His snake-like tonguewhipped around between his wet fangs.
“Fuck, you are oneugly—”
He charged.
I threw the doorbeside me wide open. He ran right into the panel, causing the woodto crack straight down the centre. I dashed into the hallway andlegged it into the kitchen. The surfaces were clear, no electricalsor ornaments. I yanked open cupboards and drawers to find them allempty.
“What are youlooking for?” the Teen asked.
“A knife,” I growled,moving around the island as the blond stormed into the kitchen.
“They don’t eat,eejit. So why would they have utensils?”
“I don’t know.” Igrabbed one of the stools at the end of the breakfast counter.
The Vampire ran at me.I swung the stool which broke on impact with his shoulder. Woodsplintered, and the padded, grey top fell with a crack to themarble floor.
The four legs remainedin my tight grip as I stumbled backward toward the kitchendoor.
“Stakes.”
“What?”
“You have fourstakes in your hand. Use them.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere!”
I backed out into thehallway of the middle house and swung the legs at the wall. The twobottom legs dropped to the floor.
“His gut!”
The Vampire movedthrough the door, the Teen squeezing out behind him.
“Drop and ram themin his gut.”
I glanced at the twostakes in my hand, still attached by a centre support. The endswere splintered, not exactly solid points, and the Vampire lookedlike he was made of muscle.
“Just bloody doit.”
The Vampire charged.Without thinking, I dropped to the floor, my knees hitting the woodwith a loud smack. My eyes fluttered shut as the Vampire drewclose, and without thinking, I shoved the two stakes toward him ashard as I could. They hit something hard. A weight pressed upon me.Thick liquid coated my hands as something wet smacked against myforehead. The next thing I knew, I was tumbling back and beingcrushed.
The vile smell ofVampire blood met my nostrils.
Opening my eyesslowly, I looked up to see the Teen looking down at me. “Nicework.”
The blond lay on topof me in a haphazard way, his body pinning me down, his head rightnext to my neck.
Releasing the deathgrip I had on the ends of my make-shift stakes, I wiggled them outfrom between us. Hands on the male’s shoulder and side, I pushedhim, ignoring the wet slide as the tip of his tongue slid down andover my left eye and cheek. A groan escaped the Vampire, causing meto squirm and kick until I was free of the lump.
Jumping to my feet, Ilooked down to find black blood smeared all over my new shirt andjeans. My hands ached where splinters had pierced my flesh, but asI looked at the indents, I could see the tiny shards wrigglingout.
“Self-healing,remember,” the Teen reminded me.
“Than!” Elle shouted,urgency ringing in her tone.
I turned around justin time to see the dark beauty, who sent both of us flying into theliving room of the left house. We slid across the well-polishedwood floor, stopping at the threshold of the landing.
I screamed out as hertalons plunged into my ribs. I could actually feel the nasty clawsscratching against my bones as she twisted her hands inside me.Something thick filled my mouth, oozing at the corners.
Rearing her head back,a guttural cry broke from her. Her fangs glinted, and before Icould move, the razor-sharp points slid through my leftshoulder.
“Fuck.” The word wasgargled, rasped through gritted teeth and the taste of my own deadblood.
“Fight, Than.”I could hear the Teen shout. “Fucking fight.”
Pain stung the end ofmy fingers, and as I lifted my hands to grab her bald head, Inoticed my own talons had grown. I dug them into the taut skin ofher scalp. The cry that left her vibrated through her and into me,but she remained latched on to me.
“Aim for herneck.” I wasn’t sure which version of Elle was instructing me.All I could hear was the panic in that all too familiar voice. Thevoice that had gotten me this far. The only voice I knew I couldtrust, even over my own.
Clutching the rightside of her head, I stabbed my hand into the left side of her neckrepeatedly.
I felt as thoughsomeone had poured acid down my shoulder, and every blow I made toher neck caused my own body to shudder. But despite the pain andthe fact that my eyes suddenly felt heavy, I kept punching, keptlistening to that voice guiding me out of this mess.
Eventually, theLeech’s fangs and talons slid out of me, and then, her body grewslack.
My arm dropped like adeadweight to my side. Pain swam from my ribs to my shoulder andback again.
With the last bit ofenergy I could muster, I shoved her off me and pushed myself up toa sitting position. Elbows pressed into the wood, I glared at theremaining five Vampires, trying my best to hold myself up despitethe fact I could feel my arms trembling. Or the fact that I couldfeel blood oozing out of the holes that now littered my torso andshoulder, the thick vile substance causing my shirt to stick tome.
I spat the blood thatstill filled my mouth onto the floor beside me and pinned them allwith a look. “Who’s next?”
Elle and the remainingfive all stood in the built archway which connected the middle andleft house. The Vampires were back to their human-looking self,genuine surprise highlighting their features. A mixed look crossedElle’s face, one that I couldn’t read, but at the sight of thewhite-knuckled grip she had on the sword that pointed down at herside, it was easy to guess what she might currently bethinking.
Was she scared of me?Surprised? Concerned?
I glanced to my leftand noticed that the female’s body had started to melt and crumble,as was her head that was no longer connected to her shoulders.
“Jesus.” I looked downat my right hand which was coated in her blood and then back atElle who was suddenly looking a lot paler.
“Christ, Than, youjust cut the woman’s head off with your bare hand.”
The idea that Ellecould be freaking out or thinking something terrible snapped me outof my momentary shock, but a cry left me as I tried to push myselfup. Searing pain spiralled through my torso and down my shoulderand left arm.
“No more challengesfor today.”
