Blessed by a Demon’s Mark by E. S. Moore Page B

wicked curved blades in hand. Even though they weren’t silver, the blades looked more than sharp enough to get the job done.
    I swung my sword to meet the first attack and then just barely managed to twirl out of the way of the second. If I’d had my knife in my other hand, I might have been able to jab one of the vamps in the ribs. As it was, I managed to twist my wrist just enough to fire a shot. It hit him in the ass and he cried out as he dropped.
    I managed to avoid another attack from a curved blade and turned just in time to see one of the vamps who’d held back come charging in. I raised my hand to fire, but the vamp I dodged came at me and hit the top of the gun with the hilt of his blade, knocking it from my hand.
    I didn’t have time to draw another weapon. I dropped low and swung out my leg, catching in the calves the vamp who’d knocked my gun free. He tried to catch his balance but stepped on the dropped gun. The Glock shot out from under him and went flying under the van as the vamp fell hard, cracking his skull on the pavement.
    The oncoming vamp howled as he leaped at me.
    Rookie mistake.
    I braced myself and settled my sword so the point would meet him on his downward arc. His eyes widened and he tried to twist in midair, but instead impaled himself on my sword. I jerked back in time so he wouldn’t slide all the way down, trapping the blade beneath him. He fell to the ground, shuddering.
    I spun to face the vamp I’d tripped to find him lying there, eyes dazed. Blood oozed from his skull, which was oddly misshapen. It wouldn’t kill him, but it should keep him down for a good long while.
    I couldn’t take the chance that he’d recover enough sense to rejoin the fight, however. I stabbed him in the chest just to make sure he stayed down, before turning to face the others.
    Lefty was just barely holding his own against the remaining wolves and vamps. He’d shifted, but it was clear he wouldn’t last long if I left him, which I wasn’t about to do. I’d created this mess by firing my gun. I planned on cleaning it up, even if it meant saving one of Adrian’s men.
    I took a step forward and one of the wolves noticed me. He broke away from the fight to leap at me. Before I could raise my sword, Lefty lashed out, catching the wolf in the back with a claw. The sound of snapping bone followed and the wolf crumpled to the ground, spine shattered.
    Lefty grinned at me as I moved to fend off another vampire. He started to turn back to his own fight just as something small hit him square in his chest.
    The wolf looked down at the tiny feather, turned to look at me, and then slumped to the ground, out like a light.
    I looked up in time to see the last Pureblood duck behind a car . . . And the two dozen wolves running up the aisle.
    “Shit,” I said, retreating. There was no way I was going to be able to handle all of them on my own.
    I knew Lefty was still alive, knew he’d stuck around to defend me for some reason. I felt bad leaving him behind, even if he was one of Adrian’s thugs who had been sent to bring me in. The guy had at least been somewhat respectful. It was more than I could say about a lot of people.
    But I couldn’t stay here. If Mephisto caught me, I’d be done for. Nothing Ethan or Jonathan or anyone else could do would save me.
    I turned my back on the vamps and wolves, and ran to my bike. I felt something hit my coat, but whatever it was didn’t poke through. The dead wolf was still tangled in the wreck, and I yanked on him as hard as I could.
    He was heavy, but not so heavy that I couldn’t move him. He trailed a thick stream of blood, spilled it over my seat and into the workings of my Honda. I winced, knowing it would be a bitch to clean out and the smell would probably never go away.
    A wolf dove at me just as I righted the motorcycle. I still had my sword in hand and used it to knock him away, though I didn’t manage to cut him. He landed on his feet, spun my way, and