Chapter 20: Abomination
Kaine pushed past Amy and opened the door.
The room was dimly lit by candles arranged around what looked like a makeshift altar. Three women sat in ornate chairs arranged in a semicircle, their heads tilted back and their eyes closed. They couldn’t have been older than twenty-five—college students, maybe, or young professionals who’d saved up for expensive concert tickets.
The lead singer of Red Serenade knelt beside the nearest woman, his mouth pressed against her neck, feeding with the unhurried patience of something that had been perfecting this particular skill for centuries.
Kaine’s hand went to Soulrend’s handle, the cursed blade materializing in his grip with familiar weight. But as he took a step forward, cold calculation overrode his hunter instincts.
This thing was old. Powerful. The kind of vampire that had survived three centuries by being smarter than the people trying to kill it. And they were surrounded by hundreds of innocent civilians who had no idea what was happening backstage.
A direct confrontation would be a massacre.
The vampire’s head lifted slowly, ancient eyes meeting Kaine’s across the room. There was no surprise in that gaze, just mild annoyance at being interrupted during a meal.
"I wondered when you’d show up," the creature said, voice carrying the same cultured tones he’d used on stage but with an underlying coldness that made the air feel ten degrees colder. "You are one of those famous hunters, Shadowguards, no?. Though you smell... different than I expected."
"Let them go."
The vampire smiled, revealing teeth that were too white and too sharp. "I’m afraid that’s not possible. They’ve already served their purpose."
Blood began to seep from the women’s necks where he’d fed, but Kaine could see their chests still rising and falling. Barely alive, but alive.