Blood in the Rain
697 Words
Chapter 17: Blood in the Rain
The alley became war.
Iron Circle fighters charged from every side, blades flashing silver under the storm. The narrow walls trapped sound—steel strikes, shouted warnings, boots splashing through rainwater.
Adrian met the first wave head-on.
No shadow magic. No immortal strength.
Only skill.
He disarmed one fighter, drove an elbow into another’s throat, caught a knife mid-strike and turned it back into its owner’s shoulder.
Mortal or not—
he was still dangerous.
Lena fought beside him, silver light burning from her hands in sharp bursts. She moved faster than before, angrier than before.
No more running.
No more being taken.
Selene snatched a fallen blade and carved elegant circles through attackers, every movement precise and cruel.
Elias stood back-to-back with her, gripping his baton like it owed him money.
“I would like everyone to stop being professionally violent!”
A masked fighter lunged.
Elias ducked by accident.
Selene stabbed over his shoulder.
“You are exhausting.”
“I’m surviving.”
“Barely.”
At the alley mouth, Cassian watched.
Disappointed.
Then he stepped forward.
Everything changed.
He moved through the battle like a blade through cloth.
One strike knocked Selene’s sword away.
A second sent Elias crashing into crates.
A third nearly took Lena’s throat—Adrian caught the blade inches away with both hands.
Blood ran instantly down his palms.
Cassian looked almost gentle.
“You were always brave in useless moments.”
He kicked Adrian backward into the wall hard enough to crack brick.
“Adrian!” Lena shouted.
She hurled silver fire.
Cassian cut through it.
The energy split around his black sword and detonated harmlessly behind him.
Lena stared.
“He can cut magic?”
“The blade was forged in gate-fire,” Selene said, breathless. “Nothing clean survives it.”
Cassian advanced on Lena.
“You are power without discipline.”
“And you’re cruelty with posture.”
He almost smiled.
Then swung.
Lena blocked with a shield of light.
The sword bit through it.
Shock ripped through her arms.
She staggered.
Cassian’s free hand closed around her wrist.
Rain hissed where his skin touched hers.
“Yes,” he murmured. “The bridge lives.”
Adrian roared—a sound more animal than human—and slammed into Cassian from the side.
They crashed through stacked bins into the street beyond.
Elias crawled upright.
“I hate him.”
“Join the queue,” Selene said.
Lena ran into the street.
Headlights from abandoned cars cast long beams through rain and smoke. Adrian and Cassian traded brutal blows in the center of the road.
Cassian was stronger.
Adrian was desperate.
Desperate men were dangerous.
He drove Cassian back step by step, blood on his mouth, fury in every strike.
Cassian caught Adrian’s punch, twisted, and threw him across a windshield.
Glass exploded.
Lena sent a spear of silver light at Cassian’s chest.
He deflected it—
but not all of it.
A line of blood appeared on his cheek.
The street went still.
Cassian touched the wound.
Looked at the blood.
Then at Lena.
For the first time, he looked pleased.
“At last,” he said softly. “A challenge.”
Sirens wailed in the distance.
The Iron Circle fighters regrouped around him.
Cassian raised the black sword toward the skyline.
“Fall back.”
The fighters obeyed instantly.
Lena frowned. “Why retreat?”
Cassian stepped backward into the rain.
“Because this was only an introduction.”
He looked at Adrian.
“You still inspire loyalty.”
Then to Lena.
“You will open the gates for me.”
Then to Elias, who was limping into the street.
“And the mortal will teach you loss.”
Before anyone could move, Cassian and the Iron Circle vanished into the storm.
Silence remained.
Adrian tried to stand—
and collapsed to one knee.
Blood spread across his side.
Lena ran to him.
When she touched the wound, her face drained of color.
The black sword had left more than a cut.
Something inside him was still burning.
End of Chapter 17
Say Chapter 18 when you're ready.
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