Page 184 of The Vampire's Bride

“I think we can take them, Da,” the boy says.

“No, Matheu,” the innkeeper says harshly, sweat beading his brow. “There’s four of them and only two of us. Go back upstairs and stand guard over your mother and sister.”

Silently, Eben comes up beside me, dropping down low so as not to be seen while we gaze through the window. “It’s them, isn’t it?” He jerks his chin toward the four men. He looks at me. “How do you want to do this?” His gaze travels over the other patrons. “Quietly? Or—”

“Can’t believe our luck today, lads,” one of the bandits says. “First that fine carriage down the road and now a highborn lady upstairs, just waiting for us to relieve her of her wares.”

Rage blisters through me.

One of them flashes an evil grin. “I suspect she’ll be traveling with lots of coin, that one.”

“Might even have a family willing to pay a good ransom for her return too,” another one adds. “To motivate them, perhaps we can send them one of her fingers like we did with the last one. That got the money sent really fast.”

Eben and I growl low in our throats.

“But first, let’s see what the innkeeper’s hiding,” another one says with a sinister smirk. “He probably thinks we don’t know about his wife and daughter. I suspect they’d fetch a fair price to the right buyer.”

The first one raises his arm and shouts for the innkeeper. “We need more ale!”

The man nods and then turns to his son. “Go to the highborn lady upstairs. Tell her what’s going on. Hide her with your mother and sister.” He pushes the axe handle into his son’shand. “Do whatever you have to, to protect them, Matheu. You understand?”

His son nods solemnly.

Before either of them can move, I open the window. “Wait,” I say in a low voice.

Both of them turn, eyes wide and mouths gaping when they see me. I press a finger to my lips, urging them to stay silent.

“Those men”—Eben gestures toward the bandits—“robbed a carriage and killed four people. We’ve been tracking them.”

“Aye. I recognized them as soon as they entered,” the innkeeper says. He points to four drawn sketches of their faces tacked above the bar, offering a reward for their capture. “They’re dangerous.”

“We’ll find a way to lure them outside to avoid anyone else getting hurt,” I tell the innkeeper.

He exchanges a glance with his son before turning his attention to me and Eben. “You truly mean to help us then?”

“Yes.”

The innkeeper’s son looks at us. “I can help.”

“Aye, you’re a brave lad.” Eben flashes a fanged grin. “That’s why we need you to go protect the others while we handle those men.”

The boy nods.

Eben and I are still debating the best way to get the bandits outside when they shoot up from their table, weapons in hand. The leader of the group gestures to everyone around them. “Turn out your pockets and hand over your valuables.”

Everyone freezes in place.

One of the other bandits points to a woman with red hair, seated across the way. “We’ll take her too. I’m sure we’ll get quite a bit of coin if we sell her at one of the flesh markets.” He looks at the rest of his men. “Get to the highborn lady upstairs. We’ll take the mother and child too. Kill the rest of them.”

A man with a dark beard steps in front of the red-haired woman. “I won’t let you take my wife.” He glances at her over his shoulder. “Run, Loryl!”

The leader charges for the husband, but Eben and I rush toward the bandits.

Gripping the leader by his throat, I lift him into the air and throw him across the room. He slams against the wall with a loud crack as his skull caves in, and crumples to the ground.

Several of the customers, including the bearded man’s wife and the innkeeper’s son, run up the stairs to the second floor.

Eben tears the throat out of one of the other bandits, while I rip the beating heart from the third one’s chest.

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