But the elemental Fire flickered to life on Mab's fists again, building and building and building as she prepared to take another shot at me.
I turned and ran, and this time, I didn't stop for anything. My eyes locked on to the Exit sign up ahead, even though I could hear Mab moving behind me, could feel her Fire magic gaining force with every step that we both took.
Mab let out a scream and unleashed her magic at me again. The elemental flames roared down the hallway toward me with all the force of a supernova.
I forced myself to run faster, to make my legs pump harder, despite the burns and blisters that sent continuous waves of agony through my body. Sweat poured down my face, blurring my vision, and screams of pain slipped from my open lips, but still I ran.
Even though it felt like I was running in place instead of moving forward, I finally reached the end of the hallway and barreled through the double doors. Mab's Fire hit them a second later, blowing out the glass and sending the hot, jagged shards at me. The pieces sliced into my back, even as the force of the blast threw me forward into the snow.
I screamed again, from the pain and frustration of my failure, but there was no time-no time to do anything but keep running. So I forced myself to get to my feet and staggered off as fast as I could into the cold, welcome embrace of the snow.
Chapter 18
I stumbled through the darkness, my boots sending up sprays of snow, not sure where I was going and not caring, as long as it was away from Mab and her elemental Fire.
After about thirty seconds, the cold penetrated my pain, and I snapped back to myself. My hurried, staggered steps had taken me away from the immediate proximity of the ballroom. I risked a glance over my shoulder, wondering if Mab was racing up behind me, flaming fists held high, ready to unleash another blast of magic. But all I saw was the fiery outline of the ballroom. The elemental Fire that Mab had created had already spread to the roof, and a second later, a loud, ear-shattering groan ripped through the building. Sparks, smoke, and ash erupted like a volcano into the night sky as part of the structure caved in on itself. No, Mab wouldn't be coming after me that way. A brief respite, but I'd take what I could get.
My stumbling, sluggish path had taken me out into the open, into the dead space between the tennis courts and the edge of the golf course. Everyone might be concerned with the fire right now, but it wouldn't be long before Mab rallied her giants to start searching the grounds. If I was still here when that happened, I was dead.
I'd made Owen promise me earlier that he'd slip out of the club and wait by the car while I went after Mab. The plan had been to meet there and get the hell out of Dodge if things didn't go well. I didn't want to be anywhere near the flames pouring out of the building but backtracking and following the curve of the structure was the quickest way to get to Owen. So I made myself turn back, getting as close to the elemental Fire as I dared, and slogged past it. Even from ten feet away, I could still feel Mab's power in the flames, still feel her magic pricking at my skin like red-hot needles. I hissed at the sensation and hurried on.
Another piece of the roof caved in. The smashing roar momentarily drowned out the startled shouts and screams of those who'd been inside the country club. No matter what happened the rest of the night, no one in Ashland would ever forget this party. Fire and Ice ball, indeed. I grimaced at my black humor and kept moving.
Mab had blocked the exit on this side of the building with her last burst of Fire, so I didn't see or pass anyone as I hurried on. A small favor, but luck owed me a little something tonight.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but couldn't have been more than five minutes, I rounded the side of the building, and the snow gave way to smooth pavement. Still I kept moving, my heels clacking like talons on the concrete. Already, I could hear the mutters in the stone, low, ugly sounds that whispered of fire, heat, death, destruction. The stone wouldn't forget what had happened here tonight either.
I sprinted through the parking lot as fast as I could, considering my injuries, heading toward the space where the valet had parked Owen's car. Hopefully, he would be there waiting, and we could at least get away clean-
Thwack-thwack-thwack.
The steady sound of fists pummeling flesh dashed that hope. Up ahead, shapes moved back and forth, backlit by the flames. Owen. Mab had raised the alarm, and her giants had found Owen already. My heart twisted in my chest, so hard and tight that I couldn't breathe, but I forced myself to run as fast as I ever had in my entire life-even faster than when I'd been trying to escape Mab's elemental Fire minutes ago. If anything happened to Owen, I'd just-I'd just crumble inside. What little there was left of my heart would disintegrate into ash and blow away, leaving nothing behind but aching, bitter emptiness.
I rounded a row of expensive cars and charged ahead, my eyes already locking onto the struggle in front of me and focusing on who my first target would be. Despite my fight with Mab and subsequent stagger through the snow, I'd somehow managed to hold on to my silverstone knives, one in either hand. Good. I didn't want to waste even half a second reaching for them-not while Owen was in danger.
Owen stood fifty feet in front of me, his back to his BMW. He'd gone to his car like we'd planned-he just hadn't gotten to it quite fast enough to drive away. Four giants surrounded him in a loose semicircle, trapping him against the car. I didn't know when the giants had spotted him, but they'd been fighting for a while now, because blood and bruises covered Owen's face like a second skin.
But my lover was determined to take the bastards down with him.
Owen gripped a blacksmith's hammer in his hands. I'd never seen him fight before, and I hadn't spied him putting the hammer in the car earlier. But he used the solid, heavy, black hammer like it was a staff, swinging it first one way, then the other, with easy, deadly skill, his movements as beautiful and graceful as those of any dancer. Two giants already lay crumpled at his feet, their blood shimmering like oil slicks on the pavement. Judging from their caved-in skulls, they wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. Good.
The four giants who were left eased in toward Owen, but a couple of cracks of his hammer against their ribs sent them scurrying back. They all stared at each other, hesitant to step forward and take the full force of Owen's assault. One of the giants was a little bolder or perhaps just a little stupider than the rest because he rushed toward Owen, intending to overpower him with his sheer, brute strength and then let the others pile on. Fool.
Owen waited until the man was in range, then pivoted and swung his hammer in a perfect arc. The metal slammed into the giant's temple. That side of his skull collapsed, and blood squirted out of him like juice from an orange. The giant never made a sound, although his body hit the pavement with an audible thump.