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"St Yuri&039;s Day? Heavens, child Why would they want you present on that day of all days?" Princess Cantacuzene paced back and forth in her mauve wall papered parlor She looked at the calendar on her writing desk, then continued to pace and mumble to herself

I was finally able to visit the princess on Sunday afternoon The headmistress at Smolny believed I was at home with my parents, and my parents believed I had already returned to the school I had rins, and the princess was the only one I felt I could trust "He says it is when the earth opens up in the spring and sends forth the flowers," I told her

"Yes, and it is traditionally known as the day when the earth spews forth all sorts of foul things as well Vampires, and other forms of the undead"

"Other forms? What other forms?" I sat down on the sofa I wished there were a textbook of undead creatures Or a field guide It would make my life so much easier

The princess sat down next to me "You already know there are several kinds of vampires First there are the Vladiki"

"There are other kinds of va more andus tea in the parlor "Of course, Katerina The Vladiki and the female veshtizas are found in the southern Balkan countries, but there are also the Russian upyri, who are savage blood drinkers, more animal than man And then there are the Dekebristi, who have not been seen in Russia for many, many years"

"The Dekebristi were vampires?"

Princess Cantacuzene closed her eyes "Their undead servants

Created by Konstantin&039;s beloved to serve him"

Maman had told me about the vampires Tsar Nicholas had defeated, but I hadn&039;t wanted to believe it "The history books tell us that Grand Duke Konstantin signed away his claim to the throne because he wanted to marry a Polish commoner," I said "But if she created the Dekebristi, what did that make her? What kind of powers did she have?"

"A commoner is what the Roh, waving her hand absent to know about the different kinds of undead Besides the vahoul Flee from the both of them, because they are mindless and violent More so than the normal peasant