All Knight Long, Book I: One Warlock's Love Story by Shad O. Walker Read Free Book Online

Tau. Zander turned to find the once beautiful, muscular Tau transforming into a larger, feral, and even more beautiful feline version of himself. The change was both physical and magical. He had the body of a god and was completely covered in shimmering golden fur. His hair grew into a crown that was part Afro and part lion’s mane. His hands and feet turned into paws with sharp claws, and his clothes were torn and ripped at the seams. He definitely wasn’t a werewolf. He was all man and all lion.
    Zander tried to reach out to Tau but was stopped by Giovanni’s bubble. Tau saw Zander reaching toward him and began to charge at the bubble with all of the ferocity of a hungry lion. Just as Tau reached the bubble, there was another loud boom. Zander’s world went silent as a huge hunk of concrete started to fall from overhead. It was as if everything was in slow motion. Zander didn’t know if Giovanni’s bubble could withstand another blow, or if Tau was paying enough attention to the see the slab of concrete coming directly at him. Zander wanted to protect both of them. Zander looked over at Giovanni and watched him mouth the words, “Help me with this spell!” He turned and looked at Tau, who was still charging, and saw the ruby stone glowing around his neck with the intensity of a laser. The silence persisted for several more seconds before another boom was heard, and then Zander was thrown several feet across the room.
    Exploding pellets whizzed through the air. The scent of club smoke and sweat was replaced by gun smoke and blood. Zander shook his head in an attempt to regain his composure. He began screaming for Giovanni and then Tau. Bodies and rubble lay strewn all around him. He searched his memory frantically for a spell that might offer protection or help him find his friends, but nothing came to mind. Despite his resolve, he began to cry. He tried to stand, and then realized that a large piece of metal had pierced his thigh.
    “Zander, Get out of here!” someone yelled. Zander turned to find Milo the bartender backing toward him and casting spells at several advancing figures in uniform. Zander tried to make sense of it all. Milo was wielding significant amounts of earth magic, moving large volumes of air and throwing bolts of fire. Zander knew this kind of magic, and Milo was good at it. He turned and propped himself up on a leaning piece of wood just as a group of soldiers converged on one of the security guards and covered her like hyenas on a fresh kill.
    “Get out!” Milo yelled again. Zander could see five men in full uniform and headgear pressing toward Milo. They were aiming their rifles at Milo and shooting something that resembled lightning. Zander took a deep breath and began calling up magic that sent tire-sized hunks of stone flying toward the soldiers. He took two of them out with the first slab of concrete, leaving Milo free to focus on the remaining three.
    They were close enough now for Zander to hear one of the soldiers yell, “Set to kill. This one is dangerous!” So, they hadn’t seen Zander. They assumed that all of the magic was coming from Milo. Zander had tried to help and had made things worse.
    “No!” Zander yelled, and he reached out and took control of one of the fireballs that Milo had created and began reshaping it in midair. What had started out as a basketball-sized ball of fire from Milo now hung in the air and began to swirl and grow until it was the size of small automobile. Zander took it and hurled it at the three patrolmen. One dove out of the way. The remaining two weren’t quite so lucky. The fire engulfed them, immediately burning through their uniforms and then their flesh. The first soldier tried unsuccessfully to run to put out the flames. The second fell to the floor after several seconds, and a large cloud of smoke escaped his lungs.
    “Blessed be!” Milo yelled, helping Zander get to his feet.
    “What is happening?” Zander cried, glad for Milo’s