Page 306 of Halfblood Deceived

“Get out of here,” Aella commanded, voice icy. They didn’t move. Aella growled, flashing her canines at them.

They ran.

“Hmm,” Aella muttered, darkly amused, as she killed the flame on the stove and then opened all the burners, letting the gas escape.

She took a bottle of charcoal fluid and a lighter.

Andreas was right; Aella mused as she made a path of spilled flammable fluid up to right outside the kitchen’s main entrance. You never know when you’ll need C4.

She needed to drive the gargoyles away from the storage room, to block it, and since there was no handy C4…

Movement caught her eye. Two gargoyle males were running toward her. One came down the staircase, and the other approached from the main doors but faltered on his steps, his eyes wide on Aella. “What the hell is that thing?”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” the other male asked, just as shocked as the first.

Aella grinned, unsheathing one claymore. “Cooking.” She flicked the lighter on and kneeled to ignite the liquid. It caught flames at once.

Before they could try to put out the fire, Aella zoomed toward the closest gargoyle. She dodged the male’s obvious strike and delivered a deep cut to his side. He roared. She spun on her heels, ducked his attempt to scratch her with his claws, and sliced his neck open. He fell to his knees, uselessly clutching at his neck.

The scent of his blood reached her nose. It was nauseating.

The remaining blond gargoyle male shook off his stupor and shifted in a flash, lunging for Aella, sword at the ready.

Aella parried, blocked… and then the explosion came.

It was hard enough to send them both off their feet. The crystal of the doors and the windows shattered with a loud crack. The kitchen door blew off its hinges and the chandelier that hung over the foyer fell, sending crystal everywhere. But, unfortunately, there was much less damage than Aella hoped there’d be.

She stood first. The disoriented male sliced at her. Aella let herself fall to her knees and plunged her sword deep into the gargoyle’s stomach. She plucked the blade out, stood, and cut off the male’s sword-wielding arm. His screech hurt her ears. Aella sliced open his neck. He shut up and fell to the floor with a loud thunk.

Her stomach twisted with the scent of metallic, unappetizing blood. And guilt, too. But no. She couldn’t afford guilt.

No mercy. They showed Aiko no mercy. Kill them all; she commanded herself. Bloodlust became a living entity inside her, giving her strength and rage that she never thought herself capable of before.

A strangled sound drew Aella’s attention to the top of the stairs, where Claudia stood.

Aella’s body was moving before she could think of why it was a terrible idea to go deeper into the mansion. A blink later, she had Claudia’s neck in her hand, and her sword deep inside Claudia’s stomach.

The female gasped, eyes widening so much they seemed to take over half of her small, delicate face.

“This is for Aiko, bitch,” Aella growled, removing the sword from Claudia’s stomach.

Claudia fell to the floor, spitting blood, her brown eyes pleading on Aella. “Please.”

“How many times did Aiko beg you, Claudia?” Aella asked. She didn’t wait for an answer. She lifted her claymore and brought it down hard, separating Claudia’s head from the rest of her body.

Blood splattered Aella’s face. Euphoric satisfaction and disgust curled in her very empty guts. She growled.

Someone yanked Aella’s braid and placed a sword against her neck. She hissed.

“Drop your sword, vampire-loving whore,” ordered a male she didn’t know.

“My name’s shorter,” Aella said, gripping the male’s stony wrist with all her strength. “Why not use it?” She twisted his wrist, breaking it, and forcing him to release his sword. Then she sent her elbow back, catching his stomach. He lost balance, but didn’t let her go, and they both went tumbling down the stairs.

Deja vu, Aella thought wryly.

She coughed but got to her feet. She’d hit her head and her ribs, but she was still in one piece and he hadn’t ripped off her hair. So she counted that as a win.

The gargoyle male stood in a blur and collided with Aella, sending them both through the main doors.

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