Page 78 of Vampire United

Maddy nods. With her free hand, she squeezes Caleb’s. “On three.”

“One…” Caleb begins the countdown, his pulse pounding in the base of his neck.

Maddy hefts the stake to her shoulder.

“Two…”

Maddy rocks back and forth as her throat dries.

“Three!”

They rush toward Sylvan and Orion as Orion dumps the limp Sylvan to the ground in a heap. Maddy swings the stake at Orion’s head, striking it against his temple.

One by one, Orion’s spells fail.

The binds lessen and the magical dampening spells slip away, too. Caleb’s pendant turns bright red once more, and energy bolts out of him toward Orion. He stumbles backward.

He points toward the metal stake, and Maddy feels it begin to lift out of her hands.

“No, you don’t.” She yanks it back.

Orion tries again.

Again, they fight over the object.

But Maddy yanks it back, wrapping her fingers around it tightly. The vampire strength amplifies her warlock magic, and she maintains her hold on the weapon.

Behind her, Caleb urges her forward.

They’re so close. Maddy grits her teeth, sure that their victory is within reach.

“Now, Maddy. Now!” Caleb roars.

Maddy swings the stake like a bat, sending Orion reeling back into the wall of maps, tearing them from their places. Beside them, Sylvan groans and climbs to his feet. He rushes toward them and slams into Orion, knocking him back.

And then Cora’s beside them, too. Sylvan and Cora shove Orion against the wall, and Maddy hefts the stake high. She aims the point at the center of Orion’s chest, and with a cry, she drives it into his chest.

Bones crack beneath it as it punctures skin and ribs. Behind her, Caleb grabs the end of the stake and helps her drive it all the way through him into the wall behind.

It never would have worked if she hadn’t been a vampire, and if they hadn’t been together…

“More, Caleb. We have to be sure,” Maddy pleads.

“Three, two, one,” he answers.

Harder, they push.

The cork board behind Orion splits, and the crack shoots the top, splitting in two and falling to the floor. The cinder blocks behind the corkboard crunch and divide, sending fractures spider-webbing out from behind him.

Orion’s eyes widen, and he grabs the enchanted stake in his chest. “Impossible.”

Maddy tries to drive it in farther, but Caleb pulls her back from Orion.

“Maddy, come on,” he whispers. “Let’s get out of here.”

Orion begins to shake, his legs stiffening and flailing, but he’s not able to get free of the stake.

His eyes turn black, and his fingertips gray. His skin thins, and red veins raise all over his body. His lips turn to charcoal ash. His mouth opens and a burst of wind gusts out of him as he soundlessly squirms.