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Ignore the twinge.It was only pain. Think about overtaking the dickhead in the tiny luxury car. Avehicle that looked like it cost mega bucks and could win races but that sheflew by all too easily. Its driver gifting Shaw with the finger. Hah, evenbetter, she’d ruined his day.
Tapping thesteering wheel absently, Shaw hummed a battle dirge under her breath. Funny howshe suddenly felt energised, like she was going into battle and at the sametime escaping something. Which was beyond stupid, as the only time Valkyriesran from anything was if they’d just felled an ogre and the bloody thing wascollapsing. Perhaps it came down to the fact that she was out doing something,rather than sitting around her office, waiting for Medical to call with asolution to her knee problem.
Even on theweekends when Shaw was home, she tended to do little more than clean and sharpenher weapons, determined to keep them in tip top battle readiness. Habituallychecking her phone every five minutes in case she’d missed Medical’s call.
At least dealingwith Stephanie’s to-do list meant Shaw was actively physically achieving something.And admittedly, the sunshine, the fresh air teasing her knot of curls, it didfeel good. Almost like she was playing hooky.
Of course anyonecasually glancing at her right now would probably think Shaw was heading up thecoast for a weekend away. Given her hot car and even hotter sleeping companion.And he was attractive, especially asleep. Chancing another quick glance Kaleb’sway.
Somehow, evensleeping, his lips were quirked up at the edges as if he was amused bysomething. The accompanying dimple that creased one cheek only adding to theroguish air he projected. The wind had pushed sandy blonde hair back from hisangelic face, revealing a strong, straight nose and chiselled jawline. His tornear, along with the scratches on his neck and forearms had healed, though bloodstained the collar of his expensive, beyond creased - probably beyond saving -white linen shirt.
It was surprisinghow little damage he’d incurred tangling with the Gxthian, who would have spentyears in training to join the Assassins’ Guild. Kaleb was clearly no warrior.Tall, yes, easily 6.4ft. His frame muscular, he must keep in shape, but therewas a leanness to him that screamed runner, swimmer, or maybe fencer, given howgracefully he moved.
But ConflictDemons were a notoriously scrappy lot. Capable of taking a lot of damage,including losing limbs, and happily keep on ticking. She idly wondered how longit would take for an overly chatty one to grow back a tongue. They were happythoughts as Shaw took the exit for the old coast road in order to avoid theever expanding overly populated township that went under the official banner ofCarmel by the Sea.
The old rarelyused now coast road only provided two lanes, one going in each direction.Renowned for its multitude of tight hairpin curves that hugged the ruggedcliffside. Big rigs tended to avoid the route so the sound of a throaty engine,make that several engines, closing in on the mustang made Shaw sit up and payattention. Counting four, no, make that five, large motorbikes in her rearviewmirror.
Each bike lookedcustom made. Flames and skulls tending to be the favoured decoration.Admittedly their riders dressed in head to toe black leathers and matchingreflective helmets may have been an intimidating sight for many, not Shaw. Whocouldn’t help but execute a little excited shimmy in her seat, which thankfullyno one was awake to note or tease her about.
She’d been gettinga little bored on this more or less deserted stretch of road. But now here theywere, a Gxthian Scouting Party. They’d probably been trailing them since theschool, just waiting for an opportunity to make their move.
It was like Freyjahad personally heard Shaw’s prayers and sent her this gift of knuckleheads. Letthe fun begin.
Speeding up Shawtook the next three curves fast. The idiots on her tail probably believing shewas trying to out run them. In response they likewise sped up. Thus, it was acomplete shock when they rounded tight curve number four to be confronted witha fast reversing mustang coming straight for them.
Four managed topeel off but unlucky number five had his bike knocked out from underneath himin the mad scramble to get out of the way. The vehicle sliding sideways acrossthe tarmac, sparks flying, metal grinding. Possibly bike and rider could havestopped their forward momentum but five’s luck really wasn’t running that waytoday. The Demon hitting the loose gravel lining the edge of the road, bike andrider crashing through the flimsy metal barrier, dropping abruptly from sightover the side of the cliff.
Applying thebrakes hard, Shaw shifted in to drive, the mustang releasing a throaty growl ofits own, surging forwards. Sure, she could have collected a biker or two asthey hastily attempted to regroup but no way was Shaw risking her baby’spristine paintwork on these four remaining idiots. Besides, where would be thefun in that?
For a few minutesdriving took priority. Two hairpin corners required concentration before themustang emerged on a stretch of straight road, only to discover a flat-bedutility truck loaded with gardening tools and equipment slowly meandering itsway along on her side of the road. Shaw considered overtaking but there wasanother blind curve looming. Crap. Applying the brakes, she settled behind theutility, watching in the rearview mirror as two of the Gxthians took advantageof the opportunity to move up to all but ride her bumper. If she brakedsuddenly right now, she could potentially end up with one, if not twounexpected guests, so that option was out.
Damn. Maybe shecould wait until the next stretch of straight road. Nope, glimpsing one of theGxthians reach into his leather jacket, producing a laser blade beforebeginning to manoeuvre his bike off to the right. Probably intending topuncture her rear tyre. Not on Shaw’s watch.
Shifting the carslightly to the right, then to the left, Shaw blocked any attempts to getclose. The flatbed utility commenced turning into the next tight hairpin cornerwhen Shaw saw her chance, slamming her boot down hard on the accelerator. Themustang thundering forward. Shaw using a light touch to swing the car out andaround the meandering truck. All the Gxthians leapt to follow her example. Thetwo on her bumper managing to squeeze around the truck in time but their twocolleagues bringing up the rear were not so lucky timing wise.
In trying tofrantically avoid being hit by the small delivery van coming in the otherdirection. One of the Gxthians ended up smashing into the rear of the flatbed utility,impaling himself on a protruding metal pole. His buddy was cut off, forced tobrake, disappearing from view as Shaw came out of the bend and pressed theaccelerator, pleased to find an extended stretch of straight road before her.Cool. Perfect locale for some more fun and games.
The Gxthians musthave thought the same, as they came roaring up in her wake, engines growling.Shaw let them come this time. One of them hauled ass, bringing his bike upalongside the driver’s door, waving around his now extended laser blade so thatit was more sword length. Hah, guess what, she had weapons that extended too.
Magically callingone of her halberds. Expertly swinging it outwards one handed. The Demon’shelmeted head flying off in one direction whilst his body and motorbiketravelled forwards for three more seconds before veering off to smash into therocks at the side of the road.
A second Demon hadchosen to approach at the same time as his now headless brethren, aiming forKaleb, still asleep in the passenger seat. Unfortunately for this Gxthian hedidn’t know that not only was Shaw a Valkyrie, skilled and balls out deadly,but that her youngest sister was a weapons genius and there wasn’t a sharpobject Shaw owned, that Zuri hadn’t in some way modified. So even as one Demonwas losing his head, Shaw was still sweeping around her halberd in an arc,magically extending the shaft so that it was four feet longer. The perfectlength for shearing the head off the second Demon. Whose helmeted skull wentunder the rear tyre causing the car to bobble ever so slightly before Shawcould magically disappear her halberd and get the mustang back under control.
Shaw glancedKaleb’s way, double checking he was undamaged. How he was still asleep wasbeyond her. Watching as he murmured something under his breath, the edges ofhis mouth quirking higher, that devilish dimple deepening. Wasn’t that justlovely, she was fighting off Demons and chatty cathy here was having a pervysex dream.
The Gxthianroaring up on her bumper pulled Shaw’s attention away from her irritatingpassenger. This Demon must have seen what happened to his friends, intent uponkeeping his distance. Damn. And double damn, as Shaw watched him via therearview mirror haul an automatic shotgun out of his saddlebag.
She didn’t givehim time to aim, undoing her seatbelt, slamming on the brakes, thrusting openher door, lifting her butt half out of the seat. Kicking the Demon hard in thehead with her steel tipped boot. Too busy trying to regain control of the car togive the Demon assassin flying over the edge of the dangerously high cliff, tono doubt dash onto the rocks far below, more than a passing acknowledgement.
Seatbelt on oncemore, both hands on the wheel, Shaw was feeling pretty pleased with herself andmore than a little relaxed. There was nothing like a bout of random violence toclear away the cobwebs. Thankfully she wasn’t so busy patting herself on theback she didn’t notice one lone Gxthian attempting to sneak up on her. Theengine of his bike sounded wrong, more chug a chug than a throaty growl. Andits rider didn’t appear to be fairing much better. Given the five-foot metalpole skewering him through the middle of his chest.
Freyja’s Sword,overly decorated massive wrought iron gates, leading up to even more exclusiveluxury mansions, were now popping up along this stretch of road. They were onlyminutes from Carmel proper and this last idiot, with the giant pole through hischest, was imminently about to reveal the fact that supernaturals were real tothe mundane population.
She hated to loseit, but she had more backups in the car, Shaw quickly, with a quick twist, unravelledthe somai she kept twined around her left bicep. To a casual observer the somailooked nothing but decorative. Four feet of thin leather rope with two golfball sized rocks attached to each end. Spinning the somai above her head in afast whirl until the rocks were nothing but two blurs, Shaw let it fly.Factoring in she was driving, the Demon was also moving at speed and she wasusing the rearview mirror to verify his position, it should have been animpossible shot.
But Shaw’s fatherhad gifted her with a somai when she was still in the cradle. He’d been herfirst victim three minutes later when she mastered it. He’d never been so proudhe said.
More importantly,this particular somai had also undergone tinkering by Zuri. Depending upon howShaw snapped the release, it would modify itself accordingly. A backwards halfblind delivery called for a classic. Releasing the twirling somai, knowing thatas it hit velocity speed in the air the leather strap would sprout razor sharptiny metal filaments.
