Courts and Cabals 2 by G.S. D'Moore (warren buffett book recommendations TXT) 📗

Thankfully, it was after the troll tried to punch my lights out, so I didn’t die right there on the spot.

“I’m still here,” I groaned as I fell to my knees, and my vision whirled like the world’s worst amusement park ride.

For the first time during the fight, my sight blared a warning without me being in the zone; and it saved my life. I threw myself to the side a half-second before the troll’s fist slammed into the ground. It shattered whatever was underneath the carpet and made the floor roll like there was an earthquake.

“Cam!” Dani yelled. I caught a glimpse of her. Her glamour was torn to shreds. She was bleeding, and limping; but the other Fae was on her ass. “We need to go!”

“Yeah, no shit sherlock,” I made a face at her, but she was quickly blocked by the troll’s mass.

The big fucker stomped toward me. I tried to get to my feet but tripped on the remnants of one of the slot machines. Maybe even the one I used to smash over the troll’s head. Either way, I went down and hit my dome on the ground. In my current state, it nearly knocked me out. The troll’s laugh boomed through the haze in my mind, as he grabbed me by the shirt and lifted me off the ground.

“I only need your head,” I could smell rotten fish on his breath and almost puked. His free hand palmed my head like a basketball.

“Well, this had been fun,” my vision still swam, so I wasn’t going to get the best view of him ripping my head from my shoulders. I could live with that.

The gods had different plans.

Overwhelming heat smacked into my face, and the troll jumped like someone had lit a fire under his ass. His shock caused him to drop me, and I saw that’s what was literally happening. The troll’s ass was on fucking fire, along with his entire backside. The troll turned and threw up his arms to protect himself, and I got a good look at an expensively dressed man with fire shooting out of his hands like a human flamethrower. The flames were steadily changing colors.

It started off a dull red, but quickly progressed to more of a clear, cherry color. At that point, the troll seemed to be fairing okay. His skin glistened with sweat, and the kinetic force behind the flame seemed to be doing more damaged than the heat. He was able to take several steps toward the Ignis mage, and managed a threatening growl. The Ignis mage took a step back, but then the flame shifted to an orange that grew deeper over several seconds. Now, the troll’s skin was beginning to blister, and I saw pain on his face.

“Serves you right, buddy,” I raised a middle finger to him, but he wasn’t paying attention to me anymore.

He was taking measured steps toward the other Fae, who was sitting up and looking around with a stunned look on her face. I didn’t see Dani anywhere. By the time the troll reached the other Fae, the fire had started to go white. The troll’s flesh was starting to bubble and blacken, and it let out a furious roar. With a final burst of movement, he turned his back to the flame, scooped up the female Fae protectively, and stepped.

Fire flashed past where the troll used to be, and set the far wall ablaze. It was a brilliant pyrokinetic show, but I had other things to worry about; mainly, the shit ton of police that were going to swarm the area. I needed to get out of here, and I needed to not look like me.

I worked on the fly, something I’d never done before with glamour; but panic is a hell of a teacher. I held the image in my mind’s eye and started to pull power to fill out the mold my will laid around me. I started at the bottom and worked my way up. Heels appeared as my feet shrank. Long, toned legs replaced my jeans to end in a short, black skirt. A short-sleeve, white button down covered up a flat stomach, and crawled over a pair of nice, perky tits. Above that came an elegant neck, a face of sharp, beautiful features, and a mess of hair. I quickly amended the look as I crawled away from the fire and into a nearby bathroom. Water leaked from where the plumbing had been wrecked in the fight, but that just added to the look I was going for. Rips and tears appeared in the outfit as well as a cut to the head. Blood dripped down my new face and into the small amount of water coating the floor.

Last but not least, I let my canines grow out a bit, and assumed the position of damsel in distress. To anyone who didn’t really know her, I could pass for Layla, the VIP vampire tour guide.

“Fire department,” someone yelled before they came in the bathroom. After all, it was the women’s room.

I gave a groan in reply, and the firefighters hustled in. They fussed over me professionally and called for a stretcher. The EMTs put a C collar on my neck and led me out, past the police, and Ignis mage that was giving a statement. I could see men in the black suits of federal law enforcement appearing on scene as word got out, and knew I had to get out of here quick before someone noticed me.

Thankfully, the diligent first responders did all the work for me. I was loaded into the back of an ambulance and taken straight to the hospital before the police could lock down the perimeter. Once we got to University Medical Center, I slipped away from the EMTs, dropped the Layla glamour, and resumed the tall, lanky guy