Page 109 of Seer
“Fuck!” I caught it across the arm with the blade, but it dodged away before I could do any real damage.
A third one ran toward where Ms. Jackson crouched over Greg. Ms. Jackson shimmered, and they were now a fucking giant green dragon, with huge jaws and enormous teeth and claws. Greg’s body looked tiny crumpled on the ground under their legs.
Ms. Jackson spread their wings and hissed at the monsters, who suddenly didn’t seem quite as large as they had a moment ago.
But Greg was very still.
I turned away before I got too distracted. I understood implicitly that Ms. Jackson was acting as Greg’s bodyguard only. It was up to me to take out these three fuckers.
As they circled, trying to get behind me, I did not feel confident about my survival.
But, I told myself, they didn’t need to know that. And if I had to go out this way, they were going out with me.
I raised my bat’leth, and the Klingon words came automatically. “Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!” I shouted, swinging at the closest monster. Itwasa good day to die.
The other two ran at me, but before I could bring my bat’leth up to block them, someone sped past me on my left, swinging the mek’leth in one hand and pointing a gun in the other.
He fired, and the first monster, the one that had attacked Greg, went down. The others pivoted to face this new opponent.
He shot again but missed this time. The two monsters bared their fangs at him and hissed. He grinned at them. “Good to see you again, boys.”
They ran at him. He fired then swung the mek’leth. One of the monsters howled when he was hit.
I backed up, looking for an opening where I could help. My savior sparkled with magic but didn’t have a second self. He was tall and skinny, with chin-length hair that glinted auburn in the parking lot lights. He was vaguely familiar, but I’d figure that out later.
Someone moved in my peripheral vision, and I swung around, holding the bat’leth between me and the new threat. About twenty feet away was a dark-haired forty-something guy wearing a green Build Barn polo. In one hand he held a first aid kit, and in the other he was pointing what might have been a nail gun toward the fog monsters. A little wide-eyed, he gestured the first aid kit toward Greg.
I whirled back to the fight. The fog monsters had moved so they were between the skinny guy and Greg and Ms. Jackson, which meant the skinny guy couldn’t use his gun without risking hitting them. He dropped it on the ground and, now gripping the mek’leth two-handed, ran toward the other two.
He was so fast I could barely keep track of him. The fog monsters fought back, and they didn’t seem to have any trouble matching his speed. Luckily they weren’t paying any attention to me. I kept my bat’leth up and hoped the skinny guy could fight them off.
The fog monsters came at him from the sides, coordinating their attacks to slash at him with their claws. But the mek’leth gave him an advantage, extending his reach. He got a good slice across the thigh of one fog monster, and he continued hismotion, spinning and laying open the other fog monster’s right arm.
They fell back, clutching at their wounds, but the skinny guy charged, mek’leth raised. The two fog monsters turned and ran for the trees, the one with the leg wound limping but still incredibly fast. The skinny guy let them go, and as they reached the edge of the parking lot, fog surrounded them, and they vanished.
The skinny guy craned his neck around, examining himself and plucking at his clothes.
“Are you injured?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I’m good.” He trotted over to where he’d dropped his gun. He picked it up, flipped the safety, and tucked the gun into the back of his pants. He held up the mek’leth, now dripping with blood. “This thing is awesome. Can I keep it?”
“Uh, sure. Knock yourself out.” I dropped the bat’leth and sprinted over to Greg.
Ms. Jackson remained in her dragon form, but she’d moved to one side and was watching intently as Mr. Cruz, I assumed, pressed gauze to Greg’s neck.
I sank to my knees. Greg was paler than I’d ever seen him, his chest barely moving. I swallowed a sob. Not the time. I could break down later.
Mr. Cruz said, “He’s lost too much blood. The, uh, dragon didn’t want me to call an ambulance.” He glanced nervously up at Ms. Jackson. “But I’m pretty sure he needs a transfusion.”
I picked up Greg’s hand from where it was lying on the pavement. I couldn’t feel much through the connection. His magic was almost nonexistent, and I could only barely feel thetiniest whisper ofGreg. An icy bolt of fear shot through my chest. I couldn’t lose Greg. Not so soon after I’d found him.
The guy who’d run off the fog monsters stopped next to Greg’s feet. He had the dead one casually tossed over one shoulder, with the mek’leth sticking out of its back like an axe buried in a stump. “Thanks for the blade. I have some questions for this guy, but then I gotta cut off his head to make sure he stays dead, you know.” He patted the fog monster on the ass.
Mr. Cruz grunted. “I guess vampires aren’t too far-fetched after everything else.”
I glanced at him, then back to our rescuer. “They’revampires?” My voice may have been a little high.
The guy grinned, revealing fangs just like the ones the monsters had. “We’revampires.”
