Page 63 of Faerie Gift

I ducked and the blow landed on my shoulders. Sliding down, rolling to the side, I lunged up and grabbed at him. Tensed. Then launched myself into the air. His claws caught me in mid-leap, hooking in my arm.

We clashed together time and again, both of us slick with blood, his claws grasping for me, mine trying to find him. Too much blood. My sneakers skidded and I went down. The boy was a moment behind, locking his hands around my neck and trying to choke me. I didn’t have the strength left to fight him.

“You’re going to give me the Augundae Imperium,” he snarled, clamping down. He smashed my head into the floor. “Or I’m going to make you wish for the end. How about I crush your windpipe? You talk too fucking much, anyway.”

Pounding at me, hammering my head down again and again, I nearly blacked out from the blows. He slammed his knee down on my stomach. The air rushed from my lungs.

On my back, claws at my throat, I didn’t notice until Mike was barreling into the hallway. I didn’t know the man next to him, although I caught the scent of shifter. That might have been the boy on top of me, though, and I could never really be sure. It took every bit of my strength to keep him at bay or else I’d slip into unconsciousness. To keep him from slicing me to shreds the way he had the others, or from crushing my windpipe the way he wanted.

“Tavi!”

I heard footsteps rushing toward me, saw the outline of pale hands reaching to wrench the boy off of me, to no avail. Yet hope fluttered, growing larger with every moment. Help had arrived.

“Step back! Use it.Now.”

The barked demand came across clear enough from the second man, and whatever object Mike held—couldn’t see much of it—sent a blast of power out from him. It knocked the boy off of me and sent him tumbling ass over shoulders into the stone wall. His head slammed against the rock and dazed him enough so the other man could rush forward to grab him.

And then I realized who he was. My bodyguard from the hospital wing, the one Detective Wilson sent along to keep an eye on me. Though my head spun and my vision blurred, I recognized the face Nurse Julie had found so enticing and attractive.

Hadn’t done a very good job of protecting me, though, had he?

I coughed at the eased pressure around my throat. Mike rushed forward at the sound, still carrying whatever it was he held that glowed like a lamp. A second blast of power shot out from the thing, wrapping the shifter boy in a sort of force field until his eyes rolled back in his head.

Out like a light.

“Help her up,” the other man told Mike, clamping a hand around the unconscious boy and pointing to me with the other. “We need to get her to the hospital ward.”

Mike helped me onto my knees and I watched through blurry eyes as my shifter bodyguard whipped out a pair of handcuffs, using them to secure the unconscious student.

“Are you okay?” Mike asked.

I coughed again and made the mistake of trying to nod at the same time. It didn’t work out too well for me. I managed to get the point across without blacking out, however, so score one for me. My misery must have shown through on my face because Mike winced.

“Just take it easy, Tavi. I’m here now. I’ve got you. Stay with me.”

The soothing didn’t do anything but it was nice to have him there. Besides, where would I go? I dripped blood from a dozen cuts and it would take all night for the deep wound at my side to heal.

As soon as the boy was trussed up, Wilson’s friend walked over and crouched in front of me. “Tavi Alderidge. It’s nice to make your formal acquaintance. We’ve met before, you remember?”

I nodded again, still woozy from blood loss.

“I’m Officer Allen, Detective Wilson’s friend. We work together. Do I have your permission to inspect you?” he asked.

For what I didn’t know, but I didn’t have the energy to fight him either. I lay cradled in Mike’s arms, and Allen’s hands were light as he shifted me from one side to the other, going over my limbs to make sure nothing was broken. I simply rested in Mike’s arms, every inhalation sending jolts of pain singing along my spine.

After a moment, he nodded. “Beat up pretty good, but not dying. It puts us in a little better position. Hold on tight while I make a call for backup. Okay? We’re going to get you taken care of soon.”

I agreed because what else could I do? The only reason I hadn’t slid to the floor was because Mike held me up. The glowing orb sat on the floor next to him, and although I couldn’t make out the distinct design of it, the magic coming off of it was impressive enough it prickled at the inside of my head.

“What is that thing?” I asked, blinking to focus.

In response, Mike shoved it in his pocket and the glow extinguished. “It’s just something I used to save your life.”

“Don’t I have a right to know what it is and why you have it, then?” I tried to turn around and look at him, only to have a dozen parts of my body bark in protest. “Ow!”

“Don’t move.” My reaction had him scooting closer, keeping me cradled in place. Concern showed in his eyes. “Take it easy. Try not to move. We’ll get you to the nurse’s office soon enough.”

Allen kept the hallway blocked so none of the casual passersby—if there were any—would see us. Soon the space would be filled with officers and noise and activity.

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