Detrand

I flew through the trees, alight with the thrill of the chase. Samira ran not far from me, both of us on the same scent. We were chasing a newly turned shifter. Salina hated to turn humans by biting them but Bane was turning them faster than mated bunnies. Afterwards, he released them into the city. Mad with some disease, foaming at the mouth and shrieking, they ran through the city streets to ravage and destroy. Every single one of them was too sick and had to be put down. This one caught on to us early and ran away but we’d managed to manipulate it towards the forest, away from the living.

The memory of the last time I saw Adelade two weeks ago - her kissing Landon on the cheek - burned through my mind and I channeled my anger into killing the bitch in front of me. Ever since then I’d been having dreams of Adelade, which was almost impossible, given my dead state. I had a suspicion that the fae were somehow involved in them.

I’d been foolish to believe that she would stay for a few more days after we buried Lula as I’d instructed. Those few days I’d meant to cherish every moment with her.

I pushed those thoughts away and zipped through the trees, loving the feel of the air over my skin. My strigoi instincts ruled my body, telling me where and when to move so that the shifter was unable to gain any ground.

Even if I couldn’t smell the shifter’s rancid aroma, the sound of her laborious breathing gave her away. She rushed through the trees then ran up a group of protruding boulders, stumbling over some loose stones; they clattered as they tumbled down the rocky face. Samira and I jumped from boulder to boulder and when we reached the edge, we flew through the air. Samira hit the ground on both feet but I rolled when I landed, then sprung to my feet, jumping ahead of Samira and closing the gap between the shifter. We’d been running for over an hour now and were headed north into the mountains.

Sliding down a natural dirt embankment, dust flew into the air, surrounding us and blocking our vision. Samira coughed and I waved at the dust, pushing forward. The shifter got caught on a tree branch and she snarled, trying to tear it loose.

She pawed at the branch and it broke free. She moved forward, dragging it with her, and attempting to ignore it but it caught in between two stumps and she fell forward. Climbing back up, barking and yelling and doing some sort of dance to break it free, she ran off again.

I pushed my senses towards her, trying to slow her down but her mind was too muddled and confused for it to have any effect. We came to another dirt embankment and the shifter lost her balance. Then she was rolling and sliding down it, clawing and scrambling to gain her balance. I grabbed onto a giant root and slid under it, then pushed against it to propel me down the embankment.

Samira was right behind me, though I could only sense her. Her footsteps were silent and deadly. A noise from the east caught our attention and we moved our heads in unison towards it. It was another shifter, clumsy and rough but large and deadly.

We continued relentlessly after the bitch who was headed towards a high crag. I grinned; we could easily trap her there. I nodded to Samira who then veered off to the left. We would ambush her in the middle.

I pumped my arms to move my body faster and the shifter zig-zagged through a small creek, trying to throw me off her scent. As we moved towards higher ground I grasped onto small trees, practically walking straight up cliff walls to the top of the tree line, then jumped from the tree branches to gain an edge on her below.

She was beginning to slow; her breathing was raspy and she was favoring her left foot. For a moment she stopped to gulp air into her lungs but when she saw me flying through the treetops, she pushed herself to move again.

We neared the edge of the precipice and she faltered. She was lost and afraid; she didn’t understand what had happened to her and images of Bane and other people with sharp teeth flashed through her mind. She didn’t understand why we were chasing her, only that her instincts urged her to run.

I continued forward, relentless in my pursuit. In her madness, she’d managed to take out a sleeping family in town, destroying their whole house in the process. Green snot ran from her nose and a foamy film spilled from her mouth. While I regretted the kill, she couldn’t continue to exist for I had no hope of a recovery.

I could no longer sense Samira and so I jumped from tree-to-tree, using the smaller ones to leverage my way back onto the ground. As soon as I landed, she turned briefly, her confusion making her mad, and then she bolted forward and jumped off the edge of the crag. I slid to a stop just at the brink of it, watching her sail like a bird through the air. For a moment she believed that she could actually fly. As she fell to the earth, her anxiety hit me with a strong force. She kicked her feet and swung her arms, attempting to climb mid-air back onto the crag.

Then fortune took her and she landed on a dead post sticking straight into the air. She died instantaneously instead of crushing every bone in her body and dying a slow and torturous death. I turned to find Samira and a blur raced towards me.

I moved just in time to avoid falling over the edge as a mountain of a shifter bouldered over me. He was fully wolf and he snapped his teeth at me as we tumbled through layers of weeds and dead leaves. As soon as we landed, I pushed him off me, just barely missing his snapping teeth on my arm.

He had that same glazed look, the same green mucus, but this time it was sliding from his mouth mingling with the foam. If he managed to bite me, I wasn’t sure if my strigoi blood would save me from this sickness. I had to kill him quickly and efficiently.

I pulled a long and deadly knife from my side and swung it up at him. He jumped back but I managed to cut through his fur and his blood gushed out of the wound. He yelped and I swung again in two swift strokes, cutting through his arm while spraying his blood across my clothes. I closed my mouth; I didn’t even want any of it in my mouth.

Just as normal human blood smelled delicious, with its life-giving properties, my strigoi sense of smell also picked out the parts of a scent that would warn me of danger. His blood smelled fetid and I knew that it would make me ill.

He jumped towards me and I sped in the direction of the edge of the precipice, hoping to use it to my advantage. As soon as I hit the edge, I grabbed hold of a branch and swung myself off of the edge to land on the other side of the tree. The shifter followed me to the edge and jumped with me; he was truly insane. When I swung around the tree, he also twisted mid-air and managed to grasp onto the edge with his enormous claws.

He gripped it tight, attempting to use his lower legs to climb back up. I moved towards him to kick at his paws but in that exact moment his muscled legs sprung him into the air and he flew, claws out, towards me. I whipped my knife to dig into his soft belly and when I felt it slide into it, I twisted it for maximum damage.

Groaning, he landed on top of me with a thump, causing me to fall over, and his blood gushed down my arm. I turned, pushing him off me and rolled down the hill until I hit a tree. I stilled in shock as pain shot through my back. If I’d been a living, I’d have broken it. I allowed it to roll through my body and then swallowed my anguish and stood up.

It would take a moment for my back to heal. In immense agony, I looked over to the shifter. He was on his back, braying in pain as he died. The blood on my hand was beginning to burn my hand and I wiped it on the soft ground until the pain was only a soft smoldering. Finally I stood up, stretched out my back and went back to the shifter.

The expression on his wolfish face expressed the terrible agony that he suffered. I pulled my knife out of his gut to stab him again but instead I stared wide-eyed at it. What kind of illness was this, that its blood could dissolve the metal of my knife?

He was swiping at me; even as he died his only thought was to kill me. Unable to stomach his suffering any longer, I pulled a thick branch from a tree, ensuring by the angle with which I broke it that it would hold a sharp edge.

As I moved back towards the shifter, who was convulsing now, Samira appeared. In her hands was the head of the shifter we’d heard earlier. I raised my eyebrow at her and then stabbed the dying shifter in the chest.

He grunted one last time and I heard the wood as it slid through his ribs, crushing them. Then his heart stilled and I knew that he was finally dead.

“What’s with you,” I took a few steps away and crumpled to the ground to rest, “and cutting off the head?”

She tossed it away from us. “My master bid us do it, to assure that our kill was certainly dead.” She shrugged and smiled, then came to sit next to me. “They make good trophies.”

I shuddered, wondering what else her master bid her do. “You can rest assured that I am content with keeping their heads on their shoulders, as long as they are dead.” I leaned over and picked up my knife and showed it her, pointing to the disintegrated blade. “It’s blood did that.”

She took the knife and studied it closely. “I’ve seen this thing once before, and a witch was involved.”

I nodded towards the dead shifters. “And the sickness?”

“I’ve seen this before too, although it was different than this,” she held up the knife. “But witches were involved then too.”

I took the knife back and wiped it on the ground. I could meld a rubber tip to it and then could use it for practice with Adelade. I remembered then that my sessions with Adelade were over and my mind darkened.

I stood up, angry. “Bury this shifter, and the bodies of the others. I don’t want the disease to spread through the birds.” I pointed towards the edge of the crag. “The one we were chasing went over the cliff that way.”

Samira stood up and bowed. “Sir.”

My frown grew deeper. “And quit bowing to me as if I were some sort of Gautama master.” I turned and began my descent towards home, using my clothing to completely wipe the blood off my hands.

I barely heard her reply and ignored the feeling that she’d bowed again with exaggerated lowness.

* * *

I felt Stefano’s anger even before I entered his office. His head was on his desk, his hand tightly clasping a broken glass with a spilled light brown liquid soaking his papers. It smelled of whiskey.

“I have a need for you.”

He slowly pulled his head up, showing his dark red eyes. Then I noticed a woman on the floor behind him, her neck ravaged by his bites. She was still breathing but barely. “I am yours to command.”

I sat in the chair across from his desk, considering him. His shirt was stained and wrinkled; it was very rare to see Stefano out of sorts. Had he truly loved Landon? If so, that would be rare.

I crossed my legs and straightened my coat. “Do you think that you could rule this city?”

His face betrayed his surprise and he shuffled the papers in front of him to delay his answer. If he said yes, I may consider it a challenge. If he said no, I may see him as incompetent.

He settled for the middle. “I rule as you require, and only that.”

He brushed the broken glass onto the floor and pulled out another glass. Then he poured a drink and offered it to me. When I refused it, he shrugged and threw it into his mouth.

“Do you know any witches?”

His face snapped back to me and the whiskey caught in his throat. A shiver went down his back. “Only, Milda.”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “What has she been doing recently?”

He frowned and his face turned shale grey. “I’ve not heard of anything new. The other night she was out on the wharf, collecting the drowned rats.”

“What did you do when you saw her?”

“I turned and moved as swiftly as possible in the opposite direction.”

I grinned and stood up. “Come with me, we must speak to her.”

Stefano blanched, then crumpled the paper in front of him. His fists were tight with rage and I knew that he wished to kill me.

“If you do not come with me, then I will burn down your warehouse and string you by your ears inside it, do you understand?”

He didn’t move at first, but slowly he turned his face to look at me. He rose to his feet, still staring into my eyes, and collected his hat. Straightening his shirt, he fell in beside me as we left the warehouse.

“We have a problem, and I need your expertise to solve it. Do you think you can manage this,” I looked at him blandly, “in your current condition?”

His eyes narrowed; they were sharp and intelligent. “You required that I send Landon to live with Adelade and I obeyed. If you require my services to help you with the shifter problem, then of course, I am yours to command.”

His words were cold and stiff.

“And what kind of reward would you think would be worthy of helping me rid the city of the shifters, not including your normal fee, of course?”

He held my horse as I climbed on it, then he climbed on his, and we moved towards the water. The smell of salt from the ocean filled the air along with the stench of death that accompanied the darker current from deeper in the water.

We rode in silence for a while until Stefano decided his answer. “I would wish to have Landon back.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. He could ask for much more; my resources were extensive. We followed the shoreline to the hills that lay beyond. “Do you love him then?”

He turned his face away. “Yes.”

“And do you think that he loves you?”

“Of course not. He loves that wo—” He stopped and glanced at me. “He loves Lula. But when did that ever matter with the living?” He smiled a grim smile. “But he knows how to pretend well enough.” He shrugged. “Enough to satisfy me.” I caught the glint in his eye before he turned his head again.

“And what if I were to offer you the city instead?”

His head snapped to face me, and he turned his lips up. “Back to Italy then?”

I frowned, gripping the reins tight. “If I leave this city, then the location of where I move is none of your concern. But I would only leave the city in capable hands.” I gave him a look of scorn. “And I’ve yet to judge your worthiness.” I nodded to the caves that jutted from the landscape. “Maybe you can prove your worthiness with the witch.”

He stared at me now, a look of incredulity on his face. “And would you have me do as she bids?”

“How is this any different than what you require of Landon? You know that he doesn’t love you, yet you still require that he give of himself in order to protect and care for his family. And yet, you blanch when you know that the witch will ask of you the same thing.”

“I may require Landon’s services, though I ask out of love. The witch only wishes to make me suffer.”

I turned my head to the side, considering. “Maybe the witch loves you, in her own twisted way.”

He laughed bitterly. “The witch doesn’t know what love is; she’s incapable of affection.”

“Have you considered that Landon may think the same thing about you?”

Stefano frowned and was silent. We were close to the entrance of the cave now and a soft glow emanated from it, announcing her presence inside. I slid off my horse.

“Salina is weak now and must be protected until her cubs are born. You have provided a safe place for her and the other children of the pack to stay. You have served me well since my return, as well as Agosto before me. I cannot offer you the desire of your heart, but I can offer you the desires of your mind, your lust for power and control. If I decide to leave, and if you prove worthy of it, then I will ascertain your control over the city.”

He was off his horse now and the glow from inside the caves lit up his face, showing the hunger in his eyes. He leaned unconsciously towards me; his ambition and appetite apparent. “And what if I take the city and Landon with it, in one swift stroke?”

My strigoi emerged, alighting my senses aflame. I gripped his neck, squeezing it. “If you dare touch any part of Adelade’s life and sully it with your filth, I will return and make sure that you taste the final death.” My breath rolled over him and my eyes stared deep into his so that he understood the seriousness of my words. He lowered his eyes in submission to me, and I let him go. “Now, we are going to speak to Milda and we will shake the information from her if necessary. You are going to do whatever she requires, do you understand? Because if we don’t discover the witch responsible for the madness that’s taken over the bitten shifters, they will likely kill us, or worse, infect us and we will become mad raging savages.”

He swallowed hard and nodded. Satisfied, I turned from him and we moved towards the cave.

* * *

As soon as we entered the cave, the light was capped and we were enshrouded in darkness. Usually the strigoi can see in the darkness the same as in a well-lit room, but this was no ordinary darkness. It pressed upon us like a blanket, suffocating and stifling. We moved inwards, and Stefano gripped hold of my shoulder to keep from falling.

“Milda, we know you are here.” I moved deeper into the caves, my strigoi instincts still alight from my words with Stefano. I could smell her; she reeked of dead fish and sulfur. “I am inside your head. You wish to trick me into revealing my intentions.”

Her voice was low and it seemed to come from inside my head. “You mean nothing to me, but are as the wind. You flit here and there, as selfish and cunning as the lion on the Afrikan landscape.”

“You see me as I am.”

“You have no purpose here; and have nothing to tempt me. Leave this place before I cast a spell on you.”

“I’ve brought Stefano, as a gesture of goodwill.”

Suddenly, the light in the cave was lit by fire, and her presence was revealed. She stood right next to us and Stefano jumped.

“I thought I smelled something delicious.” She licked her lips with her black, pointy tongue. “Are you here of your own free will Stefano?”

I waited in anticipation for his response, but his lie was as smooth as the marble I played with as a child.

“I’ve longed to speak with you again; it has been too long.”

She put her hand on his shoulder and moved it across his back as she circled him. “Then why did you run from my presence out by the river? I called for you across the bay, wishing to share the rats with you. Your strigoi hearing must not be as good as is rumored.” The blackness around her eyes swirled, like a mist on the ocean.

“I heard a voice but imagined it to be a siren, come to tempt me to drown in the river.”

She cackled and ran her hand along the length of Stefano’s body, which was tight and distressed. As she moved, her body rattled from the rows of bones strung together about her neck. The skull of a rat was the centerpiece of her necklace, and its flat teeth glared at me.

“There is a new witch in town.”

Her eyes flicked to mine. “There are no new witches in town.”

I shook my head. “There are, and they carry sickness and death in their wake.”

“There are no new witches. I would feel them if they’d entered my territory.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Then you are not as powerful as you assume.”

She sputtered, and her voice came out a hiss. “Impossible, I’d have known it.”

“I have seen their work, and it is the work of a dark evil, one that brings a madness on any who take cover in its shelter.”

She grinned. “Maybe I should get to know these witches better then.” She moved away from Stefano and towards the fire. “We could trade spells.”

I followed her. “They haven’t come to call on you?” I knew she would see this as an insult. When she didn’t answer, I continued. “If they haven’t made their presence known, then it’s unlikely they would wish to share the spoils of their work with you. They must assume you are a lower witch, and undeserving of their respect.”

She hissed and the light reflected off her eyes, revealing the madness in her eyes. “Your words speak with absurd delirium. Every witch in the region has heard of me, and knows the power of my craft.”

I shrugged. “Or possibly they’ve forgotten, in their haste to ruin the city. I heard they were working for the shifters.”

Her eyes widened and she pointed at me, her face furious. “You’ve gone too far, son of the rain, of the woman with the golden hair.”

My mouth dropped open. How did she know my mother’s name was Rayne? Or what she looked like?

She leered at me, her words having the effect she desired. “I see you, both your past and your future. You’ve lost your love and soon you will lose your only chance of redemption. Do not pretend to care for old Milda, for I have pets who have lived longer than you, and I know of your business. As you are walking down the path, I am coming from it. I have no business with these witches, and they will move on as soon as their wickedness has infected those whose destinies lay within it. Leave me now before I add another tooth to my collection.” She raised her hand to reveal a bracelet of sharp teeth. Vampire teeth.

My eyes flashed in the lite glow of the fire. “As master witch, you’re required to control the witches in the area. This madness will not limit itself to the chosen few, for I have seen it. It will run through the streets, infecting all who come in contact with it until it reaches the shores of your cave. It has already infected a few of the widows, who died with their mouths foaming and sputtering.”

With this, she lowered her arms. Milda held a softness for the widows and protected them daily with charms and spells.

“I’ve come to stop it, for it is my responsibility to shelter the city from the darkness of the creatures of the night.” I pulled out my knife. “If you do not give me what I want, then destiny will finally determine which of us is the more powerful.”

The cave was silent, the tension as thick as the smoke from her fire and I watched for any movement to disarm me. My strigoi purred in anticipation and my fangs retracted. It had been too long since I’d eaten, and it would be interesting to see the effect of her magic as it ran through my body.

And then Stefano moved forward. “Milda, the strength of your power is spoken of in the streets and roams into the countryside. These witches are foolish and deserve to be punished for their impertinence.” Her eyes latched onto him as he moved towards her, his body swaying in a seductive dance. He reached out his hand and she eyed it wearily. “Scry for the witches, and after we know of their location,” he touched her face and moved his fingertips across her cheekbone, “Detrand will dispose of them and I will stay here to show you the respect that you deserve.”

Her eyes looked into his, and he smiled so brightly that its warmth affected even me. She stood on her tiptoes and, clasping his shirt, kissed him.

A wave of disgust rolled over me, but he put his hands to her face and returned the kiss, gently moving his mouth over hers. Then his lips moved down to her neck and his fangs retracted. He bit into it, taking only a sip and his eyes flew open, alight with her power that moved through him. She grinned, moving her hands lower but he stepped back.

“Detrand is putting me off the mood. Let’s find the witches and he can be off to do the dirty deed and we can get comfortable here.” His laughter rang through the cave. “Then we can be alone.”

Nodding, she cupped his cheek, then she slapped it harshly. “You’re fortunate my passion for you is my one weakness, otherwise you’d both be roasting over this fire pit tonight.”

He laughed again and she joined in, the sound like mad hyenas, and I wondered if her blood was affecting him. I studied him and determined that he was a better performer than I gave him credit.

She sighed and the light was again extinguished in the cave, though this time I could see through it.

She motioned for us to sit across from her and once we were settled, she pulled out a mirror and laid it on the ground at her feet. Then she lit a candle and placed it beside her so that its flame reflected in the mirror.

Her whole body relaxed as she gazed into the mirror and I waited patiently for her to give us any information on the new witches.

“I see a dark street, stacked with houses.” Milda leaned back from the mirror and her eyes were encased in a white film. “Emmett. He knows.” Then she screamed and the sound of it tore through me. She pulled at her hair and then raked her fingers down her arms, scratching through layers of skin and screamed even higher. Then she began to shake and she fell to the ground convulsing.

I jumped up and tried to gather her in my arms but the intensity of the heat of her skin burnt my hand and I pulled it back. She was still screeching and convulsing and I looked up at Stefano, my eyes wide.

These witches were powerful.

Holy hell, I hated witches. I pulled off my coat and scooped her up, using my coat to protect myself. Smoke emanated from her body and we rushed towards the entrance to the cave. Then I laid her gently in the water and as the waves washed over her, steam rose into the air until she gulped in a large breath of air and was still.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. “Kill those bitches.”

Her skin was as if it were untouched; she was burnt from within. Thank hell the water from the bay quenched it. I cradled her in my arms and began to move towards the house, directing Stefano to meet me there after attending to the horses.

* * *

I brought her into Raisa’s room and laid her on the table. Raisa was snoring softly but when I entered, she rose. Grabbing a blue robe, she wrapped it around her and tied it at the waist.

“Can you heal her?” I tried not to stare in horror at Milda’s body, which was now shriveled.

“Of course I can heal her but why is she in this condition? Who did this to her?”

I looked her in the eyes. “Witches. They burnt her from the inside.”

Raisa nodded. “It’s been many moons since I’ve seen this kind of witchcraft.” She moved to her drawers and pulled out several containers, pouring a bright purple liquid into a vial filled with dried leaves. Once the vial was filled, she held her finger over the top and swirled it. It made a popping noise and a puff of purple smoke briefly filled the air.

“Did you get rid of the witches?”

She blinked her eyes at me, and the scales at her eyes reflected the soft glow of the moonlight. “I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

“What do I need to do to kill them?”

She moved to Milda, then forced her mouth open and poured the concoction down her throat. Milda gurgled and choked, and I held her arms down to keep them from flailing.

Once the liquid was poured, Raisa went back to her drawers and I picked Milda up and placed her in Raisa’s bed. Raisa moved to her side and, after wiping her sandy feet with a rag, began to rub a yellow cream over her left leg.

“Raisa?” My voice was soft, but urgent.

She looked up at me, switching to the right leg. “What you need is another witch, more powerful than the one that did this.” She motioned to Milda.

I began to pace the room. “Milda’s the most powerful witch in the area.”

Raisa scooted up the bed and began to rub the salve onto her arm. “Not anymore, she isn’t.”

I frowned and began to leave, but Raisa called to me.

“I haven’t fed my magic in a fortnight.”

I stopped and turned around. “Why haven’t you fed from Lily?”

“She’s missing; she isn’t at home or anywhere in town. I need someone else to feed from.”

I bit my lip, considering her words, then nodded. “I’ll bring someone in tomorrow night. Will that suffice?”

She nodded and turned back to Milda. “I also need some of Adelade’s blood.”

“Absolutely not.” No one could know of the effect of Adelade’s blood. Even if it had no effect on the fae, I wasn’t willing to take that chance. Especially on a vile fae such as the King.

“I need it to finish off the cakes. That and the lunaviene are the only ingredients needed.”

“Use your own blood.”

“I cannot. Adelade made the deal with him, it must be her blood, or the King won’t accept it.”

“Then he won’t accept it.”

Her eyes bore into mine. “He’s stopped lashing my people while he awaits the cake, but if I don’t bring it, and bring it soon, he will kill them in his fury.”

My eyes bore into hers, leaving no room for question. “Then let him kill your people, but you will not let him have a single drop of her blood or I will kill you myself, do you understand?”

She searched my eyes, unafraid and, after a hesitation, she nodded.

“Good, now work with her to figure out how to kill this problem witch of ours.”

* * *

I moved back out to the stables, impatient for Stefano’s return and found him waiting for me there, with fresh horses, their bridles in his hands.

“What took you so long to return? You were to take care of the horses and meet me inside, not prepare more.”

He handed me one of the bridles. “Come on.”

I climbed on it. “Where are we going?”

“I’ve been to my contacts; I’ve discovered where Emmet lives.”

I turned my horse to follow his. “I will follow you Stefano, for it seems as if Lady Luck is following you tonight.”

He turned towards me, his eyebrow raised. “What makes you say that?”

“Your bed will be empty tonight, when it should be warmed by Milda’s charms.”

He scowled but as he turned away from me, I saw his lips rise in a half smile.

We entered the more run-down part of town and had to dismount our horses and lead them by hand to squeeze through the streets. Even though it was well into the night, many of the bars in the area were alight with music and loud laughter. Women spilled into the streets, hawking their wares with tight bodices and high slits. My strigoi threatened to emerge; it had been too long since I’d fed and it would be easy to lead one of the women into the dark alley.

We came to the entrance of some rented rooms and as we entered, two little heads poked out of one of the doors to stare at us.

Stefano stopped at another door and knocked briskly. There was shuffling behind the door and, after a bit, a woman’s wrinkled and worried face appeared as she opened it a crack. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of us and she slammed the door in our face.

“I’ll have none of your evil in my home.”

Stefano banged on the door. “Let me in witch, or I’ll set you on fire.” He tried pushing in the door but she held out against it. He wasn’t using all of his strength against the woman because even if he managed to push her out of the way, he still couldn’t enter unless she invited him in.

I could enter if I pleased and I was certain I could easily brush her away, but I decided to approach her in a different way. I pulled out a small bag of coins and slipped a few under the door, then waited for her response.

The two children still watched us curiously and I made a face at them. Clasping their hands over their mouth, they giggled. One of them stuck out his tongue at me.

Suddenly the door opened and I stepped through it. The woman held the coins clasped in her hands, but her face held a sneer. “What brings you to this part of town?”

“Where’s Emmett?” My voice was rough, demanding, and held no tolerance for lies. A large snore came from the back room and I pushed past the woman to find the source of it.

A man lay on the bed, his arms thrown out carelessly. “Stefano, is this Emmett?” I turned behind me, only to see the woman looking cautiously at me. I sighed. “Come in, Stefano.”

He marched into the room, a look of irritation on his face. “This’s him.”

I looked at the woman. “Wake him.”

She frowned but turned towards a cooled pot of water on the stove. She picked it up and tossed the contents onto his face. “Wake up you craggy old bastard.”

Emmett sat up with a look of confusion and annoyance on his face. “Whatdaya want, woman? I told you I ain’t got another coin.”

“The devil’s come to collect.” Then she marched out of the room and Emmett wiped his face. He opened his eyes and then shot up out of the bed, trying to run past us. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned the other direction and went for the window. He’d only gotten his head out when Stefano gripped him by his pants and pulled him back into the room. He drug him along the floor, then threw him back onto the bed.

The man bolted for the door again but I stood to bar his way and smiled at him. Emmett stopped to stare at me, his eyes focused on my teeth. Taking a step back, he slumped back onto the bed; his shoulders, hunched forward in complete resignation to his fate.

“I didn’t do nothin to that girl.” His paunch stomach pressed against the buttons of his shirt and I wondered how long it’d been since he took a bath. He smelled of vomit and filth.

“What woman?” Stefano moved in front of him but I took a step forward.

“What do you know about the new witches moving in?”

All of the color drained from his face and the force of his fear blew into my senses. He looked up at me from his spot on the bed, his face a pale shade of grey.

“You don’t want to mess with her. She’ll kill you as soon as look at you.”

“Is she working with Bane?”

“Bane’s in town?”

Stefano nodded.

He rubbed his hand through his hair, then stood up and began pulling his clothes out of his drawers.

“Anna, grab your stuff. We’re leaving.”

She ran into the room, a pot in her hands. “What’ave you done this time?” She began to chase him around the room but it was too cramped; it wasn’t made for the presence of so many people and he fell back onto the bed. She jumped on him and raised the pot over her head.

“Have you gone and whored up with another married woman? I swear, this is the last time; I’ll cut off your genitals, I will.”

His hands, which were held protectively over his face moved to cup himself. “Naw woman, you know you’re the only one for me.”

She squinted her eyes at him. “That’s what you keep telling me, but then I’ve got men banging down my door screaming that you’ve defiled their woman.”

“I told you, they’s the one coming on to me, begging me to make love to them. I haven’t done nothing. They just get mad when I tell them I’m happily married.”

Dropping the pot to the mattress, she folded her arms and grunted.

Growing impatient, I put my hands under her arms and pulled her up. Crying out, she clawed at Emmett, trying to grip onto his shirt. I yanked her off of him and dumped her on the floor behind Stefano.

“Tell us what you know of him and his witch, or I will cut off your genitals myself.” I eyed the woman and she grinned, showing her gums. “If you tell us in a timely manner, and give us the information we require, I’ll reward you a substantial amount.”

The woman shot up, licking her lips and then folded her arms. “Tell ‘em what they want to know, then maybe we’ll go out for the night.” She glanced towards the window to judge the time. “I’ve got my eye on that new bottle of whiskey Carney’s got behind his bar.”

Still covering his jewels, Emmett sat up. “Anna, they’re asking about Bane and that witch of his.”

Anna’s mouth dropped open and she stared at him in shock. Then she ran towards the closet and pulled out a canvas bag and began to throw her clothes in it.

“Emmett, don’t tell ‘em nothing.”

He tried to stand but I held out my hand to stop him and he fell back onto the mattress.

“You will tell me everything I need to know about this witch and Bane.” I leaned down to show him my teeth. “Or Bane will be the least of your problems.”

Emmett’s hands quivered now and he shook his head. “If I tell you, I’ll die right here on the spot.”

Anna shrieked and ran towards him. “Don’t you dare tell them a word.” She faced me with a glint in her eyes. “You’ll get him killed, sure as I’m standing here.”

My impatience won out and I growled, allowing the sound to fill the cramped room. “I ripped out Bane’s throat, don’t think I would hesitate for a second to take yours.” I looked at Emmett. “How is it possible that he’s still alive?”

“That witch of his, she keeps him alive. It’s impossible to kill him.” He put his hand to his collar and squeezed it gently. “I’ve seen blood pouring from his neck and he still didn’t die.” He looked into my eyes and my strigoi purred. I had him right where I wanted him.

“Tell me everything.”

Anna started to cry and Stefano gripped her arm and moved her towards the other room.

Unable to fight against my compulsion, Emmett answered. “He made a deal with the devil witch and they are bound together. If one of them dies, so does the other. So she uses black magic to make sure he stays alive and his abilities give her strength. She’s very old and sick, and would die if it wasn’t for their bond.”

Smoke began to emit from his mouth and I knew that he was beginning to burn from the inside, just as Milda. I decided to take a risk to ask him one more question; I had to determine the most important one.

“How do I kill them?”

His hand went to his chest, gripping it like he was in pain, but he still had to answer my question. “Find her familiar and kill it. That will break the bond between them.”

He fell back into the bed and his whole body smoked now. Anna burst into the room, screeching and calling me names. “I told you you’d kill him!” She climbed onto the bed beside him and I touched his arm. It was warm, not quite as hot as Milda and I knew that he would be okay.

She clasped him into her arms, cursing me while professing her love for him in between curses. Her eyes, blazing at me, ordered me to leave her house and then she kissed his cheek. He stared blankly at the moldy ceiling for a moment and then he blinked his eyes and faced her, recovering quickly.

She cried out with great happiness and began to undress, kissing him deeply. His arms went around her bare back, returning her kiss. I considered taking their blood, for such was their exuberance and lust that it would be tasty and filling. My strigoi called to me and my fangs slid out. I sat behind her and pulled her hair to the side.

Emmett barked at me, but then Stefano was beside him, compelling him. We both drank enough to be satisfied and then left them to their lovemaking. Before we left I placed the bag that held the rest of the coins on the table. That would keep them in town long enough for us to call on them again if it was necessary, though I hoped I wouldn’t have to return.

The moon hung low in the sky and the call of it bade me to return home. I knew I could stay for a while longer, with Adelade’s blood still coursing through my body, but in order to maintain her secret, I must lay with the dead when the sun arose.

I mounted my horse and bid Stefano goodbye, instructing him to return the next evening as soon as he awoke. We’d determine a plan then. Then I turned towards home, thinking of the feel of Adelade’s body under mine for a brief moment, ignoring the painful thought that she was now in the arms of another, and mine no longer.