Rage and Ruin | 2

7 | 6

D E L P H I N I U M

      The group of soldiers was so close now. I had to force myself to stay still and not rashly tear them apart until I was ready. My strength and gathering power had to be at its highest capacity possible. All I needed was to focus for a moment more...

One of them fired the first shot. I felt she pull of it in the center of my chest as I angled the bullet as far away from myself as I could. Sweeping my body to the side, it barely missed me. I made the still-burning hot bullet stop midair and sink into the place where the first soldier's heart should have been. She fell.

"Filthy traitor!" One of them screamed in Russian. "We should kill you where you stand."

I took that to mean Orion told them they could do anything short of killing me. My death would be his prize, and his prize only. If any of the others took it, their own lives would be taken in swift retribution. I supposed the only comfort was knowing my death wouldn't be instant or near, as Orion was still in Romania.

But I wouldn't die. Not today.

"You could try," I countered, words dripping with cold arrogance. "But you'd be disappointed."

"For Orion!" Another yelled and charged me. The helmet he wore covered his face, a face that undoubtedly mirrored his master's. The others came up after him, screaming for my blood.

Eyes dropping, I saw the two knives the first soldier was bearing. The same as mine. Blades clashed together. He fought well, boasting the lightning fast strokes and agility of anyone taught under Orion. It was a shame I'd also been taught by their master.

I took a few thin slices of his blades before he made a mistake and whipped his hand out too far. The power of the strike threw him slightly off-balance. To an untrained eye, it would have been imperceptible, but I saw his mistake and took it as an opportunity. His chest was open now. Perfect for my dagger to tear through.

As the second body fell, more surged forward to become my next opponents. They'd keep coming until I was completely worn down and then they would beat me half-dead and bring me to Orion. I already knew that but it was not the way I was going to allow this fight was going to end.

      I lashed out with my knives. Metal met flesh and bone. When my two knives weren't enough to keep them at bay, I swung my fists and booted feet up to slam into those who dared come near me.

      A soldier attempted to gut my side, aiming between my lower ribs. I buried my dagger into her own side before she could and shoved the body into the line of fire. It took many of the bullets being shot toward me and I finally shoved it into the crowd, making one stumble. I wasted no time in crushing the squirming man's windpipe under my heel.

      My first priority was taking out the ones holding guns; they would kill me more easily than those with blades. I scanned the crowd, dodging blows and bullets as I did so. There were three to my right. I lunged and made the guns rip out of the mens' hands and stick to the ceiling like magnets. I normally didn't attempt to move firearms with my mind simply because of how risky it could be—the last thing I wanted to do was accidentally shoot myself—but this was anything but a normal time. Without the gun to protect himself, all three went down faster.

      There was another one in the crowd shooting bullets toward my limbs in an attempt to incapacitate me. They had to be near, had to be close enough to shoot without being in danger of injuring their own brethren. Someone hit me in the back and a shiver of pain shot down my spine, directing my attention away for a moment. The shooter unleashed another volley of ammo toward me in my distracted state. Quickly ducking behind the largest soldier I could see, I let the bullets hit him rather than me.