Page 102 of Claim the Light
His chuckle becomes a laugh. A cruel, victorious laugh. “Silly Sophia. I tried to warn you. While there is life, there is also death.”
He pulls the dagger from my numb fingers, sliding it right out of his chest.
There isn’t a drop of blood on it.
I struggle to speak as fear rises up within me. So much fear. “But… how…?”
He drops the dagger to the rooftop with a clatter and I don’t yet have the focus of mind to break through my shock and call it back to me.
Tyler wraps his hands around my shoulders and, if it weren’t for my armor, his claws would be breaking my skin.
“Let me spell it out for you, sweetheart,” he says, his voice becoming hard. “Your power is life. My power is death. While you live, so do I.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
Tyler’s arms close around me and he lurches upright, lifting me off my feet.
If I weren’t in shock, I would have reacted already.Shouldhave reacted already because one of his hands closes around my neck, and his other fist collides with my cheekbone.
The force of his punch to my face is so great that the armor caves. The pain is like a burning rod cracking across my cheek and it’s only because of the protective layer of gold that my bones don’t break.
Of course, he would have been counting on it, since it seems he needs to keep me alive.
The impact of his fist propels me out of his arms and I land heavily on the rooftop.
I have to get up.
Get the fuck up!
But my moment of shock, of collapsing on this rooftop, must have been the final straw for my family.
Multiple shadows drop across the rooftop as Lana, Beatrix, and Micah appear in the air above me. Their wings are a flurry of black, red, and silvery-gray as they storm down toward Tyler.
Micah reaches him first, his fist connecting with Tyler’s jaw.
Tyler reacts instantly, disintegrating into a cloud of ash that billows outward, and Micah’s attack sails right through the soot.
Micah isn’t deterred, rising up again and soaring down for another attack.
Lana and Beatrix have veered to the side, aiming for the Scorn, who are now racing toward the fight.
My family’s attack is swift and sure.
I’ve barely made it back to my feet before Lana drives her glaive through Niah’s chest, and Beatrix deftly stabs Gordon through the throat. The Scorn dragons’ deaths are so quick and brutal that it takes my breath away.
Both Scorn fall to their knees as Lana and Beatrix turn to the attacking dragons beside them, meting out death to another two shifters within seconds.
Confident that Lana and Beatrix will watch my back, I’m about to turn back to Tyler when my focus is drawn to Niah.
She should have fallen to the ground already, but she hasn’t.
There should be blood pouring down her chest, but there isn’t.
I take a quick, disbelieving step toward her, but my heart is already sinking.
Ash wafts up from Niah’s wound, and from Gordon’s throat, and they raise their heads, their eyes completely black for the seconds it takes them to stand up.
They blink, and the darkness is gone, but so are their wounds.
