demanded he act. He shoved it ruthlessly aside. “Death Dealers receive extensive training in and about the human realm.”
The door shook. Another snort. A grunt.
“That’s one of Daygan’s savages out there.” He backed up, pushing the girls behind him.
“That’s ridiculous. Why would they knock on the door?”
A loud thud hit the door, rocked the house.
Mia whimpered.
“Probably hoping you’d answer it and they could just grab you quietly.”
The door splintered under the next blow.
“Run.” Jackson shoved both girls into the hallway and turned to follow them.
Rhythmic grunting came from beyond a closed door at the end of the hall. He stopped short, kicking himself. Even without his extra senses he should have realized what Daygan was up to. “Ryleigh, you have to open a portal. They knocked on the door to allow the others to come in the back without us noticing.”
The remnants of the front door crashed against the wall.
“Ryleigh.” Mia’s voice shook. “Do something. Hurry.”
Daygan and three of his savages now stood in the living room.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Jackson Maynard. Imagine meeting you here. Shouldn’t you be home learning how to be a soldier, or a king, or a princess, or something?” Daygan’s vicious smile held no humor.
Jackson ignored him and turned the girls toward the back of the house.
Two more savages blocked their escape route.
He shoved Mia behind him, caged her between his back and the wall.
Ryleigh stood by his side.
“Any time you’re ready, Ryleigh.”
“I can’t. I don’t know what to do.” Ryleigh sobbed.
Mia’s teeth chattered. “Please, someone, do something.”
“Give me the girl, Jackson.” Daygan took a step closer. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll even let you keep the scrawny one.”
Ryleigh stiffened at his side.
“I’m not giving you either of the girls, Daygan.” Jackson stepped in front of Ryleigh, tried to shield both girls.
“Oh, that’s quite interesting, Prince Maynard, and how do you think you’re going to stop me? You being stripped of your powers and all.” His euphoric grin widened.
Confusion gripped Jackson. How could Daygan have known that? He pushed the thought aside, no time for that now. He took a step away from the girls allowing himself more room to maneuver. He had little to no chance of defeating five savages and Daygan without use of any powers, especially in the cramped hallway where they’d effectively trapped him. Maybe he could get through the two at the back and at least allow the girls a chance to flee.
With tremendous speed, Jackson took three steps toward the back of the hallway and launched himself off the floor. Leading with both feet, he crashed into the chest of one of the savages. Before the beast hit the floor, Jackson landed and spun around with a kick to the head of the other.
A scream brought him up short.
He whirled around to find Daygan advancing toward the girls, his maniacal grin firmly in place.
Chapter 5
Mia screamed. “Ryleigh!”
Not even Mia’s terror could break the paralysis gripping Ryleigh. Her gaze jumped wildly between the lunatic moving toward her and the three monsters apparently under his control. Fear clutched her heart, squeezed her lungs.
The beasts were huge, tall, and more muscular than any man she’d ever seen. They all had the same long, stringy, dark hair, bushy eyebrows, full beards and thick heavy brows. They couldn’t possibly be real. This couldn’t be happening.
“Ryleigh, go. Now!”
Jackson’s voice finally penetrated the trance.
He slammed his elbow back into a creature’s head. The thing lurched to the side, leaving a narrow opening between it and the wall.
Ryleigh grabbed Mia’s arm and shoved her through the opening then followed right on her heels. They ran through Ryleigh’s bedroom and scrambled out the open window into the darkness of the yard.
“Go. Over the fence.” Jackson caught up to them as they
The door shook. Another snort. A grunt.
“That’s one of Daygan’s savages out there.” He backed up, pushing the girls behind him.
“That’s ridiculous. Why would they knock on the door?”
A loud thud hit the door, rocked the house.
Mia whimpered.
“Probably hoping you’d answer it and they could just grab you quietly.”
The door splintered under the next blow.
“Run.” Jackson shoved both girls into the hallway and turned to follow them.
Rhythmic grunting came from beyond a closed door at the end of the hall. He stopped short, kicking himself. Even without his extra senses he should have realized what Daygan was up to. “Ryleigh, you have to open a portal. They knocked on the door to allow the others to come in the back without us noticing.”
The remnants of the front door crashed against the wall.
“Ryleigh.” Mia’s voice shook. “Do something. Hurry.”
Daygan and three of his savages now stood in the living room.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Jackson Maynard. Imagine meeting you here. Shouldn’t you be home learning how to be a soldier, or a king, or a princess, or something?” Daygan’s vicious smile held no humor.
Jackson ignored him and turned the girls toward the back of the house.
Two more savages blocked their escape route.
He shoved Mia behind him, caged her between his back and the wall.
Ryleigh stood by his side.
“Any time you’re ready, Ryleigh.”
“I can’t. I don’t know what to do.” Ryleigh sobbed.
Mia’s teeth chattered. “Please, someone, do something.”
“Give me the girl, Jackson.” Daygan took a step closer. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll even let you keep the scrawny one.”
Ryleigh stiffened at his side.
“I’m not giving you either of the girls, Daygan.” Jackson stepped in front of Ryleigh, tried to shield both girls.
“Oh, that’s quite interesting, Prince Maynard, and how do you think you’re going to stop me? You being stripped of your powers and all.” His euphoric grin widened.
Confusion gripped Jackson. How could Daygan have known that? He pushed the thought aside, no time for that now. He took a step away from the girls allowing himself more room to maneuver. He had little to no chance of defeating five savages and Daygan without use of any powers, especially in the cramped hallway where they’d effectively trapped him. Maybe he could get through the two at the back and at least allow the girls a chance to flee.
With tremendous speed, Jackson took three steps toward the back of the hallway and launched himself off the floor. Leading with both feet, he crashed into the chest of one of the savages. Before the beast hit the floor, Jackson landed and spun around with a kick to the head of the other.
A scream brought him up short.
He whirled around to find Daygan advancing toward the girls, his maniacal grin firmly in place.
Chapter 5
Mia screamed. “Ryleigh!”
Not even Mia’s terror could break the paralysis gripping Ryleigh. Her gaze jumped wildly between the lunatic moving toward her and the three monsters apparently under his control. Fear clutched her heart, squeezed her lungs.
The beasts were huge, tall, and more muscular than any man she’d ever seen. They all had the same long, stringy, dark hair, bushy eyebrows, full beards and thick heavy brows. They couldn’t possibly be real. This couldn’t be happening.
“Ryleigh, go. Now!”
Jackson’s voice finally penetrated the trance.
He slammed his elbow back into a creature’s head. The thing lurched to the side, leaving a narrow opening between it and the wall.
Ryleigh grabbed Mia’s arm and shoved her through the opening then followed right on her heels. They ran through Ryleigh’s bedroom and scrambled out the open window into the darkness of the yard.
“Go. Over the fence.” Jackson caught up to them as they