The resulting fireball hit the Anarki dead on. The roar and heat of the blaze singed the heads off the first row of zombies looming near. The second row paused their catatonic march, either tripping over their dead cohorts or falling victim to the fire.
Then the aerosol from the can sputtered, died. The Anarki surged forward again.
One stepped over his fallen comrades and reached Sydney. She grabbed her handbag and tried to twist away, but the door and the wall of zombies trapped her. She slid along the wall, then gasped suddenly and clutched her arm, face contorting with pain.
Bugger! she muttered as blood started spreading across the pristine white sleeve.
At the sight, Cadens protective instincts rocketed to life. He climbed a stair rail, jumping over zombies to reach Sydney, shooting down and knifing any who stood in his path.
A corpse grabbed Sydney, pinning her to the wall and squeezing her neck. As the magical battle raged around them, Sydneys wheezing and choking rose above the din. Her eyes bulged in panic. Red suffused her face as she flailed and fought.
Caden leapt over two more Anarki. A third, wearing fatigues stood in his way, evil pouring from his eyes. His bullets running low, Caden clutched his knife, then looked back up at the zombie in shock.
Brian, his Marine buddy. The pasty white face and vacant eyes had thrown him, but that sandy hair, the scar on his chin, the patch that read Halstead across his chest proclaimed him Cadens missing platoon mate. He swallowed, unable to move, breathe.
Brian?
No reaction except a malevolent smile as he reached for Cadens throat.
Kill him!
Shocks voice roared in his head. How was that possible?
Kill him before he tears you to pieces, Shock demanded.
Last chance. Brian?
Nothing but a creepy smile and a shivery death grip reaching ever closer. When Caden heard Sydney scream again, he plunged the knife into Brians neck and ripped down viciously, nearly tearing his head from his neck.
Brian crumbled to the ground. Guilt, grief, and relief crushing him inside, Caden stepped over the body and scrambled to Sydneys side. He had to compartmentalize Brians death now and deal with the present.
He grabbed the zombie holding her throat and pushed him face first into the concrete wall. It was still fighting after the first blow, so Caden delivered two more. The undead soldier went limp.
Whirling back to Sydney, he saw that another zombie had her in its grip, dragging her along the wall. More blood spread across the shirt at her waist. The white cotton was torn and a few inches of ragged flesh peeked through. She cried out and fell to her knees, pain slashing across her expression. The zombie was following her to the floor with murder in his eyes.
And Caden wasnt going to reach her in time.
Panic burned through him, even making his fingertips tingle. A swell of energy bounded inside him. Suddenly, he pictured the broken glass on the floor flying toward the Anarki. Seemingly of their own volition, his arms raised and hurtled forward. He snarled his rage and glass shards flew past him and embedded sharp points into the zombies back. Black blood flowed, gurgled, and the creature fell to the ground.
Hed done magic. Dear God. No time to dwell on it, whether to rail or cheer. Instead, Caden charged toward Sydney. A fresh swarm of Anarki were headed her way. With one hand, she clutched her handbag. With the other, she scooted away from the zombies, wearing an expression of utter terror.
Caden couldnt see Bram and the rest of the Doomsday Brethren, but it didnt matter. He was done risking Sydney.
With superhuman speed, he reached his little firecracker before the Anarki and grabbed her against his body, avoiding her injured shoulder. She wrapped one arm and her legs around him. Her handbag bobbed against his side as he raced out the front door of the warehouse and reached into his pocket to set off the warning charge. An explosion just outside the building rattled the walls and sent up flames.
The Doomsday Brethren had sixty seconds to get out before he blew the whole building to kingdom come.
Outside, the weak morning sun filtered through gray clouds, lending barely enough light to see Sydneys wounds. The shape of the slashes told him shed gouged her flesh on a nailor those Anarki bastards had pushed her on itas she tried to get away. She needed direct pressure and stitches immediately.
Caden stripped off his shirt and rolled her to her back, easing the cloth against the deepest of her wounds. Lie still. Well be out of here soon.
She nodded. I got the film. As soon as I put it together, Im transcasting it to all of magickind. This will save lives.
And who was going to save hers? But now wasnt the time to debate. It simply wasnt going to happen.
Bram emerged from the warehouse, two of the captured soldiers who hadnt yet been converted into Anarki behind him. Duke emerged next with another three. Ice and Tynan each brought a handful more. Caden wished one of those saved could have been Brian. He didnt even have to close his eyes to relive the horrifying moment hed plunged the knife into his friends neck. God, Brian.
Still, Mathias had killed him, and Brian hadnt been Cadens friend anymore. War meant kill or be killed. The guilt would hurt like hell, but he had saved Sydney.
And hed used magic to do it. Even though his palms burned, his head hurt, and he felt so weak his thighs trembled, Caden couldnt deny that without magic, shed likely be dead.
Shoving the thought aside, Caden looked at his watch. Five, four, three . . . where was Marrok?
Just then, the medieval warrior emerged with nearly twenty of Mathiass prisoners. They all looked shell-shocked and confused by what theyd seen. And why not? It wasnt every day a man saw anothers soul ripped out via magic.
Blow it! Bram shouted.
Caden didnt hesitate. He pressed the button in his pocket. The entire warehouse detonated in a flash of fire, glass, and dust. The Doomsday Brethren stepped back as bodies flew. Sydney shrieked. Flames licked out, heat ripped through the morning air, and the structure collapsed. What was left of its walls were singed black as the pop and hiss of fire ate anything in its path.
Mission accomplished. He only hoped that Mathias was still inside.
Bram tossed one soldier a cell phone. Dial nine-nine-nine. Tell them youre captured soldiers standing in front of the American Embassy.
But we arent there, the confused soldier challenged.
Just then, Shock appeared and waved his wand. They all tumbled to the ground in a deep slumber.
Damn you! Sydney barked at Shock, clutching Cadens shirt to her wound. I wanted to interview them.