charged away from the clan house as fast as the top-of-the-line motorcycle could fly, four Kinsmen shot out of the clan house in pursuit. They were a blur, traveling close to the speed of the bike even on foot, allowing her to make them out when normally they would barely be visible at this speed. The one circling wide to their right as if trying to herd the motorcycle was Ripper.
Shade accelerated and zigzagged to the left as Ripper tried to cross their path. He cut the Kinsman off, and as Ripper sailed across just behind the bike, he reached out and stroked the braid that bounced in the wind behind Rage. If he had wanted to, he could have grabbed her hair and tore her from the back of the motorcycle, but he didn’t.
With her pulse quickening, Rage hunched tighter to Shade. Her heart ached. Before the night was over, someone she cared about was going to be dead. Possibly more than one. And she was powerless to stop it.
Repeatedly the Kinsmen made near-miss passes at the motorcycle, and every time Shade just barely maneuvered around them. They were playing with them and Rage knew it. Not just playing with them but using them.
Shade weaved in and out of traffic and soon another motorcycle angled in front of them from a side street. Gripping tighter to Shade, Rage willed him not to follow. To turn away before it was too late. But Shade zoomed along behind the other bike, letting it guide their path. The industrial zone they entered was close to deserted at this time of night. The rider on the motorcycle ahead of them bolted through an open gate to a factory that extended to cover the entire block. The parking lot was deserted. Just feet short of slamming into the building, the other motorcycle angled off and skidded to a stop.
The rider lowered his long legs to the ground on either side of the bike and removed his helmet. Dean shook out his hair and his bangs draped down into his eyes as always. He watched as Shade braked several feet away from him and angled so they could both see the Offspring. The door near Dean opened and Caden stood just inside the threshold.
Rage shouted, “It’s a trap!”
Before the words fully left her lips, the four Kinsmen who had been trailing them appeared as if from nowhere. In a semicircle around them, the Blood Runner Clan Kinsmen had them pinned down.
Dean just smirked. “You know what, Rage? You are right. This is a trap.”
More than a dozen Executioner Clan Kinsmen stepped to the edge of the roof overhead, each holding weapons, some ancient and some modern in design. The fear tore through her as the Executioners vanished, or rather attacked so quickly she could not even see them. Ripper and the other Blood Runner Kinsmen blurred as they dodged the incoming attacks.
Shade gunned his motorcycle and headed for the doorway where Caden held open the door. Dean spun his tires and followed. Once they were inside, Caden slammed the door closed and bolted it with a serious four-by-four made of steel.
“Caden!” Rage climbed off the back of the motorcycle before Shade even had the kickstand down. She ran to Caden and threw her arms around his neck. “Ripper is outside.”
Caden caught her around the waist and drew her tightly against his chest, but it was body armor and not muscle she felt. “He can’t use the Summoning against you while he’s distracted.” Caden glared over top of her. “Who is this?”
“Shade. He’s cool.” Rage caught Caden’s face between her palms and forced him to look down at her. “Listen to me. I found a way to escape Ripper using magic. I just need some of his blood.”
“I’m not sure what we can do against those Kinsmen outside.” Shade frowned. He and Dean circled close around them. “Ripper’s a smart fighter. He won’t die out there. He’d slip away to find you another day.”
Dean drew back and gave Caden a meaningful glance that Rage could not read then he moved to a crate by the door. Dean pried the lid off with his fingers and
Shade accelerated and zigzagged to the left as Ripper tried to cross their path. He cut the Kinsman off, and as Ripper sailed across just behind the bike, he reached out and stroked the braid that bounced in the wind behind Rage. If he had wanted to, he could have grabbed her hair and tore her from the back of the motorcycle, but he didn’t.
With her pulse quickening, Rage hunched tighter to Shade. Her heart ached. Before the night was over, someone she cared about was going to be dead. Possibly more than one. And she was powerless to stop it.
Repeatedly the Kinsmen made near-miss passes at the motorcycle, and every time Shade just barely maneuvered around them. They were playing with them and Rage knew it. Not just playing with them but using them.
Shade weaved in and out of traffic and soon another motorcycle angled in front of them from a side street. Gripping tighter to Shade, Rage willed him not to follow. To turn away before it was too late. But Shade zoomed along behind the other bike, letting it guide their path. The industrial zone they entered was close to deserted at this time of night. The rider on the motorcycle ahead of them bolted through an open gate to a factory that extended to cover the entire block. The parking lot was deserted. Just feet short of slamming into the building, the other motorcycle angled off and skidded to a stop.
The rider lowered his long legs to the ground on either side of the bike and removed his helmet. Dean shook out his hair and his bangs draped down into his eyes as always. He watched as Shade braked several feet away from him and angled so they could both see the Offspring. The door near Dean opened and Caden stood just inside the threshold.
Rage shouted, “It’s a trap!”
Before the words fully left her lips, the four Kinsmen who had been trailing them appeared as if from nowhere. In a semicircle around them, the Blood Runner Clan Kinsmen had them pinned down.
Dean just smirked. “You know what, Rage? You are right. This is a trap.”
More than a dozen Executioner Clan Kinsmen stepped to the edge of the roof overhead, each holding weapons, some ancient and some modern in design. The fear tore through her as the Executioners vanished, or rather attacked so quickly she could not even see them. Ripper and the other Blood Runner Kinsmen blurred as they dodged the incoming attacks.
Shade gunned his motorcycle and headed for the doorway where Caden held open the door. Dean spun his tires and followed. Once they were inside, Caden slammed the door closed and bolted it with a serious four-by-four made of steel.
“Caden!” Rage climbed off the back of the motorcycle before Shade even had the kickstand down. She ran to Caden and threw her arms around his neck. “Ripper is outside.”
Caden caught her around the waist and drew her tightly against his chest, but it was body armor and not muscle she felt. “He can’t use the Summoning against you while he’s distracted.” Caden glared over top of her. “Who is this?”
“Shade. He’s cool.” Rage caught Caden’s face between her palms and forced him to look down at her. “Listen to me. I found a way to escape Ripper using magic. I just need some of his blood.”
“I’m not sure what we can do against those Kinsmen outside.” Shade frowned. He and Dean circled close around them. “Ripper’s a smart fighter. He won’t die out there. He’d slip away to find you another day.”
Dean drew back and gave Caden a meaningful glance that Rage could not read then he moved to a crate by the door. Dean pried the lid off with his fingers and
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