Page 90 of The Vampire Court

The hand gripping the back of my head goes slack as I pull the night-forged dagger out.

Alexander gasps, pressing a hand to his side. He looks at the red staining his palm. I push him over and scramble until we’ve switched positions, and I straddle him. Then, I plunge the dagger into his chest with every ounce of strength I have left. He reaches up, clawing at my face. I twist the blade then yank it out, and he falls back.

Gripping the dagger in both hands, I bring it down again.

Again.

And again.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Clara

I plungethe dagger deep into his chest until the hilt prevents it from going farther. I drop my head, letting my shoulders slump. I refuse to let go, too afraid to look away—afraid he will sit up and rip out my throat.

I am not dead yet…

I am not dead…

My breath comes in shaky, uneven bursts as warm blood still trickles down my arm… my chest… my stomach.

I am not dead.

The pain of my wounds comes back, rising like a pool of water. I can’t see through the tears burning the backs of my eyes.

“Clara…”

The sound of my name vaguely registers, sounding like a faraway echo.

A hand lands on my shoulder. The touch is so unexpected I rip the dagger from Alexander’s chest and swing.

Cassius leaps back, barely avoiding my strike. I blink and focus on his horrified expression then release the dagger. It clatters on the floor. The sound is loud, deafening silence.

“Fuck,” Cassius mutters, running his hand down his face. “What happened, Clara?”

I look down. My hands, my shirt, and the dead man I straddle are stained in a mixture of my blood and his.

“I…” I curl my fingers into my palms and hug my middle. Whatever kept me going is beginning to wear off.

Cassius crouches at my side, hands hovering as if he’s afraid to touch me. Seeing his uncertainty makes me wonder if this scene is even worse than I think.

I offer him my uninjured left arm, and he helps me to stand. He doesn’t speak but continues to hold onto me, letting me lean on him. He reaches up and smooths his hand over my head in a ghost of a caress.

With that touch, I feel everything all at once. I was attacked for being Alaric’s marked human, and he was nowhere in sight. Tears well up and fall without warning, tears of frustration, anger, pain, betrayal… and relief that somehow, I didn’t die.

“We need to get you cleaned up. There’s enough blood here to call half the vampires in this castle.”

I grip his hand hard, not sure when I’d taken it. I feel so weak, and that thought makes me giggle. Weak? But I’ve managed to kill five… or is it six vampires now?

“Clara?” Cassius asks, an unsure expression on his face. “Did you damage your brain in that fight?”

“I’m fine,” I say, reining in my laughter. “I just feel like I’m dying.”

He tsks, wrapping an arm around my waist, careful to avoid the gashes on my stomach, and scoops my legs up.

I relax into him, tired and aching.

“How did you find me?” I ask.