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“No!” Sebastian shouted as he jumped in front of Sylvia. He shielded her as Guinevere pierced the wooden bayonet into Sebastian’s back and retreated backward.

Sylvia held Sebastian as they collapsed to the ground. They locked eyes one final time as he slowly turned to white ash. Fear and horror dominated her face, causing it to contort in shock. Her mouth gasped as if to let out a scream, but she was silent.

Sebastian’s legs and arms disappeared as his body was erased from the world. His eyes rolled and head tilted back. One final expression of agony appeared on his face before he was gone.

Sylvia held out her hands. The empty fingers, once cradling Sebastian, trembled and curled into half-closed fists. She let out a barbaric yawp and then shrieked, “Kill her!”

The vampires rushed in. Alice leapt into the air and climbed higher as if she were ascending an unseen staircase. Streaks of purple bombarded the vampires below. They were knocked unconscious from the explosions of arcane energy.

Some of the vampires grabbed Sylvia, lifted her up, and whisked her away. Sylvia tugged and pulled in protest as she screamed and yelled.

“Sebastian!” Sylvia yelled. “My love . . .”

Alice used her magick to fling the stake at Syliva. A vampire jumped in front of Sylvia, shielding her from the attack.

The stake didn’t kill the vampire; it merely lodged into his arm. Alice followed with a ball of arcane flames. Explosions erupted around Sylvia as the flames struck vampires, knocking them to the ground. They weren’t dead, but seriously wounded. Surrounded by chaos, Sylvia’s bodyguards grabbed her by the arms and dragged her away.

She screamed out, “No! Take me back to him.”

They ignored her pleas, and they disappeared into the hallway.

The remaining vampires tried to get at Alice. They clawed at the space above them, but she was well out of their grasp. They threw bottles, glasses, and other objects at her. Alice dodged them, continuing to climb higher, running circles around the space above the nightclub dance floor.

Alice pelted them with the arcane flames. Some burst into ash as they struck the vampires in the head with enough force to blow it off. It was a mad scramble for salvation, and Alice was playing the role of the destructor.

Guinevere circled toward Alice, ready to pick up its new rider. Alice took a few steps and leap frogged over the broomstick and onto the seat. Guinevere buckled as she caught Alice. She flung a few more flames at the vampires below.

With Sylvia gone and most of the vampires scrambling, there wasn’t much more she could do. They spun around, searching for an exit. The doors were too close to the ground for their retreat; they needed to be higher. Alice threw a purple flame at one of the crimson curtains. The window shattered in an explosion of glass and fabric.

Alice leaned forward and flew out the window. She made a hasty retreat for home.

Chapter 24

The Countess and The Tavern Keeper

“Let me see!” Sylvia shouted as she pushed her way through the small assortment of vampire bodyguards. Streaks of black ran down her face as her tears mixed with her mascara. Fury and anger blazed from her furrowed brow. “Let me see! That’s an order from your queen.”

Her wall of defense parted, and she was free to return to the scene where her life shattered. The spot where Sebastian, her lover—her former lover—her King was slain. She rushed down the hallway back onto the dance floor.

She stopped. All eyes fell on her as their Queen was rendered silent. The vampires and their ghouls took steps away from the now empty spot where Sebastian once stood.

Sylvia covered her mouth with her left hand and stretched out her right. Extending it into the void, hoping to pull him back to life as she moved closer to the scene of the crime. She stopped and knelt to the ground on both knees. She sat back on the heels of her feet.

Her hand trembled and twitched. She needed to caress the spot he once stood, but her body held her back. If she didn’t confirm hisabsence by touching the emptiness, then he’d still be there. Somewhere. At least she hoped.

A tear left a black, viscous trail down her pale face. Her sapphire blue eyes rendered a bloodred to match her crimson jacket. Her hand hovered over the spot. She dared not touch the emptiness. The once raucous nightclub was silent.

Sylvia pressed down on two of the cold checkerboard tiles where Sebastian previously stood. She dragged her fingers across the floor, hoping, praying, she would find some remnant of Sebastian. There was only emptiness.

Sebastian Savino was gone.

Sylvia closed her eyes, seeking solace in her memories. She wanted to see Sebastian once more time. She needed to see him again.

Sylvia stoodin the dark hallway leading to her grand, illustrious ballroom below. She hid in the shadows, listening as the sounds of a string quartet and other revelry found their way up the staircase and into her ears. She detested music and sound. She demanded silence from her servants and caretakers of her French countryside manor. However, tonight was different.

She adjusted her masquerade mask. Its crimson color matched her flowing gown. Her heart raced. She had turned many humans to vampires, but this was different. Tonight was the night she would lose her lover and gain a partner.

The clock struck midnight. The string quartet silenced their bows. Twelve gongs echoed throughout the hallway. Sylvia straightened herself, ready to proceed for her grand entrance.