Blake flew with Scarlet in one hand and Ruth in the other, flying as fast as he could to get away from the incoming army. He had been horrified to witness Polly’s murder, and shocked to have watched Scarlet taken out that vampire’s eye. He had sensed a great disturbance in the area, and had flown there, just to check. He had arrived just at the moment that Polly was stabbed, and when he’d witnessed it, without thinking, he’d dove down and scooped up Scarlet and Ruth. It was too late for Polly, he could see that.But it was not too late for Scarlet. After all, Scarlet was Caitlin’s daughter. And Blake still loved Caitlin. Even if she didn’t love him back, he felt there would be no greater way to express his love for her than by rescuing her daughter. Even if it was her daughter with Caleb.Not that that was his only motivation: Blake would have rescued any helpless child, and in the brief time he had gotten to know her, Blake had fallen in love with Scarlet. She was unusual, advanced

Blake could not comprehend the sight unfolding before him. It was one thing to see a vampire army approaching. That was shock enough. But it was quite another to see McCleod’s men—the human warriors they had grown to love and to trust—betraying them, attacking them. There was no doubt about it: Blake could see from the scowls on their faces, from the way they were charging, that it was an ambush.Blake stood on the roof of the castle, with Aiden’s men, other vampires he knew and loved—Taylor and Tyler and Caine and Barbara, and scores of others—along with the dozens of other vampires in for the wedding, and knew that there cause was hopeless. They were terribly outnumbered, and the enemy had the advantage of surprise, speed, and superior weaponry. Blake looked around, and wished he saw Polly or Sam somewhere, wished that Caitlin and Caleb were back. But none of them were. They were left on their own, to fend for themselves. The few of them left on the castle rooftop against the thousa

Kyle had been having a field day. He hadn’t had this much fun in centuries, slaughtering Aiden’s men left and right. It had been a route.It had been especially fun stabbing Taylor through the heart, watching her die slowly at his feet. These silvertip weapons were the strongest and most effective he had ever wielded, and after killing Taylor, he had killed a dozen more vampires in just a few minutes. He was covered in their blood, and he smiled widely, beginning to feel himself again.Their plan had worked perfectly, and Kyle knew that in no time, they would wipe out every last one of them. They had them surrounded, outnumbered, and it had been a slaughter fest. Rynd’s shapeshifting trick had worked, as Kyle knew it would, and that girl Polly had been stupid enough to fall for the bait. Now, there was nothing left to stand in his way. With all of these vampires dead, it would only be a matter of time until they cornered and slaughtered Caitlin and Caleb.Kyle’s latest victim, in hi