Page 39 of The Vampire's Lament
Considering their elite training, they weren’t the brightest stars in the sky. “These past years as exiles have made you soft.”
They all laughed, scorn emanating from their bodies.
“The veritable moths to the flames,” I added.
There was no more laughing as the werewolf came at me for the kill.
I sped through a door on my left. It sealed behind me, trapping her and the others in the corridors. And that’s where they’d remain until they starved to death.
The palace’s best defense was its maze-like nature. Without the proper clearance, those who breached its walls were doomed to be lost forever. These executioners would never be free, and I couldn’t wait to listen to their pleas, their fear, and every sound their mortal bodies made as they died horrible deaths.
Like that Glenda Green. A legendary executioner whose skeleton I’d thrown into the ocean.
“I’ll destroy you all,” I muttered, returning to the ballroom.
Medusa appeared halfway into my journey.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
She rubbed at her face, terror etched across every cell. “The warchoppers…” She winced, baring her teeth.
I didn’t like the crackle of unease in the air. “Is Paris with you?”
She shook her head, her forehead creasing. “He wouldn’t move.”
“I see. Was he afraid?”
“I don’t know.”
Something gnawed at the back of my head. “We don’t have time for this. Wait here. I’ll?—”
“I’m waiting nowhere.” Her body rippled, emerald scales engulfing her flesh as she changed shape. Elongating, becoming serpentine.
Her forked tongue flickered at me, then she slithered away.
Tenacious serpent.
I followed, passing her, throwing open a hidden door into the ballroom and immediately jumping back into the fray, tearingthrough mortals with fury taking my reins. Blood sprayed my face, reaching my tongue and galvanizing my bloodthirst, driving me onward.
Guns fired as the warchoppers closed in. My eyes darted between their weapons.
This ends now.
I ran outside, leaping into the air and flew directly at the closest warchopper, weaving left and right while the gun turrets attempted to get a lock on me.
Destroy them all!My inner voice thundered the war cry.
I slammed into the warchopper, grabbing the first body.
“No!” he roared.
I tossed him out of the helicopter as his colleague fired his gun into my face. He blew out my right eye, and I snapped his neck.
I heard elevated voices, followed by the co-pilot climbing out of the cockpit. My fury was boiling, a volcanic rage with nothing to cool it down.
I drove my first through his face, brain matter and blood spraying the windscreen.
The pilot veered left then right, overcome with terror.
