Page 15 of Treasured

Sebastian landed against a tree with a roar. Anger pounded through the Binding Mark, and he stood.

The vampire glanced at him before turning to me. She seemed to decide I was the weaker, easier prey.

Shit.

She snarled like a ravenous beast. Her eyes filled with hunger and rage. There was no life in her expression, though. No real intelligence at all.

When my wings burst from my back through the special slits in my cloak, the vampire didn’t stop her advance. Instead, she growled.

“Stop!” I yelled, gathering shadows in my palms. I didn’t want to hurt her. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

Sebastian shook his head, his own wings fanning out behind him. “She’s a Fledgling!” he yelled. “She’s lost in bloodlust.”

I gulped. Suddenly, Sebastian’s fear when I almost killed the maid, Dorothea, came to mind. I had nearly fallen into bloodlust then. Would this have happened to me? Would I have been so lost in the need for blood that I would have become like this? An animalistic monster whose desire to feed ruled all their actions?

It was now that I noticed the layers of blood on her clothes. Some were dry, but many of them were fresh.

Then I remembered the other thing Sebastian had taught me. Fledglings were far stronger than other vampires because of the human blood still in their veins.

A thousand curses ran through me, several slipping from my tongue in rapid succession.

Spittle left the vampire’s mouth, and she charged at me through the moonlit snow. My heart raced, and I stumbled back, landing against a tree. My hand grappled with the branches. The Fledgling came at me at full speed.

My shadows pulsed and writhed, and the darkness in me seemed almost gleeful at the situation we found ourselves in. It enjoyed the danger, the blood, the possible death.

I did not.

Forcing myself to pay attention, I drew in one deep breath after another. I might not have been the all-powerful Prince of Darkness, but I had some skill.

At the very least, I had a survival instinct that had gotten me this far.

I had to fight back.

My fingers closed around a thick branch, and I snapped it in half.

“Luna!” Sebastian yelled, his wings flapping as he launched into the air. He was a winged warrior, bearing his shadow sword, but he wouldn’t get here soon enough.

I couldn’t reply. There wasn’t any time.

I clamped my hand down on the branch. Shadows streamed from Sebastian and me, adding darkness to the murky night. The Fledgling snarled viciously. She jumped in the air, lunging at me. I thrust out my hand, hoping to hit her heart.

My aim was true.

The makeshift stake pierced her flesh, and her nails, inches from my face, fell. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened, giving me the perfect view of her fangs.

I shoved the stake in further.

A strangled cry escaped the Fledging as black spider webs crawled from the point of impact. The sound shook me to my core, and my hands trembled. Still, I did not let go. Not when the veins crawled up the Fledgling’s neck. Not when her eyes bulged, and she looked me in the eyes. She saw me. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of life. A recognition of what was happening.

Of what I was doing to her.

Oh gods.

One final shriek left the Fledgling’s lips as she stared at me. Her legs gave out, and she dropped to the ground. Her skin turned a sickening dark gray, and her entire body shrunk until nothing but a horrible corpse was left behind.

Only then did I release the stake. I stumbled back a few feet, my stomach churning. Giving into its call, I bent in half and threw up.

I had just taken a life.

---