No Mere Zombie: Deathless Book 2 by Chris Fox

poisoned somehow? It didn’t feel like a normal blow. Why hadn’t the deathless used his sword?
    Irakesh vanished back into the shadows. “You’re outmatched, little wolf. Hamstrung by Isis’s paranoia. You cannot command the shadows. Do you know why that is? Because when she created your kind she didn’t want one person to have access to the full power at her disposal. So she segregated those powers, allowing only a fraction to be possessed by each gender. My kind has no such weakness.”  
    Blair leapt on top of the central obelisk, its surface scored from the battle with Mohn. He scanned the darkness. Was this Irakesh lying? Or had the Mother really done as he said? It made a certain sort of sense. It made the sexes reliant on each other, forming an excellent check on the power of any one individual.
    “What will you do? You cannot find me, but I can easily find you,” the voice taunted. A green flash came from behind and to the right. This time Blair blurred away, narrowly dodging the bolt as it rippled across the obelisk. The obsidian absorbed it, seemingly undamaged.
    Blair rolled behind another obelisk, taking a moment to focus his will. He had to find the bastard or this game of cat and mouse was only going to end one way. He sent out a pulse, just like he’d used while sparring with Bridget. There, resistance a few feet to his left.
    He lunged, wrapping his arms around the patch of darkness. Something strong wriggled in his grip, but Blair fought to hold the deathless. He bit down hard, savaging Irakesh’s shoulder with a mouthful of fangs. The blood tasted sour, like wine turned to vinegar. He resisted the urge to spit it out, tearing further as he tried to sever his foe’s arm.
    A wave of green energy burst from Irakesh, washing over Blair’s entire body. He tumbled backwards, muscles spasming as if he’d been subjected to a massive jolt of electricity. His body lay there twitching, refusing his commands to rise and fight. It was similar to the power that Ahiga had used back in Acapulco, but much more painful.
    “Now that was truly impressive,” Irakesh said, clutching his shoulder with his good hand. The flesh was already knitting back together. “I didn’t know a male could find someone shadow dancing. That’s either a new talent, or a very closely held secret. I almost regret having to kill you without learning the answer.”

Chapter 12- Hell Hath No Fury

    Liz sprinted down the corridor with the long strides afforded by her lupine form. Sweat trickled through her fur as she bounded off a wall, using her momentum to fling her around a corner. Yet as fast as she moved it wasn’t fast enough.
    In the distance she heard the grunts of combat, steel scraping against stone. Blair’s heart beat swiftly, his breathing ragged. He was fighting someone or something and she knew nothing about what they were dealing with. Damn him for running off. He was so damned impetuous.
    She redoubled her speed, running low along the corridor. The combat continued, Blair giving a pained yelp that echoed from the room ahead. She rounded the last corner, dashing down the ramp and into the central chamber.
    A bald man with dark skin stood over Blair’s crumpled form, his shimmering ivory clothing eerily familiar. The style and cut was too similar to the Mother’s to be a coincidence. The flowing white fabric draped over an athletic body, exactly the type of guy she preferred to date.  
    “I almost regret having to kill you without learning the answer,” the man stated, his arrogant voice still somehow friendly.
    The ancient enemy . The beast rumbled, low and hostile. End him, Ka-Ken .
    Liz pounced, claws extended as the shadows gathered about her. She came down on the man’s back, bearing him to ground with the heavy crack of bone breaking. She pinned him in place with both hands, tearing out his throat then ripping into his face with a savagery she hadn’t known she was capable of.
    He screamed, his right eye