The door behind me burst open and the ogres spilled onto the roof like a disturbed ant nest as they hurried to get around me. Fuck, I couldn’t even count how many there were. But Pic was there at the front of the group. “I thought we killed you.”
“Surprise.” I flipped them off and ran for the ledge of the building. I got my foot on the edge and pushed off as hard as I could, arms pinwheeling as if that would somehow help me across the distance.
The sound of guns going off popped through the air. I was hit twice in the back and spun sideways as I fell. Grateful for the flak jacket, I knew it wasn’t going to help me if I hit the ground from this height. Survive I might, but badly injured I would be. And then I’d be at the mercy of the ogres who wouldn’t just throw me in a Dumpster this time. I knew that much.
This all went through my head in the split second I spun and fell toward the far building. I saw a flash of Levi’s big eyes as I missed the roof of the building he stood on. Calm flowed through me. I wasn’t done yet.
I reached out and caught the window ledge as it whipped by me. My body snapped hard with the sudden stop, yanking my shoulder from its socket, pulling at muscles and tendons, tearing through several. But I stopped myself. Actually, I slammed into the brick building so hard, the blow knocked the wind out of me. More gunshots rattled off the building around me, the impacts spraying concrete and dust as the bullets bit into the wall.
Hanging there, I pulled one gun and aimed it at an ogre standing at the edge of the far building. I pulled the trigger, he screamed and fell over the side. I shot two more before they backed off. I tucked the gun away and climbed up the wall, using the divots from the projectiles as well as the window ledge. Difficult with one good arm, but manageable. I got to the top and flopped over the edge. I put my shoulder back in its socket, hard and fast before I could think about how much it was going to hurt. The tendons and muscles were already knitting back together. At least I had that much going for me.
Levi squatted beside me. “Holy shit, you hit them! How come they couldn’t hit you and you could hit them?”
“Because they can’t aim worth shit and I’m a marksman. Top of my class,” I grumbled as I sat, breathing hard and letting my body have a minute to heal before I got up.
Faris’s body would have some new scars after this little adventure. I shook my head, more rattled than I cared to admit.
I forced myself to pull it together and drew in a breath, finding Mai’s scent easily. “She went this way.” I stood and broke into a jog, following Mai to the other side of the building. But . . . I backed up a few steps. She’d backtracked again. I followed her backwards. “Clever girl.” I ran back to the edge of the building. All the ogres were gone from Mai’s apartment building and currently swarming across the street toward this one. My mind put the pieces together and I couldn’t help smiling. “Mai, you clever, clever ogre. I am glad you’re going to work with me, and not against me.”
“Why would you say that?” Levi asked.
I pointed at the blood spots and scuff marks. “‘Cause she’s damn smart. She leapt back to her apartment building after leading a scent trail as if she hopped to the next one.”
Levi groaned. “Tell me we aren’t jumping back.”
I grinned at him. “All right, I won’t tell you. But only because you already know it.” I grabbed him by the shoulder. “Ready?”
“If I say no, does that change anything?”
I laughed. “Nope.”
CHAPTER 7
THE JUMP BACK to Mai’s apartment building went as fine as a forty-foot jump with a twenty-foot drop can go. Mai’s apartment was higher, but there was no way we were going to hit the roof. As it was, we dropped a solid twenty-five feet and ended up landing on the second floor. I tossed Levi and managed to land him on a larger balcony, right on
“Surprise.” I flipped them off and ran for the ledge of the building. I got my foot on the edge and pushed off as hard as I could, arms pinwheeling as if that would somehow help me across the distance.
The sound of guns going off popped through the air. I was hit twice in the back and spun sideways as I fell. Grateful for the flak jacket, I knew it wasn’t going to help me if I hit the ground from this height. Survive I might, but badly injured I would be. And then I’d be at the mercy of the ogres who wouldn’t just throw me in a Dumpster this time. I knew that much.
This all went through my head in the split second I spun and fell toward the far building. I saw a flash of Levi’s big eyes as I missed the roof of the building he stood on. Calm flowed through me. I wasn’t done yet.
I reached out and caught the window ledge as it whipped by me. My body snapped hard with the sudden stop, yanking my shoulder from its socket, pulling at muscles and tendons, tearing through several. But I stopped myself. Actually, I slammed into the brick building so hard, the blow knocked the wind out of me. More gunshots rattled off the building around me, the impacts spraying concrete and dust as the bullets bit into the wall.
Hanging there, I pulled one gun and aimed it at an ogre standing at the edge of the far building. I pulled the trigger, he screamed and fell over the side. I shot two more before they backed off. I tucked the gun away and climbed up the wall, using the divots from the projectiles as well as the window ledge. Difficult with one good arm, but manageable. I got to the top and flopped over the edge. I put my shoulder back in its socket, hard and fast before I could think about how much it was going to hurt. The tendons and muscles were already knitting back together. At least I had that much going for me.
Levi squatted beside me. “Holy shit, you hit them! How come they couldn’t hit you and you could hit them?”
“Because they can’t aim worth shit and I’m a marksman. Top of my class,” I grumbled as I sat, breathing hard and letting my body have a minute to heal before I got up.
Faris’s body would have some new scars after this little adventure. I shook my head, more rattled than I cared to admit.
I forced myself to pull it together and drew in a breath, finding Mai’s scent easily. “She went this way.” I stood and broke into a jog, following Mai to the other side of the building. But . . . I backed up a few steps. She’d backtracked again. I followed her backwards. “Clever girl.” I ran back to the edge of the building. All the ogres were gone from Mai’s apartment building and currently swarming across the street toward this one. My mind put the pieces together and I couldn’t help smiling. “Mai, you clever, clever ogre. I am glad you’re going to work with me, and not against me.”
“Why would you say that?” Levi asked.
I pointed at the blood spots and scuff marks. “‘Cause she’s damn smart. She leapt back to her apartment building after leading a scent trail as if she hopped to the next one.”
Levi groaned. “Tell me we aren’t jumping back.”
I grinned at him. “All right, I won’t tell you. But only because you already know it.” I grabbed him by the shoulder. “Ready?”
“If I say no, does that change anything?”
I laughed. “Nope.”
CHAPTER 7
THE JUMP BACK to Mai’s apartment building went as fine as a forty-foot jump with a twenty-foot drop can go. Mai’s apartment was higher, but there was no way we were going to hit the roof. As it was, we dropped a solid twenty-five feet and ended up landing on the second floor. I tossed Levi and managed to land him on a larger balcony, right on
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