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Closing my eyes, I pushed back the pain and concentrated on the fresh blood inside of ony Slowly, I felt the savage pain begin to fade away

Opening reat flakes of blackened skin fall from my arm and chest to reveal fresh, nehite skin The wounds fro and the tiny natius reached down and plucked a misshapen bullet from the roof "Blessed and inscribed with crosses," he said in a low voice as his fingers began to smolder He tossed away the pellet and turned to look upon me I could see the torment in his eyes He wanted so badly to consoleus I could sense my Master’s suspicion

Vlad slid out of his cloak and wrapped it about me He was clearly anxious to cover my nakedness

"Who is thisto ask now that I was healed

"My vahtened e of the roof to survey the area around us His long hair rippled on the night wind and his eyes glowed as he squatted down "The hunters are on the move"

Vlad helpedaway the charred flesh "I a my wife home immediately"

Ignatius turned, looking at Vlad sharply The animosity between the tas palatable "That isthat a dhamphir has been spotted in the city She is still too weak to fight for herself," he agreed

My hair fell around le of my red curls I wanted to flee into his arms, but I dared not Tears filled my eyes as I looked upon the rippedafter hirabbed hold of natius, I saw that he was following us His long face was stricken with ehtly nodded My lireeainst Vlad

The voices of the hunters drifted up to us as they spread through the streets atte to track us I could hear one man’s voice raised above the others Svend was once , Glynis," Vlad orderedto the rooftop

"I am weak," I hissed at hito hiht wind, then fell back onto another rooftop Ignatius followed us easily, then darted ahead to natius ordered

Vlad onceout as the hunters below fired at us One shot ripped through Vlad’s arht, gripped Vlad tightly by the ar us onto another rooftop I fell on the slanted roof, and grabbed hold of the shingles, gasping with fright Vlad ers, gritting his teeth at the pain The stench of burning flesh filled the air as he struggled Ignatius dared to help runt

I held tightly to Ignatius ared before Vlad’s strong arain, he leaped into the air and sailed over the heads of the vaazing up at

"We should fly," Ignatius decided when he landed behind us "The dhamphir be damned Glynis barely evaded him before, but the three of us should be a natius fiercely I trenatius turned slowly toward us as he realized what he had said "You told me your wife barely evaded a dhamphir, Vlad Is that not so?"

Vlad looked confused, obviously trying to re to his varippedled internally with soht, then finally said, "Help natius strode back to us and took hold of ht air I felt both of theus fro to both of the healed I had lost far tooover the city, Vlad lead us toward our estate He lessened his hold on ed to healrather lightheaded, I foolishly lamented my tattered dress as it flapped aroundout of the sky He released er struck his shoulder I watched athered h the air, we darted down into the trees Branches tried to snag us, but led

Gliding through the foliage, Ignatius held reat coasped in fear Vlad’s roar of rage filled the night

"Foul beast!" It was a woman’s voice, full of hate

A shivered in fear and weakness as the sound of battle erupted nearby Suddenly, a feh the air near us and into the boughs of a tree Her body caught in the branches, rese black hair oven into a braid and it swung around her head as her forhs of the tree Her throat was ripped out and her eyes were devoid of life With an alh the branches of the tree to the ground below

"Another dhanatius whispered in aze fully into his face I parted rip

A scream almost left round," he ordered

When we landed I saw the female dhamphir sprawled nearby Irrationally, I feared she would so to life to pursue us But she re blindly toward us I had to turn away

"Vlad, they are everywhere," Ignatius said in a fierce whisper