Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle) - By Melissa F. Hart Page 0,13
than you Farley, and I know you're not a fool. Hand her over.”
“That would be over my dead body.”
Lord Morrison flashed a smile and shook his head. “Still as stubborn as ever, eh? I know you're an excellent Protector, Farley; I trained you myself. However, you're not that infatuated with your own prowess, surely. I have you surrounded; you are overpowered, thirty to one. I would hate to have your blood on my hands.”
I felt the fear fade and anger swept over me. Who on earth did that man think he was to patronize Dylan that way?
“What do you want with me?” I finally spoke up.
He turned to look at me with faint disdain. “Little girl, you've been enough trouble. You either come with me peacefully or forcefully. Either way, you come with me.”
I could feel the heat from the stone spread through my body, even as my arm throbbed. I raised my chin up and looked him in the eye. “I'm too hot for you to handle.”
His eyes flashed with amusement. “Obviously you think this is a playground. Enough talking now. You come with me.” The amusement had fled from his eyes and they were now as cold as the arctic.
“You want her, come and get her.”
Dylan's challenge echoed in the night and there was a subtle, but no less menacing shift in the other vampires. Lord Morrison stared at us silently for a few moments then turned and walked back to where the other vampires were standing. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and the vampires attacked us from every side.
Dylan grabbed my hand and we shot up in to the air, taking the other vampires by surprise. He let go of my hand and held out both his hands, and when he brought them down, he was holding two shining swords, one long and one short. He thrust the shorter one into my hand. From the corner of my eyes I could see the masked vampires gathering around us once more.
“Use it!” he barked at me before swinging the long one in an arc and heading straight for the group of vampires.
I held the short sword and it trembled in my hands. I felt panic rise up in my chest and knew I was too close to hyperventilating. I wasn't a fighter! I knew how to hold a sword and even how to use one, Katrina had seen to that. But I had never for one moment imagined that I would ever need to use one on people…well, on vampires.
I had a split second to watch Dylan in action and felt awe. His muscles rippled as he swung his sword and it was like a beautiful dance. Just then I felt a hand grab at me and I turned instinctively and thrust. The vampire immediately let go of me as it turned into dust. Another vampire grabbed at my ponytail and yanked. I almost yelled in pain and swung around to face the offender. But then a hand grabbed at me and another, then another. I was being mobbed and there was nothing I could do about it. I tried to use the sword but my hand was being held captive.
I noticed then that they began to move with me. They were moving at such speed, I was sure Dylan would never find me.
I yelled for Dylan but even as I was calling out to him, I knew it was futile. Whatever these people wanted me for, they were determined not to let anything or anyone get in their way. I was going to have to find a way out of this myself, I thought with a sinking heart. Once again, I was alone.
Chapter Eight
Suddenly I was free and just as they had appeared, the vampires all disappeared. I looked around for Lord Morrison and even he was gone. In wonder, I shifted my gaze to Dylan's.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice shaking with reaction. “Where did they go?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he replied, panting.
That was when I noticed that he had a very nasty cut running from his left eye to his neck. It looked like it was made by a knife. My blood went cold at the sight.
“What happened to you?”
“It's nothing serious,” he replied holding onto my arm. “We need to head for your home right now before they come back.”
“Don't patronize me!” I yanked my arm from his hand. “That's a knife wound and the knife was probably covered in platinum.”