Chapter 217: Clash of Shadows

With swift precision, Jacob evaded the vampire’s strike, moving fluidly as though the attack had been telegraphed long before it happened. Without losing a moment, he reached out, gripping the vampire with one hand and pulling it closer. His other hand moved with deadly intent, aimed at the creature’s heart. The vampire let out an ear-piercing shriek, its pale eyes wide with panic as it struggled to free itself from Jacob’s iron grip. But it was too late. Jacob’s hand found its mark, piercing through the vampire's chest, and with a sharp twist, he ripped out its blackened, shriveled heart. Without hesitation, Jacob flung the heart to the ground, hurling the vampire’s body away from it with a powerful shove. His aim was to keep the vampire from reaching the organ, which was now lying vulnerably in the dirt. Before Jacob could call down fire from the skies—a necessary ritual to incinerate a vampire’s heart and truly end its life—Dedari acted first. Flames erupted from his fingertips