Penrose seized my hand and pulled me sharply to the side of the room. Several nobles scurried out, eager to avoid being caught in the crossfire of a duel between two of the most formidable vampires in existence.

"If the Lord Protector challenges me, I will accept," Vikram declared with a sinister grin, his voice dripping with malice. "And after I win, I’ll take your marked one, break her utterly, and drain every last drop of her blood." He licked his lips slowly, savoring the words as if ...