The Epilogues: Part I: Badge of Honor (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 6) - Hailey Edwards (the best novels to read .TXT) 📗

across the pavement, my shadow assumed a wraithlike form for the sake of those with the magic to see him. He rubbed his hands together then snapped back into his mostly Hadley shape.

The pistol fired, a short pop of sound, and Sue sprinted into the gauntlet’s maw, me on her heels.

The starting line proved to be more than symbolic. It was magical too. Big magic. Really big magic.

This must be how they were keeping humans out of harm’s way for the duration.

A giant mute button had been pushed inside the warded—spelled?—area to enable us to hear and see our opponents. The crowd was blotted out above and beside us by walls of pulsating murk that allowed us to see straight forward but obscured areas where spectators cheered and placed their bets.

And there were always bets cast in this kind of thing. Always. How many broken bones, severed limbs, gouged eyes, etc.

Dressed in black tactical pants, a tee, and boots, Sue was proving she had trained hard for this moment. I had to close the gap quick and take her down fast, before she pulled too far ahead for me to catch her.

Unless the whirling blackness was the spell equivalent of a two-way mirror, the spectators couldn’t see us either. Given the number of kids at the event, maybe it was an attempt at lowering the ratings.

A sharp prickle along my nape warned me vampires were to be the first obstacle.

Finally, something was going right. This was the best of all possible outcomes.

This buffet would top off Ambrose’s tank and fuel us through what was to come.

A slender woman dressed in a black cat suit emerged from behind a parked car with a knife in one hand.

Sue danced around her, avoiding the slice of her blade, but spun right into a fight with a grim-faced man.

“Take a little off the top,” I murmured to Ambrose. “Let me do the rest.”

Honing himself into a spear, he shot through the woman’s chest once, startling her.

Strength flowed through him into me as I gripped her wrist and twisted until she dropped her weapon. A quick downward stroke from the pommel of my sword knocked her to her knees, and I brought my knee up under her chin. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she hit the pavement.

A quick sideways glance confirmed Sue had moved on to her second opponent, leaving three to go.

Since these were out of towners, I wasn’t worried about factions working together in this environment. We just had to survive each group as we came across them until I could subdue and stash Sue.

Two men stepped out onto the street, each with a length of chunky metal chain.

The first man wrapped it around his fist. The second keep it loose, probably for swinging at my head.

“You know the drill.” I flicked my fingers at Ambrose. “Cut them down to size.”

While my shadow got down to the serious business of snacking, I rode his feeding high, using him to give me the speed I needed to rush the guy with the greater reach. Mr. Loose Chain. The thing might as well have been rubber for how easily he twirled it over his head like a frakking helicopter preparing for flight.

The sword gave me greater reach too, but his arms were longer than mine to start with, and his weapon had a good three feet on mine. This was going to hurt like a mother if his aim was any good.

Ambrose struck him first then took a second hit to ensure Mr. Loose Chain was having trouble focusing.

But his helicopter act didn’t slow, and yep. It hurt like blazes when the end of the chain struck my side and wrapped around my middle. A firm yank spun me right to him, but he was too dazed to notice he hadn’t locked down my arms. Quickly, I used the fastest method to escape before he crushed me.

My sword.

With one downward slice, I became the reason amputation earned a whole page of warnings.

A howl rent the night as I carved through his wrist. Without him tugging on me, I shimmied free of the chains then kicked them away from him. His hand went tumbling with it.

Oops.

“Put him out of his misery,” I told Ambrose. “No.” I yanked hard on his leash. “I didn’t say kill him.”

The shadow, grumpy about how fast I caught on to the loophole, pouted that he could only knock him out.

“Who are you talking to?” The vampire shrieked, flailing his stub. “You’re crazy.”

Tired of waiting on Ambrose to get the job done, I drew back my arm and punched the vampire hard enough the blood loss helped send him toppling backward onto the pavement. His skull hit with a crack that earned my sympathies.

Had I been a smidgen less sympathetic, I might have avoided the chain-wrapped fist to the side of my head.

I went down hard, head bouncing off the pavement, blood filling my mouth, vision going black.

Without Ambrose pumping me full of healing magic, I wouldn’t have gotten up again.

“’Brose,” I slurred, wedging my legs under me. “Lil’ hep?”

He fell on the final vampire, sucking him dry to the edge of death, then force fed that energy to me.

Sweeping out my leg, I knocked the spasming vampire off his feet onto his back. I raised my leg to stomp his face in, but I lost my balance and almost fell on top of him.

Awkward.

In a swirl of shadow, Ambrose whirled around me, catching my attention.

Sue was nowhere in sight.

“Frak it.”

She had beaten her attackers and run, leaving me to the vampires’ tender mercies.

The volume in my head was surreal. Boom. Boom. Boom. The eye on the injured side of my head refused to open. I had to squint through the other to chart my path forward, aware I was ripe for the picking from whatever faction came next. Even with Ambrose’s help, I was a hot mess.

“Hadley,” a thready voice wheezed from up ahead. “Over here.”

Sue.

Here we go,