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The house was dark. Alice could only see the faint outlines of the inhabitants inside. Multiple pairs of eyes, more than the expected four, leered back at them through the darkness. The sounds of growling and snarling emanated from within. The house was full of vampires.

“There’s more than four,” Alice said with a high-pitched panic in her voice.

“Good. I love a line brawl,” Hugo said.

He charged inside with a barbaric yell, the wooden stake held high. He made it two steps before he was confronted by a frenzied vampire trying to claw at his neck. Hugo tugged at the vampire’s clothing to pull him off balance. He flung the attacking vampire against the wall, knocking down a few decorations. With a seamlessmotion, he drove the wooden stake into the vampire’s chest. The vampire screeched as he turned to ash and dust.

“One,” said Hugo.

The next vampire closed in behind Hugo. He grasped around Hugo’s torso and flung him over his shoulder. Hugo groaned as he slammed face first onto the ground. The vampire climbed on top, biting toward his neck. Alice snapped her fingers, conjuring a flaming purple ball of arcane energy. She entered the house and flung it at the vampire.

It exploded in an array of arcane magick. The vampire wailed in pain, falling off Hugo. Hugo rolled over and stabbed the vampire in the chest, reducing him to dust.

“Two,” Alice said.

The next vampire charged down the hallway, her fangs elongated and screeching. Alice threw another ball of arcane energy, hitting her square in the chest. She fell backward, writhing in pain on the ground. Hugo jumped up, moving to finish the job.

Two vampires ran in from the living room, tackling Hugo. Alice’s stomach twisted in knots at the sound of Hugo screaming in agony as his ribs crashed into the wall. Her heart thumped against her chest.

Without hesitation, she attacked with two more purple spheres of arcane energy. One struck a vampire in the head, knocking him to the ground. The purple sphere hit the vampire in the shoulder, momentarily pulling him off Hugo.

Hugo clutched his ribs and stabbed the dazed vampire in the chest, turning him to dust. Hugo twirled around, jabbing the vampire on the ground.

“This is why I wanted to go first,” Hugo said.

He twisted and struck the other vampire writhing on the ground behind him, reducing her to only a trail of dust. The hallway was clear.

“Two minutes for boarding,” Alice said with a smirk. “Five for fighting.”

“Why, Ms. Primrose, are you flirting with me?” Hugo asked with a half-smile. He stood up, wiping the sweat off his brow.

“Just a bit of foreplay, dear.” She blew him a kiss before biting her lips.

Seeing Hugo charge into the house, fighting, sweating, his hair a mess, breathing heavily . . . She was seeing Hugo in a new light. No longer the compassionate lover, but a force of power and aggression. Her stomach fluttered. Her body tingled. Her muscles tightened. It unlocked something deep within. Something . . . primal.

The stairs thundered as three more vampires tumbled down.

Focus!

“Get behind me.” Hugo wrapped an arm around her, pulling Alice behind him.

Hugo’s hand placed on her waist ignited a flame throughout her whole body, causing a yearning for him as he rushed past. He stood between Alice and the vampire onslaught.

Touching my hip isn’t helping.

Alice launched a few more flames toward the descending vampires. The wood railing exploded as the arcane spheres struck against it, sending the vampires recoiling in fear at the flying splinters.

“Watch it with the splinters!” Hugo yelled as he braced himself.

“Sorry,” Alice said.

The advancing vampire was met with a swift and powerful motion as Hugo slammed the vampire against the wall. Continuing his counter attack, Hugo drove the stake into her chest. Another vampire turned to dust.

The next vampire slashed Hugo across the neck, leaving a streak of blood as one fingernail dug into him. Hugo recoiled in pain, gripping his wound with his open hand.

Hugo slugged the vampire in the face, knocking him back into the other descending one. It was only a moment as the now lead vampire rose and lunged for Hugo’s neck. The vampire crashed Hugointo the wall. The shock knocked the wooden stake free from his hand. Hugo gasped for air as the vampire crushed his neck.

The last vampire on the steps leapt over the railing, knocking Alice to the ground. Her hat flew off and rolled down the hallway. He straddled her, his knees pinning her arms to the ground.