But then again, they weren't exactly sacrificing the cream of vampire society here.
More vampires scrambled to their feet and came at us. I swung Amaya left and right, the movements so fast her fiery edges were little more than a blur. Blood and gore and flesh flew everywhere, the stench of it so thick that bile rose up in my throat and threatened to choke me. And still they came at us, the tide seeming to have no end and certainly no hesitation.
Claws slashed and tore, teeth gleamed. I dodged one blow, barely rocked back against another. Fingernails as sharp as steel sliced across my chin, peeling it open. I cursed, swung my sword viciously, and cut the offending talon off at the elbow. The vampire's scream was one of rage rather than pain, and I had to wonder just what sort of drugs they were all on, because this was more than just blood hunger. It had to be.
Then, with a thunderlike crack, more of the ceiling came down, bringing with it more vampires. I dodged, but not fast enough, and hit the floor with enough force to see stars and lose my grip on Amaya. The vamp on top of me knocked her farther away, and she screamed furiously, the noise cutting through the din the vampires were making. Then another weight joined the first, pressing my face into the floor, squashing my nose and making it difficult for me to breathe. I punched wildly but ineffectively, and the vamp holding my head chuckled. His breath washed over me, and even though I could barely breathe, his odor crawled into my body through my pores, leaving me with the bitter scent of rancid meat.
Then he tore into my left shoulder blade, biting deep. I yelped in pain and bucked, trying to dislodge his teeth and get both vampires off me, but they rode me like cowboys and wouldn't budge. Again the first vamp tore into me, this time my back. I choked back another cry and twisted around, throwing my elbow backward as hard as I could. The vamp riding my shoulders was too intent on sucking up the blood to register the movement, and my elbow smashed into the side of his face, caving in his cheek and throwing him off sideways. I twisted violently to one side and half dislodged the second vampire. He lunged forward, canines bared and bloody and madness in his eyes. I tried to roll away, couldn't, so I threw up a hand in a vain attempt to batter him away. Then, suddenly, Azriel was there, wrapping a fist around the vamp's neck and flinging him back hard.
He reached down and pulled me upright. There was a cut above his left eye and fury in his expression, but he wasted no energy on words, simply turned and dove back into the attack.
I lunged for Amaya, but she was already slithering toward me. I swept her up, then dove sideways as a vamp leapt over one of the fallen and came at me. I swung my sword but he checked his speed, leaned out of her way, then dove straight at me. I dropped, hitting the floor hard enough to knock the wind out, and pulled my sword onto my stomach. This time he couldn't check. The blade pierced his flesh, and his momentum drove her dark metal right through his body and out the other side.
I let him fall, then scrambled to my feet, pulled Amaya free, and swung around to face the next threat.
But it was over, and I'd been proven right. The odds hadn't been insurmountable.
More than sixteen vampires lay dead or near dead in the small room, and there were at least another three or four out in the corridor if the bits I could see were any indication. Blood and gore and body parts lay everywhere, and suddenly I was shaking. But it was anger, not fear, not reaction.
Azriel stepped over the bodies and came toward me. "Are you all right?"
"No, I'm fucking not." My fists were clenched so tight that Amaya's hilt cut into my hand. I glanced at the ceiling, looking for the cameras I couldn't see but had no doubt were there. "Enough! Do you hear me? Enough! No more fucking tests. Either use me or kill me, but stop this stupid waste of life."
"Impressive," Marshall said from the doorway. "I don't believe the council expected you to win so easily."
My fury suddenly had a focus point, and I took a step forward. Azriel threw out a hand and stopped me from going any farther.
It would not be wise to kill him at this time, came his soft warning into my thoughts. This is not his doing.