He leaned back seconds before the assassin’s sword swung over, millimetres from where his throat would’ve been. The blade sliced into the wall as if it were butter, moving so fast it hummed through the air in a silver blur. The two bullets Titus had shot had hit him in the chest and head, and neither had slowed him down.
Great.
Titus ignored the growing urge to scratch across his torso, the powder working its way to irritate his skin. The assassin hissed, fangs descending past his lips while dark eyes swirled black, fury carving sharp lines across his face. He took a step forward, sword glinting through the smoke as he lifted for another swing.
A flash of red hair. “Here.” Rae pushed something rectangular into his free hand, and Titus had just enough time to push her to the ground, the blade catching him across his upper arm before he threw the heavy implement. It hit the assassin’s chest dead in the centre, sinking deep enough he staggered back, hand releasing his sword. Titus threw himself forward, taking them both down in a tackle. With his entire weight he knocked the object deeper, realising it was one of his table’s wooden legs. The assassin stilled beneath him, and Titus didn’t wait for him to wither in death to his true age before he launched to his feet.
“Come on,” he grunted, running through the hallway, Rae tight on his heels. “Stairs.”
Rae shoved through the emergency exit, racing down as footsteps and shouts rattled above. Shots echoed, whizzing past to leave holes along the wall millimetres above their heads.
Titus ignored his car when they emerged in the garage, pulling Rae along when she hesitated by its side. “What are you doing?” she asked, hand curled around another table leg as if it were a bat. The edge had been splintered, creating a sharp weapon perfect for both stabbing and striking.
“Leave it, we don’t know if it’s been compromised,” he replied, stepping out into the street just as the garage door was kicked open. Rae turned at the sound, holding her new weapon out in warning.
“Gerald?” she shouted across the distance, not even flinching as the wall crumbled next to her from another bullet. “Fuck off, you prick!”
“Gerald?” Titus pushed her through, closing the heavy metal door behind them. “Gerald a Vamp?”
Rae faced him, anger darkening her eyes. “Vamp? No, mage I think. Maybe a witch. One with a tiny dick!” she shouted louder, as if the insult could carry through the solid metal.
“Good. Give me that.” He reached for her makeshift spike, using it to wedge the door closed. A weight hit it a second later, the wood groaning, but holding. “That’ll give us a few minutes.”
Metal clanged, the wood cracking under the pressure. “Or not.” Rae pulled at her t-shirt, exposing her rash covered stomach, and the scars that slashed along her ribs. “What’s the plan?”
Titus already knew exactly where they were heading. “This way.” He led the way, knowing Rae had no choice but to follow.
The train station was still open despite the late time, but quiet as they climbed over the ticket barriers, much to the lone staff member’s anger, his fist bashing against the glass of his booth. White tiles paved along the entire tunnel, beneath their feet, the walls and even the ceiling as they followed it deeper beneath the city. The wind whistled behind them, bouncing against the sharp turns to follow them down the escalator several stories. Music played softly, and it took Titus a second to pin it to a busker hidden in the corner, between the north and south platforms. A few women huddled around him wearing short dresses tight enough to be painted on, clapping along to the guitar while their equally dressed dates chatted a few feet away.
Rae didn’t give the busker a second glance, looking up at the board before heading towards the southern tunnel. The wind turned into a roar, a train pulling onto the track just as they reached the empty platform. Both Titus and Rae jumped on, not caring where it was heading.
“You think he followed us?” Rae whispered, moving down the train, checking every window with such frustrated intensity, only relaxing when they left the platform behind and the outside blurred into a darkened smear.
“Possibility.” The first three carriages were empty, and only a handful of people sat on the fourth, loudly giggling and sharing a bottle of cheap wine. “Gerald part of your guild?”
Rae tugged at her shirt again, rubbing her hand across her stomach. “No.” Her brows pulled together. “The Knights, I think. From down south, they’re not usually working in the city.”
Titus glanced down at the red marks on her skin, her nails irritating the rash with each scratch. His own itching had finally subsided, thanks to his fast healing. He’d have to remember to tell Kace that his powder mixture was fucking terrible.
“I met him on a joint assignment once, right arsehole. The client didn’t trust either guild, so hired both.”
Titus paused at the end of the carriage, gesturing for Rae to take the aisle seat. He sat on the opposite side, his voice a whisper that couldn’t be heard above the laughter from the drunken group a few seats down. If Gerald had made it on the train, he wouldn’t risk an attack in a carriage with witnesses. “Thanks.”
Rae’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “For what?”
“You seemed concerned for my life.”
A snort. “If you get killed by someone else, I’ll be in some deep shit.”
Surprised laughter burst from him, the chuckle a rumble that echoed through his chest. “You do realise they weren’t targeting me?”
Rae scratched at her skin once more, mouth pinched in irritation. “Of course they were.”
Titus rested his arms on his knees, leaning forward. “The Vamp grabbed you.”
“Yeah, to get me out of the way.”
“Those bullets were aimed at –”
