Page 398 of Hunters and Prey

Bran headed toward Helgi and the kids. “I think I’ll hitch a ride with her.”

His companions joined him. Yeah, Vixen was built to carry the weight.

I patted Juniper. “It’s okay, girl. You’re still my baby."

Vesper approached.

“Get on.” I patted Juniper.

He climbed up onto the passenger side. “You’re a conundrum, Anya. Maybe the fool Dante was right about you.”

I arched a brow. “How does it feel to be wrong?”

His expression relaxed. “It’s a novelty and an interesting sensation, to tell the truth.”

Shaking my head, I climbed up into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Juniper’s purr was joined by a growl. A shape darted across the yard, low and reddish-brown. A fox. Its side was torn and bloody, entrails on display. I tensed and glanced at Vesper, but he was studying Juniper’s dashboard, and then the air began to buzz.

“Drones,” Helgi yelled.

Vesper glanced over his shoulder. “Fuck.”

I started the engine. “The drone at the tavern must have transferred data before the Skin shot it.”

And now they were coming for me. Obviously, Royce didn’t think I’d fall for his trap. Damn, they wanted me bad.

“Vans on the horizon!” Helgi called out.

“Anya?” Vesper nudged. “What do you want to do?”

The urge to kick Juniper into drive and make a run for it had my biceps flexing, but they had the faster vehicles. “We can’t outrun them. Not on Juniper and Vixen.”

Vesper cracked his neck. “Then maybe we need to have a little bonfire.”

I turned my head to lock gazes with him to see shadows writhing in his irises. He was about to shift.

“Do it.”

I grabbed Jezebel and slid her back into her sheath. Helgi was already off Vixen and running toward me, mercs in tow.

Two vans, but how many Bloods? It didn’t matter, because when I took them down, I wouldn’t be counting.

The van skidded to a halt, kicking up a dust cloud. Doors slid open and the Vorn ran toward us, toting firearms. Bullets whizzed through the air around me, aimed at my friends but not at me. The fuckers wanted me alive. Something whizzed past my ear and hit the ground. A dart. They were trying to knock me out. Fuck that. I launched myself up and took out the nearest drone. It hit the ground and smashed. Helgi rolled and took out a guard, and the mercs took on the rest.

A gust of air hit my back, pushing my hair forward over my shoulders, and then wings beat the air as Vesper rose up at my back. Heat seared the air as flames engulfed the vehicles, taking them out of commission.

The guards faltered and then turned their attention to Vesper, showering him with bullets that bounced off his scales and ricocheted onto the ground. Then something whizzed through the air and hit Vesper in the chest. He let out a roar at the impact. Electricity spread across his scales like white lightning, and then his huge body slammed into the dirt behind me. He floundered, trying to re-launch himself. What the heck? The guards had just shocked him. Was this what they used on the battlefield? Something their labs had cooked up to incapacitate their enemy. Vesper was struggling to get back up. The guards charged us.

“Run!” I shouted at Helgi. “Get the kids out of here now!”

Helgi hesitated.

“Helgi, save the kids!”

She loved them as much as I did, and this time she didn’t hesitate. She turned and ran.

The mercs stood their ground. “Go,” I cried out. “Go with her. Please, keep them safe.”

Bran cursed but did as I’d asked, and then I faced the guards alone. No, not alone. Vesper was back on his feet. This time, he didn’t bother with taking flight, he barreled straight at the remaining guards and then sprayed them with blue fire.

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