Liam held his ground with the iron pestle raised. He was human. The thing crouched in front of him had speed and strength he could not match.
The vampire lunged. Liam swung with both hands and caught it across the jaw. Bone cracked. The creature only staggered.
Before Liam could recover the pestle, the second one came from the side, too fast for a mortal eye to follow.
Claws tore through cloth and skin.
Liam grunted and shifted his feet instead of falling. Blood spread across the back of his white shirt and struck my cheek in warm drops. He still kept his body between me and the attackers.
Across the palace, Julian had used stolen magic to guard Victoria. Liam had crossed over from the clinic with an iron pestle.
Cold swept through the broken storefront.
Julian moved.
He caught the
