Lies Ripped Open Read Online Free PDF Page A

he’d certainly be able to get a shot off before I could turn around, and tackle him. But I could just blast him with a gust of air, throwing him into the nearest glass window. Hopefully hard enough to hurt. A lot. I went to use my magic and nothing happened.
    The man behind me laughed. “How’s that whole magic thing working out for you? I never said I was working alone. I have a void.”
    I cursed inwardly and turned back toward the hostage taker and to see that the man who’d been kneeling beside him was now on his feet, a look of concentration on his face. “I assume that’s him.”
    “That’s right. This means I could put a bullet in you right now and you’d be dead before you hit the ground. But that’s not what this is about.”
    Voids are walking sorcerer’s bands. Meaning I couldn’t use any aspects of my magic or necromancy while in his proximity. There was a limit to the distance their power had an effect, but I had no way of knowing what that distance was, and without my magic, I was as helpless as a human. A less than pleasant sensation. “So what is this about?” I asked.
    “I thought about telling you all about why you’re here. About why you’re going to die. But in the end, I think it’s better that you go to your grave not knowing. I find that more entertaining .”
    “So, why haven’t you killed me yet?”
    “Because we’re waiting for everyone to arrive.”
    There was a crack above me, and I glanced up as the dome imploded. Sharp pieces of glass rained down as I dove aside toward the shelter of the nearest shop front. The elemental tracked my movements, but gave no indication that he was going to fire. Then I saw why. A winged figure glided softly to the ground, its huge pawed feet barely even registering the broken glass beneath it. In one talon-tipped hand was a long, golden spear, several feet taller than the griffin that held it.
    The bottom of the griffin was feline in nature, a deep mustard -colored fur covered it from the waist down, while the top half resembled a massive eagle, but with black and white feathers. It was a good foot taller than my own five-eight, and I doubted it was there to help me.
    “Well, that’s unexpected,” I said, getting to my feet.
    “Good-bye,” the griffin said, and lunged forward with its spear. I pushed the weapon aside, and kicked out at the griffin , who staggered back, putting himself between the armed elemental and me. He swung his spear as I sprinted back into the nearest shop. I ran to the rear, past dozens of expensive suits, through some curtains and into the fitting rooms. They turned out to be a dead end, but I could hear people talking at the front of the shop.
    “Why didn’t you just kill him?” asked a man with an American accent. The void, I guessed.
    “Because the griffin was meant to,” the elemental I knew as God said.
    I mentally reminded myself to ask, when I got the chance, why the griffin got that particular honor, and then searched the fitting area again. When it became apparent that there was no escape, I climbed up onto a small bench, moved a ceiling tile aside, and climbed into the roof space. Me against three killers, one of whom was a griffin, beings considered to be incredible warriors. This was going to be a very long day.

CHAPTER 3
    I t didn’t take me long to make it across the ceiling and drop down into a shop several spaces up from the suit store. The din the three attackers made as they tore apart the shop looking for me was easy to hear, but hopefully it would take them a few minutes at least before they figured out where I’d gone.
    My main concern, apart from being hunted, was that they’d simply go back to the hostages and threaten them again. I needed to act before that could happen. I doubted any of the hostages would run, they’d very quickly be seen. And the shop the hostages were in had an open front, which meant that if they wanted to barricade themselves in, they’d have to use the