No, I said. We have one chance left. Hunter thinks she’s won. We have to play with that.
Could cost.
Yes, it could. But if blood and pain were the price I had to pay to kill Hunter, then pay them I would.
“Enough!” Hunter’s voice rang out across the din of growling, angry vampires. “She is mine.”
I was dragged unceremoniously to my feet. Blood poured down my face, blocking my vision, but I didn’t need to see Hunter to know she was closing in. I could smell her. Smell the rancidness of her.
It was new, that smell.
Or maybe it was merely what remained after the strength of her god had left her.
The soft sound of her steps stopped. I waited, body thrumming with pain. Pain that I had no doubt was about to get far worse.
“Drop your sword, Risa.”
No! Amaya screamed, even as my fingers tightened instinctively around her.
“Drop it, or I will be forced to chop your hand off.”
Behave, Amaya. Don’t react just yet. I released my fingers. The vampire on my left took her from me and flung her away. She shadowed immediately, but her metal clanged as she hit the stone and bounced. She hissed in displeasure, but it was a sound only I heard.
And only I knew that she was already on her way back to me.
Hunter smiled, all teeth and nastiness. “And now, you will pay for this.” She raised her left hand with its two missing fingers; she was gripping a thin, sharp knife. “Flesh for flesh seems only fair, after all.”
The trouble was, the blade was aimed not at my hands or even my heart, but at my stomach.
At my child.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
I screamed and twisted and fought, cursed and kicked, only to be pinned down even harder. My screams were echoed by another, the source far from human. Flames shot from Amaya’s steel and arrowed toward us, but they were never going to get here in time.
Then, from out of nowhere sprung the Dušan. It chomped down on Hunter’s wrist, consuming flesh and steel in one large gulp, then twisted around, lashing its body around Hunter, binding her completely.
I gave her guards no time to react. I called to the Aedh, pulled my particles free from their grip, then dropped and flung out a hand. Amaya hit it almost immediately, and in one smooth motion, I swung her around in a circle, severing the legs of both vampires. As Amaya’s flames crawled over both of them and began to consume their souls, I rolled out from under their dropping bodies and killed the third vampire. A quick check told me there were no more.
Now it really was just me and Hunter.
I pushed to my feet and somewhat unsteadily walked back to her.
She bared her teeth and hissed at me, but there was nothing she could do. The power of her god had departed, and she was just a very old, very powerful vampire whose blood was pulsing out onto the stones at my feet, draining her strength with every second that went by.
“This is for Jak,” I said, and gutted her.
Then, as her stomach split and her insides began to leak out, I swung Amaya again and beheaded her.
The Dušan unwound itself from her, allowing her body to slump to the floor. As the Dušan crawled back into my flesh, steam began to rise from Hunter’s body. Her soul, rising.
“Do not think I’m going to let you off that easily, Hunter,” I said, and stabbed Amaya through the wispy heart of her.
Amaya’s chuckle was fierce and savage as she almost lovingly consumed Hunter’s soul.
Evil this one, she murmured. Full for many months.
I half laughed, but the sound disintegrated into a sob as weakness washed over me and I dropped to my knees. Ten seconds later I was pulled into arms that were warm and strong and shaking with relief.