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“The killing blow will be administered by Gilchrist,” Svend continued.

A lanky young man with black hair stepped forward nervously. “It is an honor. ” I recognized his Gaelic accent immediately.

Svend lifted a mallet from the bag and presented it to the young man. “This is your first kill. You must be strong and strike down this demon of the pit. ”

“I understand and will not flinch in my duty,” Gilchrist stammered, swallowing hard.

“I will finish what needs to be done,” Svend continued, and for himself, he took out an ugly knife with a long wicked blade.

The priest’s voice rose up as the hunters selected for the kill mov

ed to the forefront of the pack.

“Prepare, Arminius, to deliver her soul from this world,” Svend said softly to the priest.

I could take no more.

“Murderers!” I leaped from the shadows before I realized what I was doing, my indignation spurring me to action.

The vampire hunters whirled about, startled expressions on their faces.

“Murdering bastards,” I raged, baring my teeth, which was probably not the brightest thing I have ever done.

“Another bride of the devil,” Svend shouted.

“Abraham, kill her,” Franco called out, not to his comrades but to someone behind me.

I heard footsteps and whirled about. The vampire hunter who had stayed behind was bearing down on me, a stake raised high above his head.

I was too shocked to react and recoiled in terror. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow suddenly break free from a patch of night and coalesce into the dark shape of a man. The hunter was almost upon me, his expression determined, the stake above him beginning to sweep downward.

“You would not dare,” I said imperiously to the hunter, preparing to slap the stake away.

Instead, my feet left the ground and the wind howled in my ears. Below me, the vampire hunter fell forward, carried by his momentum, the stake he meant for my heart clattering away on the road. I saw the upturned faces of the men below me, then I was dropped unceremoniously onto a peaked rooftop.

I immediately scrambled to my feet and whirled about. I found myself face to face with the most extraordinary man. Tall and slender, clad all in black, he stood before me as majestic and beautiful as the very night. It was as if a fragment of the night sky had broken free of the heavenly firmament, fell to earth and coalesced into this glorious being. Hair black and straight as raven feathers fell down around a face as pale and luminous as the moon. His long, narrow face was a fine combination of sharp angles and soft lines. Dark brows were drawn downward over piercing eyes the color of the midnight sky. Sensuous lips, full and seductive, were drawn into a tight line and it took me a long moment to realize that this mysterious vampire was quite furious with me.

“Exactly what, pray tell, were you doing down there?” he finally said in a soft, but strong voice.

I was taken aback with his tone, so I just stared at him in shock. I could not believe I was in the presence of another vampire!

“There were two more! I saw them,” the voice of the Spanish hunter drifted up to them.

“I saw only the woman,” Svend responded, his voice harsh with anger. “And she escaped!”

“There was a man! I swear it!”

“I saw only a blur of the shadows, Abraham, and then she was gone. ”

The desperate voices of the vampire hunters rose into the night.

My rescuer raised an eyebrow. “Satisfied? You exposed us both. ”

I opened my mouth to respond but could not think of what to say, so I clamped it shut and stomped my foot.

“Damn vampire hunters. Will they ever let us be?” He brushed past me and dared a glance downward.

I stood transfixed, staring at him, yet trying not to. This beautiful man with his long black hair stole my breath utterly away. He was the most magnificent man I had ever seen and I could only gape at him. There was a power flowing about him in great waves that shook me to the very core of my being. I was overwhelmed by his presence.