Page 93 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Five

As her weight sags forward, I reign the power back in and the blade melts. The water runs down my arm, sinking into my skin. A cool rightness floods my veins.

I duck out from beneath the dead commander as she finally tips over, her body thudding to the ground.

There is a clatter from the army as some of the soldiers whisper amongst each other looking for orders or direction.

Thunder still rumbles in the distance.

What now?

The queen is still out there. She is still the supreme commander of these soldiers. If she wants them to attack, they will.

The fae at the front line share a look.

A stocky man with a thick golden beard steps forward, sword already drawn.

“Summer Army,” he says, his voice reverberating across the garden. He hoists his sword into the air like a banner of war. “On me.”

With a roaring cry, he races toward me and the soldiers form up behind him.

How long can I hold them off?

Where is Bran and Arion?

“Wait,” I call and hold up my hands. As if I can talk my way out of this one.

The ground trembles with their approach.

I can’t summon enough ice swords to take them all on.

My ears grow hot and my head rings.

This is it.

This is how I die.

And the Summer Queen will win. She will dance over my corpse.

I dip back down into that well of power because if I’m going down, I’m going down swinging.

But right before the bearded fae reaches me, an arrow pierces his back.

He staggers forward.

More arrows slice through the air, lodging themselves into the attacking fae with dangerous precision.

Several go down immediately, dead on impact.

Many others collapse, howling in pain.

Appearing, almost out of the shadows, are the Faeries of Suffering.

Even though I know Draggun struck a deal with us, that he’s supposedly on our side, goosebumps still run down my arms at the sight of him.

The bearded soldier is on one knee just ten paces away from me, struggling to break off the arrow sticking out of his back.

But the moment he sees Draggun, any color that remains in his face drains away immediately.

“What are you—” he starts, but Draggun clamps a gloved hand over the man’s mouth, silencing him.