Page 90 of A Debt of Darkness

Even time’s against me.

I press on, harnessing the adrenaline and panic rising in me to keep me going. There’s no choice left and I’ve got to hope Damon holds Rowan’s coven back long enough for me to escape. Or buy enough time for Henry to find me.

Something’s wrong.

I can feel it. I know it. I don’t need to see it.

They’re chasing me and it’s a fucking game. The vampires are playing with me and I don’t need to see them to know they’re enjoying the chase. My terror will fuel their excitement and I make a decision, accepting my fate and refusing to give them my fear.

I weave between tree trunks, certain it’s a matter of time until they catch me. My heart pounds and I find another burst of energy, somehow running faster again.

My feet slip as I scramble up a bank and drop down the other side, emerging in a small clearing. It isn’t ideal and I’m more vulnerable without cover. I sprint across the openground and look up, seeing two flashes of red reflected in the starlight.

I stop and back away, turning as several vampires emerge from behind the tree. I spin and a pair of vampires stalk towards me, confidently covering the ground like predators enjoying their hunt. I turn and vampires behind me spread out, starting to encircle me.

A roar reverberates around us, and I pivot, watching in disbelief as Ryan leaps into the clearing. He sprints towards me and pulls me behind him, growling at the others with a vicious snarl that makes my soaring heart sink.

This is bad. Fucking bad.

The momentary joy of Ryan’s appearance has vanished, replaced by dread. We’re still in trouble. Ryan’s moved the odds but not by enough, and we’re outnumbered and the danger grows as the other vampires edge towards us.

“You’re outnumbered, Ryan,” one of them sneers. “Give her up and I’ll consider letting you go.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“This is ludicrous,” the vampire says. “Rowan’s always liked you, Ryan. As his second, I have a certain influence.”

Ryan stiffens as I turn, standing back-to-back with him. It probably won’t make any difference, but it’s better than clinging to him like a frightened little mouse. I grab the daggers Damon gave me, choosing to fight over surrendering meekly to my fate.

“You cannot be serious?” the second mocks. “You and a pathetic human pet are no match for the six of us.”

“Stay close. Remember Matt’s lessons,” Ryan says, his voice laced with pure determination.

There’s more than one way to win a fight.

Strength alone doesn’t guarantee victory.

Numbers don’t always give you an advantage.

Skill, speed, stamina and being smart are effective weapons and as important as power.

Fucking hell, this is bad.

I’m trying to be brave, trying to ignore the terror rising from my stomach. My eyes flick between the two vampires closing in on me and they look hungry—and the visceral, life-threatening terror spreading through me is unlike any I’ve ever known.

I blink and colors blur as movement swirls around me. Ryan yanks me down and chaos erupts around me. I’m scrambling on the floor, narrowly avoiding something as I slide to one side. I slash through the air and a screech drowns out the sounds of fighting.

My head turns towards it, and one of the vampires is writhing on the floor, clearly injured. He shouldn’t be. I don’t understand it. But he’s bleeding and clutching his arm in agony.

It’s a chance we can’t afford to lose.

I surge forward and start stabbing, thrusting the blade into him over and over again. Ryan’s behind me somewhere and the shouting and banging of impact after impact escalates, but I won’t let it distract me. I clamber onto the vampire and stab down, thrusting the dagger into its chest. His eyes meet mine and widen before he turns ashen and disintegrates into dust.

Fuck.

I turn and Ryan sends a vampire hurtling to the edge of the clearing and deflects an attack from another, exchanging blows at lightning speed until the other vampire stills and his head falls to the ground. He’s dust before his body lands and Ryan moves quickly, hauling me to my feet and covering my back.

We’ve taken two down but the other four pile in and the fighting’s furious. I’m doing anything and everything I can think of, frantically slashing and ducking, trying to inflict any danger I can.

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