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The chill in the air was like the breath of an ice dragon waking up from a deep sleep. The scent of cold, ancient stone and musty shadows hit me, an uninvited intrusion. Emergency lights switched on, and any sense of calm shattered.
Vampires. They ran down from the stairwell with their inhumane grace, making them seem like they were floating.
Someone shouted to stop them; another shouted to run.
The vamps were like wraiths, their presence transforming the snake-way platform into a hostile and chaos-filled battlefield. Marvels weaved threads of mana that slammed some of the vamps up against the wall; other Marvels swooshed the mana around themselves to conceal them as they bolted toward the exits. Shifters were taking their half and full forms; a snow leopard lunged for a vampire and got thrown down to the floor like a rag doll, the vampire jumping over the limp body and racing toward—
Robby.
I leaped over seats, the basilisk shifting underneath me as the Marvel at its head tried in vain to keep it under control. The vampire practically flew through the air, hands outstretched, ready to latch around Robby’s neck. I crashed into its side with my shoulder, slamming him against the back of a seat. The hard plastic cracked with the force.
“Run!” I shouted to Robby, who had a shaking beagle in his lap. He grabbed the dog and managed to jump off the basilisk onto the platform.
The vampire got up in a fury of red hair and sharp fangs. She went to sink her teeth into my calf but instead was met with my knee cracking against her chin. Her head snapped back at an unnerving angle and her body collapsed.
Lights-out.
I looked for Robby. Shit. Where was he? The platform was beginning to thin out now as most of the riders realized whatever was happening wasn’t their fight.
That’s when I spotted him. Cornered. Back against a brightly lit advertisement for some skin-care product. He looked terrified, big brown eyes blown out with fear, the beagle pup held tight against his chest, both of them trembling. All that rage from earlier came rushing back to the surface. A protective streak like I’d never felt came over me, a scarlet-red veil falling across my face.
I roared and threw open my hand, sending a fireball flying toward the vampire closest to Robby. Then another, and another. The vamps all turned their attention toward me as I jumped off the growingly agitated basilisk and ran directly for Robby. Loud and angry hisses echoed around the walls. The emergency lights flashed, casting everything in an ominous red and blue glow.
“Are you okay?” I asked over my shoulder as I stood in front of Robby, blocking him from the four vampires that were left. One sported a bloody claw wound down her thigh, shredding her jeans. I could already see the dark skin mending itself back together. The vamp I knocked out on the basilisk was beginning to get back on her feet.
“I think so,” Robby answered in a breathless whisper.
I reached behind me. Don’t really know why I did it. To provide some comfort? Didn’t really matter why; I just knew it was the right thing to do. I reached back and grabbed his hand. Squeezed. It was a silent promise.
You’re going to be okay. I’m going to get you out of this.
And then the vampires all came for me at once.
They moved with a predatory grace, their bodies effortlessly gliding over the ground.
Launching into action, I met the first vampire head-on. I summoned my flames and covered my fist in it, connecting it with his face. The impact reverberated up my arm. His head snapped back, surprise flickering across his features. That gave me a hungry sense of satisfaction.
Using my momentum, I swung my leg up and around, the heel of my boot connecting with another vampire’s torso. He crashed into a brick column, back cracking like a twig. He’d heal, but it would take at least an hour to get him back on his feet.
By then we’d be long gone.
The remaining two vampires circled me, their fangs bared. One of them held a dagger; another held lethal-looking spikes between his knuckles. I had to be careful. Dragons didn’t have the immortality offered to vampires—yes, we could take blows and hits regular humans would likely crumble under, but a stab in the heart would end it all. I had some scales on my body that protected me at all times, but I didn’t have the full suit of armor my dragon scales provided unless I turned which would be a mistake in these tight confines.
“What are you two after?” I said, taking a chance to dig for some information.
The bigger vampire gave a dry laugh. He shook his head and spat at my feet, scarred lip curling into a snarl. “Out of our way, dragon. Let us take that boy and be done with it.”
