Blood and Hexes (After Darkness Falls #4) - May Sage Page 0,20

had a piss-poor immune system. She would never have survived if it weren't for magic. Her parents hadn't wanted to take any chances with her from that point. Her sole companion had been her older brother.

She'd guessed that the man in front of her was ancient. No run-of-the-mill vampire could even hope to restrain her for a single second. She hadn't realized he might be older than dirt. Diana hadn't met anything this old in a long time. Ancient vampires didn't roam the streets at night. They remained in their seats of power, at the head of their clan—their family. She was within Oldcrest now. She shouldn't have been surprised to meet others like her here.

She wondered what house he led. Not the Drakes—she knew all three of their ancients. Certainly not the Rosedeans—their matriarch wasn't even five hundred years old. Diana bit her lip. She knew everyone else. Everyone who mattered.

"Who are you?"

He stared at her, daring her to remember. Annoyed at herself for coming up blank, and at him for not making things easy, she shrugged. "Fine. You want to carry my stuff? Be my guest."

She spun on her heel and strutted out of his space, crossing the open gates of the hill. Alexius laughed, until she shot him a nasty look.

As she strode uphill, her eyes traveled upward, to the summit, and the dark house resting on it. Skyhall. The ultimate seat of power of Night Hill. The Eirikrson house.

Back when she lived here, the house had been a constant buzz of activity, between the training of slayers, of Eirikrson children, and the lavish parties they’d thrown to celebrate their victories. To celebrate their absolute dominion.

She hadn't thought of them as tyrants back then. Not truly. The Eirikrsons had felt like a necessity, because vampirekind had recognized no authority. Many took humans for pets, murdered without a thought as to the lives, the families they were destroying. They'd needed something to fear, something to keep them in line. Things had changed since. Things were good. Now that vampires and the rest of the paranormals were out of the shadows, there were authorities in place to ensure they stayed in line. The huntsmen were more numerous and had adequate resources. While still comparatively weak, humans weren't the simple prey they'd been before. They had weapons that could help even in the field. Hell, even a camera on a phone was a deterrent, as no vampire wanted to risk being seen crossing a line and hunted down by their own kind and the huntsmen. The Eirikrsons were a bygone relic from a world drenched in blood, and should have stayed buried.

She remembered the last time she'd seen the Eirikrsons.

After Alexius had lost it, hunting down whatever he could sink his teeth into, they were about to go find him and kill him. Diana had waited until her mother was napping to get out and run to Skyhall when she'd heard. She'd walked into the intimidating, dark great hall, to face the monsters her parents had told her about. "Be good after you turn, Diana, or the Eirikrsons will destroy you." Shivering like a leaf, she'd gone anyway.

"Well, if it isn't our little songbird," the great warrior lady who led the Eirikrsons had teased her at the entry hall. "Come in. Let's get you out of the cold."

She'd shaken her head. "I'm not here for pleasantries." Her voice had held more strength than she'd felt. "I'm here because of my brother. You can't kill him. You can't. Kill me instead."

Liz Eirikrson laughed. "Why would I do that? You're not a murderer. Yet."

"I am," she started. "I was from the moment I was born. And it's my fault Alexius turned out bad. I'll pay for it."

The woman had watched her with her bright, calculating blue eyes. "You're strong, child. And loving, too, which is rarer in your house. But all your love and strength can't save the boy. Only his can."

She'd been dismissed, sent down to her house with a blanket, escorted by guards who made sure she was safe.

But Alexius had been brought home in one piece—no thanks to her.

"Mikar," she said, right when they reached the Helsing ground.

She turned back to the man. "Mikar Ash."

He'd been one of guards trailing her that day. Only, in her mind, the strong, silent, deadly vampire had felt like a giant compared to her.

He smiled approvingly.

"You're an Eirikrson slayer."

Mikar chuckled. "Certainly not."

She frowned. "You were working for them back then, weren't you?"

"I suppose