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"Here," I said, fishing a coin out of o hoh "Then you reject ," I chided him "Your mother is probably worried about you Rush on ho" He jerked his head toward the nearest bordello

"Oh," was all I could rubby hand and tenderly patted his h the streets of Buda I felt the pangs of the hunger, but I had yet to find anyone that looked appealing to , so I could be very picky about my victim Everyone was far too dirty, too drunk, or just too ornery to suit , fresh blood, full of life: not blood stale and thin fro and soon I was lost in the s It was here that many of the poorer inhabitants of Pesth slumbered in their beds in the shadow of theout and seeing whichopened Ti away I would soon have to return to Buda and the led scream broke me out of my conte around azed aroundevery shadow

Sly laughter drifted languidly on the night breeze

Another vaht Hands clutching my heavy skirts up around my knees, I dashed down the street and around the nearest corner It was there I ca on the ground, a wo blond hair fell in a wild disarray of unfettered curls covering her face Deep, urgent growls uttered forth fronawed at the fallenthe man’s head were dark with dirt and her nails were black and broken The dark blue dress she as torn at the seams and frayed around the hem

I could only stare in fascination as the ru with the dark desire of the hunger

Quite suddenly the other vampire sensed that so like the fires of Hades, her gaze swept over the street and finally carowl uttered forth froan to say softly, but a commotion nearby shut off my words

"Over here!"

It was a ht

I automatically slunk backwards into a doorway and enshrouded myself in the shadows

The vampire whirled about on her hands and knees just as several young antly dressed in fine black suits raced into the street They took in the ghastly scene before them with horrified expressions and several crossed the nize

It took a mere moment for me to realize that the men did not seem shocked by the scene before them In fact, they seemed extremely excited by the whole situation Several were actually s Only the red hairedthe death of his comrade

I realized then that they were vampire hunters

I immediately shrank further into the darkness

The va backwards, she perched atop her victily at the vae cross from his overcoat and she shrieked in horror

"Run," I whispered fervently "Run!"

The va herself upwards, sailing over the heads of the men Her bare feet hit the cold stones and she was off, running like the crazed vampire she truly was She was one of those the madness had never left

There were six va for the creature to leap into the night sky and fly off, but instead she ran, barely keeping ahead of the hunters The last hunter, the one with the fiery hair and the strange accent, knelt over his fallen coan to pray

I fidgeted Either I had to wait in the shadows and slip ahen the hunter left or pursue the vampire to attempt to help her and risk exposure I hesitated, thenup my skirts, I rushed into the street and ran after the vampire hunters

Asat the fallen man’s side, he whirled about on his knees in surprise

"Madaerous! Let us take care of the situation," he called out anxiously

I ignored hiround as I ran and s I was not as quick as I would have been if I had fed, andup every ounce of my power, I forced myself to move faster

The mad vampire fled in a wild, frenzied state ofover holes in the road, sla into walls as she atte over thin air Her muddled mind obviously could not reason It was inevitable that the five hunters behind her finally ed to outwit her They forced her into a narrow alley that had no exit Together, the five hunters advanced on her, blocking her escape, torches held high over their heads

One hunter, an Eastern Orthodox priest, held a huge crucifix in his hands, and the flickering torchlight illue and fear, her features distorted in the flickering light of the torches My eyes burned at the sight of the cross and I tried not to look upon it as I drew back, ainst a wall,out half foran to chant as he advanced and the other ainst the far wall Tears tinged with blood were running down her cheeks, washing away the filth and revealing her luminescent flesh She was beautiful and desolate My heart broke for her and a sob caught in aze into her eyes," a man with a heavy French accent ordered

The priest’s chanting rose in pitch and fervor I feltto kill the vaht before er, a condition I understood all too well It was obvious to me that the vah to defend herself or deliver herself unto safety

A vampire hunter with pale blue eyes and blond hair knelt down and opened a case he was carrying The torchlight glimmered off the fierce knife within

"Franco, here," he called out in quick, precise tones He sounded Scandinavian The hunter drew out a stake and handed it to a short, stout Spanish man that stepped to his side "The duty is yours to perform"

"I a bloill be ad man with black hair stepped forward nervously "It is an honor" I recognized his Gaelic accent i and presented it to the youngand strike down this demon of the pit"