Page 98 of How to Stake a Vampire
The second dwarf was Hilda from the hospital. Her medical supplies were integrated into her armor and she had a first aid kit that appeared to double as a weapon.
“Don’t worry,” she’d told us matter-of-factly when she’d caught us staring. “I’ve treated more combat injuries than most field medics. Occupational hazard of working the supernatural ward. Why, I once performed emergency surgery on a troll with nothing but a butter knife and some dental floss.”
Mindy had flickered warily where she’d floated beside us.
“And I defeated three pixies in hand-to-hand combat just last week,” Melvina had chimed in cheerfully. “They were trying to put glitter in Master Barney’s coffee,” she’d been at pains to explain.
“That was not hand-to-hand combat,” Barney had muttered. “You chased them around the kitchen with the flambé torch.”
“Details, Master,” Melvina had waved dismissively.
“They’re my nieces,” Finnic had said defensively at our skeptical looks. “And they’re tougher than they look.”
Somehow, Melvina and Hilda being related to Finnic had come as no surprise to anyone.
The rest of Finnic’s team consisted of a grizzled dwarf who introduced himself as Leoric Ironfist, a fierce-looking female warrior called Belinda Stonebreaker, and a shifty-looking dwarf who went by Wildred Tunnelwalker. Wildred looked like he could navigate a maze blindfolded and empty your pockets while he was at it.
Didi watched the dwarf crew with an expression that said she was seriously reconsidering every decision that had led her here.
“This is going to be a disaster,” Gavin muttered. He nervously adjusted the fire extinguisher collection strapped to his chest.
Samuel had insisted the dragon newt bring them along considering his natural tendency to incinerate anything that moved when he got nervous. No one wanted friendly fire in the confined space of a mine.
Ellie had been quiet since we’d arrived, her attention focused on the mine entrance. She raised her head abruptly, her eyes flashing red in the fading afternoon light.
“That bastard is definitely in there. I can smell him! And”—her expression darkened—”I can smell blood and magic.”
A feral sound left Gregory’s throat. He leaned forward, like he was about to bolt for the entrance.
Barney took hold of his arm before he could move. “It isn’t Virgil’s.”
My pulse spiked when Gregory hissed and whirled around, his face distorted in a monstrous mask that caused the dwarves to clutch their battleaxes and Gavin’s nostrils to spark.
Barney didn’t bat an eyelid. “Unless you want your son to die, I suggest you calm down.”
Gregory took a shuddering breath. His features gradually settled down, along with my heart rate.
“We’re wasting time,” he ground out.
“We’re not,” Finnic said, frowning. “Look, I get why you want to rush in there, but the others are still getting into position.”
The dwarf chieftain had directed Hugh, Nigel, Constantia, Detective Johnson and his team, and the rest of the Alliance to cover Ludvik’s potential escape routes. There were more of them than Didi and Gavin had initially identified. Though Constantia hadn’t been happy about being separated from her husband, she’d agreed to Finnic’s plans.
As Daria had put it, this was the dwarf’s rodeo.
My bones itched and my skin tightened as we waited for the signal. I glanced at the darkening sky where it was visible through the canopy. The full moon was only a few hours away and my wolf was dying to escape my human form.
My shoulders knotted when Finnic’s walkie-talkie crackled into life.
Daria’s voice came through. “We’re in position.”
“Roger that.” The dwarf looked around. “Everyone ready?”
There was a low chorus of agreement.
Finnic lowered his brows. “Let’s do this.”
The main entrance gaped in the hillside as we approached the mine entrance in formation—Finnic and his dwarves in front, followed by Samuel, Gregory, and Barney, then me, Mindy, and Ellie. Didi and Gavin brought up the rear while Bo trotted alongside me, the Husky quiet for once.
