Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 373 – Burn Out

Roger

Less time probably passes than it feels like. Because it feels like hours of being seared by fire, of the Priest hurling spells at us.

And it’s not fire alone – it’s flames first, and then slicing spells that cut at us, and then wind – and ice – and something that feels like acid in the air that creeps into our lungs and makes us hack –

But slowly, slowly he burns himself out. And our men fall, screaming. But in the end, it’s me who prowls towards him in my wolf’s body, ignoring the aches and pains that come with every step. It’s me.

I step over my brother’s limp form, doing my best to ignore the fact that what breaths pulse from Dominic’s lips are short and shallow. That his eyes are shut, that whole swathes of his skin are burned away.

I only have eyes for him, this cornered Priest, at the end of this. Because it is the end. And I have him trapped.

Then, because I want him to see me in a form he can understand, I shift back into my human body, wincing as I do so, as the pains of my flesh reform themselves on hands instead of paws, on my legs instead of my haunches.

“Tell me” I command, as I stand before him, cowered in his corner.

“I will tell you noth-”

But I roar, allowing my nails to arc into claws that I slash across his face, opening four deep wounds across his cheeks, his nose, his lips. He shrieks in pain and covers his face before looking up at me.

be prepared to die for your god,” I say, holding up my hands

blood drips down his

That’s up to me.

say again, gentler

already did,” the priest grinds out, finding a little more courage and hate in himself as he snarls the words at me, as he

face – raking some in the fresh wounds

pain of it, his hands flying to cover his wounds. But I slash at those next, letting my claws cut deep, severing several fingers and slicing deep into the tendons of

Priest screams again, falling flat to the floor next to the curled forms of his sliced

leaning over him now, “Or by your God’s own name I will do it AGAIN! And I will keep doing it until you are nothing but SHREDS OF

so much pain now that I don’t know if his words are shaking in shock or fear or…something else. But I have every reason to believe they’re honest.He no

he has

the priest cries out in fear now, working to cover his face again but only succeeding

know!” he cries. “He didn’t tell

have!?” I command, shoving the priest’s hands away from his face so that I can look down on him again. “More

hold you here – “he grits his teeth now, finding some level.

Instead, I raise a fist to shoulder height and then smash it, again and again,

job is done, I use my claws to cut his throat, watching as the blood flows quick. And then, as his hands fall limp at his side, I open the veins

For what? For the chance to wield some spells? To feel, for a moment, that he

the moment that the priest dies. Because there is an almost audible click as the magic leaves the house. I don’t know what it was – wards to tell him where we were? Further protections? It doesn’t matter. But I know, instantly, that everything is gone. That it is now,