7. Note to Self: Don’t Ever Anger a Troll. Again

Reminder to self: When Ian asks you to punch a magical creature around, request a picture of said creature prior to agreeing.
Now, facing the twelve foot muscular monster, all I could think about was how idiotic I was forever believing I could actually hit the thing. The chances of me getting in a single punch was second to none and even if I did, I doubt it would even graze him- just one of his arms was wider than my waist. But then again he'd crush me like a cockroach way before I got close. I thought about fleeing, but Ian was still lying unconscious. An easy target for the troll's rage if I left.
Not everybody was sticking around though, cars were stopping, and people were running out of their vehicles and abandoning them when traffic ahead wouldn't move. The ones with enough room to maneuver turned around and floored it, only a few people stayed behind to stare. Some had their phones out.
Normal humans couldn't see into the supernatural world, they were most likely seeing something abhorrently terrible other than the troll. For once, I envied them their ignorance.
Be careful what you wish for, I groaned internally, raising my fists.
I bounced on my heels, trying to shake off the fear. "Come at me, big guy," I called.
He charged. Surprisingly fast for his size too. His footsteps were thunderous, face full of indignant fury I thought was a bit excessive. I mean it was only one golden cup, right?
One, two...
I dashed away at the last second, turning around just in time to see him skidding to a stop and bump into the street lamp. The lamp crashed to the ground, the glass shattering. The troll shook his head once, but was otherwise unscathed. Darn.
Plan A failed.
He roared again, hands shooting out to grab an empty car. Which he raised over his head, glowing green eyes trained on me.
"How about that spring wedding?" I squeaked, stepping backwards- and tripping over the hem of my dress.
I reached out to pull the spot Ian had showed me, to free my legs and make a run for it but it was too late. The car was already soaring at me.
A howl.
A hard body slammed into me, the world spinning as we rolled into the street. Somewhere, I heard the loud crash of the car- and then the spinning ended abruptly with the back of my head bouncing against the pavement. I groaned in pain, but there was no time to gather my bearings, a second later I was being pulled to my feet. I stumbled- was scooped into a pair of arms and carried a couple of steps, then deposited on the ground again.
"All the trouble I go through to keep you safe, and you go pick a fight with a troll," a voice growled in my ear.
I stiffened. My mask was ripped off my face and a scowling Kane stared down at me, amber eyes going over my body with cold fury.
"W- what are you doing here?" I stuttered out.
"Your friend called me," he said briskly, gripping my chin. He turned my face from side to side. "Are you hurt?"
I flinched, both from his touch and my throbbing head.
Boom.
The explosion seemed to shake the bridge's very foundations, the fire arching into the obsidian sky similar to a dragon breathing fire. The source of the flames didn't seem very far away, nor was the troll from the sound of it. Yet, this time his roar was followed by a chorus of howls and snarling. Startled, I looked over Kane's shoulder, through the window of the car we were hiding behind.
The troll was several cars away from us, his large arms twisted behind him, grappling for the three wolves that clung to his back. Another two leapt at him, but the troll struck out and both of them were batted away. They crumbled to the ground with a whimper, attempting and failing to rise. It didn't matter, another wolf was already pouncing. Then another.
The pack was here.
Well, this was getting worse by the minute.
Reluctantly, I looked at Kane again, who was pinning me with a cold glare. I could practically hear the words going on in his head.
Nuisance, worthless fool.
"I'll worry about tying you up later. Stay here with Jett," Kane ordered, standing. He sent me one last glower, jogged out of the cover of the car and towards the fight.
I called out to him, but he was already gone.
What. Just. Happened?
Did Kane just save me or was I dreaming? He said Ian had called him...
Ian.
I rushed to my feet, ripped blindly and carelessly at the white material of my dress- not feeling a drop of remorse after it almost got me killed. It was just above my knees now. Freedom. I breathed out and took off in the direction Kane went- and straight into a wall of muscle. I staggered back, eyes going up. And up. To a scarred, scowling face.
I retreated backwards with wide eyes.
The man was stone still in the face of my fear, eyes hard as they regarded me through mismatched eyes, one of them blue, and the other black. He wasn't all that muscular- compared to the troll or even Kane, but there was a dark aura that clung to him. One that said 'breathe wrong and you'll be ten feet down in a heartbeat'. A long jagged claw mark ran from the right side of his face, starting from his eyebrow all the way to his chin. His hair was buzzed, nose and bottom lip glinting with piercings. His arms, the color of dark caramel were covered with tattoos. My gaze lowered to the white font on his black shirt, it read: Keep Walking.
I would be more than happy to oblige, I thought, edging further away.
"Stay," he rumbled.
I think not, man.
"He is with us, Ember."
I looked up. Aster. She was standing on the roof of the small Toyota we'd been hiding behind earlier. She looked like a warrior goddess with her dress drifting with the wind, the glow of the fires burning in the background while her features remained hard yet undisturbed.
"He isn't pack," I replied, feeling relieved at the sight of her.
Aster nodded. "He is here to protect you regardless. As am I."
He was the guy Kane was talking about, I realized. Jett. I've never seen him anywhere, not that I hung out with the pack much. But if Aster said he was okay, I guess he was.
Aster turned, sank a pale knee on the car's roof and drew a long white bow. Her steady, long fingers reached behind her for the bunch of arrows strapped at her back. She notched one of them at the thin string, aiming. She released it with a whoosh.
It flew- hit the troll right in the upper bicep of his arm. Blue liquid gushed from the wound, troll blood I suppose. Swiftly, she drew another arrow, paused when someone ran up to the troll.
Helen, the fallen lamp post in her hands, swung at the troll's head like a professional baseball player.
I noticed she was still wearing heels.
"Shall I shoot her?" Aster asked levelly, shifting her aim.
I hesitated. "No. Maybe?"
Aster wasn't allowed a chance to act, the troll caught the metal a mere inches from his face and kicked. Helen was sent backwards- right into Kane's arms. Ironic. He steadied her, shouting something to a wolf nearby.
Aster moved her bow once again, her eyes taking on a keener glint. "Now that is one I really want to shoot."
"Priorities," Jett growled.
Priorities, I reminded myself, eyes roaming over the carnage. The cool air was warmer now from the previous explosion, the scent metallic and unpleasant. The night was filled with shouts and car engines left on by their fleeing owners. Further down the bridge I could see floods of people being guided away from the fight. I spotted Darius among the evacuators. No Ian.
Then I remembered what he'd said to me before leaving and I raised my hand, brought the metal ring towards my ear. "Ian? Ian, can you hear me? Where are you?"
I shook my hand, snarling in frustration. "Ian, where are you?!"
"If I told you I was alive and well, how willing would you be to buy me a smoothie after this?" His voice was as clear as if he was standing next to me.
I nearly sank to my knees. "I don't buy smoothies for douchebags," I replied.
"Douchebag? I'm out here trying to stop a troll, I'm a freaking hero. Look behind the green guy."
Sure enough, when I looked, there he was, leaning on a car. His palms were up, flaming balls of fire bursting from them. One of them caught at the troll's cloth.
"You almost married me to that green guy and you call burning its pants off heroism? Are you trying to scar all of us?" I asked skeptically. "Forget him and teleport over here."
A flash of white on his face told me he was smiling. "He threw a club at me. I'm only returning the favor. Besides, his club got me on the ankle, I can't walk and the spell only works if I can."
The troll batted at the fire and my heart caught in my throat when he twisted his head towards Ian. His eyes narrowed.
But then there were cars screeching, doors opening and boots against gravel. About a dozen men dressed in dark colors were running in our direction, their faces covered like ninjas. They carried heavy weapons and for a moment I thought they were slayers- the supernatural police- but that thought was quickly extinguished.
One of them raised a hand, pointed a gloved finger forwards. "Get the werewolves!"
He had a Russian accent, I thought.
They started shooting.