The wind howls until it seems to announce the presence of an unseen entity. I could hear it rustling through the bushes, stirring up a flurry of leaves that dance in the night air like frightened wraiths. Something is out there, watching us. I could feel its malignant gaze upon us—Vampires. Its hunger for our warm blood is palpable in the air. “Whew! Vampires really give me the chills,” Klevon comments as he grips tightly on his sword. I prepare my knife and coat it with my fire magic. Klevon is right. The presence of these vampires is sinister, much more than the original vampires with us. “They’ve drained dry a couple of humans already,” Inanna whispers. “That’s why their presence is like this. Feel the difference?” “I do,” I respond. Then there’s the sound of wings. The heavy flapping grows louder as the second passes. “That sounds like wings,” I remark this time. “I never saw you use your wings before.” “We have wings, but we don’t need them because our jumping ability can
I sense Ninus bristle at the insult. He leaps towards Bryer, a furious scream on his lips, and swings his blade through Bryer’s arm. Bryer grunts as his blood splatters. Ninus grabs his throat and pins him against a tree. With an effortless motion, Bryer pushes Ninus off of him with one hand as he stabs at Ninus’ stomach with the other. However, Klevon already acted as support. He dashes towards Bryer and prevents him from doing any massive damage to Ninus. They continue to struggle until the three of them separate. Klevon stands back while Ninus and Bryer continue their battle. Bryer’s arm is bleeding while Ninus is clutching his stomach. Klevon grunts. “Seems like my showing off is done. Now, it’s Ninus’s time.” “So you admit that you are just showing off,” I say. Klevon looks down at me and grins. “Did it work? Did you like me a little more?” I scowl at him. “You do realize that Ninus is fighting against another original vampire?” “I know,” he says. He pinches my cheeks, an
I watch when Klevon opens his eyes. He seems confused, and when he gets up, he groans in pain. I approach and lean over him. “You got wounded yesterday, Klevon,” I say. “You need to take a rest.” His eyes focus on me, and he beams. “Well, good morning to you too, beautiful,” he greets. I sigh. “It’s not morning. It’s already nighttime. I just had my dinner.” His eyes travel around. We are back in the inn, but Inanna stayed with Gezer and Ninus at the underground library. The inn is in the closest village to the library. The room has double beds and a single window where moonlight shines through. “And the three vampires?” he asks. “At the library,” I answer. He tries to stand up, but his arms tremble. “Damn! That Bryer got me really good. How about my weapons?” “There,” I say, pointing at his sword and whip. There are also a couple of knives and firepower. “You got a couple of them hiding in your clothes. Thankfully, I didn’t trigger any of your bombs.” He grins. “You dressed
“Stop kissing me in inopportune times!” I complain while evading his kisses. “Then, I can kiss you during appropriate times?” “No, of course not! There are no appropriate times for your kisses!” Klevon guffaws. “Well, I was hoping that the more I kiss you, the more you can accept that you are better with me, Kaiya.” “Stupid,” I say, yet I keep my distance. I climb onto the bed and proceed to sleep. Sometimes, it’s better to just ignore his advances. As dawn breaks, I wake up refreshed and ready for another day. Last night, I dreamed about Theo. Even if I should not, I am missing him. I miss his hugs and kisses. I miss the way he caresses me, and even the way our skin touches. I am about to sit up when I realize that Klevon is sleeping next to me, with his massive arms over my chest. I groan audibly. I shake his shoulder until he awakens and stretches like a cat. He grins when his eyes focus on me, which I answer with a grimace. He seizes my hand and kisses my fingers. “Good mor
We sent a letter to Theo, telling him that we would journey to Stine to search for Bryer. We also told him the other reasons we will go there. I told him not to worry and assured him I was being careful while having the most amazing adventure. I also add that Harbin stayed at Owusu and will return to Pitchford on his own. I know there will be danger, and I already miss him. Yet, I can’t help the feeling of excitement. They said that the Stine Kingdom is a land of ice and snow. There are also strange and magical creatures that inhabit their snowy mountains. It is a wonderful Kingdom of tundra and ancient beings. After traveling for weeks, we set foot on the snow-covered ground of Stine, only it isn’t just ice and snow. It is something magical, something almost ethereal. As we trudge through the snow, snowflakes glow brightly in the night sky, illuminating our path. “This is definitely a perfect place for vampires,” Gezer comments. But Klevon responds with a, “I thought the undergro
As we move toward the center of the Stine Kingdom, we come across an abandoned village. The instant we step into its boundary, the air becomes filled with a heavy, oppressive silence. Everywhere we look, the houses are empty, with windows and doors left open to the elements. However, there is no crumbling in the structures. There are also no weeds and overgrown ivy that hang on the houses, which means it’s not too long since this village was deserted. “Pretty bad,” Gezer comments. “Where are the villagers?” Ruth whispers. I watch Inanna. She is surveying the area, and her gaze eventually settles on a small home nestled on the edge of the village. We follow her as she draws closer to the dwelling. The door is ajar, the same as the other abandoned houses. “There is some faint scent of humans within,” she whispers. She raises her arms and warns, “Stay back.” Then her eyes fall on Ruth. “Being the only human in our group, will you please approach them?” Klevon interjects, “But I am
I stand side by side with Klevon, Ninus, and Gezer. I watch the sun dip below the horizon and the sky lights up in a bright orange hue, followed by the appearance of stars. Outside the castle, everything seems quiet. The Stine looks like an abandoned castle. Other than the ice that cloaks its walls, there is also that aura that suggests something is wrong. “It’s time,” says Klevon, his voice low and determined. The others nod. We talked about the infiltration strategy and the search for General Brandon before, so there is no need for any further instruction. There are a couple of places where Bryer might keep General Brandon. In the throne room, in the towers, or in the deep dungeons. Since Ninus and Gezer have almost the same aura as Bryer, they can easily confuse whatever creature is on those walls. “Let’s go,” Klevon says. Klevon and I stay at the sideline while Gezer and Ninus walk into the great walls of the Kingdom of Stine. I stare up at them, feeling a sense of awe. Upo
I shift parts of my body into wolf form and try to hold my own against Bryer. It proves to be more challenging. I growl and snarl at him, using both magic and human combat, but it’s no use against him. His strength is just too great. Bryer laughs as if taunting me, “As long as Brandon Stine is here, you are doomed even before our fight begins!” I glare at him. I am aware of it. The mere presence of General Brandon here is strengthening Bryer. I need to do something, or anything, to get past this hurdle. “Kaiya, I think you need to kill me for this to end. I am useless for a battle right now,” General Brandon whispers. “Thank you for saving me, though.” I turn my attention to him to check if he’s not doing anything stupid like taking his own life. “No,” I say. “But Stine Kingdom is no more.” “You are still a Pitchford general, even if you are injured right now. Besides, if it’s that gone from you, it doesn’t matter. It’s merely a title.” And then we hear screeching. From outside,