cool refreshing drink of water on a hot day. His energy flowed into me and he dropped to the floor. I felt like I’d stood up too quickly for a moment. I hadn’t fully drained someone for a long time. The energy that rushed through me was angry. I felt like the world owed me something and I was going to punish everyone for not giving it to me. It was almost overwhelming.

I let the feeling settle, and the caring and love that was the root of Heather’s anxiety inside me dampened it slightly. A few monsters nearby looked at the corpse at my feet and backed away. I didn’t need to be a big fighter or pretend to be anything I wasn’t. My power spoke for itself. I could take down this entire cell block without breaking a sweat.

One of the walls to the cell block exploded and the minotaur appeared, eyes red and snorting with maze madness. The orc shouted to him and then ran out of the hole the minotaur had left behind. The orc’s energy was mixed with a feminine feeling red, and I knew he was off to find his own mate. I glanced at the minotaur; he could definitely handle himself against this lot. Anyone who went up against a maze mad minotaur would get what they deserved.

I darted out of the hole. The minotaur wasn’t far behind me with his mate over his shoulder. Monsters flowed out after him, seeing their chance for freedom.

Some didn’t follow him and took off in a couple of groups. They were looking for fights and probably retribution against the guards that had held them here.

I headed in the direction of the infirmary and hoped Heather would be there waiting. I could hear shouts and fighting behind me. Some monsters tried to run ahead of me. These weren’t the innocents or those who deserved second chances. These were the worst of us, staying to cause harm. Every monster that tried to get ahead of me, I placed my hand on and left them on the ground without a backward glance. Nothing would get to Heather before I did. Nothing.

Chapter 13

Heather

When I made it to the infirmary, no one was there. The other therapists were gone, I assumed through the broken window. I peered out but couldn’t see anyone. The noises of what was clearly now a prison riot echoed around me. Not just from the direction of west wing, but also now from behind me. Which meant that other wings were also rioting.

My adrenaline was flowing, but there was no anxiety. It was that weird calm I’d felt back when the accident happened. Everything was moving in slow motion, but my brain was calculating everything at the speed of light.

A small noise caught my ear, and I spun ready to face whatever it was. A large cat monster was running around the corner. But before he made it, a skeletal hand reached out and gently grazed his neck. The cat’s mouth formed an O shape in shock and then he hit the floor, dead. Vedrac strode around the corner, the picture of calmness, no hesitation or change to his pace. He walked right towards me, eyes boring into mine, full of purpose and the confidence that comes with being the apex predator in any room. My heart hammered in my chest. I didn’t want it to be, but this was hot as fuck. As he reached me, his body pressed against mine so hard I stumbled back. He kept his pace, pressing me against the wall. Our bodies connected, and his lips met mine aggressively. When he pulled away, I gasped for breath.

“Out the window, love.”

His voice was deep and raspy. I obeyed immediately and squeezed past him and scrambled out of the window. My stomach was full of butterflies. I dropped to the ground. There were monsters running from all directions for the outer fence. I glanced back at Vedrac when he dropped next to me. We waited a moment. There were no sounds of guns from the watchtowers.

“Let’s move.”

I folded my hand into his, and he squeezed it tightly. We didn’t run, but we moved quickly, despite fights breaking out all over the place. Very few monsters came near us. A simple touch dropped those that did, and we never broke our stride.

The fence had been torn open before we got there, so we walked through easily. We paused on the other side.

“Where to, love?”

“The lake. We have friends waiting there.”

He gave me a long look. My racing mind slowed. There was something more important to do first. I threw myself at him. Our lips crashed together hungrily. He pressed me against the fence. The noise and chaos faded away. There was only us. I had no idea what the coming days would hold. All I knew was that right now, we were here together, and he would keep me safe.

He lifted my skirt up and pulled my panties down. I glanced to the left and saw a couple of monsters running past. They looked, saw Vedrac, and then kept running. I ached for him to fill me.

This should not be this hot.

My brain had never been so quiet. There was only an all-consuming need for him. It blotted out everything else. Vedrac pressed himself against me. He was hard, and he felt so big. My mind flashed to the image of his cock with its snake scales all over it. Gods, I wanted to take it all. I hoped I could take it all.

“Now, love?”

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