‘“DANTON!”
‘He turned to face me as his flock spilled into the courtyard below. Clad all in black, frockcoat and ruffled sleeves, cravat stained with the blood of the last poor wretch he’d killed. The strength of murders centuries deep unfurled in his veins and coiled behind his eyes.
‘Lay b-but one hand upon him, Gabriel …
‘He raised his sabre, met Ashdrinker on his blade and turned her aside. I was dimly aware of Bellamy on the eastern walk, firing flaming shots into the courtyard below now. Silver light burned in Rafa’s hands as Chloe and Saoirse fought side by side. But I had eyes only for my enemy. Our blades sang as we crashed across the highwalk, fury twisting my lips into a snarl. Danton’s blade sliced my arm, and I felt not a thing. Another blow carved my cheek to the bone, and I didn’t even blink.
‘“Ye look thirsty, halfbreed,” he hissed.
‘“You look frightened, leech,” I spat.
‘“I like thy new nun. A little shorter than the last one. How does she taste?”
‘His strike sent me skidding back across the boards, fangs bared.
‘“No, tell me not,” he smiled. “I shall learn for myself soon enough.”
‘I heard Chloe scream, Bellamy cry out. More wretched had flanked us, cresting the eastern walk now. The soothsinger was struck from behind, dropping his bow. The Dead came at him from both sides, and in desperation, he slung his lute off his back, dipped that beautiful bloodwood into the burning barrel beside him, and started swinging it like a club.
‘“Back, you bastards! BACK!”
‘They were overrunning us now, too many, too clever with this leech lord pulling their strings. Desperate, I threw myself at him, Danton’s sword piercing my belly and bursting out my back as at last, at last, my hand closed about his throat.
‘Yesssss …
‘Danton seized my wrist, my fingers brushing his skin. I lunged, snarling, but bloated with the kill, lips red, eyes flooded, the bastard was just stronger than I. And as I felt my bones grinding beneath his grip, I realized how terrible my folly was.
‘I was starving. Weak. And he, the son of a Forever King. Shoulders crowned with all night’s mantle, all his strength, all his power at his command.
‘“Not tonight,” he smiled.
‘My wrist snapped like a twig. The blade inside me twisted. I heard Rafa roaring Bellamy’s name, “Run! RUN!” the soothsinger crying out as his burning lute broke across one corpse’s shoulder, and a multitude of Dead bore him down. The necklet he wore snapped, musical notes spinning into the night as they sank their teeth into his skin.
‘“BELLAMY!” Chloe cried.
‘I gasped in agony as Danton flexed, lifting me off the ground, his sabre hilt pressed against my belly, his blade buried in my bowels.
‘“Blood is owed thee, de León. And blood shall be rep—”
‘An axe crashed into the side of the vampire’s neck, landing with the song of splintering stone. Danton snarled, and turning on the spot, he slung me with all his strength. I heard Chloe scream as I slid off his blade and flew across the courtyard, weightless, tumbling, crashing into the mosaic floor and smashing it like glass. I felt ribs break. Tasted blood. Black stars in my eyes.
‘Saoirse faced Danton on the battlements, the slayer tearing Kindness from the vampire’s skin. Her blow would have lopped an ordinary head from its shoulders, split a tree to its roots. But the Beast of Vellene was an ancien Ironheart, his flesh like stone. Still, his throat was shattered, cracks spreading across his skin like veins through pale marble. And fury lit his eyes as Saoirse slammed her shield into his face and her axe into his belly.
‘The highblood staggered as the slayer came on, furious, fearless. They crashed atop the highwalk as Chloe reached my side, bloody silversteel in hand, crying, “Gabriel, get up!” She dragged me to my feet, my left arm broken, Ashdrinker barely clutched in my other hand. Above us, Rafa had gone to save Bellamy, wheel held out, the wretched hissing and scattering as the priest reached the soothsinger’s bloodied body. My ribs were grinding under my skin, blood in my mouth. But I watched Saoirse twirl, strawberry-blonde braids spinning in the air about her as she swung Kindness at Danton once more.
‘“Nae man can kill me, vampire!” The slayer grinned, feral, face spattered with his blood as she buried her axe into his shoulder. “And nae devil would dare try!”
‘Danton’s hand closed around Saoirse’s like a vice, her fingers pinned tight on the haft of her axe. “No man nor devil, I,” the vampire said.
‘He battered her shield aside, drew back his other hand.
‘“I am a Prince of Forever.”
‘And lashing out with clawed fingertips, he tore out Saoirse’s throat.
‘Blood sprayed, crimson, brilliant. Phoebe looked up from a wretched’s torn body, the lioness roaring as her mistress staggered. Chloe reached out across the gulf towards Saoirse, screaming, Rafa watching in horror as Danton threw back his head, laughing as twin fountains of the slayer’s blood gushed across his skin.
‘Saoirse stumbled to her knees, leathers drenched red. Her hands were pressed to her sundered throat, her eyes wide with disbelief. Phoebe roared in impossible fury, bounding up the highwalk stairs towards her mistress. Rafa had his wheel raised, screaming as he retreated towards the cathedral.
‘“Chloe! Back! Get back!”
‘Turning, I saw that the gates had crumbled, wretched charging on through. Yet more dropped off the eastwalk atop me, claws and fangs tearing my skin. As I fought, desperate, punching and stabbing, I heard a scream of animal terror, and something heavy flew past me, smashing the oncoming wretched aside – Jezebel, whipped into a panic by the Dead and the flames. The dray had kicked free from the stables, charging like a spear now, through the wretched and out the broken gates. I couldn’t fault her for fleeing, thinking at least one of us might make it through the night alive. But she’d bought me precious moments at least, enough to climb to my feet and stagger back towards the cathedral.
‘“Good luck, girl. Should’ve g-given you a better name …”
‘Chloe hauled me backwards, hacking with her silversteel. I followed, gasping, swinging Ashdrinker and taking a wretched’s head off its shoulders, slicing another’s hands free of its arms, and with a twist, splitting its torso from its hips.
‘I stumbled, pushing Chloe away from me. “Get to the cathedral!”
‘I hurled my last ignis bomb at the gates, rewarded with a deep roar as the spirit-soaked stones caught fire. Chloe joined Rafa in dragging a bleeding, blood-soaked Bellamy towards the doors for the dead. The young soothsinger was holding his torn throat, whispering, “I … I will not … will n-not go to my …”
‘“Phoebe!” I roared. “Get BACK!”
‘But the lioness paid me no heed, moving in a blood-red blur along the westwalk. Danton lifted his head from Saoirse’s ruins, drenched in the slayer’s blood. Reaching up, he tore Kindness from his shattered shoulder, the axe wicked-sharp and beautiful in his hand. And as Phoebe leapt at him, bloody claws and fangs bared, the Beast of Vellene hurled that axe with all his unholy strength.