Brightblade by C. T. Phipps

Author:C. T. Phipps [Suttkus, C. T. Phipps, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: urban fantasy, action
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2019-11-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Don’t Answer the Phone when it’s Evil

Talking about my past wasn’t comfortable for me. To them, it was simple, I’d been under duress, tortured by a demon, compelled to do something wrong. It was entirely understandable. I, however, am the one who did it. The one who made a choice to end my suffering by killing another person while the Wire-Woman laughed. I could still hear her laughter. It’s never left my ears. I don’t know what the world would sound like without it, now. And what would it mean for me if I did?

You were wrong to do what you did and the guilt you feel is well-earned. Do better.

I slumped against the wall. The sword might as well have punched me in the gut for all the difference it made. My right hand trembled. “Thank you, I needed that.”

You’re welcome.

“Ashley?” Alex asked, reaching over to touch my shoulder. “Are you alright?”

Why did people always ask that when the answer was obviously no?

“It’s okay,” I said, sucking in my breath. “I’m just trying to push through serious trauma.”

“This may not be the place to do that,” Alex said, gently.

“Ya think?”

Bryce practically leaped out of the booth, adjusting his pants. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and there was a little red smudge on his neck and above his right pec. “Nothing was happening! Happened! Anything that happened was nothing!”

Tracy blinked. “Really? Minji, what did you do wrong?”

A lovely dark-haired Korean girl in what appeared to be a sexy costume version of a Detroit Pistons cheerleader outfit stepped out of the booth behind him. A little dab of blood was on the side of her cheek that she licked off. She was rail thin, pale, and her eyes were predatory rather than warm. She was another vampire but I didn’t feel the same fear I felt from Ashura (or even Arthur to an extent). In fact, I felt almost as powerful if not more so as our two monsters mentally tested themselves against one another.

“I did everything right,” Minji said, crossing his arms. “Bruce was also adequate.”

“Bryce,” Bryce corrected. “Wait, adequate?”

“Yeah, no diseases or drugs or anything,” Minji said. “Quite tasty.”

I put the muscle back to my spine and stood away from the wall. I had to at least pretend I was strong enough. “If Bryce is done paying far too much to do nothing, can we move on and find this Mitra person?”

“I don’t pay for sex!” Bryce said.

Tracy and Minji looked at him, annoyed.

“I mean, not that there’s anything wrong…I mean,” Bryce started to say. “Oh my God, Ashley, you’re a vampire now!”

“I like him,” Alex said, cheerfully. “Is he your new sidekick?”

“No, he’s a trainee, which is like a sidekick but with even less respect,” Tracy said. “He’s cool, though, and survived a werebear attack.”

“Really?” Minji asked, seemingly genuinely impressed. “I guess I’ll give him another snacking on the house.”

“Really?” Bryce asked. “T-that sounds a-awesome.”

“You can drop the fake stutter,” Tracy said. “Telepath, remember?”

Bryce shot her a look that was very un-trainee like.

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