Bloody Fairies (Shadow) Read Online Free

“Nice trip.”
    Hippy scowled. “Shut up.”
    “I bet the vamps just shake in their boots when they see you coming. In case you fall on them!”
    “Shut up!” Hippy’s voice rose.
    “You can’t help it though,” Ishtar said. “What with being dropped on your head and all.”
    Hippy dropped her spear, tackled Ishtar to the ground and slapped her in the face.
    Ishtar slapped her in return. Hippy gave a furious hiss, determined to show Ishtar she was–she was–she couldn’t even think of anything, so she pummelled her in the ribs while Ishtar held her down and dug her knuckles into her head.
    Someone cleared their throat above them.
    Hippy and Ishtar paused mid-fight and looked up.
    Hippy squeaked. Four pairs of pink eyes glittered down at them. Pale skin glowed in the darkness.
    “Bloody Fairies,” said one, sounding bemused.
    Ishtar went for her spear. Hippy did the same, but neither fairy got anywhere near their weapon. A hand grabbed Hippy by the hair and hauled her to her feet. Two vamps grabbed Ishtar’s arms. These guys didn’t waste time. The fangs were already out.
    Hippy jammed her elbow backward into soft flesh and was rewarded with an “oof” of pain. She kicked the nearest vamp in the shins, balled her fists and punched anything within reach until her hair was released. Then she went into her pouch, grabbed a handful of fairy dust and threw it in the face of the nearest vamp.
    The distraction gave Ishtar enough time to plant her fist in her attacker’s nose. Both fairies dived for their spears and went back to back. The remaining three vamps regrouped.
    “Feisty little fairies,” one of the vamps said. “I’m working up an appetite.” He licked his lips.
    Ishtar shook her spear at him. “You know what I’m going to do?”
    “What?” the vamp sounded bored.
    “I’m going to make you into a blood fountain.”
    Hippy shuddered.
    “I think you’re going to die,” the vamp said. “Slowly.”
    “Why do they always say that right before we kill them?” Hippy tightened her grip on her spear.
    “Dunno.” Ishtar snickered. “Maybe that’s the only way these sparklers know how to die.”
    There was a second’s icy silence.
    “What did you call us?” the vamp said.
    Ishtar drew the word out and made it hiss at the end. “Sparklers.”
    The vamps dived for them. Ishtar impaled one on her spear. Hippy made a wild swing, missed and accidentally sliced a vamp right down the side of the face, before Ishtar skewered the last one.
    Blood spurted in every direction. Fountains of red poured down Hippy’s spear and onto her hands. She screamed and dropped the spear. Her stomach revolted. She froze to the spot, staring at her wet red hands. Her head pounded.
    “Hey Hippy,” Ishtar said into the sudden silence.
    Hippy turned her head.
    Ishtar plunged her hands into the now subsiding fountain of blood flowing from one of the dead vamps. She ran them over her face, turning it red, and grinned. Her teeth glowed white.
    Hippy gagged.
    “It’s good for the skin. You should try it.” Ishtar reached for her with dripping hands.
    Hippy ran. Her breath came in sobs under each convulsive dry retch. Ishtar’s feet pounded behind her.
    “Come on Hippy!” Ishtar yelled. “It’s just a little vamp blood!”
    Hippy threw herself through the door in the fortification and kept running. She stumbled to her knees in the darkness and frantically wiped her bloody hands on the grass. She could smell it. She could almost taste it. Her own blood pounded. She couldn’t even remember where she was.
    “Hippy!” Ishtar’s voice purred through the darkness, low and soft. “I’m going to paint your face with blood. Come out, come out. You can’t get away from me.”
    Hippy stumbled to her feet and ran for a dim light shining ahead. Her feet made no sound. She slowed down when she came up to the silk walls of a row of tents and flattened herself between the nearest two.
    Ishtar prowled the darkness behind