Born in Fire (Demon Days, Vampire Nights World Book 1)(4)

Being that he was upwind, he probably also thought I was human.

“Drop the man,” he said in a velvety-smooth voice.

“Look.” I stopped in the middle of the street. “I’ll make a deal with you.

I’ll—”

“I do not make deals.” He stopped ten feet from me. His minions stayed back, though perfectly placed to box me in. All ten of them. So that wasn’t good.

“Interrupting someone is rude.” I shifted so I could drop Baldy at a moment’s notice. “I need to turn him in for the money. Just him, though. You can have whatever he is selling.”

“I will have him and what he is selling. You are outmatched and outnumbered. Drop him and scamper away, girl. This does not concern you.”

“Do you know how hot it gets in New Orleans in the middle of summer?

The humidity will kill you. I need air conditioning, man. Work with me on this one, and everyone walks away.”

He laughed, a sexy sound that tightened my lady bits. Stupid elder vampires.

A spell came out of nowhere, one of the minions shooting it at me from its small rubber casing.

I dropped Baldy, ripped out my sword, and sliced through the stream of white. My blade unraveled the magic, the spell’s power level strong but no match for mine. I sheathed my sword and turned to the elder. I didn’t plan to hand over my mark and lose my payday, but if I could escape without killing one of these buggers, thereby putting a huge price on my head, I would. Dare to hope.

I rushed forward, aiming for the elder. As if on cue, the minions charged forward, tightening their blockade around me, lightning fast and smooth as silk. Claws outstretched on the end of their human-looking fingers. Lips and gums turned black as fangs elongated. The predators were showing themselves, and these predators were upper-middle level, at least.

Crap-tastic.

Lazily, the lead vamp slashed. Claws sprang from his hand as it sailed toward my face.

Holy tater tits, he was powerful.

I bent backward, Matrix-style, before straightening back up and punching him in the face. His head whipped back as his expression turned to shock.

Yeah, I’m fast and super strong. Surprise!

I rocked a punch to his middle, another to his face, and then paused. That rhythm-breaking hesitation had him flinching, as though another strike had come. I followed with a kick. Faster than before, he blocked with his shin.

Bone met bone.

It hurt like the bejeebus!

I struck for his middle next, but he was onto me. He dodged and swung claws toward my neck. I shifted out of harm’s way and struck again, watching the elder’s minions out of the corner of my eye. A spell rocketed toward me. I ripped out my sword, sliced through it, and made another lunge at the lead vamp. My blade cut through his designer shirt right before he slashed.

I bent out of the way of his strike. I slapped him across the face. Not punched. Slapped. Because I knew how to piss people off, and angry people made mistakes.

His eyebrows lowered over his deep-set eyes. I braced for his retaliation.

His minions responded from an unseen cue. They pushed in, readying for severe violence, I could tell. Considering how old they were, and how plentiful, there was no way I could get out of this without ending up dead or worse. He was way better prepared.

I clenched my jaw and stepped back, throwing up my hands. “Fine. Take him.”

He relaxed, his muscles no longer pushing at his dress shirt, and stared at me. The minions kept creeping forward, which wasn’t happy news.

Still he stared.

“Here.” I gestured at Baldy. “Take him. I give up.” Still the minions came. “Is this going to get messy?”

“Will she escape?” Lou asked in a theatrical voice. Hopefully the onlookers missed the underlying terror in her tone. “Or will he bite her neck?”

There was no way this critter would get anywhere near my neck.

Animal shapes jogged out from the sides, behind the vampires. An onlooker gasped.

The wolves had shown up. It was the first time I was happy to see them.

If they could just distract the vamps long enough for me to grab the mark and make a run for it— another run for it, I guess—that would make my night.

“They are fighting on public streets,” I yelled, backing up to stand right next to my mark. “That violates the… thing you are paid to uphold…” Yelling about magic in public would also be a violation of the magical decree, and the last thing I wanted to do was give the shifters an official reason to take me in.

The lead vampire, still assessing me, tilted his head slightly. A grin worked at his lips. I had no idea what he found so amusing.

A fierce snarl erupted from the side. A wolf lunged at a vampire minion.

The other shifters ran in, ready to take down the gathering.

Sensing my golden opportunity, I snatched up Baldy and threw him over my shoulder. Before I could turn and run, clawed hands reached for me. I slashed with my sword, nicking a minion’s arm. A wolf lunged, his jaws snapping at my knee.

“I’m the good guy,” I said in a harried voice. “I’m on official business!”

Baldy’s body was ripped away.

Clutching at air as I turned around, I was just in time to see the lead vampire toss Baldy at his minion. The other vampire caught him like a doll.

Before I could even open my mouth to say, “Hey!” the lead vampire had given me a poignant stare and then bolted away at an awe-inspiring speed. He was one old-ass vampire.