A Shade of Vampire (A Shade of Vampire, #1)(15)

“What are you doing way out here by the fortress during a night so dark?” Pitchy, with the high-pitched voice, asked.

“Taking a walk. My master said I could,” I bluffed. I could feel my face turning red.

“Really now?” This time, it was Husky speaking. “Did he also ask you to get yourself all bloody and ready to become his breakfast while you’re at it?”

I could feel them drawing closer from behind me. I slowly turned so I could face them. Based on the clothes they were wearing – black garb with red crests worn by the guards escorting us the night before - I assumed both of them were guards, assigned to keep watch of the fortress.

“Who’s your master, lovely little thing?”

Pitchy was right beside me now. He held a clump of my hair within his fingers and took a good long sniff of it.

I was about to tell them that Derek Novak owned me and harming me would be a big mistake, but was interrupted by Husky before I could speak.

“Who cares?” he spoke up. “Anyone who walks past the forest and reaches the fortress is under our mercy. I’m sure her master will thank us for teaching the insolent slave a lesson.” His finger traced one of the scratches on my legs, drawing blood with his protruding claw. He took a whiff of the blood and smiled before tasting it. He smiled.

“Sweet.”

It was Pitchy who seemed apprehensive. “Perhaps we shouldn’t touch her. We don’t know who owns her.” Still, his eyes were on me, his free hand running the length of my arm.

Husky showed no indication of stopping his taste tests of the blood coming out of the scrapes on my body.

I stood there, trying to recall whatever it was I learned from the self-defense lessons Ben had convinced me to take part in. I had no idea if they would work against vampires, but I figured it was worth a shot – if only just to stun them so I could make a run for it. It was wishful thinking, but it was the best I had. I bent down on the ground and swung a leg beneath Husky, making him topple to the ground. I took advantage of Pitchy’s surprise and pushed him away before I began running back to the forest. I barely even took three strides, before both managed to catch up with me, pushing me to the ground.

Pitchy held my arms down, while Husky bent on the ground to hold my feet down.

“That was a big mistake, sugar,” Husky grinned.

Both their fangs came out and I was sure I was about to lose all sanity, considering that it was the third time in the past twenty-four hours that vampires had threatened to suck my blood.

I saw no hope whatsoever and just shut my eyes as both were about to bite. I was expecting to scream in pain upon feeling their fangs dig into whichever part of my body they decided to sink their teeth into.

But, instead, I felt their grip on my wrists and legs suddenly loosen.

I opened my eyes and blinked several times, still trying to get used to seeing in the dark. My eyes lit up when I saw both guards on the ground with Derek looming over them. The moon shone down on him in the clearing. Each of his hands were pinning them to position by their necks.

“Has either one of you tasted her blood?” Derek demanded, the tone of his voice nothing short of menacing.

From behind, the way his shoulders rose with every breath and the way his muscles bulged, told me how he was desperately trying to maintain a grip over his temper.

“Your highness, I-I… I didn’t mean to…” Husky was shaking so badly I could barely make out the words. “I didn’t know…”

What happened next was unlike anything I’d witnessed before. Derek let go of Husky’s neck and without a single moment’s hesitation, dug his claws into Husky’s chest. I could practically hear the sound of flesh breaking as Derek pulled out Husky’s bloody, still beating, heart. My knees weakened and I found myself falling to the ground. I never imagined – even for once in my life – that I would ever see someone literally rip another person’s heart out. I couldn’t even stand watching gory films. Having to see something like that in person felt like far more than I could handle.

Derek now focused on Pitchy who was spitting out profuse apologies. “Be silent.”

Pitchy lost no time in shutting his mouth and sparing us the annoying sound of his voice.

“Never touch what’s mine. Sofia Claremont is mine. Whoever harms her answers to me. Understood?” Derek growled.

Pitchy nodded. “Of course, y-your M-Majesty.”

Derek let go of Pitchy’s throat and the guard lost no time in scampering away from the prince. Derek tossed the then very much dead heart he was holding with his right hand and threw it to the ground. He then wiped Husky’s blood off his hands using the dead guard’s shirt. He rose to his full height and turned, his eyes settling on me. I thought of backing away from him, but saw its futility. He was glaring at me and I found myself fearing his anger.

“Get up, Sofia.”

I lost no time in rising to my feet. I was fully expecting to experience some form of pain. Instead, I found him looking at the length of my legs, concerned by the scratches he saw there. He brought out a dagger he had hidden up his sleeve. I stared at it, wondering if he was going to use it to teach me a lesson of sorts. Instead, he cut through his palm with it.

Despite my fear of him, I stepped forward, momentarily concerned.

“What are you doing?” My eyes were glued to the deep red blood now spilling from his palm – his blood.