The Fury by Sloan McBride Page B

hands, she dropped the bag and pointed the barrel at Kur’s heart.
    He lifted a blond brow. “Your will is strong. That is interesting.” Kur smiled. “Give me the weapon.” He held out his other hand. “Place it here in my hand and let me kiss you.”
    She released the safety. Her hands were shaking but she didn’t take time to worry about it. If she did, she’d be dead.
    Anger crossed Kur’s face and he took a step toward her. She pulled the trigger. The sound reverberated through the room. The impact caused Reese to step back but she recovered and took aim again.
    “ Felkah ,” Kur screamed. He pulled a bloody hand away from his shoulder. “You shot me.”
    “And I’ll do it again.”
    He laughed. “I bet you would. The nice thing about being me is that the injuries heal quickly.” Kur glanced at his wounded shoulder and then back at her. “Even the nasty ones.”
    He took another step toward her and she screamed. Fragments of the splintered front door flew everywhere. One lodged in Kur’s thigh and he cursed loudly. Reese’s hopeful gaze fell on Dagan’s powerful form.
    “Are you the welcome wagon?” Kur sneered and pulled a piece of wood from his leg.
    “Hardly, I’m your ticket back to the Underworld, permanently.” Dagan raised his arm, reached behind him and drew his sword.
    “Ah, I see Pyre has been busy.” Kur carefully removed his jacket and dropped it on the floor. A long scabbard hung at his side from which he pulled a thick bladed sword. He glared at Dagan. “I seem to remember being here before.”
    “Not quite. The last time you had five others with you.” Dagan rolled his wrist swinging the sword. It made swooshing sounds as it cut through the air. “This time it’s just you and me.”
    Kur smiled. “Let the fun begin.”
    The first clang of blades startled Reese. She didn’t know what to do. Should she raise her weapon again and shoot Kur? No, she wouldn’t be able to get a clean shot. She might hit Dagan. Where was her bat when she needed it?
    The men knocked over lamps and smashed tables in the ferocious battle. The seasoned warriors took pieces of each other. Dagan’s muscular arms delivered powerful strokes. Kur countered with fine moves and backward spins. She could have been watching a well-staged movie scene.
    Kur slipped on some of his own blood and stumbled forward. This gave Dagan the opportunity to slice him across the shoulders, close to his neck. Kur whirled around and cut Dagan’s forearm. Weakened, Kur struggled to stand straight and his blows were less forceful.
    Two minions appeared in the shattered doorway. Reese swung around, pointing the gun in their direction. From out of the darkness, a whirring sound came just before a jewel-handled dagger imbedded itself in the back of one of the galla ’s heads.
    The second one growled and spun around. He was larger than the dead one and skilled. Rufus wielded a Simitar and sliced toward his middle, but he managed to scoot back enough to avoid it.
    “You’ll have to do better than that, doghume, ” the demon growled. Reese recognized his voice from before.
    Rufus smiled. “Oh, don’t worry.” He lunged forward and nicked his opponent’s left shoulder. The other roared and ran toward Rufus. Reese held her breath.
    The demon’s roar was enough distraction to give Dagan the upper hand in his battle. He stabbed Kur in the right thigh which left a gaping hole to match the bloody one in his other thigh. Kur stumbled back against the wall. Propping himself up with a blood-covered hand, he puckered his lips and blew Reese a kiss. Turning his glowing eyes on Dagan he said, “This isn’t over, Time Walker.”
    “I’ll be waiting,” Dagan responded before Kur evaporated into mist and disappeared.
    At the same moment, Rufus managed to stab the one he was fighting in the stomach. The creature fell to the ground, passed out and disappeared.
    Dagan nodded at Rufus then rushed to her side. “Are you all