Master Hull emerges into the hallway as I do, and we run to the end of the corridor, taking the last three rooms. I sense Rhett’s magic at the door on my left, so I open the one on the right.
The dreamwalker’s face swivels to the open door I’m standing in, eyes vacant.
“Glad you’re home, darling,” it says to me. “I’ve missed you terribly. Where have you been?”
Its face blanches even more than it already has, and I haven’t moved an inch.
“You’re turned!” it screams at me, backing away and running into the wall behind it. “My love, how?” it asks, fear and sadness lacing its tone while it scrambles to the side and stumbles over a chair.
I step into the bedroom and close the door.
“Get away from me. Don’t do this. Please, honey, it’sme,” it begs no one.
The dreamwalker pulls at my empathy, but I shove the emotion back down. There’s no mercy tonight, or ever. Once turned, I can’t think about the human life they led—that person died, and a threat was born.
I approach the vampire, its fangs popping, and a snarl rips from its throat, sensing a Hunter threat.
“I don’t want to be a vampire. Please, just leave, I beg you! If you ever loved me—”
I raise my crossbow and fire a stake through its heart.
“Wish granted,” I whisper. “Rest now.”
I stake the remaining four and rejoin my warriors.
“All clear,” Riot says, grinning through blood spatter.
“Got a bit messy with it, did you?” Rhett jests.
Riot shrugs. “Had an aggressive dreamwalker. Fucker was strong.”
Grace taps his crossbow. “You know you can use that.”
Rhett’s shoulders bounce beside her, and Riot wipes his brow with his sleeve. “I needed to warm up; the exercise felt great.”
“Gods bless, you obnoxious beast,” Grace says, eyes rolling along with everyone else’s.
“Let’s move to the next hall,” I say, and we plow through the double doors and into the wing beyond.
I’m thrilled we took down so many in minutes—this is exactly what we needed. I reach out to Sam again, and the smallest blip splashes back at me, like he’s barely conscious, but it’s all I need.
“Sam is in the throne room,” I say to our party.
Grace and Master whip around with hopeful faces.
“His status?” Master asks.
I shake my head. “Not good. Barely conscious.”
He nods. “Let’s get a move on it, then.”
I feel Longton and Brachett above us, their magic whirring. They’re fighting hard, overrun with enemy targets and pushing their bodies.
“Stress above. Let’s clear this wing quickly and go help,” I say, loading my crossbow as my people sprint into action.
We fly in and out of the next wing of rooms and soon put another thirty down.
Our scouting over the years determined there are at least two hundred permanent residents within the castle. And any number could be visiting or staying, especially on a night like tonight. But that’s another perk: the opportunity to eradicate a larger population in a single night.
