by Maya Daniels
And then the feeling of his attention is gone.
Glancing over my shoulder, I find the spot where I left him, empty like we’ve never been there. My heart gives a hard thump in my chest, the memory of seeing him on his hands and knees as pale as a corpse too fresh in my mind. It surges the anger inside me to a whole new level. These assholes have no honor, no remorse, and definitely no mercy when it comes to getting what they want. I will show them nothing less.
The sound of a few pebbles hitting metal and asphalt alerts me to the mage slinking closer to me. I can smell the zing of his magic, and it burns my nostrils. My fangs throb in my gums, and the desire to throw myself at him and tear him to pieces with only my teeth and hands is like a living thing pressing against my heart. My claws tighten on the metal, the screeching sound loud like a bullet in the night.
I freeze.
Cursing my own inability to control my emotions, I almost release my hold and pummel to the ground, but then I realize it’s me making it difficult to get rid of this asshole. In my trepidation and because I’m aware of my actions, I’m messing up my monster while she hunts.
Like a reprimanded child, I shrink back further in the recess of my mind. I’ll never find a solution to my messed-up life if I’m dead. And with that realization, I can feel her pride in me, confusing the hell out of my thought process.
The pile of cars where I’m still clinging to like a lifeline, rocks with the force of a truck slamming it from the other side. My feet slip from the bracket where I press my toes, and only my embedded claws save me from splattering on the ground. I sway like a pendulum, the sharp jutting pieces of metal slicing the skin of my front and back like I’m rolling on broken glass. Grinding my teeth, I flail my legs to get leverage and stop the momentum.
Sebastian’s handsome face, when he was holding my wrist while I was hanging from the window of his room, comes to the front of my mind. “I will kill you,” I told him that night. And he simply said, “I know.” Not releasing his tight hold, he had pulled me in and set my feet on solid ground.
I guess my mind picks him to think of when I’m in excruciating pain. Go figure.
My toe finds something sticking far enough out to stop me from swinging and shredding my skin deeper than it already is. As soon as I’m stable, the skin knits back together, all traces of injuries gone in before I have time to see them properly, except the blood soaking my shirt and jeans.
Great, another pair of pants ruined. I just can’t catch a break.
Excited panting puffs up in the stillness of the night. It’s coming right next to my head from the other side of the broken car. This asshole is either stupid, or he believes that whatever magic he threw at the piled-up vehicles has gotten me good. The rustling of clothing, although barely perceptible to human ears, is as loud as opening a bag of chips next to my face. He is climbing up. How nice of him.
Reaching to my left, I grab hold of a protruding pipe and jerk myself to the side, as silent as a phantom. With a smile that hurts my cheeks, I crawl to the top, lifting slightly over to peek on the other side. And there he is, sweat dripping on the sides of his face, and arms shaking from the effort to pull himself up higher.
Ducking down, I blink a few times. The asshole is human. There is no mistaking that. How’s that even possible? Humans don’t have magic. Not that I know of anyway. Bewildered, I stick my head out again to take a second look. Yup! He is sweating up a storm, and the stench of it is getting stronger, overpowering the smell of magic by the second.
I don’t really care.
This means I don’t have to be that careful when I’m dealing with him. As long as I stay away from his magical blasts, I'm good. With that in mind, I fling myself over and land silently a few feet above him, while he is still concentrating on finding a handhold to pull himself up. Leaning a shoulder and crossing my feet at the ankles, I fold my arms over my chest.
“Need a hand?”
Purring, I chuckle when his face snaps up, his eyes widening comically before he slides down an inch or two, grabbing wildly at something while his body flops and hits the metal pile.
“It’s my turn to have some fun.” Lunching for him, my body collides with his and we plummet to the ground.
I end up on top of him, the sound of bones breaking like music to my ears. My arm is wrapped around his head and neck, making sure he is alive, although a little worse for wear right now. His high-pitched wail drives me to drop him, and I shrink away from him with a wince. The asshole can scream, I’ll tell you that much.
“Stop screaming!” Hissing at him, I slap a hand over his mouth to silence him.
My eyes flick around, ensuring I’m safe without anyone close enough to jump on me. Turning back to the whimpering mess, I glare at him. My hand can barely hold his mouth closed, the skin on his face slippery from the amount of sweating still coming out of his pores.
The human’s eyes are bloodshot and large as dinner plates while he stares up at me. His body is rattling so much I can barely keep myself sitting on his chest. With a frown, I notice his skin having a gray pallor, reddish blotches like mosaic spreading all the way down to his neck and disappearing under his shirt. Lowering my face to his, I take a long whiff.
Nothing.
Apart from the funk of his sweat and some residual scent of the magic, there is nothing strange. Come to think of it, his fear doesn’t smell normal. The terror rattling his body is real, but not aimed at me. What the hell? Pulling away to look at him again, I see his eyes jerking to the side like he expects to get help at any second. No. Not help, I realize. The terror he is feeling is from whatever lurks in the darkness around us.
The sharp bite of spice in the air is all the warning I get. Hurling myself to the side, I roll consistently for a few long moments, the blast of fire from the spot I was occupying a second ago scorching the hairs on my arms and my clothing. Crawling like a crab on all fours, I duck behind a pyramid of a broken building and plaster my back on it, the metal bars jabbing me in the kidneys.
Sticking my head out real fast, I try to see as much as I can in that fleeting moment. Jerking back in astonishment, I can’t believe what my eyes see. Leaning steadily on one arm, I lurk from the edge of the pile to assure myself that I didn’t imagine it. The human is a pile of ash, and not a sound comes from him while he blazes like a supernova and dies.
I stay like this, unmoving, waiting to see if anyone will come to investigate. There! A yard or two further from the pile of ash, a body slinks away in the shadows. Rage bubbles up inside me. Whatever that sweat was that came out of the human’s pores, they must use it to create the magical blasts they’ve been throwing at us. The poor guy was not the mage like I assumed. He was just a poor shmuck that got the short end of the straw.
“April!” Sebastian’s roar is loud enough to wake even the ashy human from the dead.
Rolling my eyes, I slump back behind my pyramid of debris rubbing my face tiredly. This is all so fucked up. Why can’t Sebastian just let me deal with my own shit? He had his own mage, damn it. I might not be an assassin like Andrei or as tough ass as Marcus, but I’m sure as hell a badass in my own right. And I’m definitely no longer a sewer rat.
“April!” Sebastian hollers again, and I wince. There goes the moment of surprise for the assholes in the Council that I’m still alive and kicking, and have not added to the heap of ash.
“Stop yelling!” Hissing, I wait for him to join me. I know he heard me, just like whoever the mage is.
I watch in disbelief as three muscled bodies skulk through the rubble, coming my way. Sebastian, Marcus, and Andrei position themselves in front of me like a protective circle, leaving the slabs of the broken walls to guard my back. Hiding my face in my hands, I groan pitifully. This really can’t be happening.
“Just for the record, I had this under control.” My whisper is muffled through my fingers.
“You are injured.” Ignoring my comment, Sebastian yanks on my shirt, and I slap his grabby hand
s away in frustration.
“I healed, just like you.” When he reaches for me again, I slap his hand harder. “Stop pulling on my shirt!”
He squints at me like he doesn’t really believe me, but something on my face makes him drop the subject. I stay glaring at him for a moment longer to make sure he keeps his hands to himself. When one side of his lips quirks up, my hackles rise. Luckily for him, the other two jerks finally turn my way.
“Why are you all here? Go, find your own mages. I’m sure there are enough of them around us.” Pointing an accusing finger at Sebastian’s nose, I clench my jaw. “You had your own.”
“I lost him.” Nostrils flaring, Sebastian sweeps his gaze around as if the hiding mage will wave at him from somewhere. “When I got there, the feeling faded, and then it disappeared.” Those dark eyes lock on mine. “I think they know where you are. They must’ve all flocked around here when the screeching of metal pointed at your position.”
“The mage could’ve made the sound, you know. Why is it me that you blame straight away?” I know I sound defensive, but it irks me that he knew I did it and gave myself away. It doesn’t matter that he is right.
“They know any sound will get them killed. You, on the other hand”—Displeasure blankets his face—“don’t give a shit if they hear you. You think you are invincible.”
Opening my mouth to tell him exactly what I think on the subject, his comment leaves the words stuck in my throat. Putting aside this ridiculous argument, I look at all three of them in turn. Marcus and Andrei had grins on their faces, as always loving it when Sebastian and I argue, but all humor is gone when our gazes lock.
“They are using humans.” Searching Sebastian’s face for an indication that he already knew tells me he is as baffled as I am. “The mages send them at us before hurling magic at them.”
“Is that what happened?” Lifting his chin, he points at the pile of ash somewhere behind us.
“Yeah.” Chewing on the inside of my mouth, I explain everything that happened until they joined me. “…and I was surprised that my fangs were an inch from his jugular, but his terror was not from me. I will bet anything that the sweat and the red blotches mean something. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I have this feeling that I’m right.”
“There is one way to find out.” Sebastian doesn’t have to give orders. He glances at Marcus and Andrei, and both of them glide into the shadows, disappearing from sight.
“Why are you still here? Go, I’ll deal with it on my own.” I’m not done shooing him away before he shakes his head slowly.
“I’m not leaving your sight.”
Darting from one shadow to another, I feel Sebastian breathing down my neck. He hovers around me like a woman I once saw standing around her snotty toddler with outstretched arms when the kid took his first steps. My fists clench, but I keep moving. Maybe if I ignore him long enough, he will go away. Tough chance that, but you never know.
Gripping my shoulder, he prevents me from slinking away from him again. When I glance back, he simply tilts his chin at the rubble on our right. Following his direction, I see Marcus watching us intently, his eyes sparkling in the darkness like two small flames. He points at something on the other side of the street, right between the two buildings I hid between when coming here for the first time. Lifting the same hand, he curls his fingers, leaving two up like a peace sign. The shadows swallow him, and I turn to look at the place I’m familiar with.
Two mages.
“There is enough room there for more than just two.” Speaking as low as I can, I know Sebastian hears me clearly. “It’s empty, well it was empty when I saw it last, but there are no dumpsters or any other place where they can hide. There is, however, a fire escape on one of the buildings to the right.” Pointing at it, I see he is paying close attention, so I turn back to scan the area. “It’s flat enough on the roof they can use it to get away if we give them a chance to run.”
“Let us not give them that option, then.” He squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. “Can you get to the roof from the other side?”
“I have no idea. I never went to the other side.” When I turn back to him, I realize he is not asking me.
My body jolts involuntarily when I see Andrei close enough at my back that I should’ve felt him standing there. He nods at Sebastian, winks at me with a smirk, and glides away like a ghost.
“I’m going to tie bells on all of you like cats if you keep on doing that.” Sebastian chuckles at my grumbling.
“Let’s not waste time. Lead the way, my redemption.”
He is back to his usual self, the tan color of his skin looking healthy instead of a corpse-like. I’ll never admit it to him how much more comfortable I can breathe knowing that. Pursing my lips, I blow out a soundless breath and move further away, leaving the hotel behind.
Sebastian stops my progress with a hand on my arm when we are close enough to see within the alley. Not all the way through the end but enough to know they are not standing there and watching us coming. The zing of magic in the air is stronger here, and if I didn’t know better, I would almost think the mages are standing next to us.
“They are there.” Murmuring, I don’t take my eyes away from the alley.
“I can feel them now,” Sebastian speaks just as softly.
Tapping on my arm, he gets my attention, and I reluctantly pull my gaze away from where the mages are hiding. He lifts a finger, pointing at the roof of the building with a fire escape. It takes me a second to spot the crouched figure in the closest corner above our heads. Andrei reached the roof. To make matters worse, he stretches one arm over the edge of the building, holding three fingers up. I guess the more the merrier.
“If you see sweaty humans, stay the hell away from them. They go boom.” Making an exploding gesture with my fingers, I smile when Sebastian chuckles.
“I’ll make sure to remember that.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Bolting for the mouth of the alley, I take Sebastian by surprise when I shove him on the opposite side of the open space of the buildings. My back connects with the smooth wall, and I turn my head his way, grinning like an idiot at the thunderous look on his face. Sticking my tongue out, winking dramatically, I sniff the air. Oh yeah, they are still here, and not intending to go anywhere if the sharp stench in the air is any indication.
Flipping around, I press my chest to the wall and lean slightly to get a look. My shoulder blades twitch, a feeling like someone is watching me raising the hairs on my arms, but I ignore it. I have no doubt that someone’s drilling holes in me right now. Sliding sideways just enough for one of my eyes to have a visual of the alley, I freeze.
Three men stand in a circle facing each other. Their faces slack, eyes closed, but their mouths keep moving, saying words without a sound. Waves of that foul odor pour out of the alley, rustling the hair around the exposed side of my face. There is a sickly greenish glow around them, pulsing with each movement of their lips. Now that I’m close enough, I can tell they’re concocting something to throw at us again.
Pulling back, I turn to Sebastian, but he is not watching me. His face is tilted up at something above my head. I don’t panic since he is not going crazy or throwing himself at whoever or whatever it is. Slowly, I crane my neck up and look. Marcus is crawling the walls of the building I’m using as a cover, like a bug. He moves fast and with precision, not once missing a handhold or a foothold only he can see. Shaking my head, I push off the wall. There is no need to hide anymore, and ending whatever the mages are doing is more important right now.
Knowing I have a precious second, or two before Sebastian gets in my way, I dart like an arrow inside the alley. Giggles bounce off the walls when I feel him at my back, anger radiating from him as strong as the magic slamming me in the face. The mages jerk out of their trance, but a moment too late. I plow in the middle of them like a bowling ball, taking them to the ground.
Getting hold of a foot from the closest mag
e to me, I yank him under my legs, straddling his torso. Wrapping my clawed hand around his throat, I use my other one to press his mouth closed. He can dream about speaking that offensive language around me again. I feel his skin give way under the sharpness of my claws, warm fluid spurting over my fingers.
“Ah, ah, ah. No more talking. It’s my turn now.” I strike with my fangs at his neck. But instead of feeling his blood in my mouth, I’m thrown away from him. Hitting the wall to my right with a loud oomph, I almost break the damn wall.
Bricks and mortar rain on my head when I shake it so I can clear it. Blinking fast, I see Sebastian circling one mage, and the one I had under me is curled up in a fetal position, but the third is facing me with both hands raised in the air. Hatred twists his face, and his eyes are fevered with some insanity that sends shivers raking my body. That sickly green glow intensifies, pulsing faster, and I roll away from my spot in time to avoid the blast of fire he sends my way.
The mage is not deterred. He turns with me, not losing me from sight while I roll around to avoid each blast of the fireballs hurdling toward me. The asshole is like a damn flame thrower. The buildings groan around us, spiking fear through me that we will end up buried again if he keeps going. Unwilling to test it if it’s possible or not, the next time he flings his fire magic my way, instead of rolling away, I dive under it and lunge right toward his legs.
“April!” I think it’s Andrei that shouts my name, but I can’t worry about that right now.
The asshole set my hair on fire! Now I’m really pissed.
Tackling the mage to the ground, I claw and bite like a feral beast at any part of him that I can reach. The foul odor of burnt hair permeates the air, clogging my nostrils and making bile rise in my mouth.