Phoenix Contract: Part Five (Fallen Angel Watchers) by Melissa Thomas Page A

easily, so effortlessly.
    Guillaume’s brow rose, and a quizzical smile played on his lips when Magnus leveled the point of the sword at the Frenchman’s chest. “You’re betraying me,” he said as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
    “Correction. I never served so there can be no betrayal. I used you in order to further my own ambitions,” Magnus replied.
    The two men locked gazes for a cutting moment that balanced on a razor blade, and then both erupted to violence. Quicksilver fast, Magnus thrust Acerbitas at Guillaume, and the Frenchman flew backward, smoothly evading the sword aimed at his heart.
    Guillaume zipped away, literally gliding over the Astroturf terrain, and stopped retreating only upon coming up against one of the huge stone blocks which made up the monolith. Running instead of flying, Magnus followed his opponent’s retreat.
    “Escutcheon!” Guillaume shouted, throwing his hands up in a defensive gesture as Magnus bore down on top of the Frenchman.
    Acerbitas cut another sweeping blow and connected with an invisible shield which sent a shower of sparks and lances of magical energy arcing through the air.
    “You’ll have to do better than that!” Guillaume cried. “Try using magic, Magnus. You knew enough to light a candle, last I checked!”
    “Vescere bracis meis.” Guarding with Acerbitas, Magnus retreated a pace and held his left arm aloft. A swirling blue globe of radiant light appeared in his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent it crashing into Guillaume’s shield.
    Aiden ducked as a random ball of magical energy shot toward her. She had no idea which of the two combatants had cast it, but it really irked her to discover Magnus’ latent skills as a sorcerer.
    Equally annoying was the fact that Magnus and Guillaume were so absorbed in their battle that they seemed to have discounted and forgotten her. What had happened to Guillaume’s henchman? Circling the duelists, Aiden gave them a wide berth and scanned her surroundings, searching for the nondescript man who’d been in Guillaume’s company. Presumably, Shemyaza’s Heart would be within the circle.
    A blinding flash of something accompanied a thunderous boom, both derived from the direction of the battling sorcerers. Aiden resisted the urge to look. Instead, she dashed the final few yards to the monolith and took cover behind one of the several ton stones.
    As she’d expected, a pentagram occupied the interior of the stone circle, and a pile of kindling had been placed at the center. A large wooden box perched atop a pedestal nearby. It bled conspicuously from slots cut into the sides, and a pool of dark red blood had formed around it. Aiden experienced a funny sensation in her gut at being so close to a fallen angel’s heart.
    Hello, Heart of Shemyaza...
    The battle between Magnus and Guillaume raged like a storm. Power rode the air, making Aiden’s skin itch, and it was so diffuse that she could no longer distinguish Magnus’ distinctive texture from the deluge. Taking a chance, she peered out from behind her shelter in time to see Magnus cut Guillaume’s arm with Acerbitas.
    She spotted Guillaume’s henchman sneaking around behind Magnus, and immediately recognized the trap the pair were setting. A snake-shaped coil of energy sprang from Guillaume’s hands, binding Magnus’ arms.
    A soft gasp escaped Aiden’s lips, and she did the only thing she could think of—she grabbed for her gun. The .45 felt heavy but familiar as she cocked the hammer and jabbed the safety.
    The barrel swung toward the henchman’s back, and Aiden fired without taking the time to aim. The first gunshot was a deafening explosion, but Aiden didn’t hear the rest. Her initial attempt missed, but the second and third shots found their mark and struck the henchman dead center in the back.
    The henchman’s entire body jerked, but he remained standing and absorbed each bullet with convulsive jolts. Aiden recalled witnessing the exact same