Stabbed

“End of the road, Hunter,” the older brother said. Perhaps knowing
something of D’s nature, Harold didn’t pull out the blade he’d run through
the Hunter, but rather drew another one and lashed out with that. A
heartbeat later, the arm wielding the new blade fell to the floor, severed at
the shoulder. Realizing D had accomplished this with his sword without
turning, and with a blade still stuck through his heart, Harold sputtered,
“You sonuvabitch .. . You’re no plain old dhampir ... are you?!” With one
hand clamped down on his shoulder while fresh blood gushed from the
wound, Harold shook all over with pain and rage.

The only reason he managed to avoid the full damage of the flash of silver
that zipped through the air was because D was fighting with a knife still
stuck through his heart. It was a frightening display of stamina, the way the
Hunter stood with only the slightest wobbliness before quickly shifting to
the most exquisite combat stance. Harold and his indestructible brother
Duncan, who still lay on the floor, backed away with a tinge of amazement
in their eyes.

With his right hand leveling his blade at the two brothers, D reached around
to his back with his left. Grabbing the knife by the handle, he jerked it free.
And yet, the blade protruding from his chest seemed to go in precisely the
opposite direction, pushing out further! For a heartbeat, D’s expression
seemed tinged with pain.

6 - 5