Betrayal: Book 3 of the Guardians Saga

Chap. 1.1 Gabe vs. Alex

The New Orleans alley was paved with iconic cobblestones, but dirty water and trash from overflowing garbage cans, combined with the darkness of a cloudy night, hid them.

Four men in the obligatory hoodies and baggy pants of a street gang struggled, fists and knives, against three tall, not quite human, figures and one angry woman in black leather.

"Alex, watch out," Gabe said. The draconic humanoid leader of his Guardian team, he kept an eye on their fights and called out instructions. He projected a human appearance but his humanoid figure and blunt muzzle made the disguise easy.

His own opponent took advantage of his distraction and ran. Two of his comrades followed on his heels.

Alex turned so that the remaining thug's fist cracked against her temple rather than the back of her head. One of the thug's large gold rings tore her scalp on the shaved side of her head and she slammed against the wall.

Although her brown hair had grown long enough to hide the craniotomy scar from her neuro-electric implants, it was short enough to allow the blood to drip freely down to her shoulder.

Rile, Gabe's youngest brother, rushed forward, staff out. "On it."

The tip jammed into the attacker's gut. He bent double and then went down as Alex kicked his knee. She blasted him into unconsciousness with her neuro-electric powers.

"Bastard. I'll strip you naked and melt down your gold for that," she shouted at the unconscious form.

"Alex," Gabe said, warning ringing in his voice.

"What?" Alex slipped off the ring and tossed it to him. "It has my blood on it. Not leaving it, or any of them, behind. I'll donate the melted lumps to the women's shelter."

"Sounds good to me." Rile unsheathed his sword and ripped through the man's clothing from neck to ankle. "Ugh. Human males are disgusting. Look at all that hair. Chest, legs, everywhere.  It's gross."

"You don't know the half of it." Alex used her sword to pick the clothing off the man. "Where did you learn the term 'gross'?"

"Where else but television? You know I love learning American idioms." Rile sheathed his sword and kicked the clothing into a puddle of filthy water.

"Stop, both of you," Gabe said. "I don't know why you insist on leaving them naked."

"It's called poetic justice," Alex said. "Although they deserve worse. I'll spare you the horrific explanation of why."

"Here are the other rings." Rile hurled them at his oldest brother.

Gabe plucked them out of the air with ease. Alex tested her temple and looked at the blood on her fingers.

"Are we done for the night?" she asked. "If so, I'm off to a doc in the box."

"Let me see." Gabe approached but she turned her face away.

"Nothing you can do," Alex said. "Are we done or not?"

"Let her see the doctor," Cale, the middle brother, said, gaze intent on the gash.

"Usually we have to argue with her to go," Rile said.

"True. You may visit the human healer."

"Thank you." Anger blazed briefly from Alex's eyes but she squashed it.

"I'm coming with you," Gabe replied.

Alex let her head fall forward and her chin rested on her chest. "Why?"

I hope that didn't sound like whining.

"I'm the team leader and I want to see what the human healer does."