I pulled my Mark II. I had no idea if the Colt would fire properly in the Middleground, and it was something I’d be checking as soon as I was done with this little party.
The closest scorpion charged, moving surprisingly fast. He swung his tail and I ducked, burying my knife in his chest. I tore my blade free as he screamed. My kick took him in the gut and sent him flying.
One down.
Kyla had killed one, too. Seven to go.
She let out a sound like a roar. It echoed through the forest, loud enough that everyone froze. I lunged forward, then rolled low, sliding down to shove my knife deep in the closest scorpion’s unprotected belly. Six left.
He screamed and two scorpions leapt forward. I struggled to pull my knife free, but it was stuck.
Goddamn it.
I let the knife go, and the scorpion’s front legs collapsed. I spun out with a hook kick, feeling my hamstring whine at me as I smashed the back of my heel into its face.
Fuck, that hurt.
Don’t hit them in the places where they’re covered in hard armor, dummy.
I pulled my Nim Cub from the sheath around my neck. The scorpion on the left charged me, tail striking faster than a rattlesnake.
I ducked, lunging to the left. My foot slid in the dirt beneath me, but I shoved my knife in the gap between the two segments of its armor. Thick green blood poured from its throat as it fell.
Five.
The second creature was already on me. I bobbed and weaved, moving backwards across the clearing. A few feet away, Kyla had killed two more of the creatures and she sent me a lupine grin of challenge.
Three to go.
One of them backed away, darting into the forest.
Two left.
The scorpion in front of me whirled, using its tail in an attempt to sweep my feet out from under me. I vaulted over it and slashed out with my Nim Cub. He reared back.
He used its back legs to lunge forward, striking at me with his front claws. Again. Again. Again.
I ground my teeth as his claw caught my knife arm, and he let out a victorious howl.
My forearm burned. Droplets of my blood flew through the air as I ducked. If he’d cut me much higher, I would’ve been in trouble, but he was celebrating far too soon.
I let my arm drop, like I was losing function, and my chest heaved as if I were running out of steam. The scorpion raised his tail, telegraphing his attack to the entire realm. I stepped into him, ducked beneath his head, and thrust my knife up.
It rebounded off the thick protective armor on its chest. Missed, damn it.
Kyla trotted over to me, as if she was out for a morning stroll. She pounced, ripping into the scorpion’s belly. Then she struck out with one paw and threw the creature several feet into the air.
I blew out a breath. “I had that,” I said.
Her mouth fell open in a wolfish grin and I rolled my eyes at myself. “Thanks.”
We surveyed the forest around us.
“We’re leaving the bodies here,” I announced to anyone who may be listening as I located my Mark II. “As a reminder of what happens to those who think to take from us. If you see us again, I suggest you stay the fuck out of our way.”
I wiggled my blade out of the scorpion’s armor and wiped it on my jeans. Then I gathered the remains of Kyla’s clothes, scooping her car keys from where they’d fallen through a hole in her jeans pocket. She stayed alert, scanning the forest around us as I picked up her weapons. I attempted to wipe off some of the green blood that had splattered across my neck with the remnants of her jeans, and then we continued our trek out of the forest.
The village was just as creepily silent as we approached, and I kept one eye on our surroundings while we walked back through the portal.
