Page 49 of How to Stake a Vampire

Detective Johnson scowled. “That’s impossi?—!”

“Essentially, yes,” Barney interrupted. “If Ludvik has found a way to make the ritual work…”

“He’ll be unstoppable,” Samuel concluded sourly. “And the first of a new race of vampires.”

Our mate bond thrummed with tension.

“And the blood samples?” Didi scowled. “Why take those?”

“So he can experiment and further refine the process. He was quite adept at running experiments, even in those days.”

Great, just what Amberford needed. A mad vampire scientist.

“What’s his next move?” I asked Barney. “I’m sure you have an idea.”

Barney hesitated. “He’ll target another powerful vampire family to extract their blood.”

Detective Johnson clenched his jaw. “Which one?”

“I’m not sure.” Barney grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. “There are at least five more in Amberford that meet his criteria.”

Samuel frowned at Detective Johnson. “We need to warn them. They’re going to need extra security until this is over.”

“Good luck with that,” Barney muttered. “Vampire aristocracy doesn’t respond well to being told they’re in danger. They’ll insist they can handle it themselves.”

“Barnabas is right,” Lord Chudwell said tiredly.

“Then we’ll just have to—” Samuel started.

My phone rang, cutting him off. I looked at the screen and frowned.

It was Virgil.

I answered the call. “Virgil? I’m in the middle of something right now?—”

“Abby!” Virgil’s voice was tight with panic. “You need to get to Bean Me Up. Now!”

I froze, dread forming a leaden ball in the pit of my stomach.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s Ellie.” Virgil’s voice cracked. “She’s—she’s been attacked!”

A ringing filled my ears. My vision went red.

I didn’t realize I was doing something until I heard Samuel shouting.

My heart stuttered when I looked up.

Didi, Gavin, and Detective Johnson were on their knees, their faces contorted into expressions of agony as they clutched their heads. Bo was flat on the floor, paws over his head and jaws open in a howl of pure distress. Lord Chudwell winced in bed. Barney’s eyes glowed crimson where he’d jumped to his feet.

The room was shaking, the equipment was clattering wildly, my phone had cracked in my hand, and the baron was wailing even louder somewhere close by.

Samuel closed the distance to me, his expression strained and his body leaning forward as if he were fighting a storm.

“Breathe, Abby!” he yelled, his alarm finally reaching me across our bond.

I unfroze and gulped down air, a bone-deep shudder shaking me from my head to my toes. Whatever power it was I had unconsciously unleashed started to abate.