Sword's Blessing Read Online Free PDF Page A

busy! We can’t leave the guy!”
    “He’s dead…” Giselle shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. “I saw her kill him!”
    “It’s all right.” Samantha cast out a hand. Giselle jumped. A bubble rose around them, and Eli was dodging Cyrene’s burst attacks, jumping in to get Armand’s body and then lunging away again. “Just stay calm while we get you out of here.”
    “Armand...” Her lips were numb in horror. She hardly saw the fight, could hardly comprehend the flurry of blows Eli countered as he fell back, Samantha meeting him halfway, Cyrene charging forward again.
    And then the Damned woman stopped short, panting as Samantha held out one hand, eyes narrowed and calm. “Sorry, Cyrene. They’re out of your reach now.”
    “Don’t be so sure, bitch,” Cyrene spat. “Now that I’ve found you, you’re mine! Nice of the Angels, sending a beginner search party, don’t you think? It’s almost as if they wanted me to find you.”
    Samantha raised an eyebrow. “And sacrifice two of their own?”
    Cyrene giggled. “They’re just as perverse and cutthroat as the Damned, girlie.” She drew deep breaths. “I see you’ve gotten better at that trick.”
    “You’ve gotten a little better at yours, too,” Samantha murmured.
    Giselle watched them–dark Inbetweener and fiery Damned staring at each other for almost a full, silent minute.
    Cyrene turned, nose in the air. “I could beat through the shield if I wanted.”
    “You look awful.” Samantha returned, frowning. She looked around the lot, scanning the sky. “Where is the crow?”
    The Damned woman started for a moment, and then swayed and laughed. “Dead,” she said, and though her voice was far away and chuckling, she hugged herself, eyes staring up at the sky. “Dead and rotting.”
    Eli drew a breath. “It’s dead?”
      “Yes!” Her claws twitched, prinking the skin of her neck and drawing small drops of blood. “Yes, so dead. So dead.”
    “But…how are you alive?” Samantha asked, frowning. “How are you standing?”
    “I don’t know.” Cyrene giggled and waved, but to Giselle’s shock there were tears on her cheeks. “Just lucky I guess!”
    Samantha looked confused, worried. How could she worry? That woman had killed Armand, what was she worrying for? “What did you do for that power?”
    Again, a helpless little giggle. Giselle caught her breath. The sound would haunt her waking dreams. Cyrene’s grin returned. “Nothing more than what gave me the power in the first place.”
    Samantha glanced at Eli, who looked at Armand. “He’s still alive,” Eli said. “Barely.”
    “Armand!” Giselle gasped at the limp body draped over Eli’s shoulder. Suddenly unfrozen from the spot, she rushed to the Damned man’s side, taking Armand’s face in her hands. His eyes were closed, his mouth lolled open, but she could feel the warmth of his skin, and tears rushed to her eyes. “I’m sorry I gave up on you.”
    “Stop it. I wouldn’t kill him,” Cyrene hummed, studying her claws. She lapped at the blood on one digit, smirking like a cat. “It would ruin my fun. Go on. Watch him die.” She giggled one last time. “Do try to understand what we talked about.” With a wink, she disappeared.
    Eli’s fists tightened. “I hate it when she taunts,” he growled.
    “Gives us what we need,” Samantha said, watching Cyrene disappear. “Time and space. Put him down, Eli. I have no idea what I’m working with.”
    “You can help him?” Giselle gasped as Eli slung Armand’s body to the ground. “They never said you could heal!”
    “Of course not. Technically I’m not a healer,” Samantha smiled. “I’m a soul manipulator. It’s just you can do an awful lot with that.”
    “Wh–”
    “No time. Quickly. Humans have souls like bubbles, Damned have souls like ropes, what about Angels?”
    Giselle’s eyes widened and she gasped. “What? I can’t tell you! The things you could–”
    Samantha frowned at