Page 108 of The Vampire's Thirst
A mage’s spell shoved him to a knee, but he rose, his weapons still whipping through the air. A nymph’s blade caught his leg. A sword his chest. Fatigue sank into his bones.
Keep going. Just let me kill one more. Then another. As long as Chiara is safe, I’ve done something good for once.
A screech sounded.Caw. Caw.The crowd parted to let a male walk through. “Greetings, Firebrand.”
Dax pushed onto unsteady feet to study the newcomer. “Shifter.” Predator for sure. The male’s aura was cloudy, though.
“Bunch of Nancies. I give you one job.” He flicked his wrist, and a two-ton truck might as well have hit Dax. He flew into a tree, bending over as pain wrenched his gut, his jaw, his ribs. Blood gushed from his wounds, his twin bolos dropping from his broken fingers.
Fuck.
Dax snarled at the approaching male.“You’re not a shifter. You’re a goddamn warlock.”
“Yeah. I might have fudged a bit. I’m a mix. A smidge of shifter with a dash of warlock. Nice, huh?”
“I fucking hate mages.”
Dax’s eyes slid shut. He considered a prayer to Gahya. But, what the hell, she had never answered him before. It didn’t look as if today would be different.
****
Chiarakicked Brak’s shins once he set her feet onto the office floor. “He’s a brother, afreron. You deserted him.”
Brak’s jaw changed to stone. “He sacrificed himself for you, Chiara. Don’t sling mud on his action.”
Her leg shot out again. Brak jumped back. Good thing. She was a venom-spitting Blood Coven witch.
“Bounty,” he said. “A little help here? Where’s Kole?”
“In the training room.” The stacked blonde rose from her desk, her eyes slitted. “What about Dax?”
The stunning woman obviously knew the vampire well. Were they lovers? Why not? The floozie was a knock-out. Nothing like Chiara. Bounty was tall and mature to her short and imperfect. Sure, they both had big breasts, but this woman had everything else. She was regal, sophisticated in a way Chiara would never be. Her skin was flawless. Her hair was styled. Her manicure was fresh. Her makeup was faultless. Hell, Chiara would do the bitch if she were into women.
But she could use an ally. Even a Dax bimbo. Shaking her head to clear it, Chiara pointed at Brak. “The asshole left the vampire behind with a bunch of Arisen Dawn nasties. Deserted him.”
Bounty stormed toward the demon, grabbing a fistful of shirt and dragging the giant down nose to nose. “What the hell is she talking about?”
Brak, three-hundred pounds of muscle, flinched. “Look. We ran into the assholes heading for Earth. They spotted us and overtook the truck with the witch in it. Dax did the right thing. He sacrificed himself to save her. Through and through Firebrand shit. Now, let me talk to Kole to see who he sent after the heroic bloodsucker.”
In silence, the three stormed into the training room where Kole had his boot on a recruit’s neck while other Firebrands watched the take-down lesson. The commander offered his palm to the female, helping her from the mat.
At Brak’s sudden appearance, all Firebrand eyes popped to him. “We’re safe. Who’s backing up Dax?”
Kole signaled the recruits to scatter. “Tyr’s leading the team. They should be boots-on-the-ground now.” As if on cue, he took a call on his D-chip and nodded before disconnecting to share the intel. “Our guys are at the portal. No Arisen Dawn. No vampirefreron.”
“His body?” Chiara’s voice trembled.
When sparks shot from Kole’s fingers, he tented them to contain the fire. “Nothing.”
“I need to find his noble ass. I left him behind with a shitload of renegades.” Brak turned.
Kole fisted his arm. “You did the right thing. You got her out.” Kole shook his head at Chiara before she could talk. He tapped his wrist to make a call. “Jezzi, grab Ram. I need my two best trackers to find Dax. Report to Tyr’s unit.” When he disconnected, he turned to Brak. “Join them. Bring our vampire home.”
“The next time I see you, demon, my brother better be with you and alive.” Bounty had Brak against the wall, her long, sharp fingernail slicing across his throat. “He’s all I’ve got.”
“Brother?” Chiara and Kole called out their surprise in unison.
“That’s right. The best, kindest, most honorable brother a female can have.” She locked eyes with the commander. “Do not leave him alone out there.”
