My Heart Is Drawn to Jade - Chapter 7

Suddenly, shrill screams broke through the cheerful market crowd. Vansern and I turned toward the sound.

Several figures were staggering toward us from the far end of the busy street. Their skin was pale, their eyes red and ravenous, and two bloodstained fangs protruded beneath each upper lip. They looked savage and horrifying.

The lesser vampires Vansern had told me about.

Holy shit. Were all lesser vampires that ugly?

They hurled themselves at the crowd as though they’d lost their minds.

Screams and chaos shattered the market’s peace. Ordinary humans scattered. Elves and dwarves retreated, white-faced. Several stalls were knocked over, spilling nuts and sweets across the street.

Vansern pulled me behind him, narrowing his violet-and-gold eyes.

A dozen or more figures in dark uniforms rushed out from alleys on either side, silver badges pinned to their chests. With gleaming silver blades and guns, they attacked the vampires.

Blood hunters. Vansern had told me about them, too.

He had no interest in dealing with the commotion. Lifting me into his arms, he drew his finger through the air. A glowing portal appeared, and he was about to step through it when a red beam struck it dead center.

The ring of light shuddered and vanished.

Vansern looked toward the attacker, his expression dangerous.

“Looking to die?”

The man looked no older than thirty. His face was stern, and the silver pistol in his hand was aimed at Vansern.

“Prince Sihe. It’s been a while. Last time, you broke into the Blood Hunters’ Guild and killed hundreds of our people. We haven’t settled that debt.”

Vansern gave a cold laugh.

“Clan Nocturne has lived in seclusion for years. We rarely attack humans. Yet when Tenebris’s lesser vampires went on a rampage, you blamed Nocturne and killed many of our Bloodkin. You didn’t even spare the children. So what if I killed a few hundred of you?”

“Blood-crazed monsters,” the man spat. “Every vampire deserves to die!”

Having dealt with most of the vampires, the other hunters gathered behind him, their silver weapons trained on Vansern with open hostility.

Vansern slowly released me and took a step forward. His silver-white hair stirred without a breeze.

“Xiangjin.” He turned to smile at me, gentle as though coaxing a child. “Stay right here. Give me a moment.”

Then he faced the dozen fully armed hunters, murderous intent slowly filling his violet-and-gold eyes.

The fight began almost at once.

I admired the figure moving among the hunters, effortless and almost careless, while eating my slush in small spoonfuls.

Within a few minutes, he’d snapped two hunters’ necks and injured several more. Even pure-silver bullets couldn’t hit him.

Then a few threads of rotten, bloody stench reached my nose.

“Smells so good… better than everyone else’s blood in this whole market put together…”

I heard someone swallowing behind me.

A sharp claw slashed at my back.

I turned, raised a hand, and caught its wrist.

Then I squeezed.

The crack of breaking bone was remarkably crisp. The lesser vampire let out a piercing howl, and I kicked it ten meters away.

The five remaining vampires met my faintly amused gaze and hesitated.

But they couldn’t bear to let such delicious food stroll around right in front of them. They rushed me together.

One punch smashed a vampire’s head, caving in its skull and spilling its brains.

Another attacked from behind. I planted my left foot against a nearby wooden post, launched myself into a flip, and struck the back of its neck with my toe. Its spine snapped.

…

Two minutes later, I stood to one side with my slush, licking it again. Vampire corpses lay scattered at my feet.

Vansern’s fight was almost over, too. With several hunters wounded, they could only drag their injured away in a panicked retreat.

He made no move to pursue them. The next instant, he was beside me.

Looking at the neatly dispatched vampires on the ground, he exclaimed, “Little husband, you’re this strong?”

He cupped my face and kissed me, his words slightly muffled.

“I thought you were just a delicate little human. When I saw that vampire reaching for you, I was terrified! I was about to cast a spell over here, then you broke its wrist…”

I blinked, finding him every bit as irresistible.

“You’re amazing too, Sihe. You looked so hot fighting those blood hunters!”

We spent a while praising each other shamelessly. Then Vansern took my hand, and we headed home.