And once those large , bestial doors opened in a languid groan , a queue formed . He assumed a casual check lay ahead , just to ensure no peasantry walked amongst them .
But as he approached the pair of guards framing the door , those ahead of him unveiled folded parchment from their cloak pockets .
Now , his appearance had to be enough . But with the gauntness of his face , slenderness of his figure , and sharpness of his glance …
“ Are you feeling alright ?” the guard on the left asked . He leaned forward , head down but eyes up .
Lex ’ s sigh lurched . He dug his nails into his palms , inspecting both of the men . “ Wonderful .”
That low chatter died at his back , replaced only by the wind . But it still carried that scent .
The right-standing guard raised an eyebrow .
“ Invitation ?” “ Well , you see —” A hand touched his shoulder , wrapping fingers around the silk of his tunic . “ He ’ s with me , gentlemen .” That grip held no heat of a human ’ s . And when Lex turned , that sharp glance shrewdly present , he was met with a skeletal face and sunken eyes .
No question . The one before him was nothing less than a beast of the night . A vampire .
Zachary Toombs is a published author , artist , and filmmaker with works in A Thin Slice of Anxiety , Mad Swirl , Freedom Fiction , Against the Grain Magazine , and more . His artwork is typically done with ink on paper and is available to view on his Instagram page (@ toombszachary ). He earned his BFA in Creative Writing at Full Sail University and has made two short films , A Song for Home and Something Must Happen . His forthcoming novel , Night ' s Grasp , is coming soon .
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