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The arrow struckrabbed the shaft of the arrow and pulled The shaft broke off inthe head stuck deep in my flesh

For ato pass out But then the crimson haze faded and the road and houses swa, I heard footsteps coether to fight back a wave of fresh pain - I saw Steve leading his so of the truncheons when I fell One had rolled away, but the other was close by I snatched for it and for the shaft of the arrow - the splintered end could be used as a crude dagger When Gannen Harst saw this, he stepped in front of Steve "Fan out!" he coan James They swiftly obeyed The boy, Darius, was behind Steve He looked sick I don’t think he’d ever shot anyone before

"Keep back!" I hissed, waving led

"Uhr’d luhk tuh shee ian James, who could only speak in a slur since his accident

"We won’t let hi," Gannen Harst said quietly He hadn’t drawn his sword yet, but his right hand was hanging purposefully by his scabbard "He’s a dangerous foe, even injured - don’t forget that"

"You think tooat me over his protector’s shoulder "He won’t even be able to get up with a wound like that"

"Won’t I?" I snorted, and pushed myself to my feet just to spite hiain it passed after a couple of seconds When oadedthe arrow shaft around at the four ht shoulder flaring up at the slightest et very far, but Gannen was taking no chances He sent RV toheavily onto formulate a plan I knew only Steve could kill me - Des Tiny had predicted doom for the vampaneze if anybody other than their Lord killed any of the vampire hunters - but the others could hold me down for him

"Lets finish hi his sword "He is at our mercy Let’s not waste time"

"Take it easy," Steve chuckled "I want to see him bleed a bit more"

"And if he bleeds to death from your son’s arrow?" Gannen snapped

"He won’t," Steve said "Darius shot exactly where I trained hiht his troubled look "Are you OK?"

"Yes," Darius croaked "I just didn’t think it would be so? so?"

"Bloody," Steve said He nodded understandingly "You did good work tonight You don’t have to watch the rest if you don’t want to"

"How did?you end up with? a son?" I gasped, playing for ti an escape would present itself

"A long, twisted story," Steve said, facingyou before I drive a stake through your heart"

"You got that? the wrong way round" I laughed bleakly "I’llbe the one doing? the killing tonight"

"Optimistic to the last," Steve smirked He cocked a devilish eyebrow atpig Crepsley?"

At that, so snapped inside , hurled my truncheon at him With blind luck, it struck his forehead and he dropped with a startled grunt

Gannen Harst instinctively swung away from me, to check on his Lord As soon as he an James, I lashed out with the arrow shaft He took a quick step back to avoid being speared As he did, I sht shoulder I hoith pain as the arrow head was forced deeper into my flesh, but my ploy worked - James toppled over

The path ahead was ht shoulder withhard around the hole where the arrow head was buried, trying to steony Behind me I heard Steve shout, "I’et away!"

If I hadn’t been injured, I h of a head start on the It was only a matter of seconds before they’d catch up with me