Napoleon tittered like a schoolgirl. “Don’t be so twitchy, bitches. They won’t move until I press this button,” he said, his bony finger aimed at one on the remote. “If you haven’t heard, shock collars can do wonders, and it’s taken me decades to have my pets trained to obey my every command. They know when to heel. They know when to fetch, and they know when to attack, and once those lights on their collars turn green, they will attack you like a pack of rabid dogs.”

Bennett took stock of the room and cracked a smile. “And what’s going to stop them from coming after you—eh? The only way out is up the stairs behind me, and that ape of a man standing next to you is no match for us.”

Napoleon opened the collar of his snug polyester shirt and tapped on the yellow light affixed to his leather choker. “This, and Ivan is wearing one, too, but alas, you and that whore of a sister of mine aren’t. Pity.”

Napoleon flung one leg over the other, a crooked smirk smearing across his face as he held up the remote. “I do have to say it’s a shame I won’t be able to watch Ivan eat you out, Archer, but that doesn’t mean I can’t watch you being eaten, because trust me…my pets are frightfully hungry.”

All the lights suddenly changed from red to green, and the starving vampires came to life. Guttural growls erupted from within the cells, and hundreds of eyes, once dull, ignited like a wildfire, the blue as radiant as it was ruinous.

Bennett and Ruby traded looks, and Bennett said what they were both thinking. “Run!”

Ruby charged after Bennett, and they took the steps two at a time as the riot behind them grew thunderous. Like gazelles being chased by a pride of lions, they raced through the great hall, hurdling bodies and furniture as they went. Ruby slipped on some blood, and going down hard, she cracked her head on a table. The blow knocked the wind out of her, forcing her to catch her breath while she tried to clear the cobwebs, and then suddenly, her hand was in a vise. A second later, Ruby was yanked to her feet, and a few seconds after that, Bennett and Ruby were bolting from the house.

Until that moment, Ruby’s movements had mirrored Bennett’s, but their thought patterns changed once outside. Bennett dashed toward the forest while Ruby sprinted for the drive.

“No, Ruby, this way,” Bennett called out, sliding her swords into the scabbards on her back.

“But—”

“I don’t have time to explain,” Bennett yelled, waving her arm. “Come on.”