“Idiots,”Krystanmumbled,her backsidemolded to my body.
I cast my eyes upward for a moment. Dirt. Think of dirt.
Then she stepped away from me,alreadypushing her waytoward the screams and chaos.
“Krystan, wait,” I called, chasing after her.Trust her to go barreling into a dangerous situation without a second thought.Shit, we didn’t have any of ourweaponson us. It would take too long to get to the van and back.
People werefleeingfrom the back of theauditoriumsoKrystanmuscledpast the screaming metalheadsin thatdirection.I was right behind her. The crowd thinned as we found ourselves approaching theexit.I skidded to a stop next toKrystan.
Monster was right.Blocking the exitwasone bad mofo. Over seven feet tall,itshead resembled a bovine skull withfinger-lengthteethandmassive hornsreaching upto deadly points.Massive shoulders were covered in thick bristling fur. The rest of itsbody was packed withsinewymuscle.Hands terminated in long talons thatwere currently wrapped around heavy set, balding guy who was squirming and shriekingfor his life.The stench of death lingered in the cool night air.Two other bodies lay on the ground, their heads missing.
A group of security guards stood off twenty feet from the scene. One was yelling into his radio while the other stared up at the beast, slack jawed.
“Krystan, we don’t have anything to fight it with,” I said.
She shot me a glower, “Then improvise.”Then she pickedup ametalfolding chair, walkedup to the beast and smashed the chair into his side.
“Shit,” I breathedas Igrabbed a folding chair and followed suit.
The bovine skull swiveled toKrystan,seeminglyout of surprise more than shock or pain,but he dropped the guy in his hand. The big metalhead was instantlyscrambling to his feet, crying as he ran as fast as he could.
If I had anysense,I’d be following suitwith no weapons, but I joinedKrystanin thwapping our chairs against the monster, buying people time to escape.Even the guards gave up on sticking around.
I saw the sweep ofthe beast’smassive arm only a second before it hit me. For a moment I was completely weightless, wind whistling past my ears. Then I smashedbackinto a drink cart, hearing the crunch of my own bones. Along groan came out of my mouth.I couldn’t catch my breathas my body first went numb then exploded in pain. I wondered if I’d brokenany bones. Or maybe all ofthem.
The beast easily grabbed the chair fromKrystan, flicking it across the fieldwhere it crashed and sent ten otherchairscareening. She turned to run butthecreature’s talonsclosed around her, picking her upbefore letting out a deafening roar that reminded me of a T-Rex. Icy fear encasedmy chest.Krystankicked and cursed but the monster held her fast.
Pushing myself up to my feet, though my body felt broken and limp,I knew if I didn’t do somethingfast,it was going to kill her.
What hadKrystansaid? Improvise.
Turning to the drink cart, I grabbed the first thing I could,amega sizedbottle ofAbsolut vodka.Ismashedthe end of itagainst the cart.Vodka splashed on myshoes,butI was now holdingajagged half bottle.Sprinting back towardKrystan,the monsteropened its massive maw, ready to take offherhead.I droppedtomy knees, slidingtwofeet acrossthefloorand sunk thesharp glassinto the thick,corded muscle ofthe creature’sblack thigh.Instead of bitingKrystan’shead off,the skull flew back with an outragedroar.Krystanslipped from its hand,falling butt first ontheground.I didn’t see his arm swing around again, and I was sent flying back a second time into a group of chairs. Pain beat into my sides and I instantly knewI would be black and blue if I survived this.
The monsterwasted no time in bearing downonKrystanagain, snapping its jaws at her.Crab walkingbackward, shekicked the thing in its face with her sharpstilettobootswhichonly pissedit offfurther.It dipped its head a few times before asharp hornstabbedher thigh. She screamedinpainbutkicked its face with her other foot.The puncture wound dripped blood down her fishnets.The creature reared back then fell on top of her, its clawed hands pining her shoulders down.Managing to catchthe open mawin her hands,Krystanpushedit awayas it snapped ather face.Hereyes wentroundwithdesperationas herarms shook under the effort it took to hold the creature back, losing inches between themevery second.Rivulets of blood ran down her hand from where the teeth were slicing into them.
Anger swelled in me brightandhot, my fearand painmelting in the molten rage.Ilet loose a war cry as I streaked across again.I yankedthe bottle out of thecreature’sthigh,thenjumped on its back.The roar was deafening as itvibrated through themonstrousbodyunder me. Whippingback and forth,it tried to buck me off.Thoselong spindly, hard-muscled arms werelethal,but they couldn’t reach back to pull me off.
“You stay the hell away from her,” I yelled. I gripped harderonto that furry neckbefore digging into the back of it withthebrokenbottle. Bucking harder to get me off, the creature’s roar turned into a shriek. Clenching my teeth, I held on for dear life as I continued to guide the sharp edge through the thick hide into whatI was certain would be a spinal cord.As long asI didn’t break the neck off the bottle, I could push it in. Please god, don’t let it break. Pushingwith all my strength, my arm shookand sweat fell in my eyes.Withguttural grunting, like a heavy weightlifter, I poured all my strength into keeping glass moving in one straighttrajectoryeven as I was being bucked.When black ichor began to spurt from its neck,andI knew I had it.
Despitecutting into the neck,my muscles were quickly fatiguing.
IfIdon't kill it, it will killKrystan.
All it took was the memory of watching its fangs scrape alongKrystan’sfaceas she screamed, her bloody handsshaking. Another burst of adrenalineshot throughmy systemhelping my grip as I continued to digstraightinto the neck.
Krystanwilldie if I stop.
“You don’t even think about fucking touching her,you hear me?” I yelled as the screams became gurgles. I’d cut enough through its throat that it’d starteddrowninginits ownblood,but I refused to let go.
Don’t stop, or it will kill her. You’ll be alone.
I kept pushing until the beast hit its knees,arms weaklyflailing.
Only when the skull hit thegroundand the body went limp did I realize I could releasemygrip. Sitting up, my chest heaving,I released the bottle, myfingers werestiff andred from holding so tight.
Krystanwas on the ground a few feet away in front of me, still on her ass,gapingat me like I was a monster.
12
