The Necromancer Trilogy - Eachanstone

Chapter Three - The Revolutionary Dingbats

Serkan flew through the air, deceptively slow, and slammed into Celia’s sword-arm. The weapon went spinning away and tumbled down the stairwell, vanishing from sight.

“No!” Sophie yelled.

She launched herself through the air, slamming into Serkan’s back. He roared and swung round. Sophie went flying, smacking into a wall, the air shooting out of her lungs. She gasped desperately.

 Celia conjured flames in her hands and Serkan took one step back, before ducking and moving with such speed it was impossible to judge his movements. Celia was bowled off her feet, rolling down the corridor to the top of the stairs.

“Goodbye, Miss Karn,” Serkan smiled, and he kicked her hard.

Celia groaned in pain as the kick connected, sending her tumbling down the stairs to the next level.

“Stay there,” Serkan commanded, before turning back to Sophie. “Hello, princess.”

Sophie backed away, trying to clear her mind like Diana had been teaching her. Serkan took hold of her shoulders and lifted her up, pinning her against a wall.

“It won’t hurt,” he murmured. “Well, only a little. And then you will be immortal, so fast and strong, like me.”

“And I’ll drink blood and smash people into walls,” Sophie managed, between gritted teeth.

Serkan chuckled. “Maybe…maybe just a little bit…”

“Let me go,” Sophie ordered.

The vampire laughed loudly. “Where is your magic, little one? Where is your magic darkness?”

“It doesn’t work when I’m panicking,” Sophie grumbled, adding a gasp of pain as his grip tightened and her shoulder crunched.

“I would like to draw it out,” he whispered. “I would like to take time over changing you, appreciate every second of it. But I think you might gather yourself enough to pose a problem if I did. So I’ll have to make it quick.”

His teeth brushed the delicate skin of her neck.

“You will enjoy being a vampire,” he promised. “It’s rather exhilarating.”

Sophie’s foot shot out and connected with Serkan’s groin. His eyes crossed and Sophie gave a mental thank you to the new boots Bastard Cruel had grudgingly made. Without them, she had a feeling that kicking Serkan would have broken her toes.

  She squirmed out of his grip and rolled between his legs, coming up with shadows already forming around her hands. She concentrated and, as Serkan turned, fired them at him.

 But the vampire was quick, far quicker than she was, and he was behind her in a moment, lifting her off her feet again.

“Don’t try that again,” he snarled. “Or I’ll make sure it hurts.”

He opened his mouth wide and Sophie saw the delicate fangs, small but oh-so-sharp.

“Don’t worry,” his face contorted into a terrifying smile. “The dark side is made for you.”

But before his teeth could sink into her veins, the voice of the king echoed through the corridor.

“Serkan? Serkan, come at once!”

Fury flashed across Serkan’s features for a fleeting moment.

“You have a few more minutes with a beating heart, princess,” he growled. “But that is all.”

He grabbed her roughly and opened a door, tossing her inside.

“You cannot leave,” he whispered. “And I will be back.”