Blade Song - By J.C. Daniels Page 0,108

lunged out, but I never hit the ground.

Steel arms came around me.

“That was very, very foolish, Kit. I never wanted to hurt you until now,” Jude rasped as we hurtled toward the ground.

“Funny, you trying to drown me in my dreams wasn’t a good sign of that.” I spat in his face.

He squeezed so hard I felt my ribs crack. He sat me down and I stumbled away from him, popping my wrist. Nope, I decided as my hand heated. I didn’t regret shooting him. I was going to do it again, the second I had a chance. Enough wood in his heart might destroy him.

He swung out a hand and I ducked. Not in time, though. I was fast, but the broken ribs slowed me and vampires were faster than I was on my best day. This definitely wasn’t it.

As I went rolling through the dirt, I called my blade. When he came at me, I shoved into his gut. He howled and I bit back a shriek as the bones in my arm snapped. Not again—

He flung the sword away and hauled me upright. “I’ll melt that thing down and make you a collar from it, you stupid bitch.”

“Try it.”

He let go and I swayed on my feet, gasping around the pain in my ribs, the pain in my arm. Survive, damn it. That’s what I had to do. But my stupid mouth was going to be a problem.

“You need to be silent,” Jude said quietly. “I never intended to harm you but when you attack, it enrages me.”

“Gee, I never noticed. You have control issues—too bad you’re a vamp. Docs have drugs for humans, but you’re just out of luck.”

He caught my face in one hand, cruel fingers digging into my flesh. “Little Kit…don’t you understand? You’re caught. Well and truly. It’s time for you to shut up and accept it.”

I closed my hand around his wrist and tried to shove him away.

The pale green of his eyes started to glow. Bleeding away until just a red fire gleamed. Red hellfire, I thought…

He grasped my wrist, jerking it up and staring.

Damon’s bite—

“What the fuck is this—?”

I smiled at him. “It’s pretty much exactly what it looks like, Jude.”

Any answer he might have made was lost as a growl split the air. Jude shoved me backward as a giant beast, caught between man and cat, came leaping out of the night. I tried not to scream, but I couldn’t stop it. Black and red dots danced in front of me and then I was gone.

“…hold her steady—have to make this fast—”

I came to with a cry as something snapped in my arm.

“There, there…”

Es. Her voice. I knew that sound.

Other sounds, I struggled to place.

Voices. Snarling. Growling. Cursing.

Through a wash of pain, I stared up at her.

“What…?”

She touched my brow. “Just wait, get your breath. They’ll likely be done soon. They’re too evenly matched, considering they’re both wounded.”

“Who…?”

“I should have gutted you the first time I saw you. I’ll skin you, cat, when I’m done. Your pelt will grace the floors of my home.” That voice…Jude.

“You’re losing blood, leech. How much more can you lose?” Damon.

With a groan, I sat up, shuddering as the pain ripped through me.

Es sighed and stroked my head. “Stubborn girl. Be careful—I haven’t worked on your ribs yet.”

In the dim light, I could see them fighting. They’d go forever, I thought, if something didn’t stop them. It didn’t matter what Es said.

Something came in the form of the flashing silver lights of the Banner unit.

Disembodied voices washed over us, broadcast by a loud-speaker.

I also felt the ripple of protective magics settle in place, around me, the Banner cops and the witches around me. Es sniffed. “Really, as if I can’t care for myself,” she muttered. Then she lapsed into silence as a Banner cop started to speak.

“Jude Whittier. Alpha Damon Lee. Members of the Assembly, you are hereby under orders to cease and desist at once or face immediate action—sanctioned by the Assembly under Article Thirty-two A regarding Non-Human entities in a populated area, under emergency circumstances.”

I gulped.

Article 32A gave the Banner cops the right to blow them to high hell.

“Damon,” I whispered.

I don’t know if he heard me or if the Banner directive got through, but he shoved off Jude and stood.

Bleeding from more wounds than I could count, he shifted from one step to another and was human as he started towards us. “Desisting,” he barked out. Then he looked back at