It was chaos. Riona could barely keep track of the others—too many possessed vampires closing in, too fast, too wild.
For a moment, the temptation surged: unleash the Blood Moon power, level everything in sight, even that smug emperor with the smile she ached to rip from his flawless face.
But reason held. Just barely. She wasn't about to incinerate her comrades, her lover, his loyal aide, or the brother she was still desperate to save. Not yet.
Instead, she used her signature warm power, just a sliver, just enough to cut through the white-veiled monsters as she forced her way toward the castle.
Desperation washed over her like a tide, cold and consuming. Riona could feel it seeping into her blood, settling deep in her soul. Every second wasted here was another second her brother slipped further from her reach.
