I ran forward as Vitas, Neves, and Lunella did the same. We pushed forward, moving the shield as fast as we dare, without causing enough of the magic to whirl the rocks off the cliff faces.
Moving such a massive shield was a dozen times more difficult than just maintaining.
Argo was just oblivious.
“Argo!” Dorian screamed through the shield.
I tried to funnel a little of the wind in a way that would allow Dorian’s voice to carry through, but I didn’t think Argo would heed him even if it did get through.
“Argo, get back here!” I heard the desperation in Dorian’s voice. “He’s going to kill you! He’ll murder you!”
Then, for the first time, we all saw what real practiced vampire speed looked like.
Or, ratherdidn’tlook like.
No one saw the man with the crown move until he was just fifteen steps in front of us. Just ahead of the shield.
The crown on his head was beautiful, and while it should have matched his looks, it didn’t.
He was dark. Cruel.
The magic was bending, kinking, twisting away from him. Some were pulled in, and other parts escaped.
Holding Argo by the back of his neck, he sneered at us standing there. There was an awful, evil smile on his face.
Evil wasn’t the right word.
Mad.
Insane.
Those were better.
Nodding at Dorian with a terrible grin, revealing sharp, deadly fangs, he struck.
His teeth dug into Argo’s neck, and the anguish on the master’s face was clear. The blood drained down his skin, onto his shirt as the madman drank from his vein.
“Oh, Gods.” Carolee gasped.
Neves spun away so she could keep the shield—and her lunch.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
So. Much. Blood.
After just a minute, the madman threw Argo to the ground, tearing his throat wide open.
Argo wasn’t dead.
Blood still pulsed from the gashes on his neck, and he clawed desperately at his throat trying to hold a hand there to staunch the bleeding. He was choking as he tried to breathe. A tremor shook his legs.
All of us were frozen in shock at what we were staring at, and no one seemed to be able to move or think. I just watched the red seeping into the ground around Argo. Just out of reach.
Rilen whispered, “Oh, gods, kill him. Don’t let him suffer.”
Time started to unfreeze.
Dorian’s magic drove through the shield and drove straight for Argo. Vitas and I watched as he seized Argo’s heart with the magic and held it still. He cut the air from his lungs and held it all there for just a moment.
