Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Xander widened his eyes. “I’ve heard enough.”
“Not me.” I gripped Xander’s hand. “Why did the Quiet King become mute?”
“Elders say that all of the power he called in that burst ate away at his senses.” Queen Regina shook her head. “His sight, hearing, and vocal abilities burned away.”
Ian clenched and unclenched his hands. The room thickened with power.
“Is that why the Quiet King killed all of the surrounding kings?” I asked.
“Maybe.” Queen Regina shrugged and stared at Ian. “Perhaps it was revenge, or he killed them so that no one would ever invade Capitol City again. It’s even possible that as the years passed by, he continued to conquer more land and simply became drunk on the power.”
Ian glanced over his shoulders. His voice was low and dark. “He never fell in love again?”
“Not that I know of.” The queen spat out those words. “And I’ve been with him for a hundred long and lonely years.”
“Queen Regina.” Victoria cleared her throat. She avoided looking at Xander or me. “We should hurry with this plan soon.”
“But, how did Leeta become a vampire?” Queen Regina frowned. “I must know.”
Victoria opened her mouth but didn’t say anything.
“Are you sure you want to start this way with me?” The queen frowned.
“Why would we reveal anything to you, fake queen?” Ian tore off his mask and pushed out his fangs. “I should kill you right here for even sitting on a throne.”
What?
“You look. . .like. . .” Queen Regina’s hands shook. “Guards!”
Oh no.
The doors opened and the guards burst in.
Chapter 4
Heart
Camille
Damn it, Ian.
Chaos was about to ensue. I didn’t know how we would get out of the castle alive.
Xander turned to me. “Once the guards are inside, shut the door.”
“Okay.”
“We may get out of this.”
“How?” My heart pounded in my ears.
“We just have to make sure these guards don’t signal others, or even the whole castle.”
“O-okay.”
“Do as I ask.”
“I will.”
“And don’t let them get near you.”
I wrenched out my small wooden dagger hidden at the side of the robe. “I’ll be fine.”
Five guards swarmed in, brandishing their swords.
Fast, I raced back to the walls, doing my best to stay out of their focus.
“Queen Regina?” The guard in front scanned the space. “Did you call us or is this more of the performance?”
I slipped against the wall.
Looking speechless, Queen Regina trembled in fear with her hand pointed toward Ian.
Please, Ambi. Get us out of here.
Fast, I managed to get behind the guards.
“Queen Regina?” Then, the guard turned to Ian and gasped. “Get him!”
I raced to the door and shut it.
Please, let this work.
Xander let out a furious roar.
The very walls shook and trembled.
With primal rage in his eyes, Xander charged forward, his feet pounding against the ground like thunder. His horns tore through his head. His claws sprang from his fingers.
Queen Regina screamed.
Ty yanked Victoria aside, getting them out of the way.
Ian barreled towards the guards too, his face contorted with rage. Dark talons grew from his fingertips, their razor-sharp points glinting menacingly. Monstrous black horns burst from his skull, curved and wickedly sharp, even bigger than Xander’s. His copper eyes blazed with hatred.
A cold chill trickled down my spine.
Their nightmarish forms made me shrink with terror.
I trembled against the door.
Thank Ambi they are on my side.
With Ian and Xander after them, no guard would survive.
While the Quiet King’s men were powerful, they’d clearly never fought vampire kings. Ian and Xander tore through them with ease.
The guards’ armor was useless against their claws.
Their swords broke under their horns.
One guard got too close. Xander slung the guard several feet back from just the force of his back hand. The guard crashed to the ground. His armor split apart. Blood trickled from his forehead.
Xander is much more powerful.
Ian tore the armored helmet off another guard, plunged his claws into the guard’s chest, ripped his black heart out, and bit into.
Dear Ambi!
I pressed my back harder against the door, secretly wanting to escape.
Ian’s copper eyes turned red.
What?
“You’re all going to die.” He slung the bitten organ to the floor. “And I’m going to eat your hearts one by one.”
The last two surviving guards tried to run away, racing in my direction.
No!
I placed my dagger in front of me.
Leeta screamed in horror and dashed up the wall.
How is she doing that?
Somehow, Leeta flipped over the two guards and soared in the air.
We all stared at her in disbelief as she landed a foot in front of me.
My mouth hung open in shock.
She is more powerful too.
“Get over here!” Xander roared at them.
One guard twisted around and advanced in Xander’s direction, stabbing the air with his sword. A whooshing sounded with each strike.
Xander knocked the sword out of the guard’s hand with a boom.
The guard stumbled back, clutching his arm.
Soon Queen Regina found her energy and began racing to the door. Surely, she was ready to flee.