Silver Oath
The lead vampire staggered back, his cloak aflame, his smug expression twisted into fury.
“Untrained whelp,” he snarled, voice guttural now. “You’ll burn yourself before you burn us all.”
Kaelen dropped to his knees, chest heaving, the poker melted into slag in his hand. The heat was too much—his skin blistered, his muscles trembled. He felt as though something vast and alien had clawed its way out of him, leaving him hollow.
The vampire lunged again, fury driving him. Kaelen could barely lift his head. But Elira was there, staggering to her feet, dagger clenched tight. She met the creature mid-strike, plunging the blade into his chest.