Storm Forged: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Death Before Dragons Book 6) by Lindsay Buroker

Author:Lindsay Buroker [Buroker, Lindsay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

17

Sindari and I only had time to scoot under the branches of trees—trees that would hopefully protect us from Shaygor’s overhead attacks of fire—and position ourselves back to back before the burly orcs rushed out of the woods across the street. One fired a crossbow bolt that should have taken me in the eye, but I saw him squeezing the trigger and had time to dodge. The quarrel slammed into a tree over Sindari’s head.

As he roared his disgruntlement, I pulled out Fezzik and fired at the charging orcs. My first few bullets ricocheted off magical barriers. Then, remembering how I’d burrowed through Shaygor’s barrier with my magic, I re-formed the plant imagery in my mind and willed it to peel back the barriers of the two lead orcs. One grunted in what sounded like surprise. I fired right at him. Fezzik’s magical bullets blasted into the orc’s chest. Three more rounds hammered into his head, and he stutter-stepped before pitching forward.

More grunts of surprise came from the group, but the orcs kept coming. Shaygor screeched from the trees right above me. He didn’t use fire, maybe because his allies were so close, but a magical hammer strike landed on me as if I were a nail. My knees gave way as his power forced me to the ground.

Sindari snapped at the orcs, trying to keep them at bay. Half of them tried to circle us and the others rushed at me, trying to take advantage.

Though pain and power battered at me from above, I rose to my feet and tried again to force the closest orc’s barrier down. It was like attempting to focus with a nail gun firing into my head, and I couldn’t summon the necessary imagery. I fired, but the bullets bounced off.

An orc with a crossbow fired at me. This time, he was too close, and I didn’t have time to dodge the quarrel. It slipped past the edge of my armored vest and pierced my shoulder with fiery agony. Another orc sprang at me, a sword raised.

Fighting the pain in my shoulder, I swung Chopper up to block him. The force of the blow jarred my shoulder, and I couldn’t keep a cry from escaping my lips. I gritted my teeth and thrust back, trying to drive him farther away. Behind me, Sindari snapped and slashed at his own opponents. He couldn’t help me.

For the first time, I realized I might die tonight.

More orcs pressed in, and all I could do was defend, parrying axes and swords, barely managing to deflect blades before they pierced my chest or bashed my skull. I had to give ground, almost stepping on poor Sindari’s feet as I backed toward the trees. I was too harried and in too much pain to focus on creating magic.

Overhead, Shaygor roared. His next attack would leave me on the ground and defenseless against the orcs.

But then I sensed another dragon. Zav.

Need some help, I cried telepathically toward him, though he surely already knew.

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