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As I stood, I swiped outdeeper and deeper, into spinal cord, buying me a temporary reprieve From him, at least

I tried to su I could and thereby gaining the inner strength to actually do it, but I was so new to this, didn’t have as much faith as the others and could only stretch et about it

As expected, no flaed at me, black-stained teeth bared I spun and kicked,into his side He stued ather in the temple when I lined up to her left She went down, but quickly twisted and reached for my ankle

I don’t think so I hopped up and stoht With a twirl of ainst my wrist, then punched one creature and kicked the other At rabbed and bent it, forcing the zo into his face When I released hiround

But like his brethren, he recovered in a rush I perfor outto shove him back several feet Before he could rise a second tiers The tip soared past his open mouth and embedded in the back of his throat

Bull’s-eye

On instinct, I turned, realized a pack of zoht, narrowly avoiding nails and teeth,flesh Cold black goo dripped down ot off on this

Soainst my back, and I threw an elbow, raised the blade As I sliced in a doard arc, Justin ducked, barely avoiding impact

"Idiot," I screa" He motioned to just over my shoulder

I drank in the scene as quickly as possible and decided what to do A zo in close and preparing to sink his teeth in my upper arm I could dive away, but Justin’s nearness would put hie I could arch, but the creature’s ht would cage o for my neck

I had to take the bite in ht away, so I could ju

"No!" Justin reached out, fla as brightly as the streetlaht, and both Justin and the creature dropped

The zombie frantically patted at hispain for the first time But that wasn’t possible Was it? Even still, he hadn’t been exposed to Justin’s fire long enough to die

On the opposite end of the spectrule drop was all it took He writhed, the poison already pouring through hi over hi him

I wanted to help him, meant to inject him, but there just wasn’t tiht, protecting hi that the boy I knew as a traitor had taken a blow meant for me Maybe I should have been nicer to hirotesque bodies I lost count They were like a swar I hobbled one, and two more replaced him--and then the one I’d hobbled rejoined the party

My inhalations were too shallow, ain ten pounds with everyThis was too much, too soon I wasn’t sure how much more I could take and still remain on my feet

Can’t let Justin’s sacrifice be in vain

Must avengehis own horde He race of a panther, his every action fluid, nothing without a purpose

Should I call for help?

A clawed hand swiped atand snarls filled , but an elbow jabbed into ed to take in I doubled over Fingers tangled in round

"Gavin"

"Ali!" he shouted

I kicked out, but two of the creatures rab ed to grab my wrists I bucked, but couldn’t freerationally I could get out of this I just had to What?

"Ali!" another voice shouted

Cole! Cole was here!

Cole, the light ofit," I commanded my hands I could do this I would do this I believed "Now!"