Chapter 28 · Tamer of the Ash Wilds - Chapter 28: Crown of Ash

The elevator doors slid open and three guards spilled out with rifles already raised.

Lin didn't think. He shoved Vira sideways and hit the floor as the first shot cracked past his ear. Crunch was already moving, grey blur across the hatchery floor, claws sparking against concrete. The lead guard got his barrel halfway around before Crunch took him at the knees. The man went down screaming.

Vira rolled behind a row of incubation pods, blood streaking her sleeve. "Lin, the charges—"

"Not yet." Lin's shoulder was still bleeding from where Crunch had opened him up five minutes ago, the fabric of his shirt stuck to the wound. He could feel his pulse hammering in the cut. "We don't know what else is down here."

The second guard fired twice. Crunch twisted mid-leap and the rounds punched through empty air. When Crunch landed the guard's rifle was in three pieces and the man was on his back, Crunch's jaws an inch from his throat.

"Call it off!" The last guard had his rifle trained on Lin. Young, maybe twenty, hands shaking so bad the barrel wobbled. "Call it off or I shoot."

Lin met Crunch's eyes. Held.