Bloodscourge by Sydney Winward

Author:Sydney Winward [Winward, Sydney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: vampire romance; paranormal romance; romantic fantasy; paranormal; vampires
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2021-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

In his bat form, Dracula crouched in the shadows of the mourning bell tower that overlooked the castle, scowling as he watched Shah Jorin converse with the Diviner himself. After the book burning, he had been watching the two as closely as he dared without being detected. Something was afoul in Ichor Knell, but he still didn’t know what. And as he no longer had a job, he spent every moment he could trying to uncover the wicked atrocities happening in the city.

He frowned as he cocked his ears, but he was too far away to hear their hushed conversation below, even as a vampire.

If there was anyone he hated more than Shah Jorin, it was the Diviner. It wasn’t his long chin and small eyes that set him off. It wasn’t his bald head or cringeworthy coldness. It was his wickedness and greed.

He watched as Jorin handed a sack of coins to the Diviner, who took it with a triumphant smirk on his face. Now, what was this exchange all about?

The Diviner motioned with his fingers and two monks appeared, dragging a female between them. She kicked and struggled, but with her hands bound behind her back and a gag tied around her mouth, she couldn’t escape.

Dracula’s frown deepened as he watched the display with his black bat eyes. He edged toward the corner of the tower, ready to take flight in a moment’s notice. Who was this female? A criminal? She wore scroungy clothing, her hair matted, and her eyes a deep red. Even more, she bared her fangs and writhed with ravenous hunger.

Finally, they spoke loud enough for him to overhear.

“We have found an impure soul,” the Diviner said calmly as if there wasn’t a thrashing vampire beside him. “Uncontrollable thirst is a punishment from Ylios for those unworthy to bask in His glory.”

Although Dracula certainly was no expert in vampire doctrine, something about this didn’t sound right. Didn’t vampires believe Ylios cast punishment only in the afterlife by cursing the wicked with an uncontrollable thirst? Not in this life?

“And there are more of these creatures?” Jorin asked, disgust in his eyes as if he faced a swamp grundling rather than a vampire.

“Plenty more,” the Diviner confirmed. “The city is full of them.”

Jorin plugged his nose and turned his head away. “I refuse to reign over such horrid monsters. I will not have it. Guards!”

The monks holding the female threw her to the ground as a couple guards approached. Dracula didn’t have time to react, everything happened so fast. One guard drew his sword—an iron sword—and beheaded the female right then and there. His eyes widened, his heart beating so loudly he feared the others might hear it. The female received no trial. No hearing. She didn’t even have the chance to defend herself. And now she was dead.

“Good riddance,” Jorin said, unplugging his nose as if whatever stench he had smelled disappeared. “We need to have a conversation about these impure vampires. Come. Walk with me.

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