Tegan watched the door handle turn, and she gripped the knives in her hand tighter.Not too tight, daughter, you need to be able to move with them, not lose them because your grip is so strong. Her father’s admonishment ran in her head, and reflexively Tegan loosened her hold.
With a quick glance at her Commander, who nodded in agreement, Tegan darted to the door, pressing herself flat against the wall.
A long sword came through the door first, and Tegan frowned. A Drakhyn wouldn’t use a sword. Unless they wanted to deceive. Drakhyn were all about deception. Tegan made the decision and knocked the sword out of the holder’s grip. With her other hand, she reached forward and grabbed the body through the door. A growl and she knew she had a Drakhyn. Spinning out of reach of the talons, she moved from the door, taking up a defensive stance in front of her Commander.
Two Drakhyn rushed into the room, their snarls loud, and Tegan was sure they would alert the whole Headquarters to her being there. Spinning again with her sword raised in an arc, she cut neatly through the first one’s neck. The second Drakhyn was more cautious but still incensed with Tegan’s kill. Dropping to the floor, it swiped at Tegan’s legs, and she jumped out of reach before it connected. Tegan landed gracefully into a crouch as the Drakhyn regained its feet.
It eyed her warily, recognition registering in its eyes. Tegan saw the look, and with speed blessed by the Ancients, she rushed forward at the same time as she threw the knife she had taken off Sentinel Hendry earlier. The knife found its mark and sank into the Drakhyn’s shoulder. As the Drakhyn was pushed back by the force of the throw, Tegan’s sword plunged into the soft belly of it. Its wail of pain reverberated around the room as Tegan pulled her sword out of the body. She grabbed the knife from its shoulder, plunging it back into the Drakhyn as it raised its talons to slice at her. Tegan jumped back from another slice of talons, dropping her sword as she then struck the Drakhyn with a roundhouse kick. As it fell, she fell on top of it, the knife removed from its body and stabbed into its throat.
As it gasped over the bubbles of blood escaping from its neck, Tegan picked up her sword, and in a smooth arc with no hesitation, she brought the sword down, severing the head.
The head rolled over the floor as Tegan straightened. She looked quickly to Commander Bryce, who had moved forward in the bed, ready to help had she needed it. “They won’t have missed the death screams,” Tegan told him grimly.
“No.”
“We need to move, Commander. Can you walk?”
“Lead the way, Elite, I’m right behind you.” Bryce got to his feet and looked around the visitor room. “We really need to start putting weapons in the guest rooms,” he said faintly.
“I only have the knife and this sword.” Tegan grimaced at the two weapons. “I need more knives.” Her eye fell on the Drakhyn. “I need to burn these, but there is no time.”
The two of them left the room, and the Commander indicated they turn left. “Marcus’s room is this way. We can get weapons.”
“Stay alert,” Tegan whispered as they began to move. The oncoming rush of running feet made the two of them look to each other. “Or we run for it?”
“Let’s run,” Bryce agreed grimly.
As they ran swiftly down the corridor, they were barely around the corner before the alarm was sounded. A keen whistle echoed after them, and exchanging hurried looks, the two Elites ran faster to the Lycan’s room, praying for weapons.
On the lower floor, Salem’s head snapped back to the sound of the Drakhyn alarm. Sloane also stopped, and with moments to spare, he shoved Salem into a bathroom, not even managing to close the door fully before the sound of running feet passed them. Sloane watched as they ran past and then glanced quickly at Salem.
“There are many, about ten or twelve,” he told him hurriedly. “Whoever they’re running to is behind us, Michael’s in front.” Sloane looked between the door and the Principal. “We need to choose. Whoever is the reason for that warning has a whole lot of Drakhyn heading their way, or we go forward, knowing that there are fewer Drakhyn that way, which means we get to Michael quicker.”
“What if it’s Tegan?” Kallie asked quietly as she watched the Principal Elder struggle.
“Then she has more chance than most Sentinels of surviving,” Sloane said grimly. “I say we go on and get Michael and Marcus.”
“He’s in the pantry?” Salem asked Kallie, and when she nodded, he handed over his knife. “You both get to Michael. I need to follow the Drakhyn.”
Salem slipped out the door and was running lightly up the hall before Sloane could reply.
“It makes sense,” Kallie said into the quiet.
“Yeah.” Sloane stood for a moment more and then hoisted the female on his back higher. “You need to be my eyes in the back of my head, Kal. We’ll make this together.”
“I got you covered, Sentinel.”
“Let’s go.” Sloane started to jog up the hall with Kallie holding onto him, with her head turned to watch the rear.
Leaving the young Akrhyn behind, Salem raced up the staircase. He could hear the Drakhyn shouts and headed towards the direction of the yelling. As he got closer, he heard the sound of metal striking metal ringing throughout the floor. They were fighting. Salem praised the Ancients they werestillfighting.
When he rounded the corner, he saw his daughter fighting against three Drakhyn, and Bryce fending off two of them. Drakhyn remains lay at her feet, and he knew Tegan needed clear of them to be able to defend better. His eyes flicked to Bryce again, who was clearly struggling. Salem ran forward and cut one of the Drakhyn attacking the Commander down. The hall was cramped, but in a way, it was that which was aiding the Akrhyn.
Salem engaged the other Drakhyn that had been pressing Bryce back. Bryce, free of his attackers, threw his knife at one of the Drakhyn who had just sliced through Tegan’s fatigues. It faltered as it screamed in pain as the knife lodged deep in its eye socket. Tegan reached up and plunged the knife in further before using the body of the Drakhyn as a shield against the others. Salem cut down the one he had been fighting and attacked the three surrounding Tegan. Between the two of them, they cut them down.
“Are you hurt?” Salem asked hurriedly.
“A scratch,” Tegan said tersely. “Where’s Sloane?”