Stars of Fortune (The Guardians Trilogy 1)

Something—someone—leaped out of the shadows. A sword flashing silver in the dim red light. It cleaved through the swarming bats, severing them. As if through water, Sasha heard someone shouting.

“Get out! Go.”

“Give me what I want.” Nerezza loomed closer. “Or I will crush you, and all you love.”

“Not today.” Bran shoved Sasha behind him. While she gasped in breath, choked it out again, he threw up both his hands. Lightning bolted from them, blinding white.

Nerezza threw up an arm to shield her eyes, and from her came a roar more beast than human.

“Get her out!” Bran shouted. “Get her out of here. This won’t hold long.”

The bats swirled up, reformed, and like a great winged arrow came at him. The swordsman thrust, hacked, sent severed bodies tumbling to the ground while bullets pierced more.

“Get her out.” Bran’s voice, ice cold, snapped out. “Get them all out.”

The swordsman grabbed Riley, all but tossed her into the tunnel. He caught Annika as she finished a series of flips that sent bats tumbling. “Go!”

“Get Sasha,” Sawyer ordered, and ranged himself beside Bran. “I’m not leaving you, man.”

“Then get ready to move.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw the swordsman lift Sasha under one arm, glance back with a kind of fierce regret, then boost her with him into the tunnel.

“Go when I say,” Bran said. “There won’t be time to hesitate. I’m right behind you. My word on it.”

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“If you’re not, I’m coming back.”

Bran felt Nerezza pushing back against his power, knew he didn’t have enough. Not here, not yet.

“Now. Go now!” he shouted at Sawyer, then heaved both bolts to the ground. The explosion rocked the chamber, filled it with wild light, thick smoke.

Understanding that fierce regret, he dived into the tunnel behind Sawyer.

“Don’t stop,” he ordered. “I don’t know how long a reach she has.”

The rock shook under them. Contrary to orders, Sawyer paused after he jumped out of the tunnel until Bran came out behind him. White smoke curled out of the opening.

“I’d say you’ve got a pretty damn long one. Nice work,” he added as they ran for the mouth of the cave.

Just outside the mouth, the man and his sword stood guard with Riley, arguing bitterly.

“That’s a sword, this is a gun. Guess who wins.” She swiped at the blood on her face, smeared more from the cuts on her hand. “I don’t want to shoot you, but you can bet your ass I will if you don’t get out of my way. I’m going back for my friends.”

“If you shoot me, you’re going to piss me off.” Then he turned when he heard running footsteps. “They’re coming,” he said, and stepped aside.

The minute they stepped clear, Riley punched Bran in the chest—though she pulled it. Then she threw her arms around both of them. “Son of a bitch. Son of a bitch. Don’t ever push me out like that again.” She dragged Sawyer’s head down, kissed him soundly on the mouth, then took Bran’s head in turn. “You’ve got some ’splaining to do.”

“This isn’t the time or place.” He patted her cheek, nudged her aside to go to where Annika sat on the ground beside Sasha, gently tending her wounds with Riley’s first-aid kit.

He crouched down, stroked a finger down her cheek, then over the raw, red bruising around her throat. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you more quickly. I’m sorry she hurt you.”

“Who are you?”

“What I’ve told you. Perhaps a bit more.”

“Her nice shirt is ruined, but the cuts aren’t very bad.” Annika wound a bandage around the long gash in Sasha’s arm. “But she is shocked.”

“In shock,” Riley corrected. “She got the worst of it. It was going way south before you stepped in with the light show. We just couldn’t hold our own.” She glanced back at Sawyer. “But nice shooting, Tex.”