Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts Page A

water.
    â€œSorry, sorry.” But it was brace against him or fall. “You hurt?”
    â€œKnocked the bleeding breath out of me again is all.”
    The next spume of surf soaked them both. “Screw this. We’d better get out of here.”
    â€œI’m for that. Steady now.”
    They linked their arms around each other’s waists,struggling to stay upright. Rock and sod began to spill down the cliff face, making the idea of climbing up it again unappealing if not impossible.
    â€œI can get us up to the others,” he told her. “You’ll just have to hold on, and I’ll—”
    He broke off as the wall itself began to waver, to change. To open.
    â€œWell now,” he murmured, “what have we here?”
    â€œSpell broke down, or was broken down. Could be trouble.”
    â€œI’m hoping.”
    â€œRight there with you.”
    Even as he spoke, they rushed out. Big and burly, and armed with swords.
    â€œHow can they—”
    â€œNot vamps.” Blair pushed away from Larkin, planted her feet. She figured the quaking ground was as much a problem for the enemy as it was for her and Larkin. “Fight now, explain later.”
    She swung her sword up, blocked the first blow. The force rippled down her arm even as the ground buckled under her feet. She used it, going down, blocking again as she snatched one of the stakes out of her belt.
    She jammed it through his leg. He stumbled, howled, and she came up with her sword.
    One down, she thought, and refused the pity. She pivoted, nearly went down as the ground came up, and clashed steel with the one who sprang behind her.
    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Larkin taking on two at once. “Bear claw!” she shouted.
    â€œThere’s an idea.” His arm thickened, lengthened. With the keen black claws that curled out, he swiped even as his sword swung in his other hand.
    They were holding their own, Blair thought, but no more than that. There was no room to maneuver, not when a wrong step could have them tumbling into the sea.
    Bashed on the rocks, swept away. Worse than the sword.Still, they couldn’t climb, not now. There was no choice but to stand and fight.
    She fell, rolled, and the sword plunged into the rocky ground an inch from her face. She kicked up, pumping hard, and sent her opponent into the sea.
    Too many of them, too many, she thought as she gained her feet and staggered. But it could be worse. It could…
    The light changed, dimmed. With the false twilight came the first splatters of rain.
    â€œChrist, Jesus Christ. She’s bringing the dark.”
    With it, vampires began to slink out of the cave. The sea, and a hard, drowning death suddenly seemed the better alternative.
    Calculating quickly, she sent fire rippling down her blade. They could block them with fire, hold some back, destroy others. But too many would get through.
    â€œWe can’t win this, Larkin. Make like a hawk, get to the others. Get them out of here. I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”
    â€œDon’t be foolish. Get on.” He threw her his sword. “Hold on.”
    He changed, but it wasn’t a hawk that stood beside her. The dragon’s gold wings spread, and as it reared back, its tail sliced down the first that came out of the caves.
    She didn’t think, just leaped on its back, locking her legs around its serpentine body. She sliced out to the left, hacking at one that charged. Then she was rising up, streaming through the gloom and the mist.
    And she couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop it. She let out a wild cry of sheer delight, throwing back her head as she stabbed the swords into the sky. And set them both to flame.
    The wind rushed by her, and the ground rushed away. She sheathed one sword so that she could run a hand over the dragon. The scales, glimmering gold, felt like polished jewels, sun-warmed and smooth. Looking down, she saw earth and sea, and