A thick and chilling silence coated the air. Their gazes flicked between one another, but Ren's eyes found Kai's. For a moment, neither spoke. Then, his fingers slipped from hers.
"Stay behind me," he commanded, guiding her back before drawing his sword in a fluid motion.
The next moment was a blur of steel and motion. A flash of silver and Kai struck.
The vampire shrieked, a high, piercing sound that scraped against the walls, vibrating through the stone like a death wail. Blood erupted into the air, splattering in dark arcs. Where the silver blade had carved through its skin, the skin blackened, sizzling, burning from the inside out.
Ren fought the instinct to shield herself, to squeeze her eyes shut against the sight and cover her ears from the wretched sound. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. If she wanted to understand, if she wanted to fight, she had to see everything.
"It works!" Rail exhaled, the relief in his voice unmistakable.
