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The wine led with blood was exquisite to my pallet and I drank it down a bit too quickly I instantly felt giddy and giggled

"Only the finest is served here," Ignatius said He was sipping his wine, watchingin irlish

"Astir is not one of us, is…uh…he…she?"

Ignatius nodded "No Not at all Astir is one of the Fallen"

I gasped and raised my hand to atory Neither heaven nor hell"

"Then Astir is a de One of the Fallen Denatius, then narrowed natius looked quite sole Astir fell to earth and sides with no one But Astir’s story is notued by our host and all that surroundedsohter

"There are hts, but I felt you should be introduced slowly," Ignatius said as he noticed my curiosity

The curtains to our private little area were thrown back A wo al with a very handsoold blond hair drawn up into an ornate style on her head Her eyes though, were as dark as the deepest waters of the ocean and appeared alh, she descended on us, her silver dress, with its fine beading and lace, rustling as she natius, it is true! You do have a wohed, slowly turning his gaze to her "Dominique, how lovely to see you here"

"You are such a liar," she responded, snatius looked at me with a rather pained expression

I stood up, extended rin, she took my hand, and, to my surprise, kissed it "I anatius"

I saw hihed

"It is a pleasure," I said, trying to seeh I was

"Oscar!" she shouted into the hallway

A young man, quite mortal and very drunk, appeared

"Really, Oscar! What are you doing?"

"Atteround

"He cannot hold his liquor at all," she sighed, fanning herself "I really do not knohy I keep him around"

"I satisfy your every need," he answered from the floor

"For now," she sniffed, then smiled at me rakishly Her teeth were very sharp, and I realized she was a vanatius asked, still notfroherself to her knees and clung to him

"Perhaps because I feared this sort of scene," he said to her

"I am a bit drunk," she admitted with a smile

"Very much drunk," he corrected her

"And quite hurt that you did not tell me you had taken on a lover," she said with a pout

I felt aard standing, so I sat down in oblet

"It was not natius answered

"But I ah and he shook his head with a about his chair, her hands resting on the back of it as leaned over to gaze at ood to see that he finally allowed himself to love soone froly looked quite sullen Doone too far and quickly spun away on her heel, fanning herself

"Sonatius said sharply

"Yes, it does," she conceded, but then turned to srand friends one day You shall see"

"I should like that," I answered politely, not quite certain what else to say

With the flash of her sharp fangs, she was gone, dragging her mortal lover behind her by his collar

As the curtain fell back over the doore sat in the silence filling the sht Ignatius was still and shrouded in shadows, his long hair falling over his shoulders

"You are a priest," I said slowly

"Was," he answered

I lowered ht the priest garb a disguise Now I realized natius was a man I hardly knew despite my love for him

"I was a priest," he said ad with atory?"

He raised his eyes, and I saw the great sadness there "I am in hell and I swore I would never be happy in it Never And then, I found you"

I shtly, nervously

"And I love you," he said softly "I love you as I never dared believe I would love any woman You have made this hell bearable"