"You're welcome, little girl."
Obviously he'd missed the sarcasm in her voice. Thunder rumbled across the night again. Every nerve ending seemed to respond to the call of the storm. Power tingled through her body, a wildness that burned at her fingertips, aching for release.
She clenched her hands, and watched the stain that was Orrin. Again the air stirred. This time she didn't move, simply stood watching and waiting. His evil rolled over her, a black wave of darkness that made her shudder in revulsion. His steps drew close.
At the last possible moment, she ducked. The wind of his punch stirred her hair. She reached up and grabbed his arm. Fire leapt from fingers, jagged pieces of lightning that raced up his arm and across his body.
She could see him, she realized. See the sudden flash of terror in his eyes.
He screamed. His arm was wrenched from her grip, and his body was flung across the room. The lightning died, and weakness washed through her. Her legs collapsed from beneath her, and suddenly, she was kneeling on cold concrete, gasping for breath, her whole body trembling with exhaustion. Whatever the power was, it had limitations — physical limitations. The force was a hell of a lot stronger than she ever could be.
Orrin hit the concrete with a splat that shuddered through the foundations. He groaned for several minutes, the smell of burned flesh heavy in the air.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and pushed upright. Now was the time to run for the stairs, to try to escape. She staggered forward. Orrin rose. For a moment, he simply stood and watched her. His arm hung by his side, blackened and withered looking. His eyes were dark, glazed, and certainly no longer human. The vampire half of his soul had risen fully to the surface.
There would be no mercy for her now. Nothing but death, long and lingering, if she didn't get the hell out of here.
The darkness cloaked him once more, and with a primeval scream of fury, he ran at her. She'd never make the stairs. As the realization hit, she swung away, running for the back door. Energy still tingled at her fingertips, a muted echo of the force she'd unleashed on Orrin. Perhaps it would be enough to shatter the top lock and open the door. She had to get help. She couldn't survive Orrin without it.
She leapt for the door, slapped a palm high up, fingers barely brushing the lock despite her leap. Fire danced across the bolt. There was a brief retort, like gunfire, and then the bolt was ash falling across her face.
Orrin closed in. She didn't have time to get the door open. She leaped and hit the ground, thrust an arm against the wall to steady herself, and then ran. Away from Orrin. Away from the door.
He gave chase. His steps echoed in her ears, drawing closer with every beat of her heart. Fear surged, as did the fire. It pulsated through her body, burned at her fingertips. But to use it, she'd have to stop. Have to let him get close enough to touch her. And that could be fatal.
She neared the stairs again. Thought briefly about climbing them. But he'd catch her at the door, and there was no room to fight on the landing itself. Nor could she afford to block the entrance, just in case Stephan or the others came to the rescue.
She ran past the steps, headed once again for the far side of the room. The thump of Orrin's footsteps drew closer, until it was almost all she could hear.
Wind stirred, a cyclonic force reaching out to grab her. She ducked to the right, felt his fingers tear down her arm, and headed back across the room, knowing she had little time left.
He caught her hair and wrenched her backward. She yelped and fought for balance, but he was far too strong and threw her backwards. She hit the floor with another yelp, and then he was on her, his weight crushing her chest and stomach, his fingers around her neck, squeezing hard.
Desperation burned. Her arms were pinned by his knees. She couldn't move. Struggled to breathe. Light danced before her eyes, star-bright light that wavered in and out of focus.
She had to free her arms. The fire that burned through her soul was her only chance to live. She began to struggle, bucking her body, trying to shift his bulk enough to free her arm. One would do. One would kill.
He laughed. The sound crawled across her skin, leaving behind the stain of his evil.
"Fight, my pretty. Fight, while I watch you die."
She tried to reply but couldn't. Her breath was little more than short, sharp gasps. The dancing lights were getting brighter, and the darkness of unconsciousness threatened. She didn't have much time left.
The door at the top of the stairs opened. Footsteps whispered across the silence. Two sets — two men.
"Sam?"
Gabriel's voice. Etched with pain, but strong. Relief swam through her. At least he would live.
"Sam, are you here?"
Of course she was here. Couldn't he see her? Couldn't he see Orrin? See that the f**ker had her close to death?
She blinked. No, he couldn't. Orrin was cloaked in darkness. Perhaps she was too.
She struggled harder, bucking her body, trying to dislodge the giant's weight or loosen his fingers. Orrin made no noise, and no acknowledgment of the two men on the landing. Either the blood lust had made him oblivious to his surroundings, or he just didn't care.
"Sam, I can't see you, but I know you're here somewhere. Where's Orrin?"