Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(65)

The fire had crawled along the walls to the ceiling, which didn’t appear to be made of the sturdiest material. As pieces began to fall and smash against the floor, my need to flee the building grew. Linden had the advantage here; he didn’t need to breathe. I coughed harder as my body rejected the smoky air.

“You had help getting this in here. Based on the mark on your arm, I’m thinking demon.” Linden cut the air in a figure eight with the Dragon Claw. “So where is this demon now? It doesn’t seem that he’s coming to save you.”

“I don’t need a f**king demon to save me.” My lungs burned, and I could barely get the words out.

I glanced at the roof above us. It was still holding for now. Maybe I could do something about that. Focusing the last of Falon’s power on the roof, I willed it to come down in a burning heap on top of Linden. I planned to go for the door as soon as I felt it give. It might not work—I could be digging my own grave—but keeping him inside was the best way to give the others a chance to flee to safety.

“I change my mind,” Linden announced. “I’m going to keep you for myself. It’s become very apparent why Harley wanted you so badly. I am going to love breaking you.” For a species that was good at secret keeping, they were also very adept gossipers. I should just start assuming anyone that knew Arys or Harley knew way too much about me.

Linden rushed me, breaking my concentration. I threw an arm up to block the Dragon Claw. The blade bit into my forearm, and I yelped. Mother f**ker that hurt.

In a desperate move, I swept his legs out from under him with a kick. He lost his balance but recovered quickly. With preternatural speed, he was at my back with the dagger blade pressed to my throat.

“Don’t make me kill you,” he said, the picture of health compared to my choking, injured self. “We could have fun together. I’ll even forget about how many of my men you killed tonight.”

I couldn’t see his face, but that didn’t make him any less threatening. Another series of coughs racked me, and the blade cut into my skin. In response to his offer, I held up a middle finger. The heat was unbearable. Lack of oxygen was making me dizzy. I felt the blade slide across my throat and thought it was all over.

A loud crack from above was accompanied by falling debris. It hit us with more force than I’d anticipated. It knocked the Dragon Claw from Linden’s hand, and I scrambled to pick it up. As my fingers closed around the hilt, a large piece of metal crashed into my skull.

Wiping tears from my burning eyes, I whirled to find Linden holding a piece of debris ready for another smack. Unable to breathe, I lurched toward the exit, or at least where I thought it should be. Linden followed, determined to keep me from escaping him. I swung the dagger and just barely missed him. Shit!

I fell to my knees, fighting to see my way out and avoid the next blow headed my way. The outline of a wolf loomed in the distance. The exit must have been farther than I thought. Shaz dodged fallen debris and flames as he came to my aid. With fangs bared and a growl rumbling in his throat, he leaped at Linden, knocking him away from me. The two of them struggled. There was a crack of bone.

The roar of flames was loud in my ears. Every snap and crackle promised a horrible fate. I heaved myself toward the door, the dagger dragging on the floor behind me. A hand wrapped around my ankle, jerking me back. Linden fought hard. With Shaz on his back, attacking furiously, he pulled me close. I swung wildly with the dagger, connecting with rubble.

The warehouse groaned. The screech of twisting metal pierced my ears. I looked up in time to see the roof bow dangerously.

If I was going down, I was taking Linden with me. I thrust the dagger forward in a last ditch attempt. Whether it struck home or not, I didn’t know. The ceiling came down, and I had only seconds to cover my head with my arms and hope for the best.

* * * *

“I bet you have a bitch of a headache.”

The disembodied voice floated above me. I opened my eyes to find Jez’s face, upside down as she leaned over to scrutinize me. My vision tilted to one side, and my stomach rolled in a nauseous wave. Contrary to her assumption, my head didn’t feel all that bad. In fact, my entire body felt numb. My throat was dry, my mouth like cotton. It took great effort to do more than lay there and groan.

“You were a mess when Shaz dragged you out of that warehouse,” Jez continued, brushing the hair back from my face before helping me sip some water. “Bad concussion. Blood, bruises, the works. Arys healed the worst of it. You looked so much worse. Wow, he has a hell of a healing touch, huh? Packs a bit of an erotic punch. I was so not prepared for that.”

I rolled over and sat up, unable to focus on the rambling leopard. My head swam. “Can we go home now?”

“You’re singing my song,” Jez muttered. “I have never wanted my own bed as bad as I do right now.”

I was on a bed at The Wicked Kiss. The soft silky feel of the blankets against my skin shouldn’t have so easily caught my attention. My club back home was getting a makeover if I had to pay for it myself.

“Where’s Shaz? Did he get everyone out of there before the building came down? What happened to Linden?” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and, still feeling good, stood up.

“Downstairs. Yes, he did. And nobody knows. You know vampires, Lex. It takes more than a collapsed building to kill them.”

“And Sloane?” I hadn’t encountered her during my escape. She and I had a score to settle.