The banshee charged at me with his knife at the ready, but I sidestepped his attack. I turned on my toes and charged him. Grabbing him by the neck, I kept running until I had him pinned to the wall. I looked him in the eyes as I stabbed him in the heart.
Before his body even began to crumble, I was turning to face another enemy coming at me from the left. He had seen how fast I was and knew to expect it. This time I had to use some fancy footwork to confuse him before sending my blade home. I leaped over his body even as it turned to dust.
I heard a yell and turned in the direction it had come from to see a banshee coming right at me. He swung a sword at my neck. Dropping to a squat, I spun so I was behind him by the time he noticed. Swiping out with one leg I caught him at the ankles bringing him to the floor. His sword landed with a clang. Unarmed, he rolled on to his back. Expecting it, I pounced on him before he could stand.
Straddling him, I smiled as I stabbed him through the heart. I vaulted myself up while grabbing his sword. I prefer knives, but why waste a good weapon?
Besides, it was longer so I could hit the bastards without having to get too close. To test that theory, I took out the male my uncle was fighting. Bryce called out a ‘thanks’ as he moved on to another. I paused for just a few seconds to appreciate how well he fought and that’s when I saw him.
Gabriel.
I watched as he stalked his way over to me. He was short for a male — mortal or banshee — at only a few inches taller than me. He had short light, brown hair, and beady, brown eyes with an ever-present crazed look. His light complexion seemed to be glowing from within, showing he’d recently fed.
“Well, well, well look who came to visit!”
“Gabe, buddy, I’ve come for my friends and then I’ll be going.”
“Now, now Qadira, you know you won’t be leaving here… without me.”
“Let’s see about that. Shall we?” I tossed the sword and pulled out my knives — karambit in my left hand and puukko in my right. I was going kill him up-close-and-personal using my knives. It’d be more special that way. More meaningful.
He threw his head back and laughed in disrespect. A mistake. Moving with blurring speed I stabbed him in the abdomen. I could have killed him then and there, but where was the fun in that? That was my mistake.
“You stupid mutt.”
We moved in a slow circle. His eyes glued to me.
He swung his sword, but I avoided it and slashed his arm with my karambit. We lunged at and evaded each other. Time and everything around us faded, so it was just the two of us mingled in a macabre dance.
Gabriel lifted his sword bringing it down just as I stepped to the side. The momentum of his swing caused him to fall forward.
I crouched over him, knife at the ready. He grabbed my wrist and tossed me into the wall. Thanks to my souped-up essence I quickly recovered, but not fast enough. Gabriel was on me before I caught my breath. He stabbed me in the chest, just missing my heart. I gasped in pain, my eyes bulging as I tried to breathe.
He’d missed my heart on purpose. He wanted me alive, this I knew. I just didn’t know why.
I watched with relief as Peder grabbed him and tossed him across the room. Gabriel jumped up and ran out the door. Peder followed.
“Kadi? Kadi! Are you okay?” Sheryl fell to her knees beside me. “I’m sorry, but this will hurt. I’m sorry.” She pulled the sword out of my chest. The pain stole my breath.
Peder returned.
“Gabriel?” I asked him.
He shook his head, and the world spun. He was talking to me; I knew this because his lips were moving. I just couldn’t hear him over the roaring in my head. Gabriel had gotten away.
Bringing myself back to the moment, I looked around the room.
“Bryce?”
“He’s fine.”
“Where’s the basement? Where are the guys?” I needed to find Ian and Seth. They had to be alive.
Peder tried to stop me from moving, but I glared at him and he let me go.
My adrenaline was pumping again at the thought of Ian and Seth. I grasped onto it so I could finish this.
Peder led me to a hatch door in the floor a few feet away. Pulling the handle, I tore the door right off its hinges. I was more amped than I’d thought.
Shrugging, I tossed the door aside and jumped into the hole. I wavered on my feet when I landed below, but I remained standing.
It was dark, pitch-black. My fairy blood allowed me to see well in darkness, but this was more like having night vision goggles.
I saw the guys right away, hunched beside each other on the far wall, pinned to it by faeritonium spikes through their wrists and ankles.
Peder and I ran to them.
“Shit…” Peder breathed.
“Ian? Seth?” I laid a hand on each of them.
Seth reacted first. He gasped and tried to move away from my touch.
“No, no, Seth. It’s me. It’s Kadi. Don’t move.”
“Kadi?”
“Yes. We’ll get you out of here.”
“Hurry. This shit hurts like hell.”
Holding my breath, I turned to Ian. “Ian, can you hear me?”
“Yes.” It was weak, but he still had a voice.
“Thank Danu! We’ll get you home now.”
“Mm, good,” he grunted. His breathing was shallow, but he was responding.
That had to mean he was going to be okay. That had to mean the faeritonium hadn’t yet damaged his brain.
“Slash,” Peder called out. Turning back to me, he placed a hand on my shoulder and said, “Darlin’, I need you to go where we parked and bring back the biggest vehicles you can. We’ll take good care of your guys here. Run along now.”
“No. I will not leave them.” I turned to Bryce. “Please go back up and get some guys to help you bring back the vehicles.”
“Are you sure, my pip? Are you sure you want to be here for this?”
“No. But I am not leaving their side.”
“Okay.” Bryce gave me a hug and left.
I turned back to Ian and Seth. Removing those spikes was going to be excruciating. I’d see them suffering. Still, I stayed. I had to make sure they’d be okay.
Slash pulled the spike from Seth’s right arm. The scream he released was worse than I’d imagined. I remained silent with my hands on Seth’s shoulders offering what little comfort I could as Slash and Peder removed the remaining spikes.
Ian was next. I expected the same agony-ridden screams. When they didn’t come, the blood in my veins turned to ice.
“Is he gone?”
“No, Darlin’, he’s mercifully lost consciousness.”
I was too weak from my injury to do much of the heavy lifting. So, I did what I could by running ahead to make the vehicles as comfortable as I could for their trip home.
********
We borrowed two SUVs and a dually pickup truck, which had a large, covered bed. Peder carried Ian in his arms, and Slash had Seth. I was even more grateful that Ian was unconscious. Knowing he was being carried around like a baby would mortify him.
Seth’s arguing with Slash proved that point. Slash laughed, revealing another piercing. I wondered, ridiculously, if he had any others… and where they were.
“No, man, you can’t stand. Stop arguing with me, you won’t win.”