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“You’ve already done so much,” Denise said, touching his shoulder. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
Ashael’s smile was half sardonic, half wistful. “You already did when you and your husband claimed me as family last year. You both had reason to hate demons, and Veritas had only demanded you show me respect, yet you called me family while expecting nothing in return.” He touched the hand she’d placed on his shoulder. “You don’t know how rare that is, but I do.”
“I meant it,” Denise said softly.
He gave her hand a light squeeze. “I know. It’s why I came at once when you called.”
“Aww,” I said, coming over to them. “So sweet. Group hug!”
Denise let me hug her, but Ashael teleported away right as I got close enough to snap my fangs at his neck.
“Too slow,” he said, laughing as I cursed him in frustration. “And too obvious. You need to be much stealthier if you’re trying to steal some of my blood.”
Denise gave me a cagey look, and then turned to Ashael. “How long before your blood stops giving her immunity from the immobilization spell?”
He rubbed his jaw. “A few hours, probably. That’s why I’ll leave more blood for you. She’ll need it so you can get her somewhere safe before you go after the witch who hexed her and, by extension, you.”
“Denise isn’t doing that alone,” I protested.
Ashael’s brows rose. “You think you can help her in your condition?”
“Fuck yeah,” I said, incensed at the scorn in his voice.
“Cat.” Denise’s carefully neutral tone made me swing around to stare at her. “Maybe it’s better if you sit this one out.”
She didn’t think I could help either? Doubt frothed up, covering my anger. Were they right?
Was I…useless again?
Fuck that! “Come at me,” I said to Ashael, decision made. “No demon tricks. You’ll play the evil vampire witch, I’ll be me, and if you stop me from skewering you through the heart with silver, I’ll stay behind.”
Ashael sighed. “You can’t fight. You can barely stand—”
“Then this won’t take long.” I waved at him in the universal gesture for ‘bring it on.’
Ashael just stood there and stared at me.
“Lazy demon,” I muttered, and charged him.
He sidestepped with an ease that made me so angry, I didn’t notice the wall until I hit it. Then, a smack on the back of my head gave me another face full of plaster. When I spun around, Ashael was studying his nails as if his swat hadn’t given me a second face plant into the now-dented wall.
“We finished?” he asked in a light tone.
Anger burned like someone had detonated a flare inside me. “Not nearly.”
I charged him again, this time swerving into his sidestep. His overconfidence cost him, and I landed a punch that rocked his head back. When I went for another, he pivoted and swept my legs out from under me. My head cracked against the floor as I fell, hard.
Dammit!I should’ve anticipated the leg sweep. That was Fighting 101, and I’d fallen for it. I was still too sloppy, and he was taking full advantage, as any opponent would.
Ashael’s sigh as he stood over me stung more than my hitting the floor had. “I’m only fighting as if I’m a mere vampire, and you’re still unable to best me. Stop now, Cat. This is getting embarrassing.”
Rage briefly cleared the fog in my head. I’d been trained by the toughest, dirtiest fighter in the vampire world! Drunk and sloppy I might be, but I was not going down this easily.
I got up and lunged at him, not fighting my sloppiness this time. He saw it and went for the leg sweep again. Right before I reached him, I dropped low and slid beneath his kick while punching his other knee with everything I had.
It fractured with an audible crack. At once, I yanked at his still uplifted leg, throwing him off balance. His broken knee crumbled when his weight shifted onto it, and he crashed down on top of me hard enough for me to briefly see stars.
No problem. I didn’t need to see. All I had to do was think. Now, knife! Now!
