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BY DAWN we knee had a fight on our hands We were being followed, not just by one person, but three or four They’d picked up our trail a few kilo us ever since They moved with ad trouble, wewas aer, not even the most fleet-footed human can sneak up on hi camp in the middle of a s branches and leaves

"They ait for full daylight to attack," Mr Crepsley said, keeping his voice low "We will act as though all is normal and pretend to sleep When they come, we deal with theh ere sheltered where ere, a battle ht draw us out of the shade

"The rays will not har the short time it will take to deal with this threat," Mr Crepsley replied "And I will protectbeds around, rapped ourselves in our cloaks and settled down "Of course, they ht just be curious," Harkat muttered "They could simply want to see what a real-life vampire looks like"

"They reed "They are here on business"

"I just reuns!"

"Most varunted "Gone are the nights when the fools toted only a hammer and wooden stake"

There was no more talk after that We lay still, eyes closed (except for Harkat, who covered his lidless eyes with his cloak), breathing evenly, feigning sleep

Seconds passed slowly, taking an age to become minutes, and an eternity to become hours It had been six years since my last taste of vicious combat My limbs felt unnaturally cold, and stiff, icy snakes of fear coiled and uncoiled inside the walls of ers beneath the folds of my cloak, never far from my sword, ready to draw

Shortly after midday - when the sun would be most harmful to a vampire - the humans moved in for the kill There were three of them, spread out in a se of leaves as they approached, and the occasional snap of a twig But as they closed upon us, I beca, the creak of their tense bones, the pacy, panicked pounding of their hearts

They came to a standstill ten or twelvethe, nervous pause - then the sound of a gun being slowly cocked

"Now!" Mr Crepsley roared, springing to his feet, launching himself at the human nearest him

While Mr Crepsley closed in on his assailant at incredible speed, Harkat and hts on cursed loudly, stepped out froot a snap shot off A bullet whizzed past, ain, I was upon him

I wrenched the rifle froun went off behind me, but there was no time to check onhunting knife, so I quickly slid my sword out

The man’s eyes widened when he saw the sword - he’d painted the area around his eyes with red circles of what looked like blood - then narrowed "You’re just a kid," he snarled, slashing at e of his knife, jabbing at him with ain, I brought h the flesh,three of his fingers, disarony and fell away froe of theMr Crepsley had already despatched his hu with his opponent Harkat appeared to have the advantage of his foe, but Mr Crepsley wasinto place to back him up should the battle take a turn for the worse

Satisfied that all was going in our favour, I switchedan end of hi horribly at rowled

My eyes fixed on the ht in renade close to his chest!

"Don’t move!" he shouted as I lurched towards him He half-pressed down on the detonator with his thuhed, backing off slightly, gazing fearfully at the prirenade

"I’ll take it easy in hell," he chuckled sadistically He’d shaved his head bald and there was a dark ’V’ tattooed into either side of his skull, just above his ears "Now, tell your foul varey-skinned o, or I’ll-"

There was a sharp whistling sound frorenade and sent it flying frorenade (he had a string of the sound and a glinting, multi-pointed object buried itself in the middle of the runt, shook crazily, then lay still I stared at hi closer for a clearer look The object in his head was a gold throwing star Neither Mr Crepsley nor Harkat carried such a weapon - so who’d thrown it?

In answer to my unvoiced question, someone jumped from a nearby tree and strode towards er snapped as I whirled towards hiot," I wheezed, too taken aback to say anything else The vampire - he had to be one of us - was a burly reen hair, dressed in purple anie eyes - ally small h he was squinting painfully in the sunlight He wore no shoes and carried no weapons other than dozens of throwing stars strapped to several belts looped around his torso

"I’ll have my shuriken back, thank you," the va star loose, wiping it clean of blood, and reattaching it to one of the belts He turned thein the shaved skull, tattoos and red circles around the eyes "A vamped" he snorted "I’ve clashed with them before Miserable curs" He spat on the deadface down

When the vampire turned to address me, I kneho he was - I’d heard hireeted hi my head "It’s an honour to meet you, Sire"

"Likewise," he replied blithely