The fire around her and Sebastian died instantly, but long jets of ice spurted from her hand and slammed into the rogue that had knocked her down.
“Cool,” Cara giggled. Slush dripped from her fingers. She had no idea how she had made the ice appear. She had not even uttered a spell!
She was not the only one shocked by the ice. Sebastian had known that Tribe could make fire, but he had never heard of one who could make ice, and without even a spell! What else could she do?
One of the rogues was completely encased in ice, literally froze in mid-snarl. Its fangs showed clearly. The other rogue whined and pressed its nose to the ice, yipped in pain at the cold and turned its eyes back to them.
There was an almost human expression of rage on its face. It wanted her dead if for no other reason than what she just done to its partner.
The first rogue growled deep and low then pounced. Sebastian struck with the blade, slamming it deep between the animal’s ribs. Blood spouted out, hot and thick, a rich coppery scent that made Cara gag.
Long streams of blood dripped down Sebastian’s hands and arms. He withdrew the knife and stepped back, allowing the Wolf’s thick body to fall to the ground.
The battle was far from over. The ice tinkled as it shattered, and Cara looked up to see the previously frozen Wolf leap to life as the blood from the first rogue saturated the ground around the ice.
The second rogue was much larger than the wounded one. It snatched the other rogue up in its massive jaws and fled. Cara started to run after it but Sebastian’ held her back. Wolf blood smeared across the hem of her shirt and she flinched in revulsion.
“What are you doing? We have to get them!”
Sebastian gave her a little shake as he spoke. “Did you not to see what happened? Those rogues are stronger than any should be. There’s something more going on here. That rogue tasted silver twice and still wasn’t dead. I have never seen another rogue carry a wounded one away from a battlefield before. Usually they care only for themselves.
“Until we find out what they are and how to kill them it’s best to leave them be. The wounded one… ”
Cara shouted, “ We should go after them now while they’re wounded! If we try to get them later when they’ve had time to heal there’s no guarantee we can take them! We can take them right now though!”
Sebastian looked at her his green eyes narrowing, “Those two rogues would’ve killed us both. I don’t think there’s enough silver in the world to protect us from them.”
“We could have — ”
“We did what we needed to do tonight. We tested their strength, we know we have to come far more prepared from now on. They’re able to withstand silver, Cara; do you not see what that means?”
Tears spilled down her face, and sobs broke from her body. “I knew those two men that those damn wolves ate! I knew all their girlfriends. I knew what kind of hot sauce they liked on their meat and what kind of beer they both drank. I knew their big dream was to get their stupid airplane up in the air, just because they wanted to see the world from up high just for once. Was that too much to ask, Sebastian?”
Her grief was breaking his heart. “No. No, it’s not too much to ask.”
Cara resisted his embrace but only for a moment. Her tears soaked his shirt and helped wash way some of the blood on his arms and hands. Finally he spoke. “We need to get off the streets. I think this calls for a drink, for me at least.”
“I already told you crazy stuff happens if I drink alcohol.”
Sebastian’s arm was wrapped around her waist tightly. She leaned into his, her hips bumping his lightly as they walked down the street together and back into the busier sections.
“What kind of crazy stuff are we talking about here?” he asked. “I mean, we both know you can shoot fire and ice. If you get drunk, do you create a thunderstorm or burp fire?”
Despite the gravity of the situation, she began to laugh, and she was grateful for it. How could he be so good? How could he know exactly what she needed when she needed it and give it to her so easily?
“I don’t burp,” she said primly, “and I most certainly never fart.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Sebastian smiled.
They turned onto the lively Avenue. The bar that they had gone to the night before was open again, and as usual, it was packed. Michelle greeted them with a friendly wave and tilted her head towards the private room that they had used the last time they had been there.
Cara wanted to say no. If she were alone was Sebastian there was no telling what would happen. That was untrue — she knew exactly what would happen, and she wanted it. She wanted to lose herself in his body, feel his arms around her and his strong body against hers. She wanted him inside her.