A Touch of Lightning: Beyond the Pale 1 by Kit Fortier

Author:Kit Fortier [Fortier, Kit]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: MM Romance, MM Fantasy
ISBN: 9781692124267
Google: RHm0yQEACAAJ
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: 2019-09-11T04:00:00+00:00

15. San Diego, 2011

Jake

Jake stared over the park. The park that had mysteriously cleared out last night. The park that was the site of an incredible battle between alchemists and altered beasts. Those beasts were unleashed upon them by a wizard who sought to own and control the alchemists.

So much silver flew through the air. Powdered silver thrown in the beasts' faces caused them to suffocate on their own blood. A silver spear slashed and pierced wolf and bear and eagle. Jake's own alchemy opened up the earth and slammed into snarling creatures. They were smashed between slabs of stone. The slabs were crafted from concrete and gravel beneath the tattered public plaza. At last, a knife ended up buried in the wizard's neck.

The creatures paused. They turned and looked at their master, now gurgling on his own blood. They tore him apart, shredding him and flinging organs and flesh across the street.

Then they turned back on the alchemists.

They fought hard. But even as they whittled them down, they were hurting badly. Silver expendables were expended. Weapons that would have been useful were behind the creatures and out of reach as they closed in.

Sully told Jake to run. He told him to run!

He did.

When he thought he was out of the way, he turned back. Jake saw the altered beasts had sunk their teeth into his mentor's back. They began to drag him down to the gruesome end that awaited him.

But the man had one more card to play. Jake saw it. His mentor drew one last desperate circle and pressed his hand into it.

Suddenly the disaster area that was the park rapidly began to reassemble itself. Stone slabs broke into concrete, flying into place. They trapped animals inside like victims of the Cask of Amontillado. Others got crushed by concrete slabs, the park's floors, its sidewalks, and its walkways. Jake heard the crunch of bones and tissue getting pulverized. Nothing remained of anyone caught in the transmutation.

That included Jake's mentor.

He was gone, and Jake remained.

Jake stood there in the fading sun, marveling at how quickly it filled up with transients.

He tugged his black pea coat closed and cast his eyes on the floor of the park.

"I'm sorry, Sully. I'll do it. I'll make the circle."

Jake looked back up. He turned on his heel and darted across the street as a speeding car came to a skidding halt behind him.

A slamming car door and squealing tires almost caught Jake's attention, but he shrugged it off. He was almost done crossing the street anyway.

"Excuse me, sir? Can you tell me where the bus station is?"

Jake turned to face the person who had the guts to bother him. People don't ask other people for directions here. They've got their phones! Why would they—

Jake stood there with his mouth open, staring at a tall kid with startling green eyes. He and Jake were almost eye to eye. His face was framed by a dark red mane of wild hair that almost reached his neck.

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