How to Lose Your Dragon (The Immortality Curse Book 1) by Peter Glenn (beach read TXT) 📕

The patrons gasped and backed away, their steaming bowls of pho quickly forgotten. One of them pulled out a phone camera to record the whole thing, which made me groan. I did not need a recording of this showing up later.

Fortunately, Lanky Guy didn’t either, and with one hand, he smashed the patron’s phone.

I huffed and held my sword over his neck. “Not so confident now, are you bud?”

Another patron gasped, and I flashed them a quick smile. The lighting out here wasn’t great, and I kinda hoped they wouldn’t recognize me for the police report that was sure to follow.

I raised the blade up in the air and prepared to bring it down, but Lanky Guy disappeared before I could do anything, slinking out of the broken window faster than my eye could follow.

The restaurant patrons quickly forgotten, I spun around to look for Lanky Guy. A grunting noise from behind me alerted me to his continued presence. I spun again and saw his gory face, covered in sheets of blood, with tiny glass shards sticking out of it, grinning at me.

“I won’t go down that easy,” he spat, spraying blood and spittle on my suit jacket. He looked like a mess, but his sword hand was steady.

Besides, anyone that could withstand having their head shoved through a glass windowpane and still stand moments later deserved to be feared.

I yelled something unintelligible and hacked at him with Grax’thor, coming in hard. Our blades met and clashed, time and again, their clanging noises the only sound shattering the still night air.

Sometime during the duel, I managed to get turned around, and I spared a half-second glance at Rick’s hiding spot. He was still huddled by a nearby car, face ashen white, looking like he was about to hurl, but otherwise no worse for the wear. I could handle that.

I made a low swipe with my blade, slashing at Lanky Guy’s outstretched leg. He darted backward and my blade sang through air instead of flesh. I snarled and came at him again in a back-handed strike.

This time, Grax’thor found purchase, and I noticed a new rivulet of blood flow down Lanky Guy’s leg where my blade had nicked him.

I expected the dude to howl or recoil in pain, but I wasn’t so lucky. I should have guessed. Having his head smashed into a window hadn’t done anything. Why would a tiny nick to his leg?

My momentary lapse was all the opening Lanky Guy needed. His sword arced down, slicing into my stomach, tearing through fabric and skin. I felt a thin line open up in my abdomen as hot blood poured out of the wound, staining my outfit.

I was no Lanky Guy. That wound stung. I placed my free hand over the wound and staggered backward a few steps, barely managing to fend off Lanky Guy’s renewed offensive as I went.

I took another step backward and realized I was up against a shop front again. The record store this time. Not a great spot to be in, but at least there were no patrons to gawk at me. Still, backed up against glass like this, my options were dwindling.

Lanky Guy came at me again, his blade whooshing through the air, aimed right at my head. I freaked and ducked under the blow at the last minute, then rolled to the side.

The sound of metal crunching and a minor explosion filled my ears as my surroundings suddenly dimmed a half degree. I looked around to notice Lanky Guy’s sword had collided with a nearby lamppost. Sparks flew everywhere as the wires fizzled. Better yet, his blade was stuck in the mess of metal and plastic from the wires.

As Lanky Guy struggled to free his weapon, an idea came to me. I’d seen it work in movies, at least. I took my free hand off my stomach wound. It hurt every time I moved, but it didn’t appear to be deep.

Then I covered my hand the best I could with my sleeve and reached forward to grab one of the cut wires. I grabbed it and thrust it into Lanky Guy’s arm and… nothing happened. Not even a jolt.

Honestly, it was a bit of a downer. Where was the electrocution? I’m telling you, we’ve been lied to all these years.

Lanky Guy’s elbow flew backward and smacked me right on the bridge of my nose. I staggered backward again, almost toppling over onto a white sedan.

Hot liquid ran down my face and stars swam in my vision, but I fought to keep conscious. I had to protect Rick so I could find Mei. The fate of the world depended on it.

I inhaled sharply. The action inflamed the wound in my stomach again, but I fought against it. Slowly, my vision began to clear, at about the same time Lanky Guy managed to free his sword.

Lanky Guy spun on his heels, sword at the ready, but this time, I was faster. I crouched low and lunged, sword held fast in both hands and I pushed.

Grax’thor greedily bit into his unprotected stomach, sinking in several inches before Lanky Guy could even change direction.

My opponent grunted and twisted his body, and Grax’thor went with him. My grip was slick with my own blood, and I hadn’t expected a maniacal move like that.

I freaked for a moment, then remembered I still had my katana. My non-wet hand went to the katana and pulled it out, bringing it to bear just in time to block a heavy downward thrust.

I slid the katana down the shaft of Lanky Guy’s weapon, turning it at the last moment, and swiped at his arm. The blow connected, tearing off a rather impressive chunk of flesh.

But even that only phased the dude for a moment. He seemed to stare down at the fresh injury again, then shrugged and renewed his offensive. Would nothing stop this fiend?

I let loose a battle cry and ran toward him,