Samantha stood her ground. "I'm not leaving you," she insisted, her eyes never leaving Marcus.
The stranger laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "How touching," he sneered. "The master and his pupil, united in their foolishness."
He moved so fast Samantha barely saw it. One moment he was across the room, the next he was right in front of her. A hand closed around her throat, lifting her off her feet.
Samantha struggled, clawing at the iron grip that held her. But the stranger was impossibly strong. Spots danced before her eyes as his grip tightened.
Suddenly, the pressure vanished. Samantha dropped to the floor, gasping unnecessarily. She looked up to see Marcus grappling with the stranger once again.
"You will not touch her," Marcus growled, his voice deeper and more menacing than Samantha had ever heard it.
The two vampires crashed through the library, their fight destroying centuries of knowledge. Books and scrolls were trampled underfoot, priceless artifacts smashed to pieces.
