Free Changeling on the Job: A Changeling Wars Novella by A.G. Stewart Page B

prodding an injured and sleepy Melanie Baker from the inside of the car. She had the mark of the blood rite on her forehead, half-covered by graying hair. The vial of unicorn-purified water still weighed the inside of my pocket. I had to end this, quickly, before Lethenan and his minions shoved a mortal into the middle of this fight.
    I feinted to the left with my sword, and as Lethenan moved to block it, I struck out with my foot, using his momentum to trip him and send him sprawling toward the ground. I battered his blade with mine as he fell, knocking it out over the grass, out of reach.
    In an instant, I had my sword at his throat. “I always think second tries wind up being better than the first ones, don’t you?”
    He coughed and turned his head a little to the side.
    I followed his gaze. Just as I had the blade to Lethenan’s throat, the sprites had their needle blades to Melanie’s throat. I looked for Anwynn and found her snapping at the remaining two sprites.
    “Is it really worth it?” Lethenan said. I’d cut a thin line across his forehead during our fight, and the blood dripped toward his eyes. “Is keeping Grian imprisoned really worth being the cause of a mortal’s death?”
    The sprites jabbed their tiny swords at Melanie’s neck, making her wince.
    Well, that didn’t quite make sense. “But if I don’t stop you, you’ll kill that woman anyways. And if you kill her now, you won’t be able to complete the daemon geas.”
    Lethenan only laughed, and he definitely reminded me of Grian when he did so, his laughter full of dulcet, bell-like tones. It made a shiver run up my spine. I was really glad Kailen didn’t laugh like that. “This city is full of mortals. There will always be another for the blood rites.”
    I looked to Melanie again. Her eyes were wide, and her lips trembled, but she gave me the slightest of nods and glanced down. I followed her gaze and saw a razor-edged piece of glass from the broken window gripped between her fingertips.
    Just a couple months of being a Changeling and I was already forgetting—mortals could be pretty goddamned tough.
    I leapt toward her, aiming for the sprite on her left, just as Melanie let out a cry and slashed at the sprite on her right. Both sprites fluttered to the ground.
    “How are you feeling?” I asked her, before realizing what a stupid question that was.
    She opened her mouth to reply.
    Lethenan barreled into my side, tackling me like a football player. My right side hit the ground hard, all my wounds reopening, my bruises screaming. Something crunched beneath me, wetness seeping through my jacket.
    The unicorn-purified water.
    Only one way left to end the blood rite, only one way left to save Melanie’s life. And I shouldn’t have been worrying about that right at the moment, because I was pinned beneath a man who very clearly wanted me dead.
    I grabbed my sword and tried to bring it to bear. Lethenan slammed the heel of his palm into my wrist. The hilt fell from my nerveless fingers as pain exploded in my arm. I fumbled for it, but he reached it first. His fingers wrapped around the hilt and I couldn’t get a grip on it as he lifted it high.
    Over my chest. Over my heart.
    A big, dark shape jumped onto Lethenan’s back and dug teeth into his shoulder. The two sprites still harried Anwynn, stabbing her, but she paid them no mind. She only clung to Lethenan, clawing. I could have bought her a thousand televisions in that moment (and it’s a good thing I don’t actually make purchasing decisions in the thick of battle).
    Lethenan reeled and fell away from me, screaming. Anwynn pinned him on his back, his blood dripping from her jaws. He writhed and yelled, but couldn’t get away.
    Anwynn met my gaze, her eyes cold. “Just say the word, boss.” She wanted to do it. She wanted to savage this man, to taste his blood, to kill him.
    And I couldn’t let her.
    I picked my sword up from the ground. “No,” I said. “This is my duty. I