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Astir cast a sharp glance over his shoulder at Vlad with his terrible flame eyes, then floated closer to Gregor. The dhamphir sobbed, terrified, and unable to even move. Drawing his knees up tightly against his chest, the dhamphir extended one hand as if to ward off the glowing creature before him.

“We do not kill here,” Astir hissed.

“He knows of the haven now,” Vlad protested.

“No, he will not remember where it was. He has entered my domain. He is now in my power,” Astir assured Vlad.

Gregor continued to cower, sobbing in terror as the angelic creature before him hovered, glowed, and burned.

“And what is even more important is that he now knows fear,” Astir said with a satisfied smile.

Astir must have compelled Gregor to look up at him, for the hunter raised his eyes and let out a shriek so terrible that it made me flinch and look away.

Magda sobbed in my arms and pressed her face into my shoulder as her son gripped our legs in terror.

Gregor’s scream was long and terrified before it was sharply cut off. I looked up to see Astir looking at me in his quiet calm way, once more clad in his red robes, and the dhamphir gone.

“Well, that was entertaining,” Astir decided.

“Where is he? Did you kill him?” Vlad’s voice was imperious as always.

“He is sputtering and wailing as he swims his way out of the Danube,” Astir answered with a satisfied expression.

Ignatius gently touched Magda’s cheek, and then knelt to gaze at her son.

“How are you, little man?” he asked.

The little boy stared back at him. “The angel saved us. ”

Ignatius smiled. “Indeed he did. ”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Astir said, but looked mightily pleased with himself.

“Thank you, sir, thank you,” Magda said in a fervent voice.

“Really, it was all too much fun. I despise the hunters,” Astir responded. “They are so…tedious. ”

Ignatius ruffled the boy’s dark hair, then stood up to gaze at me. “Are you all right, Countess?”

Vlad reached out and pulled me from them. “She will be fine. Once we feed, we shall both be fine. ”

Astir swept some imaginary dust from his arm. “Oh, yes. Of course. And we must let this dear lady and her son retire to their new chambers. Far too much excitement for a little one. Yes, yes, let him forget all that has happened. There. That is better. ”

Glynis looked toward Magda’s son to see he was giggling and snuggling into her skirts. The look of shock was gone from his gaze.

“Thank you,” Magda whispered as she was escorted away by Astir’s butler. “Madam, please do not leave without saying good-bye. ”

“Of course I will come see you,” I promised.

Vlad’s fingers tightened on my arm. I could feel the coldness of his gaze upon me.

“Now to feed my hungry vampires. You all look simply awful and bedraggled,” Astir sniffed. He motioned us through one of his many curtained doorways. “Please, go feed, then we shall make sure you have some nice new clothes to wear. You look simply terrible. ” With a wave of his hand, he vanished through another doorway.

Ignatius pressed open the curtained doorway to reveal a small room filled with pillows and cushions of all shapes and colors. Lying among them were a collection of beautiful young men and woman, barely clothed, lounging about sipping wine and eating fresh fruit. All their eyes turned upon us as the curtain was drawn back and their eyes burned with the fever of anticipation.

Vlad did not even hesitate. He swept into the room, knelt down, seized a young man, and bit into his throat. The man’s eyes fluttered with pleasure as he gripped Vlad’s strong arms with his pink hands.

I stood in the doorway in shock. To see such a bounty of willing victims was startling.