Chapter Forty-Five
Vlad reaches into his pocket and takes out a grenade.
“At such close quarters, you’re just as likely to blow up as we are,” Gaius says, but steps back.
His brooding face grim, Vlad removes the pin from the grenade and tosses it at his own feet.
“Get back!” Gaius barks at Lucretia and Ariel.
They obey instantly.
The grenade doesn’t explode. Instead, thick smoke pours out.
Gaius steps back in confusion.
The smoke makes it hard to track Vlad’s movements. One moment, he’s standing inside the cloud; the next, he’s beside Gaius, aiming the shotgun at the vampire’s face.
Gaius’s eyes widen. “Wait—”
Vlad presses the trigger.
Gaius’s head explodes.
Vlad shoots again, this time at Gaius’s chest, then keeps shooting until the shotgun is empty.
Gaius’s aura goes away. I
