Hunting Vampires

Chapter 3: The Unseen Attack

The crash outside sent chills down Xyla’s spine. Her mind raced, and her body felt as if it was rooted to the spot. Kade grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the window.

"Stay back," he said in a low voice, his tone commanding but protective. "They’re faster than you can imagine, and we don’t know how many of them are out there."

Xyla swallowed hard, her heart pounding. "But what are we supposed to do? Just wait for them to break in?"

Kade glanced at her, his jaw tight. "No. I’m not letting that happen."

He moved toward the door, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a silver blade, gleaming in the dim light. Xyla’s eyes widened.

"Where the hell did you get that?" she asked.

Kade didn’t look back at her. "I’ve had it for years. Part of the reason I stayed away was to train. To protect you from this exact situation."

Xyla took a step closer, her mind trying to process everything at once. "You trained... to fight vampires?"

Kade nodded, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of movement outside. "After my father died, I made it my mission. I wasn’t going to let them win. Not again."

Xyla bit her lip, still feeling the tremble of fear in her chest. "So what now? Do we fight them?"

"We don’t have a choice," Kade said. "If they’re here, they won’t stop until they have you. But I’m not going to let that happen."

Before Xyla could respond, another loud crash echoed through the room, this time closer. The window shattered, and glass rained down on the floor. Xyla jumped back with a gasp, her pulse skyrocketing.

Kade raised his blade, his eyes sharp and focused. "Stay behind me!"

From the shadows, two figures emerged, moving so fast they were almost a blur. Xyla barely had time to react before Kade lunged at the first one, his blade slicing through the air with precision.

The vampire hissed, dodging Kade’s attack with unnatural speed, but Kade was quick. He spun around, slashing again, catching the creature across the chest. A high-pitched scream filled the room as the vampire recoiled, its skin smoking where the blade had cut.

"Silver," Kade muttered, stepping between Xyla and the vampires. "It’s the only thing that can hurt them."

Xyla pressed her back against the wall, her heart hammering. "There are two of them!"

"I know," Kade growled, his voice strained as he faced the second vampire. "I can handle it. Just stay out of their reach."

The second vampire lunged at Kade, baring its fangs with a snarl. Kade met its attack head-on, thrusting the blade forward and plunging it into the vampire’s chest. The creature screamed again, its body convulsing before it disintegrated into ash.

Xyla watched in horror, barely able to breathe. "They just... turned to dust?"

"That’s what happens when you kill them with silver," Kade said through gritted teeth, pulling the blade free from the ashes. His eyes flicked to the remaining vampire, who was circling them like a predator.

"Kade..." Xyla’s voice wavered, panic rising in her chest. "What if more of them are out there?"

Kade tightened his grip on the blade. "Then we’ll deal with them. But right now, we take out this one."

The vampire snarled and charged, its movements a blur as it darted toward Kade. But Kade was ready. With a swift motion, he sidestepped the attack and drove his blade into the creature’s side.

The vampire let out a choked scream, its body twitching violently before it, too, turned to ash, scattering across the floor.

For a moment, silence filled the room. Xyla’s breath came in short, sharp bursts, her eyes wide as she stared at the ashes on the ground.

"They’re... gone?" she whispered.

Kade wiped the blade on his sleeve, his breathing heavy but controlled. "For now."

Xyla’s mind was racing. "How many more of them are there? You said they know who I am, right?"

Kade nodded, his face grim. "They do. And that was just a scouting party. They’ll send more—stronger ones, too."

Xyla’s throat tightened. "So what do we do now?"

Kade glanced around the room, his mind working fast. "We can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous. They’ll come back, and next time, we might not be so lucky."

Xyla shook her head, the weight of it all crashing down on her. "Where can we go? We can’t just run forever."

Kade looked her in the eye, his expression intense. "There’s a place. A safe house. It’s hidden, protected by wards. They won’t be able to track us there. At least, not right away."

Xyla felt a surge of hope, but it was quickly overshadowed by fear. "How do we know it’s safe?"

Kade sheathed the blade, his jaw set in determination. "Because it’s where I’ve been staying. It’s the only place they haven’t been able to find me. And now, it’s the only place where I can protect you."

Xyla hesitated, torn between trusting him and the overwhelming fear that was gripping her. But as she looked into Kade’s eyes, she saw the truth. He had been protecting her all this time, and if anyone could keep her safe now, it was him.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice steadying. "Let’s go."

Kade nodded, a hint of relief flashing across his face. "We need to move fast. Pack whatever you can carry. We’re leaving now."

Xyla moved quickly, grabbing her essentials and shoving them into a bag. Her heart was still pounding, her mind barely able to keep up with everything that had happened. Vampires, a prophecy, a hidden safe house—it all felt like something out of a nightmare.

As she zipped up her bag, she turned to Kade. "You really think we’ll be safe there?"

Kade’s eyes softened for a moment as he met her gaze. "I’ll make sure of it."

She nodded, trusting him despite the chaos. Together, they slipped out of the apartment, the city lights casting long shadows behind them. Somewhere in the distance, Xyla could almost feel the vampires lurking, waiting.

But as long as Kade was with her, she had hope.