I called for Mo’Lock and we made a run for the front gate, where we’d left the Nova. As I ran I heard a shriek from behind. I spun and saw a winged vampire swooping down at us. I fired. It swerved and avoided the flying stake. I grabbed for another but the vampire, black hair and eyes, barreled into me and sent me flying.

Mo’Lock made it to the car, where he deposited the babies so he could help in the fight. As he stood from behind the open car door, the next vampire, a redhead, landed on him and pounded the ghoul face first into the roof of the car and then slammed him to the ground. She wasn’t giving the ghoul a chance to fight back.

The one with black hair was throwing me around the yard like a rag doll. I’d dropped the crossbow but I had stakes so I waited for her to come at me again while I played possum. She grabbed me and lifted me off the ground and got ready to chomp my face off when I jammed the stake into her chest.

She screamed and let me go. She knew she was about to die. She looked at me, a tear in her eye, and spoke.

“Save the children from him,” she said and exploded into a haze of dust and ash.

By the car, the redhead had made a serious mistake. She had pissed off a ghoul. I almost felt bad for her.

She tried to attack him again but Mo’Lock was fast and grabbed her by the throat and with his other hand took hold of the top of her head and twisted. Her neck snapped. She cried out, in pain but still alive. That’s when Mo’Lock tore her head from her body.

The ghoul dropped the body and tossed the head aside before she turned to dust. He was still angry. His eyes were blazing. I waited for him to calm down before I got too close.

I glanced in the back seat at the three bundles.

“What are we going to do with these?”

Mo’Lock rubbed his head. “I think perhaps we can leave them in the care of ghouls. They will be safe.”

“Yeah, but what about the ghouls?”

“I believe if the babies are loved they will not become monsters.”

“Have you ever met a vampire? They always turn out to be assholes.”

“Maybe we can change that.”

“Maybe they’ll come after us when they get older. We just killed their mothers.”

Mo’Lock was looking back at the house. He furrowed his brow.

“Cal?”

“What?”

The ghoul pointed back at the house. There was a tall figure in one of the windows. Tall and bald.

I looked at Mo’Lock. “You stay here. Guard the babies.”