Chapter 173
The heavy transport rumbled into the misty docks, its wheels screeching in protest. Kael swerved it into the shadows between rusted cargo containers, the scent of salt and diesel hanging thick in the cold night air.
Blood trickled steadily from his wounds, staining the seat and his clothes, but his grip never loosened on the sword. He staggered out of the vehicle, boots landing heavily on the wet ground, ready to disappear into the maze of crates and steel.
But then...
A flicker.
A shadow leaping high across the misty air like a phantom.
Kael’s instincts screamed louder than his thoughts could follow. Without hesitation, he threw himself sideways just as a blazing spear of flame whistled past, slamming into the metal container behind him with an explosive BOOM that shook the entire dockyard.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Kael bellowed, skidding across the slick ground, heart hammering against his ribs.
Before he could even steady himself, another figure launched from the fog — swift and merciless.
Mira descended like a hunting hawk, her entire body wrapped in a swirl of heat and magic. She landed a meter from him, one hand thrust forward.
A compressed fire-blast exploded outward, slamming Kael directly in the chest. He grunted in pain, swaying backward, barely keeping his feet as the world spun.
Kael rolled across the ground with a wild snarl, his hands scraping against gravel and rust. He twisted back up to his feet, vision swimming — and froze.