Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rurik
Băjenie, Romania
Rurik faced down Alyosha, the naked hatred in the ringmaster’s eyes biting into him like an arctic wind. He jerked his arms up to block his chest but knew it left other targets—neck, head, belly—open to a strike. After surviving the lightning three times, his luck had run dry.
At least the girls huddled behind him, safe.
Alyosha threw his dagger, and a gunshot blasted from the rear of the factory.
Alyosha staggered. Blood bloomed on his chest. The knife clanged off the floor at Rurik’s feet and skidded into the darkness. A ragged wheeze escaped Alyosha’s lips. He toppled to the ground.
Marva appeared behind him, a gun in her hand.
The bloodwalker leader, Klavdia, swiveled her head toward Marva. Her lipless mouth widened. With a snake-like
