I'm trying this by emailing to my blog (since it's currently blocked at my workplace). Let's hope it works!!!

Today's teaser, as the public demanded, is a fight sequence. :-D It's the first, fairly short fight sequence of the novel. The big fight is towards the end between the MC and a Therian, but I doubt that'll be posted. It would give away too much of the story.

Hope everyone enjoys this!

***

"I regret to say that you have gathered the interest of those who would see you dead, and have hired us to make it so." The speaker answered, his tone conveying some small regret, which Ilario almost believed. "As for the Circle of Thirteen, our number will rise again; no matter if only one of us survives."

Sighing in an exaggerated, defeated manner, Ilario slumped. As he did so, his stowed his left hand beneath his belt. There, his fingers grabbed two slender, silver throwing-blades. "So be it," he cried loudly, as if in meek acceptance.

Spinning to his left, he threw the two blades safely past the horses and driver of the carriage, striking the two women warriors on the other side. He struck one cleanly in the throat, a killing blow, but the other hit lower than he'd intended. She was bleeding freely from the neck, but it would be a while before the fight was out of her.

"Take the horsemen ahead of us- leave the mounts!" He hissed to Akiela. Praying she would have the skill to manage this, he charged the dark-skinned speaker.

Issuing an ear-piercing shriek, almost but not quite a howl, Ilario threw his dagger while running. It struck the warrior to his left in the back of the head, but he had thrown badly in his anger. The blunt end of the dagger hit the warrior, a thin male with short brown hair and a scraggly goatee, at the base of the neck. Not dead, unfortunately, but stunned enough to stagger. He fell against the middle attacker.

Placing his left foot against the falling warrior's back, Ilario pushed off and tackled the final standing attacker. As they rolled across the ground, he hoped he had given Akiela enough opportunity to gain her feet and initiative.

The broad-featured warrior Ilario had tackled was trying to get to his feet. Ilario snapped the man's neck and hurried to his own feet; looking to see what had become of Akiela's situation. Akiela was pulling the twin of his own weapon out of the warrior he had stunned with the dagger throw. Now both of the warriors were dead at her feet. She smiled at him, nodded, and then turned to face the remaining Circle members.

The two of them charged in, cutting through the remaining warriors without uttering a single word. Ilario was too much of a professional to take his attention away from the battle for long. He did it often enough to know that Akiela did not require further help- she was dispensing death efficiently.