Seven Devils and a Rose

Book 3: A Kingdom of Roses and Magic - Chapter 123

As I raced through, I swung my sword, slicing zombies in half. Then I used Blade Dance, my body moving in the air as I swung my sword about, the sound of the blade swishing through the air.

"Beautiful," I heard Felix say.

"Tighten your core. Strengthen your arms, Alfie." Caleb directed me. "Now flip your body backward and swing the sword."

I did as instructed, my body light as air, the qi in me bursting with power. I swung my blade and sliced about fifteen zombies in one smooth move.

Holy shit! That was pretty cool.

I heard Geoffrey chuckling, his deep timbre vibrating in my ears. "That was a beautiful move, Alfie."

"How enchanting," Lord Victor said. "I can stand here and watch all day."

As I did another flip and swung my blade, I said, "But I don't have the energy to do this all day, my lord." My blade sliced through more zombies, and they fell to the ground.

Suddenly, I saw a few zombies heading toward Leona from the back. Without even thinking, I sprinted forward and released another qi blade at the same time. The qi blade hit and sliced through the two zombies, their bodies falling to the ground.

"Thanks, Alfie," Leona shouted at me.

"No worries," I yelled back.

I passed the dead zombies and then jumped high as I chanted, "Magic flying disc."

A hum echoed close to my ear, and a white magic circle appeared before me, with triangle shapes within, along with ancient signs and scripts.

Right on time, I landed on the disc. Then I directed it toward the horde below Aria. Some of the horde was hovering on magic discs as well and directing their attack at Aria.

Flying on the disc, I swung my sword, decapitating a few zombies as I went. That attracted a horde to me, and they followed me up toward the sky.

Good, at least I'd managed to draw some away from Aria.

"Qi blade!" I shouted and swung my sword back at the same time.

A burst of white qi in the shape of a blade was released from my sword and flew at lightning speed toward the zombies after me.

Swish! The blade cleanly decapitated them, and their bodies fell from the discs to the ground like lifeless dolls.

Now, since I was in the air, I thought I'd try this move Felix had taught me.

"Tornado Blade!" I said as I released my qi in one forceful blast at the same time as I controlled the disc to spin around at a speed that once used to make me sick. This was almost like the figure skating upright spin, but with the blade.

The faster I spun and swung the blade, the stronger the qi gathered, and it wasn't long until the swirl of a small tornado of my energy formed.

"Alfie!" Aaron shouted, his voice panicky.

"Shit! What the hell is she doing?" Caleb said.

What are they worried about? I wondered.

Suddenly, my world was spinning out of control, and then a burst of electric heat scorched me. I felt paralyzed.

Shit! What's happening?

In my dizzy state, I commanded the disc to stop spinning. When it did, I found I was disoriented, and I fell from the disc. As I did, all I could see was a massive surge of a tornado, pulsating with white qi, bursting and swirling in the air. It came after me, and I stared wide-eyed in shock as it began to swallow me up, sucking me in.

Inside, the qi twisted and raged all around me, tossing me this way and that, and I was scared shitless. I was breathless and alarmed, my clothing torn and ripped from the intense force of nature I had created.

Shit! I had to do something fast, before it was too late.

I said, my voice hoarse in fright, "White Sage Protective Barrier!"

A white shield appeared and surrounded me, enveloping me and protecting me from the raging tornado of qi. There, I hovered in the middle of the storm, wondering what the heck I had done.

"Alfie!" I heard Aaron shout.

"Alfie!" Caleb's voice came next.

"I'll take care of this!" Felix shouted.

A burst of dark qi blasted through my tornado, destroying it and breaking my shield in the process. I felt the dark energy attacking me, thrusting me back in one painful blow.

I found myself being thrown at lightning speed and thought I might just die if I hit something. I tried summoning another protective shield, but everything happened so fast. One second, I was falling, and the next, I felt a body behind me.

It was Felix, and I sighed in relief. With me tight in one arm, he reached his other hand out and said, "Predator!"

I watched in awe as he released his dark qi in the shape of a lion. That shadowy creature sped toward the oncoming blast of qi. Then it opened its mouth wide and, just like that, swallowed the qi up like it was food, thus terminating the blast.

Still breathless and a little dizzy, I just stared as the lion returned to Felix and absorbed back into the man's hand.

Turning his attention to me, he asked, "You all right, little elf?"

I nodded. "Sorry. I don't know what happened, but..."

Caleb appeared in the air, along with Aaron and Lord Victor. They all looked worried, and I said, "Sorry."

"Let's wrap things up and analyze what just happened," Caleb said.

As we descended, I stared in shock at the sight I saw below. The whole forest was annihilated, with trees blasted to smithereens and earth scorched with black soot and smoke. I searched for the girls and Michael and his team. I sighed in relief when I saw them with Geoffrey and Lord Ethan, still with their protective shield on.

Felix let me down, and instantly, the girls rushed over to me, asking if I was all right.

Knowing that this was my fault, even though I hadn't a clue how, I said, "I'm so sorry."

Brenna hugged me and said, "That was one kick-ass move, Alfie. But you scared me."

Geoffrey said, "It looks like you lost control of your qi."

Lord Victor said, "You released too much in one go."

Lord Ethan came and patted me on the head. "We know you want to get stronger, Alfie, but trying to kill yourself isn't the way, silly girl."

I chuckled, my cheeks hot.

Aaron said, "From now on, your top priority is to learn to control the release of your qi."

I nodded in understanding.

Lord Ethan said, "Shall we discuss this over lunch? I'm starving."

As we were about to head out, the tally in the air next to our names changed. Mine jumped to the top with five thousand kills.

My jaw dropped. Again.

The lords chuckled in amusement. It appeared they weren't surprised at the outcome.

"Well done, Alfie," Michael said.

Aria chuckled. "You win, Alfie. Looks like you'll be rewarded with Lord Noah's golden pill." She made a show of examining my chest. "That will definitely be getting even bigger." Which made Leona and Brenna laugh.

I shook my head. "No, I don't want it. Seriously." I turned to Michael and offered, "Technically speaking, you're first place, Michael. I rigged the tally because of that tornado blade."

Michael said, "I'm not sure I want that golden pill after all, Alfie. I don't want to turn into a beautiful girl."

I blushed hotly while the girls laughed again.

I stammered, "The pill makes you stronger, not..." I sighed, knowing that they were all teasing me. I said, "Oh, never mind."