Taste (Ava Delaney #5) by Claire Farrell Page B

can’t afford a freaking stampede over someone who’s tripped up. We’re almost there. If we can just make it to the—”
    We were in sight of the cul-de-sac, in actual sight of the place, but figures blocked the road.
    “Holy shitballs,” I whispered. There were at least twelve, standing in three rows. They spread out as we approached. “Crap. Don’t get surrounded.” I glanced at Gabe. “How do we do this?”
    “Fight until we’re the only ones standing, I should think.” But he winked at me.
    “Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Everyone, push back. Val, Esther, you’re both up with me. Gabe, get your Guard and stay back with Lorcan. Protect them. Watch out for whatever’s coming up behind us.”
    Gabe seemed surprised that I wasn’t including him, but he moved obediently. I caught sight of Emmett’s terrified face, and I smiled for his benefit. “See you in a minute, kid.”
    Peter chewed on his lip. I knew I could use him by my side, but Emmett needed him more.
    I moved forward with my chosen two to confront our adversaries. The four in the front row ahead of us seemed to relax as we approached.
    Esther moved closer to me and hissed, “Those are Guardians, Ava. Guardians!”
    My heart sank.
    Esther raised her chin and called, “Think about what you’re doing! Hiding who you are to attack us. Are you ashamed? Are you cowards?”
    One stepped forward and shrugged off his hood. If he had any tattoos, they weren’t obvious. He looked at us with just a hint of regret. “This is how it has to be, Esther. Tides are changing.”
    I didn’t recognise him, but the pain in Esther’s expression reassured me she knew exactly who he was.
    “Shame on you,” she said.
    “Shame on you for deserting your family,” he snapped back, throwing off his cloak to reveal muscled arms with biceps covered in swirling tattoos. Two depicted intricately designed daggers that, at least appearance-wise, kicked my dagger’s arse.
    Esther let out a pained sound of anger that turned into a growl. She threw off her jacket, but she didn’t bother stripping off the rest of her clothes. She bent over for a couple of seconds. When she straightened, the growls deepened as her clothes ripped away from her rapidly expanding muscles. Coarse dark hair covered her entire body. I blinked, and she was bear.
    Val’s process of shifting was different. The little bumps that ran from her forehead down her spine grew into horn-like structures and her back and shoulders expanded outward, but her clothes appeared to shift with her, which was kind of cool. Her change was both less and more dramatic than Esther’s. She grew in bulk, but the look of murder and rage in her red-tinged eyes was the most chilling. Our enemies had seemed less than concerned when they first confronted us, but some of them noticeably flinched from ferocious-looking Esther and Val.
    Licking my lips, I twirled my dagger and cocked my head. I could not show fear. Hopefully, my decision to come out with only two others would make them think we had nothing to fear.
    “Ready, ladies?”
    When they growled their assent, I charged straight into the first line of warriors, Val and Esther following my lead. I ducked under the first attacker’s arms, swinging behind him and slitting his throat before he could turn. He dropped, but I was already running for the next one. The others were quick to react, one heading straight for the people I was supposed to be protecting.
    We were vastly outnumbered, but a yell from the cul-de-sac distracted some of the assassins. I recognized the voice of Mrs. Yaga. I prayed she would do her soul-sucking trick on at least one of them, but I was too busy trying to catch the ones hell-bent on getting to our group.
    Ducking and diving, punching and kicking, I couldn’t stop for a breath. I half-choked one warrior, pushing him straight into another who approached. They collided and fell to the ground in a heap. I chased down one trying out a sneak