The thing raised its head, and Mel relaxed the space of a breath. Its teeth had been touching her skin. Another heartbeat and her blood would've been out of her body.
Burn.
Mel blinked and turned her head as the vampire caught fire. He was close, still, and the fire was hot. And just for a second, she wondered about something Urkonn'd said. Maybe he was cold.
Did fire warm up a vampire, even as it died? She bet Jesse knew.
Jesse who stood there, now, smiling. Mel felt her mouth move into something like his smile, and carefully rolled out of the way of the vampire, slow, getting to her feet. Wes'd bagged one, Jesse'd bagged another... even if she wasn't well, she should be able to take just one lousy lurk, shouldn't she?
Mel balled her right hand into a fist and ran, full-tilt, at the remaining vamp, punching it in the jaw.
Its head didn't even turn. It started to laugh.
"That all you got, little girl?" it asked.
Fray didn't back up. Her eyes didn't even move from the lurk. But she couldn't stop the slight line of fear that pulsed through her.
"One of the two of you, give me a weapon," Mel said. "NOW."