Chapter Twenty-One
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NAZAB ALMOST FELT AS if he was flying as he sprinted back to the town.
His female’s power truly was remarkable.
With one tiny infusion of her energy, she’d bolstered his strength, speed and other senses.
The only problem was that he was finding it hard to concentrate on his task after their second brief kiss.
Reaching his first target, he called on his sword and stabbed the male in the chest. He was already moving to his next foe before the body hit the ground.
His sword was silent and deadly as he worked his way through the settlement, taking down every male with a black soul that he encountered.
Although he was distracted by thoughts of his cambion, he wasn’t stupid.
He stayed out of sight and attacked the guards who were patrolling the perimeter first.
Ten guards fell, leaving another twenty-two opponents to destroy. They were scattered amongst the buildings. He would leave the cluster of five males still chatting on the street for last.
This time, Nazab didn’t use the infusion of power all at once. He used it in short bursts to make it last longer, since Monica had just given him a small amount.
“How strong would I be if she infused me with far more energy?” he mused as he entered a store through the unlocked back door.
The knight shut that thought down immediately.
Monica wasn’t just a tool for him to use.
She was his mate, his partner and he would treat her with the reverence she deserved.
It went against his instincts to place her in danger.
Using too much of her energy would leave her weak and vulnerable.
Not even the chance to take down Rahab himself with the extra power would be worth that sort of risk.
His target sensed he was being watched just as the warrior reached him.
Spinning around, the human tried to lift his gun, but the shiny sword pierced his heart.
His finger spasmed, pulling the trigger.
Nazab swore when the rifle went off. The bullet became embedded in the floor as he raced back outside.
“That came from the convenience store!” one of the males clustered on the street shouted.
Humans came running from the buildings to converge on the store Nazab had just left. They realized a third of their number were missing after a quick headcount.
“We’re under attack!” the same man exclaimed, turned in a circle to try to spot the intruder.
“How the hell did they sneak in and take down eleven of us without us even knowing?” another human asked.
Wild-eyed and on the verge of panic, the marauders held their guns ready to cut their unknown enemy down.
Nazab mentally berated himself for blowing his stealthy plan so quickly. Now he would have to contend with far more alert opponents.
“Spread out and shoot anything that moves!” the male who appeared to be their leader ordered.
Staying in pairs this time, the bandits began searching their town for the predator who was stalking them.
Nazab poised for action when two of his foes came close to his hiding spot inside a house. They were checking each building they came to. One man opened the doors they’d already broken into previously, while the other one watched his back.
Waiting for both thugs to enter, Nazab burst into motion as soon as they were clear of the door.
Moving too fast for them to see him, he took them both down with two stabs to their chests.
His senses were so heightened he heard their hearts stop beating, signaling their deaths a moment before they faded from his radar.
“How can I possibly lose when I’m this fast?” he marveled, then he went on the hunt.
Nazab realized this must be how Amaros felt when he hunted down his prey each time he was at his peak.
Their commander’s strength became boosted once they were all gathered together.
Their boss was the only one who could take on Rahab and win.
The rest of the knights had tried to kill their enemy after their own leader was killed during their wars a few times. They’d never managed to defeat him.
“Monica could change everything with her power,” he murmured after destroying six more humans.
What would Amaros think when he found out Nazab’s female was a cambion instead of a human? Would they both be ostracized and would they kick him out of the squad? Even worse, would his brothers kill him early as punishment and send him back to the Void, then eliminate Monica?
“No, they wouldn’t do that to us,” he refuted.
“Monica’s soul is gray. They wouldn’t murder someone who doesn’t deserve it.
” He wished he could believe that with his whole heart, but none of them had ever encountered a cambion with a gray soul before.
His brothers might think it was a trick that their foes had cooked up.
Nazab hunted down more humans, taking them out before they even knew he was there. The extra strength his female had infused him with abruptly ran out just as he reached the final two males.
“You’re a dead man!” the leader of the bandits shouted in triumph when Nazab stumbled to a stop as he exited from a house. “Get him!” he ordered his companion.
Both men opened fire and the warrior tried to dodge the bullets. One scored a furrow on his left side and he spun around to run. The next projectile hit him directly in the back, almost hitting him in the spine.
A shrill scream of pain came from the distance, then Nazab sensed Monica rapidly drawing closer. He refused to fall, but he collapsed against a truck to make himself look like he was on the verge of losing consciousness.
“I got him!” the second human crowed in victory.
“Now let’s finish him off,” his companion said with grim delight.
Nazab’s sword had vanished, but he was far from helpless as the males approached him. He didn’t get a chance to take either of the humans down. Turning to face the pair, his cambion arrived in a breathtaking display of righteous anger.
Monica raced towards the men with murder written all over her beautiful face. She reached them and clamped her hands on their shoulders. Her magic washed over them before they even had a chance to react to her presence.
The knight watched in awe as his female siphoned every scrap of energy from her victims. Drained of life and substance, they became mere husks when she released them. “Are you okay, Nazab?” she asked as she struggled to deal with so much raw power.
“You saved my life, female,” he said in awe. “I just wish you could use your magic to expel the bullet from my flesh.”
She grimaced and he wondered if she could feel the slug inside her own body since they shared each other’s pain. “I need to expel this energy,” she said wryly.
“Don’t give it to me,” Nazab said, shaking his head when she took a step closer to him. “I think it’ll become addictive if you use your magic on me too often.”
Monica’s head turned towards the building where the victims were being kept. “I have an idea,” she said. “Let’s set the captives free and I’ll give the energy to them. Then I’ll try to get that bullet out of you.”
“Do you have any medical experience?” he asked, straightening up.
“Most survivors have probably learned some first aid by now,” she said with a shrug. “I’m not a surgeon, but I should be able to dig the bullet out.”
“That’s very reassuring, female,” he said with a rueful smile.
“Can you use mind control on a group of humans?” she asked as they headed towards the police station.
“Not usually,” he said. “But I’m far stronger this time. It shouldn’t pose a problem.”
“Good, because I don’t want them to remember what I’m about to do to them,” she said.