Page 53 of The Vampire Curse

Then a horse bursts out of the forest with a rider clinging desperately to its back.

At first, my mind doesn’t want to make sense of what I’m seeing. It is impossible.

No ordinary human would stumble across this property by accident. Humans would take the road directly into town, bypassing the one leading here. Whoever it is was sent here for a reason, or—

A higher demon breaks through the trees in the next moment, on the horse’s heels. They swipe out with gnarled fingers, catching the horse and knocking its back legs out from under it. The mount falls to the ground as the demon swipes with its other claw, swatting the rider from the saddle and sending them sailing through the air.

The rider cries out as their body hits the ground. The sound of pain grips my heart.I know that voice.

It is a voice that has haunted my nights for too long.

She lands, rolling on the ground before coming to a stop in a crumpled heap. I run to her side.

The demon roars up behind her, preparing to strike a near-fatal blow. They could kill her, but like any demon, they will want her alive—writhing in pain—but alive to possess and torture her until dawn.

Clara groans at my feet. Blood seeping from her leg, the material of her trousers is shredded, exposing the wound. I place my body between her and the demon, and brace myself, calling up my power until it all but crackles at my fingertips.

I raise my hand and send out a command, drawing on my power from deep within.Withdraw.

A soft breeze flutters loose strands of hair at my brow. Lawrence appears at my side, hands raised, using his power in tandem with mine.

The higher demon pushes, fighting back as they writhe against our powers, shrieking their fury. They slam their massive, gnarled claws onto the ground. The earth shudders.

The demon looks once to the other vampires standing back, watching impassively. The massive head, hard and crumbling, like scorched bone, lowers.

The demon’s power pulses once more in protest. The maw opens wide, letting out an ear-splitting screech.

Sweat drips down my temple. The demon is strong… too strong. No single demon should possess such power.

Hot, foul breath, reeking of sulfur and decay, washes across my face. They push off the ground, dissolving into a cloud of black mist, swirling up into the air and sinking back into the depths of the forest.

The thick tang of sweet human blood fills the air, mingling with that of the horse’s. It’s still alive, injured, but alive. A human would put it down. But a human wouldn’t be able to do anything for it.

I don’t have time to examine the damage to the animal—not when Clara is hurt. I kneel at her side.

“You’re going to heal her?” Lawrence asks, his words biting.

I nod, not taking my eyes off Clara’s face. She squirms, her eyes squeezed shut, and forehead scrunched up in pain.

She’s conscious, but I can’t tell if she can see or hear through her pain.

I run my hands over her body, starting at her head and moving down, checking for injuries. She hisses and whimpers when I get to her ribs. She is badly bruised, but nothing seems to be broken.

Three large gashes run halfway up her lower, left leg, where the demon’s claws slashed. They aren’t too deep, but deep enough that blood wells and drips down her leg. The wounds are red and swollen from the demon’s venom.

Any plans I had of hunting her down and ending her life go up in smoke. Seeingherblood spilled by another’s hand is infuriating.

“What happened to killing her?” Lawrence mutters.

I jerk my head up and meet his gaze, bearing my fangs. “I will kill her when I wish to, and not a moment before.”

Lawrence steps closer. His nostrils flare as he inhales the scent of Clara’s blood. Red encircles his hazel eyes, nearly taking over. He stumbles back several steps.

“Take care of the horse then go feed in the manor. Mr. Steward will see to it that you all receive the blood you need,” I say.

Lawrence raises a brow in silent question, his hand clasped over his nose and mouth. “It’s just a horse. I will put it out of its misery.”

“No, it brought her here through the demon infested forest. It deserves better than that. Heal it, then take it into town and give it to the first human you see.” I turn to address the others. “The hunt is off.”