Page 53 of The Vampire Debt

Oliver grins. It’s a boyish smile, but it’s wide enough to see his slightly elongated canines. But it fades quickly as he adopts a serious expression that doesn’t quite suit him. “You smell of vampire,” he says and looks around, seeming to put everything together—my being out in the forest alone, asking if he was one of them, the dagger, my obvious fear… “Are you all right?”

“I’m just trying to get home, away from one of those… monsters,” I say. If he finds them as distasteful as I, then perhaps I’ve found an ally. “He was keeping me captive in his manor.”

Oliver’s eyes widen in surprise, and then he hums, saying, “I was not aware that the vampire in these parts has become so…primitive.”

The shadows continue to lengthen, and my unease heightens.

“I need to keep going,” I say.

“It’s getting late, I can take you to my pack. We could always use more members.”

I shake my head and move around him. I’m not interested in trading one beast for another, even if he seems nice. “I’m sorry, there is somewhere else I have go.”

Slowly, I turn my back on him and walk away. Part of me expects he will try to stop me, but I keep my dagger clutched tightly in my hand.

“Clara,” he calls out. I look back over my shoulder. He hasn’t moved a single step toward me. “I may not be able to protect you from the monsters that linger after sunset, but you will have nothing to fear from the wolves.” He raises his arm and points in the opposite direction than I’m moving in. “You will want to head that way to the nearest town.”

“Thank you,” I say.

He nods and the smile that spreads across his lips looks pitying, as though he doubts that I will make it that far.

I push my shoulders back and run in the direction he told me to go in. If I don’t make it, then it won’t be for the lack of trying.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Clara

Leaves kickup in my wake, hissing like a dozen snakes are on my heel. My imagination grows more and more wild by the second, spurring on my fears. The night is upon me. That thought repeats over and over through my mind with every step I take. I was hasty to leave without trying to find a map, without preparing myself. I don’t even know what direction the nearest village is.

Then a break in the trees appears up ahead, and I could almost cry in relief. I am so close to getting out, but it’s too late. The demons will emerge from wherever it is they sleep during the day.

I force my legs to move faster and faster, but the brush thickens, trying to slow me down. Branches reach out, grabbing at my hair and clothes.

A flash of red glints through the dark to my right. I stumble when I look, but there’s nothing there. Then another flash of red straight ahead. Two dots.

Demons.

The harder I run the more sets of eyes seem to awaken and appear.

The shadows thicken into shapes and I stop short as a ghastly shape rears up before me. A thick billowing cloud of black smoke slowly takes form. Its skin is too dry and taut, cracking slightly where it moves. It shows off distorted bone and ribs that stick out too far. The limbs are too long to look right.

The demon steps closer. Its form looks painful with each quick, jerky movement—how it moves should be impossible, the joints bend and twist in sickening directions.

I dart to the side and run. The crunching of twigs comes from directly behind me. Something cold grips my ankle. And pulls. I land hard on my belly and all the air leaves my lungs at once.

The claws around my leg dig into my boots, poking through the thick leather, and twist. I cry out as pain shoots up my leg, and I’m violently jerked toward it.

It drags me over the forest floor. I scramble to grab hold of anything to stop myself, digging my nails into the dirt.

I’m losing the battle.

More demons crawl out of the shadows, their jaws snap and crack as they come up behind the one dragging me. I swipe at the demon with the dagger, but it does no good. It lunges and grabs my leg again, giving it a swift jerk. I cry out again.

Something wraps around my wrist and pulls me up to my feet. At first, I think it is yet another demon, except they all vanish. Then an arm wraps around my waist.

I thought he couldn’t protect me.I breathe out and slump against my savior. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome, my dear Clara,” his voice practically puts my name in my ear.