the gold eyes of her would-be attacker; its face shifting from one of fury and murderous rage to something soft and nervous.
Biting her lip, she started to stand, hoping her movement wouldn’t spark the monster’s anger again.
But it only stared, blinking and whimpering.
“S-Ser-en-a…”
Her eyes widened. “Za—”
“Well, isn’t this just precious? The beast has a soft spot for you, sis!” the painfully familiar and condescending voice chimed in behind her.
She growled and spun to face her brother. “Keith!” a new surge of anger welled within her as her brother’s smirking face came into view and she instinctively formed her auric bow in her hand, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Missed you too, you horrid little bitch, I’m sure we have so much to catch up on. However, in case you haven’t noticed, I am rather busy and now is not the time to reminisce. I have a bit of unfinished business to conduct with our late-father’s favorite project.”
Serena! Watch out! Devon’s voice echoed in her head just as Keith threw his aura at them. The world shook and the street cratered as the blast connected and Serena felt the ground vanish beneath her as the Zane-monster scooped her up and pulled her against his massive body and shielding her against the flames and debris as they singed and punctured his back. Sensing the pained surge in Zane’s now-red aura, Serena’s eyes widened and she disbanded her auric bow to try and shield him against further harm. The damage had already been done, however, and he let out an agonized howl as his knees buckled and a pool of blood grew at their feet.
“Oh god, Zane! What’s—”
“Don’t!” his voice made her flinch, “We’re…” he growled and shook his head, “I’m fine!”
She glanced up, about to call him on his obvious lie but was only able to cry out as he lifted her and jumped out of the range of another of Keith’s attacks and landed on the rooftop of a used car dealership. Though he’d gotten them clear of the danger, his injuries proved too severe and he buckled and collapsed shortly after setting her down. He groaned, writhing and heaving, as his hulking body seized and his aura inflated and grew bright enough to force her to shield her eyes.
A pained cry issued out that made her insides shift and she tried to squint past the glare of his aura to see what was happening to him. After a moment, the blood-colored orb dimmed and collapsed, turning back to Zane’s familiar blue as it lazily bobbed around his broken and naked body; his mismatched eyes swimming in his skull before focusing on her.
“Serena…?”
“Jesus… Zane! What… what’s happen—” The gentle sound of steps approaching cut off Serena’s panic and she turned, her aura flaring as she hissed at her brother, “Keith! I don’t know what this is about, but I swear on our mothe—”
“Oh shut up, you self-righteous cunt!” his aura spiked and he bared his fangs, “You couldn’t hold your own in a challenge against me when you were in your prime! And you and I can both see those days have long-since left you a husk of our family’s former glory! Now step aside before I’m forced to make an example out of yo—AHHH!” Keith dropped to one knee as the jagged remains of a parking meter—now a makeshift spear that flooded the rooftop in blood-covered coins—jutted through his shoulder.
“I think you should go, Keith,” Zoey floated gracefully to the rooftop with another three parking meters orbiting her in an auric grip, “before I’m forced to create a job-opening in The Council!”
“Gah!” Keith gripped the hunk of metal protruding from him and winced in pain, his aura whipping and darting chaotically, “You wretch! You sodding—Ah! Dammit!—interfering little whelp! I’ll see to it that you’re all made examples of!” Focusing his aura, Keith gripped the meter with his aura and yanked it free, crying out as he did. As his breathing
Biting her lip, she started to stand, hoping her movement wouldn’t spark the monster’s anger again.
But it only stared, blinking and whimpering.
“S-Ser-en-a…”
Her eyes widened. “Za—”
“Well, isn’t this just precious? The beast has a soft spot for you, sis!” the painfully familiar and condescending voice chimed in behind her.
She growled and spun to face her brother. “Keith!” a new surge of anger welled within her as her brother’s smirking face came into view and she instinctively formed her auric bow in her hand, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Missed you too, you horrid little bitch, I’m sure we have so much to catch up on. However, in case you haven’t noticed, I am rather busy and now is not the time to reminisce. I have a bit of unfinished business to conduct with our late-father’s favorite project.”
Serena! Watch out! Devon’s voice echoed in her head just as Keith threw his aura at them. The world shook and the street cratered as the blast connected and Serena felt the ground vanish beneath her as the Zane-monster scooped her up and pulled her against his massive body and shielding her against the flames and debris as they singed and punctured his back. Sensing the pained surge in Zane’s now-red aura, Serena’s eyes widened and she disbanded her auric bow to try and shield him against further harm. The damage had already been done, however, and he let out an agonized howl as his knees buckled and a pool of blood grew at their feet.
“Oh god, Zane! What’s—”
“Don’t!” his voice made her flinch, “We’re…” he growled and shook his head, “I’m fine!”
She glanced up, about to call him on his obvious lie but was only able to cry out as he lifted her and jumped out of the range of another of Keith’s attacks and landed on the rooftop of a used car dealership. Though he’d gotten them clear of the danger, his injuries proved too severe and he buckled and collapsed shortly after setting her down. He groaned, writhing and heaving, as his hulking body seized and his aura inflated and grew bright enough to force her to shield her eyes.
A pained cry issued out that made her insides shift and she tried to squint past the glare of his aura to see what was happening to him. After a moment, the blood-colored orb dimmed and collapsed, turning back to Zane’s familiar blue as it lazily bobbed around his broken and naked body; his mismatched eyes swimming in his skull before focusing on her.
“Serena…?”
“Jesus… Zane! What… what’s happen—” The gentle sound of steps approaching cut off Serena’s panic and she turned, her aura flaring as she hissed at her brother, “Keith! I don’t know what this is about, but I swear on our mothe—”
“Oh shut up, you self-righteous cunt!” his aura spiked and he bared his fangs, “You couldn’t hold your own in a challenge against me when you were in your prime! And you and I can both see those days have long-since left you a husk of our family’s former glory! Now step aside before I’m forced to make an example out of yo—AHHH!” Keith dropped to one knee as the jagged remains of a parking meter—now a makeshift spear that flooded the rooftop in blood-covered coins—jutted through his shoulder.
“I think you should go, Keith,” Zoey floated gracefully to the rooftop with another three parking meters orbiting her in an auric grip, “before I’m forced to create a job-opening in The Council!”
“Gah!” Keith gripped the hunk of metal protruding from him and winced in pain, his aura whipping and darting chaotically, “You wretch! You sodding—Ah! Dammit!—interfering little whelp! I’ll see to it that you’re all made examples of!” Focusing his aura, Keith gripped the meter with his aura and yanked it free, crying out as he did. As his breathing
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