Page 4 of Broken

“You go,” Riker said. “I’ll hold them off.”

She felt a rush of affection and exasperation. There was no way she’d leave him behind to die for her. Even if it would set her free. “That’s not how this works, boyo. We’re a team.”

He cut her a glance, his mouth twisting with a rueful grin. “Just get ready to move.”

She and Riker began edging towards the far side of the room, streaming as much power as they could into the wards. Riker drew his machine pistol and fired a blast of bullets into the nearest Retriever. The magic circle was designed to keep out people, and most magic, not weapons fire. The Retriever staggered and went down. At the same time, Riker yelled, “Raka!” Defend.

At Riker’s word, Ireland felt the trapped power unlock inside her. She made a throwing motion, lobbing a large ball of magic at the other two Retrievers. It sent them tumbling, slamming back into the wall.

“Go!” Riker yelled.

Ireland grabbed her bag and headed toward the far end of the room. Riker was backing up, still facing the Retrievers. The two she’d hit had bounced back to their feet with stunning speed. Her stomach sank. These things were tough, and she’d never been allowed to learn the kind of battle magic that might defeat them.

Please tell her she hadn’t come this far just to be snatched back by the Bright Fae at the last moment.

The creatures had split, stalking around their circle in opposite directions. Riker fired at the one nearest their planned exit, spraying a barrage of bullets across its upper body. It dropped.

But Ireland had stupidly taken her attention off the last Retriever. It had pulled a coiled whip off its belt, sending it snaking through the air, glowing with magic.

It cut through the protective circle. Ireland tried to dodge, but it followed her, catching her around the waist and pulling cruelly tight. The creature yanked her off her feet and she hit the stone floor hard, the breath knocked out of her.

It didn’t have to get inside the circle, she realized. It just had to get her out.

Then it was dragging her across the floor, the whip burning into her side. Ireland grabbed the leg of the heavy wooden desk as she passed, holding on desperately. “Riker!” The creature yanked and the whip bit into her, pain slicing through her.

Through her bracelet, she could feel Riker losing control of the magic. If he did, their circle of protection would be toast—and so would Riker. They wouldn’t bother to capture him.

He turned to shoot at the creature with the whip.

Just then, a giant hand punched through the metal air vent in the ceiling, and a fourth creature dropped into the room from above. He was a huge, hulking beast with a bull’s head and thick yellow tusks curling up from the sides of his snout. His lower body was like a goat’s, with backward-bending knees and hooves instead of feet. A Taurus.

Riker turned and shot him, but the burst of bullets seemed only to enrage the Taurus. He raised his own weapon, shooting a stream of brightly glowing darts at Riker.

They ripped through Riker’s body armor, into his abdomen.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Riker’s knees buckled, and he crumpled to the floor. Ireland felt her connection with the magic start to fade. The wards flickered.

In another moment, they would be defenseless.