Nightwalker by Connie Hall Page B

other hovers let out a loud, piercing shriek that deafened Takala. She had heard that the demonic war cry of hovers could actually deafen a human. She hoped her ears stopped throbbing and ringing soon.
    The battle turned ugly.
    Hovers attacked simultaneously. Four hovers movedin on Lilly. Takala tried to help her, but she had three of her own to battle. She knocked away a scythe that came at her side, then somersaulted, avoiding another blade. Instinctively she reached for her gun, but she realized it was useless. Bullets couldn’t kill hovers anyway; only the hell-mined metal of their own weapons and magic worked on them.
    She saw Lilly couldn’t get near the demons to siphon their power. They slashed relentlessly at her with their scythes as she ran for her life. Takala rarely admitted defeat, but she knew they didn’t stand a chance.
    Â 
    â€œThe demons attacking Takala Rainwater are mine,” Striker said.
    â€œWe have the others.” Brawn and Katalinga fell on the demons chasing Culler. She had ducked behind a long line of empty baggage carts and was using one to fend off the hovers.
    Striker suspected these were the same demons who had killed his agents, so he would show them as much mercy as they had bestowed on his men.
    He materialized near one, grabbed the scythe and shoved it into the demon’s gut.
    Green blood ejected in all directions, disintegrating as it reached the earth’s atmosphere.
    He wheeled to attack the demon who had cornered Takala on the ground, hacking recklessly at her. She managed to stay ahead of the blade by rolling and tumbling. In seconds he was on the demon and caught it from behind in a chokehold.
    A hover could conjure fire, and its body became aburning green torch. But it couldn’t hold on to the scythe, and that fell to the ground with a loud thump.
    The demon thrust both flaming hands into Striker’s face. Striker leaped back and lost his hold. The hover turned into a blur of attacking flames. Striker teleported to stay out of the demon’s reach.
    â€œDemon spawn, take that!” Takala had picked up the scythe, and she thrust it into the hover’s flaming back.
    The demon shrieked, then exploded into green ash.
    â€œDemon spawn?” Striker raised a brow at her.
    â€œIf the shoe fits.” She eyed him boldly up and down as if she’d spoken about him, her mismatched eyes radiant with a suspicious light.
    A hover attacked from the side.
    Takala still held the blade, and she stood her ground. For a moment it was a struggle of who could hit harder and faster. Metal sparked red as they clashed. It surprised him how agile and strong Takala was. Striker found an opening, grabbed the blade from Takala, and sent it straight through the demon.
    It screamed and dissolved.
    Takala rounded on him. “Hey, stay out of my way—unless you want to get hurt.”
    â€œYou needed help,” he said.
    â€œI handle my own battles, thank you very much.”
    â€œYou are welcome.”
    â€œI wasn’t thanking you.” Something dawned in her face, and her expression turned serious as she said, “I know you. You’re Nightwalker?”
    â€œAt your service.” To his dismay, he realized he hadn’t erased all her memories of him, only the one in the bathroom. She’d seen him at Culler’s home. Culler musthave given her an earful of lies about him. He wished now he had cleared all her recollections.
    A whirling fireball of energy sailed past them and they ducked.
    They both looked up at the same time to see Brawn and Katalinga. Katalinga’s arm was sliced open, and Brawn fended off two attackers by throwing magical balls of blue energy at them. But he was getting tired, and the demons were advancing, easily evading them.
    Before Striker could stop her, Takala leaped to help. He had to admit, either she was the most courageous female he’d ever met or she had a death wish.
    He searched for Culler.