To Kill a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,40
across the land to the cliff.
In the peaceful and clear night, the waves of the Emerald Ocean rock gently and leisurely as they pull the ominous ships closer to our shore.
Asher runs up to my side, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of the countless ships. Another shriek sounds through the night from one of the veil down below.
“Wake the others. Hide them.”
“They’re strong, Fallon. They won’t hide.”
My fingers tighten on the hilt of the sword, my jaw clamping shut at the sound of his words.
“Then make sure they’re ready.”
I had forgotten the height of the veil. Their long and towering bodies like disfigured skeletons clawing up the shores.
On the first ship, I see her. As the others disperse, rallying up our land and ready to face their deaths, President Docile stands immobile. She stares up into the night, her dark veil blowing in the strong wind, her sights set on me as if she can sense me among the chaos.
In one swift movement I kick off my heels, the dry dirt clinging to my feet as I jump without fear. Nothing but adrenaline courses through my body as I free fall from the cliff. The wind whips at my hair, snapping it across my face for only a matter of seconds before I land gracefully on the rock below. My feet welcome the cool stone as I make my way toward her.
In a quick sweep, I assess the people around me. Determination lines their features, clinging to the useless mortal weapons as they storm up the coast.
They’re all mortal. Fighting a war they know nothing about.
Only a handful of veil fall from the ships; with reckless limbs they thrash through the dark waves and up the shore. Long arms slash through the clear water, disrupting the calming sea with every reckless step. One storms right up to me, shrieking into the night until it’s less than a foot away.
My back arches, and I do the only thing I can think of; I shriek back in its graying face, my teeth bared and a hint of a hiss in my voice.
Its mouth opens, seething with anger as it blindly assesses me. Its claw lowers to the ground as it cowers away. Long limbs creep along the smooth rocks, slowly backing away from me. It doesn’t make it far, though.
In the flash of an eye I sink my sword into its spindly chest. A low and weak sound cries from its thin lips before I pull the sword from its body, flinging its blood back with the movement. Slick, inky blood stains my skin.
The president drops from the ship like an angel falling from heaven. She lands with unwavering posture just in front of me, and her beautiful black gown drags across the damp rocks as she stalks closer to me. My attention is drawn back to the ship when I realize someone is still on it.
My father. He stands in a burly coat, his nose red from the winds of the sea. Unsteady hands grip a hand gun, but his gaze appears somewhat vacant as he stares out at the night with a look of uncertainty and fear smeared across his face.
“I considered your proposal,” she says, her eyes skimming the length of the bloody sword in my hands. “Unfortunately, we were unable to come to an agreement.” A cruel smile twists her red lips.
My lungs burn as I breathe rapidly through my nose, my fist clenching the sword so hard it hurts. With too much force, I swing the sword up, but in a flash she dodges the sweep of the blade. Stumbling feet carry me into the cold waves of the ocean as I try to regain my balance. Her body seems to coil with the wind as she sidesteps my attempt and begins running up the coast.
With more energy than I’ve ever felt, I run after her, my feet slipping against the rocks. She’s just a few yards ahead of me, but she’s coming closer and closer to the Wanderer’s community by the second.
I push myself harder as my bare feet fling dust in my wake, the woods coming into sight now. The screams and clashing of an unseen battle echo into the night.
When her thin body is just a foot away, I lurch forward taking us both to the ground. With shaking anger I raise the sword, but it barely singes her skin. She rolls out from beneath me, sending me spiraling to