Magic Kingdom (Dragon Born Alexandria Book 3) by Ella Summers Page A

cabbage.
    “Abomination,” spat the woman with the twin braids.  
    Alex flinched at the word. It was the same term the Magic Council used to condemn Dragon Born mages like her.
    “Demon spawn,” the other woman in the group said with cold relish.
    The Convictionites’ campaign of hate had manipulated humanity. It was that evil organization’s fault, not the fault of people like these. Alex had to remind herself of that. She would go easy on them. But not too easy. Their nonsense—tonight of all nights in hell—had interrupted the only free time she’d had in weeks.
    The guy with the knife wound up his arm and threw the blade at her like he was some kind of superhero. He’d probably never thrown a knife at anything more alive than a target board before. Alex could see the hesitation in his eyes, and it made his throw as slow as sludge. She caught the knife and spun, launching it across the room. It sank into the barn wall.
    “Try again,” she told the superhero.
    Hate smoldering over in his dark eyes, he drew another knife. Fueled by anger, his throw was faster this time. Alex hardly had time to duck. The knife shot over her head, missing her by a hair’s breadth. She rose again, glaring at him. Ok, maybe she wouldn’t take it too easy on them. She turned slowly, drawing a circle of flames around her. They stopped in their tracks. One of them cursed.
    Steel sang as she drew her sword. “You haven’t really thought this through, have you?” she said to them, shaking out the light on her other hand. The wall of fire was more than bright enough.
    She could feel Logan sneaking up on them from the shadows. She kept talking to keep their attention on her.
    “How exactly did you plan to attack someone who can do magic?”
    In response, they drew their knives.
    Alex laughed. “I don’t even need magic to take you out. I don’t need my sword either.”
    “Prove it,” one of them dared. “Put out the fire and throw down your sword.”
    A few months ago, she would have met the man’s challenge. Even now, she bristled at his words. But she kept the fire up and her grip on her sword. She didn’t have anything to prove.
    Wow, maybe you are finally growing up, her dragon said.
    I’m a bit busy right now, Nova. Could you save the snide comments for later?
    Her dragon chuckled, then fell silent.
    “What are you waiting for? Scared?” the man taunted Alex. He let out a sudden, surprised squeal and fell to the ground.
    “I was waiting for him,” Alex told the unconscious man.
    Logan struck again. Shadows swirling, he skimmed the perimeter, knocking them out in quick succession. The last man standing reached for his gun and fired. The first shot grazed Alex’s jacket. The second took Logan in the arm.
    Swearing, Logan knocked the gun from the human’s hand. “What the hell was that?”
    Alex’s magic flames parted, allowing her to pass. She picked up the gun the man had dropped. She sniffed it, then her jacket.
    “Garlic capsules?” she snickered, the potent smell tickling her nose.
    Logan shook his head in disbelief.
    “Why garlic?” Alex asked the unhappy human.
    “Because it works against vampires. Rumor has it the Black Plague’s partner is a vampire.”
    Oh, goody, that wretched nickname had spread to the humans. The Black Plague was the name misbehaving supernaturals liked to call her. The humans had chosen the more positive name of Paranormal Vigilante for her. But since it had come out she was a supernatural—coupled with the televised disaster that had found her smack dab in the middle of that bloodbath in London—things had changed. It was kind of ironic actually that the humans had borrowed the Black Plague nickname from the supernaturals they hated so much.
    “Two things, Wyatt Earp,” Alex said. “First of all, garlic doesn’t hurt vampires. And secondly, Logan isn’t even a vampire.”
    “He moves like them. If he’s not a vampire, then what is he?”
    “Something much worse,”