A Shade of Vampire 9: A Bond of Blood Read Free Page A

more minutes, arrived at the jetty.
    Timing was critical now. We had not a second to lose. They likely would have positioned someone to guard the port and now that we’d emerged, alarm bells would be ringing all around the island.
    We dashed out of the control room and raced toward the hatch. As I ran, I yelled at everyone else to follow.
    We all gathered outside on the snow. As soon as my feet hit the jetty I grabbed Sofia’s hand and we started running.
    Sofia and I led our troops forward, through the forest and up the mountain toward the entrance of the castle. We didn’t know what we’d find there now, but we were better equipped than last time. We had more witches with us. The vampires had a head start on the witches, having bundled out of the submarines before them, and the vampires all ran so fast, we reached the top of the mountain shortly after the witches had transported themselves there with magic.
    Sofia and I crashed against the wooden door, loosening it from its hinges. Within three shoves, the doors had swung open.
    We found ourselves staring at a hall full of vampires, their claws extended, all waiting for us. My blood boiled as I saw Caleb right at the front of the crowd. His deep brown eyes settled on me, his expression serious. It made my skin crawl to think that Rose had been alone in his care for so long.
    I launched forward, heading straight for Caleb. I was so fixed on being the one to reach him first, I barely even noticed what was happening around me.
    I’d been expecting him to take a step back, but he remained rooted to the spot. His calmness only fueled my anger.
    I closed the final distance between us and dove for his throat. He ducked, though I caught his cheek with my claw, ripping it open. We locked eyes as we circled one another.
    The entire hall was now in commotion as our vampires and witches clashed against our opposition. I wanted to cast my eyes around for Sofia, but I couldn’t take my focus off Caleb.
    Let’s make this quick.
    A second later, I had floored Caleb, pinning his arms against the stone. He struggled and forced a hand free, lashing out and catching my throat. I dodged just in time to avoid being gouged. His claws scraped the surface of my skin, drawing blood.
    He was stronger than I’d estimated.
    I gripped his throat and hauled him upright, smashing him back against the wall. Clasping my arms and digging in his claws, he brought his knee up and kicked against my chest. I caught his leg and hurled him back down against the floor.
    As I aimed for his heart, someone approached behind me. I whirled around to find myself face to face with a tall ebony-skinned vampire. Releasing Caleb, I leapt against the dark vampire’s midriff before he could strike me and dug my fist right into his chest, removing his beating heart and throwing it down against the floor.
    When I turned back to Caleb, he was gone. I growled in frustration and I cast my eyes about the hall in search of him. Milling through vampires as I made my way around the room, I finally caught sight of him fighting Gavin. I saw where their fight was going as soon as Caleb reached for Gavin’s neck. In one sharp movement, he disjointed Gavin’s neck and Gavin fell to the floor, paralyzed.
    “No!” I leapt in front of Gavin before Caleb could harm him further. I was about to launch at Caleb once again, but Xavier gripped him from behind and began fighting him.
    I cast my eyes around desperately for Sofia and caught sight of her standing over the body of a female vampire. Sofia’s face shone with sweat, her right hand coated with blood, holding within it a still-beating heart.
    “Sofia!” I yelled. She dashed toward me. She gasped as she saw Gavin lying on the floor. “Return Gavin to the submarine.”
    She wrapped Gavin’s arm around her shoulder, forced him upright, and hurried out of the room with him. I followed her until she reached the exit, watching their backs in case some other vampire took advantage