Page 69 of Aberrant Monsters
“We don’t,” Derek said. “Fucking government has us on bagged shit. Delivery truck once every week.”
“Shut it, Derek, she’s trying to get us talking again so that she can figure a way outta this,” Joe snapped. “But there is no way out. Rules are clear. Anything that walks onto the dock after sundown is fair game, and it’s been so fecking long since we drank from a warm live body.”
His jaw elongated and his teeth grew longer and sharper, pushing out of his maw.
I reared back, not bothering to hide my disgust. “Jeez, I think you guys need to rename yourselves the piranhas.”
“Bitch.” Saliva dribbled out of his mouth.
He waved a hand and the others moved forward, mouths altering, ready to feed.
I glanced at Nandi, then at Archie. Wait, where was Archie?
“Oof.”
“Argh.”
Two of the vipers hit the ground.
Joe glanced about. “What the—”
His head rocked back on his neck.
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. Archie had gone invisible and was kicking their asses.
“Run!” Nandi cried.
Dammit, looked like I wouldn’t be using my cool lightsaber after all. We sprinted toward the barrier only to be cut off by more vipers, except these weren’t moving bipedally, they were on all fours, their arms way too long and their hands too wide with too many joints on their fingers.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Nandi fell into a defensive crouch and yanked twin daggers from her boots. “It’s been a while since we danced, August.”
“It sure has. Do you want to lead, or shall I?”
“Please be my guest.”
Time to take my cool blade for a test run. I rushed to meet the viper attack, swinging my blade in a clean sweep to take off a viper head. There was no law protecting this species. No law to stop supernaturals kicking the shit out of each other and killing each other. The only laws we lived by were territorial ones.
We’d trespassed here, but we had every right to defend ourselves. If the vipers wanted a meal, they’d have to work for it.
My blade cut through flesh like butter, and I reined in my swings, realizing I didn’t need as much power, which left me with more power to channel into my legs, into balancing on the balls of my feet, spinning out of reach of a maw, or crouching to avoid the swipe of talons.
Beside me Nandi kicked ass, her movements fast and efficient as she severed arteries and slashed essential muscle and tendons. The woman knew how to quickly disable an opponent.
Years of training came into play. Hours in the gym, hours learning to attack and defend against faster, larger opponents was put into action. Years of being bullied had pushed us to learn to protect ourselves from getting our asses handed to us.
We fought efficiently, instinctually, all the while moving closer to the barrier. I could have called Telarion, and I would if things looked dire, but we were fine. We had this. I didn’t need him. I had to learn to survive without him swooping in to save my ass because he’d be gone soon enough. I’d managed without him before. I could do it now.
“Watch out!” Archie bellowed.
I pulled my blade from the viper I’d been fighting and spun in time to see another flying at me. He got knocked off his trajectory a moment later.
“Thanks, Archie.”
“No problem,” Archie said.
The herd was thinning. We were almost at the barrier. I sensed Archie to my left and Nandi ran to my right.
Almost there.
