Old Wounds, New Wounds

One by one, their eyes shot open, and Nedra and Penelope sprung up in surprise to get a closer look at the vampire with the beating heart.

"We did it!" Nedra exclaimed. "Goddess, we really did it."

"That was amazing! And it was so easy. Did you feel that, too? The Veiled rushing in to him like he was some kind of vacuum? Flooding him the moment it had the chance?" Penelope asked, staring at the vampire in shock until Nedra grabbed her and started jumping up and down, squealing with joy.

She had spent so long trying to bring Zagan to life, trying to find a way to do just this. It was the most frustrating, defeating thing to have so much power and ability and yet not be able to do the one thing that would overcome his hold on her. And they had just accomplished it together with a different vampire. It wasn't Zagan, but it was just as satisfying.

"Goddess, that really just happened," Nedra squealed.