Page 20 of Fated Wings
Magic flowed from his fingertips, purple light enveloping the three vampires.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with pops like champagne corks, the vampires vanished from sight. Relief flooded through Newt
Then they reappeared.
All six of them.
“That’s…not what was supposed to happen,” Newt groaned, staring at the now-doubled vampire trio.
The six vampires looked as surprised as he was, examining themselves and each other with bewildered expressions. The confusion didn’t last long, though. Six pairs of eyes lifted toward him. Hunger multiplied.
One of the duplicates touched his face in wonder. “You copied us?”
“Not intentionally!” Newt’s voice cracked.
The original first vampire recovered quickly, his smile widening to reveal fangs. “More of us means more fun.”
“More of you means more stupid,” Newt retorted before he could stop himself. Fear had apparently short-circuited the connection between his brain and mouth.
He darted across the ceiling, wings beating frantically as he made for the doorway the third vampire—now vampires—guarded. They reached up, fingers grasping at air as he shot past them.
He navigated the hallway at top speed, wings beating frantically as he searched for the front door. Behind him, the vampires gave chase, their movements swift and eerily silent. Where was the exit in this place? Every turn led to another hall, another room, never an escape.
Finally, a grand foyer appeared ahead, dominated by an ornate front door. Freedom!
He dove for it, fingers outstretched.
Six vampires converged from different directions, cutting off his escape. They moved with supernatural speed, reaching the door before he could.
“Come now, little fae,” one cooed. “We just want a taste.”
“Hard pass.” Newt changed direction so fast he nearly collided with a wall. Up. He needed to go up. Newt raced up the staircase and down another hallway. His wings strained with the effort of his rapid ascent, muscles burning as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before.
A door stood ajar. Newt darted inside and slammed the door shut, fumbling with the lock until it clicked into place. For what little good it would do against vampires.
A bedroom, different from the one he’d entered through. Large windows lined one wall, but heavy curtains blocked most of the light. Newt flew to them, yanking at the fabric until it fell in a heap, revealing blessed sunlight streaming through the glass. He grabbed the latch, trying to force it open. It didn’t budge.
“Stupid window,” he hissed, fingers slipping on the wood. “Don’t do this to me now!”
Paint had sealed the window shut over decades of neglect.
Behind him, something heavy slammed against the door. The wood splintered around the hinges. Another impact and the door frame cracked.
With desperate strength, Newt heaved at the window one more time. It gave way suddenly, sliding up with a screech. Fresh air rushed in, carrying the scent of freedom.
The bedroom door exploded inward. Vampires surged through the opening then immediately recoiled with pained hisses, shielding their faces as they retreated into the shadows of the hallway.
“What’s wrong? Not morning people?” Newt taunted, adrenaline making him braver than he had any right to be. “And here I thought you were scary.”
The scarred vampire’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “We’ll find you after sunset, little fae. And when we do, we’ll drain you dry. Slowly.”
“Your hospitality sucks almost as much as you do!”
He tumbled out into the morning air, wings catching him before he hit the ground. The sensation of freedom washed over him like a cool breeze. He’d escaped. Barely.
After flying a safe distance, Newt landed on soft grass, careful to make sure no humans were around to witness his descent. His legs nearly buckled as the adrenaline drained from his system, leaving him shaky and exhausted.
From his vantage point, he could see the vampire house clearly now—a sprawling Victorian mansion set back from the road, surrounded by ancient oak trees. In daylight, it looked almost charming, if you ignored the fact that it housed six bloodthirsty vampires who wanted to use him as a juice box.
