I stood over the lifeless bodies of the two vampires, their blood still warm on my hands, their hearts clutched in my fists. Their empty chest cavities gaped open like grotesque mouths, proof of the brutality I was capable of when pushed too far.
"Who's begging now?" I whispered to their corpses, feeling nothing but cold satisfaction as I tossed their hearts aside.
The wet thud they made hitting the stone floor echoed through the cavern, competing with the desperate sounds of my friends' labored breathing. My gaze fell to the small silver key clutched in my blood-soaked fingers—the key to their salvation.
I'd let the vampires believe I'd fallen unconscious, allowing the older one to lower his guard and attempt to finish what they'd started. The moment he'd bent over Regina's body, I'd struck—driving my hand through his back and into his chest, just as I'd done to his companion.