Page 75 of Aleko
Trevor and Collin rose from the water with a terrorizing speed, slamming into Seth from the left and then from the right. Sethstaggered and the spell around Anuket faltered. Alex charged, diving through surf, he wrapped an arm around the taller man’s neck and pulled him down, shoving his face under water. The pack swept in behind him, he could feel them the world narrowing down to the moment of the kill.
There was a cracking sound like something breaking and then a ball of light burst out of Seth, tossing them through the air. Alex hit the ground hard enough that he felt some of the rocks on the beach break his skin and his ribs fracture. The impact was so sharp that for a moment he couldn’t inhale.
Every combat instinct he’d ever had was screaming at him to move. He remembered this. The bombs would go off and time slowed down. But fast was never fast enough. Alex rolled, trying to avoid whatever strike was coming next and regained his feet. He could feel the stitch in his side where his healing powers weren’t done fixing whatever had happened. He took one step and saw another crackling strike of magic heading for him. Somewhere a voice was shouting.
The yellow ball of fury struck a blue shield and Alex realized that Yazmin was holding the largest shield spell he’d ever seen over the pack. Seth’s lighting glanced off it, splintering in all directions as Yazmin’s shield dropped and she collapsed to her knees. Hudson was already moving to her side and Alex looked back to Seth, looking for Lia.
Lia was standing in front of Seth again, wand raised. Seth was focused on her, pure hatred on his cracked and scarred face. Alex moved, trying to get closer without drawing his eye. He saw Anuket standing in the waves. She eyed the selkies and then shook her head and stalked toward Seth. The moon was behind her and Alex couldn’t see her face, but the set to her shoulders said that she was pissed.
“You have nothing that can hurt me,” said Seth, raising his hand toward Lia. He would crush her and if that happened Alexknew that he wouldn’t survive either.
“I wish,” said Lia, her voice clear and decisive, “that you felt Howell’s pain.” The stick left a trail of sparks in the air and Alex realized that it was a magic wand. He hadn’t thought those were real, but he didn’t have time to be amazed.
Seth laughed as he took another step but stopped, swaying on his feet, eyes blinking in shock. Alex knew this was his moment. He called on every ounce of speed he possessed and surged forward.
“Now feel your own,” said Alex and slammed his fist into Seth’s chest, claws first. He felt the splintering of Seth’s ribs, and then soft slither of lungs shredding, he clenched his hand around the first solid object he found and squeezed. Seths heart flexed around his fingers.
“Hic et nunc,”said Anuket and jammed her fingers into Seth’s skull, delving into his brain like smoke. Alex pulled, ripping out the heart, but it was as if Seth was shriveling in upon himself. Seth sank to his knees, becoming ever more gray as Anuket seemed to take on a more vibrant hue.
She removed her fingers and Alex watched as they once again became solid. She lifted one hand and licked it thoughtfully as Seth’s corpse collapsed onto the sand. Alex tossed his heart down on top of the remains and then spit on it.
“Lia,” said Alex, turning back to her, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were fixed on Anuket.
“OK,” said Lia, squaring her shoulders. “My turn.”
“What?” Alex could barely get the word out.
“I wish you were over there,” said Lia, her glance flicked to him, but she didn’t make eye contact. Alex blinked and turned around. He was now fifty yards down the beach near the cabana.
“What the fuck?”
He ran back, but he could see Lia facing Anuket. He didn’t hear what Lia said, but Anuket had her head cocked to one side,considering Lia like an insignificant bug. Lia didn’t have the wand lifted, she was just standing there, begging to be killed.
Episode 39
Fault Lines
Eliandra
“What do you mean?” asked Anuket.
“Your magic was stolen,” said Lia. “And you have his now. So, you just need mine and then… Then you’ll be all better.”
“What? No!” Lia looked around in surprise as Yazmin reappeared. “No, no, no,” said Yazmin.
“No one is talking to you, Priestess,” snapped Anuket. “Why are all priestesses so uppity?”
“I’m not…”
“You’re still talking,” said Anuket, raising her hand.
Lia grabbed Anuket’s hand and flung it down. Anuket looked at her in surprise. “That is my priestess! Don’t you touch her! She says whatever she wants!”
Lia was screaming and she knew she sounded insane. It was the kind of outburst that led to being placed in restraints. Lia stopped, breathing heavily.
“My priestess,” she muttered. Her hands were shaking.
She looked around and saw that Alekos was back, but Hudson was holding onto him, as if keeping him from running to get her.
