Free Vampire Assassin League Bundle 4 - Eternity by Jackie Ivie Page A

snagging what looked like a spear; an archaic, deadly, five-foot long, spear.
    That had been sent right at her.
    Sydney would’ve screamed, but didn’t have time. Devereaux landed on the far side of the bed, the spear in his right hand while his left arm was fully about her waist. And she hadn’t even felt him yanking her down to crouch on the floor beside him. Thudding sounds followed, one atop the next, in a rapidity of sound and sensation. The wood beside her cheek echoed with it. And when she peeked, her eyes were riveted to the headboard which was now sprouting innumerable arrows as if some hedgehog had decided to burrow into the wood.
    And then everything filled with hellish liquid fire. Droplets rained down onto them as if a sprinkling system had decided to react, spewing acid. Or something worse. Sydney couldn’t look to see. The moment the hiss of sound came, Devereaux reacted, bundling her into a ball within his arms, his body taking the brunt of the assault. It had to be impossibly painful. Just the hint of air-borne mist pained her eyes, burned her throat, while Devereaux jerked and tensed, every move accompanied with an agonized grunt.
    And then a canister hit the polished wood floor beside them, rolling to a stop near her toes. Devereaux leapt upward, taking her with him. They landed atop the canopy, Dev straddling one of the posts while Sydney clung to him, her arms and legs locked about his torso. The acid-stuff hurt and it warped the view, making a filter of green and blue sparkles she had to look through. She squinted. Blinked away the moisture. And spied their tormentor the same moment Dev did. She could feel it as everything about him tensed; predator spotting prey; defender finding killer.
    A man stood just inside the room, illuminated by light that poured in from where he’d apparently burst through the door. He was large, or maybe he only looked that size through the mist and silhouetted as he was. He was definitely a hunter. The green camouflage attire screamed that fact. As did the crossbow in one arm, the strange rifle-thing in the other, and the big night vision goggles on his face.
    Dev moved. Sydney moved with him. And the hunter went from standing, ready to send some other noxious weapon toward where they’d been huddled, to a large chunk of meat slammed and then pinned to a wall. The spear Dev had launched had gone right through the man’s torso. It didn’t appear to have killed him instantly, because gurgling noises accompanied the wash of dark fluid starting to stain the wallpaper on its way down toward the floor. Sydney couldn’t move her eyes. Fascinated at the blood. Horrified at the carnage. Intrigued at the essence. Drawn by the scent. Enthralled by the sight. Something weird was happening. Her mouth was altering. Her canines felt really strange. She ran her tongue along her upper teeth and felt the sting as razor-sharp teeth sliced her own flesh. And the instant taste of blood caused such an ache for sustenance, she trembled with it.
    “You okay?” Dev whispered it.
    She nodded.
    “You may not want to watch this.”
    Devereaux’s muscles flexed, and he tightened his arm about her before he jumped, taking her with him to land lithely on the floor beside the pinned man. She heard the groan of the bed frame behind them as it absorbed the maneuver.
    “Why not?” The words were slurred, almost unintelligible. That’s what came of a swelling tongue, outsized canines, and increasing thirst. That was more oddity.
    “I’m going to feed. And we never take fluid from a corpse.”
    “We...don’t?”
    “Not if we have a choice. Leaves a terrible after-taste. The carrion can have them.”
    “He isn’t dead?”
    “Not yet. Uh... Sydney? Love? Um... perhaps I’d better explain a few things. You ready?”
    Devereaux whispered it to the space near her ear. Sydney turned her head toward him, slit her eyes to view the perfect span of neck he put on display, licked her lips. And bit