Christian slammed the door shut with the heel of his boot and inched forward, his gaze sharpening on the man, who quickly broke eye contact. “You want to tell me why you ran from us?”
“None of your business,Vamp.”
Christian glowered. “What do you know about Jennifer Moore?”
The Mage winced. It was so subtle it could have been mistaken for a casual blink, but I’d caught enough men in a lie to spot the tells. He reached in his pocket and palmed what looked like a smart key for a car. When he pressed the clicker, two large speakers on his desk illuminated blue around the edges, and “Walk Like an Egyptian” started up full blast.
Christian and I exchanged a glance, silently agreeing that this search had just hit level weird.
The man sneered. In a quick motion, he drew back his arm and flicked his wrist, the impalement stake spiraling through the air toward Christian, who dodged it. The stick would never have gone through Christian’s coat, so the Mage was stalling.
I flashed toward him with my stunner in hand just as the door crashed open behind me. I didn’t have time to look. When I shoved the Mage to knock him off-balance, he spun to the side and sent me careening straight toward the wall. I quickly turned and swiped my blade in a crisscross motion, now aware of the drama ensuing by the door.
A Vampire had burst into the room and attacked Christian. Their fangs were out, and it looked like one of those late-night paranormal movies—minus all the hissing. Christian threw the other Vamp against the wall, leaving behind a large crack.
When the Mage ran past me, I caught the back of his shirt and slashed at his arm. He spun around and punched me in the nose, blood immediately spraying the floor and gushing down my face. A hot flash of pain stunned me for a second, and then I noticed an odd red mark on his upper chest where the buttons had popped off his shirt.
Did I do that?
I flashed around him and attempted to drive the stunner into his back, but he twisted and bellowed in pain when it sliced him across the side instead. The Mage bent my wrist at a painful angle, forcing me to drop the dagger. Before I could pick it up, he kicked it across the room.
His eyes darted left toward the window, giving away his intent. Before he made a move, I delivered a high kick and struck him in the chest. He pirouetted toward the wall and crashed into a floor lamp, which he grabbed and swung at me. The brass clipped my shoulder seconds before I flashed out of the way.
Where’s my dagger!
I glimpsed it across the apartment, but I didn’t dare go after it, or this guy would get away. Fighting wasn’t his priority so much as jumping out the damn window right behind me. My coat was becoming a hindrance, restricting movement, so I quickly took it off and flicked it aside.
Meanwhile, the Bangles were singing about waitresses bringing more drinks, and it made me notice the wine bottle on the bar. I grabbed it just as the Vampire slammed Christian across the sink, pinning him with a choke hold. Christian frantically swung his arm around in search of a weapon, so I put a potato scrubber in his hand. He gave me a scathing glance before I spun around and flashed after my Mage, who was halfway out the window. I gripped the waistband of his pants and yanked him inside, smashing the bottle across his head. Shards of glass fell to the floor, and white wine splashed across his back.
He spun around and swung his arm, but I dodged his punch. My best chance to incapacitate him was to bite an artery and drain him, but I couldn’t get close enough.
I grabbed his ankle and yanked it, but he held on to the end of the bar and shook me off. When he caught sight of my fangs, his eyes rounded. I was used to that reaction, and it made me smile a little wider and lick them for show.
Meanwhile, I glimpsed Christian impaling his attacker with a piece of wood. Panting, he stood up—a pizza cutter in one hand and a cheese grater in the other. “Pick your method of execution, you short-fanged, beady-eyed little numpty. Your onion breath is more offensive than your fighting ability.”
The Mage flung open a narrow closet door and grabbed a long sword, which he started brandishing. I jumped back, assuming he was going to swing at my neck. Instead, he suddenly threw it like a spear. I flashed backward and fell, my eyes wide as the sword sliced the air two inches above my nose before clattering across the floor behind me.
When I sat up, the Mage briefly glanced at his speakers and then fled out the window.
Christian torpedoed across the room and yanked me up by the arm. “Get the feck out!”
“Wait. Where’s my stunner?”
“We don’t have time,” he snapped, dragging me to the window.
“Why not?”
“The music is a countdown.”
My jaw slackened. “To what?” I climbed onto the fire escape.
“Hurry!” he yelled, shoving me ahead of him.
I bounded down the first flight of stairs. Just as I jumped onto the landing, a bomb exploded, sending a fireball through the windows and raining glass and bricks. I shielded my head, the Mage already a few floors below us.
I recoiled when another set of explosions went off, bricks knocking against the fire escape and more flames licking the cold air just above us. When the Mage reached the bottom and took off down the alley, I swung my legs over the railing, held on for a second, and then let go. It was a one-story drop.
Christian’s boots hit the ground next to me as he landed solidly. Debris covered the concrete, and a few people were looking out their windows as we fled the scene.
