Chapter 55: The Queen’s Gambit
The wind bit at my face like broken glass.
I walked out of the bunker and into the white void of the blizzard. Behind me, the heavy iron door clanged shut.
I was alone.
I clutched Lyra to my chest, shielding her from the biting cold with my cloak. She was awake, her tiny body radiating heat like a furnace.
Forgive me, my love, I whispered to the ground beneath my feet. Trust me.
I walked forward.
Through the swirling snow, shapes began to materialize. Shadows.
Hundreds of them.
The vampire army formed a gauntlet, lining the path. They didn't attack. They watched. I could feel their hunger, a physical weight pressing against my skin. They hissed as I passed, their crimson eyes tracking the bundle in my arms.
I didn't look at them. I kept my eyes fixe
