Page 70 of Luna

“Who’s the new boss? Who’s supplying the FHB?”

“I said I’d get you some. There’s no need for⁠—”

“I don’t need product. I need a name.”

The vampire frowns at me. Then shakes his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he gasps, struggling against my grip.

I press the stake harder, feeling it bite into his flesh. “Wrong answer. Last chance. Who’s running things now?”

Terror floods his face. “I can’t... they’ll kill me if I talk.”

“I’ll kill you if you don’t,” I counter.

Something in my voice must convince him because he slumps in defeat. “Fuck,” he mutters. Then, “Nix,” he whispers. “That’s the name I’ve heard. Nix.”

“Nix?”

He nods. “I swear. That’s all I know. Just the name.”

“Thank you,” I say quietly. Then, before he can react, I drive the stake through his heart and his body crumbles to dust. Then I take out my phone and dial Lucien.

“Kim?”

“Does the name Nix mean anything to you?”

There is silence on the end of the phone. All I can hear is Lucien’s breathing. When he speaks, his voice sounds different.

“Nix?” he mutters.

Dread solidifies in my stomach. Because, for the first time, Lucien Thornfield sounds scared.

Chapter 26

Lucien

ENGLAND, 1645

The scent of fear hangs thick in the air as Nix and I approach the village. Moonlight glints off the thatched roofs, and smoke curls from chimneys. It’s a peaceful scene, soon to be shattered.

“Ready, brother?” Nix grins at me, his fangs gleaming in the darkness.

I nod, feeling the familiar rush of anticipation. “Always.”

We move silently through the shadows, two predators on the hunt. The first house is easy — a simple wooden latch that I break with a flick of my wrist. Inside, a family sleeps, unaware of the monsters at their door.

Nix takes the parents, his hand clamped over the mother’s mouth to muffle her screams. I go for the children, draining them quickly. Their blood is intoxicatingly sweet; innocence tinged with terror.

As we emerge, faces smeared with blood, I feel alive. Powerful. Unstoppable.

“Next one?” Nix asks, his eyes wild with bloodlust.

We tear through the village like a storm, leaving death and destruction in our wake. Screams fill the night air, a symphony of terror that only fuels our frenzy.

In one house, we find a young woman hiding in a closet. Nix pulls her out, her terrified whimpers music to our ears.

“This one’s pretty,” he says, running a finger down her tear-stained cheek. “Shall we keep her?”

I consider it for a moment, then shake my head. “No loose ends, brother. You know the rules.”