Jasper roared as the monster yanked a pulsing organ out of his chest. Vivienne’s eyes widened in shock, and her own heart hammered in her chest. Jasper’s roar morphed into a moan as the creature took a massive bite out of his heart.
Oh, gods.
Bile rose in Vivienne’s throat, and she swayed on her feet.
Jasper’s mouth opened as though he was going to say something, to scream or cry or right back, but he never got the chance. Black spiderwebs crept over his skin as though he’d been staked, and a moment later, his body disintegrated to ash and disappeared into the wind.
Vivienne hadn’t even known vampires could die by having their hearts removed and eaten. As far as she was aware, that shouldn’t have been possible.
But it was, because Jasper was very, very dead.
A silent prayer ran through her mind for the vampire, but there was no time to mourn.
Her blood chilled, and her breath came in short bursts as a war cry escaped her. She spun towards the monstrous creature, her sword held high.
The throbbing heart was still gripped in the creature’s fingers as Vivienne swung her blade diagonally, hitting flesh, then bone.
The monster’s remaining hand fell to the ground, and the creature released an ear-splitting scream. It turned to Vivienne. Blood and gore dripped from its mouth, tinging its grey skin crimson. It smiled, the remnants of Jasper’s heart still in its mouth.
It took everything Vivienne had not to be sick.
If this had been a normal opponent, they might’ve fled now that they lacked useable limbs. But these creatures weren’t normal.
Shadows swarmed from the undead being’s body, piling on top of each other. In the same way that other vampires used their darkness to create weapons, the monster’s shadows formed two working arms.
Black blood still poured out of its wounds, but the shadow limbs appeared perfectly functional as the creature flexed its new fingers.
Isvana help them all.
Dead eyes met Vivienne’s as the creature’s smile widened.
Ice-cold dread curled in her stomach, and she took a trembling step back. What would it take to kill these monsters?
Another soldier ran in front of her, shouting a battle cry. Shadows clashed, and the undead creature’s attention was occupied for the moment.
All around her, the battle raged.
Blood painted everything in sight, and vampires were dying. Even the royals hadn’t managed to dispatch their undead yet, although its limbs were made of shadows.
Vivienne glanced at the sky. The moon was still high, and several hours of nighttime remained.
How would this end?
Another aberration charged at her, pulling her from her thoughts.
She ducked and swung her sword, catching it in her new adversary in the stomach. It moaned as she yanked her weapon free.
At that same moment, a voice that Vivienne would recognize anywhere rose from the center of the clearing. Her heart raced, and she sucked in a breath, her head swinging towards the sound.
“Oh, no,” she breathed, fear chilling her heart.
The First had been circling Marius, the two of them engaging in a dance while the ancient being seemed to play with the halfling, but that was no longer the case.
The prince held his dagger in front of him, his grip unwavering as the vampire lunged towards him. He evaded her attack, swiping out with the obsidian blade. It hit her side, drawing black blood.
Vivienne’s heart raced, and her hand grew slick. She was usually calm and collected during a battle, but there wasn’t usually someone to whom she’d given her heart fighting an ancient creature poised to kill him.
Why had she fallen for the prince? Why hadn’t she just done her job, guarded him, and been done with it? Why did she have to go and give her heart to someone who was such a beacon for trouble?