Exposed [Book 4 in the Expiring Series]

66 I Can't Explain Why Erik Is Like This

Erik~~

The Veil swarm on us like wasps. There are more Veil than last time, and with Colton and Percy supporting Jonas, there are less of us to fight them off. But if they overwhelm us, it won't just be Iris and Jonas thrown into cells. It will be me. Xioazhi. Percy. Colton. Basile. And then those other two. I don't know who the hell this Ean is—an assassin? But he can go screw himself. I don't care about him or Vienna—the Veil can take her. She's responsible for every bad thing that's happened to me in the past two years. No, I'm not being petty. And yes, she can go screw herself too.

         I grab a Veil by the shoulders and drive my knee up into his stomach before swinging my fist into his jaw. I kick him to the side before the next one is on me and grab her by the sides and flip her to the ground, accidentally stepping on her leg as I pass over her. She yelps. Well, that's what you get for just lying on the floor where anyone can step on you.

         Vienna and Ean—who I guess only spells his name with an E to be cool—though if Amoria has their own alphabet, is he really spelling it with an E or have I subconsciously assigned that letter to him knowing my own name starts with an E and that it is a superior letter?

         Focus.

         Right. Veil. Coming at me.

         I lock my fingers around the arm of the Veil closest to me and punch him a few times and throw him at two other Veil like a bowling ball. Please note, I don't usually throw my bowling balls. But if the Veil are pins what else am I supposed to compare him to?

         Vienna and Ean have gathered around Colton and Percy, with Jonas in between them. The backstabber and assassin fend off Veil from the left, right, front and back.

         I can't see Basile or Iris. They're probably okay. Xioazhi mows down Veil as if she's a lawnmower and the Veil are grass.

         I jab my elbow into the side of a Veil and backhand another before circling back to the first and delivering a blow to their stomach followed by a stab with my knee.

         It's just my cousin-in-laws then who are unaccounted for. I grimace. The thought alone leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Iris: my cousin.

         Basile appears from out of nowhere and takes Ean's place beside Colton. The assassin man cuts his way through the Veil. Is he a Veil? Is he not a Veil? Xioazhi and those protecting Jonas, who I'm convinced can't protect himself, take off after Ean—the assassin man. Now, that's a name that's growing on me.

         I punch and kick, slash and grab my way to them. When I reach the group, Iris is there, fresh dots of blood staining her face. I suppose right now she would look attractive to a vampire.

         Ean feels up the wall while the rest of us hold off Veil, so he can have his privacy. Iris clutches the piece of her wreath in her hand, both covered in blood. I gave mine to Percy—not so he could better defend Jonas, mind you. I just don't want to see anything happen to Elleany's Iota.

A panel in the wall slides open, barely tall enough for any of us to get through. That doesn't matter to Ean who ushers us through it.

         I hesitate. "What about when they follow us in?"

         He places his hand on my back. "If you hurry, then you might not need to find out." He shoves me inside, and I nearly hit my head on the top of the doorway.

         Vienna stumbles in after me, bumping into my back. I flick her off, and she flicks me in the head.

         Once we're all through, Ean feels up the wall again, and the panel closes. He continues touching the wall, his fingers deft, assured, putting pressure here and there. His expression is tight, focused. When he steps away from the wall nothing appears to have changed, but he looks entirely too satisfied. "That will hold them off."