Master of Chains - Jess Lebow [116]
"Who is this?" asked Samira.
Ryder opened his mouth, not sure what was going to come out.
Giselle cut him off. "I'm just a friend. Ryder did me a big favor, so now I'm returning-"
Outside, the high pitch of a horse shrieking tore through the night, accompanied by the sounds of battle.
Jase came bursting through the door, interrupting Giselle. "Ryder, it's your brother. He's in trouble."
Samira jumped to her feet. "Liam, no." She gathered her dress in her arms and went running into the night.
* * * * *
Liam fought for his life-and the life of the baron.
They had ridden into Furrowsrich at Liam's insistence. The place was crawling with zombies. The elite guard had managed to dispatch most of the shambling dead in short order. But they had been merely a ruse.
The vampires had been lying in wait, and they pounced out of the treetops on Lord Purdun, Liam, and Knoblauch. The three men stood now with their backs together, surrounded by the hissing, shrieking undead. At the head of them all stood their mistress.
"If it isn't Lord Purdun," purred Shyressa.
"What is it you want, Shyressa?" Purdun didn't look at the vampire as he spoke, keeping his eyes on her threatening minions.
"Nothing much." There was a giddy edge to the vampire's words. "Just control of your barony."
"And you think if you kill me you'll get my throne?" Purdun shook his head. "It doesn't work that way."
"No?" toyed Shyressa. "We'll see about that."
Shyressa leaped forward wrapping her arms around the baron and biting down on his neck.
"Lord Purdun," shouted Liam. The vampire had moved so fast, he hadn't had time to react. He spun and stabbed at Shyressa, but the tip of his blade passed through the cloth of her gown and out the other side.
"Hold," shouted the baron. "Mind the others." He pointed out the advancing horde.
Liam did a double take. It wasn't the baron the vampire had wrapped in her embrace-it was Knoblauch. The veteran guardsman had been just fast enough to step in between the baron and his attacker. He'd been given the chance to atone for his sins, and he'd taken it. This was the price he paid.
Liam couldn't see Knoblauch's body, wrapped up as it was in the vampire's gown, but he could see the man struggle inside her embrace. It reminded Liam of watching a spider slowly devour its prey.
There was no more time to mourn. The vampires closed in on them, and Liam fought frantically. It was all he could do to keep their clutching, clawed hands from grasping his arms and legs. Liam felt the panic of desperation, and his sword moved faster than ever before. Still, with every passing moment, the undead closed down on him.
He was going to share the same fate as Knoblauch. He was going to be sucked dry.
A heavy rattling sound filled Liam's ears, and a pair of chains came whipping over his shoulder, knocking two vampires to the ground. Ryder appeared at Liam's side, chains flinging out from his body, slapping aside grasping claws. They laid low undead, and they forced the advancing vampires back, giving Liam back the slimmest glimmer of hope.
In the clearing space, Liam could see Shyressa again. She opened her arms, letting Knoblauch's body fall lifeless to the ground. Lifting a finger to her lips, she pushed a stray drop of the man's blood back into her mouth.
Ryder didn't hesitate. He ran right for her. His electrically charged chain circled over his head, lighting up the night with a purplish glow. Then it came down, discharging as it slapped against Shyressa's flesh and plunging the streets of Furrowsrich again into darkness.
The electrical energy played over the vampire's frame, but if it did her any harm, she didn't show it.
"Is that it?" taunted the vampire. She grabbed Ryder by the chains wrapped across his chest and pulled him close to her. "I told you this wasn't over."
Ryder ducked out of the metal links, sloughing off the chains and escaping the vampire's grip. His makeshift armor rattled to the ground.
"Come back here," shouted the Rune Mistress. She grabbed hold of Ryder's ducked head, one hand on each side of his face