‘“Adrien!” came a scream. “NO!”
‘I turned towards Luncóit, saw her eyes filled with fury. Greyhand took advantage, calling out to heaven as he brought his blade in a whistling arc across her throat. It was a blow that would have split an anvil in two, and the vampire’s flesh shattered like ice. But she was an Ironheart. Ancien of the Blood Voss. And I saw now the terrible peril Greyhand was in: by risking his deathblow, our master had left himself off-balance. Bone-white fingers closed about his throat, sizzling on the silver. Her claws tore into the side of his head, ripped his ear clean off his skull, broke his jaw, pulped his right eye like a rotten egg.
‘“Master!” I shouted, running forward.
‘The vampire seized Greyhand’s wrist, flinging him down onto the stone so hard the flagstones shattered. Greyhand cried out, blood on his lips. Luncóit slung him like a bag of rocks – once, twice, twisting as she did so. I heard bone breaking, saw Greyhand’s red eyes wide with agony. And then he roared, head thrown back as the vampire thrust her heel against his chest and leaned away, tearing his swordarm out at the root.
‘“Holy God …” I breathed, skidding to a halt.
‘Talon staggered upright, bleeding from the eyes and ears. His shoulder was broken, chest staved in, left arm bloody at his side. De Coste and I joined him, gasping for breath. Aaron’s skin was pocked with a half-dozen wounds, blonde hair plastered to bloodied cheeks. Greyhand lay broken on the cobbles as the vampire turned to us, tossing my master’s severed arm over the railing and into the river below.
‘“What do we do, Seraph?” Aaron wheezed.
‘Talon shook his head, teeth red with blood. “I … I don’t …”
‘“We can’t abandon Greyhand,” I whispered. “The three of us can take her.”
‘The vampire laughed then. Her skin was spattered crimson, eyes searching mine as she raised her hand and licked the blood from her blackened fingers.
‘“Take me?”
‘The snow landed on her skin as if she were a statue. Her dress flowed about her like red smoke. She came to a halt at the edge of our light, beautiful and terrible, and she spoke with a voice that quickened my blood.
‘“I am never taken. I only take. Such is the province of a Prince of Forever.”
‘My heart dropped in my chest as realization sank home.
‘“Luncóit,” I whispered. “Raven Child.”
‘“His child,” Talon breathed.
‘I saw the seraph’s face growing paler, Aaron’s bloodied sword tremble in his hand. We’d known the monster we hunted was powerful. But we’d never imagined …
‘This thing had been old when the empire was young. The red sovereign of centuries of slaughter. And I whispered then, my voice quaking. The name of this beast we’d hunted since Skyefall. This vampire who now hunted us.
‘“Laure Voss …”’
VI
WHERE MORTAL GIRLS FEAR TO TREAD
‘LAURE VOSS. FAVOURED daughter of the Forever King.
‘I remembered the tales I’d heard of her around the fireside. A terror of the night. A true ancient. When the walls of Vellene had fallen to her father’s Endless Legion, Laure had gathered every infant in the city, snatching them from cribs and wailing mothers’ arms like some horror from a tall fireside tale. She’d opened them up like saintsday gifts and poured their blood into the fountain in Vellene’s square.
‘And then, she’d fucking bathed in it.
‘The Wraith in Red.
‘My hand was raised before me, Aaron’s also, and our inkwork burned with a holy glow, keeping the vampire at bay. But I’d only one silverbomb left. Our wheellocks were empty. With Talon so badly wounded, Aaron and I only initiates, we stood little chance against a monster of such dreadful power.
‘Greyhand watched from where he’d fallen; the three of us huddled in our circle of light. “N-no heroes,” he whispered. “R-run …”
‘Talon wheezed through bloodied lips. “I fear this foe is beyond us …”
‘“The cathedral.” Aaron nodded behind us. “Holy ground.”
‘“We can’t leave Greyhand,” I hissed.
‘“Thou shouldst leave him.” Laure turned her eyes on me. “As ye left her?”
‘My belly twisted as I felt the vampire push her way into my head. I tried to keep her out as Talon had taught me, but my defences crumbled under the weight of countless years.
‘“I see her, frailblood,” Laure whispered. “That sweet daughter of Lorson, floating beside thee like a shadow. I smell her, dripping like blood from thy guilty hands. If thou hadst but been there, ye might have protected her. If thou hadst but gone with her into the woods that day as she asked thee, thy sister Amélie might still be alive.”
‘Laure’s eyes bored into mine, and her voice was a knife in my chest.
‘“Instead, she met me.”
‘My belly thrilled with rage. Fangs stirring in my gums. “You fucking lie.”
‘Laure Voss tilted her head. “Do I?”
‘“Don’t listen,” Aaron warned. “Dead tongues heeded are Dead tongues tasted.”
‘“Ah, oui,” the vampire breathed, circling our light. “Aaron de Coste. Noble blood pumped by a coward’s heart. Dost thou fear me, boylover? Just as thou feared thy stepfather when he found thee entwined in thy love’s bed? Sweating and spent …”
‘I saw de Coste tense at that. Fists clenching.
‘“Thy pretty Sacha loved thee. Pleading on both knees before the Baron, and thou didst nothing to intercede. Instead, ye threw thy love to the wolf to save thyself his bite.”
‘“Silence,” Aaron hissed, fangs glinting. “That’s not true.”
‘“It’s not my fault, Papa,” Laure wheedled, hand to her breast. ‘I didn’t want it. Sacha made me, Papa. Sacha forced m—”
‘“SILENCE!” Aaron raised his sword, the light dimming as both hands closed about the grip. Only the radiance from my own palm remained now, and the ink on our chests and arms. The circle shrinking. Her eyes narrowing.
‘“De Coste, stand your ground!” Talon cried. “She wants you to fight her! Stay in the circle! In God’s light, we are stronger together!”
‘Laure only laughed. “Think thee, thy God shall save thee from me?”
‘Talon winced, fangs bared. “G-get out … of m-my head, bitch …”
‘“We are thy punishment, Seraph. And thy God shall not spare thee. He abhors thee, and everything thou art.” Her head tilted, lips curling. “And I would make thee love me, Talon de Montfort. I would promise thee pleasure no chaste and holy brother could dream of. But I see it now, behind thy blood-soaked eyes. Upon thy blood-soaked hands.”
‘The vampire smiled.
‘“Thou art already ours, paleblood. Thy little Aoife could testify to—”
‘And that was it. I cried warning, but Talon just fucking snapped, charging in, Aaron beside him. And though I stepped forward, light blazing, still Laure Voss opened her arms. She slipped aside Talon’s flail, moved swifter than a hummingfly past Aaron’s sword. Her right hand tore through the seraph’s guard, twisting his good arm so brutally the bone burst through his skin. Her other hand collided with his belly, claws tearing deep. She threw Talon backwards, loops of entrails spilling from the gaping wound. Aaron lunged with a bellow to the Almighty, aiming at the wound Greyhand had already begun. And at last, at last, the blade broke through, sundering that marble finish and opening Laure’s neck wide.