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She grasped the charmed dagger in her hands, not sure if anything that Tess had done to the damn thing would work against what she faced; but at this point, it was pretty much all she had.
One of the phantom warriors rushed her, and she jumped up onto the bench, propelling herself forward into the air. She twisted as she gained height, her arm arcing downward as she catapulted overtop the knight. She sliced downward and nearly dropped the dagger at the sensation that crawled over her skin as her hand passed through whatever the hell it was that made up his body.
She landed inches from the line of scrimmage and moved to the side as instinct took over, barely missing the energy bolt that was thrown her way. She heard an unearthly howl rip through the room as the eagle knight behind her shouted his rage.
Silence fell between all of them, and time slowed down, ticking by in long seconds that felt more like minutes.
Jaden’s lungs expanded as she exhaled, and the beat of her heart was like a drummer on meth, wild and crazy.
Her long hair clung to her skin, and she angrily shoved it away, her chest heaving as she tried to focus. The dude behind her made a weird series of grunting noises, and she shifted slightly, keeping him in her peripheral vision.
It was then that a realization hit her. She would most likely die here.
Stunned, Jaden faltered and nearly dropped her weapon.
Such sorrow and sadness rifled through her that she was momentarily paralyzed. It was like a fist of pain had reached inside and grabbed her heart, squeezing until she couldn’t breathe.
Nanauatl shook his head, and laughter erupted from deep within his chest. It echoed around the stone walls like a macabre symphony, each note jarring and off-key.
“You should be very afraid, little jaguar. We will cut you to pieces and eat every last delicious morsel of your body.” He looked at the phantom knights and grinned wickedly. “It’s been much too long since we’ve had a sacrificial ceremony.”
Jaden shook her head but remained silent even as her ending flashed before her eyes. She wasn’t afraid of dying. In fact, for a jaguar warrior, to die in battle was the ultimate honor.
The pain that ripped through her was for all things lost and those that were no longer fixable. For the evil that had infiltrated her family and turned her father and brothers into monsters. For a mother who had long ago perished.
She felt tears prick the corner of her eyes, their heat stinging against her skin as an image of Julian shimmered in front of her.
She laughed, a hysterical outburst. God help her, but she couldn’t stop. She knew by the expressions on the eagles’ faces, that she’d shocked them.
Score one for team jaguar.
To think that Julian Castille would be the last memory she ever had was more than ironic. It was a fucking cosmic joke.
She gripped the dagger as the laughter inside her dried up.
Nanauatl stared at her hard, and she felt the whisper of death caress her cheek as a shiver crossed over her flesh. The eagle that she’d flown over advanced once more, and the six remaining started to chant. Ancient Aztec words fell from their lips as their voices blended, thickened with power.
The sun god stood back and watched, his entire body now emitting light as he fed upon the energy in the room.
Maybe he was the key? Chop off the head, and the rest would fall? Even though she knew that wasn’t literally an option, maybe there was still a way to do damage.
There was only one way to find out.
Jaden bunched her power into a tight fist that sat in her chest and flooded her limbs. Her legs were shaking with the need to act, and she screamed her warrior battle cry as she flew toward them.
She knew the lone knight was at her back, but she was fixated on their leader. It was her only hope.
She threw her bod
y into the air, sideways, twisting as her legs ran up the wall. She tried to arch her back, to once more propel herself over the line of knights, but, sadly, it was anticipated, and she was sent flying.
Pain ripped along her rib cage, and nausea pushed up from her gut as the strange sensation edged along her flesh. Their touch was like poison, and as she rolled to the side, she literally saw stars from the force of the hit.
But she was up in an instant, ignoring the pain and the enemies that surrounded her. Jaden’s only focus was their leader, and as she felt the creepy touch of one of them at her back, she arced her arm around, and heard a hiss as the dagger passed through whatever the hell he was.
And yet it was too late. The entire game was over before it had begun.
Nanauatl’s hand slammed into her chest and she screamed as fire ripped across her flesh. The phantom knight behind her pinned her arms to her sides, and she thought she was going to toss her cookies as the intensity of his touch sent every single nerve ending into agony.
