Free 04 Silence by Kailin Gow

without any hesitation, handing one of the legs to Briony to use as a stake.
    Briony guessed that killing vampires came before having nice furniture. Now, they just had to work out what was going on.
    “Where are King Waltham, Archer, and the rest of them?” Briony asked. “I mean, if there are vampires here, shouldn’t there be knights or something to defend the place?”
    Aunt Sophie shrugged. “I don’t know any more than you do, Briony. At a guess, I would say that, the people here aren’t used to being attacked by vampires in their own court. Just the sign of a dagger was enough to scare them away from the banquet, so I don’t know if we will get any help from that quarter.”
    Aunt Sophie shook her head then. “Looks like we have our work cut out for us, Briony. I suspect that half these elves haven’t seen a vampire in so long, they’ve forgotten how to fight them.”
    That certainly explained some of the comments before, about Briony and Aunt Sophie showing up at just the right time. Though Briony wasn’t so sure about it being perfect timing from where she stood. Showing up just in time for a fight with vampires was not her idea of fun.
    “Are you sure that we’re up to this?” Briony asked. She didn’t mean to sound defeatist, but there was no way of knowing how many vampires might have managed to find a way into the castle. It could be just the two of them against an army, for all they knew.
    “Up to it?” Aunt Sophie laughed, and Briony couldn’t help reflecting again that this new, younger version of her was a little brasher than she had been.
    “I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t felt this good in… well, forever. Right now, I feel like I could take on any vampire. Now come on. We’re wasting time.”
    She set off again at a run, and Briony struggled to keep up. They were moving so fast that Briony could barely look where she was going as she ran. So fast, in fact, that when they rounded a corner and found a tall , broad-shouldered figure coming the other way, there was simply no time to stop. Briony rebounded and sat down heavily, her only consolation in her embarrassment the fact that Aunt Sophie did the same.
    Briony looked up, and even that consolation went out the window. It had to be Vigor, didn’t it? The Prince stood over them, resplendent in armor that was a mixture of steel plates and leather strips, designed to give the maximum amount of protection while still allow ing the wearer freedom of movement. A sword hung at his side. The col lision hadn’t moved him in the slightest, of course.
    “Why, if it isn’t my favorite statue,” Aunt Sophie said, leaping nimbly to her feet. To Briony’s surprise, Vigor flushed, and moved forward to offer Briony his assistance in regaining her feet. He even mumbled something that sounded like an apology as he lifted her, setting her on her feet as easily as he might have lifted a child.
    “What brings you out here?” Aunt Sophie asked.
    “I am here to sweep for vampire assassins,”
    Vigor said simply.
    Briony looked around at the empty corridor.
    “Where is everyone else?”
    “They have taken up defensive positions deeper in the castle. As should you both.”
    Aunt Sophie raised an eyebrow. “You’re planning on fighting whoever left that dagger on the banquet table all on your own.”
    “It is my duty,” Vigor said. “My fa… the King is not well enough to fight. Those around him, including the dragon, have moved to keep him safe. I am what remains.”
    “So you rea lly are planning to take them on alone?” Briony asked.
    Vigor shrugged. “As I said, it is my duty. I am protector of this castle when the King cannot fight, and I will not fail him.”
    Briony could just see Prince Vigor throwing himself into the middle of a mob of vampires in the name of duty.
    “ We ’ll help,” she said. “Aunt Sophie and I know vampires. We know their strengths and their weaknesses.”
    Vigor shook his head. “You should go and