Arak's Love: A World Beyond Book 2 Read Online Free Page B

swept the space between them but this one Arak caught and deflected. He tried to pin the arm down only to have the man buck hard enough for Arak’s grip to slip as pain seared up his side from the damaged ribs.
    His opponent took advantage with a vicious head butt. Arak’s nose crunched and his eyes watered. Liquid sprayed his face and the metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. The edge of a horn scraped his temple. The Marenian used Arak’s momentary dizziness to spring to his feet and run. Weakness and blood loss had Arak falling back. His rear hit the floor followed by his back as he bounced on the scuffed wood.
    Kyele came up behind the fleeing Marenian and lunged. Blood spurted from the slaver’s mouth as Kyele rammed his knife in the bulky mid-section. The slaver roared loudly, back arched as his harsh features froze in shock before going slack in death. Gasping, Arak rolled to the side and braced his arms on the floor. Kyele shoved the body away, letting it hit the ground with a thud. The remaining Marenian jumped to his feet and charged forward. Kyele never wavered, maintaining his protective stance between Arak and the threat.
    “Kyele!”
    Fuck! What was he doing? Arak never finished the thought as Kyele misted away into a dark mass of smoke. The whirlwind swept the room in a swirling ball of energy and surrounded the slaver within a powerful funnel.
    High pitched shrieks filled the air. In an effort to preserve his sensitive hearing, Arak cupped his palms over his ears to block out the Marenian’s screams and the explosive sounds of destruction tearing apart the room. When the maelstrom settled, the cloud reformed into the solid shape of his teammate, who tossed the now dead Marenian to the floor. The body was an unrecognizable mass of broken bones, shredded skin and gore. Even Arak’s stout stomach heaved.
    Kyele wasted no time on explanations and hurried over. Arak blinked away grit and dust from his eyes and allowed his friend to bear more of his weight as he was yanked to his feet.
    “Don’t panic,” Kyele cautioned right before he bent at the waist and lifted Arak into his arms.
    The change in position put pressure on Arak’s injuries and his entire leg seized with pain. Kyele moved quickly.
    “Fuuuuck!!” Arak shouted but Kyele ignored him and ran, carrying him back up to the second level of the warehouse.
    Explosions continued to rain stone, debris and parts of the building on them.
    Kyele’s speed increased, leaving Arak little choice but to hold on to his friend’s shoulder with a tight grip. Fire crackled around them and edged along the floor in a zig zag trail as it devoured everything in its path with an insatiable appetite. Behind them one entire wall gave way to flames that crawled toward the ceiling in a maddening race. Before Arak could warn Kyele, everything around him misted away as smoke and clouds filled his vision, obscuring anything else.
    Moments later, Kyele settled him back on his feet. Arak shoved his hair back from his face. They were in the room where he’d discovered the two women earlier. Kyele waited until Arak could stand, using the wall as his support then rushed toward one of the windows. Kyele punched a leather-covered fist through the pane until it cracked. Again and again he hammered until the glass gave way and he’d cleared the window.
    “Extraction needed, Jaron,” Kyele ordered.
    Arak listened and waited for their team leader’s response. Eyes open but strained, it required all of his concentration to keep from sinking into a puddle on the floor. Only the thought of embarrassing himself in front of Kyele kept him upright. The man would never let him hear the end of it.
    “I don’t have any eyes on you. The place is lit like a star filled night. Where are you both?” came Jaron’s solid response.
    “Upper floor, east side room. Count off third window over.” Kyele peered out the window, eyes scanning for hidden dangers.
    There was no telling if the