Chapter 17 Abaddon
ABADDON
Seeker advanced, and I stepped up to meet him. He would not lay another claw on my human, that much was certain. If I had to burn myself to a cinder fighting him, I’d do so gladly.
He lunged, faster than thought, and I ducked aside. Long experience taught me where he’d attack, and that was all that saved me—the scout burned soul energy, a resource I couldn’t match him on. Long years on Earth had taken their toll.
Claws brushed my skin, and I heard Holly gasp in horror. My counterstrike was too slow, and the fucker ducked under the punch, blurring past me toward Holly. I lashed out with my tail and caught his ankle, sending him sprawling and drawing his attention back to me.
“Mine,” I growled, following my attack up with a punch that would have broken his neck if it connected. But the slippery bastard rolled aside and up to his feet, delivering another punishing blow to my side while I recovered.
“You own nothing,” he hissed as we circled each other. “The great Abaddon, reduced to skulking among mortals. A joke, yesss, a joke that I was afraid to fight you.”
Again, he moved so fast he blurred. Experience let me compensate, ducking his first attack, blocking the second, clawing his stomach as he landed his third. Then he was out of my reach again, retreating as fast as he’d attacked.
“You are old and slow.”
“And you are burning through your reserves,” I said, baring my teeth in a grin. “You will run out of energy and die.”
“Perhaps, perhaps. Or maybe I’ll kill you and feast on your pet’s soul.” Hate dripped from his words. “That will sustain me a—hrk”
Perhaps he’d expected me to let him finish the sentence, or just overestimated his reaction speed. My attack caught him unprepared, and my claws bit deep into his forearm. I’d aimed at his throat, but with his soul-fueled speed, he managed a block.
I didn’t let up the pressure, driving my knee into his wounded stomach, slicing with my claws, sending him staggering back into a tree. The fight was almost won.
But Seeker wasn’t giving up, even in the face of death. His aura of hellfire flared up, intensifying, as he committed everything to his rage. Sudden strength let him push me back, scoring painful hits on my arms, and then he turned his attention toward Holly again.
He couldn’t win, and he had to know that. All he wanted now was to hurt me, and he’d found the best way to do that in my mortal. I would not allow that to happen.
Everything slowed down as I realized what I had to do.
I leaped after Seeker, swinging my arm past him as he launched his strike.
If I’d attacked him, he’d have rolled with the blow, blocked it, dodged.
The only way for me to save Holly was to reach past Seeker and grab her, pulling her out of his way.
He twisted to follow, and I kept turning. Shielding her with my body. Cold agony stabbed into my back, Seeker’s claws buried deep, and I saw Holly’s green eyes widen as she understood what I’d done.
We didn’t need words. Her eyes said it all, and I hoped she saw my feelings in mine. There wasn’t time to speak them aloud, anyway. I wished we’d had that time, but now the important thing was that she’d live.
To make sure of that, I threw her out of the clearing. Seeker pushed me to the side to follow her, ducking under my attempt to elbow him in the face as he passed. He thought he’d won the fight.
He hadn’t noticed me looping my tail around him while my back was turned. Two steps later and he found out as I jerked him back toward me.
We collided in a mess of claws and horns and teeth. All technique forgotten, I gave no thought to defense, letting his lightning-fast strikes hit. My own attacks struck home with brutal strength, and his edge in speed counted for little when we were bound so close.
Oh, he still tried to defend himself, but he couldn’t dodge while I held him.
Blocks worked better, but not enough, and each one was a missed chance to hit back.
I rained my fury down on him, roaring without words, and his hatred faltered in the face of my rage.
With growing desperation, he sliced me open, each hit draining my strength along with my blood. But I refused to let go.
Even when my legs gave out and I fell, I dragged Seeker down with me into the snow. His claws tore at my neck, my hands closed around his, and our eyes locked. I watched his hate and anger turn first to fear, then panic, as I ignored his attacks. They didn’t matter, as long as I kept my Holly safe.
My grip tightened, and his neck gave a horrible, final crack like a rotten branch snapping.
Seeker kicked once, a death spasm, and went limp, his dead weight dragging me down to the ground.
The world dimmed, and I looked up to see Holly limping toward me.
She was safe, which was all that mattered.
I smiled and closed my eyes, letting the darkness take me.