Page 44 of A Cursed Noel

The nullit who slicedmy tendon circles me, the mouths on its face and hands smacking inanticipation of a feed. I kick it away when it pounces. It strikesthe wall and shrieks. With lethal speed, it rebounds and leaps intothe air.

Its lack of strategyand greed work against it. I snatch the rod from the floor and pushit up as the nullit lands. Its weight and speed make it easy for therod to pierce the nullit’s torso.

Its high-pitchedscreams rattle the window. I think I hear Celia’s voice in thedistance, speaking fast. I push the thought aside, hoping she’swell enough to take her family to safety.

The metal splits thenullit in half, the two sections that break away vanishing beforethey hit the floor.

I’m not yet to myfeet when several hands reach from beneath the bed and try to pull meunder. I snag both pieces of rod and stab the creatures under the bedwith the sharp ends.

One stab. Two stabs.Three stabs.Die.

They screech, theirshadowy forms dissolving into the air. Ana Lisa jerks up, moaningwith pain and fear. They were the ones feeding from her. I’m gladto interrupt.

Another nullit divesfrom the ceiling. I clutch it by the throat but fail to control it.It’s large and heavy and knocks me to the floor. I get my feetunder it and lock them around its waist. With a turn of my hips, Iroll it onto its back and stab it with my weapon.

As it fades, I rush tomy feet to check on Ana Lisa. She’s sitting up, clutching herthroat.

“It’s okay,” Itell her. “I’m here to help.”

She points, her eyeswild. My fist connects with a nullit who leaps from its spot on thewall. I nail it in the side of the head and send it scampering underthe bed.

I barely make it to AnaLisa when a Nullit springs from the shadows in the corner and forcesme through the bedroom door. We land in the hallway, both of usgunning to kill.

The nullits I foughtleft deep scratches along my chest. My wolf rushed to heal them aheadof my tendon to protect my heart. I kick at the floor, my one footuseless as I drive the nullit away from the bedroom.

The injured nullitswill pounce on Ana Lisa to nourish their bodies. I need to kill thisone fast and get back to the others if she’s to survive.

A few feet away, asmall light in the bathroom illuminates the hall. Nullits don’tlike metal. They also don’t like anything pure like water. Soundslike the place to go.

I kick my heels intothe floor, charging my wolf with mending my tendon. My hands whiparound the nullit, struggling to control its swinging limbs. Thisthing is smarter than the others. It’s also stronger. Its famishedmouths pucker frantically, hell-bent on draining me of my soul.

My foot snaps intoplace in one harsh move. I ignore the sharp pain and slam thenullit’s limbs into its face. It stuns it long enough for me to getto my feet and drag it down the hall.

It screeches when itsees where we’re headed and tries to pull away from me. I head buttit twice, stunning it again and wrenching it forward. An old castiron tub runs along the checkerboard black and white tiled wall. Ikick at the faucet, springing the overhead shower head to life.

The Nullit’s shriekcracks the frosted glass window above the tub. It’s scared andbegging for mercy. After what it’s done to Celia and her family,wrath is the only grace I have.

I thrust its bodyagainst the wall, indenting the tile and keeping it in place as Ireach for the detachable shower head. I wrap the hose around its neckand kick the lever that starts the flow. The nullit shakes, fallinginto a seizure.

I leap out of theshower, breathing hard. I turn the water on faster when Celiaappears.

“Aric!”

I catch her in my armsas she races forward. “What are you doing here?” I demand. “Youshould have run.”

“I couldn’t abandonyou or Ana Lisa.” She should be angry. Except all she does is takea moment to hold me as if I might slip away. “You’re mine toprotect.”

My hand slides down herback as her words pull at my heart.How will I live without you?

She jerks away from thetub when the nullit releases another mind jolting shriek. I try toshield her from the sight. She sees it anyway.

“They’re all overthe house,” I explain. “Some big, others small.”

She watches in horroras an arm falls away. The mouth on the palm shrieks one last timebefore its abruptly silenced.

“That’swhat’s been leeching our souls?” she asks.

I nod. “They don’tlike water or metal. Decapitation also works.”