Misfortune Market: A HASEA CHRONICLES STORY (BOOK 1.5) by Stuart Meczes Page B

Mercy Prison for his crimes. I only allowed the confusion to take hold for a second then disregarded it. Being a Guardian meant expecting anything – even the unexpected.
    “Guys, the Overseer is Malachi!” I shouted to the rest of the team.
    Scarlett fired a stake round into the skull of a Bloodseeker. It screamed as it vanished in a torrent of fire and ash. She turned to look and her face went slack as she saw the Vampire. “Ella…I-I can’t attack this man. He saved my life once.”
    Now that was unexpected.
    Gabriella cut the Bloodling a sideways glance. “Scarlett, that doesn’t matter now. He’s committed serious crimes. You have to do your duty as a Guardian.”
    Scarlett shook her head. “But if he hadn’t helped me…” 
    “Scarlet…”
    “Don’t worry, we’ll deal with him,” I said. “He didn’t save our lives.”
    Gabriella nodded. “Fine. But if it comes to it…”
    “I’ll do what I need to,” said Scarlett.
    Malachi’s face was twisted in an expression of utter fury. He gave Scarlett no look of recognition – not even the briefest glance. Instead he pointed a shaking towards the crowd. “A free one hundred notch coin to each of you, for every filthy Alliance scum you kill!” he shouted, sending spittle flicking onto his chin.
    That stopped several of the escaping market-goers in their tracks. Some paused for a second, like stones in the wave of people rushing from the market. A large handful turned back towards the stage. 
    Shit.
    An Oni guard rushed Scarlett. She avoided the furious swipes of his sickle blade and thrust a pinknife under his chin, pushing up with enough force that it poked into his mouth. Grabbing his large frame she spun him around, and pushed him towards Grey, who grabbed him with boiling red hands and burned his head. The creature screamed as his flesh melted away and became a smoldering skull. Scarlett snatched back her blade, hissing as the flames licked her pale fingers. A second later the body slumped to the stage floor and Delagio kicked it off the stage.
    “Oh my god, oh my god!” screamed Andrea and sank into a crouched position, covering her head as we continued to battle around her.
    “I know it’s difficult, but it’s important that you remain calm Andrea,” Gabriella panted as she swirled out the way of a buckshot from an adamantine round shotgun, fired by an advancing Skinshifter guard. The round smashed into the podium and reduced it to a pile of wood splinters.
    “H-how do you know my name?”
    “Because we were sent here to rescue you,” Gabriella answered, firing back at the shifter and winging him on the shoulder.
    I sprinted forward and rose upwards with my sword, stabbing the tip into the wounded creature’s belly and slicing upwards until he was unseamed from the navel – killing the hound inside. He collapsed to the floor and I retreated back to the relative safety of the circle.
    Attacks came from every direction as drugged up, pissed or just plain desperate market-goers tried their hardest to collect the bounties on our heads. Sweat poured from my damp skin, soaking the cloying boiler suit that covered my uniform. I dodged, ducked, pivoted, parried, sliced, shot and stabbed my way through dozens of Pandemonians and Hybrids. But the more the body count piled up, there more seemed to keep coming. It was like a pack of hyenas that had smelt blood and were coming from every corner to claim their piece.  
    “Crow’s Nest we need support NOW! ” yelled Gabriella into her coms bracelet. A blade jerked towards her and I thrust forward, deflecting it with my own. The Imp looked shocked – it was the same one Delagio had stolen the coin from. The mention of profit had seemingly bought him back to his senses.
    “Del!” I shouted.
    He turned towards the Imp and jerked his palms towards the creature’s eyes. There was a sickening crunch and two bloody marbles popped out the back of his skull. The creature’s legs folded and he hit