Dragos was weak, and the fact that he hadn't come downstairs despite all the commotion meant the curse had taken a serious toll.
Now, it was my turn to protect him.
That sense of duty, of protection burned within me, fueling my hatred for these beasts.
I should've taken Blitzkrieg, slicing them down to their very bones before incinerating their pathetic forms.
The first one came at me from the left, claws drawn, aiming for my head. I dodged, grabbed his arm, and drove my knee into his stomach with enhanced force till I heard the squelch of his intestines. Then I shoved him into the other one, sending both of them flying backward into a table. The glass gave way under their weight.
They struggled to get back up, the first vampire's entrails hanging out. I saw him wince as he used his hand to push them back inside.
His body began to heal.
The sound of water splashing outside drew my attention and I knew Viktor was climbing out of the pool.
One of the vampires charged at me again, and I yanked him toward me with my telekinesis.
As I held him in place with my mind, I felt raw power rage within me, an ability I wouldn't have dreamed of wielding before—crushing his skull with just a thought, watching his struggles turn futile, I realized the extent of what I had become.
Before my death, my telekinesis had limits… boundaries I couldn't cross. But with my rebirth came a torrent of power so vast it felt limitless. This wasn't just mere telekinesis anymore, it was something far greater. Something unstoppable.
What I once used to lift and move objects or people could now destroy without as much as breaking a sweat.
This... this was what I had been reborn to wield.
The vampire's eyes bulged with realization and terror, his body fighting against my power, but he couldn't move.
The second vampire, desperate to save his friend, rushed behind me and slammed something into the back of my head.
The blow didn't faze me. I didn't bleed, and my head didn't even move.
I turned and glared at him. At the same time, the vampire in my grasp let out a bloodcurdling scream as his skull caved in, collapsing inward around his brain.
His head exploded in a violent spray of blood and gore, splattering across my face, chest, and the top of my nightgown.
The one behind me cried out his friend's name in anguish.
Viktor, now standing by the broken window, watched silently, his face more ashen than it already was.
"Leave her! Get the man we came for!" he barked.
The remaining vampire, still mourning, turned and ran toward the stairs. But he didn't get far. He slammed straight into Dragos' chest.
Dragos raised a hand and swung it, decapitating him on the spot.
As the body dropped to the floor, Dragos trudged in my direction.
Frustrated and enraged, Viktor came for me again. I caught him by the neck before he could land a blow, holding him in place with one hand. He struggled wildly, but my grip wouldn't yield.
I kept my eyes on Dragos as he approached, his bare torso drenched in sweat and his movements still sluggish.
"Babe…" he said, glancing around the room. I caught a flicker of pride in his eyes as he took in the mayhem. "Are you alright?"
I tilted my head, still gripping Viktor by the throat as he wheezed and thrashed. "As you can see, I am," I replied, tightening my hold. Viktor's neck began to crack under the pressure, his face turning red.
I eased my grip slightly, and Viktor let out a strangled sigh of relief.
Dragos stepped closer, his gaze hardening as it shifted to Viktor.
His voice was dangerous. "Does Rael know you're in my home, Viktor?" he asked. "Does he know you and your fools came after me again, after what happened last time? After I just settled things with your leader?"
I loosened my grip further, allowing Viktor to respond.
"You killed my men!" he rasped, his voice hoarse from the pressure. "Rael doesn't care about them. All he cares about is money!"
"And you clearly don't care about your life," Dragos replied coldly. "Idiot"
He glanced around at the dead bodies of the staff, his eyes growing sad. Viktor followed his gaze and let out a grating laugh. "We killed them all," he sniggered, "couldn't find Niko, or we would've killed him too."
His eyes turned to Dragos, assessing him. "You don't look too good. Lucky your girlfriend's here. We would've killed you. What is she, anyway?" His gaze turned to me, and he wheezed once more. "What in Dragavei's name are you?"
Dragos punched his hand through Viktor's chest, looking him dead in the eye. His fingers dug into the vampire's flesh, not yet pulling out the heart.
Viktor's face split in pain, his mouth opening to speak, but no words escaped. A breathless groan was all he managed as Dragos twisted his hand slowly, enjoying every second of Viktor's suffering.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Dragos ripped Viktor's heart from his chest, holding it up for him to see before the life drained from his eyes.
Not long after, Dragos sank to the floor, wincing in pain. I rushed to his side, dropping beside him in an instant.
"Are you alright, baby?" I asked in concern as I scanned his body. Inside, I was panicking, but I forced myself to remain calm.
He exhaled slowly, his voice strained. "It's the curse," he said, barely able to speak. "I thought I could fight it, but the symptoms... they're getting worse."
Sweat poured off him, his muscles tense with pain.
"What do you feel? How do you feel?" I asked, my gaze dropping to his trembling hands.
"Like I'm on fire?" He tried to chuckle but ended up coughing so violently, it turned to retching. I was terrified.
With all my powers, I couldn't save him from this curse. At least, not now.... except for one thing.
"You need to feed," I said, looking up at him desperately. "You need to feed from me, Dragos."
He shook his head, his voice still hoarse from the coughing fit. "No... Dawn, I can't."
"Dragos!" I shouted, frightened by how fast his condition was worsening. "I'm not giving you a choice!"
This wasn't about my desire anymore. This was about stopping his pain.
"I... I might be rough," he warned through gritted teeth.
"I'll heal," I whispered, softly reassuring him.
"Dawn..." he whispered weakly, and I squeezed his thigh gently in response.
For the first time, I saw Dragos like this—weak, vulnerable. He had always been this tough, strong force in my life, and now, seeing him like this was almost unbearable.
I started to sweep my hair aside to expose my neck, but his hand stopped me. "No... your wrist. It'll be better. I don't want to damage your perfect neck."
"Okay," I agreed
Dragos left the bed and sank to his knees in front of me, gently taking my hand in his. Then, he grew out his fangs and slowly sank them into the back of my wrist.
I winced at the sharp pain, but I held his head tenderly, shifting closer to him as he fed.
"It's alright," I whispered. "I got you."
Silently, I continued to stroke his hair as he fed, till I noticed the tremors in his hands gradually stopped—a sign that he was getting stronger.
I was relieved, but a sudden wave of dizziness hit me. It was like he was sucking the blood in long, deep slurps, each pull stronger than the last.
At first, it had been normal... gradual... so subtle I hadn't noticed just how much he was taking. But now, with the room starting to spin around me, I realized the truth... I'd grown lightheaded, a sign that I was becoming anemic.
The battle with the vampires had drained me more than I realized, and I hadn't given myself a chance to recover.
But Dragos didn't stop feeding. My fingers gently tapped his shoulder to ease up.
"Dragos..." I whispered, but he grunted in response and continued, his grip tightening around my wrist.
The strength I once had slipped away, and I could feel the blood leaving me quicker than I could.
I was losing too much and wasn't healing fast enough.
"Dragos, darling" I tried again, more urgent this time. "I don't want to hurt you"
His feeding had grown desperate, rougher as if he couldn't control it.
Suddenly, Dragos pulled away like he'd been burnt, coughing out my blood and grunting in pain. My blood had defended me again just like during the encounter with Azrael. It responded to my panic.
I was so dizzy I could barely move. When Dragos turned to face me, his eyes were still terrifyingly bloodshot, and the sides of his mouth, where my blood had touched, showed light burns. But his expression changed the moment he saw me, and his eyes cleared with horror.
"Dawn?" he panicked, his voice cracking. "Oh my god, Dawn. What did I do?"
"It's fine" I whispered over and over, reaching up to touch his face, though my own hands were shaking.
My vision dimmed, and I fought to stay conscious.
"I just need to... jus... need... to catch my brea..." The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Dragos' terrified gaze.