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Ariana flitted past me and another man surrendered to her embrace. Elina growled and bit into the throat of another man pawing at me. Cneajna materialized behind the man who had turned away from me and caught his face in her hands. She enraptured him with her gaze and he submitted to her charms.

“Whores of the devil!”

I dropped my dead prey. Wiping the blood from my lips, I saw a man staggering toward me.

Ah, the priest.

Only three villagers remained alive, including the priest. The smell of blood permeated the night air. My sisters had wrestled their prey down to the ground and were noisily feasting. The gypsy men were covered with blood; a few were wounded. Vlad inspired great loyalty.

Without his crucifix, the priest looked smaller, fatter and more pathetic. He stood before me, flushed, angry, and afraid. Drunk

en with power and blood, I stared at him. He looked like no priest I had ever encountered. His robe was dirty and he stank of liquor.

“You are all damned! All of you are foul disgusting servants of the devil!”

Ariana rolled off her victim and onto her knees. She began to laugh. “And what of you? A real man of God would never be stupid enough to come here in a drunken stupor to kill us when we are awake!”

The two remaining villagers were trembling with terror, their eyes wide. Yet, despite their fear, they stood straight and defiant, averting our gaze, clearly stronger willed than the others.

“You took a child from the village,” one of them shouted, spittle flecking his lips and beard.

“Our husband brought him to us. We would have returned his body for holy burial,” Cneajna said coldly.

“Your husband is Dracul! The devil!”

I laughed at the priest’s words. They were so terribly accurate.

Vlad emerged from the thin air, a shadow swirling into solidity, and stood before the men. “Yes, I am Dracul, the dragon, the devil. And I told you and your people to stay away from this place. ”

“You took a child!”

“His father owed me a debt. Did he not tell you? He came to me pleading for money. We entered a business transaction and I informed him that I would collect what was owed me when I so desired. He never asked my price. He did not want to know what he would have to surrender to me. ”

“You swore that you would not take our people if we sent the travelers to you,!” a man shouted at Vlad.

My gaze flicked toward him, and I frowned at his words.

“The agreement still stands,. ” Vlad assured him. “This was a far more personal exchange. It does not include the village. But look what you have done. You have stormed my castle, killed some of my men, attempted to rape my wives, and you bring this poor drunken bastard with you. ”

Ariana giggled and waggled her fingers at the priest as she sidled up to Vlad. “He is not very scary is he, Master?”

“Yes, it is a pity the former priest died. He was a worthy opponent. That is why he died in peace and not by my hand. I could not touch him. ”

Two gypsy women strode out of the castle, dragging long wooden stakes behind them.

The priest bristled at Vlad’s words. “I am your equal! Do not doubt that, sir!”

Vlad laughed. “You are not a worthy opponent. Do not flatter yourself. Even now your eyes stray to my wife. ” He reached out and took hold of my arm. He pulled me to his side. “Does not her vampire flesh glow with such lovely radiance?”

The other two men deliberately looked away, but the Priest looked straight at me. I caught him in my power and his mouth dropped open, a slight trickle of saliva trailing down his chin.

I felt flush with power as I watched his reaction. These mortal men wanted me so badly their own bodies betrayed their lust. Vlad gently pulled my hands away from my naked breasts. I did not feel ashamed, but thrilled. The two men fighting not to look upon my nakedness faltered. One of them stumbled toward me. He was knocked back by the meaty fist of one of Vlad’s guards.

“Is this what you want? A vampire whore? A bride of the devil? You are betrayed by your own lusts!” Vlad laughed at them, mocking them. He pulled my long locks over my shoulders to hide my flesh.

I released them from my power. They stumbled back, terrified by how close their lust had drawn them to death.

“One may go to warn the others what foolish actions shall bring about. Two die as an example,” Vlad said casually.