by Janie Marie
She didn’t think as she pulled her sword midway through the air, and didn’t see the werewolf lunging at her until her feet touched the ground. There was no chance for her to swing, and she didn’t have to. David ripped it from the air and slammed it to the ground before punching its huge head so hard his hand went through its skull.
Jane didn’t watch him for too long. She turned, her eyes connecting with two sets of black ones coming right at her.
The vampire men charged, snarling like wild animals. She squeezed the hilt of her sword in both hands and charged right back.
Already, she knew David couldn’t help her with them. After killing the first werewolf, he was fighting more as they closed in around them. Her vampire was ruthless, his roar filling her veins with fire. He believed in her. He fought for her. He loved her. She would fight just as bravely as he believed she could.
So, grinning, she swung her sword. The first one blocked her attack with his sword, and when the second raised his sword to strike, she kicked him in the stomach. He flew back, falling to the ground.
A hiss rushed out of Jane’s mouth, and she returned her attack to the first vampire. He blocked again, but she moved faster than him, quickly overwhelming him. She swung downward, and he couldn’t block this time. She cut him from the side of his neck down to his chest.
A strangled gurgle sounded from him as his black blood sprayed across the snow. There was barely time to register how the blood looked like ink on paper.
A yell from another vampire sounded behind her. Jane turned, only to receive a punch to the side of her face. The blow blinded her for a second. David shouted her name, and she saw the world again.
“Fight back!” David yelled, his fury shaking her from her daze and igniting her own rage.
Her attacker tried to grab her head, but she caught his arm and threw him over her shoulder onto the ground. He landed on a sharp rock, and she roared as the snap of his spine reached her ears.
The vampire screamed in pain, but he was already healing. So, not holding back, she looked into his dark eyes and stabbed her blade through his face. The unrecognizable mess of the vampire disgusted her once she ripped her sword free.
No longer fearful or able to feel the pain from the hit, she snarled and turned. David’s pale stare met hers briefly before returning to the hell he was unleashing on four vampires. He never stopped his attack. After slicing through a dark-haired male’s belly, he turned his sword to block an attack from a second and kicked down the vampire in front of him. He was swift and brutal. His blade cut right through one before stomping the head in of the other trying to stand.
Jane rushed to him because more were coming. Her vampire was keeping so many from reaching her. As soon as one turned in her direction, he was launching them into the surrounding forest.
“More wolves are coming,” he yelled, never stopping his attack. “The trees. Be ready.”
Jane swung at another vampire, and this one didn’t have a chance against blocking her. She watched in victory as his head went sailing through the air.
“Jane!” David shouted.
She already knew he was alerting her of the six werewolves running at her. She yelled, her battle cry louder, drowning out their growls as she attacked the first wolf to reach her, cutting his arm off before stabbing her sword through his chest.
Hollers of praise touched her ears, and she grinned. Her knights had moved closer, creating a circle formation but not trapping her inside like the first time they’d fought. This time she held part of the circle. David at her right, with Gawain and Gareth on her left. No one looked at her, but she knew their cheer was for her when she kicked another down, severing his head from his body within the blink of an eye.
The other four were still coming toward her, and more vampires and werewolves were pouring out from the tree line.
Meeting the onyx-eyed glare of the next monster in front of her, she ducked as it swiped its massive claws at her face. Jane grabbed its leg, yanking until it fell to the ground. She jumped to her feet and quickly plunged her sword into its heart. It didn’t move again.
When she yanked her blade free, blood shot up, hitting her in the face, soaking her mask and stinging her eyes.
She squeezed her eyes shut and felt a hand shove her back. David took the next attacker, and the entire team shifted, adjusting.
“I’m fine!” Jane rubbed her eyes, blinking away the blurriness. She watched David destroy the wolf who would have killed her because of her brief blindness.
He growled, slicing the wolf from the shoulder to its groin. It swayed before David pushed it out of his way to fight the next one.
“Then get back over here,” he finally yelled.
She rubbed her eyes and shook the blood from her blade. David didn’t look at her as he moved back to his spot, and she marveled at how the entire group adjusted once again.
“Watch out!” a shout came behind her. She turned her head, faintly making eye contact with David’s wide eyes as she was tackled from behind.
“JANE!” he yelled.
She was already being dragged by her braid toward the trees. Screaming, she tried to grab onto anything she could. The wolves swarmed David and the knights, stopping them from chasing after her.
Jane yelled, reaching up, grabbing the misshapen hand of the werewolf running off with her. “You fucker!”
“JANE!” Gawain shouted this time, but she couldn’t see any of them amongst the horde.
Then she saw someone tackle the wolf dragging her. Its hand left her hair. She turned to see who saved her only to stop when another werewolf knocked her back to the ground. Her back landed on a sharp rock, arching her up and making her scream. Jane tried to raise her sword, but it was ripped away from her hand.
The massive head of a wolf came closer. She threw a punch, but it wasn’t fazed. It turned its head back, snapping its jaws in her face. That was when she looked into its eyes. No darkness, just emptiness. Ghastly white eyes of a mutated werewolf.
Her heartbeat raced to new heights as fear consumed her. All she saw was a similar set of eyes that had almost taken her life. Panicking, she punched again, forgetting the power she held.
The beast felt nothing. She grabbed its jaws, holding the mouth shut, but burning pain exploded through her leg.
Jane screamed as the monster crushed her thigh, its claws cutting into her muscle. “DAVID!”
Several bodies went flying through the air above her.
“I’M COMING!”
Jane’s hands shook, and when the pain spread like fire up her leg, she let go of the werewolf’s snout. It reared back as if to prepare to bite down, but Jane reached for her dagger.
She stabbed it repeatedly until its clawed hand smacked her face. Her vision blurred again as she felt her cheek split.
Jane tried to free her leg, but it wouldn’t release her.
“HELP HER!” David shouted, his voice muffled, and she faintly caught sight of him about twenty yards away, ripping vampires and werewolves off his back. His eyes were on her and not his attackers. They took advantage of his distraction, not letting him get back to her.
“AHHH!” Jane screamed. The burning sensation in her leg was so overwhelming, she felt like passing out.
A growl from another werewolf sounded. She saw it rushing on all fours to her and the zombie wolf. However, before it could reach her, a glowing green chain wrapped around its neck, yanking it out of sight.
She didn’t search for it, but she could tell the entire group had fought their way closer, but there were still so many against their team—they couldn’t reach her.
Again, Jane tried to hold the wolf’s snapping jaws shut, but it broke free and bit down on her hand. Her blood-curdling scream made her throat burn as bad as her leg.
Somehow, she kept her hands on it to keep it from biting her face off, but she was in agony.
The wolf shook its head, jerking her arm. Something in her shoulder popped, but the weight hold
ing her down suddenly vanished.
Jane’s blood splattered on her face, and she held her damaged hand to her chest, crying out as the fire spread up her arm now.
From the corner of her eye, she saw David grab the massive jaws of the wolf who’d just attacked her, roaring as he pried them open. The monster stood no chance, and she closed her eyes when David broke its mouth wide-open.
“David,” she whispered, feeling hands on her head.
“Open your eyes, Jane” he said, removing his hand and applying pressure to her wounded leg.
A scream tore out of her mouth from the pain it caused, and she snapped her eyes open.
“It’s silver,” he said, raising one hand to push her mask off. The icy blast made her scream again. “You need to remove the silver. Just like you did with me. You can do it.”
She stared into his eyes, her vision blurring more. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you fucking can!” He looked at his hand on her leg. “You won’t heal if you don’t. Now do it!”
“It burns!”
“I know. Get it out. Now.”
Crying, she closed her eyes, trying to be the brave girl he kept saying she was.
“Find it, Jane.” He lightly caressed her busted cheek. “I’m not losing you like this.”
“I got it,” she said, feeling her mind connect with the foreign substance spreading through her veins.
“Good girl.”
Jane didn’t open her eyes. She concentrated on the silver. It wasn’t as much as David’s had been, but it had spread farther.
“It’s coming through my fingers,” he said. “Keep going. Get all of it.”
Jane opened her eyes. She watched him staring down at her leg, her energy slipping away.
David looked at her. “Is that it?”
“I think so,” she whispered.
He lifted his hand but quickly applied pressure again. “It’s not healing.”
“I’m too tired, David.”
“I know, baby.” He pushed his mask up, and after removing his glove, bit his wrist and then held it to her mouth. “Drink.”
She obeyed, sucking his blood, watching him darting his eyes between her face and where he still held her leg. She felt him remove his hand, and she gasped, letting go of his wrist when he squeezed her wounded thigh.
“It’s deep,” he said, chuckling when she hissed. He looked back at her face. “There’s my girl. You did great.”
“Fuck you!” she shouted, shoving his hand.
“Stop, it’s not sealed yet.” He glanced around.
She looked at the others battling around them. They’d successfully formed a circle to protect them. “David, we have to fight.”
He shook his head, meeting her glare with one of his own. “Not you. You’re hurt.”
Jane bared her fangs before looking for her sword. When she saw it a few feet away, she held out her hand.
David pushed her hand down. “Don’t use your power.” He ignored her glare as he stood and retrieved it. He came back to her side and inspected her leg. “You will die if you waste your energy by using your abilities.”
“I need to fight,” she said.
David brushed his fingers over her cheek. She could feel the blood sticking to his fingers and the separation of skin. She wasn’t healing fast enough. “Stay here. Do not rejoin the fight. If I tell you to run, you run that way.” He pointed behind him. “Odin’s fortress is not far.”
“David,” she said, ready to argue, but he snarled, shutting her up.
“You’re hurt! Stay here.” He took a deep breath when she flinched and spoke softer. “Your wound is severe—I don’t know why you’re not healing. Please stay. I cannot fight if I know you are in danger. Let it heal more.”
She huffed, her anger at herself and him coursing through her veins.
David let go of her leg, checking it once more and growling, but he cupped her face and lowered his. “Please understand, my love. Stay.”
“Fine.”
He kissed her forehead. “Thank you.” He placed her sword in her hand. “Only if you need to.”
He stood, his deadly gaze drifting over her as he bared his fangs and ran to a gap growing in their defenses.
Jane pushed herself up more, finally sitting upright. She watched him fight for a few seconds. Violent and beautiful. He was faster and more brutal than any of them. His powerful attacks left the enemy in pieces. He would forcibly grab those that tried to pass and slam them onto the ground, either stomping their heads in or ramming his sword into their hearts. He destroyed everything.
Watching him frequently look in her direction, she smiled softly. She was in excruciating pain, and she knew he had been right. She wouldn’t be useful, but she was still distracting him, so she smiled, trying to show him she was okay.
It seemed to relieve him, and he glanced at her less frequently. Jane brushed her fingers over her leg. She felt the skin sealing, but it wouldn’t stay sealed long. Some tissue would hold together, but it was much slower than she thought it should be.
Jane heard David’s command to someone, and she watched him kick away the bodies piling up in front of him. He roared, spreading his arms wide. He was welcoming the beasts to their deaths.
The sound of chains whipping through the air drew her attention from her beautiful monster. Hades showed similar battle spirit, but wilder and more wicked than David. His eyes were paler than any of the knights’, but the gleam in them made her think he was smiling as he threw the swords at the end of his chains through his victims before swinging, ripping them to pieces.
“Get the fucking wolf!” David shouted.
Jane heard the rapid pounding of feet behind her. A single wolf had made it over their armed defenses, and its eyes were on her.
Jane pushed herself up, stumbling when her leg almost gave out. There was no way she was going to just lie there and let it kill her.
“HADES!” David shouted.
The God of the Underworld didn’t disappoint. Just when it bent its legs to leap at her, Hades’ magical sword went through its chest and yanked it away. It felt like a victorious moment until she heard a female scream.
It was Artemis, of course, and Jane watched in horror as the goddess’ team fell one by one as the horde came down on them. Artemis never gave up. She leapt through the air gracefully, cutting the arms of those reaching for her. She was fast, not as forceful with her attacks, but that didn’t make her any less deadly. Still, with the numbers surrounding her, and all her men lying on the ground dead, Jane knew Artemis wouldn’t hold up much longer. Especially when she noticed red blood spreading down the goddess’ leg.
“David,” Jane yelled.
His attention was on her in an instant, confused when he searched around her.
She realized he thought she was in danger and pointed to Artemis. “Her men are dead. She’s injured.”
He glanced over, quickly scanning the situation. He was the farthest from her, but he was closest to Jane. It was clear he wasn’t leaving his spot for Artemis. As much as it warmed Jane to be chosen over Artemis, she wanted the woman to live through the fight.
“Apollo,” David yelled. “Save your fucking sister!” He turned back to his opponents.
Jane searched for Apollo or Hades. They were fighting closest to Artemis, but it seemed Artemis was being isolated, driven away from the others. They were separating her.
Four werewolves circled Artemis as she fought two vampire males. The goddess slayed one, but she was struggling with the other and trying to avoid being grabbed by the wolves.
“David!” Jane yelled. He had to help Artemis.
Instead of him telling her he wouldn’t leave her like she expected, he shouted, “Run, Jane!”
She turned, seeing him charging toward her. Their ranks had been broken, and the focus of the army attacking them was all on her.
“RUN!” David roared, cutting down those in his path.
Her heart pounded, but she
ran in the direction he had told her. She didn’t get far before she saw the outlines of vampires and werewolves flanking her.
An eruption of green light lit the battle field. Jane turned her head, smiling at the sight of Sorrow barreling through the wolves.
“Go with him, Jane!” David ordered as the horse blocked her path.
Sorrow neighed loudly, throwing his head back before lowering it, a gesture to get on. Jane didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Sorrow’s mane and hoisted herself onto his back, but her eyes pricked with tears when she realized one thing. Death hadn’t come.
Sorrow stood tall after she was settled and took off in the direction she’d been told to go. Jane found the reins, gripping them tightly as he galloped at incredible speed.
“Where’s Death, Sorrow?” she asked, feeling stupid because he obviously couldn’t reply. The shake of his head and snort was enough of an answer, though.
Fury and pain radiated throughout her chest. He hadn’t come to her at all. Jane blinked away her freezing tears and turned her head as they passed Artemis.
“Sorrow, go back! We have to take her with us.”
Sorrow did a quick shake of his head and continued toward the trees.
Jane tugged the reins, but he jerked his head, not obeying her attempt to guide him back to Artemis.
She snapped, her hurt feelings over Death leaving her on her own spilling over as she shouted at the horse. “Just because your master leaves people to die, doesn’t mean I do. Go back for her! NOW! Or I’m jumping off.”
Sorrow whinnied, but he changed direction, making a wide circle to where Artemis was. The goddess was on her back, just like she’d been, with a werewolf snapping its jaws in her face.
“Artemis,” Jane yelled, holding her sword high.
Jane made eye contact with the struggling vampire girl, and roared along with her when she used her slipping strength to push the wolf as high as possible. Jane took the offering and swung downward when Sorrow reached them. Her blade went halfway into his chest cavity, and Jane had to kick him away to free her sword.
When she did, she turned to swing at another wolf. “Artemis, get on!”