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They were standing over a freshly beheaded corpse. Moregenetically altered clones were probably closing in on their position right atthis moment. Yet all Kaleb could think about was how wonderfully hot and softShaw’s lips were against his. But by the Pits, that breastplate armour was allhard angles, and not really all that conducive to a tight clinch. Ignoring thediscomfort, he yanked her in closer, leaning into the kiss, gratified when herhands clutched at him like she didn’t want to let him go either.
Who knows how long they would have kept kissing, the Fates asalways had other plans, the sound of footsteps approaching fast both forwardand aft. Shit, the two breaking apart, breathing fast for a moment, sharing asmile. The fun wasn’t over yet. Kaleb raising his blade, Shaw lifting herremaining halberd high in readiness.
A frisson of concern spiking through Shaw’s gut. It wasn’t afeeling she was overly familiar with. But she had no choice but to let Kalebjoin the fight. The pathways were too narrow to allow her to engage more thanone enemy at a time in close quarters effectively. Not given the unwelcomesurprise genetic additions the clones were packing.
Still, as she watched Kaleb step over the corpse silently, movingto face the oncoming threat, she was determined to kill her own foe quickly.Turning reluctantly and moving several feet away in the opposite direction.Telling herself he would be fine, given all his wily scheming ways she was surehe could take out one clone. Assuming they didn’t actually turn into Godzillaor anything. Although there was some comfort in the fact that Kaleb hadexcellent healing powers, able to regrow any digit or limb given enough time.
Problem was, he couldn’t regrow his head if he managed to get itchopped off. Ugh, that strange sickening feeling was back bubbling away inShaw’s gut. Fuck. She liked the kissing. Loved the sex. But she wasn’t sold yeton all these other emotions that came along with loving someone. Worrying overwhether Kaleb got hurt or not was new and unsettling.
Damn, now she was back to thinking about Kaleb getting dead.Seething anger abruptly eradicating all other emotions. How dare these mutatedbitches try to hurt her Demon. Shaw latched on to that anger, now here was anemotion she was familiar with, as the clone with short curly hair and dark eyesstepped out of the fog a few feet away, a pleased grin on her face.
“Seriously. Were you praised too much as a baby clone? Did youhave an entire wall of participation ribbons on your wall growing up? Wheredoes all this foolish overconfidence come from?”
Curls lifted the long length of chain she was carrying higher forShaw’s inspection, it was spiked with viciously sharped barbs. “We were raisedto be warriors.”
“You were created on the whim of an overly obsessed self-righteousasshole. Instead of ballet lessons he gave you a few paltry self-defencelessons. I’m a Valkyrie. I’ve fought in Freyja’s name for hundreds of years.It’s not too late to just walk away.”
“Whoever kills you and the Demon gets to be Queen, to reignalongside Bartius, bringing a new era of prosperity, dignity and grandeur tothe Conflict Courts.”
“Wow, sounds like Bartius had you lot mainstreaming Kool-Aid fromthe moment you emerged from the test tube.” Taunting was taught to allValkyries from the cradle. It had a dual purpose. Get under the skin of yourenemy. Whilst giving a Valkyrie a minute or two to scrutinise their opponentlooking for weaknesses. But as much as Shaw studied the clone before her, shehad yet to figure out what mutations she had at her disposal. Okay then, she’djust go with what had always worked in the past. Start hacking away until heropponent was dead.
Raising her halberd, keeping the staff shortened, Shaw twirled it,mainly for effect, slicing through the fog, making it swirl in pretty patterns.Ignoring the spike of pain that radiated from her venom pitted shoulder. “Lastchance.”
“Shut up and die already.” Curls sneered, lifting the chain andsnapping it forward even as Shaw moved in jabbing at her with the spiked headof the weapon. The chain knocked the halberd off course, Shaw forced to danceto the side to avoid the rest of the barbed length targeting her throat. Fuck.
The next minute was frenzied as Shaw attempted to get close enoughto swing or jab at the clone. Whilst that bloody barbed chain snaked throughthe air, whirling, snapping, arcing, like it was alive.
Shaw took a hit to the ribs. Her armour blocking the barbs, butshe still felt the jolt down to her bones. No time to regroup, jumping left toavoid another arcing strike that she took this time on her knife pleated skirt.The impact sending her sideways to crash into the nearest hedge.
Instead of leaping forward to press her advantage the clonechuckled merrily in delight. Giving Shaw a precious split second to rebound offthe hedging and resume her position in the centre of the pathway. Bitch wasabnormally strong if she could put that kind of power behind her strikes.
“I’m a Valkyrie. I dress up like a gold idiot.” Curls smirked,swinging the chain in a constant figure eight now.
Shaw timed the chain arcs, come on, there, jabbing her halberdsharply forward, aiming for the clone’s right hand. Freyja, it was like hittinga boulder, the reverberation blasting up her arm, the clone chuckling, even asshe looped the chain around the halberd and yanked. Amazingly Shaw wasn’t ableto maintain her hold on it. Watching as it spun over the hedging to her right.What the flaming fuck?
Curls laughed again. “Oh, did you think I was just good with thechain? Oopsie, your bad.”
Damn it. She’d hit the clone with the spike of her halberd.Ideally it should have spilt her hand in two. Good Goddess, Shaw was startingto get an inkling of what she was up against here. The clone didn’t just havesouped-up strength, her skin, or at least the skin encasing her hands wasimpervious. That was new.
Call her crazy, but Shaw was beginning to enjoy herself.
Time to run a few tests. Unsheathing the blade she had hidden in asheathe under her skirt. Shaw flung it in one lightning fast flick of thewrist. There was nothing wrong with her aim. Straight and true. Right at theclone’s thorax. Ping. The knife flipping away to the ground, the tip bent.Okay, so the clone’s skin was titanium strength at least above the waistline.Shaw was just reaching for another hidden knife when the clone struck out withthe chain. A flick that Shaw managed to evade easily, but it had her jumpingright into the path of the follow up lash. Tricky bitch.
Shaw jumped even higher, intending to kick the chain away. But Curl’sreaction times were too good. Changing the direction of the chain mid-air,wrapping it around Shaw’s left calf and yanking hard, hauling downwards,sending Shaw crashing to the ground. The barbs unable to penetrate Shaw’s boot,but that didn’t seem to worry the clone as she began to speedily haul Shaw incloser, like she was reeling in a fish.
Which was fine with Shaw. Gave her the opportunity to kick theclone as hard as she could in the knee. Bloody hell. The jolt up her own legwas a thankfully fleeting spike of pain. Okay, it was now confirmed. The curlyhaired clone’s skin in its entirety was as hard stone and seemingly imperviousto weapons or blows. Shaw’s mind whirled with options as the clone reacheddown, yanking hard on the chain again, dragging Shaw even closer. The smugsmirk on her face wide, her dark eyes glittering in triumph.
Yeah, don’t count your dead bodies until they all get to themorgue, love.
Shaw hauled back her free leg, this time kicking hard and straightat the clone’s lady parts. Now they might also be impervious, butpsychologically, no one likes getting their pink bits potentially smashed. Theclone emitting a surprised gasp, instinctively recoiling. Her hold on the chainlessening for just a moment, allowing Shaw a split second to make a grab forit, determinedly ignoring the biting pain of the barbs. Heavens, her poor handswere taking a beating. Flipping the chain one way and spinning her body in theopposite direction, Shaw rolled free, somersaulting back to her feet.
“It’s not too late to walk away.” Cooed the clone mockingly.“Though if you do, I’ll only hunt you down and twist you into a pretzel.”
Yeah. Yeah. Shaw busy cataloguing everything she now knew aboutthe curly haired clone and her fighting patterns. Super strength and rock hardskin certainly made things interesting. The barbed swirling chain upping thedifficulty stakes substantially. But why a chain? Why not a mace? Or a thumpingbig hammer, given her strength?
Because there was a reason the clone didn’t want anyone gettingtoo close to her. Something she had to protect. Shaw came up with severalpossible answers to that question. But there was only one way to test any ofher theories. Get within striking distance of that barbed chain.
Crap, this was going to sting.
