The Vampire Gift 2: Kingdom of(84)

I go up to the first one. The silver within makes it impossible to sense a presence on the other side. That’s why the view-latches exist. I slide it open and take a look.

The cell is empty.

I step back, confused. What little I know about Mother’s magic has always given me the impression that actuating one of these cells required her constant concentration. It’s not just the silver artifacts inside that exert their unpleasant effects. No, it’s the way her magic warps them to make the interior absolute hell for a vampire.

And the cells are only locked when they’re activated. To keep one closed and empty… it makes no sense.

I look into the second cell. Sure enough, Victoria is inside.

Triumph shoots through me.

I pry open the door. She’s faced away from me and doesn’t bother turning around.

“I’ve already told you all I know about the girl,” she begins scornfully.

“Victoria!” I hiss. “It’s me.” From the corner of my eye I think I see a small shadow dart inside. I blink and look.

No, it was nothing.

Victoria gasps and spins around. “James?”

“The one and only,” I grin. “Come to get you out.” I beckon her to me. “Come on.”

“But I… I don’t understand,” she begins. “Last I heard you were to become a Convicted. How are you here? What happened?”

“Plans change,” I grunt. “Now hurry. I’ll explain later.”

She picks herself up. “I never thought you’d be the one to help me escape.”

Suddenly, the stupidity of what I’m doing strikes me. I can stalk around The Haven unseen. But when Mother realized Victoria is missing, she’ll put on a full-scale manhunt—

Before Victoria can reach me I step back and slam the door in her face.

An enraged scream comes from the other side. “You bastard!” she accuses. “Why come back only to taunt me! What are you doing? Let me out, let me out!”

She pounds on the other side of the door. But her ferocity is quickly lessening, as her strength is being sapped by the silver.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’ll come back for you if I can, once this is done.”

I start to walk away. That’s when a blood-curdling shriek comes from Victoria’s cell.

I spin around. Suddenly the sounds of a battle flit to my ears. I fly to the view latch and yank it open.

Victoria has her claws extended and her fangs bared, fighting against a pitch-black… shadow?

What the hell?

Blood is pouring from multiple gashes on her body. The black thing attacks her without mercy. It rips at her throat, at her neck, all with blistering speed. It moves too fast for me to keep up with all its frenzy.

I hurl the door open, forgetting all pretense, and charge into the room. The shadow looks up. It stays still just long enough for me to see its true shape. It’s a horribly grotesque creature, maybe the size of a large rat. Its whole body is swathed in wisps of black that fall from it like pluming smoke.

A snarl comes from its throat. The moment it sees me it flees into the far corner of the room.

I run to Victoria. She collapses before I get to her. She’s still breathing—but barley.

Her eyes are halfway lidded, and the stench of corruption washes over me from her wounds.

“Kill… it,” she whispers.

I rise. I can’t do anything for her, not now, not with that creature in the room.

But what is it? I wonder.

With an ear-splitting screech it launches itself at me, all teeth and claws and hate-filled fury. I can’t move out of the way fast enough, but I manage to twist my body just enough for the thing to glance off.

My claws come up and I cut it on the underside, in that precious moment when we’re together. A thick, viscous liquid coats my hand and immediately starts to burn the skin.

This isn’t blood. It’s much worse than blood.

As fast as I can, I wipe it off on my cloak. The creature lands on its back and scrambles upright, hissing and snarling.

But it doesn’t attack again.

I position myself between it and Victoria. It snaps its jaws at me, but does nothing more.

Suddenly, all the silver in the room makes its effect known. I don’t know how I endured it before. Maybe I was running on adrenaline. But now, all my senses start to wobble, and vertigo and nausea and disorientation hit as a horrible trifecta of afflictions.

I stagger back, refusing to take my eyes off the creature, knowing that if I fail it will kill Victoria. I’m no hero. I don’t know what it is about Victoria that would have me risk my life.

But I’m doing it now. So be it. I’ve committed. I can’t turn back.

“Come on, you bastard. Let’s see what you got.” My lips curl back and I show my fangs.