Page 3 of Fading Sun

In reality, it just makes them more vulnerable than ever before.

The hunger grows, a gnawing beast in my gut. The memory of Eliza’s blood soaking the sheets teases me. I can almost taste the warm rush of blood waiting for me in that human’s neck.

I close the distance in seconds, grabbing him from behind and dragging him into the shadows of the empty street.

He struggles and tries to scream, but I cover his mouth with my hand. The fear in his eyes is intoxicating. It only serves to adds to the thrill of the chase.

I bite into his neck without hesitation.

The rush of blood is immediate, filling my mouth with its warm, metallic tang. With it comes calmness and power—the assurance of my place on the top of the food chain. A place where betrayal doesn’t matter, where love doesn’t matter, and where humanity doesn’t matter.

A place where I’m in control.

His body goes limp, his struggles weakening with each passing second.

I should stop. Pull back before I pass the point of no return.

But the hunger is a monster, relentless and unforgiving. It wants me to consume and consume until there’s nothing left but emptiness.

I have to stop, I think, although I still continue to drink. I can’t afford to be hunted by the Guardians, especially given that our alliance is stronger than ever. And I can’t afford to let my kingdom down. Not when I’ve worked so hard and so long for everything I’ve built.

With those final thoughts, I release the man, letting him slump to the ground.

He’s unconscious, his breathing shallow. But he’ll live.

My anger is still there, simmering beneath the surface. But with my bloodlust satiated, I’m able to focus on finding Amber.

I can’t let my rage consume me. Not when there’s so much at stake. Not when her life might be at stake. She can think whatever she wants about me—that I’m a monster locking her in a cage—but I’m going to make sure she’s here and able to think at all.

Even though, after the events of tonight—after being forced to kill Viktor—I’m no longer the man she thought she knew.

The man who she pretended to love.

And I won’t be fooled by her trickery ever again.

Amber

The garden tucked in the corner of Little Island is eerily quiet, the wind barely stirring the leaves.

I clutch the token in my pocket, its cold metal a comforting weight against my palm. The token given to me by the Shadow Lord—Astrophel—after he promised me a place by his side in the darkness and kissed me.

I should have recoiled. Pushed him away.

Yet, I didn’t.

Because some dark, twisted part of me liked it. The kiss was intoxicating, and as much as I hate it, it left me wanting more.

Maybe Astrophel isn’t as bad as we thought. After all, he’s technically a vampire. He was sired in the Underworld—by the original vampire, Ambrogio—which resulted in him and the other shadow souls being different from the vampires on Earth.

It’s a lot to wrap my head around.

Cassandra calls my name again, her voice echoing through the darkness.

“I’m here!” I call out after a few more seconds. I don’t specify where, since Cassandra’s supernatural hearing is strong enough that she can figure it out herself.

In a flash, she’s here. Her sharp eyes scan the scene, settling on the pile of ash where Lucas once stood on the platform in the center of the garden, then turn protectively to me.

“Amber.” She approaches me slowly, her footsteps cautious as she moves over the cobblestones. “Are you all right?”

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