I waved him off. "I'll be okay! Help the others protect Daphne! She's the only way we can keep the rocs from joining in the attack!"
Alexei didn't like it, but he nodded and started working his way back to the others.
"Oh good," a voice purred behind me. "She's sent away her bodyguard."
I turned to find Vivian and Agrona standing behind me, along with their two rocs. Both of the Reapers were holding swords. They slowly advanced on me, and I raised Vic once more. Vivian was still holding Lucretia, and the red glow of the female sword's eye was even brighter than before.
"Look," Lucretia purred. "Dull little Vic might finally get some use in the fight after all. If my first blow doesn't just snap his puny blade in two."
"Lucretia!" Vic shouted. "Come over here and say that!"
"With pleasure!" the other sword crowed back.
And those were all the insults they were able to exchange before Vivian and I charged at each other.
Clash-clash-clang!
Clash-clash-clang!
Clash-clash-clang!
We battled through the ruins. Over rocks, around rocks, ducking and darting, moving back and forth and up and down, trying to get every little advantage we could to hurt the other girl as much as possible. We trampled the flowers underfoot, our boots smashing the beautiful blossoms into runny smears of color. Petals whipped through the air at our frantic movements, and the crisp scent of the flowers took on a thick, coppery stench as blood spattered onto the blossoms from the nicks and cuts Vivian and I were able to inflict on each other.
Finally, I managed to drive her back against a large boulder and slashed out with my sword. Vivian ducked to one side just in time to keep me from taking off her head, but I still managed to open up a deep gash on her right cheek.
Vivian gasped in pain and surprise and brought her fingers up to her face. She pulled them down, staring in disbelief at the blood on her hand.
"You cut me," she said. "You cut my face."
I twirled Vic in my hand. "I'll do more than that, before this fight is through."
"Not so fast, Gypsy," Agrona said.
Up until now, she had just watched the two of us fight. At first, I'd wondered why Agrona hadn't joined forces with Vivian, but then I'd realized she was holding her sword at an awkward angle, as though she wasn't used to wielding it with her left hand. Her right hand - her sword hand - must have been too badly damaged by Vic to be of any use. All she could do was watch - until now.
Agrona snapped her fingers, and her Black roc charged forward.
I threw myself to one side, barely managing to avoid the vicious swipe of the roc's talons. If I'd held my ground, I would have been dead, my chest ripped wide open by the creature's claws. But the roc was faster than I was. I'd barely gotten back onto my feet when the roc whipped around and slammed one of its wings into my left shoulder. I grunted, and the force of the impact threw me five feet to the left. My legs went out from under me, and I stumbled to the ground, landing on my hands and knees. The roc launched itself into the air, hovering over me like an evil black helicopter. It pumped its wings once, then surged forward, its claws extended toward my throat -
A figure darted between me and the roc. At first, I thought it was Rory again, and it took me a moment to realize it was a guy my own age. He charged the roc, spun to one side, and managed to grab hold of the creature's harness. The guy yanked on the long leather reins as hard as he could, causing the creature to stop two feet short of me. But he wasn't finished. He moved forward again, tossing the leather straps over the roc in such a way that they bound the creature's wings to its sides. The roc hit the ground with an audible thud, even as it caw-caw-cawed and frantically tried to tear off the leather straps with its beak.
Then, the guy turned to me, and my breath caught in my throat.
Ink-black hair, intense ice-blue eyes, and a crooked smile that made a warm, fizzy feeling explode in my heart.
"Logan?" I whispered.
His smile widened. "Hey there, Gypsy girl."
Chapter 27
My gaze locked with Logan's. No matter how happy I was to see him, I couldn't help thinking of my nightmares and how he had hurt me in them over and over again.
But instead of that awful Reaper red, his eyes were sharp and clear and as blue as they could be - the most beautiful blue I'd ever seen.
"Gypsy girl?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
"But how - when - why - " I sputtered like Vic had a few minutes ago.
Logan flashed me another smile and helped me to my feet. "Talk later. Fight now. Okay?"
I was so stunned that all I could do was just stand there. The roc got free and threw itself at Logan. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vivian sneaking up on Logan's blind side, and I put myself between her and the Spartan.
"Protecting your boyfriend's back? Aw, how sweet," Vivian muttered. "Not that it's going to do either one of you any good."
She raised her sword and charged me. I tightened my grip on Vic and stepped up to meet her. Vivian attacked me over and over again, trying to use her Valkyrie strength to cut through my defenses. Red and purple sparks crackled in the air every time our blades met. Off to my left, Logan kept battling the roc, darting back and forth to keep out of range of the creature's sharp, snapping beak.
Finally, the roc zigged instead of zagged, taking Logan by surprise. His feet went out from under him, and the roc launched itself into the air once more.
"Logan!" I screamed, knowing he wouldn't be able to get out of the way before the creature dive-bombed and tore him open with its claws -
A golden arrow zipped through the air and buried itself in the roc's side. The creature collapsed, its body barely missing crashing into Logan's. He rolled to the side, trying to shake off his daze from hitting the ground.
"You're welcome!" Daphne shouted across the courtyard.
I waved at her and turned my attention back to Vivian. This time, I threw myself at the other girl.
I attacked Vivian with all the strength, skill, and fury I could muster. The intensity of my attacks seemed to surprise her, as though she was the only one of us who could be so fierce and vicious. I'd told Daphne before that the Reapers hadn't seen my crazy yet - but I showed it to Vivian.
I attacked her with everything I had.
All the moves Logan had shown me. All the sneak attacks Oliver and Kenzie had taught me. All the positions Ajax had drilled me on in gym class. All the passion and intense ferocity Daphne gave to everything in her life. All the fluid grace of Alexei's movements. All the quiet devotion Carson showed to his friends. All the pain, anger, and frustration Rory and Rachel had felt these last few months. All the love Grandma Frost, Nyx, and Professor Metis had always given me. All the cranky concern Nickamedes and Vic had for me.