close she saw the two new Hunters hovering behind Victor. The boy looked like he was high on something, which Evie hoped was sugar, and nothing that might dampen his senses, and the girl Selena was still eyeballing her like she was something she’d stepped in.
Evie’s stomach clenched in response. How easy it would be to put her in her place but what a total waste of energy.
‘You brought them?’ Evie asked Victor, nodding her head in Selena and RJ’s direction.
‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘They need to see what they’re up against.’
Evie failed to see how that was going to do anything other than scare the crap out of them. Her own training had consisted of being blindfolded and sent into a cornfield unarmed against three weapon-toting Hunters, so she knew Victor’s training techniques were a little extreme, but even so ...
‘I wanna see these mothers,’ Selena said, spitting a glob of saliva onto the sidewalk.
‘Let’s hope they don’t see you first,’ Cyrus answered her.
‘Are they like – unhumans?’ RJ asked, pointing down the street at Flic and Jamieson.
‘Yes, they’re unhumans,’ Victor grimaced.
Anger raced like lava through her veins. Without thinking, Evie brought her blade up to chest height and took a step towards Victor, silently urging him to make a move for his gun so that she’d have the excuse she needed to go for him.
But Cyrus was suddenly in the way, pushing his chest into Victor’s.
‘Back off,’ he ordered. ‘These guys are helping us. Every single person here, other than these two who are clueless,’ he jerked his head in the direction of RJ and the girl, ‘wants to see you dead. The only reason you’re still alive is because we might need you.’ He forced Victor back a step. ‘And when I say might that’s because it’s still up for debate. If you want to pick a fight with any of us, there won’t be a debate. Neither should you debate who will win. Because it will be me.’
Victor waited for him to finish, then he rolled his shoulders back casually, revealing the gun holstered under his arm and the hilt of a knife protruding from a sheath slung around his waist. ‘I have fifteen years on you,’ he snarled.
‘Which makes you old,’ Cyrus answered, smiling pleasantly. He paused, leaning into Victor and lowering his voice. ‘And even if you were young and able, you’d still never beat me.’
‘Some day soon, your arrogance is going to get you killed,’ Victor said, smiling back.
‘It already did,’ Cyrus laughed. ‘Didn’t you hear? I’m still alive!’
‘Like, hello?’
Evie dragged her attention from Victor to RJ.
‘I thought you said unhumans were the bad guys. I thought we were supposed to kill them all. Why are these guys on our side?’ RJ asked, jerking his head in Flic and Jamieson’s direction.
‘Don’t worry yourself about the details, just be glad they are,’ Cyrus told him.
‘What are they?’ Selena asked, squinting.
‘He’s a Shifter and she’s half Shadow Warrior,’ Victor answered. His eyes darted to Evie, a sly smile spreading across his face. ‘But they’re easy enough to kill.’
Cyrus’s fingers closed instantly around Evie’s wrist, the one holding the knife, just in time to stop her throwing it. With his arm locked diagonally across her chest, Cyrus pressed all his body weight against her, pushing her back. Evie fought him, glaring over her shoulder at Victor who was smiling at her, taunting her.
She bared her teeth, a growl building in her throat. But all of a sudden Cyrus’s hand was under her chin, distracting her, forcing her to look at him. She scowled up at him, angry, still fighting his hold of her. But he only smiled softly in response, his fingers gently stroking up her jaw, his expression warm and so tender she felt her pulse quicken and leap beneath his fingertips.
Evie frowned as she felt the anger dissipating just as fast as it had come, confusion taking its place. Cyrus nodded at her, his fingers still cupping her face. With one hand he stroked a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear, then finally, he let her go.
He spun around to face Victor, all business again, the smile nowhere in sight. ‘So tell us where you think the coven is,’ he demanded.
‘Down the street,’ Victor answered. ‘Three hundred metres. Left-hand side.’
‘Do you know how many there are?’ Cyrus asked.
‘Best estimate ten. I haven’t been able to get close enough to confirm.’