Page 12 of Theoden

I aimed my arrow at him. “Stay where you are,” I warned. So, he was Ara’s human protector and my betrayer. I would see him dead!

Nolan smiled. “I have no intention of leaving you, and look, you brought such lovely humans with you for us to feast on.”

“He is a blood drinker!” Samuel gasped as he took a step back, his sword at the ready.

That took me by surprise. I had assumed since he was awake, he was human. I could feel my heart pounding inside my breast. I was half expecting Ara to be strong enough to be able to stay awake during the day because of who he was. But I had never known any other blood drinker to have that ability. I released my arrow, praying it would find its target in Nolan’s chest. The blood drinker dodged it, and I quickly shot off another, which he caught in midair, snapping the wooden shaft in two.

“You will not leave this place alive,” Nolan said, then he advanced on us far faster than any blood drinker I’d ever seen move all my years of hunting them. Before we could react, Magnus was hoisted up and sent flying into the air as he screamed. His body slammed against a stone pillar, hard enough for me to hear his bones crunch. He grunted from the impact, and when he landed on the marble floor, his head collided with the tiles. I could hear the sickening sound of his skull cracking as blood seeped from the open gash in his forehead. His eyes were open as he lay there, lifeless.

“Awww, perhaps I struck him too hard,” Nolan taunted.

I spun around quickly, facing the blood drinker. The whole incident with Magnus happened so fast, it left me discombobulated. I had to gather my wits or I would surely be next. I tossed my bow to the floor and drew my sword.

“Ahhh, yes, that is more like it. Show me the fire of the Church’s Blessed Son, its little Golden Warrior,” Nolan taunted, licking his lips as he smiled wickedly at me. He goaded me with the names I had earned over the past nine years of killing the unclean. Each title I wore proudly and hated that he was mocking me.

“We attack together,” I told Samuel, who had remained at my side.

“Yes,” Samuel replied, his sword raised high.

We charged our foe, swinging our swords expertly, but he dodged every swing and seemed to disappear and reappear at will. My eyes could not keep up with his movements and that worried me. He was behind me now, tapping my shoulder. When I turned, sword swinging to slice his midsection, he grabbed my arm, twisting it behind my back. He pried my sword from my hand with ease, then tossed me to the floor. I was humiliated by how quickly he had disarmed me, and now he was toying with Samuel, laughing at him as he countered every attack Samuel gave him.

I reached into my sheath, pulling out my dagger, then climbed to my feet. I charged Nolan, aiming my dagger for his heart, but he spun quickly, appearing behind Samuel. He grabbed Samuel’s hand, squeezing it hard and breaking his bones. Samuel cried out as he dropped his sword. The loud steel clashing to the floor echoed throughout the halls, drowning out Samuel’s wails.

Again, I charged. I couldn’t let the fact that he was using Samuel as a shield stop me from completing my mission. I lunged, stabbing only air. I turned when I heard the evil laughter of the blood drinker. It seemed to come from all of the shadows in the room, giving me a grim reminder of how the first blood drinker I killed had toyed with us. I could feel the fear creeping up my back as I turned around in circles, searching for him. This attack was not going as I had planned, and I feared Samuel may be dead, leaving me to die next if I could not gain the upper hand.