Page 18 of Lunar Desires
But Molly’s punch in this secret room missed the blue figure. Shit. Losing her balance, she staggered into him, a bolt of blue energy zapping her between the eyes in response. She flew back, smacking into the wall face-first and leaving a huge dent in the plaster.
“Molly!”
The goblin jumped back to her feet, blood streaming from a wound in her forehead. “All good.” Condensation puffed with her words, the temperature suddenly bitterly cold. “Who is that?”
Man, she could take some serious punishment.
“Son… Son…” The figure spoke as if to answer her question. “Moon. Moon mine.”
The hairs on my arms prickled. Was this really Riley’s dad?
Blue sparks fizzed around the figure, the blue light like a shield around him. Every time I approached, the light brightened, the sparks spitting angrily.
Riley collapsed onto the sofa, curling into a ball. I went to him, getting shot by a bolt of blue. I hit the work surface, its edge slamming into my stomach. I folded in half, smacking my head on a cupboard. Swinging an arm out as I tumbled, I took out the cups Molly had laid out for tea.
They smashed on the floor, porcelain shards bouncing around me.
“Shit!” I seethed, my turn to have blood running down my face. “Riley.”
Back on her feet, Molly grabbed me under my shoulders, hefting me to mine.
“Thanks.” Pain pulsed everywhere, but only Riley mattered right now.
He has to be safe,my inner voices spoke together, firm in their mission.
The figure inched closer to him, continuing to call him his son.
“Do you have anything I can shoot him with?” I asked, the iron tang of blood in my mouth. I wiped blood from my eyes, feeling a tad on the woozy side.
I’d hit my head a bit too hard. My skull ached under the rhythm of pounding pain.
Great.
She grabbed some towels for our wounds. “I’ve got a shotgun upstairs.” My friend darted for the door. A bolt struck her in the chest, sending her spinning into the wall.
“Bloody hell!” she cried as she hit the floor, her left wrist twisting with a crack.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
The figure reached for Riley’s head.
“Riley!” I called, desperation suffocating me.
Every move I made got the bolts flying, and the figure was too protected by its magic for me to do anything.
The blue hand closed in on Riley’s scalp.
“Riley!” I charged, not thinking of anything other than stopping the figure from making contact. I got thrown back by a bolt, my spine slamming into the wall.
You fucking idiot!I scolded myself, a vessel for aching on the floor, queasiness my new best friend.
I’d definitely cracked a couple of ribs.
The figure grabbed Riley’s head, blue light swallowing them in a pulsating cocoon. Sparks spat into the air, bolts forking at the ceiling.
“Riley!” Unsteadily, I got to my feet, my body unable to take much more punishment.
No. Not Riley. He couldn’t have my Riley.
