Pure Blooded

Because it feels wrong.

 

He stayed down, but his ears were pinned back and he snarled, What do you mean it feels wrong? That’s not what I want to hear right now.

 

No, wrong in a good way. We’re hiding from the threat. It wouldn’t normally be something we would do. A few minutes ago you wanted us to fight them, and I agreed with you. I poked my head up and looked, careful not to make a sound. The wendigos were barreling over the hill in front of us but were not aiming for the mausoleums.

 

Even if the wendigos pass us by, they’ll figure it out soon enough and turn around, Rourke said. They won’t give up the hunt.

 

Probably, but I don’t think it will matter. By jumping up here to hide, the die has been cast, I said. All we needed to do was to change the game enough—to make the future a little more unpredictable. If we achieved that, we survive. If not, we become horrible flesh-eating supernaturals.

 

I’m not sure it’s going to work like you hope—

 

There was a whooshing noise and Ray landed on the mausoleum next to me. “What the hell are you two knuckleheads doing up here?” he bellowed. “Don’t you know you’re under attack by a horde of shitty, awful-looking zombies?”

 

I huffed at him, my ears down, showing him my displeasure. I couldn’t talk to Ray internally, so there was no real way to tell him to leave besides swiping at him with my paw and trying to knock him off the roof. I raised my front leg to give it a try.

 

“Hold on,” he said. “Don’t get your undies in a bunch. We can fight these things. They don’t look that tough.”

 

I glanced over at Rourke. Do you see the wendigos? They must have heard Ray’s yelling. Tyler must not have stressed to Ray how dangerous this was. Ray was too new and cocky to know better.

 

I snarled.

 

“You don’t have to thank me yet, Hannon,” Ray said. “We’re not outta the woods by a long shot. Those two ran past, down the—”

 

The wendigos howled as they changed their direction. I poked my head up. They were running at top speed toward us. The reason Rourke hadn’t answered me was because he’d readied himself for a fight, crouching low. The wendigos made good time, and when the first one sprang toward me, I was ready. But before I could do anything, Ray intercepted it in midair and tossed it effortlessly to the ground.

 

It bounced and rolled a few feet and then was up again, snarling, pus and drool running down its chin. I howled as the next one flew at Rourke. With his huge paw, Rourke batted it away, tearing open its middle. The wendigo tumbled through the air and landed with a loud thunk on the ground.

 

They were both back in business within a minute.

 

The action had alerted the ghouls, and now they streamed in from all directions, surrounding us. They were reanimated corpses, so they couldn’t jump very well or get on the roof, but they weren’t going anywhere either.

 

The wendigos circled the buildings, calculating their next attack.

 

If we can find the necromancer and disarm her, do you think they would all stop fighting us? I asked Rourke.

 

The ghouls should drop like rocks and go back to being corpses, but the wendigos would still be a threat. They are infected, and while the necromancer might have some control, these guys are largely on their own. They crave flesh any way they can find it. If they stop being interested in us, they will hunt down the next available option.

 

Good gods, I said as visions of a town being turned into an army of hungry wendigos assaulted me. Okay, then, we have to kill them and find the necromancer. I’m going to put Tyler on finding the necromancer if he can, I told Rourke.

 

Rourke didn’t answer, as he was occupied when one of the wendigos launched himself onto the roof again. He efficiently sliced the wendigo up the side. Rourke was being as careful as he could so the thing couldn’t bite him, but it was still unsettling to watch. The wendigo fell back to the ground, but it still wasn’t down for the count.

 

I angled my head at Ray and nodded my muzzle toward Rourke, indicating he should go help.

 

“I’m going, I’m going, but I don’t think your boy really needs my help. Did you see that? He just clawed his arm off with one swipe.” Ray’s voice held some awe. This was the first time he’d seen Rourke in action in his true form. I nudged my head against Ray’s leg to get him to move. “All right, I’ll go, but if one comes here, I’ll be back.”

 

Rourke was indeed incredible to watch, but I wasn’t going to breathe easy until the wendigo went flying off the roof without its head. Rourke roared, and the sound shook the buildings. It was so close to dawn the sky was beginning to turn from black to blue. Humans would be up and around soon. We were running out of time. We had to finish this.

 

Tyler, can you hear me? I asked.