I blinked, getting my bearings, sitting up.The van was headed up the highway entrance in the distance, rapidly disappearing.I had fallen—must have fallen off the back when the shotgun went off.There was blood—road rash on my legs.I tried to get to my feet, but my legs wouldn’t carry me.
“Fuck,” I said.A number of shadows in the eaves of buildings around me looked down.Shambling shadows were gathering around me.I tried to steady the shotgun again, but my wrist was screaming.I hissed, lifting it up.Trying to position myself again.The last time both shells had knocked me clear off the bike.This time, I’d probably fall right on my ass.
“Come on, mother fuckers,” I snarled.“Come get some!Taste my ass!”
I turned at the sound of something shrieking.A massive, grotesque bat-winged thing swooped down at me, clutching me with its talons, and taking off.
“Let go of me!”I snapped.
Immediately I dropped.I watched the pavement underneath me grow larger again, and with another snarl, I felt sharp claws grab around my waist.
“Not another word,” I heard in my ear.The bat-thing stretched and flapped, powered as if by some infernal strength inside.“Unless you want me to drop you again.I told you, Stacey.”
“Aleister?”I asked.
“Who else would it be?”the bat-thing snapped.“I’m defenseless carrying you.I need you to fend these flying things off while we catch up with the van.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
“Duck!”Aleister snapped.I turned and shot.It exploded.I spat feathers out of my mouth.“I suppose you’re not too useless.”
“Yeah, imagine that,” I said.
“Duck!Duck!”he snapped.I aimed, closed my eyes.Pow, pow.Shrapnel and demonic quacking.And then before I could peel my eyes open again, I heard his voice in my ears, confused: “Goose?”
A woman astride a long-necked goose.And then more and more of them, surrounding us, flapping all around.They were chanting, tossing what looked like firecrackers and small smoke bombs down that exploded with glittering effects.A force field arose around us.These must have been the Civil Wyrd Corps Nagisa had been talking about.
“Keep going to Hartshome,” one of the women said.
“They need your help,” another one said.
“Hey!”I called.“Are you going up near 36th St?”
“I am,” one of the dumpier witches said.
“Can I get a lift?”I asked.
“Stacey, what are you doing—” Aleister growled.
I jumped just in time.Aleister caught an up-draft that forced him up, just as the fleshy face of something large and foul-smelling arose from another alleyway.I wasn’t sure what it was, but there was no way we could have avoided it had I not moved.A huge hand grabbed the side of a building, and some fleshy pseudopod extruded itself forward.Half of the geese turned, scattering, and me and my new ride kept on going up north.
“Name’s Clemenza.Where are we going?”the dumpy witch asked.
“My friend Tamara’s house,” I said.“And maybe Feedworthy afterward.”
“Oh, hey, you’re that writer girl,” the witch said.“The Moon-Kissed.”
I sighed against the wind.“Yup,” I said.
“Why are we headed this way again, exactly?”
“I need to rescue a few people,” I said.
“Always a good thing,” she said.“Hold on tight.”
Chapter4
We sat down on the rooftop of Tamara’s building.I could see her parking garage from here.The streets in this area seemed abandoned.If we were quick, we could theoretically dart down to the ground level and go from there.If she was alive.If she was safe, still.
