Free Blood Winter by Diana Pharaoh Francis Page B

whoever else was online.
    It took a minute for her vision to clear completely, and when it did, she sucked in a soft breath. She was looking out over a rocky basin with a handful of scrawny birch trees. A fast-running creek snaked through the bottom. Fangs of rock thrust up from the frothing water. Just on the near side was a collection of creatures that looked as if they came out of some sort of apocalyptic disease movie.
    Their stooping forms were more than seven feet tall, and their gray-green skin was ulcerated and weeping with something that looked like bloody pus. Long black hair hung in greasy, lank hanks. Their faces were long, with pointed snouts and curving teeth. Round yellow eyes bulged from beneath heavy brow bones. Long, sticklike arms ended in enormous spidery hands. They looked like they could grasp a man’s head in one fist and pop it like a tick.
    They circled around a bloated white sac that sat ten feet from the creek bank. It billowed and stretched like something was struggling to get out. The mist rolled off it like dry ice in water, and whatever it contained was making the ear-ripping noise.
    Max counted fourteen of the creatures, and they were Divine. That meant they had the ability to cast magic, which didn’t necessarily mean much. It could just be that their toenails could grow into instant trees if they were torn out and planted. On the other hand, maybe they could cast wards and other nasty spells.
    Either way, they didn’t belong in Horngate territory. She rolled her head on her neck to crack it and loosen her muscles. Max had a feeling they weren’t going to move easily. First things first: she had to shut that damned noise up so her Blades could get their sight back.
    “And they say crying babies will drive you insane,” she murmured, forgetting her headphones. “Babies could learn a thing or two from these beasties.”
    Silence filled her ears, and a flat, cold voice spoke. “Who the hell are you?”
    “We, my friend, are your friendly local nine-one-one responders,” answered Tyler, much to Max’s surprise. “We’ve come to pull your asses out of the fire. You can stop shooting anytime, by the way. You’re wasting bullets. Lead doesn’t bother them.”
    “It does when it blows off their heads,” someone said.
    Max scanned the clearing, looking for Tyler. “Where are you?”
    “North and west in the trees.”
    In fact, he was halfway up a tree, crouching on a branch and wearing a set of headphones.
    “What have you done with my men?” demanded the first voice.
    “Nothing they can’t recover from,” Max said. “You didn’t kill yours, did you, Tyler?”
    “He’ll live. But my Blades are up the hill. Blind as bats.”
    “Same here. We have to shut down the noise,” she said. “Think you and I can get in there and kill that thing?”
    “Do we have a choice?” came Tyler’s reply.
    “Just one fucking second. Who the hell are you?”
    “We own this land. You’re trespassers,” Max said.
    “Kiss my ass. This is Frank Bryce’s land,” someone said.
    “Seal those lips, Foster,” snapped the leader. Then, “He’s right. This land doesn’t belong to you.”
    “By the laws of magic, it does. Which means you need to cease fire. If you shoot me, I’m going to be seriously annoyed,” Max warned.
    “Laws of magic?” Max could almost hear his lip curl, and she did hear him spit.
    “That’s right. It’s a new world. Get used to it. Now, Tyler and I are going in. Don’t get in our way, and quit shooting, and you just might survive the day.”
    She glanced over her shoulder. The soldier was starting to twitch and moan. Oak was edging down the slope behind her. Farther up, she could see the others trailing down, arms outstretched as they moved toward her voice.
    “Did you hear?” she asked Oak. His eyes were now glassy white.
    “Yep. You can see?” At least, that’s what she thought he said. She wasn’t exactly a lip reader.
    “Earphones,” she said by