Thanks to a row of broken streetlights, the night seemed even darker than usual as I made my way to Holborn. It would’ve been a short bus ride, so I saved the money and walked. One drink from Kami and all I’d have to spend money on was the admission fee.
Two recognizable silhouettes awaited me outside Holborn Station. Kami was decked out in a yellow dress and heels and Neera took a more modest approach to clubbing in a tight white pants and a green top with sleeves that resembled wings. With light brown hair and exquisite bone structure, Neera was basically a slightly older version of Ione.
Kami clucked her tongue at the sight of me. “No sparkles? London, you disappoint me.”
“Where is this new club?”
She poked her head down a nearby alleyway. “I think it’s down this way.”
I peered into the darkness and saw absolutely nothing. “It can’t be.”
“It’s like a speakeasy. You give them a code word and they let you in.”
Only Kami. “What’s the code word? Sucker?”
She squinted her disapproval. “If you must know, it’s tequila.”
“Seems a little on the nose.”
Neera nodded. “That’s what I said.”
The air stirred and a light breeze caressed my skin. Tiny bumps bubbled on my arms and I instinctively rubbed them for warmth.
“Do you feel that?” I asked.
Hair tickled the back of my neck. The pleasantness evaporated. We weren’t alone.
For a fleeting second, I thought His Royal Stalker had decided to crash our party, but the sensation was different. Unidentifiable.
I turned to start down the alleyway when two heads appeared to my right.
Nope. Make that four.
What on earth?
“We’ve got company,” Kami said under her breath.
No kidding. I turned around to see two more.
“Three on your left,” Neera said.
Nine in total.
Shit.
They were short in stature, with curtains of long hair that looked like they hadn’t been washed since prehistoric times. They wouldn’t be winning any beauty contests.
“Hey, I guess you ladies heard about the new club,” I said. “That’s where we’re headed.”
Two swooped toward me. A blast of air blew past us, stretching and widening the duo’s forms. It was as though the wind itself was reshaping them. They were still ugly. Only bigger.
From the end of the pavement, Kami waved. “Yoo-hoo! Free butt kickings. Step right up. First come, first kicked.”
One of the bigger spirits peeled away from its partner and moved toward Kami, leaving me with its twin. The spirit moved toward me with a gaping mouth and a stench filled the air between us.
I drew my dagger. “Woof. Somebody needs a mint.”
Another spirit launched itself at Neera and she ducked. The creature sailed over her head. “What are they?”
Kami spun around and tried to kick one, but her heel caught only air. She nearly lost her balance but managed to stay upright.
“Who cares? How do we kill them before they kill us?”
Neera climbed onto the canopy of a nearby shop. “If we know what they are, we can figure out how to kill them.”
“You’re the expert, London,” Kami called.
We didn’t have our usual weapons, although I wasn’t sure what good they would be.
The element of surprise had us at a disadvantage. What was under two feet, changed shape, and could kill you with their bad breath? It sounded like a joke except it wasn’t very funny, especially when a memory snapped into place and I realized exactly what they were.
Korriganes.
But they couldn’t be.
There was no time to worry about their origin. They were here and ready to cause trouble.
Kami attacked first. She produced a throwing knife and her blade sliced right through the first one. She frowned when she realized all she’d done was rearrange a few air molecules. The spirit’s mouth split in a mischievous grin.
Kami’s face hardened. I knew that look well. Game on, it said.
“How do we kill them if they’re made of air?” Neera yelled. She jumped from the canopy and sailed right through another spirit like it wasn’t even there.
I jumped aside as the bigger spirit made another attempt to swallow me.
“Do you want to eat me or make out?” I asked. “I can’t tell.”
The Korrigane hovered in front of me, as though debating the answer. I seized the moment and ran, trying to identify a safe place to buy me time to come up with a plan. If they set their minds to it, they could topple buildings on this block like dominoes. There was nowhere to climb that they couldn’t reach me. Weapons did no damage. I couldn’t think of any particular brand of magic that would stop them. I was running out of options.
“What if we trap them in something?” Neera asked.
“Like what? A giant bell jar?” Kami swept a hand outward. “By all means, if you see a life-sized, hermetically-sealed container, feel free to grab it.”
I scanned the area. There had to be something we could use to contain them.
My gaze landed on something better than a bell jar.
I whistled to the other knights and motioned toward the corner. If we could lure them close enough, it might work even better than containment.
I sprinted toward the corner and spared a glance over my shoulder to make sure my departure got their attention. Two Korriganes tore after me. Two was better than zero.
I could’ve run faster, but I held back not wanting them to give up and go for easier prey.
That’s right, ladies. Free samples. Just follow me.
I reached my destination but didn’t break stride. There was a man unhooking a nozzle from the pump to fill his car. My hand shot out and swiped the nozzle from his loose grip.
“Hey! I already paid for that.”
I ignored his objection and fired at the oncoming spirits. Gasoline sprayed from the nozzle and drenched the air. It came in handy to have a built-in accelerant. I opened my palm and whispered, “Ignis.”
It was a risk to use Latin in the middle of the city when not acting in an official capacity, but under the circumstances, it was one I was willing to take. It would be easy enough to persuade the authorities that we were acting for the greater good. My problem was not wanting to draw attention to myself, especially not from vampires.