Free Master of Darkness by Angela Knight Page B

teeth and claws. The narrow alley between the two buildings looked perfect for the ambush Justice had in mind.
    Risky. God, it was risky, but if he could just strike fast enough, he might be able to end this before another innocent died.
    “Got a plan?” Miranda shouted as she galloped into the alley after him. She carried a battle-axe she must have conjured as she ran. “Because I don’t have a clue.”
    “We kick its ass.” He jerked his chin toward the roof. “I’m going to hit it from up there . . .”
    “. . . While I distract it from down here.” She lifted the axe and bared her wolfish teeth in something that definitely wasn’t a smile.
    “Or we could do it the other way.” His every instinct yowled in protest at the idea of letting Miranda run that kind of risk. But if he could just catch the Beast off guard before it could raise that spell-shield, maybe he could kill it.
    Before it killed anybody else.
    Thud thud thud.
The dinosaur’s footsteps, coming closer.
    Miranda snorted, looking toward the alley entrance. “I doubt I could hit Super Chicken hard enough to behead it, even in Dire Wolf form. You can. That makes me the decoy.”
    Her courage made his throat tighten. Before he could talk himself out of it, Justice snatched her against him, despite the armor both of them wore. He expected Miranda to jerk away again. Maybe even slap him. Instead she stared up into his face, eyes fierce with determination. “I can do it, Justice. I
will
do it.”
    “I know.” He ached to kiss her.
    Heat flared in her eyes, as if she shared that helpless longing. She started to rise on her toes, only to drop back to her heels again. “Muzzles.” Her upper lip curled in eloquent disgust.
    Justice laughed. She was right; werewolf heads just weren’t suited to kissing. “Don’t get killed.”
    He turned and leaped for the wall of the shorter of the two buildings, hitting it halfway up. Digging his claws into the soft brick, he swarmed upward, fast as a furry SpideMan.
    When he reached its flat roof, he looked down and held out a hand. Miranda gestured, sending a stream of magic toward him. An even bigger axe condensed in his palm. He grinned and gave her a nod—she’d given him exactly what he needed—then crouched behind the roof’s low parapet. And prayed.
    Thud thud THUD THUD.
    The dinosaur appeared at the alley’s entrance, a savage chainsaw growl rumbling from toothy jaws. Its gem blazed at them, blue with Warlock’s magic.
    Miranda did a mocking little dance in the middle of the alley. “Hey, Super Chicken!” She hefted the axe in both hands like a baseball bat. “I got your secret recipe right here!”
    The creature roared again. Justice decided it was supposed to be a raptor, though he’d read somewhere that a real velociraptor was only about the size of a German shepherd. This feathered bastard was damn near as big as a T. rex, a good thirty feet from snout to tail tip.
    Which was actually a good thing, considering the alley was only a few feet wider than the Beast’s barrel chest.
    Miranda raised her axe and charged, bellowing a battle cry. The blade exploded into a blaze of magical flame.
    You do know how to get a guy’s attention
, Justice thought.
    The beast roared again and thundered into a run. The roof shook under Justice with its pounding strides.
    Holy Jesus, let us survive this
, he prayed, and threw himself off the building.
    Justice landed on the Beast’s slick, feathered back, caught his balance, and lifted the axe to hack into its spine.
    Before he could swing the weapon, the monster reared, roaring like a grizzly, short wings beating as its feathered tail whipped from side to side. Its head snaked around on that long neck and darted at him, toothy jaws open wide.

FIVE
    Justice hadn’t realized just how damned slick feathers were, particularly when the creature he stood on bucked like a rodeo bull. One clawed foot slipped, and the axe hit the creature’s shoulder instead