A Desperate Dash

ALEXANDER

The sun was setting, its last rays scorching yet bearable. My skin prickled and reddened under the heat, but I pushed the discomfort aside, pulling my protesting sister toward the sea.

The dying sunlight was our ticket to a head start. The quicker we reached Corfu, the less time Aya would be exposed to danger.

I sprinted across the patches of grass near the dunes, the sand beneath searing from the day’s heat. Caroline yelped in pain, but I only quickened our pace.

The image of Aya’s face when we parted haunted me. The words I’d left her with felt inadequate. Apologies, gratitude, declarations of love—they all seemed insufficient, especially when she was about to plunge into a nest of transformed vampires, lured by my scent.

My own selfishness had ensnared her in this perilous situation, and now she was the decoy. A decoy to buy me a few precious minutes before the vampires realized the ruse and turned back.

The only solace I found in this plan was Anthony. Despite my reluctance to like him, he had earned my respect. He had managed not to kill my sister after spending more than ten minutes with her—a feat in itself, considering I was already itching to shake her off.

I had witnessed Anthony’s combat skills over the past few nights, and even decades ago when he fought alongside my grandfather. The man was a born warrior, likely even before his transformation. His kills were swift and merciless.

Above all, he was a protector. My grandfather had seen that in him; Anthony was at his best when he had someone or something to defend. That’s why he had been appointed as a guard and later promoted to the royal family’s personal guard.

He also cared for Aya. I was confident he would protect her and wouldn’t abandon her until he was sure she was safe.

Yet, I wished I could be there for her, ensuring not just her safety, but her happiness.

I cursed under my breath as the last sliver of sunlight vanished over the horizon. I could still sense Aya—her fear was palpable, but so was her resolve.

The cool ocean breeze hit me as we reached the top of the dunes. The dark water lapped at the shore. The beach was mostly deserted, save for a few groups of humans in the distance, engaged in their evening revelries.

The previous night, I had sensed the vampires in the water. We had moved close enough for me to see their faint shimmer in the water, to catch their fading scents on the beach.

They had concealed themselves well, their scents undetectable, their hearts silent. They would have taken us by surprise.

I assumed they were vampires trained for aquatic attacks, likely locals—either Skotádi or Night warriors—who had turned against us when we lost our crown.

I scanned the dark water, my face turned toward the breeze. Regardless of their training, they couldn’t have survived the day in the water.

The ocean might have shielded them from the sun’s rays if they had gone deep enough, but they would have still been exposed to too much sunlight.

This meant they were likely nearby, waiting to return and reset their trap. We couldn’t afford to waste any time.

Across the dark expanse, I could discern the silhouette of Corfu. The island, along with a house on it, had been a gift from the Skotádi clan centuries ago after we had defeated them in battle.

They had won the island back from the Blakes, Nights, and Eternelle families, only to hand it over to us—a humiliating defeat.

Fortunately, when the queen banished our family, she didn’t seize our lands or assets. Every piece of property and asset had been the subject of centuries of disputes and bloodshed among pureblood families.

If anything had been taken or stolen during our banishment, we would have had to fight to reclaim it.

But Corfu remained ours, safeguarded during our banishment by the Mcnoxnoctis guard. This meant Caroline and I should be safe there.

We just had to get there.

I tightened my grip on Caroline’s hand.

“Come on,” I whispered, guiding her down the sandy hill and walking at a normal pace across the beach.

We made sure to avoid the humans, staying out of their limited vision.

Just as we reached the water’s edge, Caroline let out a yelp and fell to her knees with a sharp intake of breath.

I turned around just in time to see a dark hand gripping her ankle, pulling her back.

Caroline let out a scream as a figure emerged from the sand in front of her, eyes glowing a fiery red, fangs exposed, a small blade in hand.

He lunged at her.

I barely had time to grab him by the back of his neck and fling him away.

Suddenly, the entire beach was in chaos. Turned vampires emerged from beneath the sand, brandishing their blades and charging at us.

With a hiss, I pulled out my own blade and attacked the nearest one, his blood splattering across my chest as he fell.

Caroline kicked sand into the eyes of the one closest to her, then lunged at him, sinking her fangs into his throat and dodging his blade.

I slashed and stabbed, cutting down the vampires who dared to come near us. Most were fast and well trained, but they were no match for a pair of purebreds.

Caroline and I fought our way through them, ensuring each one was dead. We didn’t have time for any to escape.

By the time the last one decided to flee, I was covered in blood and panting heavily.

I watched as he, already bitten by Caroline, tried to scramble up the dune to safety.

With a grunt, I threw my sword, impaling him through the chest. He fell onto the sand with a shriek.

“Coward,” Caroline muttered.

I looked at her; her hair was stained red with blood, and it dripped from her face, down her throat. Her lips and fangs were coated.

Her gaze was critical as she looked at the fleeing vampire.

“I don’t think he was trained, just along for the ride,” I said quietly, moving toward the body to retrieve my sword.

The beach was littered with bodies. At least thirty. The dark blue Skotádi uniforms were recognizable on most, but a few were dressed like modern humans.

“He got what he deserved for challenging a pureblood,” Caroline said, her tone haughty.

“Most turned vampires have never seen a pureblood,” I reminded her as I pulled my blade from his broken rib cage.

I cleaned the blood off with his flannel shirt.

“They don’t know any better.”

“We should be known by reputation,” Caroline insisted.

I couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“After being dethroned and exiled, I don’t think our reputation is at its best,” I reminded her.

She glared at me.

“We should leave. The Skotádi will be here soon to clean up. I don’t want to give them a chance to catch up,” I said, glancing at the small town in the distance.

I could hear the humans bustling about; any vampires close enough would have heard the fight and definitely smelled the blood. The beach would be swarming within minutes.

Her eyes widened, but she nodded.

We stepped into the water, splashing it onto our clothes, washing away the blood. A few minor cuts and scrapes stung in the salty water as they healed.

A sudden rush of adrenaline filled me, and I knew it wasn’t mine. Instinctively, I turned my head back toward the small town, its lights barely visible.

“Anthony is calm and confident. Don’t worry, he’ll get her to safety,” Caroline murmured beside me.

I looked down at her; she was staring in the same direction as me, her expression twisted into a scowl.

I blinked at her, processing her words. She’d let him drink from her. They were closer than I had thought.

“I know,” I said quietly; Aya’s emotions had settled into a cold fury.

She was angry, but she wasn’t scared. I swallowed my worry. I had to trust her.

We dove into the water, sinking deep into the darkness. The muffled sounds of the water and the bright ultraviolet colors of the sea surrounded me.

We stayed near the surface, listening for any sounds of turned vampires on the shore. Corfu was getting closer.

I let my mind relax, focusing on the sound of the water and on Aya’s emotions. She was still within range, but barely.

She was frustrated and a little anxious, but I could also feel her calming herself down. She was doing that for me. I gritted my teeth and swam faster.

Caroline moved effortlessly through the water. One second, she was gliding next to me; the next, she was soaring high above me.

A fiery agony ripped through my chest. Blood clouded the water around me, and before I could even comprehend what was happening, I was being yanked down into the ocean’s depths.