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“What the hell was that?!” Daven bellowed, his hair slightly scorched from the robot detonating. “Light Phase warriors don’t do that shit!”

“No wonder you were Banished.” Mannus shouted at the same time.

“I told you, dealing with you vermin has shown me the necessity of sinking to your level, for the greater good.” Vandal used the opportunity he’d created to reestablish control. He lunged at Kahn, knocking the sword from his hand with a ruthless strike.

Kahn responded by kicking Vandal hard enough to send him careening backwards. It prevented his beheading, but Kahn was still half-blind and without a weapon. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision, looking around for his fallen blade.

Randa suddenly remembered the sword in her hand. “Kahn!” She dashed forward to give it to him, entering the midst of battle.

“Stay back!” Kahn tried to shield her.

Vandal charged in from the other side, his arm drawn back to deliver a fatal blow to Kahn’s neck. …And then he slipped in the remnants of the penguin cake.

He’d misjudged how slick mascarpone icing would be. Vandal stepped on the frosting, paying no heed to the fallen dessert. It was such a small mistake. He was only off-balance for one second. Maybe two. But in a battle with a Light Phase, two seconds was a lifetime.

He tripped forward, losing momentum.

Kahn grabbed the sword from Randa’s hand.

Vandal tried to right himself.

Kahn spun the blade, his face set in determined lines.

Vandal’s eyes widened in horror, seeing what was about to happen. He tried to lift his own sword to block Kahn’s strike.

Kahn sliced his head off in one powerful blow.

Silence.

Everyone in the room stopped and stared at Vandal’s body.

It was over. He was dead.

Randa’s knees went weak with relief.

Kahn caught her before she collapsed, pressing a kiss to her hair. Breathing hard, he held her tight. “My Match,” he informed the room, “bakes amazing fucking cakes.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

I like the element of surprise.

Supernatural

“How am I going to explain this to Uncle Fred?” Steve lamented, still dressed in his chicken/vulture suit. “I was in the parking lot, when I heard all this noise and I tried to get back inside, but I couldn’t. I think it was those street magicians again.” He cast a wary look in Gion’s direction.

“I’ll talk to your uncle. Just go on home.” Sullivan gave him a pat on the arm.

“I can’t go home! I have to stay hidden for at least two days and pretend to be dead. Then, when I come back, my family will be so glad to see me they won’t kill me for letting this happen.” Steve paused. “Can I sleep at the police station, do you think?”

“No.” He hustled the teenager out, just as Melanie of the Wood House came in.

“What the hell happened here, Sully?”

“The Cult.” He waved a hand at the Elementals. “What else?”

Uriel and Brokk, of the Wood House came up behind her, holding swords and birthday presents. “There was a force field blocking us from your celebration, cousin.” Uriel told Gion cheerily. “We had to break it, before we could enter. Very clever party game.”

“Sullivan!” Teja, of the Fire and Cold Houses shouldered Brokk out of the way, frantically scanning for her Match.