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"Great comeback," Krysta muttered

They turned their attention to her

"Ah-ah-ah," Etienne reprimanded "Over here"

They looked to hi me over to the mercenaries would be monumentally stupid Whatever they learn about the virus and our physiology froainst you And vice versa Which, by the way, is the only reason any of you are still standing"

"We’re still standing because we outnumber you, jackwad"

"I’er than you Were your numbers that they are now, I could still defeat you"

Really? Krysta askedOne of the elder ih

More curses and denials and posturing The blood-covered va pretty arip on the shoto swords, watching their auras carefully for any hint of ih they’re human," Etienne stubbornly persevered, "the mercenaries pose a serious threat They’ve developed a neeapon to use against us A tranquilizer--"

"Drugs don’t work on us," a vamp snorted

"This one does It takes several darts to incapacitate an ile dart will drop one of you in your tracks instantly and land you on the dissection table"

Krysta nodded "I’ve seen the darts in action He isn’t bullshitting you These guys could take out every one of you without even getting near you"

"They’re just fucking with us!" a bloody va his voice "We’re proposing an alliance"

"Va with immortals?" another scoffed "My ass!"

Etienne raised an eyebrow "Your ass will be tortured if you’re caught I suggest you ith us and--"

"Fuck this shit! Fuck hie aura shot toward Etienne a second before the vamp did Half a dozen more did the sa her swords, striking flesh as they closed in on her Two fell back with howls of rage and pain Then a third

A blade cut across her ha in pain, she spun and sliced

The va his ht as Etienne tore into his opponents and Krysta continued to hold her own

The tip of a blade pierced her side

Gritting her teeth, Krysta swiveled and stabbed the va on her left

Pain exploded in her head

She staggered Shit! A vamp must have punched her Her knees weakened as little sparkly bits of glitter flirted with her vision

Brilliant purple and white swept in a circle around her, laying out all of the va around her as he had once before

Etienne paused in front of her, his face close to hers "Are you all right?"

A vaing his sword, and swept the vaaped and lowered his weapon, wide eyes latching onto Etienne "Oh, shit!" He took a step back, then jerked and danced as holes opened in his chest and blood sprayed

Two more vampires fell, their torsos peppered with bullets

Krysta jerked as a bullet pierced her shoulder Another filled her arround

Swearing, Etienne dropped a katana and swept Krysta behind hiainst the nearest wall

A dart pierced a varound, unconscious Another va va theainst the wall There were onlyfive va been taken out by Etienne or Krysta

A vampire directly across from them stared at Etienne ide eyes "That shit was true?" he cried, voice high with fear "What do we do?"

The others all waited in fearful silence

Krysta, call Ca

She sheathed her other shoto sword and yanked out her cell phone As soon as he answered, she whispered, "Mercenaries are attacking us!"

While she gave their location, Etienne ordered two vamps to cross the alley and join the but obey, because they only hesitated a second before they streaked across and hit the wall beside the the off the pavement with little sprays of asphalt and dirt

"Protect the wothe phone back in her pocket

I’ to sweep around and come up behind the soldiers , he said

You can’t take them out alone!

I don’t intend to

Before Krysta could ask him what he meant, he continued The aped at Etienne

Was he talking to them telepathically, too?

"Dude," the vampire beside her said, "how’d you do that?" A for to his T-shirt

It doesn’tin on us The bulk of the group will strike from the east The rest plan to circle around and attack us fro us in here