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The Vampire Princess Springs a Surprise
The Claw, the Curse and the Crown — 6
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When Princess Thoraminta’s eyes flew open, her senses were on high alert. Her heightened perception applied to everything: the guards who were pacing the battlements, with swords chafing against their chainmail, the loud snores of sleeping courtiers, and the gentle crackle of logs in the great hall.
She listened, unwilling to stir until she was convinced not a soul within the castle remained awake. Her plan was to avoid killing, but in settling her score with the king, there might be collateral damage.
The princess released the catches that held the drawers in place. As she did so, her gaze fell on the crooked pinkie on her left hand, a permanent reminder of one of her father’s harsh punishments.
She climbed noiselessly from the cabinet and moved into the great hall, mindful to avoid gazing upon the place alongside the hearth, where her devoted pet Harriet used to lie. King Thoragriffe had pronounced that Thoraminta had spoiled the dog. To harden his daughter’s heart, he’d ordered a soldier to place Harriet in a sack and drown the dog.
His twisted instinct was not wrong—the malicious act transformed Thoraminta’s heart to…
