To Wrangle A Witch (Southern Sanctuary Book 3) (21 page)

As
the palm tree screamed in agony around her she had to accept that perhaps she
hadn’t chosen the most secure of hiding places after all.  Oh Earth, how
long until those razor sharp claws stopped ripping off bark and started ripping
into her flesh?

Chapter
Twenty-Three

While
Serena wandered around the garden acting like the equivalent of a bucket full
of chum, Locke paced the living room, gripping the handle of his broadsword so
tightly his fist ached.  The sword was Hadleigh’s; in fact he recognized
it from their childhood.  Her instructions upon handing it over to him had
been that it was for emergencies and that whatever he did - don’t scratch
it.  Seriously his sister had like a zillion swords and she was worried
about him scratching the sword she used to train with when she was ten? 
And how dare she fob a child’s toy off on him. 

To
distract himself whilst Serena danced and pranced around the garden imitating
an all you can eat vampire buffet he took a few practise swings.  Well it
was light for one thing, important when your muscles aren’t used to handling a
weapon, Goddess his last training session with his father had been just before
he turned eighteen.  Okay so it had been a while, but it all surged back
as he parried an invisible opponent, ending with a flurry as he sent them off
to imaginary heaven with one final riposte to their heart. 

Okay
so light was good, but still, this was a child’s toy.  A feather tickled
his nose and he brushed it away, as a second and then a third feather drifted
past his face.  Goddess, he’d just accidently sliced and diced an antique
cushion hand sewn by Sicilian nuns over two hundred years ago…
cool.  

Turning
to check on Serena he was just in time to see four vamps appear seemingly out
of thin air to box her in.  Damn those suckers moved fast, faster than the
two he’d taken out a couple of nights ago.  Had those been newbie
assassins?  Or had the vamp Queen underestimated the strength and skill it
would take to capture and kill one little Earth Witch by sending in the b-team
first? 

Moving
quickly to the threshold of the living room he stood there poised waiting to
see what would happen next?  Where were the warriors?  Why was Serena
chatting with the cat suited Queen instead of running for her life? 

Then
within a blink of an eye mayhem ensued.  A harsh battle cry split the air
seeming to come from all directions as Maat warriors, with Hadleigh in their
midst, ran at the invaders.  Locke’s heart stopped as Serena blinked out
of existence… no, became invisible, he reassured himself. 

All
of the combatants out there were moving so fast he was having a hard time
following the action.  The Queen was practically a blur as she moved with
liquid fast speed engaging Vaughn, Drum and Marcus all at the same time.
 
The three warriors moving in almost balletic
co-ordination as they attacked, but the Queen’s ‘now you see me, now you don’t’
movements proved her to be a canny fighter, enabling her to side step or
gracefully duck, every single thrust and parry as if she knew where her opponents’
swords would be before they did, all the time a fierce scary smile never
leaving her gaunt pale features.

Off
to the right Hadleigh and Nate faced off a sucker together.  There was a
deep gash opened across the sucker’s face, oozing slow drops of black
blood.  But it didn’t seemed perturbed yet by the injury, intently using
the metal plates strapped to its forearms to block their sword thrusts even as
it attacked with wicked swipes from its deadly claws.

Not
far from them Dash and Flynn circled the third vamp.  The twins jumped and
struck like the birds of prey they were, hopping, swooping, performing
seemingly impossible leaps in their human forms as they tagged team their
assault, the vamp having a hard time going on the offensive and growing seemingly
more angry and desperate by the minute as it blocked blow after blow.  The
metal shields on its forearms practically ringing like bells at midnight mass.

This
just left Rafe chasing slippery vamp number four, which had ducked his initial
tackle, more intent upon pursuing… Goddess damn, he watched as the vamp was
smacked down to the ground even as Serena became visible again. Her face pale
but grim determination across her features as she ran full pelt into the
nearest clump of greenery, the vamp unsteady but back on its feet in pursuit,
with Rafe following them both, a close third. 

Oh
Goddess, Locke’s feet were in motion whilst his brain disengaged, too horrified
as Serena dead ended her escape at the palm tree, trapped, she had… hey, where
the fuck did she go?  She did not just step inside the palm tree,
did she?  Shit yeah, he actually jumped and hollered in triumph, that
was his girl, tricky as the day was long.  Except now the sucker was
clawing at the trunk like a grizzly smelling dinner. 

It
was surprising how fear, terror and downright seething anger can motivate
someone.  Somehow he found himself tearing through the greenery by Rafe’s
side as they raised their swords in unison to chop the damn vamp into
quarters.  Except at the last moment the vamp turned, raising both arms to
block their strikes.  Shoot, Locke immediately backed off as the vamp
swapped a series of wicked hard blows and counter blows with Rafe, sword versus
claws, surprisingly even.  Locke just doing his best to stay out of their
way, knowing he might be more of an impediment to Rafe than an asset if he were
to join the fight. 

Edging
around the action he planted his back up against the tree trunk, sword raised,
ready to defend Serena’s bolt hole.  With his free hand he tapped on the
trunk, the rapid beat of shave and a haircut two bits, bruising his knuckles.

Serena
collapsed out of the tree with a gasp behind him, sucking in deep lungfuls of
oxygen as her hand reached up to fist the material at the back of his
jacket.  Locke was reassured by the weight of her hand but didn’t turn to
check on her; likewise Serena’s gaze was immediately drawn to the fight taking
place right in front of them.  They ducked in unison as Rafe’s sword hit
one of the vamp’s shields hard enough to send its arm, claws outstretched,
swinging in their direction, Locke blocking the inadvertent blow at the last
moment with his sword raised defensively.

“Goddess… 
So this scheme of yours to act as bait?”  They ducked again.  “This
is the outcome you were hoping for?”

“I
swear by all the Stars Locke Valhalla if you say ‘I told you so’ there will be
hell to pay.”

“Are
you hurt?  Can you run?”  Locke watched with wary eyes as the vamp
went on the attack, forcing Rafe back, his feet tangling in a trailing vine,
allowing the vamp a split second to get past his defences and gouge four deep
furrows across Rafe’s throat.  The warrior rolled away, one hand gripped
tight across his throat as blood gushed out between his fingers.

“Rafe!” 
Serena screamed his name as he went down, prevented from running to his side as
Locke’s body moved to block her.  The vamp’s attention immediately shifted
to them.

“Get
back in the tree Serena.”  Locke could sense her hesitation so he said the
only thing he knew that would piss her off enough to get her to move. 
“You’re only a distraction out here to me.” He could almost hear her grinding
her teeth over the loud clashing battle around them as she fought not to let go
a stream of expletives at him.  Instead after what felt like a lifetime,
the small reassuring weight of her hand on his back disappeared.  Thank
the Goddess, he could never face off a vamp with Serena in the mix.

The
vamp closed in on him, flashing fanged choppers in what Locke was guessing
passed as a smug smile.  And Locke fought hard not to smile back at
him.  Bring it fang banger, underestimate the guy in the three piece suit.
He might look like a lazy desk dweller but he’d spent the first eighteen years
of his life learning to defend himself under the tutelage of both his father
and grandfather.  Not to mention the daily rough house antics he’d endured
with having two devious brothers and a sister who could body toss him by the
time she was eight.  Then there were his cousins.  Those on his
mother’s side of the family were prone to throwing magic hexes and spit balls
of lava at you during recess.  Whilst those on his father’s side would
rather play pin the slow moving target with an actual nail, or handy dagger,
than any old boring board game.

And
the one thing all those experiences had taught him was whatever you do, don’t
play fair.  With that in mind he palmed the dagger he had stuck in the
back of his trousers and threw it as hard as he bloody well could whilst at the
same time feinting as if he were going to strike forward with his sword. 
The vamp so busy blocking the sword it didn’t factor in the knife until it was
embedded handle deep in its chest.  The vamp gave a gurgle, staring down
at the knife for a moment in bemusement.  Then it looked up at Locke, those
weird silver eyes darkening with what Locke could only interpret was hatred and
the promise of painful retribution. 

Great,
all he’d succeeded in doing with his knife trick was to piss the already blood
thirsty homicidally inclined vampire assassin off even more.  Yeah team
Locke. 

Then
it was on.  The vampire coming towards him, arms pin wheeling, claws
flashing and it was all Locke could do to recall every defensive sword lesson
he’d ever had.  Goddess, fuck, where were all Maat’s elite warriors now
that his expensive Italian suit was about to be sliced and diced with him still
in it? 

He
ducked and the vampire slammed past him, the sucker hitting the palm tree with
a resounding thunk before rebounding to face Locke once more.  Okay so he
just had to stay on his feet long enough for the cavalry to realise he was in
trouble. And stay sane he added to his wish list as his eyes tried to process
the fact that behind the vamp now he could clearly make out Serena’s face
poking out of the tree trunk.  He ducked, parried and ducked again. 
It looked like she was trying to say something… what?  Oh… he went on the
attack as much as he could, thankfully it was enough, the vamp took one step
back towards the palm tree, in a perfect position now for Serena to reach an
arm out of the tree trunk and send a blast of natural energy through the back
of the vamp’s neck. 

It
jittered in place, legs and arms spasming.  It would have been the perfect
opportunity for Locke to go in for the kill except he was too busy diving out
of the way of the electrical current being conducted out of the vamp’s body via
the knife handle lodged in its chest, heading straight for him.

“Oooh,
sorry,”  squeaked Serena.  “I had no idea that was going to
happen.”  She disappeared once more entirely back into the trunk. 

Goddess,
Locke rolled to his feet, even as the vampire climbed to its own.  A
muscle in its cheek jumping, the irises of its eyes completely black, no silver
in sight, a distinct smell of burning flesh tainting the air. The creature
looked beyond pissed now as it launched itself straight at Locke, claws
tangling and shredding the edge of Locke’s jacket as he leapt out of the
way. 

By
the Goddess, he was a lawyer for pity sake; there should be a law against this,
making him do all this sweaty manual labour.  He staggered to his feet,
turning to face the vamp again, his back coming up to rest against the tree
trunk.  Oh Goddess, the vamp was coming at him like a locomotive; damn
this was not going to end well.  Sword out front ready to meet the threat
he braced himself for impact, except instead of the vampire’s claws shredding
into his chest, he felt two small hands grip his shoulders and tug him
backwards, through the Goddess damned tree. 

Shit
if he lived to be two hundred he’d never shake the creepy to his bones
sensation of travelling through that trunk and out the other side, as Serena
hauled him through what should have been a solid barrier.  He had to
ignore the need to throw up in reaction, there was no time, as the vamp hit the
trunk face first, not expecting its prey to disappear quite so abruptly. 

Grabbing
one of the vamp’s flailing wrists he held it out towards a horrified
Serena.
 
“Take it.”  Locke held on
for dear life as already the vamp was shaking off the face first hit and appeared
to want its arm back. “Bury it in the tree for fuck’s sake.”

“Oh…” 
Serena leapt to Locke’s side, placing her hand just above Locke’s on the vamp’s
arm. “Pull.”  She yelled as the both of them heaved and smooshed the vamp’s
arm not up against the tree trunk but through it. 

Serena
let go, the two of them scrambling away out of reach of the vamp, who now found
itself elbow-deep imprisoned by the tree trunk.  Its claws waving
uselessly out the other side as it pulled and scratched at the trunk trying to
yank itself free.

“Come
on let’s get inside before the bastard decides to chew its own arm off.” 
Locke grabbed Serena pushing her towards the safety of the house, even as Rafe,
a makeshift bandage wrapped around his damaged throat streaked past them,
bringing the steel of his sword to rest against the throat of the trapped
vampire.

“Go.” 
Rafe instructed.  “I’ve got him.”

They’d
only taken two steps towards the house when Hadleigh’s war cry split the
air.  Frozen in place they watched in awe as her sword swept through the
neck of the vamp she and Nate had engaged.  Sending the head tumbling from
the body, its mouth opened wide, fangs glistening in the moonlight, a wordless
cry on its lips.  If that wasn’t gruesome enough, the headless body of the
vamp remained standing, black blood gouting in slow rivulets from the stump of
its neck.