‘Everyone out!’Raleigh roared.‘Get back outsidenow.’
Everyone stood to attention and were halfway to obeying before realising it was neither Father nor Yann who gave the order.Yann lurched like he was going to rush to Kay’s aid, but Moira echoed the reaching phantom, grabbing him by the shirt and hauling him back as Enrique slammed both doors shut.The wise scrambled towards the front door on Raleigh’s words alone, but most hadn’t seen Kay disappear and weren’t ready to take orders from anyone without a pulse.With Yann scrambling to free himself from Moira, they turned to my father, seeking his counsel.
‘You tricked us,’ he said, eyes glued to Raleigh.
‘Why would I bother—’
‘We should have killed him in the sunlight, but instead he lured us in here where he could feed us to his brethren.’Father wasn’t speaking to Raleigh anymore, but to the people of Orlfen.Some looked as though they were swallowing every word, each syllable fuelling their bloodlust.Others looked to Raleigh.No, tome.
‘We didn’t know,’ I cried.Then, ‘You all need to leave now.’
‘She’s been hypnotised.Who knows what’s waiting out there for us!’
Yann untangled himself from Moira’s grasp.‘What’s your plan, Juri?’he yelled.
The sound jarred everyone to silence.Even I had never heard Yann yell like that.
‘Did you not see what just happened?Are you trying to get us all killed here because you couldn’t starve us to death?Well, I’m not dying today.’He marched into the doorway.‘Anyone who wants to live can come with me.’
With that he was gone.Despite the ill will that had come between us, I couldn’t help but feel a buzz of pride.This was the Yann I used to love.
The rest of the humans lingered.Then, one by one, they made their decisions.Stay with Father on his futile crusade or flee with Yann to safety.
‘How terrifying,’ came a sickening voice.‘An army that crumbles at the first whiff of battle.’
Raleigh threw me behind him before I could catch a glimpse of the speaker.Over his shoulder, I recognised the flowing golden hair at the top of the stairs, the lilting smirk.I could smell the blood on his shirt from here.
‘Lukas,’ Raleigh sneered.
A dozen other pale figures melted out of the shadows, lining the upper railing while Lukas held command at the centre.‘You can stay or go,’ he said, addressing the humans.‘Your fate will be the same either way.’
Yann came staggering backwards through the front doors again, arms thrown out in front of him, brandishing the crucifix Moira had thrown at him earlier.‘They’re outside,’ he cried, then swore as he spotted the line of newcomers.More faces crowded in the doorway, their pale smiles illuminated by the dull light of evening.
‘Your business is with me,’ Raleigh called up to him.‘Let everyone else go.’
‘My business is with all of you.’Lukas took a step down towards us.‘The hunter.’A step.‘The half-breed.’Another step.‘Your human pet.’He stopped.‘Fear not, we only have orders to kill the hunter.Her Majesty says that death is too easy for the rest of you.’
I hoped Lukas would be dead before I had to learn what that meant.
‘Don’t you dare speak about my daughter that way.’As Lukas descended the staircase, Father had ascended.They met halfway and despite the step between them, Father’s height had them standing nose to nose.‘She is the Princess of Rostenburg, and you will respect her as such.’
Lukas looked amused.‘I didn’t realise you had in-laws, Raleigh.’
‘Don’t ignore me,’ Father said.
Lukas rolled his eyes, and simply stepped around him.
There is a particular arrogance unique to creatures perched at the top of the food chain.To a human, a stalking cat is adorable, a yapping dog is a nuisance, a violent hen is tomorrow’s dinner.That’s all we were to the court; the strongest and fittest of Orlfen were simply an ill-behaved cluster of livestock, not smart enough to realise they would live longer if only they behaved.
Lukas brushed my father aside like he was nothing but a persistent bug, but fleas have killed more humans than every vampire combined.As Lukas passed, Father turned.He raised his crossbow, but didn’t shoot.Instead, with a jolt, I realised he was looking for my clearance.I lowered my head, so slowly that Lukas never would have noticed I was nodding.But Father understood.
Lukas whirled around at the click of Father’s crossbow, but it was too late.The bolt hit him in the throat.He yanked it out at once with a spurt of boiling blood, but the silver had already worked its poison into his skin.A dark smouldering crack wormed its way across Lukas’s face.Silver alone couldn’t do that; Father must have dipped the bolts in holy water.He was smarter than I cared to give him credit for.
‘I did warn you,’ Father snarled.He levelled the crossbow again.
‘You are nothing.’Lukas turned his back to his oncoming death.‘Take care of it,’ he said.And then Father was flying.A woman from the landing had launched herself at him, her claws wrapping around his throat.They crashed into the floor, near Raleigh’s feet, and chaos erupted.
There were vampires everywhere, pouring from the stairs, the doors.And then sprays of blood.Clouds of ash.I thought the people of Orlfen would fold in an instant, but they had come prepared to fight vampires, and all had vengeance burning in their veins.
