Page 23 of Queen of Darkness
I pushed off the ground with all my strength, sending myself sliding down the hallway just before his sword plunged through the stone where I’d been lying. He buried it a full foot into the floor.
“I don’t think he’saskingus to leave!” I shouted as Fred heaved himself away from the wall, leaving a dark spot where the sword had impaled him.
“Yeah, I picked up on that.”
Drakul paused in his advance on me, looking over his shoulder at Fred. He ground out some more words in his ancient language. Fred said something back. Drakul hissed and swung his sword at Fred, who dodged wildly.
“Stop making him mad!”
“I’m trying!” Fred shouted back, evading yet another strike. “I told him we’re not his enemy. That we’re not here to hurt him.”
“You know, with the sword and the whole bat thing, I’m not sure he’s concerned about us hurtinghim. I think he’s more into the idea of hurting us. Or killing us,” I said as Drakul abruptly disappeared again. The bats came at me in a sudden rush.
Angry, I reached out and grabbed one, snagging it mid-air thanks to my improved shifter-vampire reaction speed.
When Drakul re-emerged from the cyclone of fluttering wings, he stared at the single one struggling in my hand.
“Stop this,” I growled, squeezing tighter. The bat whimpered, a whiny nasally noise.
Okay, that’s not fair. It’s not a real bat! It’s part of Drakul.
Drakul’s sword came up; its tip pointed toward my hand. He snarled something.
“He said to let it go.”
“Tell him I will if he stops attacking us.”
Fred said something in the same harsh tones. Drakul repeated himself.
“He just says to let it go.”
“How did Aaron ever put up with this asshole?” I grumped, shaking myself. “Tell him that—oh, shit!”
Tired of waiting, Drakul came toward me, his blade slicing across the hallway, scoring long gouges in the walls as he swung it with almost wild abandon.
“God damn you, Drakul!” I screamed in frustration, backpedaling as fast as I could. “You, Aaron, Alaine, whoever, your entire stupid bloodline! Why can’t you just stop and listen for once!”
Drakul paused. He just sort of froze mid-swing. I blinked but kept easing away, just in case. There was no telling if he would launch another attack without warning.
“What happened?” I hissed as I reached Fred, who stood with one hand clasped over his front, holding his stomach where the sword had gone through.
Before he could answer, Drakul rumbled something. I still had no idea what he was saying, but I did catch one word I recognized.
Alaine.
Fred replied in a rush, and again, I caught the name used several times.
“He recognizes the name,” Fred whispered as he waited for Drakul to reply. “I just told him we’re friends of Alaine’s.”
“Hopefully, that’s a good thing,” I muttered.
Fred glared at me. “Be positive.”
Drakul said something, then turned and, in a flurry of wings, disappeared down the hallway.
“What did he say?”
“I think, if I understood properly, he said ‘welcome.’”
