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As Indy and I glanced back at Marty’s pub, the night air was thick with unease. The growls that pierced the stillness of the parking lot sent a shiver down my spine, and I instinctively tightened my grip on my purse handle, wishing I had brought my Sica with me.
The shadows seemed to come alive with menace, shifting and coiling like serpents preparing to strike. My heart raced as I exchanged a quick, apprehensive glance with Indy. She was already crouching slightly and had one of her keys gripped between her knuckles. She could turn almost everything into a weapon and was one herself.
From the depths of the threatening shadows, two figures emerged, their presence ominous and foreboding. The dim light revealed their true nature: Stragoi hybrids, a blend of the demon and human, and neither were the friendly kind.
Their eyes glinted with an eerie, predatory hunger as they advanced toward us, teeth bared in menacing snarls. The night air was charged with tension, and I focused on the bond I shared with my parafinai. He would feel my fear and would alert those in thepub if I couldn’t that we were under attack. We just had to live long enough and hope that there were only two enemies.
As the hybrids closed in, I noticed their clothing was high-end. They twitched and snarled as if they were fighting some kind of inner battle, but their glowing red eyes left no doubt that they were starved for blood.
Indy detached a section of her key and handed it to me. I mimicked her, by placing it in my fist with one of the keys pointed outward. I crouched slightly as the hybrids rushed us.
As the hybrid lunged toward me with feral intensity, the key became a sturdy weapon. Time seemed to slow as the world around me faded into the background. My instincts and training took over.
With a quick, fluid motion, I swung my arm and thrust the key toward the attacker’s throat. The metallic edge met flesh with a force that surprised even me. The element of surprise was on my side as the hybrid momentarily faltered, gasping for breath, and clutching at its throat.
I seized the advantage. My training had taught me to exploit any weakness in my opponent, and I did just that. I used the opportunity to create distance, regaining control of the situation as I assessed my next move. Shouts echoed behind me as Indy hit her attacker multiple times in the throat.
Her adversary went down with blood leaking from its fingers as it clutched its throat.
Hunters poured from the pub as the hybrid I had hit bolted with his hand over his wound. Indy’s took a final gurgle before going limp at her feet.
I didn’t recognize the two hunters that ran up to us, but one went right to Indy. “Are you okay?”
Indy wiped her bloody key on her pants. “I’m fine Laslo. That was barely a fight. These hybrids are far weaker than the firstgeneration. Whatever is creating them doesn’t have the same power as the king.”
Laslo turned when there was a slide of tires on pavement. Daryn stepped from the SUV and his face looked like a thundercloud. His eyes immediately roamed over my outfit, and I felt almost naked under his gaze.
He walked up to me and slipped his hand around my back before relieving my fist of the keys I still held. “Are you alright?” his voice was soft, but his anger pulsed through our bond like a living flame. Fortunately, none of that fury was aimed at me.
“I’m good. There were only two, and they weren’t very hearty.”
Daryn glanced around. “This location should be secure. It’s warded, but apparently that doesn’t mean much anymore.”
Cipher’s voice cut through the air. “Daryn, we have a problem.”
Daryn tapped his tattoo. “What is it?”
“That wasn’t a Cage impersonator. It was Cage. He escaped prison.”
“What? When? Why wasn’t I notified?” Daryn hissed.
“They didn’t know. When I could find no evidence that the Cage we saw was fake, I called the prison. They assured me he was in his cell, but when I made them physically check, he was gone. We need to investigate the breach. He used a glamor and as soon as the guard discovered he was gone, it fell.”
“Shannon and I will head over there now.” He grabbed my hand. “Indy, can you clean up here and organize the transport of our dead hybrid? I want to know who he was.”
Indy nodded. “Got it.”
Kaine arrived as we were leaving, and he nodded to us as he made his way to his sister.
Daryn held the passenger’s side door open for me and I got in without a word. He stooped and grabbed a bag from the back seatbefore getting in the driver’s side. He placed the bag on the seat between us.
“Do you want to change? You look amazing, but we are headed to the prison and some of the offenders are long-term.”
I nodded and riffled through the bag to find a change of clothes for me, Daryn, and Caleb. It touched me that he thought of not only me, but my son.
“Sorry about earlier. I know you can’t show favoritism to Caleb, but you have to understand that he has been my first priority since the day he was born.” I undid my blouse as Daryn drove and was thankful the prison was on the outskirts of town. There were no other cars on the road to see me pull off my blouse and squirm into my black T-shirt.
“I am too. Your parents were hunters, but you lost them so young. You didn’t learn the training protocols and sometimes I forget how limited your exposure was to our world. It’s only because you fit in so naturally. If you ever have questions about my decisions, I simply ask that we discuss them in private.”
