Page 30 of The Bloody Ruin Asylum & Taproom (Sam Quinn #7)

Twenty-Four

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!

“Perhaps we should move to the sparring room,” Sebastian said, “and we can settle this.” He glanced down the hall at all the vampires and Renfields watching. “That seems the best way to put this incident to rest.”

As much as I don’t like it, Clive told me, he’s right. We need to deal with this before we leave or it will follow us. He took my hand and we moved down the hall.

A lot of angry vamp eyes were directed at me. It’s fine, I responded. I mean, what’s the point of being trapped in a haunted asylum with a herd of vampires if you don’t get into a melee and start tearing off heads?

My thoughts exactly and I don’t believe herd is the proper collective noun for my kind.

A pride? That seems pretty fitting. A flamboyance of vampires? I suggested.

We mostly wear black, Clive said mind-to-mind. We’re not terribly flamboyant.

How about a flock? You guys turn into bats, right?

I believe the collective for bats is a colony, he told me, which doesn’t sound terribly intimidating.

Well, I’m sticking with my old favorite, a gaggle of vampires.

Fair enough. He kissed my hand. Did that settle your nerves?

Mostly. How large do you think the group is that wants us dead? I wondered.

I think we’re about to find out, he said.

Do they hate me because I’m a werewolf or do they actually think I seduced and killed that putz?

My question as well. I was led to believe I’d be meeting with a few members to discuss what being a Counselor entailed and if it was a good fit for me.

I was encouraged to bring you and now I’m wondering if it has all been a setup to get rid of both of us in a way that my friends—Cadmael for one—wouldn’t take issue with.

And Sebastian’s part of the setup? I asked.

It’s seeming more and more likely, yes.

I really do think Vlad’s on our side, I told him. Cadmael might hate me, but he cares about you. If those fighters are still here, Noab, Wei, Amir, and Salvador seemed to like you too. If it becomes an all-out war, they might fight on our side.

Darling, no one is going to risk their own lives. They may secretly root for Thomas, but they won’t lift a finger to help him. We’re selfish creatures, clinging to our undeath.

We filed into the sparring room, where even more onlookers were waiting. I supposed we were tonight’s entertainment.

The crowd ringed the large room, staying back against the walls. Sebastian moved out onto the thin mat. “Thomas has challenged Samantha over the unlawful death of his assistant. Can the two combatants come forward.”

“Just a sec,” I said. Clive helped me off with my axe sheath and jacket together, so people wouldn’t see the axe. I patted his hand, asking him to hold them for me. “Love you.” I gave him a quick kiss and moved out onto the mat.

Clive stepped out after me. “As Samantha’s mate, it is my right to fight beside her.”

“Aww, that’s sweet, but I’ve got this.” I lowered my voice, again knowing everyone could hear me. “We already know he’s not too bright. I don’t think this’ll be hard.”

“Thomas,” Sebastian said, “Clive has demanded his right as the mate of the challenged. You therefore may have a second fighter as well.”

Thomas surveyed the room, his gaze resting on Dakila, one of the Asian Counselors, the one Cadmael had said he’d thought was part of the we-want-the-world-to-know-about-vampires contingent.

Dakila stepped out onto the mat and inclined his head, saying, “I offer my services.”

“Accepted,” Thomas said triumphantly, smirking at Clive. Thomas and Dakila seemed quite confident in their ability to overpower us.

I didn’t understand it. They’d seen Clive fight the previous night. Had someone been feeding them lies? Perhaps the strategy was to take me out quickly, knowing Clive would be too distracted to fight them off effectively.

Thomas had broad shoulders and a scar on his neck, which was odd.

Vampires healed quickly. Was it new? Legs braced and arms relaxed, Thomas stared daggers at me, which honestly made no sense.

I wasn’t anyone to this guy. Beside him stood Dakila, shorter with long dark hair and deep brown eyes.

The arrogance written all over his face made me want to punch him.

I grabbed the jacket-wrapped axe from Clive and looked for Vlad. If there was anyone in this room who could be trusted to look after weapons, it was Vlad. I carried the bundle to him, knowing he’d know what the jacket hid.

“Can you watch this for me?” I asked.

“All my life I’ve dreamed of becoming a valet,” he grumbled.

I took that for a yes and handed it over.

“Sebastian,” I began, “can I ask a quick question before we start?”

“Yes.” He was visibly annoyed I was delaying the fight.

“Just real quick,” I assured him. “Thomas, you seem to really hate my guts. I don’t know you at all and let’s not pretend that you actually care about your minion’s death. So why are you actually pissed at me?”

“A vampire mated to an animal is an abomination,” he sneered.

Confused, I looked at Clive. “Is he channeling my aunt?” Turning back to Thomas, I waved. “Abigail, is that you? How’s Hell treating you?”

“She’s insane,” Dakila muttered. “Let’s get this over with. I’ve got better things to do with my time.”

I gave them both my middle fingers—a double bird, if you will—and then unsheathed just those two razor-sharp claws. With a smile, of course. I was a lady.

Darling, time to tap into that part of your brain that Thoth taught you. We need you in god-mode now.

On it. Probably. Who the hell knew? Thoth said I worked harder when I was protecting someone else. Okay, brain, I need to save Clive. Let’s do this.

I located the two vamps’ green blips in my head and began to squeeze. Their eyes went black and their fangs descended. Both also glared at Clive, assuming he was the one fucking with them.

Sebastian said, “Go,” and Dakila was on me.

I was still registering the word go when he was reaching for my neck.

I raked my claws down his face, scraping his skull and popping one of his eyes.

Ducking under his outstretched arms, I pivoted behind him and rather than the more elegant, bladed hand that Amir had used to the back of Frank’s head, I bulked up my arm, made a fist, and with all my werewolf strength punched him in the back of the head.

His skull cracked, the sound loud in the quiet room. You can say this for vampires. They’re silent fighters. Dakila staggered forward but shook it off and turned to me again. If vamps could get concussions, he’d have one. One eye was black, but the other was his normal brown.

His movements were off, not as fluid as they had been. Even an injured vampire was deadly, though. I desperately wanted to check on Clive but didn’t. I needed to focus on my opponent, not distract Clive from his.

Dakila shook his head again and then moved forward. He took two unsteady steps and his legs bunched. He was going to jump, and I was ready. God-mode engaged.

There were no skips in time, no movie jumps. I was moving as fast or faster. Dakila flew at me like a torpedo but I stepped to the side, running my claws down his body and hooking onto a rib.

Like an Olympian throwing the hammer, I spun with my claws in his chest until I had the momentum to send him sailing across the room and head first into the stone wall. His blip in my head was losing color. I almost had him.

Voices began to register in the room, but I wasn’t listening. It sounded like so much white noise, a gnat circling my ear.

I went to the wall, yanked Dakila out. His eyes fluttered. His arms flexed, trying to move. I fisted my hand in his long hair, holding him up off the mat. I didn’t stop to think. It had to be done if Clive and I were walking out alive.

I raked my claws through his neck, his body dropping in dust and his head disintegrating in my grip.

Striding back to the center of the mat, I looked for Thomas and found only Clive watching me, eyes vamp black, a vicious smile on his face.

I do so love to watch you fight. His expression hardened. Down!

I hit the mat as he leaped over the top of me. Rolling over, I looked behind me and saw Clive ripping someone’s head off, effectively stopping the asshole trying to get the drop on me. It was Clive’s signature move for a reason.

“And that’s what you get, you big cheater.” Jeez. What happened to two against two? And what did the now headless guy have to do with Thomas and a dead Renfield?

I checked all the blips in my head, and three standing beside Chaaya had taken a step onto the edge of the mat. They weren’t as old or as strong as Dakila or Thomas or, for that matter, whoever Clive had just handed his final death to.

Turning to the side, I studied the three who didn’t seem completely sold on this idea. They wore matching expression of disgust and fear. I liked the fear.

“Yes?” I said. “Did you have a question for the class?”

Feeling Clive step up beside me, I squished one of the blips in my head and he dropped to the mat, his body a desiccated husk. The other two looked far less sure about taking us on.

Then I felt a power step out behind us.

Behind you! I’ve got these two.

The two glanced at their dead comrade and then at me alone, Clive busy fighting whoever was back there.

“So, I guess honor is just out the window at this point. I fought my accuser. What the hell gripe do you two have with me?”

“You gave Dakila his final death,” the one on the right said.

“Duh.” I shook my head. “They challenged us. We killed them. That’s how this works.”

Apparently, they were done justifying the attack because they streaked across the mat.

I grabbed one of the blips and squeezed, popping it, as I leapt straight up, flipping forward and landing behind the one still enjoying his sort-of life for the moment.

Sidestepping his buddy’s pile of dust, I slashed my claws at his neck but he ducked, so I only got the top of his head.

His scalp was in ribbons, but he was still alive.

He landed a punch and I went flying. It was hard to breathe, but I stood and moved back. Squeezing his blip with all I had, I glanced at Clive’s fight in time to watch a head roll. My breathing was shallow. I had at least one broken rib. The guy hadn’t noticed Clive yet, but Clive had noticed me.

I’m okay, I told him.

You’re more than okay, he said, grabbing the last vamp’s head and crushing it between his hands. You’re magnificent. When the vamp was dead, Clive ripped off his head, seemingly as an afterthought.

We met in the middle of the mat, and he gave me a hard kiss. We were both still standing.

The rest of the vamps and minions watched us with varying degrees of mistrust, loathing, and fear. But there was one with a smile on his face. Vlad enjoyed a good ass kicking.

“Anyone else?” I asked.