Breaking the Nexus (Mythrian Realm) by Lindsay Avalon Page B

understood their panic, but didn’t they realize they had nowhere to go? They were only going to make the situation worse. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind when screeching tires followed by the crunch of metal upon metal signaled several cars had just collided.
    At least nobody was hurt. The drivers had already exited their cars and were alternating between yelling at each other and scanning the sky for the creature. He couldn’t offer his assistance without leaving Sha alone in the car, so he settled for calling the crash into dispatch.  
    “What are we up against, Sha? I thought the legends were that banshees came around when a loved one died or something along those lines.” The logical part of his brain rebelled at the idea that banshees existed, but there was no disputing there was something out there.
    Her eyes locked onto the black figure darting from shadow to shadow over the street, following the movement with unerring accuracy. He had no idea how she tracked it; the only time he could tell the location was when a light was momentarily blocked.  
    She was silent for so long, he thought she hadn’t heard his question. Finally she answered in a distracted tone. “The tales you heard must’ve left out the part where the banshee isn’t just the harbinger of death; she’s also the killer. She’s hunting someone right now.”
    “You keep saying ‘she.’ How do you know it’s female?”
    A shriek ripped through chaos, this time longer and somehow more chilling. “All banshees are female. Depending on their mood, they take either the form of a hideous old hag or a gorgeous woman who tries to seduce her prey before she attacks.”  
    “That describes half the women in the city. Can we fight it or do we wait it out?”
    “Once she’s fixated on a victim, she won’t give up. I can try to fight her but—” She broke off as the dark mass plummeted toward one of the cars, hands tipped with razor sharp claws raking over the hood.  
    Panicked onlookers raced for the nearest buildings, their screams spurring the creature on. Now that he could get a closer look, Connor could see the figure was humanoid, it’s hood falling back to reveal disfigured features. It definitely qualified as a hag. Sudden movement inside the car had him cursing when he realized someone was trapped inside.
    “Mother Night, that metal won’t stand up against the banshee for long.”  
    Before he could stop her, Sha was out of the vehicle and issuing a shrill whistle. Son of a bitch, did the woman have a death wish? The banshee let out a triumphant cry, its attention now on Sha. Heart pounding, he dove across the seats, determined to stop her before she got herself killed.  
    Connor grabbed her wrist pulling her close. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
    Cool eyes met his, the pulse beneath his fingers steady as a rock. “My job. You wanted to know what I did in Mythria, didn’t you?”  
    He felt his jaw drop in disbelief at the thread of amusement in her question. They were facing a vicious creature hell-bent on ripping them apart and she was amused ? He had to be mistaken.
    As if reading his mind, Sha’s lips curved. “Welcome to my world, Detective. Now give me room to work.”
    Releasing her arm, he took a single step back, gun drawn and aimed at the banshee. Casting a sidelong glance at her, he asked, “Anything I can do to help?”
    She shook her head. “Your weapon won’t kill her, though it might slow her down. Don’t use it unless you have to because you may just anger her.”
    He didn’t like this situation, didn’t like Sha putting herself in danger. It never sat well with him when civilians were in the crossfire, but his mouth had gone dry the instant she’d left the safety of the car. Relative safety of the car, he amended when the banshee leapt from the ruined hood, revealing glimpses of the interior and the bone white complexion of the passengers. At least he couldn’t see