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“Positive. We need help. Please.”
“I’ve got a patrol ten minutes out. They’re on their way.”
“Anyone closer?” The vampire and wraith separated a few feet, each planning to attack Rez from a different side.
“Sorry, Ma’am. Boylbury is one of the easternmost villages. But our men are on the way. Can you seek shelter?”
Holly thought about the Time-path. “Yes.”
“Go there now.”
She ended the call and returned it to her pocket. With Rez moving backward and watching both flanks, she pathed to him. Guardsmen. Ten minutes out.
Good. You might want to slip away for this.
Not on your life. Get ‘em, Mastyr.
She was sure she heard a telepathic chuckle.
Rez flew suddenly in the fake-wraith’s direction. She flitted upward, shouting in a high voice, yet not a true wraith shriek. He didn’t take the bait, but pivoted swiftly. The vampire was already on him, his battle axe high overhead.
A blue stream of energy flew from Rez toward the raised arm, the vampire cried out in pain as the axe flew from his hand. The sound of it clunking on the cobbles was something Holly thought she would remember the rest of her life.
Despite his wound, the vampire launched at Rez, who whipped to the side, avoiding the hit. The Invictus shot past him and tumbled once in the air.
Rez, maybe from fighting experience, flipped so that he levitated on his back. He held out both hands as the fae-wraith flew straight for him. He released his battle energy in quick bursts from his hands and arms, then whipped in a roll toward the street.
The wrath shrieked and writhed in the air. Rez had injured her. The vampire went to her and caught her before she hit the cobbles.
Holly felt it now, a full revving of Rez’s battle power. He let the couple have it. Both flew backward and landed on the street, bodies smoking and unmoving.
At the same moment, Holly sensed the rest of the Invictus moving in as a unit. She flew swiftly toward Rez.
She grabbed him and with a thought pulled him into the time-path. The village and the remaining Invictus appeared frozen in time through the familiar blur.
Rez sat down on the cobbles, sweating. The air in the time-path had a metallic smell that was partially battle energy, the rest was him.
He stayed where he was, breathing hard as he looked up at her. “You did good.”
“We can’t stay here long and when we leave, you’ll be disoriented.”
He nodded then glanced around. “Move us to the alley just beyond the bakery on the north side of the Main Street. Can you see it? That will put us well behind this crew. I’ll be able to take them by surprise.”
She grew very calm, more vampire than fae, as she saw where a street met the main road in a T. She gathered her time-pathing ability and using both hands, swept the time-path to the alley.
Once there, it felt good to be cloaked in the shadows.
“Take us to the present.” Rez stayed sitting. Another smart move.
She brought them forward to the present and the time-path dissipated.
“I’m dizzy as hell.” Rez spoke quietly.
Holly remained standing. She was dizzy, but because Rez had been battling and wasn’t used to the time-path, he would be feeling it now.
After a moment, he gained his feet as more pounding sounded and a couple of the wraith-pairs once more taunted the villagers. Holly understood the ploy. They were trying to draw Rez back into the battle.
“They’re going after the same house. We’ve got to take them on.”
