A sweet attempt, but Cupcake still didn’t even the odds.
Then a reaper dog appeared at the entrance to the bar. Then another. Then five, ten, thirty more.
A thunderclap of power boomed through the room. Grim strode in through the pack, decked out in his finest suit. Black smoke curled around him, filling the room and creating a deathly parade. His eyes were live fire.
For once, Galina’s cool demeanor broke. Her mouth went slack with surprise, eyes widening as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “No,” she whispered.
Grim’s eyes narrowed and the pack leapt forth. A sea of onyx fur rose as the reapers attacked the cats. Half of my feline aggressors dispersed while the other half took their chance, fighting the reapers. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling like a twenty-year-old scratching post removed from a crazy cat lady’s home. Cupcake yipped at my feet, warning off any other cats from attacking me. I reached down and petted her head in thanks. Someone was getting extra ear scratches tonight.
As the kerfuffle died down, Grim walked forward in a confident stride until he arrived at my side. My hand readjusted its grip around the fang. I’d tried to do this the easy way, but now we were going to take the hard way.
“You brought him back,” Galina said. Her coldness had returned. “Though it’s forbidden.”
“What with you bringing your sister back, turning sekhors, and crossing the other gods? I’d say everyone is making the naughty list this year,” I shot back.
Galina’s expression smoothed as she caught sight of something behind us. “Looks like it’s two against three.”
Before I even turned around, the hairs along the back of my neck rose. A familiar ancient drum beat in my head. The fang slipped from my fingers and hit the ground. Sekhmet had arrived, Idris backing her up. Suddenly my body was not my own. Mama vamp had me under her thrall.
Grim reached for the fang, but green light blossomed around him as Galina zapped him with a power that singed my nose hairs.
I could do nothing to help. I was merely an avatar for Sekhmet as she plunged inside me, taking over. A vicious thirst plagued me. Unlike any thirst I had known before. Like an endless black hole, I knew that hunger would never be satiated. The pain made existence pure agony.
Next to me, Grim burst free from the green energy in a swirl of dark clouds. Death filled the air. He stalked toward Galina.
Her skin erupted into inky fur as she grew several feet, her limbs lengthening until she transformed into her god-likeness. A giant cat beast with glowing emerald eyes, complete with claws and fangs. Despite her monstrous visage, she carried an elegance in her god-likeness.
Grim crashed into her, not bothering to transform. They ripped into each other, snarling, biting and clawing at each other.
Pulling all the strength from the pit of my being, I fought against Sekhmet’s presence in my mind. I was no ordinary vampire. I’d drank from a god, and I knew how to give as good as I got.
Sekhmet’s eyes widened as she realized what I was doing. My fingers twitched. I had control over them again. I bared my teeth, pushing harder, using all I had in me. Seeing as I was a willful bad bitch, I took a step forward. Then another step. I rolled my neck as I shook the rest of her off me.
“Not in my house, bitch,” I hissed as my fangs elongated.
In those mad eyes, I saw a glimmer of respect.
I added with a sly smile, “And your sister is wrong. It’s four against three.”
Sekhmet whirled around just as Miranda barreled into the party, ready to run Sekhmet through with the Blade of Bane. Sekhmet grabbed her wrist, and was about to plunge her fangs into Miranda’s neck, but I blurred forward and shoved Miranda. Both she and the god-killing blade went spinning across the room.
While Sekhmet and I traded blows, Miranda scrambled to her feet and lunged for the weapon. Idris stepped in the way.
The demigod looked down at her. “What do we have here? Little mortals getting involved in business that isn’t their own?”
To show him, she punched him right in the nose. Idris didn’t react. He simply narrowed his eyes at her. Then, as he wound his arm back, ready to smack her down, Aaron snuck behind him. He kicked Idris behind the knee, sending the demigod to the ground. Then Aaron proceeded to lay down some seriously impressive martial arts moves that kept Idris distracted.
Miranda pulled out her handgun and put three slugs right into Idris’s forehead without even blinking. He looked up at her in befuddled offense. Like he didn’t understand why they were picking on him.
Something about his expression tugged that thread in my gut. I still couldn’t help but think in another world, Idris and I could have been friends.
Idris hit the ground, unconscious, and blood oozing out of the holes in his brain. He wouldn’t be out for long, but I appreciated them taking him out of the game for any amount of time.
Sekhmet and I were stuck alternately trying to squeeze the life out of each other’s throats, but seeing as we were both undead, that wouldn’t work. I kicked her kneecap with all my might and it loosened her grip enough that I got free.
Snarls and roars emanated through the room, and I spotted Apep’s fang on the ground. I raced toward it. I needed to stop this before someone I loved got hurt.
As my hand wrapped around the fang, a shadow cast over me. I looked up and found Sekhmet holding the Blade of Bane. She ran the blade through my chest, ripping it straight through my heart.
