Darkness Rises(20)

Then Marcus had found Ami. The jury was still out on whether or not their relationship was going to have a happy ending because Ami had not yet asked Marcus to transform her.
Richart had fallen hard for Jenna, who—Étienne was very pleased to note—made his brother very happy.
Even that bastard Bastien had fallen in love with and married Dr. Lipton.
The jangling of keys shook Étienne from his musings. He ducked out of sight as the front door swung open.
Krysta exited first, her shoto swords clutched in one hand, her coat in the other.
Étienne silently cursed as his pulse picked up its pace.
Sean exited next, carrying a pile of heavy books, and tromped down the stairs.
Étienne had learned from his shameless eavesdropping sessions (there had been more of those than he cared to admit in the two weeks he had been following her) that Sean was in medical school and usually studied in the car while she hunted.
Krysta’s eyes scanned the area as they crossed the yard to their crappy car.
Both doors groaned when pried open. And the damned engine barely turned over.
Though Krysta worked days and Sean weekends, freeing up the nights for hunting, they barely made ends meet.
Étienne had been tempted to call in the network to make all the repairs the car needed, but that would bring the sibling vampire hunters to Chris Reordon’s attention.
Not a good idea.
Étienne raced through the countryside, following the shabby vehicle and making sure forest, field, or structures always hid him from view.
Looked like they were heading for Duke tonight.
The hunt was on.
 

 

That’s right, dullards, Krysta thought, mentally smiling as she used Étienne’s term, come along, follow the poor, unsuspecting undergrad who doesn’t know you’re there because she’s busy drunk dialing her ex.
That one was always popular. There were times, in fact, when she could actually hear some of the vampires laugh over the crazy-ass things she said or shouted into the phone while staggering up the path. Perhaps, in another life, she could have been an actress.
There had been no vamp action around the frat houses tonight. Rather she had found them lingering in Research Park, waiting for an egghead to stumble out after working on whatever it was he or she researched until the wee hours.
Along the sidewalk, Krysta led them between two buildings, and into a darker area near the loading dock. She thought there had been lights back here the last time she had passed by. The vamps must have broken them, intending to feed on their victim where none would see.
Perfect.
Her heart began to pound, not with fear as she prepared to spin around and fight, but with anticipation. Étienne was nearby. She knew it. She could feel it. And she wasn’t going to let him snatch away her prize this time. She was going to confront the vamps before he had the chance.#p#分页标题#e#
Drawing her shoto swords, she spun around at the same moment Étienne appeared behind the vamps.
Ooh. Six vampires. Good thing he had come.
Étienne’s brows drew down in a frown as he met her gaze. “Damn it! You’re early!”
She grinned. “Nope. You’re late.”
The vampires’ faces went blank with surprise. Their gazes zigzagged between the two of them.
“Oh shit,” one said, his face filling with fear as he stared at Étienne. “An Immortal Guardian.”
Gasps from his vampire cohorts.
A what?
Another vampire looked at Krysta. “She’s human. She must be his Second.”
“Bastien has a mortal Second,” another said.
Who had a what now?
Krysta was given no time to ask.
Their faces contorted with fury. “Bastien the Deceiver!”
“Death to Bastien!”
“Kick their fucking asses!”
The vampires drew weapons and attacked.
Krysta inched backward and swung her swords as multiple orange auras shot toward her.
The vampires must think they would have an easier time killing her than they would Étienne.
Smart vamps.
Sucked for her, though.
Even as she struck lethal blows with her blades, slicing the throat of the first vampire to reach her, pain streaked through her thigh as another vamp’s blade cut into her flesh.
Krysta gritted her teeth and swung at the orange aura leaping away from her.
Score! Tit for tat. She’d cut his femoral artery, the bastard!
Limping backward, she kept her swords in constant motion. Glowing orange auras swirled around her, so numerous that fear threatened to paralyze her.
She struck more blows, aiming at auras and hitting the flesh they preceded.
The vampires struck blows as well. Cuts stung her arms, back, legs. Just as she was silently celebrating a particularly good blow, one of the vamps circled around behind her and hit her in the head, landing a simple punch with his fist, backed by preternatural strength, that felt like a freaking anvil.