in agony and spun, lashing out with a leg. The long, taloned foot caught me in the chest and I was thrown backward into a wall. I braced just in time, minimizing the force of the impact and allowing me to maintain my grip on both weapons. The Mimic turned, wobbling as it struggled to come after me.
Devon raised a hand to launch a spell at the injured beast, but the second Mimic darted sideways. It crashed into the old man, driving them both the ground.
Fear for the Elder kicked open the door to the rage I’d bottled earlier.
The boiling storm flooded out of me, filling my senses with raw, unfiltered energy. It was intoxicating, sensual, and terrifying, all wrapped up into one. Rather than fight it, I allowed it to consume me.
Then I unleashed hell.
Lightning bolts arced from my sword to the wounded Mimic in front of me, blasting it across the room. It struck the far wall with titanic force as the deadly energy cooked the beast. The skin went from yellow to a charred black while paint vaporized and drywall melted. The creature shrieked, but its cries of agony were silenced when it slumped dead to the floor.
My sword humming like a power station, I hurled myself with a boost of Skill and a shout of unrestrained fury at the Mimic attacking Devon. The creature spun just in time to have its head lopped off. The electricity dancing on my blade immediately cauterized the wound. The body wavered before flopping onto Devon.
Still seething with rage-fueled power, I charged Pell and Thetra’s Mimics.
One of the creatures yelped as I wrapped my arms around it, lifted it off its feet, and carried it into the wall. I lost my grip on both weapons as we collided, but I felt the grim satisfaction of justice when something snapped inside the sickly, yellow body of my prey. The creature screamed in pain, but I silenced it by driving my fist into its flat, sallow face.
Long, spindly arms rose to block another punch, but I swatted them aside. I closed my hands around the creature’s head like a vise, then, with a scream of my own, I bashed its skull against the wall with all my might. The beast cried out, its terror filling me with power and joy.
Again it shrieked, again I drove it into the wall.
Energy, pure and simple, came at me in wave after wave.
This beast had killed.
It deserved the death I would give it. But it would earn its punishment.
And I was the one to provide it.
The inferno raged within me, charging every muscle in my body. The power begged for release and my heart sang as I obliged. Over and over I pounded the creature’s skull. Each impact was music, passion and pleasure all wrapped into one.
The Mimic went limp. Death was near and I needed to feel it. Needed to serve it.
I released the creature. It slumped to the floor.
Laughter erupted from me as I raised my foot. I stomped the bloody skull once, twice.
Then something crashed into me from behind.
My face bounced off the cracked drywall. Blood poured down my shirt as the cartilage in my nose popped.
I spun, ready to kill my attacker.
Another blow, this time to my temple, stunned me. Pain exploded in my head while the emotional hurricane inside me sputtered and died.
The haze faded andBlinking through the stars in my vision, I saw Thetra’s piercing blue eyes glaring at me. She held her staff defensively as we stared at one another.
Then the exhaustion of using so much Skill overwhelmed me. My knees buckled and I stumbled backward into the wall, sliding to the floor next to the Mimic.
“Easy, Shifter,” Thetra said, lowering her staff. “The situation is under control now.”
My head swam as I gazed about the room. The final Mimic was nothing more than a crumpled heap of charred bones.
“Marcus?” someone asked. I glanced up and saw a horrified look on Wizard Pell’s face.
I followed his gaze to the corpse next to me. The creature was still alive, although just barely, and obviously in pain. Its chest rattled as it breathed while blood
Devon raised a hand to launch a spell at the injured beast, but the second Mimic darted sideways. It crashed into the old man, driving them both the ground.
Fear for the Elder kicked open the door to the rage I’d bottled earlier.
The boiling storm flooded out of me, filling my senses with raw, unfiltered energy. It was intoxicating, sensual, and terrifying, all wrapped up into one. Rather than fight it, I allowed it to consume me.
Then I unleashed hell.
Lightning bolts arced from my sword to the wounded Mimic in front of me, blasting it across the room. It struck the far wall with titanic force as the deadly energy cooked the beast. The skin went from yellow to a charred black while paint vaporized and drywall melted. The creature shrieked, but its cries of agony were silenced when it slumped dead to the floor.
My sword humming like a power station, I hurled myself with a boost of Skill and a shout of unrestrained fury at the Mimic attacking Devon. The creature spun just in time to have its head lopped off. The electricity dancing on my blade immediately cauterized the wound. The body wavered before flopping onto Devon.
Still seething with rage-fueled power, I charged Pell and Thetra’s Mimics.
One of the creatures yelped as I wrapped my arms around it, lifted it off its feet, and carried it into the wall. I lost my grip on both weapons as we collided, but I felt the grim satisfaction of justice when something snapped inside the sickly, yellow body of my prey. The creature screamed in pain, but I silenced it by driving my fist into its flat, sallow face.
Long, spindly arms rose to block another punch, but I swatted them aside. I closed my hands around the creature’s head like a vise, then, with a scream of my own, I bashed its skull against the wall with all my might. The beast cried out, its terror filling me with power and joy.
Again it shrieked, again I drove it into the wall.
Energy, pure and simple, came at me in wave after wave.
This beast had killed.
It deserved the death I would give it. But it would earn its punishment.
And I was the one to provide it.
The inferno raged within me, charging every muscle in my body. The power begged for release and my heart sang as I obliged. Over and over I pounded the creature’s skull. Each impact was music, passion and pleasure all wrapped into one.
The Mimic went limp. Death was near and I needed to feel it. Needed to serve it.
I released the creature. It slumped to the floor.
Laughter erupted from me as I raised my foot. I stomped the bloody skull once, twice.
Then something crashed into me from behind.
My face bounced off the cracked drywall. Blood poured down my shirt as the cartilage in my nose popped.
I spun, ready to kill my attacker.
Another blow, this time to my temple, stunned me. Pain exploded in my head while the emotional hurricane inside me sputtered and died.
The haze faded andBlinking through the stars in my vision, I saw Thetra’s piercing blue eyes glaring at me. She held her staff defensively as we stared at one another.
Then the exhaustion of using so much Skill overwhelmed me. My knees buckled and I stumbled backward into the wall, sliding to the floor next to the Mimic.
“Easy, Shifter,” Thetra said, lowering her staff. “The situation is under control now.”
My head swam as I gazed about the room. The final Mimic was nothing more than a crumpled heap of charred bones.
“Marcus?” someone asked. I glanced up and saw a horrified look on Wizard Pell’s face.
I followed his gaze to the corpse next to me. The creature was still alive, although just barely, and obviously in pain. Its chest rattled as it breathed while blood
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