SAGE (under edit)

Chapter Fifteen

'Let me go, Dante!'

The sound of his captain's voice distracted Trey, his eyes lifting toward the house the Shadow Soldiers had been residing in to see Sage being dragged back inside by Dante Koran.

But Nox Ludoco stepped in front of him, blocking his line of sight. 'You ain't getting past me, Crest brat.'

Trey turned his sword over in his hand, the tip of his blade pointing toward Nox's chest. 'I may not, but they will.'

Leah swept around Trey, surprising Nox, and snapped out her hand to strike Nox's chest but despite his surprise, and his stature, he reeled back out of her reach just in time. It didn't matter though, because Raven had ducked around him to go for the house.

But she was pulled up short as two knives cut through the air toward her; she deflected one with the metal guard on the back of her hand and swept under the other, letting it lodge in the ground behind her. Above, Toren Micah armed himself with two more knives to replace the ones he had thrown.

Raven didn't miss a beat though; she turned, snatched up one of the discarded daggers and launched it at Nox. He wasn't fast enough to dodge the blade, but neither did he flinch when it lodged in his shoulder. As if he didn't even feel it.

It had almost been the perfect ambush; would have been, had Chase not let the mask over his Kyra slip. Trey knew he shouldn't have been surprised because it was easy to lose control of masking your Kyra when emotions were running high, just like Chase's were the closer they came to the Shadow Soldiers' hideout. But they had been so close to gaining an advantage over the Shadow Soldiers, so close to catching them by surprise and rescuing Sage, but Trye could feel that quickly slipping away.

Gunshots sounded, and Trey took the chance to strike at Nox, his heel spinning into the grass as his sword rounded in a wide swing towards Nox's ribs. He parried with his broadsword, but Trey swung again, and again, while Leah weaved in and out between them like a dancer hoping to land a blow that would disable some of Nox's Kyra.

But Nox moved with one eye on Leah, deflecting one of Trey's strikes only to turn and swing his huge sword straight for Leah which forced her to back away out of the sword's range. Raven was still at a standstill, barred entry to the house while Toren rained down knives, even Sydney had to cease firing in order to avoid Toren's blades.

Nox lunged for Trey, his sword ripping up dirt as he dragged it through the earth and up in a skyward arc. Trey vaulted backwards, only to stumble back against the courtyard wall when he miscalculated the space behind him. They were too confined in the courtyard; but it worked to the Shadow Soldiers advantage.

They had probably trained for this very situation, in case they were ever ambushed.

Leah tried to intercept Nox from reaching Trey, but he was ready for her. Nox snatched her wrist before she could land a strike and with an incredible surge of strength he swung Leah off her feet and tossed her straight into Raven behind him. Raven and Leah tumbled to the ground, leaving Nox and Trey to each other.

Nox struck first, bringing his sword down on Trey but Trey parried with Kyra strengthening his arms.

But Nox was still stronger, and with the advantage of height he bore down on Trey and he felt his legs buckle, dropping to one knee. He kept his sword raised despite the burn in his arms, and when he lifted his gaze back up he found Nox grinning down at him.

*****

Raidan parried one of the Crest Soldiers who wielded two short swords, and stepped around the kick that snapped toward his abdomen. He caught the Crest Soldier's ankle because he could lower his leg and pulled him forward so he stumbled, and with another turn Raidan slammed his elbow into the Soldier's back, right between his ribs. He heard the Soldier gasp from the hit and drop to his knees, but before Raidan could strike again he was knocked aside by Leon.