shot an arrow at a dark shadow, but I couldn’t be sure I hit anything. The sleek, black compound bow felt powerful, but unfamiliar in my hands.
We hurried into the church, pushing closed the door inside. Jazmine and Luke grabbed a large piece of wood from the fallen rafters and braced it against the entrance. I frowned up at the holes in the ceiling.
“This isn’t much of a defense,” I said.
“At least we can focus our firepower,” Trevor said, raising his pistol. “Get a couple good shots off before they rip us open.”
“Shhhh,” Jazmine hissed, waving her hand. “Everybody down!”
We ducked behind the scattered pews, using them as barricades. I could hear the heavy padded footsteps of the creatures outside, sniffing against the walls.
“How many are there?” I whispered.
“At least two,” Jazmine said, reaching into her pocket. She uncorked the small bottle of elixir and took a sip, staining her lips red. I watched as her pupils dilated.
“If shit hits the fan, tell Camina... tell her something,” she said, leaning her forehead against mine.
“Tell her yourself,” I said. “Just two slagpaw? We can totally do this.” I tried to smile, though my heart was pounding.
I held my hand steady as I uncorked my own vial of elixir, my body responding to the heady scent. Was ten drops too much? What if we had to fight our way out? What if we needed more later?
I didn’t want to waste the elixir if I didn’t have to, on the other hand I was the only one capable of consuming extra without going crazy from the blood lust. I decided to take half the vial, around five drops, and felt it light my veins on fire just as the front door of the church burst open. I pulled my bowstring taut, expecting slagpaw, but hesitated when it was a man instead, or at least, an elite. He was wearing a long trench coat and a black hat with a low brim, and a bright red feather that matched the sparkling rubies on the hilt of his sword. I didn’t see his face at first, until he lifted his chin and flashed a cruel smile.
It was Tobias, but unlike I’d ever seen him. His golden curls had faded into a dull gray, as if he’d aged quickly. Dark purple circles hugged his eyes, which stood out like emeralds against his pale skin.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he taunted. “You should thank me, I could have let my pets eat you. You’ll die faster by my hand. Probably.”
One of the slagpaw jumped on the roof, and it creaked under its weight. The beast slashed through the hole with its massive claws, and Luke rolled out of hiding. He fired three crossbow bolts in quick succession. Tobias dodge the first two and actually caught the third one. “Now that’s more like it,” he grinned. He flicked the bolt back towards Luke and it sunk deep into his thigh.
Trevor tried next, charging towards Tobias with his arm raised, ready to strike. He moved quickly, I wondered how much elixir he drank. Tobias blocked his attack, then tossed him into the wall. Jazmine screamed and launched herself at him, just as the second slagpaw crashed through the back wall, straight towards me.
I shot five arrows. The beast swatted two away, and three stuck in his torso, but it didn’t matter. A hundred arrows wouldn’t be enough to stop this thing. It reminded me of something I’d read in one of Damien’s books about early mankind. They’d hunt in groups, but the arrows were mostly a distraction, so that hunters could get close and pierce the thick hide with spears. I dropped to the ground between the pews as the creature dove over me, shredding deep groves into the wood with its claws. It smashed through a central column, bringing down another chunk of the roof.
When it turned again, it was facing Trevor, who was still pinned in the corner, his weapon out of reach. It shook its head, opening its jaws with a high-pitched roar, then swiped out a massive paw. I grabbed for my sword, but I knew there was no way I’d reach him in time.
“Stop!” I screamed, stretching my hand forward. The animal paused, blinking at me in confusion. I could feel a subtle connection of energy between us. Tobias snapped his eyes up in astonishment. He’d been easily blocking Jazmine’s attacks, but he stopped when he saw me, and Jazmine managed to