Matt Archer: Blade's Edge Read Online Free

Mike said. We stood, taking tactical positions—wielders up front, flanked by our backup. Patterson and Curtis stayed behind. Patterson had his finger on the detonator.
    Most of the Kalis ignored us and kept digging, laughing whenever they found a coin, but three looked up. They strode forward and nocked arrows.
    “Incoming!” Johnson called as the first volley headed over the ledge—right at me. I ducked behind the icy wall just as three arrows shot into the snow, burying themselves all the way to the fletching. Each one landed less than a foot from where I crouched. I shook my head in disgust; too many close calls today. Time to get busy.
    I yanked off my right glove and pulled my knife free of its sheath. It had to have direct skin contact with me to work, frostbite or not. The blade buzzed—telling me to get to work—and I vaulted over the ledge, diving to my stomach as more arrows whizzed over my head. Ramirez was already running at the shooters, drawing his knife as he slid across the snow. In a blur, he stabbed the first shooter he reached in the heart, withdrew his blade, and slit a second’s throat. I scrambled up to help just as the third one nocked an arrow, aimed at my chest and drew. Ramirez threw his knife, burying it in her back. She jerked forward and her arrow shot straight into the sky. The Kali screeched to the heavens as she fell into the snow, which sizzled where her golden blood drained.
    I skidded to a halt, catching the teeth of my snowshoes on the ice. “Thanks, Major. I owe you one.”
    “You bet.” He pulled his knife free and nodded toward the other demons. “Think we’re in for a fight now.”
    The rest of the Kalis had stopped digging, hissing angrily at us. Four gathered their coins and ran back up the mountain. The six that remained stood together, eyes flashing as they looked this way and that. One threw her head back and howled.
    “Get moving, kid!” Ramirez said, turning to run after the escaping Kalis.
    Patterson and Curtis used their flamethrowers to corral my six between the boulders. The demons crouched, waiting. They paid no attention to the flamethrowers, too busy watching every move I made. The knife had that effect on nearly every monster I met, like they knew what I carried. The blade vibrated and a tingle of righteous anger flowed through my veins. A cold smile tugged at my mouth; the blade’s spirit liked to hunt. So did I.
    Digging the spikes of my snowshoes into the ice for traction, I charged.
    Two of the women rushed to meet me with swords while the other four hung back to nock arrows. The sword fighters swung steel and fists at my head, but I rolled as I reached them, ducking under their flailing arms. I swept my leg in a wide arc, tripping them up, and the pair of Kalis crashed down on top of me.
    Now there were ten arms in this dog pile and I didn’t much like being outnumbered eight to two. It was like being trapped in a trash compactor bent on squashing me whole. Fists pummeled my chest and shoulders, hands groped for my throat and one tried to kick me in the crotch. Pissed, I socked her in the jaw, then head-butted the other one and wriggled out of the mess to get my knife hand free. A few quick thrusts of the blade and golden blood ran through the snow, sending up sulfur-scented steam.
    Ugly voices screeched and the four archers surrounded me. An arrow flew past my left ear. I scrambled behind a small rock face as six more arrows rained down. Ramirez shouted at Schmitz while unearthly wailing filled the air and metal clanged against metal up the mountain. Sounded like Ramirez had his hands full with his four. No help there. Where was Mike, or Johnson for that matter? When I peeked around the side of the rock to find them, two arrows whizzed by my head. Wherever they were, my support team couldn’t get close. I was pinned down.
    I peeked around the drift again, and the Kalis all nocked arrows, laughing in my direction. Yep, I was screwed. The knife sighed