Chapter 36 – Never send a man to do a woman’s job

Anastasia stood firm, her feet planted in the cracked pavement, shielding Rose with her body. Her eyes darted between the encroaching demons, calculating her next move.

Dylan's voice dripped with amusement, slicing through the tense silence. "Grab them," he said, his smirk audible even from a distance. "No harm, though. We wouldn't want to damage the goods."

The demons didn't wait for a second command. They surged forward in a wave of teeth, claws, and snarls.

Anastasia launched herself into motion, her instincts taking over. The first demon came at her, claws raised to strike, but she sidestepped and grabbed its arm, twisting until she heard the satisfying snap of bone. It howled, but before it could recover, she drove her elbow into its face, sending it sprawling.

"Rose, stay back!" she yelled over her shoulder, her voice sharp with urgency.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Rose shouted back, her voice trembling but defiant. She pressed herself against the cold, graffiti-covered wall, clutching a rusted pipe she'd picked up from the ground.

Another demon lunged at Anastasia. She dropped into a low crouch, sweeping her leg out in an arc that sent the creature crashing to the ground. With a swift, calculated movement, she stomped on its chest, black ichor oozing from its mouth.

"You're going to have to try harder than that!" she spat, wiping her hand on her jeans.

Dylan's laughter echoed through the chaos, slow and mocking. "Oh, Ana, this isn't a test of skill. This is a test of patience. Mine, specifically."

Anastasia growled under her breath. "Let's see how patient you are when I break your nose."

Another demon came at her, its jagged teeth snapping inches from her face. She ducked and spun, driving her fist into its ribs. It staggered, and she followed up with a high kick that sent it crashing into two more behind it.

Meanwhile, Rose was doing her best to hold her ground. A demon lunged at her, and she swung her pipe with everything she had. The clang of metal against bone reverberated through the alley as the creature stumbled back, hissing in pain.

"Not bad!" Anastasia called, glancing over her shoulder.

"Not dying, thanks!" Rose shouted back, her face flushed with effort.

But the demons were relentless, and Anastasia couldn't ignore the way they were starting to coordinate, circling Rose like vultures. They saw her as the weak link, and they were right. Anastasia couldn't protect Rose and herself at the same time—not indefinitely.

"Damn it," she muttered, slamming a demon's head into the wall with a sickening crunch. "Rose, keep moving. Don't let them corner you!"

Rose nodded, her breaths coming in sharp gasps as she ducked and weaved through the chaos, swinging her pipe whenever a demon got too close.

Britney's voice cut through the noise, calm and chilling. "Never send a man to do a woman's job."

"Enough of this," Britney's voice rang out, cutting through the noise while standing next to Dylan. "Never send a man to do a woman's job."

Anastasia turned just in time to see Britney striding toward her, confidence radiating off her like a sickly aura.

"Rose!" Anastasia yelled as Britney's words registered in her mind.

Rose's scream was the only warning. "Ana, watch out!"

Anastasia braced herself as Britney lunged, a silver vial glinting in her hand. Anastasia dodged the first swipe, her reflexes sharp, but Britney was faster than she expected. Before Anastasia could react, a cold mist sprayed across her face.

She stumbled back, coughing as the chemical stung her eyes and burned her lungs. The world around her blurred, the sharp lines of the alley melting into a kaleidoscope of color and shadow.

"What the hell—" she gasped, but the words caught in her throat. Her knees buckled, and she hit the ground hard, the rough pavement scraping her palms.

"Anastasia!" Rose's voice was distant, muffled, like it was coming from underwater.

Britney crouched in front of her, a wicked smile stretching across her face. "Don't feel bad, sweetie. You're just outmatched."

Anastasia tried to lift her hand, to reach for Britney, but her limbs felt heavy, unresponsive. Darkness seeped into the edges of her vision, and the last thing she heard was Dylan's laughter, cold and triumphant.