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He was silent, gliding death A ruthless killer who stalked his prey without mercy

A chill shot down her spine as she studied the alabaster features set in a pitiless littered with a frozen silver fire

This was the vampire he had warned her of

The dee of a h her

But not out of physical fear Perhaps it was ridiculously naive, but she didn’t believe he would harm her Or at least not intentionally

It was e that she had come to think of Dante as… what?

Her boyfriend?

Her lover?

God, she didn’t know

And noas not the tihts, she told herself with a et her untied and out of the cavern, she was about to becoht munchie for some evil spirit Surely that was more important than her love life?

There was a furious screech and sounds of scuffling fro in thefeel of electricity in the air, but Abby refused to take her gaze fro as she kept Dante within sight, she knew she was safe

A ridiculous certainty perhaps, but as a terrified, soon-to-be-sacrificed wo stuck in her aze held her own, as if coht

Only the ropes binding her to the post kept her froround so she could babble in terror

Abby Barlow, savior of the world

Careful to avoid the raging battle in the center of the chah the shadows

Her heart nearly halted when he disappeared behind her Oh God She couldn’t see him What if he disappeared? What if there were ers on her wrist put a swift end to her crazed thoughts Abby would have wept in relief if she hadn’t realized they were still far fro painful prickles through her arh her veins She felt Dante’s lips at her ear as he struggled to re," he breathed, waiting for her nod before allowing the disgusting rag to fall away

Abby sucked in several deep breaths as she stepped froathered her close, as if sensing she would collapse without his support Her weakened state, however, didn’t keep his to carry her toward the narrow opening across the chamber

She bit her lip to halt her instinctive protest She had been tied to the post for hours, and her entire body felt as if it had been ridden hard and put up wet Still, she had no er in this damp cell

Not when that pasty-faced moron considered her a yummy treat for Prince Badass

They had reached the narrow opening when a hair-raising screaer ling noise and then a whiff of what ed even as Dante roughly tossed her over his shoulder and bolted down the dark corridor

On this occasion she didn’t even notice the nausea at the swayingfear It tended to put everything else into perspective

Moving through the darkness with a speed that defied the law of physics, Abby silently prayed to every god and deity she could think of It seemed an appropriate moment to cover all the bases

Really, when it ca, but slowly she began to sense they were , she felt the unmistakable brush of fresh air upon her cheeks

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, she breathed heavenward

They were out of the disn of any sort of pursuit

Still, Dante’s pace never slowed Seeht (a sop to her vanity at any other tirown ceht sight of a handful of shabby houses, but they passed in such a blur it was impossible to be certain

It was not until they ell away froently lowered her to her feet Abby instantly swayed, and his arht

"Are you har her chin to tip her face upward for his inspection

She shivered beneath the coaze and then forced herself to relax

This was Dante