When The Grave Calls (The Veil Diaries #9) - B.L. Brunnemer Page 0,67
on the bed and throwing more vials.
Heart pounding, I crawled through the room and into the tiled bathroom. I got to my feet and jerked open the window as more gunfire erupted inside of the room. Icy fingers of fear crawled along my spine, making the hair on my arms stand on end as I climbed out the window and into the alley. It was only a few heartbeats before Jess dropped from the window to the cold cement beside me.
Thinking only of putting distance between us and our attackers, I hauled her to her feet and we took off for the empty field of waist-high dry grass. My arms pumped, and my heart pounded as my breathing grew ragged.
Something hit me and a dull ache radiated from my shoulder as I was knocked to the dirt. Groaning, I pushed on to my side in time to dodge a long-fingered claw that sliced through the air, narrowly missing my face. I rolled backwards to my feet to find a man standing there, jerking his hand out of the dirt. He snarled. Sharp canines … oh, crap. My breath turned to lead in my lungs as my body seized in terror.
“Get away from her, you prick!” Jess came out of the grass swinging what looked like a thick stick. She swung at the man, but he stepped back just as her foot hit some mud and slipped out from under her. She went down hard on her back.
A sharp-toothed grin spread across his face a heartbeat before he moved. A vise seemed to wrap around my throat. I wheezed as my feet left the ground. I grabbed at the hand around my throat and dug my nails in.
His eyes grew darker as he moved closer and sniffed my hair. “My, aren’t you a pretty one.”
I frantically dug into the flesh of his fingers, kicking at him with all my might, but he gave no sign of feeling it.
Things began to get dark. I was going to die.
Something flew out of the grass and hit the man. A smoking hole appeared in his shirt half a heartbeat before he dropped me. I hit the ground, greedily dragging air into my lungs as another vial sailed through the night. Purple liquid stained his shirt. His body jerked as he grew rigid, his eyes wide as he fell to his knees. The scent of burnt rubber filled the air.
Lucy rushed out of the grass and brought her fist down across his face. The shifter dropped to the ground, unconscious. Or dead. I couldn’t be sure.
Lucy turned to me, her brows drawn down. “You okay?”
My very own knight. I nodded as relief swamped me, making me shake.
She reached down and helped me to my feet, then began to inspect me for damage. “He didn’t scratch you, did he?”
My hand tingled in hers. “He tried …”
Her fingers tightened on mine as she met my eyes.
“He was trying to kill me.”
Her features softened, her eyes filling with warmth as she pulled me into her arms. I clung to her and took several deep breaths as her hand moved up and down my back.
“It’s okay, I’m here,” she whispered. “I’ll keep you safe.”
God help me, I melted against her and breathed in her perfume.
Chapter 12
Lexie
We spent the rest of the night setting up cots and supplies in the med ward.
After that was done, Ethan had gotten me alone on one of my trips to the basement supply closet.
“Stay with Asher tonight,” Ethan had whispered. “He’s going to be in the thick of it tomorrow.”
I turned with the box of bandages in my arms. “You both are going to be, and he’s only pulling wounded out of the fight.” At least, that had better be all he’s doing.
Ethan shook his head. “Trust me, Beautiful. Stay with him tonight.” He gave me a soft smile and slipped out before I could say another word. That man constantly surprised me. He’d stepped aside for Zeke, now Asher.
Once we were done, I asked Asher if I could stay with him tonight and his smile was so bright, I couldn’t help but return it. A few hours later we were in his room, Asher sleeping soundly as my fingers stroked down his spine to his lower back. I traced the dimples just above his butt. I loved the man beside me fiercely. The idea of losing him or Ethan … my breath shuddered roughly.