Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(69)

A few girls lingered in the hall outside a closed door, eyeing me curiously as I swept past. My sensitive ears picked up one girl’s whispered comment that my hair color had to be from a box. It so wasn’t. She’s lucky I couldn’t be bothered to flip over such petty, trivial shit.

The few lights in the dim hallway flicked as I strode past. One of them blinked out completely. My excitement grew as I drew closer to Harley’s door at the end of the long hall. My mind played out visions of blasting the door right off its hinges. The thought was encouraging, and I could only imagine the look on Harley’s face were I to do it.

I was half-assed toying with the idea of trying it, pleased with myself, when the door swung open just as I reached it. My big plan died as Harley stared at me with a combination of intrigue and annoyance on his rugged face.

All I knew was that I couldn’t allow him to get a word out or move a muscle. I envisioned the spiraling psi ball in my hand and let it fly all in the space of a heartbeat. It exploded against his chest with a bright gold flash. The impact took him off his feet, throwing him against the far wall.

I didn’t give him a chance to get up, hitting him again and again with blasts of power that burned my hands with their intensity. Smoke rose up from Harley’s body, and I focused hard, envisioning him bursting into flames. It didn’t happen.

He got to his feet in one smooth leap, coming at me with a monstrous glint in his eyes. His hand vibrated as he called his power. I threw up an energy circle around me for protection, hoping it was enough.

“I wondered how long it would take before you tried something this stupid,” he snarled at me; his face, an ugly mask of twisted features and hate.

He let the power he held fly, and it hit my barrier hard enough to shake it seriously.

Thankfully, it held, but it wouldn’t hold for long if he kept battering it like that. I was ready to retaliate, but in order to do so, I had to drop my circle.

“I’m not here to exchange words with you. You’ve overstayed your welcome in my city.”

I dropped my circle and sent another metaphysical attack his way. In the same breadth of time, he did as well. The two opposing shots collided in a thunderous shower of sparks. The sound it made was deafening, and I resisted the urge to cover my ears.

I was faintly aware of the young woman cowering on the edge of Harley’s bed. Clad in only a skimpy nighty, she clutched a blanket to her and watched us with terror in her eyes. I’d probably saved her from a horrific death by arriving when I had. I didn’t expect a word of thanks though.

Harley didn’t throw another blast as I expected. Instead, his eyes glazed over, and he stared at me with an eerie intent. I wasn’t sure what to do, fumbling to stay in control and commanding of the power that rode me. He was working up to something, and it would be ugly.

I took advantage of his inaction, again launching a psi ball the size of my head directly at him. My guts twisted with a sick sensation when he caught it in his hand, absorbing my power into him. Oh, f**k.

“You’re an awful student, Alexa.” He grinned, his steady stare never wavering. “All offense and no thought. Instincts may guide you as a wolf, but now you’re playing a vampire’s game. Poorly, I might add.”

A burning pain started in my core, spreading quickly throughout my limbs. I wasn’t sure what his intention was, but it hurt. I tried to concentrate on the pain, to shove it out of me. It wasn’t working. The pain continued to increase until my legs shook, and my knees grew weak.

“Oh, f**k you,” I gasped out, at a loss for words. Whatever he was doing, it was going to kill me if I didn’t stop him.

Harley scoffed. “Such class you have. You make it easy to do this without regret. By the time I’m done with you, there won’t be enough of you left to rise again as a vampire.”

I struggled to gather my power close around me, to form another attack. As my pain grew, my hold on my power slipped away. How could I have been so self-assured to underestimate him like this? I would have felt like a fool if I hadn’t been stricken with fear as my breath restricted. My chest tightened, and I gasped for air.

I’d really believed I could rampage in here and take him out. The bastard had lived several of my lifetimes. I was out of my league.

My wolf fought to break free of my human shell, insisting it was the only way. I didn’t want to shift, fearing it would put me at a disadvantage. I wouldn’t have the same access to my metaphysical abilities. However, focusing on the beast pacing inside me eased the pain Harley was inflicting. I could do this. I wasn’t down for the count yet.

I managed to draw a shaky breath. I wondered why he hadn’t finished me already.

Either he wanted to drag this out, or he couldn’t do it as easily as he made it appear.

It was all about my focus and guiding the energy to do what I wanted it to do, classic energy manipulation with a supernatural touch. I could do this. I had to. Harley’s smug face smirking at me drove my fury, in turn driving my strength. I stayed on my feet and fought back the pain’s threat on my concentration. I could take a little pain. I had before.

“Why haven’t you killed me already?”

“What? And rush through the fun part?”

A low growl spilled through my lips, my fangs were suddenly there, long and dangerous. A psi ball formed in hands that were tipped with vicious claws. If metaphysical means weren’t going to work, I’d have to settle for tearing him apart the good, old-fashioned way.