Crimson Wind Read Online Free PDF Page B

win?”
    “I was holding my own,” Alexander growled, jerking against the arms holding him. His healing spells had already repaired his ribs and back. He dragged Niko and Tyler a couple of feet before they hauled him to a stop. His Prime was savage and wanted blood.
    “Only because I chose not to skewer you.” Tutresiel rolled his head on his neck as if to loosen tense muscles, and his wings folded forward again, the razor feathers clashing together like two huge sword fans. Anything caught between would be shredded apart. “But do keep trying. I have been so bored these last few weeks. Killing you would be fun.” His lips widened in a death’s-head smile.
    A hand fell on Alexander’s shoulder, and Thor moved in front of him, blocking his view of the angel. “Easy, old son,” Thor drawled with his Texas twang. “You can’t kill him. Don’t waste yourself on that son of a bitch.”
    Alexander stared into Thor’s intent blue eyes. For a moment, he hated his friend with every fiber of his being. Hated him for being accepted to Horngate and hated him for being right. As much as he wanted to kill someone right now, it was pointless to fight Tutresiel. Slowly, he reeled himself in.
    Niko and Tyler felt his withdrawal and let go, stepping back warily. His lips peeled from his teeth in an animal snarl. Good. He was not so weak or tame as they thought. You will be Prime. That was exactly their fear, and now they had seen for themselves that he was capable of battling Max, perhaps winning. His exhibition with Tutresiel would not endear him to anyone. His chin thrust out. Fuck them.
    “I am going to get her. Come or not, as you please.”
    He shoved past all of them and went to the dilapidated door. He gripped the handle and yanked. It broke off and dissolved into a handful of blue sparks. They burned through his hand and the smell of burning flesh filled the chamber. He began ripping at the boards. They pulled away and dissolved. Blue sparks spun through the air, falling on his skin and burrowing through him like tiny stars, dying where they fell on the stone floor. More hands joined his. First Niko, then Tyler and Thor.
    The stink of scorched hair and flesh thickened, and still they worked. For every board they removed, another sprouted in its place.
    Suddenly an iron hand grasped Alexander by the collar and flung him backward. “Out of my way, cockroach.”
    The incandescent white light of Tutresiel’s sword flared as Alexander flew across the vault. The air burst from his lungs as he slammed against the wall. He slid to the floor, his head reeling. He touched the back of his skull. His fingers came away bloody. Gritting his teeth, he climbed clumsily to his feet, swaying dizzily as he tried to catch his balance, feeling his healing spells going to work to knit his fractured skull.
    “Stand back,” Tutresiel advised the others.
    His wings fanned wide as he slashed at the door. A resounding boom shook the mountain, and a wave of power smashed into Alexander. He dropped to his knees, his fingers curving against the floor to hold him in place as magic raked his skin. Then a fine mist of blue descended, and his body was on fire.
    He ignored the pain and burns, his vision curling black as magic seared his eyes. He got to his feet, stalking past Tutresiel and running his hands over the scarred stone of the vault wall. The door was gone. Tutresiel’s sword had left a shallow groove in the rock where it had been. Holy fucking night. The sword should have had more effect.
    Helplessness warred with molten fury in Alexander’s chest. Damn her for going alone. His hands flexed and tightened into fists. If she were here, he would strangle her.
    He turned to Niko. “Get Xaphan. His battle fire will melt the wall.”
    “And bring down the mountain. Giselle won’t like that.”
    “She does not want to lose Max,” Alexander countered. “Besides, what she does not know will not hurt her, will it?”
    Niko hesitated, clearly