“Hardly. I’d consider us more like allies with a common goal.”
He gives me a dangerous smirk before throwing his dagger at me with blinding speed, but I’m faster, leaning just a tad for it to pass by. A fact I’m sure he knew already considering he seemed to have done his research before seeking me out.
“Although, you’ll have to improve your aim if you want to keep this truce alive,” I taunt.
“I’ll have you know that my aim was true,” he retorts, pushing past me to go retrieve his knife, now on the ground in a pile of ashes that used to be a feral vampire.
The feral was targeting my blind spot as I focused on the hunter—a calculated move. I’m getting sloppy.
Definitely going soft. Perhaps I’ve lived too many centuries.
A quick survey of the dark street reveals we’ve effectively eliminated the threat Angelo had sent for my pretty flower.
“You’re right, we have a common goal. And she has a name. So why don’t you tell me why Angelo is sending an army for one brunette with freckles?”
At the mention of my Daisy, the fury resurfaces, this time directed at the hunter whose nose is sniffing where it doesn’t belong.
The hunter’s interest is becoming a problem.
She belongs with me.
Not him.
And I will make sure he understands this time.
A growl rumbles out of my chest but gets interrupted by another mental message.
We have another problem, Boss.
His words are punctuated by Kallista’s panicked yell from somewhere above. I react on instinct, ready to race up the five flights to her apartment, but then I hear them. Snarls and hisses echo from down the street—more ferals, heading this way. I pause, torn between eliminating the growing threat and shielding my Daisy before it’s too late.
“Go. Get her out. I’ll handle this.” The hunter gives me a sharp nod, his hands sweeping over his skin. I watch the rune for speed on his arm and another for strength on his neck flare with light, releasing the faint, sulfurous scent of Guild power.
A respectable display of power, but there are at least thirty more ferals coming. It won’t hold them for long.
Where does Angelo find all these goons? Turning has been impossible for ages.
It seems he’s found a loophole.
The hunter throws me a smile that is all dangerous edges and teeth, as he pulls out various weapons concealed on his person.
Insolent little shit.
“It’s an impressive arsenal, I must admit. For a human.” He rolls his eyes in response, but I can’t help but poke the bear a little. “Be careful not to stab yourself with the pointy end.”
I stay just long enough to hear the satisfying angry growl he lets out, then vanish.
The stairwell is a gray blur I ascend in a single heartbeat. We’re out of time. My Daisy is in danger. Half a second after leaving the street, I’m at the threshold of Kallista’s apartment. The door is in shambles, air thick with dust. My pretty flower is bent over her human friend, who seems to have been bitten.
But the ridiculous vampire curse prevents me from entering the apartment without being invited. Again.
How did the human get bit?
The lingering stench of feral vamps and the broken door answer the questions without words.
Boss.
Alek steps into view, still speaking in my mind.
