Regret (Lady of Toryn Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Angelo. Trouncing you to within an inch of your
life is going to be a walk in the park!”
    The advancing ninjas looked
uncertain, following her gaze to Kou, who was looking puffier and more
aggravated by the second.
    “She’s a fraud!” Kou spat,
slurring his words unattractively. “The heir is dead! The Li bloodline has run
its course!”
    “Dream on, you brain-dead blood junkie!” Ashlyn yelled,
and jumped aside as one particularly brave ninja attempted to stab her,
dispatching him with a single slash to the torso. “I don’t care what you
supposedly envisioned, I know I’m
alive and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you take my birthright from me!” She pointed at Kou with the shuriken, eyes
flashing. “I challenge you, Koudai Devlyn Lunai! I challenge you to a duel for
leadership of the sacred pagoda!”
    “I will not duel,” Kou growled.
    “Challenge is my right, as Elder
Heir. You cannot refuse!”
    “ You are not the Elder Heir!” he roared, and turned to the soldiers.
“What are you waiting for? Kill her!”
    Ashlyn grabbed her sleeve and
yanked, hard, ripping the fabric at the shoulder. She stripped one sleeve off,
and then the other, and held out her arms for inspection. “Do you see any track
marks?” she demanded of the soldiers, who were fast surrounding her. “I have
none. I have injected nothing. I am able to use the shift magic because the blood of the Li clan flows in my veins
naturally. I am Ashlyn Li, Elder Heir of Toryn, and Devlyn cannot refuse my
challenge!”
    “She cannot use shift! She is lying!”
    “I am not!” Ashlyn snapped, and the words were barely out of her mouth
before Kou fell to his knees, screaming insults at her as his eyes began to
glow green. His cries became more guttural and less coherent as the
shape-shifting began, his lips pulling back from elongating teeth, fur
sprouting from his suddenly clawed hands.
    Obviously he was done talking,
and Ashlyn was almost relieved. Kicking his ass would be a welcome reprieve
after having to listen to his lies.
    As she struggled to focus, the shift stane began to glow in her armlet.
Then she was changing, the shuriken and her sword clattering to the floor as
the beast took hold. It was fast and painless, and it was only after she’d
already shifted that Ashlyn realized, somewhat regretfully, that she would be
naked again upon changing back.
    Kou was still shifting when
Ashlyn plowed through a small group of soldiers and leapt at him, her own
transformation into a panther as smooth as glass. His face was still almost
human, his body a broad and brawny mass of muscle and fur as she slammed into
him from the side. Despite the force of her attack, Kou barely budged, and
Ashlyn realized belatedly that he was shifting into a bear, and the size
difference between them was considerable.
    She snarled and raked her claws
across his shoulder, jumping aside when he delivered a half-hearted swipe in
her direction. He was desperately trying to complete the shift so he could
defend himself. If she had a chance, this was it.
    Ashlyn sprang onto his back and
sank her teeth into his neck. Kou roared and tried to shake her off, but she
held on for dear life, digging her claws in for traction. The metallic tang of
blood filled her mouth, and ordinarily it would have been beyond gross, but turning into a panther must have given her that
kind of animal instinct too, because for some reason the taste only served to
make her angrier. She let go for just a second to get a better grip, trying to
bite down closer to his head.
    But he took that opportunity to
rumble forward, turning his shoulder and rolling, with her beneath him. It
knocked the breath out of her as his crushing weight came down on top of her,
and Ashlyn heard something snap, like
dry, brittle twigs. Only when he rolled off and the pain assaulted her senses
did she realize that it was her ribs, undeniably broken and shooting slivers of
agony through her entire midsection. She could