Page 11 of The Shade of Things
Damien jerked his chin at a short vamp. “Diablo?”
“Damien, Diablo. Did you guys use some online vamp name generator?” I rose onto tiptoes. “Is there a Lestat in the house?”
Diablo pinned my arms behind my back. His rationale—that I had to have the use of my hands to unleash my magic on him or that shifting would take time during which I’d be vulnerable—would have been sound, were it not for the tiny issue that I wasn’t Ohrist. He must not have realized that Banim Shovavim didn’t subscribe to the same rules.
Heh. This was going to be fun.
Eli pinched the bridge of his nose.
There was a loud crack and I flinched, but it was Celeste blowing and popping a bubble.
“This is your last chance to let us peacefully talk to Ian,” I said. “Then I’m going to count to three and kill you.”
Once you issued mom ultimatums, you had to follow through, no matter what, even if it got you in trouble later. “One…”
Damien muttered something about me being full of shit.
“Two…”
Ian cried out.
Okay, fuck this.
Delilah jumped up behind Damien, scythe in hand. In a single, beautiful strike, she decapitated him.
The vampire blinked twice after his head hit the ground, and then he crumbled into a pile of ash.
Jumping backward, Ian pressed his fist to his mouth in a silent scream, his eyes wide in horror.
Diablo released me like a hot poker. Phew, because I’d laid fifty-fifty odds that he’d murder me.
“Let’s go,” Eli said.
“Hang on.” Shaking out my poor arm, I addressed the crowd, who, bless their hearts, didn’t seem to give a damn that I’d just killed one of their kind. Damien must not have been very popular. I sighed. Friendships were so important. “This is where I remind you that I have immunity. Nor do I have a grudge with any of you. Like I said, I just want a word with Ian.” I motioned at the man in question, who stood wide-eyed and frozen like a deer in headlights. “Come on.”
Celeste wound the gum around her finger before sucking it back into her mouth. “Go with her.”
I nodded in thanks.
“You’ve got five minutes,” she said, “then the first round of Banim Shovavim cocktails are on me!”
The vamps roared their approval.
“You cow!” I lunged for her, but Rodrigo hauled me back, wagging his finger like I was some schoolkid in trouble.
Celeste smirked.
As the mature adult I was, I refrained from further comment, but in my head, I jabbed all manner of pointy things into her for maximum stabbyness.
“Mir—” Eli no longer stood beside me.
“What? Seriously?” I snapped my fingers at the two vamps who’d grabbed his arms. My ex was strong, yet he couldn’t even budge these two much shorter females. “Hands off.”
“BatKian said you couldn’t be touched. He’s fair game,” one of them sneered.
“Guess again,” I said. Delilah appeared next to Eli but neither vamp released him. “Step away. He’s mine.”
“Technically, poppet, you relinquished all claim on him ages ago.” Naveen Kumar strode toward me, his weapon resting on his shoulder almost like an afterthought. “But if that situation’s changed, do let me know.”
“You have no jurisdiction here,” the androgynous vampire said, taking the seat that Damien had vacated.
“You’re harboring a demon,” Nav said. “Hand her over and I’ll be on my way.”
The androgynous vampire gave a “yeah, right” laugh and tore the stupid skull decorations off the ends of the armrests, tossing them over their shoulder.
“We always have to do this the hard way.” Nav struck the floor with his spear.
Carpe Demon operatives poured into the ballroom.
That’s when all hell broke loose.
