Daughter of Nyx (Book 2)

Chapter Four

Muffled shouting came from the her shattered window.

Hands reached for her and she fought back before she realized it was James talking to her.

Why was he upside down?

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, her hair swinging. She was the one upside down.

"I'm sorry, but I need to get you down and I have to do it in a hurry. Do you understand?"

She tried to nod, but settled for putting her hands over her head. He tried to help her when she dropped but it was still ugly. Ugly, but once again, she was alive.

"What—"

He held up his finger as he began backing away from her door, pulling her with him. On her hands and knees, she looked back out her window. There were people approaching and they didn't look like they were there to help. She met James' eyes and gave him a nod. Together they made their way out of the drivers side door.

"Shoot him. Take her."

Of course they would have guns. Didn't they when they tried to take her before?

Heart thudding in her throat, she crouched behind James. There was no where to hide if they shot low. James didn't wait for them. He was on his knees and his gun in his hands. He fired two shots and there was a shout. Something scored the ground at her feet and people around them, began screaming and running for cover. Good.

She heard her name shouted and she twisted, looking over her shoulder. Simmons was running up to them. He glanced at James

"Go!" James waved her toward him as another small burst of fire tore up the ground to her left.

"Be careful," she whispered and ran.

She was close. So close when one of the bullets hit her thigh. Full of adrenaline, she was surprised by the lack of pain but that didn't stop her from almost falling as her leg tried to give out.

Simmons helped her around a car and eased her down behind the wheel of a car. "Stay here," he said, shrugging out of his jacket. He folded it around the outside of her leg and she bit off a scream as he leaned against the wound. "I have to go help him and I need you to keep pressure on your leg. It'll slow the bleeding until I can get an ambulance here."

Gritting her teeth, she put her hands where he told her and pressed as hard as she could.

There was a distant shout and she looked up at Simmons. "Don't let him die."

He gave her a quick nod before getting to his feet and disappearing. The sound of gunfire escalated until there was a screeching of tires and only then did silence reign.

James made it to her before Simmons, already on the phone. "I'm calling Elliot."

She nodded, finally able to appreciate the agony that was her leg. By the hole in her jeans, she figured the bullet went straight through. Simmons ran back up, on his radio and she heard him calling for an ambulance. It wasn't needed, she wanted to tell him. She healed fast.

He dropped beside her and she realized why it took so long for him to come back. There was a first aid kit in his free hand. It must have been a fancy one because there was a tourniquet in it. Only the best for the police. They didn't have to make do with ripped up shirts and jackets. But then, she had his jacket, didn't she? There were sirens now, growing closer. How was she going to explain this when she didn't know what happened?

"This is going to hurt," he said, trying to slide the stretchy plastic strip under her leg.

She groaned as her leg moved, but it wasn't going to kill her. "I've had worse."