Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~ SIXTY THREE ~~

Leraj sighed, concern in the way his lips turned down. "You're right. We should-" Then his eyes returned to their original colour and he went grey. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, only quick reflexes on my behalf stopping him from cracking his skull open.

"Leraj?! Hey, wake up!" I pressed my ear to his chest, feeling the slight rise and fall of it with each slow breath. At least he wasn't dead but now he wasn't waking up. "Leraj, I promise you that you can sleep when the day ends but right now, we have to keep moving," I pleaded, tapping his cheek. His eyelids fluttered but nothing more.

"Better get your boyfriend in there, Estra," Ban said.

My head whipped round. Diane and Gilthunder were enveloped in a large green sphere. It was one of the healing beads Holy Knights used in battle. I narrowed my eyes at the Fox's Sin of Greed.

"He's not my boyfriend." Brittle anger sharpened my words. Nonetheless, I picked up Leraj effortlessly and laid him inside the glowing sphere. In an instant, all his scratches and bruises healed, the colours of life returning to his face.

Amber eyes opening, I helped him sit upright. "I think my head hurts more from all these questions I have. I don't even want to know where he got this from."

"Man, I probably should have used this on the captain. Whoops."

I grabbed Ban by the collars, dragging his face level with mine. For a heated second, we held gazes before I thrust him away from me. He stumbled back while I held my ground.

"When this is over, I get a free punch in return." There were more things I wanted to say but the words had trouble formulating into coherent sentences in my anger.

"Fine," he said with a chuckle.

"I feel so much better," Diane marvelled. "It's like when King healed us with his Spirit Spear configuration."

"Guess that means we better use this newfound strength to do some damage," I said. I searched about then retrieved my sword, sheathing it.

"What's the plan?"

But before I could get an answer, a harrowed scream raised all the hairs on the back of my arms.

I spun round, scanning for the familiar voice. There! I sprinted towards her, leaping over debris and dodging the flying chunks in the air. When I was close enough, I pulled free my blade. A slanted wall made my route easier, gaining height easily for the flight in midair I take, a daring leap with my blade overhead.

With a roar, I brought my sword down on Jericho's demon hand, the one she held onto a young knight. Her screen could shatter glass. Blood poured out of the severed limbs, drenching me and the young knight who fell to the ground.

Gilthunder slewed past, catching the young man in his arms and drawing him out of harm's way. I alighted on the edge of a broken roof, staring down at Jericho's howling demon form.

"You!" she shrieked. A stubbied arm punched at me and I leapt just before impact.

I grabbed the edge of a broken building, feet planted on the side. Hanging like a bug on the wall, I shivered from the adrenaline coursing through me. Strength I never knew I had sent all my nerves firing.

She punched at me again, taking out the wall, as I somersaulted into the air and landed with a skid on the ground beneath Diane's shadow.

"Please, kill me already," Jericho pleaded to Diane, tears in her eyes.

"Don't say that. The last thing I wanna do is kill you."

"Then get out of my way, would you?" Ban said.