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His feet were light on the road behind me and I could hear him easily pacing me. I reached the bridge that crossed the Danube to Buda and glanced back over my shoulder to see him drawing near.

Drawing his arm back, I saw the glint of silver. I ducked away as the dagger whistled through the air and impacted with the ground in front of me. He flung another dagger at me and I fell to the ground. Keeping my eyes on the assassin, I scrambled backwards like a spider. Drawing on my waning power, I drew the night around me like a cloak, rendering myself invisible to all that would gaze in my direction.

Gregor dropped onto the ground as I vanished from his sight. Crouching low, he began to slowly advance on where I had been. A dagger clutched in each hand, sweeping his arms about, his eyes sparkled with lethal intensity as he sought me out.

I backed away quickly, on my toes and fingertips. I could not seem to get enough distance between the dhamphir and myself. He seemed to instinctively follow in my wake. Suddenly, he jabbed out at me. I leaped back, flipped over, and landed in a flurry of skirts. He was right before me, crouched. I kicked him so hard, his head audibly snapped back.

Turning, I ran across the bridge, desperate, terrified, and calling forth every bit of power I had left. At last, I felt it filling me so I threw out my arms and soared upwards.

The wind embraced me, lifting me higher, my skirts fluttering about my feet. Feeling a great sense of relief, I drew my cloak around me and glided toward the estate where Vlad and I had made our new home.

“I know you are there,” came a mocking voice from behind me.

I twisted about to see the dhamphir hovering in the air, his long coat fluttering around him. Slowly he raked his gaze over the panoramic vista this high altitude afforded us.

He began to fly in wide swoops like some hellish demon, laughing malevolently. “I may not see you, but I can sense you, little vampire. ”

I turned and flew as swiftly as I could.

“Come here, little vampire,” he sing-songed behind me as he flew in circles.

I panicked and twisted about, trying to find him. I slammed into the spire of a huge church and dug my long nails into the stone in desperation. Every attempt I made to elude the dangerous assassin had failed thus far. Gregor was cunning and he was merciless in his pursuit. His lean body sluiced through the night sky and swept around the church as his shrewd pale eyes sought me out.

I used my dwindling power to push up a barrier between the assassin and me. I could feel it rapidly fading and this frightened me. It would only be a matter of time before my attacker would see through my defenses and engage me in battle. I was a strong vampire, that I was sure of, but I was not well versed in physical combat. Also, I had not fed and was weakened. Gregor’s vicious determination terrified me.

Gregor flew about, orbiting around me. Laughing malevolently, he searched for me as I prayed silently to the God I was not sure could still hear my cries. I felt utterly alone and terrified, not sure what I should do.

Drawing back sharply as Gregor swung close by me, I gasped. Perhaps he heard the sharp intake of my breath, for he whirled about and threw a dagger straight at me.

With vampire swiftness, I plunged to one side, trying to avoid the knife that I saw streaking toward me. But my movements were not swift enough to avoid the knife. It embedded in my arm instead of my breast. I cried out as I fell forward, tumbling off the spire and into the cold night breeze.

Gregor heard me cry out and followed the sound, closing in on me as his body swooped toward me. Another knife streaked through the night and I caught it in my right thigh. My powers flickered, then I impacted with the ground.

With a shout of triumph, the assassin dropped down on the cobblestone road and began edging forward, leaning low, and clutching two wicked daggers in his pale white hands.

I pulled the knives out of my body and fought down a whimper of pain. Something in the metal was burning my flesh, scorching me from within. I sensed Gregor moving toward me and I pushed my powers up as fiercely as I could as I climbed to my feet.

“Little wicked bride of the devil, I can feel you,” he hissed, swaying back and forth as he approached me. His eyes flicked over the shadows as he searched for me.

I flung the knives at him as hard as I could.

Gregor simply reached up and plucked them out of the air. “Thank you for returning my children. ”

I turned and ran, desperate to escape, overwhelmed by what was happening. How could such blissful happiness be followed by this hell?

Gregor pursued me, his hearing evidently keen enough to follow my footfalls. I had not the power to take flight again.

My body was burning with pain. I could not fight the agonizing fire welling up within me. The knives had to be some sort of evil magic to do this to me. Never had I felt such intense pain.

Behind me, Gregor’s laughter taunted me.

I ducked around a corner and tried to propel myself upwards. My powers did not respond. I felt my shields fading and knew that soon I would be exposed, visible to all. The pain, a fire, fierce and consuming, rippled through my body. I staggered and fell against the doorway of a mortal dwelling. Fear, stark, and malevolent overwhelmed me.

“Oh, there you are,” Gregor whispered.

I had not even realized I was visible to him until he grabbed me from behind. A knife against my throat, he pulled me into the street. His stale breath was cold against the back of my neck and I whimpered as I trembled.

“Who are you, pretty little one? What is your name and who is your Master?”