Intertwined

and strike.

Ozzie’s body jerked as the head detached, then stilled.

Mary Ann gasped in horror.

The vampires around him laughed.

What did Victoria think?

“Like I said, my father will punish you for this,” she told Dmitri with quiet fury. At least she wasn’t running from Aden.

Dmitri grinned. “I wouldn’t be too sure. You’ll find that many things have changed this day, princess.”

His amusement gave her pause, destroyed some of her confidence. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

Aden might have disliked Ozzie, but he wouldn’t have wished such an end for him. For anyone. Even Tucker. He had a feeling Mary Ann felt the same way, despite Tucker’s treachery. But that’s exactly what would happen if this night continued as it had begun.

“First things first,” Dmitri said, moving beside Aden. Aden felt the heat of him, but it didn’t energize him as Victoria’s did. “Your human has to be dealt with. I warned him. Free a meal and become one himself. Guards,” he called, eyes narrowing, humor fading. “Restrain the princess so that I may take care of our guest.”

Several male vampires stepped forward, but stopped when Aden raised his now-dripping blades, placing the tip at Dmitri’s throat. He knew it would not damage the vampire, not there, but a single shift of his wrist and he could nail Dmitri in his vulnerable eye.

“Touch her and this one will die by my hand.”

“And my teeth,” Riley added. He was rushing forward, Mary Ann behind him, not stopping until he reached Victoria. “The princess is mine to protect and I will let no harm befall her. Even at the hands of her betrothed.”

He left his brothers behind to protect your friends at the house and Mary Ann’s father, Elijah said. He is alone. And this, my boy, is the end I always feared for you, the evil you cannot escape. You alone will be forced to fight the monster beside you.

You can’t let yourself be killed tonight, Caleb said. You have a meeting with the witches to attend.

“I’m not going to die. Not like this.” That, at least, he knew. He still lacked those three scars on his side. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t soon be praying for death.

“Your confidence is misplaced, human,” was the angered reply from Dmitri.

Hate to say this, but I think we’re screwed, bros, Julian said. We may not die, but we’ll probably wish we had.

They were on the same page, at least.

Eve would have reassured him of his success, he thought suddenly and wanted to howl. Thankfully, the guards had not moved again. The other vampires were watching intently, even smiling, perhaps thinking this was just another of the night’s entertainments.

“My father—” Victoria began, but Dmitri stopped her with a laugh.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” He splayed his arms and turned. “Allow me to remedy my oversight. Everyone, if I could have your attention, please.” All eyes shifted to him. “Welcome, friends, to this magnificent occasion. I’m sure you’re wondering where the guest of honor is. Alas, though I hesitate to cast a pall on this splendid gala, I have tragic news to impart. You all know how weak Vlad has been since his premature awakening.”

No, Aden thought, sensing what was coming. No, no, no.

A tremor rocked Victoria.

“You all know that even weakened as he was, he was still a formidable soldier. Stronger, still, than most of us. Well, most of you. But not,” he said, pinning Victoria with a dark stare, “me.”

She shifted from one foot to the other, looking like the lost princess she was meant to be in that velvet costume. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying his decision to allow your human scum to live was wrong. I’m saying he should have had better control of you, for he who cannot control his own daughter has no business reigning over an entire race of vampires. I’m saying…he’s dead. Dead by my hand this very morning.” His tone reeked of satisfaction as murmurs and cries filled the enclosure. Above the sounds, though, was a whimper from Victoria.

“No. No!”

Yes, Aden thought, and I helped him. I woke Vlad. I weakened him. Would Victoria hate him when she realized that?

“Now, take heart, princess. He fought like the king he was and nearly bested me. But in the end, I won. And as his conqueror,” Dmitri said, smugger than ever, “I claim all that is his. His people. His daughter—who was always intended to be my bride. I. Am. King. I am now in control of you. A new era has begun!”

Victoria gave a violent shake of her head.

“Shall I prove it?” Dmitri clapped his hands and two vampires emerged from the side of the house, carrying a bejeweled lounge. Atop it lay a body blackened by soot, features indistinguishable. There were three rings on the left hand, all similar to Victoria’s, and an intricate crown atop the hairless head.

“No,” Victoria gasped. “Father.”

Shouts of fury rose up, but only a few, to Aden’s surprise. Most of the vampires clapped and cheered.

“I always admired your father,” Dmitri said, “but as any worthy warrior, I admired power more. I saw my opportunity and I struck. I like to think Vlad would have understood. And one day, when you have forgotten all about your human scum, you will even thank me. You need a strong hand to guide you, Victoria, and Vlad was not providing it.”

“You…You…” Nothing else would seem to fit past her grinding teeth. She was angry, yes, and perhaps in shock. How soon until despair hit her and she crumbled?

“Take them, all but the boy,” Dmitri said, and the guards sprang forward. Before Aden could react, Victoria was ripped from his side. Riley, Mary Ann and everyone else who had protested were grabbed, too. There were simply too many soldiers, overwhelming his friends.

Still. He leapt into the fray. Each of them fought with every ounce of strength they possessed. Fought and fought well, and for a moment it appeared that they would win. But no one managed to escape. Not even when Riley morphed into a wolf, biting and clawing. He simply couldn’t cut through that hardened vampire skin.

Aden used his daggers, but again, they simply wouldn’t cut that skin. He didn’t care. Determination was a fire in his blood, burning hot and true. The night would not end in defeat. Not for him, and not for his friends. He wouldn’t let it.

He was panting as he turned to Dmitri. “Let’s settle this. You and me. Here and now. Winner takes all.”

Dmitri grinned slowly as Victoria shouted a denial. Her guards held her immobile or she would have returned to Aden’s side, he was sure. “I was hoping you would say that, human.”

Before Aden could blink, the vampire was on him. Limbs tangled as they propelled toward the table, knocking it and Ozzie’s body to the ground in a loud crash. Aden lost his hold on one of the knives. They rolled, the vampire pinning him down and going for his throat. Thank God for the armor, for it stopped those razor-sharp teeth from hitting their mark.

Arms free, Aden jabbed the remaining dagger into Dmitri’s eye. The action was unexpected, and therefore no attempt was made to stop him. His opponent screeched an unholy sound, blood pouring, glittering and fizzing, and Aden cringed, his eardrums probably bleeding, as well. Some of that blood dripped into his mouth and he spit it out automatically. Some managed to trickle down his throat, anyway. And it burned, oh, did it burn.

Reaching out blindly, Dmitri raked his claws over Aden’s face. Skin and tissue opened, blood poured, and he released a howl. The vampires around them breathed deeply, collectively, probably savoring both his human blood and Dmitri’s vampire blood, and inched closer for a taste.

The blood he’d swallowed, even the minute amount it must have been, must have been working through him, because those wounds soon stopped hurting. But before he could rise, attack, Dmitri was back on top of him, the dagger gone and out of reach, teeth biting at his face, biting at his armor, searching for the weak points. Aden worked his legs between their bodies and pushed. Weak as Dmitri now was, the vampire flew backwards.

Aden stood, lunged. Sensing him, Dmitri swung out his arm, claws moving beneath the armor and into his side. Sinking past skin, into that blistered muscle and bone. Hissing, Aden fell. Spotted the discarded dagger and grabbed it. On his feet a moment later, he dodged to the left and plowed it into Dmitri’s ear. There was another