Lethal Blow: (Succubus Hitwoman Book 2) by Eliza Hendrix (best motivational books to read TXT) 📗

the parking lot’s asphalt gets closer and closer…

Well, this is gonna hurt.

It wouldn’t be the first time I shatter every bone in my body. Pain, I can handle, but with everything that’s going on right now, I don’t have the luxury of time. Healing from such a severe injury typically takes me several days.

Fuck.

Submitting to my fate, I close my eyes and clench my jaw, twirling my body midair to aim my back at the ground. Despite my healing abilities, I always protect my face. What can I say? It’s my money-maker. That, along with my chest.

Here goes nothing.

I brace for impact, prepared to feel excruciating pain explode throughout my entire body, but nothing happens. Am I still falling? Confused, I crack one eye open.

Around me is bright blue light forming what appears to be some protective capsule.

What’s going on?

“Out of my way!” comes Rachel’s voice.

The magical capsule disappears instantly, and I’m lying flat on my back, right next to an iguana with long yellow spikes, slits for eyes, and a small belly that expands with every labored breath.

What is that ugly thing?

Rachel comes bolting toward me and the iguana at full speed, the terrified expression on her face making me think she’s running away from something.

“Oh, no!” she says the moment she reaches me.

“I’m okay—” I say, squeegeeing bloody slime off my face with my hands.

But Rachel doesn’t even acknowledge me.

Instead, she bends over and scoops up the iguana, its massive tail dangling over her elbow. Her lip trembles like she’s on the verge of crying. “You hurt him!”

My eyes almost pop out of my face. Is this kid for real? I sliced myself out of a fucking dragon, and all she can think about is some fucking lizard?

I’m about to ream her out when I notice the puncture wound on the iguana’s throat.

Holy shit.

Is that the dragon?

Jumping up onto my feet, I rush toward Rachel. Meanwhile, Ace, Drax, and several other people I don’t recognize form a crowd.

“Here, let me help,” comes a boy’s voice.

The guy, seemingly the same age as Rachel, steps forward and spreads his fingers over the iguana’s neck. Soft green swirls spill out from his fingertips and engulf the iguana in Rachel’s arms. The second the colorful magic disappears, the iguana’s eyes enlarge and it shuts its mouth, the crease of it forming what resembles a smile.

Beaming, Rachel turns to the young male witch. “Wow, thank you!”

He smiles at her and offers a brief nod.

Is this actually happening? From where I’m standing, I did what was needed to protect myself, along with everyone else. And now I’m the bad guy for hurting the thing? It might be cute now, but it wasn’t cute when its giant teeth were chomping down next to my thighs.

“Seriously?” I blurt, no longer able to contain myself. “I saved your lives.”

“Actually—” Rachel says, but the witch nudges her in the ribs and she stops talking.

Biting my tongue, I turn to Ace, but he locks his fingers together and looks away. All that’s missing is him whistling a tune.

“Did you turn it into a lizard, or was it a lizard to begin with?” I ask, swallowing my resentment.

“It was a lizard first,” says the witch.

The kid seems sweet, but after nearly getting my skin melted off inside the beast’s stomach, I’m lacking a bit of patience. He must sense my irritation. Politely, he bows his head and folds his hands over his belly. “Thank you for your help. If you hadn’t brought him back to the ground, I may not have gotten a clear shot.”

“You did this?” I ask, pointing at the spiked creature.

Again, he nods.

I wouldn’t peg him for a witch at all. He looks like your average teenage guy—tall and lanky, torn jeans, converse sneakers, shaggy chestnut hair, tanned skin, and a blue hoodie that looks like it hasn’t been washed in weeks.

“So, if I hadn’t pissed the dragon off in the first place, you would have had a clear shot.”

He smirks, and it’s obvious he doesn’t want to piss me off.

I like this kid.

“What’s done is done,” he says. Awkwardly, he reaches toward his face and scratches the skin above his lip. That’s when I see it—the ring.

“You’re one of us,” I say.

Surprised, his eyes dart to my hand, where, unlike him, I’m not wearing my ring.

Clearing my throat, I stick an open palm out at Rachel. She reaches into her pocket and hands me back my ring. I slide it back on.

“We’re all on the same team,” I say.

The kid hesitates, his big brown eyes rolling toward Drax, Riskus, and even Mr. Mushroom who keeps sniffing the iguana’s hanging tail.

“They’re with me,” I say.

He doesn’t argue. I’m certain he can tell that when I say something, I mean it. And if I say my people are trustworthy, he has no reason to question me.

“I can appreciate that,” he says, “but they won’t be allowed in the meeting.”

Rachel frowns, possibly having realized she’s not part of the ring club, either.

“What meeting?” I ask.

“The Battalion meeting taking place this evening.”

He hesitates, his gaze searching Rachel and Drax. “They won’t be able to attend.”

“I’m aware,” I say sharply. “But I can. So where is it?”

Without smiling, he throws his chin out at the grungy bar next to the motel’s head office. “Meet me there at seven, and I’ll show you the way.”

Chapter 23

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I’m not surprised that the only way into the meeting was through some magical portal enabled by the Battalion rings. Not that it matters. I’ve been around enough magic lately—I’m getting used to the whole portal thing.

Rachel wasn’t happy about not joining us. She’s made friends with Zane,