Excerpt: The Vampire Chronicals: Blood War

This is not happening again. Victoria’s mind reeled as she saw and heard the bottles crash and the flames begin to lick up the walls and counters. She could remember vividly the first time this happened, long ago, and she was not going to allow it to happen again.

She felt Emmi’s tug on her arm, but ignored it. Rage boiled up inside her. A rage she had kept under control for over fifty years. A rage, a desire and an instinct she had not felt this strongly for a long time. She heard Emmi’s voice behind her, but it sounded like a distant whisper underneath the roar of the fire inside her. She felt a tug again and she snapped. Swinging her arm violently behind her, she threw him away from her.

Pesky fly.

She focused her mind and her senses on one thing and one thing only, killing. With a shriek born of fury, Victoria leap through the nearby flames and out the front bay window, landing gracefully on the grass of her front lawn. Ten men, human men, stood dumb founded as she landed in their midst. They were still, silent. She could smell their fear. The last rays of the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, only the last orange of sunset could be seen. Victoria smiled, perfect timing.

She crouched, staring at the men around her, the burning house to her back. She could feel the heat from the flames on her back. Her mind tickled with the realization that her love was inside and was injured. But, the tickled was instantly wiped away by the gale force of her anger.

“ Y-you said they couldn’t come out in the sun, “ One man, tall and blond, sputtered out as he backed away slowly. A vicious grin spread across Victoria’s face as she locked eyes on the blond man. His facade paled and he swallowed hard.

“ The Sun’s gone, “