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Amaliya rushed the werewolf as it sprang to its feet. When it straightened to its full height it was even taller than she realized. The half-man, half-wolf creature growled, revealing al

l its gruesome fangs. Amaliya bared her own sharp teeth and attacked. It caught her about the waist as she jumped at it, trying to kick it in the groin. Sharp claws raked her skin, drawing blood. Amaliya grabbed its snout with her hands in an attempt to keep it from biting her. The pointed teeth ripped at her hands.

Amaliya hissed with frustration, determined to take the werewolf down. Its massive head whipped back and forth, trying to break her hold. She managed to brace one of her heels against its leg, gaining some traction. Her long black nails dug into its face, drawing thick, dark blood.

To her surprise, it fell forward onto its knees, releasing her from its grip. Amaliya fell onto her backside and hands. Behind the werewolf, Roberto gleefully plunged a silver dagger into the back of the great beast. Whipping about, the werewolf knocked Roberto into the concrete divider, but the ghost only laughed, winking out of sight. The wolf howled in frustration. Roberto reappeared on the other side of the creature, and silver blade flashing, kept up his assault.

Amaliya climbed to her feet just in time to deflect the oncoming blow from a vampire. Shoving him off his feet, she followed him to the ground and her hand punched into his chest. One hard tug and his heart was in her hand. Tossing the crumbling organ away, she surveyed the battle scene.

Samantha sat on the driver’s door of her lopsided car, wielding her pink Glock. The werewolf continued to try to attack Roberto, but the ghost was slipping in and out of the physical plane, eluding its swipes. At least six vampires and vampire-infused minions were circling, trying to get to both Amaliya and Samantha. It was Samantha’s blessed bullets that were slowing them down. The low number of vampires was a very good sign. It meant that a powerful being was among the attackers and that they were over-confident in their ability to seize Amaliya and Samantha.

“I need bodies!” Amaliya screamed again.

“Working on it!” Aiming at the werewolf, the blonde unleashed a volley of bullets.

Dark blood pumped onto the cold asphalt from the many wounds of inflicted upon the wolfman. The red liquid steamed in the frigid air. The beast twisted away trying to avoid the silver dagger and bullets. Amaliya darted after him. She jumped onto his furry back, arms wrapping around its thick neck. It thrashed beneath her body as the spikes from her shoes dug into its sides. Amaliya sensed, more than saw Etzli descending on her and thrust her long nails into the wolfman’s fur and flesh. Rolling off his back, she dug in, ripping out his throat as she fell. The creature crashed to the ground beside her seconds before Etzli was on her.

Flying dark hair, blazing eyes, and a feral snarl was all Amaliya saw seconds before the bone knife thumped into her ribcage, ripping through her flesh and shattering bone. Amaliya screeched in pain. The Aztec was clad in a black dress slashed to her thighs. She appeared every inch of the blood goddess she claimed to be. Etzli jerked the blade out, twisting it as she did so to cause even more damage. An arc of blood flowed from the wound to form a red aura around Etzli. The vampire could draw blood from wounds, living up to her name perfectly.

Roberto fought against the vampires savagely, slipping in out of the night, stabbing and slashing with his silver dagger. Samantha reloaded and opened fire again on the vampires trying to close in on her. The smell of vampire blood filled the night. The blessed bullets exploded in their bodies, slowing their healing while also crippling them.

Amaliya grinned at the vampire. “Hey, cunt, what’s up?”

Etzli started, obviously surprised by her flippancy. Spinning her daggers in her hands, she brought them downward, intending to stab Amaliya again.

A burst of sharp, cold wind knocked the Aztec vampire off her feet. Landing on the road, she skidded into the darkness with a cry of anger.

Amaliya scrambled to her feet. Blood was still flowing from her wound, streaming through the night like a red ribbon. “Fuckin’ bitch!”

Baptiste, clad in a leather jacket, stepped out from behind Samantha’s car. “Amaliya, you okay?”

“No!” she shouted, then felt the touch of death slither through her. “Wait, no! I’m good!” With a grunt, she gestured toward the werewolf with her bloody, mangled hand. “Up!”

The dead wolfman rose in obedience.

A vampire darted past her toward the car, heading toward Samantha. The blonde was reloading her Glock.

“Baptiste!” Amaliya shouted.

“Got him!” The black man raced forward, his hand lifting. In his palm a fire orb formed.

The vampire in the black jumpsuit skidded to a stop. He looked like one of Santos’s henchmen that had abducted Amaliya earlier in the year.

“Catch,” Baptiste said, grinning, and tossed the ball of flame.

The night lit up with an orange glow as the vampire was transformed into a torch.

Amaliya sent the werewolf after the nearest human infused with vampire blood. She needed more bodies. Etzli would be coming back to finish the battle at any second. They had managed to surprise her by hiding Baptiste in the trunk of Samantha’s car. Now The Summoner’s ally would be much more careful.

The zombie-werewolf killed the human minion with a powerful blow to her chest. Amaliya immediately snatched the dead woman with her power. Another fell dead under the onslaught of Samantha’s bullets and Amaliya gripped that one in the web of her necromancy as well. Casting a quick look behind her, she saw Baptiste helping Samantha off the car and setting her on the ground. Meanwhile, two vampires had retreated into the night with Etzli. Roberto hacked at the last infused human and soon Amaliya had four zombies at her call.

The phasmagus, elemagus, ghost and vampire-necromancer gathered in the center of the interstate in front of Samantha’s car. Shielded from human eyes by the spell, they knew no one would be coming into the battle arena.

“We have at least one witch, two vampires, and Etzli,” Baptiste said, rubbing his hands together. His multi-colored magicks swirled around them. With a clean-shaven head, trimmed goatee, and maroon-colored eyes, he was both handsome and imposing.

Roberto reached out to touch Samantha, drawing more energy from her. “I’ll find them.” The ghost dashed into the gloom.

“I know where Etzli is,” Amaliya said in a grim tone. “Just follow the blood. Stay here. Cover me.”