Blade Of The Vampire King (Book 4) by Lucas Thorn Page A

Dhampir and the fury of the elf, the Grey Jackets sought to defend themselves as best they could. Two rushed to meet her, driving their swords in fast, thrusting wildly. She deflected a blade's edge across her bracer and the other slid through her jacket to tear a line across her ribs.
    Spinning away, she powered into the arms of a skeleton who clawed with sharp fingers at her throat.
    Hemlock, on his knees, jabbed his finger at his grimoire. Blinked to clear his mental fog, and used his other hand to wipe beads of sweat from his cheek.
    Chukshene stood beside him, looking helpless without his spellbook. Still, the acrid stink of magic surged around him.
    “Nysta,” he shouted. “Look out!”
    She twisted her body, fighting against the supernatural arms wrapped around her neck, and caught a glimpse of a Grey Jacket's sword streaking for her guts.
    Lifting herself in the undead grip, she managed to lash out with both feet. One foot kicked into the flat of the blade, sending his blow arcing away. Her other heel, intended to wipe his face from his skull, missed as the skeletal arms wrapped tighter around her throat and jerked her suddenly toward undead jaws.
    Stink of death was sharp. Desperation gifted her with speed and Underling's Bane slid between its ulna and radius bones of its forearm. She twisted. Wrenched. Grunted in satisfaction as they broke, severing its wrist from its arm and sending bones dancing out across the stone floor.  
    But the rest of the arm snaked around her neck, sharp edges of freshly-splintered bone drawing deep grooves between her throat and shoulder. Trying to haul her closer to the clicking teeth of its snapping jaw.
    The skeleton hadn't even twitched when its arm shattered.
    They felt no pain, she realised.
    “Shit,” the elf managed to gasp.
    Narrowed her eyes to slits as she saw Melganaderna chop through the mass of undead warriors toward the rampaging Dhampir. Caught a brief glimpse of the young axewoman's expression. Fear and excitement wrangled with her features. The closest thing to lust you could feel in a fight.
    She could feel the young woman's desire to kill. Knew in this way, they were kindred spirits.
    But couldn't afford to ponder this awkward revelation as the soldier scooped up his fallen sword and, though he struggled with another skeleton attacker of his own, was still looking to gut her. His eyes told the story of his own violent need.
    Anger kicked her in the chest and she did the only thing she could think of.
    Launched herself upward, throwing herself back over the skeleton's shoulder. The movement tore her free of its clutching arm, sending more brittle bones spitting to the ground. Not sure where to stab, and seeing no vital point, the elf chose to skewer it in the spine, just at the base of its skull.
    Underling's Bane bit easily through dry bone, popping the skull free.  
    The body dropped, lifeless once more as the head crashed to the ground.
    Just as the Grey Jacket darted forward.
    “Kill you, you Tainted-” he managed to hiss just as Underling's Bane left her hand to seek the warm fountain gushing from his throat. He fell, writhing on the ground. Fingers tearing at his neck in vain hope his life would stop flooding away.  
    The elf didn't pause. She leapt his twitching body, already drawing Foxwise . Eyes searching for a fresh kill.  
    Melganaderna had reached the Dhampir and the battleaxe was screaming for gore. But the creature showed unnatural speed to deftly swat the heavy blade aside as though it was an irritant.
    The battleaxe smashed into the closest wall with a shocked clang and the young woman had to work hard to avoid the heavy creature's lunging attack. Scything claws whipped across her mailshirt.
    The rings rang with a metallic cry, but held.
    For now.
    The elf, so focussed on the Dhampir by this stage, almost found herself skewered on a grim-faced soldier's blade. Managed to avoid dying only because her boot skidded on one of many bones now