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Elina broke her kiss with Erzsébet as Cneajna ently caressed Erzsébet’s cheek "You are loved, htly and kissed it softly over and over again, then whispered, "I knew you would come You who have always loved otten You are one of us We cannot endure you to suffer" Cneajna kissed Erzsébet’s soft cheek, then covered her mouth with her own to feed her

The other two Brides stood at their side, watching solemnly I could not help but notice that they did not look at the iron stake, but only at Erzsébet’s lovely face This fate was too horrible to dwell upon for long

Cneajna finished and stood back Her gaze turned to ive if it is not your desire"

I hesitated, then stepped forward "I want to know her"

As I drew near, I could see the ugly wound that surrounded the iron stake i Erzsébet The pain she endures ers, I reached out and grabbed hold of the iron stake With all th I attempted to pull it upwards and out of her, but it did not ether It does not move"

Erzsébet reached out and her cold hand closed overruby rings glittered in the torchlight She drew olden and burned with a strange fever as her red lips spread into a sorrowful smile

"There is no hope for me, my sister I am trapped here forever Neither alive nor dead This is ripped her hand tightly in mine and pressed it to my bosouid tones of her speech were soothing to nificently beautiful with her rounded cheeks and delicateof sadness I realized that the vampire reen reached up her hands to touchht you towill, th You will escape him I know this as assuredly as I know I shall die in this tomb I know it I have seen it in my dreams He will not be able to hold you"

Tears fell freely froainst my face "I shall I shall escape him"

Erzsébet smiled then reached her hands out to her other vaathered around her, their love for her a soothing balathered near her and touched her reverently, I realized I had fully becoe family of vampire women

Then the serenity of the toh , I fell totorn apart

Elina helpedHe is pulling you back! If you do not go now, the pain will only worsen You o now!"

"What do youyou to hio! I can feel his power all around you," Cneajna urgently "Youfor you and find us here!"

I could feel the pain of the Beckoning ripping through raveyard The wind ripped at er my friend, butand puloriousstor darker andwithin and without h so on the chain, wrenchingthe pull of the beckoning guideforward, the world became a blur as I willed myself back to the castle The forest and the sky becah the wind back to the place of reat door of the castle that the pain of the beckoning lessened The door swung open and I fell into the great hall Rolling onto my back, I looked up into the cruel face of Vlad Dracula His eyes were cold and he motioned to led to reat within me I could feel the invisible cord that tiedforward, I reached out to him

"Master, please Please, release ainst him, I inadvertently clutched hisVlad held me close and I could feel the bond between us flare hot within me, then ebb away Fully released of the power of his call, I stood tre He did not even look into loo," I snapped irritably

Anger, fresh and raas ignited within me I hated his power over me The power he had to keep ainst hten me and force me to obey his commands I hated him with every step I took I hated myself for my weakness

Somehoill rise up and rob hiritted e, but I obeyed I followed his dark, pensive for corridors of the castle to the library he spent so land

As Vlad entered the library, he threw off his long cloak and fell into a chair next to the table His face was ireen eyes He motioned er

Obediently, I sat down

Vlad stared at , yet devoid of emotion The room was so silent, so dead, like a tomb, that when he did speak, his voice was like a peal of thunder

"We have a matter to discuss, dear wife," he started His hands slid a stack of papers across the table to me "It has been more than half a year since you joined ape in surprise "It cannot be!"