After fifty years of undeath, Col is still considered a young vampire. When his Mater and protector goes missing, Col finds himself courted by a dark malevolence that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.
... let us follow him into the embrace of night...

Ensanguined

Aikkul awoke fiercely hungry. His eyes throbbed red and he dragged himself out of his coffin. He found himself at the feet of Drazhan. 


“Drazhan!” he raged. Aikkul felt a heartbeat pulsing sweetly nearby. Drazhan stepped back and pushed a small girl to the floor before him. Aikkul scrambled for her, ending her struggles by grasping her soul through her eyes. He drank and drank- feeling her tiny marvelous heart beat thud slower and slower- then stopped. Drazhan frowned. 


“My lord Aikkul, you seem dreadfully a-thirst,” he said cruelly. “Kill her.” 


'kill her... kill her... kill her...' echoed through his mind in a mad whisper. The bonesword quivered with joy. 


Aikkul shook his head and got weakly to his feet. “A king must have subjects. I see now why father chose me to lead. You have the sensibility of a ghoul, all bloody games.” 


Drazhan retained his calm, his anger cooled by thoughts of things to come. 'Father chose you, indeed,' he laughed inside himself. 


Chapter 37