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I thrashed about, but still the dark, fiery blood spilled into me I beat Vlad with ed to break free of the va throughfire to my very soul

With a stricken expression, the vision of May slowly dropped her hands as she began to glide back into the brilliance of the light

"No, May! Don’t leave e of May collapsed in one bright searing blaze, disappearing into the dark Transylvanian night

"No, May, please come back for uish into the howling wind

Behind me, Vlad said, "It is done"

I whirled about, the wind swirling aroundover my body

"What have you done todeath You have conquered your lowing like cinders

I threw backers I could feel long, sharp teeth sliding doard to press against ht churned about htabove the stone floor, I continued to scream as my body continued to transforrew own My dark red tresses flowed aroundentity

As suddenly as it had risen up, the wind died away and I fell to the roof I lay there panting heavily When I raisedaround er huaze, I looked upon the faces of my new vampire family

"She has become," Cneajna said

"She is one of us," Elina decided

"Our sister," Ariana said with a sh fiendishly, until his voice rose into one long, piercing howl of victory I lifted ht as madness descended upon ht

My vae Madness overwhel into a world of delusions My screaht for hours as my body continued to transform

Vlad carried me down into the bedcha me in, he leftthose hours I cannot remember exactly hohy I destroyed every bit of furniture in the rooed to rip the door froes, or how I came to be subdued by Cneajna

It was the sudden awareness of the blond va ht clarity back to my mind Confused, I stared down at my new vampire body Every imperfection had been smoothed away and , yet soft andin the light fro in the fireplace nearby

Cneajna smoothed my hair back from my forehead and peered into my face "There, you have come back to us It is over now The madness has fled"

"I do not understand," I stammered

"Every vampire birth is different Some of us simply die our mortal death and reawaken later as a vampire That is how Ariana was born Elina slowly transforerinto this world It is overwhel, is it not? I, too, bore witness to my rebirth I, too, saw my body transform I, too, suffered the madness But it passed We are blessed that it did Sometimes it does not pass Then the vampire must be destroyed before it attacks those around it" Cneajna smiled at me softly "But that did not happen to you, my child" She rose and walked over to a trunk in the corner of the room She pulled a velvet cloak froer who I was, am I?"

"Oh, you are still Lady Glynis, but now you are immortal"

"You are our sister now," Elina said fro out the s across the great valley

"You now belong here with us"

I looked over to where the sweet voice of Ariana had co on a couch, her eyes reflecting the red fire in the fireplace

"I do not belong here," I exclaimed

"Yes, you do You are iuidly rolled over onto her back and stretched out her limbs "This is where the Brides of Vlad Dracula live And we," she pointed at all of us individually, "are his Brides"

"Just remember that we caaze was sharp, verging on hostile

"Elina," Cneajna said in a low voice "I will not have you inti our new sister" She stirred the fire with a poker, her long hair golden in the firelight "Glynis, this is our home You are our sister Vlad is now your husband There are things you must accept You are a vampire You will live forever With us This is now your life"

I toreat " I sank down to htly around htmare"

Cneajna drew near Tenderly, she took my face in her hands "No, this is no dream I am Cneajna, the First Bride of Vlad Tepes, Dracula Therefore, I aest, the oldest, and the most powerful"

"Whatever she says, we must obey She is oura wary look upon me "And I am the second Bride of our husband"

"I aled

"You are the last Therefore, you are under us You will do as we say" Elina’s face looked fierce "He chose us first He was our husband first!"

"Elina!"

At Cneajna’s warning tone, Elina shrank back

"I do not want anything to do with Vlad I do not like him I do not like this place I hate it I hate it! I hate all of this! I hate what you have done to me To my family I hate you I hate all of you!"