Eclipse of the Soul: The Interdimensional Saga, Book 2 by J.L. Hendricks Page B

moving
away from.”
    Maliki and I stayed where we were watching the rest of
our squad make their way to the dissipating crowd.
    Part of me hoped it was rippers so I could see some
action, but the other part hoped it was just some stupid fight.

Chapter Two
     
    There were a lot of people starting to run away at this
point. I lost track of Lancer and Ash, but those two girls started screaming. I
looked their way and instantly knew what was happening.
    There was one ripper right behind them. I wasn’t sure
how it got past Lancer and the rest of the squad, but there it was grabbing the
arm of the other girl. She had long red hair, the kind any woman would kill
for. Her turquoise blouse and ripped jeans were paired with some nice sensible
ballet slippers. If she could get away from that ripper she would be able to
run much faster than her friend in the heels.
    “Maliki, we need to help those two girls across the
street, they have a ripper on them” I said as I was making my way across the
street. They had already passed us so I assumed that was why Maliki missed what
has happening.
    “B’Lana, stop! You are not authorized for action
tonight. There is nothing we can do for those girls. It is more important that
you follow Lancer’s orders right now.”
    “Screw Lancer’s orders! I joined your team so I could
help humans, not sit around while they are attacked by rippers. You can follow
me and help, or just watch. Your choice.” I said over my shoulder as I crossed
the road.
    I ended up right behind the ripper who held both girls
by the arm now. I pulled out my knife and stabbed him in the back. The knife
was long enough to reach his heart. But that was not a kill spot and I knew it.
    It did however, work to get him to let go of the girls.
“Run as fast as you can away from here and don’t look back.” I said as the
ripper turned around to face me.
    “Oh, a fighter huh? You will make a great addition to
our army.” The ripper then reached forward to grab for me as I kicked him in
the family jewels, it was my favorite move after all.
    It only slowed him down a short time, but it was enough
time for Maliki to join us.
    “B’Lana, you really are crazy. I sure hope Lancer
doesn’t see this.” Maliki said as he started fighting with the ripper.
    The ripper grabbed his sword from his belt and engaged
with Maliki. They both seemed to have forgotten I was still standing there.
    As Maliki was battling the enemy, I grabbed my long
sword off my back and positioned myself so that if I had a chance I could take
a swipe at the ripper’s head.
    It took a good minute or two, but the ripper eventually
had his back to me. That was when I took my sword in both hands and swung it
across his shoulders. I severed his head with a clean cut. The head rolled to
the left side and hit the wall with a thud. Thankfully this time his eyes were
facing the building and I only got a good look at the back of his head.
    “B’Lana two, rippers zero!” I said while doing a touchdown
dance and still holding my sword. Maliki looked at me like I was crazy.
    Turned out there was a little bit of blood on his face
thanks to my sword work.
    “Oops, sorry about that Maliki, here are some napkins to
wipe your face.” I had put a handful of napkins in my pocket after dinner at
Joe’s. I knew they would come in handy.
    Then I wiped my sword clean on the dead ripper’s
clothes.
    A ‘ripper’ was what the fae called vampires here on
Earth. When they came over here from Sendryl they changed their form. Our sun
affected them in such a way that they looked and acted like monsters from the
movies, like the myths of old, like the bloodsucking creatures from the movies.
Rippers had red eyes and bulging veins crisscrossing their upper face with the
eyes in the center, like a spider web. This deformity was caused by our sun and
thin atmosphere.
    Back on Sendryl, the rippers looked much closer to their
fae cousins. They were, in fact, fae at one time. Then a