A Cat's Chance in Hell by Sharon Hannaford Read Free Book Online

He’d lost his main sword, and reaching desperately for another weapon, his hand closed around the dartgun. The Demon rushed him, drawing back the flail once more. Kyle drew a gasping breath, steadied himself and fired the dartgun three times into the beast’s face.
    The Demon tossed its head in annoyance at the bite of the darts, sending the flail down slightly off target, Kyle managed to wrench his body aside but the cruel, spiked head of the weapon caught a glancing blow off his upper thigh, tearing through the leather and lacerating the flesh beneath. The wolf inside him howled in fury, it wasn’t going to lie quietly and let him be flayed alive. The power of the wolf brought him to his feet, forcing him to move his agonised body away from the crazed Demon. It was floundering around, swiping at mid-air and roaring madly at unseen attackers. The Werewolf saliva was working through the Demon’s body; it would be incapacitated in seconds. Matt and Lance both streaked in towards it and plunged knives and swords into it, finishing it off quickly and efficiently.
    “ Gabi,” Kyle yelled again, clamping his left arm down over the bloody gashes in his side to try and staunch the flow of blood. She was slowly picking herself up off the ground, but she seemed unsteady and confused. She was blinking her eyes wildly, rubbing at them with her hands as the Wraith moved menacingly towards her.
    “ Shit, something’s wrong with Gabi,” he yelled to Matt and Lance. He started staggering painfully towards her, but then he felt Matt’s steely hand suddenly grip his shoulder.
    “ We’ve got her Wolf, get yourself to the medics,” Matt ordered and then sprinted after Lance towards Gabi and the Wraith. Kyle knew he wasn’t going to be any help in a fight, but the wolf wouldn’t let him just curl up and wait for the medics, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off about the way Gabi was reacting. Lance and Matt placed themselves between Gabi and the Wraith and Lance began tossing fire balls at it, aiming for the eyes inside the cowl. The Magi had moved closer to the fight as well and were gesturing wildly to the other Hunters. Doug flew into the middle of the melee and changed back to human form, shouting at the Magi to start the Banishment spell. Kyle had managed to drag himself close enough to call to Gabi.
    “ Gabi, are you alright?” he shouted anxiously. “Gabs, you need to get back from there,” “The others have got it under control.” “I hope,” he added under his breath.
    “ Tell them not to touch it,” Gabi yelled frantically. “They mustn’t touch it!” There was an edge of hysteria in her voice.
    She put her arm out towards him as though feeling for him, stumbling in his direction. It was in that instant he realised she was blind.
     
    Gabi felt the air whoosh out of her lungs as her back hit the ground with a bone jarring crunch. The force had felt like huge electrical charge exploding through her body. She lost track of time while her lungs remembered how to breathe. She groggily opened her eyes, but the darkness still clouded her vision. She shook her head trying to clear the black fog from her eyes. Her limbs were shaking and she didn’t seem to have any control over them.
    “ Holy cow!” she muttered to herself, “what the hell is that thing?” In the distance she heard Kyle yell her name. She knew she had to get to her feet, had to clear the blackness from her eyes and prepare to face the Wraith again. She could smell the dry, musty odour of it, it was coming for round two and she wasn’t sure she had another round in her. How was she supposed to fight this thing? “Distract it until helps arrives,” she told herself sternly. “Get up!” She fumbled around until her hand closed around Nex’s hilt, then managed to get her feet and legs into some kind of order and dragged herself upright; swaying as she tried to lock her legs in place and take a confident stand. She