Chapter 25

Swords spark as they make contact with Lesath's heavy exoskeleton, and I cringe at each swipe. The vampires swarm him and Ras, and though the two of them seem unstoppable, I can't see how they can keep going at this pace.

Beside me, Lana fires arrow after arrow. The ravens and serpent keep us clear, and I managed to enlist a swarm of rat-like vermin to the cause. I have to admit, they turn my stomach slightly—watching them attack is pretty gross—but it's working.

Sure, I'm going to have a shit ton of new nightmare fuel, but at least I'll be alive to have nightmares!

Lana launches another arrow, and it blurs by me.

"Why arrows?" I shout, sending out mental feelers for any more nearby animals I can coerce into the fray. The serpent keeps the vampires from swarming us, forming a perimeter that allows Lana and I to work. Molmith, my bad-tempered warhorse, prances beneath me, clearly wishing he could jump in and brain a few vamps himself.

A total asshole, but he's my asshole.

"What do you mean? They're working, aren't they?"

"Yeah, don't get me wrong, you're fucking terrifying with your new magic?—"

"Oh, like you're not?" she snipes back, and I let out a manic laugh as the rat-like rodents surge onto another vampire, who goes down screaming.

"I am, for sure, scary as fuck over here!"

We both laugh, Lana reloading effortlessly, since her supply of ballistic material is endless, stemming straight from our Orion based powers.

"Okay, but like, can't you just conjure a gun? Like, a machine gun might be real helpful right now. Or you know, one of those big ones?"

Lana's eyebrows raise, her mouth a round O as she turns to me. "Holy shit. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Probably because we're trapped in a fucked-up version of a renaissance faire?"

"Remember that video game I used to play with my ex in high school?" Lana pauses to fire a few arrows, and they hit all but one of her targets, only because Lesath managed to cut the vampire in half with his claws. Another vamp gets skewered on his tail, and I wince, before throwing him a thumbs up.

That's my man!

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I tell Lana. Her mate, Ras, roars, and it's absolutely terrifying. Cold sluices through my veins, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. The vampires in front of him scatter, blown back by the force of it.

"You know, the one with the scary aliens, and you can play against other players online?"

"Oh, wait, maybe? Didn't I play with you guys a few times?"

Her brow furrows. "Yep. Remember the Jeep-like tank with the huge gun on top? There's a driver and a gunner. Ya know, the person who shoots the thingy." She mimes holding a gun, like I needed the visual.

"Try it," I say immediately. As well as the four of us are holding the front line, there's a fuck ton of vampires, and they just keep coming. And unless you hit them just right, they pop back up like a disgusting version of a jack-in-the-box. Hold the fries.

The bow and arrows in Lana's hands disappear, and her face screws up in concentration.

"You look constipated," I tell her.

"Shut up."

A half-minute later or less, a shining blue vehicle pops into existence. It bounces slightly, as though it was dropped on its tires from a great height.

"Is it really here?" I say, my eyes wide.

Lana dismounts from her horse, climbing in the driver side door and reappearing on the roof, manning the ridiculously huge gun.

"Get in losers, we're going vampire killing!" she shouts at me, and I can't help but bark another frenetic laugh.

"I take back what I said. Your powers are awesome." I jump off Molmith.

"Raise hell," I tell him, and he rears back, an absolutely evil gleam in his eyes. "Don't get killed," I yell after him, and I'm pretty sure he snorts at me in response.

Then I'm running for the starlight-powered vehicle, Lana cackling as she loads the most gigantic bullets I've ever seen into the gun on top.

"Unlimited ammo," she screeches. "Let's fucking go!"

Shaking my head, I leap into the driver's seat. What a fucking trip. There are keys in the ignition, and though I can see the ground through the bottom of the huge car, it's solid.

Lesath's scorpion head eyes us, and I swear he shakes his big insectoid head before throwing off a vampire attempting to climb up his plated back with knives. He stabs a leg through the vamp's body, and I wrinkle my nose in disgust as dark blood pours out of it.

I turn the keys, and the engine roars into life.

"Take that, Ras," I mutter. "Hang on, Lana!" I say, and she thumps the roof twice.

I take that as my sign to go, and I press my foot to the floorboard, my heart in my throat.

We're coming, Mina, and we're going to fuck their shit up.