Page 8 (1/2)

One of the Slashers darted forward, swinging a chain with lethal dexterity It whipped toward hi the end of it Chain links wrapped around his fist and he yanked hard, bringing his other fist through as the Slasher stumbled off-balance toward him

The heavy crunch of his fist in theThe Slasher went doith a gurgle and Rip stepped over hi the other end of the chain up into histhe links taut Three of theht Rip didn’t think Leaping forward, he wrapped the chain around one of their throats and yanked the ends over each other hard enough to break the neck

A hook slashed toward his face, breaking his hold The body he held went down, still twitching and Rip swung, blocking another blow Grabbing the Slasher’s forearm he snapped his open hand down into the man’s elbow so it bent and shoved the hook back toward the , the Slasher went doith his own hook stuck in his eye Rip bent low as the next man leapt for him and threw him over his shoulder

Eachat hih a waltz That was one of the benefits of the craving; increased speed The delut its hunger on pain and not blood

Within seconds the six Slashers were down Only the one with the hook was still alive

Higgins’s nostrils flared and he gestured the other four in front of hi shadows of the train tunnel A hunchback lingered there, holding a small shuttered lantern

This ti but a shadowscape, in tones of blacks and grays Men came at him and he cut them doith little ht keepto mess with him, but he’d earned it in blood and pain over the years

Behind hih his veins, red rushing through his eyes Seeing Higgins step off the platforer roar Rip lifted the last Slasher over his head and hurled hi forward Dropping onto the tracks he stepped over the Slasher he’d just thrown "You want to frighten little girls? You want to abduct women who can’t lift a ‘and to you--" And there was hisas she lifted her ar the bottle down for the last tih hiins shoved the hunchback toward him and Rip barely paused to throw hiht ins stepped back into the linted at the sides but Rip was too enraged to care

"I think not," Higgins said He took a step back, then another, eyes glittering in a watchful way

Rip stepped toward the mouth of the tunnel--

"Don’tto that tone made his body freeze A flicker of disappointed and took another step back "Another ti a small metal box out of his pocket, he pressed the button in the roan, one of the silver blades on the side of the tunnel dropped, swinging past Rip’s nose by an inch Rip leapt back as other blades released fro past with deadly force Like the swinging pendulurandfather clock, each blade moved independently of the others so that all he could see were flashes of Higgins, slowly stepping back through theauntlet of theins called Doffing his hat, he stepped back, slashes of hientleh he disappeared into the darkness

"Damn it!" Rip kicked the side of the tunnel and shot a frustrated look toward his master "I damned well ‘ad ‘ih narrowed eyes after Higgins "Them’s the sort as always runs when the ship starts sinkin’ Like bleedin’ rats"

Blade knelt down, gathering Annie into his ar The blood froave a hiot ‘er," Blade said, lifting her wrist to histhe wound "Get on after ‘im I’ll send Will to ‘elp you and meet you back at the Warren when you both done"

Rip’s breath caught He couldn’t look away from the blood

Blade’s eyes narrowed as he put his mouth to the woaround and facing the swinging pendulums Blade could do what he couldn’t; use his saliva to heal the broken skin, hopefully before she lost too much blood Rip would never have been able to control hi in a randoh for his body to rest between each blade He’d need to ti a deep breath he stepped forward, feeling a cool breeze over his face as the first scythe swung past Another step, an odd dancingsharply on each blade until he was finally at the end of the gauntlet Breathing hard, Rip stared into the darkness The sa he’d s through his nostrils until his eyes watered and that was all he could sins

Couldn’t track him by scent then

Well, that was fine with him He’d spent thirty-five years without enhanced senses He knew this world, of darkness and grime And he wasn’t afraid of the dark Not anymore

Indeed, the dark should fear hi

Esht the faintest hint of noise Sing hard, she put her wooden spoon down on the bench and hurried to the door to peer out The yard was eie’s mother, Annie, and a et out and help Rip search for the Slashers, then he’d bellowed for Honoria to get her ether and vanished into his roo one up with Lena to sit with herthere as well Her skills lay in another area and she sought her own cothened and Rip still hadn’t returned

Latching the door, she sighed under her breath and returned to the stove The fresh scent of cinnamon buns steamed in the air and Esme stared past them She’d alorried about Rip when he was out on patrol, but it had been worse ever since the vae, so full of life that it seeht hi on all the fluid in his lungs, she’d nearly been undone She’d buried one husband – she didn’t wish to bury another h

It didn’t s were strained between the asp Looking up, Eslass, and behind hied to Rip

"Oh, thank goodness," she said, opening the door to the pair of thee body He was covered in blood, one sleeve of his shirt torn

"Blood ain’t his," Will assured her, stepping past