Page 5 of The Vampire's Mercy

Cross the gardens, get to Waterlow Road,I repeated in my head like a mantra.

Ore’s Eye loomed over the gardens, leaning slightly toward the river. Icicles hung from the huge iron wheel, turning it into some weird, almost snowflake-like decoration. I’d seen videos of it in full flow from the days before, tourists having a whale of time, enjoying the spectacular views the tall wheel provided.

One day, that thing was going to come down with a mighty crash, taking out a chunk of the ice-covered north shore.

Both sides of the river, for five miles in both directions, were lost to the frostbrood. So many old buildings consumed by ice, many of them historical landmarks of midtown built back in Oreflame City’s glorious mining days, when the city wasn’t a sprawling metropolis.

Snowy gardens cleared, nothing there but dead trees and a rusted park, I wove through the graveyard of vehicles and bodies spread across the adjacent street. Humans, fellow elves, werewolves, merfolk—all united in death. Even the odd animal.

The cluster of concrete-and-iron skyscrapers towering around me were all potential danger spots. An airborne frostbrood could leap out of any window at any moment, bringing all the gut-wrenching drama.

I’ll still come out swinging!

Thankfully, I crossed the next three roads without incident, reaching the top of Waterlow Road. It sloped downward, cutting under the old Albion South train station, now used as a checkpoint for this side of the nest. Watchtowers jutted out of the gray concrete; all traces of its ornate ironwork removed. Gun turrets and cameras worked overtime, a shitload of guardians on constant alert for activity.

Man, I’d never been so happy to see the ugly building.

A faint veil of white mist shimmered in the sky, the magical energy keeping eighty percent of the nest’s frostbrood contained. A line of ice resembling piped rosettes on a cake formed the border of the nest, due to the reaction between magic and the ice.

Thank Aidan no more nests had been created since the mass containment around the world. Although I often wondered if that would change further down the line.

Hopefully not.

A woman near the tunnel entrance under the station shouted me over.

Buzzing with relief, I hurried down the sloped road. Within seconds I’d be stepping into the spring warmth, freezing nest be damned.

Yay for April.

I’d be sweetcream in no time. In that bath and hugging Hal, back on the right track for tonight.

What about the crystal blade?

Couldn’t I just file that away as a freaky ‘what the fuck?’

Something cold snapped around my neck, crushing my windpipe. My eyes widened as the guardian roared something, more joining her.

Oh. Shit.

The frostbrood spun me to face it.

“Where does the elf think it’s going?”

CHAPTER TWO

PARIS

White eyes burned like twin fires in the frostbrood’s crystalline face.

Being one of the landborne types, it was humanoid with muscular thighs, most its body made up of glacial blue ice spikes.

But not its stomach. The long appendage of fleshy ice burst out of its belly, cold enough to give me frostbite if I didn’t get it off me soon.

Damn thing.

“Will destroy you,” it grumbled, yanking me forward.

Voices yelled behind me.