Page 143 of Walking in Darkness

Accepting.

“This way,” I said, and I gestured toward a large industrial building across the road. We kept low, hiding ourselves in the shadows as people continued to pour down the street from the fracture that roiled in the distance, held in a constant barrage of lightning strikes and thunder.

The ground trembled with each, sending tremors underfoot.

A gush of wind rolled over the top of us, so strong that we slowed, hunching our bodies against a frigid squall we could hardly move through.

Wicked voices intoned within it.

“She’s the one.”

“Stop her.”

“End her.”

At least twenty-five of the wicked who were streaming toward the crater stopped in their tracks. Shifting course. Craning their necks as they felt for her.

As if they could sense her presence.

No question, they could, the way they suddenly turned and came running our way.

A whole herd of the deranged.

Crazed as they screeched with bloodlust. Their faces contorted with perversion.

“No more hiding. It’s time to fight this shit out,” Timothy said, and he stepped out first, taking aim and firing. He hit one at the front of the pack, sending the asshole flailing backward.

It tripped up two others, who struggled to get back to their feet.

I did the same, lifting and firing as we all moved in their direction.

Taking them head-on.

I fired quickly, taking three down.

A woman broke from the pack and came sailing for Aria, her voice shrill as she hissed, “End her. She’s the one. He will be pleased.”

Aggression burned through me. The need to protect.

But I didn’t have time to shoot before Dani had lifted her bow and set an arrow free.

It arced through the air and skewered the fiend in the center of the chest.

A shrill scream ripped out of her as she dropped to the ground.

We kept firing, taking them down one by one.

Ellis and Josephine faced the other way, swishing blades outward toward anyone who made it far enough to get around us.

Only they seemed to multiply, more gathering around us with each one we defeated.

“End her. End her.”

I popped off a shot at an old man who was coming for her.

I swiveled, pointing at a bastard who launched himself in Aria’s direction, my finger tugging at the trigger.

Fuck. I was out of ammo.