Chapter TWELVE
Rebecca
I stopped moving forward and dove to the ground behind the kitchen counter. I couldn't hear anything but the sound of rapid gunfire, the shattering of glass, and the thuds and clinks of bullets hitting different surfaces. I didn't need special powers to know what was going on. The Nicht Creidim had followed me, or Sarah. They had seen me take the Box, and now they were making their move.
I stayed low, waiting for the initial round to wear out. I hadn't heard Sarah scream, so I could only assume she'd avoided getting hit.
The pace slowed when magazines were emptied, and almost in unison the attackers had to stop to reload. I pushed myself to my feet, staying crouched so I wouldn't be visible in the window, and started slinking back towards the door. I had only taken two steps when a huge claw landed on my shoulder.
"Going somewhere?" Ulnyx asked. The dust I had thrown at him had worn off.
"They're going to kill us all," I said. "We have about three seconds while they reload, and you may be tough, but a hundred silver bullets will leave you paralyzed on the floor."
I felt his breath hot on my neck, and then the weight of his claw vanished and he shot past me out the door. A few seconds later I heard the first scream.
I could have left him then, made my escape and let them deal with the Nicht Creidim. I could have, but I didn't. Something in me told me not to, that Landon wouldn't abandon him to die. Instead, I followed him out the door. It was dark, with the only light coming from the house, but I could see the blurry form of a man face down near the water and the dark mass of the Were headed for his next victim.
I dropped down when the bullets started coming again, and I heard the Were roar. I knew he was being peppered by silver, but based on the screams he was getting even for it. I stayed low and ran along the side of the house behind him.
It was the second roar that scared me. The one that I heard when I neared the front of the house. Three mangled bodies had already slid down the side of the sand dune where I had perched earlier, their throats ripped away. Ulnyx had been making short work of them to that point.
The dagger, I knew. Elyse called it Wolfsbane, and she had wanted to bring it with us, but it had already been out. Now I knew why. I took a deep breath and rushed towards the source of the Were's complaint, daring the bullets to find me and praying that they didn't. I could hear them whistling past my ears, still targeting the house even though I was coming towards them. Were they so preoccupied with their target that they hadn't noticed me?
I didn't see the butt of the assault rifle until it had slammed into the side of my head, sending me sprawling and threatening to rip me from Elyse. It was a blow that would have knocked anyone else unconscious, and I was sure that had been the plan. From my position on the ground, I could see the Were on his knees in human form, blood running from a dozen wounds. He glared at me, his face twisted in anger.
The gunfire started again, aimed at the house. I realized they were happy to kill Sarah, but just as happy to keep her pinned down, their attack loud enough to prevent her voice from reaching them. A pair of black boots stopped just in front of my head.
"Elyse. Joe told me if I wanted the Box, all I had to do was follow you. You've always been the best retriever." I recognized the voice through her. Cousin Ken. He bent down and pulled the Box from my outstretched hand. "Thanks for retrieving it for me."
I lifted my head so I could see him. Long, thick black hair, a handsome face, big muscles. An amazing martial artist, and a talented musician. That was what Elyse's memories told me. I smiled. "Did you think it would be that easy?"
He laughed. "The Were is contained, the bitch is pinned down, and you've got a concussion. I think everything has gone perfectly."
Not everything. I released Elyse and shoved myself forward. We were so close, the trip only took a few seconds, seconds that he wasted waiting on my reply.
I took him then, screaming inwardly at the pain of his memories. His childhood, the abuse he had suffered under his father and had to endure because of their family's code. The anger and pain he teased out in motion and song and violence. His secret lust for Joe's favorite daughter.
It flowed through me, and then he was mine.
Elyse laid there, groggy, her own consciousness not as able to deal with the blow she had taken. She stared up at me. "Rebecca?"
I nodded and put the Box back on the ground. I had the assault rifle in my other hand, and I brought it up to my shoulder. Divine didn't have much need for firearms, but that didn't mean I'd never trained to use them.
Three shots, and each of the Nicht Creidim closest to Ulnyx fell to the sand. I dropped the gun and walked over to the Were. My motions were shaky while I fought to get the balance of the new body right, but I made it across the sand and pulled the Wolfsbane from his stomach. He cursed at the pain, and then it all began to heal. I was sure he didn't know why they hadn't just killed him, but I did. There was a market for pieces of Lucifer's dark creations, and the Nicht Creidim had no problem cutting those pieces out. After all, they would grow back anyway.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked. "Or maybe, what the hell are you?"
"There are six more of them, Were. Do you want to help Sarah, or do you want to chat about my lineage?"
He got to his feet, shifting once more.
"Maybe I should just rip your head off."
I held up the knife. "They only have one of these. I can use it on you, or you can go take care of the rest of the assault team."
He laughed. "Whoever you are, I like your style. I'll be back for you in a minute." He bounded off towards the other side of the house.
I didn't plan on being there when he came back. I returned to Elyse, who had only managed to get into a sitting position. "We need to get out of here."
There was a set of keys in my pocket, and I knew from Ken's memories which dune he had left the car behind.
She nodded, but she was groggy and slow. I swapped the Wolfsbane for the hidden jacket knife, using the plain steel to stab myself in the heart before I abandoned my host and retook Elyse.
I could feel the throbbing in my head, but I ignored it and got to my feet. I took the Box and the keys from Ken while he knelt on the ground dying.
"I told you it wouldn't be that easy."
He looked up at me with tears in his eyes, and I stumbled forward in a moment of panic and remorse. It wasn't that I had killed him, but I had done so with no emotion, and no hesitation. It was an action I was sure He wouldn't have approved of.
"I'm sorry," I said. Then I started running over the sand towards the waiting vehicle. A few seconds later I heard the gunfire stop, as Ulnyx caught up to the last of them. He would be back for me, but he wouldn't know which way I went. I crested a larger dune and slid down the side, right to the door of a Nissan Leaf. It seemed like a ridiculous car to launch an assault in, but the electric engine kept it stealthy. I opened the door, jumped in, and started it up.
I could see the Were bounding towards me in the rearview as I drove away. He gained at first, but I pegged the pedal to the floor and watched him fade.