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"I fell back on the floor But I could see with new eyes all aroundI felt the pain leavefro, and the pure azure of the evening sky caught me and held me and I didn't hear the voices of the room

"Arion came He took hold of me and lifted me just the way she had done it, without effort, and then he reached up to his throat, and he said to me to Drink

" 'No, wait please,' I whispered 'Let ht me of herself If you will ' I meant it reverently

"But she flew at ain and there caainst my ribs 'Trash!' she said 'You dare answer that way to the Master, and who are you to savor what you know of me!¡¯

" 'Petronia!' said Arion to her 'Enough ¡¯

"He picked th,' he said 'Take it It's far older than hers, and you won't be bound to her so very much ¡¯

"I could have cried at her savagery I had so loved her in the Blood, and I had been a fool for it, such a fool, but as he said now to drink, I ran ue over my teeth, why I didn't know And I discovered the eyeteeth were fangs, and with them I kissed his throat, as he had directed es and blood

"These ih soenerous and older heart I think he gavepoithout all his secrets But what he did give lorious and it filled my hurt soul after her rebuff

"I saw Athens in hi I saith teht it was painted, not assee Greek art, as white and pure, but done in vivid blues and reds and flesh tones, oh, the ora filled with people! I saw the whole town spread on the gentle slopes of the mountain My head teemed with priceless visions, and where he was in all this I couldn't guess I felt the language of the people all around me, and I saw the hard stone street beneathmy heart and my soul

" 'Only the Evil Doer, my child,' he said to me as the Blood pounded 'Feed only on the Evil Doer When you hunt, unless you take only the Little Drink, pass by the innocent heart Use the power you will have from me to read the minds and hearts of men and women and ferret out the Evil Doer everywhere, and only from him take the blood ¡¯

"Finally, he pulled hed This was to be e had come to me instinctively And much as I had loved the taste of his blood and the taste of Petronia's blood, I hungered for a base human so that I would know that taste as well

"He stroked my forehead and hair with his silky hands and he looked into my eyes

" 'Only the Evil Doer, you understand ly And how savory they seeht to madness whether you have an educated soul or no You'll come to love theedy of Petronia For her there is no innocence and therefore no conscience and therefore no happiness And so in oes on ¡¯

" 'I follow your rules,' Petronia said I heard her nearby

" 'You did not with this one,' said Arion emphatically