Blood Flame (Flame 1)

“She’s using you, Evan.”

The hot wind rushed into him again, striking once more from behind. He flew forward, rolling hard. He landed on his back at Evan’s feet. His sword had been knocked from his hand and Evan’s blade was now at his throat.

“Not smart to anger a woman.” In a swift move, Evan swept the sword up, reversing direction to bring the rounded hilt end down on Evan’s skull.

Connor blinked twice, then nothing.

~ ~ ~

Iris hid under the bridge in a temporary spell she’d built. It wouldn’t last long. The other witch’s power circled almost endlessly in the entire area. Across the stream, the vampires drank, shouted, and danced around the fire.

Iris had a bad feeling about where all this was building. But she’d already called Lily at the Crescent station, explained what was happening and requested Vaughn as back-up. Lily said she was on it.

Tears touched her eyes. She couldn’t hear Connor’s voice anymore. Instead, Evan and the witch talked quietly.

She knew Connor wasn’t dead, because she could sense his life-force. She could only suppose he was unconscious.

The wind suddenly blew in her direction beneath the bridge. The next moment, her own spell peeled away and Evan was right there, levitating in front of her.

He grabbed her with his powerful arms then pulled her with him as he flew backward. He moved so fast, she couldn’t even fight him. Instead, she worked hard just to hold her balance. She even tried to engage her newly realized levitation ability, but couldn’t. If he released her no

w, she’d fly off and probably be crushed by the blow.

Instead, she saw the vampires and the fire below her and the next moment, Evan flung her in the dirt. “Enjoy her, boys. She’s yours for the night.” He glanced at Iris, his green eyes manic. “Now you’ll get to experience how my wife was raped over and over.”

Turning, she saw that Connor lay face down in the dirt, wincing as he came back to consciousness. He was too far away to reach, at least twelve feet.

Two of the vampires leaped on Iris. They smelled like whisky and there was a sharp blood flame tang in the air as well. For a moment, she was pinned down, but the vampires were out of control and began hitting each other, vying for first rights.

She gathered her witch energy, sending it down her arm and into her hand. The victor jumped on her, and began pulling at her jeans. She slowly started to rise to a sitting position, holding her hand steady, her gaze fixed on his temple. All she had to do was touch him in this vulnerable spot or at the base of his neck and he’d die.

But Evan leaped in her direction and grabbed her arm. He clucked his tongue. “None of that or I’ll have to hurt you myself.” He then took her arm in both hands and lifted his knee.

He looked down at her. “You get a choice. Do I break your arm or do you behave?”

“I’ll be good.” If he’d broken her arm, the pain would immobilize her completely. From her peripheral vision, she saw that Connor was on his feet, but she didn’t look in his direction. She needed to keep Evan focused on her. “Please, don’t hurt me, Evan. I swear I won’t use my killing power.”

Evan smiled and the partying vampire resumed his efforts to get Iris’s pants off.

~ ~ ~

Connor no longer had either of his weapons, but he saw his chance and took it. He flew straight at Evan, pulled the man’s sword from his sheath, and rammed the blade into his stomach. Evan fell onto his back, grabbing his abdomen, and crying out in pain. Gut wounds were the worst.

Connor then turned and flew behind the vampire still fumbling with Iris’s pants and used the same blade to cut his throat.

The other vampires began to move away from him in different directions. He chased one into the muddy stream, who landed on his back. Connor planted his booted foot on the bastard’s chest and held him under the water. He drew his sword back, ready to use the blade again.

But the vampire rose up and threw Connor into the air. The sword flipped out of Connor’s hand and disappeared into the water.

Connor levitated, then dove at the vampire, shoving him once more into the muddy stream. He punched him in the throat hard, then pushed him under the surface once more, this time sitting on his chest. The vampire struggled, as much against the pain of having his windpipe shattered as trying not to drown. Connor kept him pinned until there was no more movement. When he stood up, the vampire began slowly drifting with the rushing stream.

“Connor!” Iris’s hoarse voice called to him.

Connor flew back to the fire and found Evan, white-faced, sitting in the dirt, but with a powerful arm wrapped around Iris’s throat. He was trembling from the pain he was in, yet he still had control of Iris. The black cloud boiled above them.

“You come near me, and I’ll snap her neck.”

One of the remaining vampires suddenly attacked Connor, throwing him into the dirt on his back. Before Connor could move, the vampire landed on his chest and began punching him, in rapid blows. Hopped up on flame as the vampire was, each strike carried unbelievable weight.