Disappointed and surprised, he frowned. “What’s that?”
“Watch.” She gripped one end and flicked her wrist. Snap. The bar grew several inches. Another flick, another few inches, until the damn thing resembled an oversize police baton. Or Stridey-Monster.
“I want one of those,” he said.
Her eyes glittered with relish. “I know, right. But hands to yourself, demon boy. This one’s mine. Now, come on.” She skidded back into motion.
“Hey. I’m your consort. What’s yours is mine, Harpy girl.” And what’dya know? Saying the title hadn’t been such a chore that time.
He crawled after her. Finally they reached the edge of the makeshift camp, as evidenced by the fire crackling in the heart of the grounds. In his early days here on earth, his hunting of Hunters had very often led him to camps just like this one. Multiple tents, boulders acting as chairs, and fowl roasting over the flames. Only, there’d always been soldiers patrolling the area.
“No one’s here,” he whispered.
“I know,” Kaia replied. She sighed, despondent.
The occupants had left in a hurry. The scuff of their boots in the dirt was evidence of that, as though they’d been moving too swiftly to pick up their feet. The fowl was burned, charring more and more with every second that passed, plumes of black smoke wafting toward the sky. There was a water bottle lying flat, liquid gushing from it.
“I heard them abandoning ship,” she added, “but I hoped there would be a few stragglers. Doesn’t anyone defend their turf anymore?”
She’d heard them? When he, a trained soldier, hadn’t heard a goddamn thing? No need for an ego check. He sucked. Don’t forget Mission One. The Rod—and not the one in your pants. “I’ll give the place an inspection. You stay here and act as lookout.”
“No way. I’ll give the place an inspection. You stay here.”
“Damn it, Kaia. You better—umph.” Something hard wrapped around his ankles and jerked, sliding him backward. He twisted midway, sitting up despite his momentum, and shoved.
There was a pained, feminine grunt as his assailant stumbled and he was released.
Win, Defeat suddenly said, speaking up for the first time since they’d left the motel.
Did. For the moment, at least. Female warriors surrounded him, glaring down at him. Each held some type of weapon, from machetes to axes to Neolithic daggers.
Well, well. Slowly he stood, palms up and out, all innocence—all lie. “Evening, ladies. Something we can do for you?”
Kaia settled into a crouch and squawked. A squawk he recognized. Her Harpy had just taken over. From the thought of him being injured? Or because another woman had put her hands on him? Either way, she was seeing the world through a haze of red and black, a need for blood thickening her tongue.
“Mine,” she said in a low, dual-layered voice. That was the only warning she gave before she attacked.
As she twirled that bat with a grace and purpose that astonished him, Defeat gave a whimper rather than another demand for victory. She moved like a dancer. A lethal, psychotic dancer who hoped to spend the rest of her life in prison. My kinda woman. Metal slammed against bone, the latter crackling. More grunts, a few groans.
And then the battle was really on.
He caught a glimpse of Kaia’s expression as she spun. Cold, merciless. Red flickers joined the black in her eyes. Like flames. True, crackling flames. He could feel their heat, causing sweat to bead over his skin. An azure glow even emanated from her skin. Not a Harpy glow, with those lovely rainbow shards trapped beneath the surface, but the hottest lick of fire.
He remembered their kiss—again—and the way she’d burned him, how hot she’d been. A living furnace. It had turned him on, made him feel on top of his game. Now he wondered…
Was she exhibiting some sort of power?
Her claws slashed and her teeth cut. Bodies moved so quickly around her, his gaze couldn’t quite track them, but every few seconds Kaia would be thrown backward, as if someone had slammed into her. A heartbeat later, that someone would howl in pain—because they’d been burned?
Win, Defeat growled, fear momentarily forgotten.
Great. Give me a minute. There were a few things he needed to figure out. Namely, how to insert himself into the fray without running into Kaia’s fists.
Win!
The answer slid into place. Strider withdrew Jose, his Sig Sauer, from the waist of his pants. He’d come prepared, too, knowing he’d have to take out anyone who got in his way. Now, he just wanted to murder anyone who tried to “hobble” Kaia. That’s what friends did for each other.
He fired a single shot into the air. Boom. Gasps, the rustle of clothing, the stomp of boots. Then, silence.
“Back the hell up,” he snarled, lowering his aim. “Now. And before you start wondering if I have the balls to splatter your brains across the trees, let me put your minds at ease. I do.”
Kaia stilled, panting and blood-splattered. The women quickly backed away from her. As fast as these winged stunners could move, they could have charged him, attempted to kill him. They didn’t. Either they realized he’d take a few of them out before they managed to reach him, as promised, or they feared his demon.
Defeat hummed his approval, tiny sparks of pleasure warming Strider’s chest. More sparks than usual, considering he hadn’t exactly won yet. Then Strider recalled the very first challenge his demon had accepted regarding Kaia and these women.
Anyone who tried to hurt her had to suffer. Nice.
“You,” he said to Kaia. “Come closer.”
She, too, obeyed. He brushed his free hand down her arm, a caress meant to calm, to comfort. But, shit! Touching her was like touching melted steel. Blisters immediately formed on the pads of his fingers. Did he care? Hardly. What was a little pain when her well-being was at stake?
Eventually the raspy fury of her breathing decreased and the black faded from her eyes, the flickering flames dying. Her skin cooled.
“First-class work out there, baby doll,” he said.
“Anytime, sugar muffin.” Though the words were raw and ragged, she spoke with only one vocal inflection. Her Harpy had been contained.
He shifted his gaze. He and Kaia were still surrounded, but now the circle had grown even wider and he could make out individual features. Harpy after Harpy scowled at him. Dread poured through him as he moved in front of Kaia. His protectiveness probably bothered her, but he wasn’t going to let her take the lead in this. These were her people, and as her sister Gwen had once proven, family had a hard time killing family.
Strider never had a hard time killing anyone. Call it a gift.
Kaia moved to his side and threw the baton at…her mother’s feet. He wanted to curse.
“Hello, Tabitha,” she said evenly.
The dark-haired beauty stepped forward, her expression blank as she pondered him rather than her daughter. “Put the gun away, demon. For all your crowing, we all know you won’t use it.”
Kaia moaned. “You shouldn’t have said that.”
Grinning pleasantly, Strider angled the line of the barrel and squeezed the trigger. Boom. A high-pitched, disbelieving scream. He’d nailed the Harpy beside her. Blood spurted from a gaping thigh wound. The now-injured female hopped up and down before her strength drained and she fell to the ground.
Win! Defeat giggled like a schoolgirl.
More sparks of pleasure erupted in his chest as he notched a brow. “You were saying?”