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I PACED the streets as though walking fast could rid ht have said to Debbie to make her accept me I was sure she felt the same way abouther I had to find a way to get her to view me as an adult, not a child What if I told her the truth? I i the news to her:

"Debbie, prepare yourself for a shock - I’m a vampire"

"That’s nice, dear"

"You’re not upset?"

"Should I be?"

"I drink blood! I creep around in the dead of night, find sleeping humans, and open up their veins!"

"Well nobody’s perfect"

The i smile to my lips Actually, I had no idea how Debbie would react I’d never broken the news to a human before I didn’t knohere or how to start, or what a person would say in response I knew vampires weren’t the murderous, emotionless monsters of horror movies and books - but hoould I convince others?

"Bloody huer "Bloody va!"

On that ridiculous thought, I looked around and realized I’d no idea which part of city I was in I scouted for a familiar street naely deserted Now that the mystery killers had stopped or h local police still patrolled the streets, the barricades had come down and you could walk unheeded Even so, the curfeas still in effect, and most people were happy to respect it

I relished the dark, quiet streets Walking alone down narroisting alleys, I could have been winding h the tunnels of Vaine myself back with Seba Nile, Vanez Blane and the others, no love life, school or fate-fuelled quests to troubleabout Paris Skyle I’d been so busy with school and Debbie, I hadn’t had time to brood on the death of the Prince I’d ht hter as well As I stepped over a pile of rubbish strewn across the ground of a particularly dark alley, I recalled the tio when he leant too close to a candle and set his beard on fire He’d hopped around the Hall of Princes like a clown, shrieking and slapping at the fla struck the back ofinto the rubbish I cried out as I fell, , then rolled away defensively, clutching my head betweendown on the ground wheremy wounded head, I scra to defend myself with The plastic top of a dustbin lay nearby It wouldn’t beswiftly, I snatched it up and held it in front of e oftowards old flashed and swung down uponthe dustbin lid in half Somebody chuckled, and it was the sound of pure, insane evil

For a dreadful host, cohosts - Harkat used to be one, before Mr Tiny brought hiuy was far too solid to be a spirit

"I’ll cut you to pieces!"faht, I couldn’t place it

I studied his outline as he circled arounddark clothes and his face was masked by a balaclava The ends of a beard jutted out froe and chunky - but not as fat as Murlough had been - and I could see two blood-red eyes glinting above his snarling teeth He had no hands, just two old, the other silver - attached to the ends of his elbows There were three hooks on each attachment, sharp, curved and deadly

The vaiveaway - struck He was fast, but I avoided the killer hooks, which dug into the wall behind ed out a sizeable crater when he pulled free It took less than a second for my attacker to free his hand, but I used that ti hiht his other ar aside