~Teaser from Seduced by Moonlight
“Can you not smell her power? She has the Power of Three,” the witch screeched. “There has not been a being with that ability in centuries, and those hunters gave this foul creature such an ancient power through DNA manipulation, and—”
“The hunters are the foul—”
“—and we’re going to bleed the power from her and take it for ourselves, and gargoyle king, if you interfere, we will also deal with you.”
Ward chuckled. The sheer nerve of this one. They threatened him when they were the ones in danger. Reasoning with such creatures was useless. They only understood one thing—power.
“Your interference will not only cause your death, but your clans too.”
Anger, bright and swift, rushed through Ward. Threatening him was one thing. Threatening his clan was another. The surrounding darkness glowed with a red light as his eyes flared with an ancient power, a reminder of his lineage and the responsibilities it entailed.
He wasn’t merely a guardian of stone. He was an alpha king, as powerful as the most powerful sorcerer. “You dare to threaten—”
“Mmmph! MMMPH!” the woman in the circle struggled to yell.
The hair on the back of his neck tingled, and he looked over his shoulder to see a curse come screaming at him. He spun while still gripping the witch. Before he could raise a shell to protect either of them, she chanted a transportation spell and disappeared.
Her counterpart, who was still conscious, screamed in dismay.
Ward pulled a shield around him. Had the leader of this coven really abandoned her sisters? Why didn’t the other three transport? Were they not powerful enough?
The other two, who Ward thought were unconscious, joined the last remaining witch. They unleashed a barrage of spells, one after the other, each one more deadly than the last, but his shield held, pulsing, a vibrant cascade of light that blunted the assault of spells as he rushed them.
He reached out with one massive hand, grabbing at the air, and the magic at his command twisted the space between them, distorting it with a visible ripple.
He dragged one witch through it, flinging her against a tree several feet away with a sickening crack. He didn’t hear a heartbeat. Good. One down, two to go. The other two ran, darting through the woods.
Ward took to the air once more, arrowing straight for the retreating figure, his wings beating powerfully, kicking up a gust that scattered leaves and debris.
He caught up to the slower of the two, and with a powerful sweep of his claws, decapitated her. Just as he swooped down upon the nearest one, a sturdy branch whipped out, hitting the witch right across her throat.
Her feet flew out from underneath her, and she hit the ground, her head at an awkward angle. There was no heartbeat either.
Silence fell over the grove, broken only by his harsh breaths as he landed. His eyes dimmed as he calmed himself, reigning in the anger. His shield dissipated into wisps of light that faded into the darkness. “Thank you, Mother Earth.”
Three of the witches were dead, but one had escaped.
