Page 52 of The Vampire's Mercy

Unless I fell over and landed in it headfirst.

Oh, piss off.

“Hi,” I whispered to the seaweed and the other flora, quickly making my way inland.

Fighting sounds came from the causeway. It got me picking up my pace.

Why were the vamps fighting the king, though? Were they some sort of rebels?

I heard a man scream.

It’s nothing to do with you!

Rumbling beneath me, the wet sound of something slithering in the salt marsh. By the light of the moon, I saw the ground churn, swelling with the size of a beast. The sand began to freeze, the glacial blue of frostbrood ice spreading outward.

Uh-oh.

My hands buzzed, the crystal blade flashing in my mind. The ground rumbled again, but the frostbrood didn’t attack. The ice melted away, the temperature rising again.

No crystal blade showed up.

“What—”

A figure came at me from the side, slamming into me. I went down, rolling backward in response before leaping to my feet.

I expected the vampire king, but came face-to-face with a different guy instead.

The vampire hissed at me, fangs bared. His red eyes darted to the stakeblade in my hand.

“I’ll drive that into your belly,” he warned.

I showed him a middle finger.

Another scream came from the direction of the causeway.

“His Majesty lets the likes of you close to him, does he?” the vamp added.

I went to attack him, done with vampire talk.

The crystal blade appearing in my hand stopped me.

Same for the vamp. “What is that?”

Rather than answer, I sprang forward, going for his heart. He leaped into the air to dodge me, exposing his stomach instead.

Fine. Take him down, stake him when he’s on his back.

The blade entered him like a hot knife through butter. He made a squeaking sound, then exploded into bone dust.

By Aidan! Did that just happen? Did a vamp just die without taking a stakeblade to the heart?

Whoa. That opened a new can of worms.

Delicious worms.

The vampire king’s roar rumbled from the causeway.

I tore off again, questions popping off in my brain like fireworks about the crystal blade still in my hand. Man, this was exciting and scary stuff.