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I returned his smile. “Yes, I am. Though I am not the widow I wished to be. ” My smile turned bitter as I shoved the blade against his throat.

“Impudence!” he snarled, but stepped back warily from the silver dagger.

“What do you expect of me, dear husband? That you would return and find me fawning to fall into your embrace and return to servitude? I have lived my own life for months. I have my fledgling, my lover, and my place in the new court. I am doing quite well for myself. I do not need you to destroy all that I have acquired. ”

“Yet, Cneajna came and nearly destroyed it all because you would not allow me to kill her,” Vlad reminded me, pointing an accusing finger in my face.

Lowering my dagger, I looked away. The pain of her hatred burned in me like a silver fire. I could hardly endure it. I had once wanted her embrace, her kiss, her love, her motherly touch upon my life, but it was all lost now. It was lost because Vlad chose me. Loved me. And she could not bear it.

“Weak! You are still weak! Though I do admit you are stronger than most of your sex, you fall to your emotions. You may be powerful now, dear wife, but you are weak in your own affections. You have yet to learn to guard yourself. ”

I tossed him an irritated look and I stomped my foot. “I have denied your lust and your attempt to enslave me! I am not weak!”

“I will have you again. You will come willingly to me. Once you are done with these human affectations you have embraced. ”

“Do not mock those human traits and strengths you no longer possess,” I retorted.

“You are in denial of who you truly are and I will not stand for it!” His teeth were gritted, his fangs glistening. He darted toward me as if to grab hold of me.

I slashed his face with my silver dagger, feeling the flesh part and blood splash my hand.

He howled, his hand covering his wound. “How dare you!”

“I will thrust it into your heart!” I felt confidence fill me. Adem had taught me to fight and I would battle Vlad for my life.

“Come to me,” Vlad ordered.

“No. ”

“Come now!”

I felt his power wash over me, trying to seep into my soul and spirit and drag me down into the depths of his darkness. I thought of my family, Ignatius and Laura and my own power lashed out at him like icy claws. I saw him stagger as if I had struck him again.

“You are stronger than I thought,” he said, mystified, yet thrilled. “Come to me and I shall teach you to harness it. ”

“No. Never!”

“I will not be denied!”

“Yet you are!”

He rushed me again, his body but a blur of shadow. I struck out at him, moving just as quickly. Again my blade slashed and it sliced through cloth and flesh. He managed to grab hold of my arm and hurl me into a pillar. The pain shocked my senses, but I held onto my weapon. My pink gown was now stained with both our blood. I could feel our powers mingling then withdrawing like sparks between us.

Vlad looked up at me, his hand pressed against his chest where I had drawn blood. His eyes were pure red, full of violence, anger, and lust. I did not see him move, but he was rapidly upon me. His hand caught my wrist in a vice-like grip, twisting it, breaking it, and the dagger clattered to the floor. My nails lashed out like rapiers, drawing blood as I ripped his face. I twisted around on my feet, using the momentum of my action to sling him into the pillar. Shocked at my action, he released my broken wrist.

I drew away from him slowly as I leaned over to reclaim the dagger. I felt my sluggish heartbeat stagger as he unsheathed his own.

“Adem taught you well, but how well? I think I shall cut off your hands and feet so you cannot escape me. Then I shall take you with me, trapped in a box until your hunger is so great you will not be able to resist me. Then you will drink, renew our bond, and you will be mine. ”

There was no time to retort for he was on me. Our weapons clashed together as I moved to defend myself. I was afraid, but also exhilarated by the heat of our battle. His arm slashed at me, moving faster than a human could ever see. But as a vampire, I could see his strikes and moved my blade to intercept his brutally placed blows. Our blades clanked together, scraping off tiny rivulets of silver as we struggled. He grabbed for me with his free hand, but I was faster than he anticipated. My feet carried me swiftly away from him as I managed a sharp slash across his back. I swung about in time to meet his dagger with my own, the jolt from the impact forcing me off balance. I fell and raised my arm to defend myself. I felt the blade plunge deep into my forearm and screamed. With my other hand, I thrust the dagger at his heart, missing and slamming it into his upper chest.

Blood gushed from his lips and he smiled. “Yes, we are alike. ”

I yanked my weapon free and slid to my feet like a snake rising to strike. “I shall never relent. ”

“You shall,” he vowed.

Aware of his weakened state as well as my own, I feared that in the end he could possibly outlast me. I then saw Ilinca standing in the corner watching. Her presence was not truly a surprise. That she should come to see our final confrontation seemed to be in her nature. Her full, ruby lips were slightly smiling.