The two remaining vamps faced Krysta with evil smiles. Their orange auras streaked toward her a second before their forms leapt forward. She swung her blades, scoring hits that sparked snarls of fury. And retaliation.
She began a slow trek backward as she swung where their auras directed her. Her thigh stung as one of their blades cut through her clothing and hit flesh. Then her side. Her hip. Her swings and thrusts neither ceased nor slowed.
Something large flew over her head and hit the brick wall to her right hard enough to shower them with dust. The vampire Étienne fought?
One of her opponents slowed and stumbled, dropping the bowie he had swung wildly. Blood poured from his wrist and neck.
About freaking time! It usually didn’t take her that long to find the arteries. She was off her game tonight.
The other vampire jerked backward, then hit the wall beside the other one.
Étienne was on him so fast she couldn’t see exactly what he did. But when he stilled and stepped back, the blades of his swords dripped crimson liquid and the vamp began to shrivel up.
Breathing hard, Krysta lowered her weapons.
Étienne turned to her, eyes glowing a vibrant amber. Ruby droplets speckled his face and glistened on his clothing. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and smiled. “We rock!”
Some of the tension left his shoulders. Shaking his head, he wiped his blades on his coat and sheathed them. “Where are you hurt?”
“What makes you think I’m hurt?” She didn’t want to admit it. If he knew she was injured every time she hunted, he might refuse to hunt with her again in an attempt to protect her and . . .
Well, she didn’t know what would happen next. She’d like to think she would just go back to hunting on her own, but doubted Étienne or the elder immortals would let her.
That galled a little.
Or a lot.
“I can smell your blood,” he said, closing the distance between them. “And you’re favoring one side.”
Thwarted again by his acute senses and attention to detail.
Since she couldn’t refute it, she settled for making nonsensical grumbly noises as she wiped her own blades clean and sheathed them.
“Krysta.”
“It’s just a few cuts.”
“Where?”
“My left thigh, my left side, and my right hip.”
His jaw clenched. Leaning down, he swept her into his arms. Though he was careful not to touch any of her wounds, it still hurt.
“I can walk,” she insisted between teeth gritted against the pain.
“You wouldn’t be able to keep up.”
The world around her blurred. A strong breeze whipped through her hair, tugging it across her face.
When everything came back into focus and her hair fell away, she discovered they stood on top of a building down the street.
“Wow. You weren’t kidding when you said I couldn’t keep up. What—?”
“I didn’t want to take any chances. The mercenaries always seem to show themselves after the fight is over, as though they want to make sure they nab the immortal victor instead of the vampires.”
Alarm rose. “Did you see any closing in?”
“No. Will you watch the battle scene for me while I inspect your wounds?” He gingerly lowered her to her feet. “Are you okay to stand?”
“Yes and yes. I really don’t think the cuts are too deep. They just hurt. And stop looking like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’ve suffered a mortal injury or something and you want to go back and kill the vampires again.”
“Here.” He handed her his infrared scope. “I would go back and kill the vampires again if I could. I don’t like you getting hurt. I don’t like you being in pain.”
She raised the scope to her right eye and squeezed her left eye closed. The world appeared before her, normal black combined with weird shades of blue and purple and occasional splashes of yellow, orange, and red.
Étienne peeled her coat back and bent to check the wound at her waist. “What do you see? Any humans?”
“I see a guy driving past in a truck. A couple back near the frat—Jeeze! I think they’re having sex! Euw! In the bushes? Who does that?”
Was that a laugh?
She opened her left eye and checked.
Yes, she had wrung a smile from him. Good.
She grunted when he prodded the cut. “That hurts, you know.”
“It needs stitches.”
“No, it doesn’t. Just get me home. Sean will take care of it.”
“Keep looking,” he instructed and turned his attention to her thigh. “Good. They missed the artery.”
She squinted through the scope again. “Yeah. What is it with vampires and hamstrings?”
“They’re like lions trying to bring down a gazelle. They think to hobble you, then move in for the kill.”
“Bastards.”
“Yes.”
She turned in a complete circle, eliciting more French swear words from Étienne, who was still trying to examine her wounds. “I’m not seeing anything. I don’t think they came tonight.”
He waited for her to settle, then checked out her hip. “This one needs stitches, too.”
“Quit complaining.”
He straightened and took the scope from her. “I’m not complaining. I’m expressing concern.”
“Well, you’re harshing my mellow. We defeated five vampires tonight. That’s something to celebrate.”
He raised the scope to his right eye and turned in a circle. “I think if they were here they would have come out of hiding by now.”
“They certainly didn’t dawdle the last time we encountered them.”
“Wait here a moment. If you see anything, think a warning and I’ll hear it.”
“Where are you—?”
He vanished. Or moved so swiftly he seemed to. But his aura helped her trace his movements as he returned to the area in which they had fought.
Krysta raised the scope to her eye and looked around. No mercenaries.
Ooh. His aura looked really freaky through the scope as it streaked back toward her.
“Okay,” he said, stopping before her. “Let’s call it a night.”
“What did you do?”
“Confiscated the vampires’ weapons and tossed their clothing into the Dumpster.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s head for the car.”
She halted him when he bent to lift her into his arms. “I can walk, Étienne. Really. The wounds aren’t that bad.”
Brushing her hands aside, he lifted her into his arms anyway. “This is faster. And, if it will soothe your ego, you can tell yourself that I’m not doing this because I think your injuries have weakened you. I’m doing it because I was looking for an excuse to hold you.”
“I can do that,” she said, looping her arms around his neck. “Which one is it?”
“I’ll let you decide.”
“So, we’re really going to do this?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Hunt together?”
“That’s the plan. At least for the time being.”
Good. They made a great team. And the more time she spent with Étienne, the more time she wanted to spend with him.
Krysta combed her fingers through his thick locks. “Your hair is so soft.”
He smiled as the world blurred.
Chapter 12
David reclined in his comfy chair, his feet propped on the edge of his desk, as he devoured the latest Stephen King novel.
Seth lounged in a chair on the other side of the desk, his large boots also gracing the scarred wooden surface as he studied his cell phone.