Silence - By Kailin Gow Page 0,53
aunt had taken a liking to the young vampire, though Briony found herself hoping that it wasn’t the same kind of liking that she had apparently taken to Vigor. Then Briony saw the look in Fal on’s eyes and reprimanded herself for that hint of jealousy.
Love for her shone in Fal on’s eyes, clear even over the rest of the battle. Though there didn’t actual y seem to be much of a battle left. Few vampires remained now.
Fal on nearly flew over to Briony in his haste to get to her, to hold her in his arms. Briony could hardly wait either. But a strong figure moved between them, blocking the potential reunion. Briony looked up and saw King Waltham, her father, standing with sword in hand.
“You’re not going anywhere near my daughter, vampire.”
“Father,” Briony hadn’t cal ed him that before, and the word made King Waltham look around. “It’s al right.”
Fal on nodded. “I’m from Wicked, sir, and I love Briony. I mean her no harm. I came looking for her.
She and I are together.”
King Waltham looked skeptical y from Briony to Fal on and back again. “Together?”
“Romantical y, Father.”
A booming laugh sounded around them then, while the sound of sarcastic applause cut through it, coming from above the three of them. Briony looked up, just in time for Marcus to flip down from the ceiling, landing before them, a sword in each hand.
“A hugtandalf and a vampire in love with one another? That’s one of the most ludicrous things I have ever heard. You might as wel have the wolf fal ing in love with the sheep.”
Briony slipped around King Waltham, putting a hand on Fal on’s shoulder. “Whether you believe it or not, our kind can live with and love your kind, Marcus.”
The leader of Palisor’s vampires laughed again. “That probably explains why the ones from your world are so weak. I thought it was just their age, but this foolishness is like a disease. Stil , at least they are plentiful enough. Al the ones you have kil ed here, and I can simply acquire more for when I want to wreak havoc in this world and in yours.”
King Waltham stepped forward, pushing Briony back and raising his sword. “You wil not have the chance, vampire.”
“Oh, I think I wil .” Marcus raised his own blade, and they clashed.
Even in those first seconds, Briony saw what a great swordsman her father must have been in his youth. As good as Vigor, if not better. King Waltham moved with the uncanny grace of the Hugtandalfer folk, and the sword seemed like a simple extension of his arm. He made movements so smal that they hardly made sense to Briony, but she got the impression that each one was a tiny adjustment designed to gain some advantage over his foe.
Yet Marcus was almost as skil ed, even if his talents with the sword had a rougher edge to them, born of fighting for survival for so long. He was stronger, too. Age had not weakened Marcus. It had simply made him more deadly. He met King Waltham’s attacks with his own, fighting in deadly silence as he tested the Hugtandalfer ruler’s defenses.
It took almost a minute before he found a way through, slicing a line of blood along King Waltham’s arm. Briony gasped, and steeled herself to jump in, but Aunt Sophie stopped her.
“Distracting him, even while trying to help, could be fatal for your father. We must wait, Briony.”
Briony wanted to argue, but even Vigor stood by, and he knew more about swordsmanship than any of them. King Waltham appeared to recover for a moment, subjecting Marcus to a furious barrage of attacks that forced the vampire to do nothing but defend. For a moment, she thought that he might even break through. Yet slowly, surely it became clear what was happening. Marcus was wearing her father down.
As fast as Briony could think it, Marcus lashed out, slicing low, to King Waltham’s leg, so that the aged Hugtandalfer had to fal to his knees.
“Now hand over the scepter,” Marcus demanded.
“I do not have it,” King Waltham said. “So you see, you have lost, vampire.”
“I think not. It wil be easy enough to find.
Now…” Without another word, Marcus drove his sword through the King.
Vigor leapt at him, forcing Marcus back through sheer fury. The ancient vampire laughed, and let himself be herded towards the side of the room Archer had knocked open. When he reached the very edge,