Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

“I know.”

“Then what are you doing?”

Cole’s head twisted toward him, and whateverBrokk saw there caused him to release Cole’s arm and take a stepback.

“Malakai will go back for her,” Colegrowled.

“And what do you plan to do about that?”

“I don’t know.”

Cole didn’t look back at Brokk as hecontinued toward the woods and the broken road on the other side ofthem. That road would lead to the market where he encountered Lexiearlier, and beyond it was her home.

What was he going to do when he got there?Stand guard outside her manor until Malakai returned?

That wasn’t possible, but the idea of leavingher vulnerable to that asshole caused the wolf inside him to stir.A wolf that only ever stirred around her. When he flexed his hands,claws scraped his palm.

He jerked his hands up and stared at theclaws. They weren’t as long as they could be, but he couldn’trecall a time when he’d lost control of himself enough that they’dextended without him doing it on purpose.

The crunch of Brokk’s step caused him toclose his hands to hide those claws, but the look on his brother’sface said he wasn’t fast enough.

“What’s going on?” Brokk inquired.

Before Cole could reply, the crunch of anapproaching footstep silenced him. He caught the scent of othersand turned as five rebel immortals emerged from a copse ofburnt-out trees. Their tattered clothing and bruised bodies gavethem away before Cole recognized them as traitors.

The two in the lead were lycans, a dark faefollowed them, and two vampires were at the back of the pack. Therebels stopped when they spotted Brokk and Cole standing there.

The dark fae took an abrupt step back. Unlikethe others, the fae recognized who he’d run across. The vampiresand lycans didn’t; large grins spread across their faces, and oneof the lycans cracked his knuckles.

Cole’s natural inclination was to draw on hisfae powers, but the wolf was itching for a fight. He’d disembowelthese fuckers for fun if it meant releasing some of the hostilityinside him.

“I’d keep walking, boys,” Brokk warned.

“Good thing we’re not a pussy like you,” oneof the lycans spat.

“You’re going to get one chance to walkaway,” Brokk said.

“We should go,” the dark fae muttered.

“Fuck you,” one of the vamps retorted.

The dark fae slipped into the shadows anddisappeared.

“At least that one’s smart,” Brokk said.

Cole didn’t speak as he studied the lycansand vamps. Like all male lycans, they stood over six feet tall andwere broad through the shoulders and chest. A hint of gold shone intheir eyes as the possibility of a fight excited them. Cole felthis excitement rising in response.

And then they attacked.

CHAPTER 27

Cole ducked the punch the first lycan threw at him,and when the lumbering beast staggered past him, he clasped hishands together and rammed them into his back. The impact causedsomething to give way with a crack and knocked the lycan to hisknees.

The second lycan charged Brokk, who threw uphis hands and hit the lycan with a wave of air. The blast of airlifted the lycan and flung him off his feet. He soared through theair until he hit a tree. The impact shook the tree. The lycan hungthere for a few seconds before collapsing onto the ground.

Brokk was starting to go after the lycan whenone of the vampires transported and threw himself onto Brokk’sback. Staggered by the impact of the weight, Brokk reeled backward.Reaching over his back, Brokk grasped the vamp’s hair and pulledthe creature over his shoulder.

Cole stalked toward the lycan he’d knocked tothe ground, but the other vampire transported, and appearing infront of him, the creature grasped Cole’s throat. Throwing his fullweight into Cole, the vamp shoved him back. Cole nearly went downbut kept himself upright when he planted his back foot and pushedback into the vamp.

When the vamp’s hand clamped down and cut offhis air supply, Cole grasped the vamp’s wrist and twisted to theside. Bone gave way with a crack, and he broke the asshole’s holdon him at the same time he swung his head forward.

His forehead smashed off the vamp’s. Thecreature howled as it reeled back. Blood spilled down the vamp’sforehead and dripped off his nose. When the vamp lifted his head,his once brown eyes were the color of blood.

The vamp vanished as it launched at himagain, but suspecting an attack from behind, Cole spun and swungout with his hand. He couldn’t see the vamp, but his claws caughtin flesh and tore into muscle.

The vampire materialized a second later. Hishands stretched toward Cole, but they froze in midair. Then hishands flew to his sliced-open throat as blood poured forth.

Cole was almost as astonished as the vamp asblood spilled between the vampire’s fingers and splashed onto theground. He hadn’t realized he’d unleashed some of the lycan withinhim until his claws tore into the vamp’s throat.

He’d never let the lycan free before, noteven during the war. When fighting, he’d always relied more on hisdark fae powers, but now he welcomed the rush the release of thelycan gave him.

He smiled as more of the lycan broke free ofits cage, and with another slash, he severed the vamp’s head. Itthudded when it hit the ground and rolled a few feet away.

He turned toward the lycan he’d knocked tothe ground. The beast was already recovering and climbing to hisfeet when Cole launched himself onto its back, seized its hair, andripped its head back.

He plunged his claws into its throat andhacked through the thick sinew. Twisting the lycan’s head to theside, he relished the sound of muscle tearing apart as he succeededin hacking the creature’s head off.

He turned toward Brokk as his brotherdispatched the other vamp. Brokk turned toward the lycan he’d flunginto the tree. He took a step toward him as the tip of a sworderupted out the front of Brokk’s chest. His brother’s eyes widenedas they fell to the blade piercing his heart.

“NO!” Cole bellowed as he released thelycan’s head and shoved its body out of his way.

He didn’t understand what happened untilBrokk twisted to the side. The movement revealed the dark fae whoslipped away had returned and snuck up behind his brother whileBrokk was fighting.

Brokk