Antun and Syla rushed up to us waiting on the corner near Pier 70. Antun had created sheaths for the blades and had a small sack of yew bombs slung over one shoulder.

  Syla looked at me. “You really don’t hear him?”

  I shook my head, feeling unnerved.

  “Once we were within probably ten miles, we both could hear him calling to gather at the Sirens of Spring.”

  “I had to look that up, but it’s just up the path if we take the Elliot Bay Trail,” Michael added, pointing to the start of the trail just behind us.

  Antun nodded and began to hand me the sword. “Drew, you take the blades. If Selene was right about it needing to be you to kill him, then you need to have the weapons.”

  We divvied up the yew bombs, however, so we all had some kind of weapon on hand should we need it. We started on the trail, seeing quite a few people around and passing us.

  Every passing face was a question – civilian or predator?

  I kept my eyes forward, not wanting to be distracted, and I prayed to the Universe that when I saw Nikola again, I would not freeze.

  We continued on the trail with the growing crowd. We looked at each other, trying to make sure we stayed together.

  As we passed a small beach, we could see a huge crowd ahead, milling around. Some people looked genuinely confused, as if they had no idea why they were here. Others stared out at the water as if expecting something.

  There had to be at least a couple hundred people here in total. I looked around for Nikola, wondering where he would be amidst this sea of people.

  Would he try to blend in, or would he try to stand out? No, he’s a peacock, he’s going to do something dramatic soon.

  No sooner had I thought that, then I saw a figure lifting out of the crowd into the air nearest to the beach.

  There you are.

  I took a step towards him but a hand landed on my shoulder.

  Michael said, “Hold on, we need to stay together.”

  I nodded and stepped back, staying with the group as people continued to flow faster around us. Some people were beginning to point or get their cameras out.

  What are you planning, Nikola?

  In answer, his melodic voice called out above the din of the crowd. “People of Seattle, I am Nikola, your new god.”

  As if that were a code, the other vampires in the crowd turned on the civilians around us, attacking innocent people as Nikola floated above and watched, his smile gleaming.

  It was pure chaos. People were running around and screaming, trying to get away. Mothers were trying to flee with their children. The elderly never stood a chance. We were the only point of stillness in the craziness.

  Nikola spotted us, grinning like the villain that he is, and floated down to us. The area around us cleared as he landed.

  “Ms. Nelson,” he crooned, “How serendipitous that you are here.”

  Syla pulled me behind her and the men stepped in front of us.

  “It must be fate, really. In all that research that you did, did you ever come across the story of Dracula and Selene? Of course you have, but the tales were twisted, her name lost to history. But it didn’t used to be. I remember the old stories.” He stepped forward. “Allow me to tell you the true story of Dracula and Selene.

  “Dracula loved Selene, and she, him. She was a human that he nearly feasted upon, until her beauty struck him dumb. She loved him, thought he was the one meant to be hers. But he never revealed his true nature.

  “He was tired of living a lie, wished to be recognized and revered, and told Selene who he was and what he dreamed. She offered up her neck for him, telling him she loved him. But in his passion he bit right above her heart. Brilliant light shone, and then Selene lay limp in his arms. He knew he had changed, but he could not celebrate just yet.

  “Desperate, he turned her. But he didn’t stop there. Glory called louder than love.

  He inspected his nails. “You, Ms. Nelson, are my Selene. You survived my taking your energy, and you’ve come back stronger. I do wonder though, what you are all doing here?”

  In answer, Michael and Antun sprung at him, their speed remarkable as they wove around Nikola’s arms and tried to land blows while remaining out of reach.

  “While we could keep doing this, I do want to move on.”

  Nikola snapped his fingers and Michael, Antun, and Syla all snapped up to attention like dolls.

  Their motion made me startle and I jumped back.

  Nikola raised a brow. “Now that is interesting.” He walked toward me as I continued to walk backward, holding the sword out in front of me. “It seems I cannot compel you, my Selene.”

  He noticed the blade, his face showing amusement. “Yew wood. You did do your research.”

  I lunged, slashed, ran through every movement Ravena drilled into us. But nothing landed. He danced just out of reach, infuriatingly untouched.

  I was already getting tired. When had I last fed? I looked at my friends, their bodies still as statues but their faces twisted as they tried to get free.

  “Hmm, you don’t seem to be affected by my influence at all. You must be immune to my power because it was your energy I took. Is it because you’re my Selene? ”

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  I stepped back as he lunged for me, keeping the blade between us. “Why are you doing this? I’m not your Selene–”

  “Think about it. For over half a millennia, I’ve had to live in the shadows. You’ve heard this voice!” Nikola pointed to his throat. “It’s meant to be heard and recognized by all! What was I doing? Radio spots and announcements for this grand city of Seattle? Who cares! No one at all! But now I’m a god. Now they’ll have to listen, all of them! It’s just Seattle for now, but who knows how far I could go!”

  This guy was full-on delusional! I had to play this carefully.

  I can’t outfight him, he’s beating me at every turn.

  I backed up and set the sword down.

  “What’re you doing?!” Antun yelled. The others tried to look but were stuck.

  Nikola's eyes gleamed with sick interest.

  “If you let my friends go, I will go with you of my own free will.” I held my hands away from my body as evidence that I was defenseless.

  “Drew, NO!” Syla screamed. “You don’t know what you’re doing!” She was right, I had no clue at all. I just knew that I needed to try something different.

  Michael cried out, “Drew, don’t do this! You can fight him!”

  I stepped forward anyway.

  Nikola approached me slowly, clearly interested. “Would you be my Selene?”

  I somehow knew he meant in all ways, and I recoiled inside. Dracula loved Selene and she him. Did this man really expect me to come to love him in time? Or just to service his needs?

  I schooled my face into calm. I can get out of this, I’ve gotten away from him twice before, and I can do it again. “Fine.”

  My friends' faces turned to masks of agony, Michael’s eyes the most pained. “Drew, please! Don’t do this!” he cried, unable to move an inch.

  Nikola continued his march toward me.

  I stayed in place.

  I’m not frozen, I’m choosing to be still. I can do this, come on!

  “You know, Dracula supposedly left a mark when he took Selene’s energy.” The back of his fingers brushed the skin beneath my collarbone.

  I wanted to vomit but I had to stay strong.

  “Right about here, wasn’t it?” He pointed to my chest where my still heart lay. “Why don’t I mark you as well?” His fangs extended and plunged into my chest.

  I grabbed the knife I had in the back waistband of my pants and struck. Or tried to.

  Nikola caught my wrist mid-strike. He looked up at me in plain annoyance.

  “Really?”

  He grabbed the knife out of my hand, examining it. My heart pounded as he handled the blade. “Nice try, but you already got me with that once.” He pointed with the dagger at his gut, where I had stabbed him with the fork. He waved the knife back and forth as if it were an extended finger, tsking at me.

  The blade was at my throat then, faster than I could blink. Nikola went behind me, wrapping an arm tightly around my waist.

  “Michael! Antun, Syla!” I cried out.

  He groaned and rolled his eyes. Before I could say another word, Nikola had shot us up into the air. My voice died in my throat as I tried not to let my fear overtake me, not now.

  I heard Michael call my name. All of them did, as if saying my name might bring me back.

  My hands fumbled around, trying to find purchase somewhere. I remembered and reached into my pocket, extracting one of the yew bombs. I had to try.

  Hopefully he doesn’t slice my throat when I do this.

  I held my breath, closed my eyes, and broke the sphere in my hands right in front of Nikola’s face. Coughing and swearing, he immediately dropped me and the blade went flying.

  I never learned how to fly!

  Now would be a great time for my super flying power to kick in. Any second now. Please? I knew that I wouldn’t die, but I knew I’d wish I could with how much pain there’d be.

  I tried to spread my body out to slow my landing, maybe give my body a chance to fly on its own. Something hit me from the side before I reached the trees and my trajectory changed. I impacted the ground, rolling over several times, before I came to a stop.

  My vision was fuzzy as I tried to regain focus. In front of me lay the sword – or were there two – and beyond that, Nikola. He glared viciously at me as he grasped his throat. The yew dust must’ve done its job.

  I lunged for the sword at the same time he did, fighting and scrambling for control. The blade skittered aside and I tried to jump for it but a hand grabbed me by the back of the neck.

  Nikola lifted me, the decompressing sensation in my spine awful as he did. I kicked and thrashed, landing a blow to his groin. He growled and threw me.

  I flew through the air, landing flat on my back in the gravel, knocking the wind out of me.

  I can’t breathe. I can’t move!

  “Ms. Nelson,” Nikola drawled out, clearly over the entire ordeal. He approached me, the sword hanging loosely from his hand. It was obvious by the way he held it that he was familiar with blades.

  “You know, Selene betrayed Dracula, stabbing him with yew when he had come home to her. He cursed her with his dying breath, to live in their palace, alone. Forever.”

  “You really are my Selene, aren’t you, down to the part where you keep trying to ruin everything!” He was yelling by this point, his voice hoarse. “I’ve given you an opportunity to be by my side as I conquer, but no, you go and bust something in my face. What the hell was in that?”

  He coughed again, unable to clear his lungs fully. “You have become a thorn in my side and I am tired of it. I’ll have already avoided Dracula’s fate if I kill you first!” He swung down but I rolled out of the way, the blade missing my arm by a hair’s width.

  “The dagger, where’s the dagger!” All of my friends were urging me to find a weapon to defend with. I had to keep dodging blows from Nikola as I searched.

  Nikola coughed on his next swing, making it go wide. I ducked and ran, trying to get far enough away to catch a breath. There, in the gravel! That was either driftwood or…

  We lunged at the same time – him for me, me for the dagger. Nikola’s swing missed but his random grab nearly caught my ankle, making me twist in the air. I sprawled out on the gravel, my hands clawing at the pebbles to get out of the way so I could reach…

  Nikola lifted the sword as my hand wrapped around a polished handle. I turned around to see the sword raised in the air as he ran at me. I had only the smallest second to do something before he reached me.

  I didn’t think. I just moved. The puncturing sensation of a blade tearing through flesh and scraping bone vibrated through the handle of the yew dagger as I stabbed between his ribs – I’d hurt him.

  Nikola shoved me down and raised the blade again, intent on killing me – then doubled over, coughing violently.

  Black spittle flew from his mouth as ichor drained from the wound. The sword fell, clattering to the ground. He tried to maintain his feet but couldn’t, falling on his hands and knees.

  I scrambled in the gravel to get away from him. He coughed, more ichor leaking from his mouth. His eyes began shifting erratically, as if he were spinning and couldn’t keep his eyes focused. His limbs shook with the effort of holding him up.

  The yew toxins continued to spread through his system. Nikola fell, lying shaking on the ground. His eyes glared even as his dizziness continued. His eyes found me, narrowing to slits as he tried to keep focus.

  His mouth moved; he seemed to be trying to say something, but no words came out. I picked up the sword and walked to him, looking down on the man who had caused me so much pain and fear. I stood beside him, pushing the tip of the sword to his chest, right above his heart. I took a breath, gripped the sword with both hands, then sunk the blade into Nikola’s undead heart.

  His eyes widened as I did so, as if surprised that he was defeated after all. He gave a rasping, shuddering breath, then he was gone.

  As soon as he died, my friends were released from his hold. They ran to me, Michael wrapping me in his arms before pulling back and inspecting me. “Are you hurt anywhere? He didn’t cut you did he?”

  I looked at the various scrapes and bruises, but no slices from blades. “Nah, perfectly dandy.”

  He released a laugh and wrapped me in his arms again. He only let me go when Syla tugged on me to get a hug.

  Antun knelt next to the corpse, pulling the blade from his chest. He got up and walked over to Nikola’s head, swinging the blade down with force on his neck. It took a few tries, but eventually Nikola’s head was separated from his shoulders. “I know it doesn’t say anywhere to do this with vampire gods to make sure they stay dead, but to be fair there’s not a whole lot out there on the subject. I’d rather play it safe.”

  No one disagreed.

  Syla crossed her arms. “What about the others? Nikola turned hundreds.”

  Michael nodded grimly. “Without him… some might go rogue.” He brought up a good point. What could we do?

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