A sudden gust of wind swept past me, and I felt the splatter of something warm and thick against my face. My eyes fluttered open, locking with the lifeless stare of the blonde vampire. A heartbeat later, his head detached from his body, tumbling to the floor as the rest of him crumpled like a broken marionette. My hand trembled as I lifted it to wipe my face, realizing with a sickening jolt that the sticky substance was his blood.

The air was pierced by brief, agonized screams from the ...