Chapter 27 Prince Sloth
TWENTY-SEVEN
Prince Sloth
ALL TWELVE OF those monstrous creatures tore into my flesh with unnerving ease, using their razor-sharp claws and fangs to shred my leathers.
Their movements were wild and untamed, but the longer I dodged their worst blows, the more I recognized a chilling pattern to their ambush too.
Their feral hits were mostly aimed at the vulnerable spots of my body not shielded by my leathers, and that level of coordination revealed a cunning intelligence beneath their savage exterior.
The fact that they’d utilized such a strategic assault shattered any illusion of mindlessness their bloodlust initially suggested.
They were attacking with clear, calculated intention.
And they were gaining the upper hand.
They might be inspired by Lore’s book, but they were more nightmare creatures from this realm than anything else. However the Liber Noctem was involved, I had little doubt it was feeding them strategies. The dark book wanted me out of the way.
I jerked back before one sank its fangs into my throat.
I slammed my dagger forward, striking flesh each time. Every swing delivered a lethal blow, but their numbers quickly overwhelmed my defenses.
Each time I took one down, several more appeared in its place.
There were too many to fend off without seeking higher ground.
I retreated a few steps, hoping to put distance between myself and the angry horde, but it was like the forest itself was spawning more of these haunting creatures. They emerged silently from the shadows, their pallid bodies multiplying in even larger numbers than should have been possible.
I dodged another blow and swung out, knocking my attacker back.
Then I felt it.
The ground itself rumbled.
“Gods’ blood.”
Realization hit me hard and fast. This was how the Book of Nightmares would twist this scene; it had just raised the stakes.
The entire island must be riddled with underground hives or nests of these creatures. I bet every burrow, fissure, or cave mouth in the forest was a doorway into and out of that subterranean hell.
There were far too many vampires to inhabit the upper portion of the land alone. They’d never survive daylight.
The ground rumbled harder, the force similar to an earthquake.
It felt as if thousands of creatures were charging through the tunnels, and it didn’t take any sophistication to figure out where they were heading.
Based on the intensity of the vibrations beneath my boots, I imagined the labyrinth below was packed with the undead, all of whom hungered for fresh blood.
I needed to get out of here. Now.
I felt the first true stirring of panic, then banished it.
I would not feed into the Liber Noctem’s fear-inducing nightmare. It wanted more power and I would not give in.
I spun slowly, taking in the encroaching horde.
Some floated an inch or two off the ground, and others moved with an eerie grace that didn’t seem entirely humanoid.
Hundreds of eyes glittered in the woods.
In the space of a few seconds, the empty area around me rapidly dwindled to a small circle. I’d barely be able to extend my arms to fight or get any momentum.
Everywhere I looked, rows of ghostly vampires lined up, some snapping their teeth or clawing at one another to get closer.
I was surrounded.
The forest suddenly fell silent except for their eerie hissing; even the rumbling stopped. That couldn’t be a positive sign.
“Shit.”
I analyzed my best exit strategy.
Climbing a tree was not a viable option—they were already ascending the trunks with ease, their claw-tipped fingers allowing them to move faster than I could in my diminished state.
In every direction I turned, there were swarms of specters.
Their numbers would be difficult for a battalion of soldiers to fend off, which wouldn’t normally be an issue if I was fully restored.
They were crammed together so tightly, they created an impenetrable wall. One with blinking red eyes and pale faces pulled into snarls.
It was as if the night itself had come alive with the specters, leaving me no easy path to escape or find any tactical advantage.
There was no way out but through.
And that was far from ideal.
With no better alternatives, I utilized my only option: taking them by surprise. I dove into the writhing swarm of specters, bellowing as I swung with both blade and fist, determined to escape this nightmare unscathed and get to Lore before I lost her trail. Or worse, before they got to her.
Their eerie gazes fixed on me, mouths agape with sharp, deadly fangs.
I couldn’t afford to be bitten; even knowing that my magic would eventually purge my blood of their venom, the risk of infection was too great right now.
Something the Book of Nightmares had to know.
As if sensing my weakened state, two dozen of the closest vampires lunged at me, their icy fingers reaching out to pin my arms, but I refused to submit.
I refused to give in to fear.
I drove my blade into them, cleaving through the flesh of the undead writhing around me, their grotesque figures closing in on all sides.
Their guttural growls and hissing groans created a cacophony of horror that matched the chaos of the fight beat for beat.
I lunged forward, plunging my blade into the chest of the nearest vampire with a swift, practiced motion, and hit its unbeating heart.
The creature hissed, its eyes wide with rage.
I twisted the dagger, fighting the resistance of bone and muscle, then ripped it free. I didn’t wait to see the vampire drop.
I was already on to the next.
With each swing, I aimed for vital spots—eyes, hearts—delivering lethal blows that sent the ones I’d hit crumpling to the ground.
I whirled in a circle, dispatching my opponents as they continued to move in, hindering my blows. My fist connected with the jaw of one vampire, sending a jarring shock through its small frame.
I spun and delivered a powerful kick, sweeping the legs out from under another, leaving it momentarily stunned on the ground.
With a fluid movement honed over centuries, I drove my dagger deep into the chest of a third, piercing its cold, lifeless heart.
Despite the efficiency of my strikes, the vampires kept surging at me with their fangs bared and talons out.
My muscles tensed with each swing, the effort sending a slight tremor through my arm as I focused on maintaining my fighting rhythm.
I swung my dagger in the widest arc I could manage, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp whistle from the velocity of my movement.
A taloned hand swiped at me, aiming straight for my throat.
I dropped low to the ground, feeling the rush of air as the claws narrowly missed their mark, then sprang back to my feet.
The gash in my side oozed, the wound fully reopening from the harsh movement. The scent of my blood permeated the space around us, sending the creatures into an impossibly wilder, maddened attack.
The specters lunged at me.
With inhumanly quick, agile leaps, they closed the distance. Their speed and dexterity left little room for escape, even for a skilled fighter like me.
I lashed out with my feet and fists, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I fought to keep those deadly teeth from sinking into my flesh, but with each punch or hit, I was losing precious energy.
I sank my blade into the chest of the next vampire, feeling the moment the vampire succumbed to its final death.
Another shadow loomed to my right, and I swung my fist with all the force I could muster, meeting the vampire’s blow with a bone-jarring impact.
The fight was wearing me down, and fast.
I slowly carved my way to the outskirts of the vampire horde, my heart pounding in my chest. Each swing felt more laborious than the last, and sweat trickled down my brow, stinging my eyes.
My legs were leaden, and each step forward was hard-fought. But just beyond the gnashing fangs closest to me, the trail was empty.
I still felt the darkly amused power of the Liber Noctem around the periphery, but I couldn’t ascertain its exact location.
Gathering the last reserves of my strength, I prepared to break into a sprint, knowing if I made it there, I had a chance to outrun them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the vampires dive forward with a vicious, predatory snarl. The vampire’s eyes glinted with hunger as it sank its razor-sharp teeth into my wrist.
I tried to wrench my arm back or dislodge it with a swift blow, but it latched on. Its fangs pierced my flesh like hollow daggers, sending a shock of pain through me as venom pumped into my veins.
Agony exploded through my arm as the venom barreled through my body like a volcanic eruption. In an instant, the chaotic assault ceased.
The vampire who’d bitten me unlatched its jaws and faded into the horde.
The specters hissed but didn’t attempt to attack me again. They closed ranks, boxing me in as the venom worked its way deeper into my system.
I ground my teeth together; the sensation of the toxin was excruciating and alien. It felt like every fiber of my being was rebelling against its intrusion.
The spider venom had been far less horrific.
At least I’d retained my sense of self with that.
This… this was erasing my senses only to replace them with twisted, dark desires. This was what the Liber Noctem had been after. Or maybe it was Nyantha getting her wish from the cave—my greatest fear.
My vision wavered, shifting between my normal clarity and shadowy blurs.
With each fluctuation in my vision, my mind also turned into a battlefield where baser instincts clashed violently with reason in their own war.
A chill ran down my spine as my primal instincts began to claw their way to the surface, threatening to drown out any rational thought.
Was I monster or was I man?
It had been the same existential question I’d asked myself after what most thought of as our fall.