Fred disappeared.
Kang attacked from the other side. Stabbed Shiloh in the back.
Her knees gave way. As she stumbled, Kang’s blade pulled free. Red-hot lightning twisted through every nerve ending, flooding her system. Razors and magic. Power exploded through her.
Shiloh shoved up with her right leg. Pivoted.
Whirled her shortsword in her off hand at Kang.
Kang jumped back. Then rushed her.
False friend. Betrayer. Traitor.
Shiloh shot her. Three rounds. Aiming above her armor.
Kang lurched. Pivoted. Raced into the woods. The bitch was gone too.
Shiloh changed her mag and followed Kang into the night. Razors danced inside her. She still wanted to puke, but she was empty.
She had no idea where the werewolves were, but they were still around. Still insane. Shiloh laughed joyfully, the sound full of the crazies. She was one to talk.
Kang’s blood-scent hung on the air, the ground. She’d been hit.
Adrenaline pumped into Shiloh and merged with the magic razor crazies.Bliss. Injured, tired, hungry, nauseated, pissed off, and elated all together, she followed Kang’s scent.
Shiloh didn’t sense the werewolf until her face hit the dirt.
The bitch was on her. Momentum bowled them. Fangs buried in Shiloh’s right neck at the shoulder. The werewolf shook her. Ripping.
Faster than thought, Shiloh raised her vamp-killer blade. Reared away. Ripping the fangs from her flesh.
The bitch released, snapped at Shiloh’s face. Her bite closed on the blade.
Right arm protesting, Shiloh put the barrel of the nine-mil to the wolf’s chest. Fired. Fired.
Yowling, the wolf spun away.
Shiloh caught a flash of movement. Raised her bloody shortsword. Blocked Kang’s strike.
She fired at Kang.
Kang ignored the rounds. Stepped over her, legs to either side. Two-handed, the vamp brought down her shortsword.
Shiloh batted at it. Deflected it enough that it wasn’t a killing strike. Her armor redirected the blade further until a repaired seam caught it. Sliced into her right side, high under her arm. She fired again. This time into Kang’s knee, into the armor joint that allowed bending.
Kang fell to the side. Twisted the shortsword. Tore it from Shiloh. Cutting deeper.
Shiloh made it upright. Crouching. Right hand numb. Right arm paralyzed. Left-handed, she reached for her remaining amulet.
Kang, on one knee, was holding something.
Shiloh felt the faint tingle of her own magic. Her ownstasisworking.Fuck.
The vamp pressed the small disc, trying to activate it.
Shiloh ripped her pocket flap. Gripped her last amulet. Activatedreverse hedge.Tossed it. In the same instant, Kang triggeredstasis. The two magics met and sizzled, heat and sparks.
Kang was frozen in place for one agonizing second. Slowly, she crumpled to the ground inside the prison.
