Sentinel: A Light Mage Wars Novella (The Light Mage Wars) by Nancy Northcott

Author:Nancy Northcott [Northcott, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Rickety Bookshelf Press
Published: 2014-03-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The ghouls' thick, sludgy life energy struck Caro's senses like a wave of icy sewage. Bile surged into her throat. Fighting it back, she slid her phone under the seat so the reeves would have an open line.

Rick was outnumbered. She'd sensed the movement as he put one ghoul down, but he was battling another, with one–ohgod!–heading for her door. She could feel its approach and sense its outline.

With Rick's energy diverted by the fight, ghoul magic could pierce his shield around the car and unlock or blast the door. If she stayed in the car, she'd have no maneuvering room. The thing would have an easier time grabbing her. She had to act, and fast, despite the chill of dread in her bones and the coppery taste of fear on her tongue.

She and Griffin had practiced for ghoul attacks. She could do this. Had to do this.

Even though that meant letting enough of their sickening magic into her awareness to sense their shapes.

Rick was still fighting, but there was another ghoul stalking across the road. Rick couldn't take them all alone.

Caro snapped out her cane. Sliding her shaking hand down it, she firmed the first joint and the third, then broke the central one.

Her cane had just become kali sticks, twin rods popular in Filipino martial arts. She poured power into them.

A ghoul, male by its energy, magically popped her door's lock and yanked open the door. Caro leaned inward, away from its raking talons. Pouring power into the right-hand stick, she jabbed it backhanded into the ghoul's gut.

The powered strike pushed it back several feet, giving her room to scramble out of the car. Roaring, the male lunged for her. She blocked its arm with a left upward strike and teed off with the right stick, slashing upward between the thing's legs.

It gave a choked cry, doubling. The shielding aura around it caved. Caro swept the left stick around and up, jabbing through the soft underside of its jaw. "Morere," she cried, pushing all the power she could draw into the strike.

The ghoul made a sick, gurgling noise. Its life energy blanked out, and it collapsed.

Caro swallowed against nausea. No time to be sick now.

"Caro!" Rick grabbed her as she realized the only energy signature near was his, churning now from the fight.

With a gasp, she dropped the gory left stick and clung to him. Now that the fight was over, she was shaking, cold again. The air reeked of ammonia from ghoul corpses.

His arms locked around her. Under her palm, his heart thundered. Despite his ragged breathing, his voice was tender. "You okay, Sunshine?"

"Y–ye-yeah." He's alive, he's alive, he's alive ran through her brain, and she tightened her hold on him. He must've killed the other ghoul.

His lips brushed her hairline. "You sure? You're shaking."

"C–cold." But she could feel his extended senses. He was keeping watch even as he comforted her. The realization jolted her. "There could be more ghouls."

"I'm not picking up any, but we should stay alert.

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