Gods and Swindlers (City of Eldrich Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

engine. As she suspected, the car barely moved, but the four spinning wheels showered several of the cloaked figures with muddy slush. Their disdain of the modern world caused them to sneer at technology and underestimate the power it gave humans. They jerked backwards in terror as the strange beast suddenly came to life.
    Meaghan crawled over the console to the passenger seat, leaned on the horn one more time, and opened the door, the tire iron held in front of her like a club. She had no plan beyond getting out of the car. If she could get to the road, she could run. Maybe a car would pass or Russ would arrive. It was a slim chance, but better than sitting in the car like a trapped animal.
    “I hate this town,” she snarled at the nearest figure. “I can’t even get home before you assholes start screwing with me.” She swung the tire iron. The figures moved back a few steps, but did not retreat. “You’re breaking the truce. And yeah,” she added sarcastically, “I know all about the war.”
    The figure hissed something and the circle closed in.
    If I gotta go, one of you is coming with me, Meaghan thought as she grasped the tire iron in both hands like a baseball bat. With a wordless cry, she swung and nearly fell when the tire iron failed to connect. The figure had evaporated.
    “You fuckers can teleport? Goddammit, that’s not fair!” Filled with the manic rage that she usually felt on the heels of terror, Meaghan stomped forward. “Come back here, you elven piece of shit, so I can kick your scrawny ass.”
    The circle tightened, its members vanishing like smoke before the tire iron could connect.
    Meaghan feinted forward, then dove to her right. This time the tire iron hit something solid.
    The figure screamed and fell to the ground.
    Meaghan grunted with satisfaction and charged. She straddled the creature and held the tire iron firmly across its thin neck, pinning it to the snow. The creature’s shrieks grew louder, more desperate. “Back off or I’ll lean in. My body weight is more than enough to snap his neck.”
    The other figures hissed and spat, but no one moved forward.
    Meaghan knew if she killed the elf, she’d lose her only bargaining chip. Now what? Her knees hurt and the rage-induced warmth in her limbs was already starting to abate. She had no idea how the cold affected her attackers, but she knew if help didn’t come soon, she’d be in trouble.
    “Looks like we got us a standoff.”
    Meaghan looked up at the sound of the deep, booming voice. In the din of the elf’s screeching, she hadn’t noticed the arrival of the pickup truck now sitting on the road above them.
    The sudden beam of a spotlight blinded her. She blinked a moment and looked around. She could see the cloaked figures cowering in the bright light. She looked back toward the truck.
    Silhouetted in the spotlight Meaghan saw a large man, holding a sledgehammer in one hand and a long straight stick in another. He stood silent for a moment and then said, “Hey, Meg. Nice move with the tire iron. Need a hand?”
    “Terry?” she gasped.
    “At your service.” He held up the hammer. “Wanna play whack-an-elf?”
    “You!” One of the figures hissed at him.
    “Me,” Terry said in a cheerful voice. He held up the long stick. “Steel rebar. Good for skewering. Pin and smash. You remember how good I am at that.”
    The fair folk hissed and spat at each other and then vanished, leaving their companion trapped under Meaghan’s tire iron.
    Terry stared down at the now crying creature on the ground. “Wow. Without the magical enhancements, these things are ugly. Almost too pathetic to kill.” He turned so the light illuminated his face. With a wide grin, he lifted the hammer. “Almost.”
    The creature shrieked and squirmed, then looked up at Meaghan and said, “Spare me. Please.”
    “Did you hear that, Terry? He said ‘please.’ You can see what they really look like?”
    “This one, yeah, because of the iron