Katelina stumbled back, waving the dust out of her face. Jorick and Jamie had leapt to the right and Verchiel to the left. Andrei and Annabelle had pulled up short just in time. The vampiress leaned heavily on her husband, the visible half of her face painted with terror. Wriggling limbs stuck out from under the heap of debris, vampires who hadn't reacted fast enough.

The cloud of dust hung like fog. Through it Katelina could see the shadowy shapes of figures. Someone crashed ...