Page 2 of Urzra

“Another gold comet,” she said, turning away to head back to her bed.Her spine was tingling and she felt strange, like something had just shifted inside her.She was about to climb back into bed when agony tore through her right thigh.Gasping in reaction, she looked down, but couldn’t see anything amiss.“It felt like something just bit me,” she said as tears of pain gathered in her eyes.The phantom wound stung as if salt was being poured into it.

She turned to the window where she’d watched the comet fall.A feeling of dread suffused her and she limped to her dresser to get changed.Bria had no idea what was going on.She just knew she had to head to the beach before it was too late.

Chapter Two

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PLUNGING DEEPLY INTOsalt water, Urzra woke from the Void at the moment of impact.He tucked his arms against his body and held his breath.Kicking his legs, he rose to the surface and gasped for air.“This definitely isn’t Egypt,” the warrior said, peering around as he treaded water.

He could see a small island to his left and began swimming towards it.Information began to filter through to him and he knew the island was too dark.There should have been at least a few lights shining.The sense that something wasn’t right began to rise inside him.Urzra could detect someone who wasn’t human and they were dead ahead.

“I don’t think that’s one of my brothers,” he murmured, then felt something brush against him.The creature turned and struck before he could call on his sword.Sharp teeth bit into his right thigh and he roared in agony.The shark dragged him down as he conjured his weapon.He shoved the blade into the shark’s eye and it let him go.Blood poured from the deep wounds and he knew it would draw other predators straight to him.

Urzra surfaced, sword vanishing again and began swimming as fast as he could towards land.It wasn’t easy swimming with only one leg while the other one trailed behind him uselessly.He was already beginning to feel dizzy from blood loss.The shark must have bitten through an artery.If he didn’t stop the bleeding soon, he would end up straight back in the Void before he’d even encountered a Soldier of Chaos.

Something nipped at his injured leg and he swam faster.He could sense the being moving closer, but he was too close to panic to focus on whether they were a friend or a foe.

He was too far from land and Urzra knew he wasn’t going to make it.The sharks were getting closer, vying to be the first to take a chunk out of him.He glanced up to judge how much further he had to go and saw a small boat heading for him.The motor chugged loudly as the vessel zoomed in his direction.

Urzra raised his hand and waved, then teeth clamped around his foot and tugged him downward.The knight conjured up his sword again and sliced at the sharks.He was surrounded by them and couldn’t see clearly, thanks to his own blood muddying the water.More blood was added to the mix as he desperately fought off the frenzied sharks.

Strength waning, he surfaced long enough to take another breath.The boat was only yards away now.Exhausted from the fall, blood loss and his battle, Urzra’s hope of rescue wilted when he sensed what sort of creature was captaining the boat.

“It’s a cambion,” he croaked, wondering why Fate had chosen to forsake him.Teeth closed around his wounded leg again and he braced himself for death.Then a sense of calm flowed over him like a heavy blanket.The sharks stilled and the one that had been about to bite his leg off let go of him.

Urzra didn’t have the strength to keep treading water.His sword slipped from his grasp and disappeared.He stared defiantly at the cambion as she reached him.Instead of grinning in malicious triumph, she leaned over and held out her hand.“Grab my hand!”she urged him in a frantic tone.

This had to be a trick, but he was so entranced with her beauty that he reached upwards.Her tiny fingers grasped hold of him and dragged him up.He grabbed hold of the edge of the boat with his other hand.

“Are you naked?”she asked incredulously as she tried to haul him into the vessel.

“Yes,” he said, voice raspy from swallowing seawater.

“Can you get your leg over the side?”she asked.“I don’t have anything to hold onto to lift you up with.”

“Do you have any rope?”he asked, shivering in shock from the vicious attack.