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It did not take long before he yielded to our seductive kisses.

Blood, rich and full of life flowed past my lips and into my body as I drank. Crushing the helpless hunter against me, I drank in all that was left of his dying body. My sisters drank before me, for I am the last, lowliest Bride. Faintly over the fading heartbeat of my victim, I could hear them whispering to me, urging me in my feast. At last, the warm gush of blood ebbed away and I slowly sat back on my heels, letting the dead man slip from my cold embrace.

Gradually, my senses became aware of the world. The rustling of the trees, the caress of the night wind, and the sweet fragrance of blood filled my senses.

The moon tonight was full and bright above the cypress tress. The pure soft light illuminated the pale faces of my sisters as they rummaged about in the makeshift camp of the hunter. The blood of the hunter flowed through us, spreading life into our cold bodies and I sighed blissfully.

Ariana finished going through his personal belongings and threw up her hands. “Let us find another!”

I climbed to my feet as Elina stretched her arms over her head then fell forward, molding her body into that of a wolf. I am only now beginning to fully understand the extent of my new powers and I could not help but gasp at her transformation. It is easy enough to scale walls like a spider and leap great distances. It is also so very natural to pass through the smallest cracks as though it were a regular doorway. But now, I am learning to think myself into a mist and solidify in the destination of my choice. Now, to see Elina transform herself into a wolf as Vlad had done astounded me. I did not realize such power was within my reach.

Elina’s dark wolf shape howled and rushed away into the woods.

Laughing gleefully, Ariana pursued Elina into the woods. “Come, Glynis!”

Cneajna grabbed my hand. “Let us enjoy the night!”

I laughing, I twirled away from her. “Catch me if you can!”

I darted into the forest and Cneajna pursued. I dashed through the trees, a blur of luminescent white against the darkness, my limbs free of all human restraints. I found myself moving more quickly than I could have ever dreamed. With supernatural ease, I darted around trees and leapt over any obstacle in my path. I have never experienced such freedom. It was an intensely pleasurable experience to run without mortal breathlessness, pain or tiredness.

I tore through the thick foliage and in my haste, almost fell into a deep gorge cutting through the forest. Ariana caught me about the waist and saved me from a frightful fall. I clutched her tightly to me with great relief.

“You saved me!”

“You would not have died, but it would have hurt!”

Cneajna and Elina, returned to form, came to stand near us, luxuriating in the brilliant moonbeams illuminating their upturned countenance. The wind caressed their forms and their expressions were rapturous.

“It is a glorious night,” Cneajna sighed with great contentment.

“I wish we could fly to the moon. ” Ariana raised her hands to the enormous orb glowing majestically in the dark sky above.

“Do not be ridiculous,” Elina chided her. But she tilted back her head, letting the wind play with her hair, obviously as taken with the beauty of the night as we were.

The night did feel wonderful. So cool, refreshing, and lovely to my senses. It was a soothing balm to my beleaguered soul. I raised my hands slowly at my sides,

feeling the wind rippling over my fingertips. Closing my eyes, I relaxed until I felt my feet slipping free of the ground. The wind lifted me up in a rush of invisible power as I threw back my head and laughed.

“Me, too!”

Daring to open my eyes and break the spell, I looked down at Ariana. She took my hand as she too slipped free earth. Together, we vampire sisters allowed the night breeze to lift us higher and higher until we were floating over the treetops. Our hands clasped tightly together, we drifted away over the forest.

This was a freedom I had never dared hope for: Freedom from the very laws of nature.

The wind rushed over my skin, flowing over me and through my hair, as I took in the breathtaking beauty of the starry sky.

“Is it not so very, very lovely?” I whispered.

Our feet came to rest on the ground outside a low wall that surrounded a graveyard. There, rising majestically above the white headstones, was the tomb of the Countess Dolingen. I had been unsure of our destination, but now it seemed only natural that we should alight here. Erzsébet was part of us even if she did not live within the confines of the castle.

Holding hands, we vampire sisters moved down the path past the gravestones to the sepulcher that held our sister in eternal torment.

Ariana pushed open the bronze door and we filed into the darkness of the tomb one by one.

“Who is there?” Erzsébet’s voice called out in a sharp rasp from the darkness.

“It is I, Ariana, and I have brought Glynis with me,” my vampire sister responded with much tenderness.