Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [189]
Maudi. Help. The temple witches!
She flicked blood from her sword as she turned towards Drayco. Her face drained of colour. They had him bound by the neck and hind legs and were stretching him. She screamed, and with sword high she ran towards him but hands grabbed her, knocked her down from behind. Her face was pressed into the mud, limbs pinned, a boot between her shoulder blades. She struggled for an instant and then stopped. Deep breath. Don’t let them see it coming.
She let go her human form, like releasing sand through her fingers. It fell away and in its place she took the form of a python, the body like a twisting tree in the mud. The boot lifted and she reared, striking the face of the warrior as he stumbled over himself, hands flaying. The men who’d pinned her arms and legs fell forward, fists empty. She hissed, striking again. They recovered. Swords came out and she coiled, springing to strike, her wolf form morphing out of the snake’s head as she did.
The closest fighter swung wildly towards her throat as she leapt. Rosette latched onto his forearm and dragged him to the ground. Lupins pressed in behind her, attacking those that blocked the way to Drayco, but she couldn’t get through. She growled and snarled in the darkness, shifting again, falcon wings rising out of the wolf’s forelimbs. As the lightning flashed, her talons ripped the neck of the nearest warrior, catching his windpipe and taking it with her as she rose above the battle. The rain beat down, washing the blood from her claws, striking her feathers like needles, running off her back. She screeched.
From above she could see the cowled hoods of the temple witches forming a circle around Drayco, keeping the ropes taut. He was choking and spitting and they held him down with their intention. She gauged the force of the spell, folded her wings behind her back and dove straight for them. A second before connecting she opened her wings, pivoting her body to drive her talons forward. A witch bent over Drayco, a knife in her hand. Rosette screeched again, slitting her throat. Back-winging, she stopped her momentum with powerful downstrokes and rose out of the circle. The witches were wielding staffs, more Corsanons coming to their aid. She dove again as lightning cracked the sky.
The momentum of her strike snapped the arm of a witch who was raising her staff. Bones protruded and blood sprayed the air. Rosette hit the ground next to Drayco’s head, talons first, severing the neck rope. Darkness blinded her, the enemy disappearing with the light. She jumped back out of her falcon form and shifted; drawing her sword in a wide arc, she cut through staffs and limbs alike. The fools were all in her kill circle now. Drayco’s head lifted and he struggled to stand. Nearly retching, he lunged at the captor behind him. Lightning flashed. The temple witch let go of her rope, hands coming up to throw a spell. Drayco connected, jaws wide, fangs closing between her shoulder and neck. Blood sprayed, and he dropped the limp body. The other witches faltered.
Rosette fought beside him, cutting and blocking, boosting her power into the sword. The rain fell harder; her hands were soaked red, the ground slick beneath her feet.
Behind, Maudi!
She spun too fast, lost her footing and slipped to her knees. She blocked with her sword but a Corsanon knocked it out of her hand with an axe blow. She crouched, shifting into a temple cat. With one swipe of her claws she raked his chest, hooking in between ribs, puncturing his heart and lungs. She flung the body aside and sprang, not waiting for the lightning to reveal her foe.
They’ve got Teg, Maudi!
She spun