Shadows Rising (Darkness Falls Book 2)

Chapter Forty

A roar of pure fury leaped from my mouth and I threw myself across the room. The vampire wrenched his fangs out of Riley's throat and shoved her at me. I spun out of the way, using my own momentum to slam my heel into the vampire's chest. Briefly, absurdly, I wished I was wearing stiletto heels so I could stab the bastard in the chest. Of course, if I'd been wearing stiletto heels I wouldn't be able to walk, let alone execute a high kick, but that wasn't important.

The vampire fell onto Ethan's bed. I stabbed down, but he rolled out of the way and my knife plunged into Ethan's mattress. The vampire whirled and aimed his own kick at me, but I skipped backwards. I had to let go of the knife to do it, but thanks to Clara I had plenty of spares.

I pulled another from my belt.

Riley pulled herself to her feet, one hand pressed against her neck. Her eyes were wide with shock and when she spoke, her voice was shrill. "He bit me. I can't believe it – the bastard actually bit me."

Hanging out with vampires wasn't enough to prepare a person for the reality of actually being bitten. My own scars throbbed sympathetically, remembering the awful violation of someone drinking my blood. Luke had taken the edge off those awful memories through the two times he'd fed from me, but both times it was to save his life. Absolute trust was required.

"Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my knives and eyes trained on the vampire in front of me. He prowled the space in front of Ethan's bed, sizing me up. Now he knew I wasn't such an easy target, he was exercising more caution.

"I'm fine," Riley said.

I'd got to her in time. The vampire hadn't had time to drain her or rip out her throat, and the fang marks would heal with no lasting damage.

"Get out of here, Riley," I said.

The vampire growled and advanced a pace, testing my reactions. I swiped at him with the knife, the blade missing his throat by a whisker.

"No way, K-girl, I'm not leaving you." Her voice trembled but there was conviction in her words.

Despite the danger, my heart swelled at her bravery. But bravery wouldn't keep her alive – not in this situation where she was in completely over her head.

I sensed rather than saw the second vampire come into the room. It slunk in behind me, silent as a hunting cat, but awareness pinched and pulled at my skin, instinct kicking into overdrive.

Pushing Riley out of the way, I spun and plunged my knife into the vampire's chest. But I misjudged the timing and my aim was off, sinking into the vampire's chest but missing her heart. She howled with pain and backhanded me. I stumbled. A rush of air at my back preceded the male vampire's attack; I ducked, twisted in a crouch and plunged my knife into his leg.

"Riley, go," I yelled over the vampire's shrieks of pain.

Finally she listened, bolting out of the door, her feet pounding down the stairs. The female vampire watched her go, but didn't chase her. I was the prize here, not Riley.

I wrenched my knife out of the vampire's leg and aimed a stab at his crotch, but he saw me coming and sidestepped. His knee clubbed me on the side of the head. Carpet bristles scraped my face as I fell.

I tried to roll over but one of the vampires – I couldn't see which – was already on me, pinning me down. Fangs scraped the back of my neck. I threw my head back, my skull colliding with the vampire's face. A female shriek filled my ears.

She fell away from me and I rolled over just in time to bring a foot up into the male's stomach as he attacked. It only bought me a second or two, enough to scramble to my feet, but not enough to keep the female vampire from seizing me from behind. Her arms wrapped around my chest, trapping my arms at my side. I writhed, my hands making useless little gestures with the knives, but there was no room to move or gain momentum.