Finally! Four vampires. A challenge for an immortal his age, but he was up to it.
Smiling, Ethan strode onward for a few more steps, then hung a U-ey and began to stalk the predators.
He gave a silent whistle. Two of them were about his size. Six foot four. Broad-shouldered. Packed with as much muscle as Ethan. The other two were lanky and looked as if they had never lifted a weight in their lives. Five-eight and five-ten. Twitchy. Reeking of old blood and unwashed bodies. They must have been infected longer than the other two. The other two wore freshly laundered clothing and had bathed recently.
The vampires made no attempt to silence their footsteps.
The students looked over their shoulders with flirty smiles, perhaps expecting Ethan. Those smiles vanished as they took in the menacing foursome tailing them. Exchanging uneasy glances, they huddled closer to each other and picked up their pace.
The two slovenly vampires produced rusty chuckles and walked faster so the coeds would know they were being hunted. The muscled vampires looked side to side and followed.
Fairly typical. Newer vamps tended to tag along with older vamps. And older vamps liked to toy with their victims, as enthralled by mortals’ fear as moths were by flames. They wanted the women to tremble. Wanted the women’s minds to conjure images of all the horrific things that would happen to them if they didn’t elude their pursuers. Wanted the women to imagine the unimaginable. Then wanted to restrain them and elicit screams.
Without breaking stride, Ethan bent and scooped up a couple of the acorns that littered the path and crunched under the vampires’ boots.
“Call campus security,” one of the students hissed.
“I don’t know the number.”
“Then call 911 and tell them we’re being followed!”
One of the vamps laughed. “You’ll be dead before they get here.”
The women looked over their shoulders.
“Oh shit. His eyes,” one whimpered.
Student housing loomed in front of them. A few more yards and they would be safely through the doors, not that the vampires would let them make it that far.
Ethan drew back his arm and launched the acorns.
Thrown with preternatural speed, they would feel like bullets when they struck.
The two lanky vamps both stumbled forward and howled in pain as the acorns slammed into the backs of their heads.
“Ow!”
“What the fuck?”
Stopping, the women gaped at them.
Ethan waved a hand to get their attention, then motioned for them to get their asses inside.
The women spun around and ran (if you could call it that), their heels clickety-clacking on the pavement as their big-ass purses rustled and bounced on their hips.
Eyes flashing a brilliant blue, the vampires whirled to face Ethan as the students clambered up the steps and dove through the doors of the dorm.
The muscled vamps followed the crazy ones’ gazes and turned to confront Ethan.
This would either be fun or painful.
Ethan backed away, luring them around the corner and out of sight of the women peering through the windows.
“Immortal Guardian,” the skinny vamp in the gray T-shirt spat, he and the others matching him step for step.
“Well, aren’t you bright?” Ethan said. Drawing two gleaming sais, he struck before they could respond.
The vamp in the gray shirt didn’t even have time to retrieve whatever blade he’d tucked into the sheath belted to his pants. As the vampire’s fingers curled around the shiny wooden handle, Ethan swept forward and cut his carotid artery.
The muscled vampires circled around behind Ethan while the other lanky vamp whipped out a machete and brandished it. (How the hell had he hid that thing in his pants?)
Ethan gave the lanky vamp his back and spun to face the muscled duo.
Just in the nick of time.
He ducked a kick that would have cracked his jaw at the very least and lashed out with a sai. Astonishment gripped him when he missed.
He never missed!
Another kick nearly connected with his head. Ethan ducked and swept the vampire’s feet out from under him. The vamp hit the ground hard. Ethan swung. The vamp rolled and leapt up. Sparks danced as Ethan’s blade hit pavement.
He didn’t know where the lanky vampire was, but saw the second muscled vamp circle around to attack him from behind again.
Ethan zipped around and placed the first muscled vamp between them, fighting for all he was worth. This man had been turned recently. Nothing ruffled him. And he had skills. He had been trained by a master in martial arts and weaponry.
But Ethan had trained with a master as well. Lisette kicked ass and had drilled him relentlessly to ensure Ethan could, too.
The vampire in the gray shirt, clutching the throat Ethan had laid open, staggered away a couple of steps and fell to his hands and knees. Blood poured down his front and pooled on the sidewalk. The other lanky vampire bobbed and bounced on his toes like a boxer, spewing slurs and curses. Muscled Vamp 2 again found his way to Ethan’s back.