Ruined by Your Best Friend

I throw up a shield just in time, but the force of the blow pushes me back a step.

Kate! Chase's voice, tortured, echoes in my head. I stagger, but right myself quickly and brace to meet the second attack, using the momentum to twist, the shield to deflect, until I can dart past and put myself between Aiden and Chase, who's on his feet now, but weaving.

When I stop, Aiden is staring at me like… like a madman. His face is oddly bright, his eyes glowing with an insane light. "You stopped me!" he crows. "My god, this is going to be incredible. Fair warning Kate, when I take you down today, I'm also going to take you down, if you know what I mean."

Chase spits a curse from behind me, but Aiden doesn't even look, just makes a face and throws another spear of black light at me. "Don't rely on him for anything useful for… oh, at least a month I'd say," Aiden says to me like he's sharing a secret. "He's been cut off at the balls. Not the first time."