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“Think it’s time to add ranged weapons to our arsenal?” Archer’s sword was steadier in his hand than a few months ago, but the former soldier was still more comfortable with modern weapons. Or his fists.

“A harpoon in a wing might work, with a thick enough chain, to bring them down. A crossbow or even something explosive wouldn’t dent that thick skin.” Lana smirked low, focused on the fight. Waiting, as they all were. “A whip to yank them down, or a lasso. I am a sucker for a cute pair of cowboy boots. I’ll learn to lasso one of these days.”

“If we could convince them to land…” Archer squinted as he calculated the fight ahead.

Vann chewed the side of his tongue as he considered. “Adair? Think you can pierce a wing? You’ve got the best aim.”

“I like how you think.” Adair withdrew a throwing knife from the strap on her leg. Not as strong as the hunters, she depended on her vampiric speed and senses. At half a millennium old, it had served her well.

She reached back, focused her aim, and released with dizzying speed.

The blade shot through the air, whistling against the wind.

Light broke through a wing.

The creature screeched. Its circling flight faltered.

It flapped its wings harder to stay up.

Neon-green blood dripped from the wound.

Breaking formation, its flight changed. Its screech became a roar.

The others flitted from their cadence.

Bodie sniffed the air with disgust. “I do not want to sink my teeth into one of those guys. That blood smells awful.”

“Tangy.” Adair scowled at the sky. “Not my cup of tea.”

“They have a good sense of smell, right?” Vann asked, looking at Bodie. “Hard to train? Territorial?”

“Yup.”

The wyverns’ circle lowered, uneven and disorganized.

Vann plucked a knife from the strap on his thigh. “Bet you smelled this on your dead friends,” he hollered at the sky. He drew a shallow slice along his forearm. He hissed at the pain, but it wasn’t a fraction as bad as a wyvern’s claw.

It didn’t take long for the scent of his blood to reach them.

No more order. No more caution. They craved blood—or revenge—and were quick to abandon their command.

With no one around to coordinate their attack, they were chaotic. Two dove toward him.

Others didn’t seem to care where the blood came from. They were provoked and lashed out.

The team stayed in formation. Most monsters were quick to stab in the back, and he’d already learned wyverns were dangerous when they came up from behind.

Vann slashed into the first.

Tough bastard; it slowed, but didn’t stop.

He kicked it back with the flat of his boot to its chest.

The creature flew back across the clearing.

Tip first, he sliced his blade between the scales of the next. Then stabbed into the soft underbelly.

Lexi’s reports on the creatures were right on the mark.