

# Nosferatu's Assassin

### By: J. Knight Bybee

Published by J. Knight Bybee

Cover Art by Ashley R. Bybee

Smashwords Edition

Copyright® 2015 by J. Knight Bybee

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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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## Chapter 1

Tells

Eura hurled the report across her room. Another hopeful lead crashing into a dead end. If she were a more suspicious person, she'd suspect someone was actively trying to stop her from finding out who her father was.

She was a very suspicious person.

That had to be impossible, though. Her connections in the government as well as the underground ensured that there were extremely few who could interrupt the information she was after.

Not for the first time, Eura wished she had a group of friends to go have a drink or two with. She could use a stout blood ale right about now. It was difficult to make real friends when you were an assassin, though.

She walked over to the report and picked it back up, giving it a second read.

Dear Sister,

I have looked into the lead you recommended, but it has failed to produce any information.

For future favors, I would appreciate it if you informed me beforehand that you are sending me to deal with a human. The man stank as though he hadn't bathed in over a day.

There was no signature at the bottom, but she knew who it was from. Sister Courla owed her a favor for some help Eura gave here a few decades back with some humans living in the Vampire capitol of Ventillith. Ever since then, Courla had hated humans which was why Eura hadn't warned her.

Eura didn't mind humans so much, as long as they bathed regularly and didn't try to stop her from drinking blood. The humans that lived in the Vampire Nation understood that they didn't drink the blood of sentient beings. She was half-human, a fact that set her apart from regular Vampires. She couldn't hide her green eyes, or rounded ears, but she didn't try to either. It let her opponents underestimate her.

When she'd trained to be an assassin, her human blood had landed her in more than a few fights. Time and again, someone thought they could take her down a peg or two, simply because she must be weaker. She had disabused them of that notion.

There were those that claimed she shouldn't be allowed to be trained as an assassin. Nosferatu, the leader of the Vampire Nation, had to step in and personally grant her permission. After that, all she had to worry about was a knife in her sleep, or poison in her food. Those that tried were long dead now.

She closed her eyes, lost in her past for a moment, remembering the day she'd become Nosferatu's personal assassin. The attempts on her life hadn't lessened, but become more sophisticated. Instead of a knife in a dark alley, it was a carefully dropped object from overhead. Instead of poison in her dinner, it was a spell set to activate when she touched something. Those in her line of work were nothing, if not creative.

With her eyes still closed, she gathered a bit of energy from her room. The temperature dropped the slightest degree, but she didn't need much. She used the stolen energy to light her prepared fireplace. The air outside was warm, but she only needed the fire long enough to burn the letter. When it was nothing more than glowing ash, she drew the energy back from the fire, dousing it.

She held onto that energy long enough to fill a bath, then added it to the water to heat it. The water was a bit hotter than she normally liked, but after the day she'd had, she was willing to enjoy the extra heat. She sighed as the steaming water slipped across her skin and the heat soaked into her tired muscles. Her red hair fanned out in the water, covering part of her shoulders and breasts. She dimmed the magic globe of light floating nearby, and lit unscented candles surrounding her bathroom.

In an attempt to blot out Courla's failure to get that information, she ran over the day's other failed events.

Being an assassin didn't mean all she did was kill. She'd enjoyed a nice breakfast of lamb's blood and eggs at a restaurant a few blocks from her home, before beginning the day's work. What had at first appeared to be a simple matter of getting information for Nosferatu, had become a tangled mess.

A light breeze fluttered across what little skin was exposed above the surface of the water as she ruminated.

The shop keeper that was her informant had sent her to see the friend of a friend of a sister of a friend. She'd ended up two doors down from her starting point, in a foul mood and sweating in a burly blacksmith's shop. He'd confirmed that he'd filled a large order for weapons, but thought they were for Nosferatu's guards. He was paid well, and hadn't asked too many questions.

She knew for a fact they hadn't been made to Nosferatu or his guards, but her trail ran cold there. She didn't know where the swords, staves, spears and other instruments of war had ended up. If Nosferatu knew, he wasn't telling her, but she doubted he knew. She hadn't made her report, but planned to in the morning.

The light scent of jasmine wafted in on the breeze from outside. She heaved a sigh, wishing she could have enjoyed her bath a little longer.

Without opening her eyes, her crossed arms shot out of the water, blocking the arm holding a dagger from penetrating her heart. She tried to grip the arm holding the blade, but it slipped away before she could. She opened her eyes then, and flung herself out of the bath. Water splashed everywhere as she rolled onto her feet and faced her attacker.

He stood about two meters from her, garbed all in black from head to toe. Even his eyes were covered, though she knew he wouldn't need his eyes to know where she was. He gripped a slim dagger in each hand, one pointing up, the other held in a reversed grip.

She shivered slightly as the water on her naked skin cooled. Her weapons were with her now-sodden clothes on the other side of the tub. Her boots, each with their own hidden blades, were in the other room. She was far from defenseless, though, as her attacker knew. Otherwise he wouldn't be holding back, but pressing his advantage. Whoever it was, was skilled, or he wouldn't have made it to her without making a sound.

She took half a step back, edging towards one wall. The man lunged for her. Her left arm came up, connecting with his forearm and deflecting that dagger. He still managed to score a cut across her wrist, but it was shallow and she ignored the slight pain. Her right fist punched through the wall at her side and gripped a blade she'd hidden there a few years ago. She pulled it out in time to deflect his other dagger from opening up her flat, muscular stomach.

Her knee came up, but he stepped back in time to avoid the crotch shot, and she turned the movement into a kick. Her shin struck hard against his hip, knocking him away, but not down.

They faced each other again, neither one breathing hard. Blood dripped from her right wrist, but she ignored it as she concentrated on her attacker and took stock of the situation. His clothing was loose fitting, but she suspected he wore supple leather underneath. She would have to stab, rather than slice, to cause him any harm. On the other hand, she was without any form of protection against his sharp blades. He was fast enough to dodge most of her blows. The weapon in her hand wasn't designed for throwing, and even if it was, she knew she wouldn't be able to reach her other weapons before he struck, if she missed. With his speed, she doubted she could hit him, anyway.

The cut on her wrist started to itch. Eura cursed as she took a closer look at her assailant's blades. They reflected the light from her globe and candles oddly. Without taking her eyes off the other man, she sent her senses into her left arm and found what she feared. Poison.

She didn't know what kind it was, but suspected the man would have the antidote on him in case he accidently cut himself. Not that that was too likely either. Based on what she sensed, she had a few minutes before it did whatever it was designed to do.

What kind of assassin used slow acting poison? Only two types came to mind. One that liked to watch their victims suffer or torture them with a slow death, or one aimed at capture instead of killing.

She needed to end this. She took a careful step forward, ignoring the cooled water her foot landed in. It was going to take more than a few towels to dry that mess up. She couldn't see his eyes, but knew they missed nothing as she closed the distance between them.

He waited until she could hear him breathe, before attacking. His reversed blade came up to slash across her exposed chest while his other hand lunged for her stomach.

Even as she twisted to avoid both blows, she had to admire his perfect footwork. He was a pro. She tried to use their bodies' movements to trap his arm between her chest and bicep, but he was too fast.

She managed to avoid getting cut again as he pulled away. Her left arm was going numb. She could no longer feel her fingers.

A couple steps away put her back in the cool puddle of bathwater on the floor. It gave her an idea. She turned to her right a little, baring her left side to the man. He readjusted his grip on his weapons. The first sign he'd given so far that he would take her seriously. She tamped her anger down that he had underestimated her to this point.

Her right foot slid across the floor and kicked up, spraying water at the man. As she suspected, he ignored it as it flew at him. She waited until the last moment before acting. She pulled the heat energy from the water without affecting the kinetic energy. The trick was difficult in the best of circumstances, but she was used to using magic in tricky situations. The water turned to sharpened ice before striking the dark figure.

The ice shattered before it could penetrate his clothing, but Eura was already moving forward, ready to plunge her dagger into his chest.

"Enough!"

The command cut through her psyche like a hot knife. Her right hand opened, dropping her weapon as she collapsed to her knees in respect.

"Commander Roen," she gasped as she kept her eyes on the floor.

"You never disappoint, Eura," her commander stated in even tones. She felt heat suffuse her body at the slight compliment. "Your footwork needs a little work, but that was a good move at the end."

"I will work on it," she said as her mind ran over the fight. No wonder she barely got a strike in against him. He was the commander of Nosferatu's assassins, though she wondered if Nosferatu knew that his guard commander also commanded his assassins.

Something landed in front of her, but she refused to look up.

"The antidote for the poison. I'd recommend you take it sooner rather than later. Nosferatu wishes to see you. I don't think he'd appreciate you being a drooling mess when you arrive. Better get dressed, also. He's in a terrible mood."

It looked like she was going to give her report tonight, instead of in the morning. This long day just grew longer, and judging by Roen's tone, it wasn't likely to be any better than the rest of her day.

# Chapter 2

Secrets

"How did you know to block my initial strike?" Commander Roen asked as she slipped a dagger up each sleeve of her clean shirt. "I'm certain I didn't make a sound."

She glanced up at him and shivered despite the heat of the room. He'd removed his hood, and his red eyes bored into her. She didn't care that he'd seen her naked. It was well known that his tastes led elsewhere. Even so, there was a hunger in his face that scared her. She understood the reason for his earnest attack as well. It wasn't the first time he'd tested her, and she hoped it wouldn't be the last. His tests would end when she was no longer useful.

"You left my window open when you entered." She kept her voice calm, but his glare didn't lessen.

He glanced from the window and back to her. "That doesn't explain how you knew the timing of my attack. I watched you for a few moments from the doorway before striking. Your timing was perfect."

She struggled to keep from blushing at his compliment. Roen almost never complimented his subordinates, and this was the second time on a matter of minutes. She didn't delude herself on why he was complimenting her, though. She knew that the easiest way to loosen lips was to compliment someone first. He wanted information from her.

"I got lucky." She walked past him, still able to smell the lavender that barely clung to him. She'd picked this home because of the flower shop across the street. It was almost impossible for anyone to come in from that side, and not bring some of that scent with them. Most people became accustomed to their own scent within seconds, which was why he couldn't smell it on himself.

Roen grunted after a moment, but didn't say anything more on the subject. Assassins were allowed some of their own secrets. It was part of what kept them alive.

"I assume you won't mind using my front door to leave?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Unless you'd rather I toss you out the window before me," he replied without cracking a smile.

She was good. One of the best, in fact. There wasn't a shred of doubt in her mind that he was better. Had he been intent on killing her tonight, she would have been dead. Leaving the window open was a rooky mistake. One she knew he'd made on purpose to give her a small chance of discovering him before his attack. When she hadn't reacted to his obvious clue, he'd struck in earnest with the intent to kill. He couldn't have an assassin working for him, much less Nosferatu, who would ignore a breeze when there shouldn't have been one. He hadn't known that she was aware of him from the moment he entered her home.

Neither one spoke as they left her home and traveled to Nosferatu's palace. The sun set some hours ago, and the streets were mostly empty. Eura was in her element. It almost felt odd to be walking down the street, instead of slinking over the rooftops or down back alleys.

In the near silence, her mind went over her report to Nosferatu. It wasn't unusual to be summoned liked this, but it wasn't normal either. What could be so important about a missing supply of weapons? Other than the obvious concerns about an unknown armed force out there, the threat of rebellion was minimal. Nosferatu had enemies, as anyone with that amount of power did, but it was the responsibility of the guards and assassins to keep them in check. If she was honest, the guards were the face of Nosferatu's power, and the assassins were the shadow. The city's guards were in charge of keeping the streets safe and chasing down thieves in the market place. In short, they handled the easy trash.

The assassins on the other hand, worked in stealth. They were the silent dagger in the night. It was her organization that was whispered about whenever a lord went missing, or a body was found with its throat slit when the city woke in the morning. The guards might handle the trash, but when it was called for, it was the assassins that took that trash out.

Roen led them both. When Eura was first recruited to be Nosferatu's personal assassin, she was surprised to find that the Guard Captain was also the Assassin Commander. As she thought about it, it made sense, though. In his position, he could ensure that the two groups rarely crossed paths. It wouldn't do to have the guards come across an assassin operation and interfere. Roen was placed in the perfect spot to control and coordinate both groups.

They moved through the streets with. Roen was almost half a head shorter than her, but she was the one who had to work to keep his pace.

Nosferatu's palace was a large stone edifice that appeared black in the night, but she knew was a dark grey in the sunlight. It towered high overhead as they entered through a side portal. The guards standing duty saluted their captain before letting them through. The two men stood proud in their polished armor. If they ever had to fight for real, she had no doubt that they were fully capable. Roen didn't accept less than the best from his forces.

"Of all our laws, what is the most vital one, Eura?" Roen asked without warning as they travelled down an empty hallway.

The words were out of her mouth before she needed to think about them. "We don't take sentient beings."

"What do you mean by take?" he asked, almost talking over her.

Eura didn't know where these questions were going. Every vampire was taught this from before the time they were old enough to summon their fangs and drink blood.

"Vampires don't drink the blood of sentient beings," she told him, keeping her voice neutral. She tried to anticipate his next question before it could be asked, since it was always taught at the same time. "When a Vampire drinks the blood of a sentient person, they take into themselves all the knowledge and power of that person. It is an evil thing. It's akin to pulling the energy from a living creatures to perform magic. Those found guilty of the crime are sentenced to death, immediately. There can be no forgiveness for someone who is willing to commit such a heinous crime. It is our first law. It is the reason humans trust us as little as they do. It is inviolate."

As she spoke, she thought. There were rumors that someone had committed that very crime. Very quiet rumors, but she travelled in circles where whispers were heard as loud as shouts. Nothing official had been said, but that meant nothing. If there was a criminal on the loose, taking other vampires or humans, Nosferatu and Roen would want to keep it quiet to quell panic. Such a person would be very dangerous. Such a person would require an assassin to take care of them if they weren't already too strong.

Vampires weren't born with supernatural senses. They developed them over years of drinking the blood of livestock. Her own personal preference was sheep. Not because they were cute, or cuddly. Eura rarely saw the world in those terms. She preferred the taste of their hot fluid as it poured down her throat. She kept her diet balanced with cats for their reflexes and night vision, as well as dogs for their sense of smell. She hated the taste of eagle or hawk blood, but suffered it at least once a month for the keen eyesight.

Roen grunted in response to her answers, and didn't speak again until they reached Nosferatu's office. Light seeped from under the doorway before her commander preceded her in.

Nosferatu sat in his well-lit office behind a large oak desk, piled high on one side with papers. His thin hair did nothing to hide his mottled scalp. Despite his severe age, there was a sharp intelligence behind his clear eyes. He was the oldest living vampire. To her knowledge, no other came close by at least a century. Despite his advanced years, there wasn't a thing about him that gave an impression of weakness. Power radiated from this man like one of the three floating globes lighting his office.

Her nose caught the scent of another man that tickled at her memory, but she couldn't place it. Something from her childhood, perhaps? She tried to chase the thought down, but Nosferatu spoke, and she turned her attention to him.

"I'm glad you could join me so late." His voice was soft, but full of authority. His eyes spoke of knowledge she would never be able to guess at.

"Captain Roen made a compelling case, Father," she tried to smile, addressing him by his formal title. It took a conscious effort not to rub at the spot his dagger cut along her wrist. She'd drank some ewe's blood before leaving her home, and there wasn't a scar, but she remembered the cut. She used Roen's guard rank whenever she referred to him with anyone not an assassin. "I'd intended to make my report in the morning concerning the task you'd set for me." She glanced at her commander as though to indicate his presence might not be good for her report. Of course, Roen already knew what her task was, but if Nosferatu didn't know his captain was—

"Commander Roen is privy to your missions as you well know," Nosferatu cut her off.

His use of Roen's assassin title almost made her gasp. He knew. Had she given it away somehow? She hoped not. She was trained better than that. If it was found out she had given away that secret, she'd pay dearly for it later.

"Relax," Nosferatu commanded. "I have known since I took this cursed job. You are not to blame. No, I won't tell you how I knew. Now, I need you both to sit down. There is a problem I need you to fix. I'm told, Eura, that you're the one that must do it."

Finding out Nosferatu knew about Commander Roen was one thing, but hearing that there was someone out there that could tell the ancient man anything that sounded like an order stretched belief beyond breaking.

She was only slightly aware of sitting down as Nosferatu started speaking.

# Chapter 3

Mission

"So..." Eura was never one to stay startled for long. "You're saying the rumors are true, Father?"

"I'm afraid this one is," Nosferatu's voice remained calm, even though he was talking about an act so heinous, it could topple their society.

She didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't doubt her leader and mentor. Someone had actually done the unthinkable. Had done it more than once. Roen's questions earlier now made sense.

"This person needs to be stopped." She sat forward in her chair, meeting the old man's shadowed eyes. "If word gets out... If any humans hear of this..."

"Which is why I'm tasking you to find this person, and silence them." The words were softly spoken, but they knocked her back in her chair.

Her? She was good, yes, but was she good enough to take on a vampire that'd taken the very soul of other vampires? Whoever it was would be faster, stronger, and smarter than her. She looked around and realized the trust Nosferatu was placing in her. He expected her to accomplish this mission alone. Well, maybe not completely alone. She would have Commander Roen for help, but that would be it. Why was she being chosen and not Roen for a task this fragile? She didn't know the answer to that, and didn't dare ask.

"Discretion is of the utmost importance, Daughter. Find this person and eliminate them. There can be no trial for this crime. You must be certain of your target. Do you understand?"

She understood, all right. She couldn't mess this up, or an innocent would die and the real killer would still be on the loose.

"What do you know so far, Father?" she asked the man that had been more a father to her than whoever her biological parent had been.

"Roen will explain to you what little information we have. If there is nothing else, I recommend you get started on this right away." Nosferatu pierced her with his red eyes, almost as a challenge.

Her mind ran blank. She stood and bowed to him with a final respectful, "Father," before following Roen from the room.

"I don't know what you did to piss him off, but if you survive this, you may want to look into a different line of work," Roen said when they reached his personal office. He had two offices, one for each of his roles. To her surprise, he'd led them into his office as the Guard Captain. The room was round with stacks of files covering his desk, and maps and notes covering his walls. To the untrained eye, his office was cluttered, but Eura could see an order to the way things were stacked.

"You don't think I can do this," she replied, trying hard to keep her tone neutral. The truth was, she knew she couldn't beat this rogue one-on-one, but if she was certain of her target, a knife in the back was the best way to go. Best to aim for the heart. Ancient lore claimed that was one of the only ways to kill a vampire, but the truth was, it would kill anyone. There were days she was glad vampires died easier than a stake to the heart. Her job would be a lot more difficult otherwise.

"I think he sent you on a suicide mission," Roen responded without mincing words. "You're good, Eura. You're one of my best, but this?" He shook his head as he leafed through some files on his desk. "If the need for secrecy on this weren't so paramount, I'd send every one of my guards scouring this city for the rogue. Every squad would be backed up by another squad, and even they would have backup in the form of my assassins. Sending you, alone? I can't stress enough how dangerous this killer is. If it was only one person they'd taken, it wouldn't be too bad. Their strength and abilities would be doubled, but I think you could handle that. Ah, here it is." He held up a plain folder and looked at her over it. He didn't move to give it to her. "It's not too late to turn this down. I can talk to him. Convince him to choose someone else."

Part of Eura was flattered. He cared enough about her to want her away from this dangerous mission. A very small part. The rest of her was furious that he would suggest it. This mission had been given to her from Nosferatu himself. There could be no greater honor for an assassin. She'd no more turn away from this mission than pull out her own fangs.

"What do you think he meant when he said he was told that _I_ must do it?" she asked instead of voicing her fury. She would prove Commander Roen wrong, and prove herself to Nosferatu. He trusted her, and she would show him that she was worthy of that trust.

"He keeps his own guidance on many things," Roen replied. Could he get any more cryptic? "I see you won't change your mind. I trust you to remain quiet, but once I hand this over to you, there is no going back. If word gets out about this freak, and the leak is traced back to you, there is nothing that will keep you safe."

"I trust I can rely on your assistance when I have the person identified?" Eura asked. She saw that he genuinely cared about her safety, which almost seemed odd considering his attack on her earlier until one considered their profession. In a way, constantly testing her abilities was a way to show he cared about her life. Of course, it could also be seen as a craftsman taking care of his tools. Her anger dulled and she held her hand out for the folder.

"You figure out who it is, and I'll send every ounce of help I can to kill them. You're going to need it."

She didn't like the way he said that last part, but at least he handed the folder over. When she opened it and started reading, she understood his concerns, but it was too late to back out now.

She had expected one or two victims to the killer. That would be bad enough, but four dead bodies were found with puncture marks and drained of blood. Four! She couldn't even imagine how strong this person had to be.

How was she supposed to take down someone like that? She felt her hands slicken with sweat as she continued reading. The first body was found by a young vampire, still too young to summon her fangs. The body had been made to look like a wild animal had mauled it. One of the guards tasked with cleaning the body noted the lack of blood at the scene, and Roen ordered a deeper investigation. It didn't take long to find two holes in the man's body, or more precisely, on his manhood. That location was only good for drawing blood under certain circumstances, which made her suspect her target was a women.

She glanced up at Commander Roen and shook her head. "Any other evidence that this is a woman? Do you know what the first victim's sexual preference was?"

"We couldn't identify the first victim. The attempt to hide what they'd done destroyed the face beyond identification. Keep reading."

She bent back over the file and did as told. The second victim was a man as well, but the wound wasn't in the same place. This time it was on the neck. The same tactic was used to hide the wound, but with less finesse. If a ripped and shredded body could be called finesse. Had the killer been interrupted while trying to cover their crime? Not likely, she saw as she read on. The body was found a few days after the man was killed. Was he or she getting sloppy?

The third victim, a female this time, seemed to support this theory. There was a gap of about three weeks between the first two victims, but only a week later the third was found. Only a token attempt was made to hide the crime this time, but the guards knew what to look for. The body was identified, and her human husband notified. He was lied to about the actual cause of death, but the rumors had started.

She was in a race against fear now, and she knew it. Despite the need for secrecy, it wouldn't take long before the general populous knew. Once that happened, panic would soon follow. Humans would lose trust in the vampires, and vampires would eye their neighbors with distrust, wondering if they were next.

The fourth and final victim was found only a few hours ago. A female again, with the bite on the inner left thigh, right over the femoral artery. The body was identified, and...

"You knew this one," Eura stated as she read.

"Yes." Roen's voice was flat, but she heard a slight note of anger. "She was a good guard. I helped train her over two decades ago. She's the reason I'm not the one doing the investigation anymore. I had to recuse myself. Nosferatu chose you to replace me, though there are a few better than you that I would have chosen."

She let out a grunt at his statement. There may be better fighters, but not many, and none who were as good at getting information.

"What were her sexual preferences? Do you know?" Two of the attacks could be construed as sexual in nature. One male, one female. If she could narrow down what gender she was looking for, it would help. So far it was the only similarity between the deaths that might lead her to a clue.

When she didn't get an answer right away, she looked up from the folder. Roen's red eyes met hers, and there was no mistaking his anger. It was strong enough she could smell it in his office.

"That line of questioning is a dead end," he said after a moment. "The third victim was only interested in men. Elna, on the other hand, preferred women."

Eura flipped through the notes again, and noted that the second victim hadn't been overtly sexual in nature. That didn't mean it hadn't happened that way, but she chose to keep her mouth shut. Roen had an issue with one of his guard's murder, and she wasn't going to press him on it.

"Was there any connection between the victims?" It would be hard to find a connection between the first two, but the second two were identified.

"None that I could find," he told her. Eura noted that his anger scent lessened and was soon gone. She didn't know why he would be angry over her sexual preference, especially considering his own, but it didn't seem important at the moment. She could look into it more when he wasn't glaring at her.

"Well," she said after rifling through the tight scrawl of notes that she recognized as Roen's handwriting at the end of the file, "I guess you'd better show me to the body."

# Chapter 4

Autopsy

Eura was by no means a doctor or healer, but her training as an assassin had taught her the important pieces. Pieces such as the best place to stick a knife into someone without killing them but cause the most pain, or how to best employ a blade while keeping the target silent.

Not all of her training was on how to kill or cause pain. She knew what plants acted as a pain killer, and which ones worked best when added to bandages to keep rot from setting into wounds. She also knew a few, that when added to hot water, would make someone sleepy or loosen their tongues.

Despite her vast training, she couldn't identify half the smells in the morgue. Myrrh was predominant, but she also smelled cinnamon, honey, and beeswax on top of that, and numerous other herbs she couldn't separate. Her nose started to burn from all the scents hanging in the air.

She was accustomed to sending people here. Not coming here herself. She didn't understand how the vampire that worked here could stand it.

"The body should be over here," Commander Roen stated with one muscled arm held out. Eura glanced at him, noticing that he didn't seem to be struggling with the stench, but he didn't look happy either.

She walked in the indicated direction to a table with a naked woman lying on top. She understood the reason for the scent of beeswax, now. It was colored and filled in the two puncture marks on her inner thigh. There were no signs of a struggle that Eura could see. The woman's hands were heavily calloused from long years of working with a sword, and she had a healthy muscle tone, though her skin looked gray from lack of blood. Eura didn't lean towards women, but she could admit that the guard had been beautiful in life. Her pointed ears held tight to her head, easily visible beneath her short brown hair. She lifted an eyelid and stared into clear red eyes. There was something familiar about her cheeks and nose, but she couldn't place it. Eura lifted the guard's lip, and saw that her fangs weren't there. Her teeth were normal, so she hadn't summoned her fangs for a fight. If she had, they would still protrude from her upper K-9s.

"The other three victims had their fangs out when found," Roen said right behind her. Eura almost jumped, not having heard him approach, but remained still due to decades of training. The anger was back in his voice.

_Three ready to fight, or ready to eat, and one not. Two male, two female. Two that could be construed as sexual in nature, and two not. Two destroyed beyond recognition, and two identified._ Eura mentally cursed as she failed to find any patterns. There might be something if she knew the sexual orientation of the first victim. That would confirm if it was a female she was after.

The one fact she knew for sure was that the time between killings was getting shorter. She needed to act fast before someone else was taken and her target grew even stronger.

"Was she on duty when she was killed?" Eura asked her boss.

"She finished up her shift this morning. She worked last night and wasn't due back until late this afternoon." Roen's voice carried solemn tones as he spoke, but she smelled his anger again. "She's never been late to a shift. When she didn't show up, I went to her place and found her lying in bed... like this."

Eura wondered at the captain of the guards personally investigating one of his personnel's tardiness, but chose not to ask. She doubted there was anything romantic between the two considering their preferences, but maybe they were closer than he let on.

"So you found the body?" she asked, already knowing the answer from the notes she read and his own statement.

"She was in bed as naked as she is now," he replied. "There were no signs of struggle. Her door was locked and her windows were closed. She looked like she had fallen asleep and never woke up."

"Did you pick up any other scents?" she asked. With a timeline that short, there was a good chance that whoever had killed her left some of their scent behind.

Eura waited for an answer, and then waited longer. When it became obvious Roen wasn't going to reply, she looked up from the body. Roen's face was hard, and she could hear his teeth grinding. His red eyes met her green ones, and after another moment, he shook his head.

She knew right away that he was lying.

What could make her commander break his demeanor? As an assassin himself, she knew full well the kind of control he should have over his body. Or was she able to read him because of her own training?

Eura took a moment to go over what she knew, to figure out what her boss was hiding. She doubted they were lovers. Their tastes ran in different directions. What could he have to hide, and why was he hiding it from her?

Eura glanced at the woman, once again taking in the angles of her face and understood.

"She's your daughter," she said before the thought could fully form. She saw from the flash in his eyes that she'd hit the mark. It was there for only the briefest of moments, before his cracked mask was back, and he was her commander again, almost emotionless.

Eura smelled the newcomer a moment before he spoke.

"Captain Roen. I wasn't informed you would be returning tonight. I apologize for leaving her uncovered like that. I stepped out to have something to eat. I'm sure you can understand why I don't eat down here." The man stood just under six feet tall and sported a large pot belly. His bald head glistened with a light sheen of sweat, and from the mixed scents wafting off of him, she didn't care to think where his mouth had been lately. He smelled like perfume. She found out anyway a moment later when she spotted a half-dressed woman trying to slip out unnoticed. Even for someone who dealt in death, Eura couldn't understand some people.

"Meldin, this is Eura. She's taking over the investigation." Roen held his arm out to indicate her.

Eura heard the old man gasp before taking a step back from her. It wasn't a response she was used to from someone hearing her name. In fact, most people had no idea who she was, and she preferred it that way.

"I've had, um, a great many of you... err, your _clients_ down here," Meldin stuttered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eura kept her voice calm and even a little inviting as she spoke. It was true that she'd had to kill a fair number of people in her line of work, but she preferred to avoid bloodshed whenever possible. The fact that an undertaker knew her by name, much less which bodies she'd sent down here, wasn't good. An assassin's greatest strength lay in being unknown.

"Uh," the pudgy man's red eyes darted from Eura, to Roen, then back to Eura, "right. Sorry, my mistake. Must be a different Eura I know about."

"What can you tell me about her death," Eura asked, to get the subject moving away from her identity.

"Body number Echo-546?" Meldin asked with only a slight quiver to his voice.

"Her name was Elna," Roen snapped, and the bald man blanched. Eura glanced at him, but his face was smooth, belaying the slight scent of anger coming from him.

Eura had never seen her commander so out of sorts before. It was almost nice to have a reminder that he wasn't perfect.

"Right. Elna! Um..." Meldin rushed to the body and grabbed a sheet from under the table the inert body lay on. He spread the blanket across the dead woman's body, only leaving the head uncovered. Meldin started speaking, and as he did, his voice lost its fear and grew more businesslike as he entered his element. "She was killed late this afternoon, approximately three hours before sundown. Whoever did it, drained her of all her blood from her femoral artery on her inner left thigh. There were no signs of struggle."

Eura glanced at Roen before asking her next question. She knew it was likely to upset him again, but she needed to know. "Were you able to tell if she was aroused?" She saw Roen's fists clench, but gave no other sign of his emotions.

"Aroused?" Meldin tittered nervously as he seemed to recall their presence. "I would say so! She had enough Fellin in her system to knock her out. It's probably why there was no sign of struggle. If she was still awake when our killer bit her, she wouldn't have registered it as pain, but pure bliss."

_Fellin_. Eura hated the mere thought of the stuff. The drug was addicting because of its strong aphrodisiac properties. It was tasteless and odorless, making it nearly impossible to detect.

"Elna wouldn't have taken Fellin," Roen stated as he took a threatening step towards Meldin. "She had a shift tonight, and wouldn't have come onto it without a clear head."

"How did you detect the Fellin?" Eura asked and stepped in front of her boss. It was a good thing he'd recused himself from this case. He was too emotionally involved. She didn't know a thing about his daughter, though she'd likely passed by her numerous times while visiting the palace or in the streets. The guards and assassins almost never mixed. It wouldn't work for those that were charged to protect the populous to work alongside those that were charged to weed out the undesirables in whatever way was expedient. It only worked for Roen because he could shield his assassins from the guard's notice.

"What?" Meldin stammered, once again looking between the two facing him, before turning to the body. "Oh, yes. Well, it's her eyes. You see, when a person is alive and high on Fellin, you can't tell, except for a slight flush to the skin because of the increased blood flow to increase sensitivity. However, if a person were to die from either an overdose, or um, like she did while taking Fellin, their eyes remain clear. Normally upon death, the eyes begin to cloud over within seconds." Meldin reached his hand out and lifted her eyelids as Eura had done before. "As you can see, her red irises are still clear."

"You seem a little flushed," Roen growled. "Are you taking it? Because I can guarantee that Elna wasn't!"

Eura's only warning was his tone before he lunged for the large undertaker. She planted the flat of her hand against his sternum and shoved him back. Anger raged in his eyes as he glared at her, but she didn't back down.

"Elna was a good guard," he raged. "She was never late for shift, and always received top marks from her supervisors. She wouldn't have taken that drug, no matter what you might think."

"Captain Roen," Eura kept her voice firm without raising it. "I think it would be best if you stepped out. I can take it from here."

"Why?" he slapped her hand away from his chest, but didn't advance on the now terrified undertaker. "So he can spread more lies about Elna?"

Eura's arm stung from where he'd struck her but she refrained from rubbing the spot. She met his eyes without blinking. She could see his muscles tense as he prepared to fight her. Unlike earlier this evening, she knew that he wouldn't hold back if he made that decision. She forced her own muscles to relax without looking away from him as she spoke. "I need you to leave, so I can find out who did this to her. I can't do that if you keep interrupting those I'm talking to. Stand down _Captain_ , and let me do what Nosferatu ordered me to do." She hoped that by stressing his guard rank and using Nosferatu's name it would bring some sanity back to his eyes. After a couple more tense seconds she saw his jaw clench, but he took a step back.

"You find the bastard that did this Eura Falton, and you make sure they pay. I meant what I said earlier. You have all of my resources at your disposal." Before she had a chance to respond, the powerful captain turned and strode from the room.

Eura waited for the door to close behind him before turning on the stout undertaker. He squeaked as her green eyes bore into him. "Now tell me, Meldin. What else can you tell me about her death? Any clues as to who her killer was, or their gender? If I'm happy with your answers, I'll let you get back to your woman. If not, I'm sure that Captain Roen would be more than happy to get those answers from you."

The fat man started spouting as fast as his tongue could waggle, but all Eura learned was that based on the spacing of the fang marks, the killer's mouth was small.

# Chapter 5

Morning Coffee

The early morning sun beat down on Eura as she sat outside a well-kept café. Across the busying street was a tavern that was known for catering to off-duty guards. The shift change had occurred half an hour ago. The tavern slowly filled as the graveyard shift made their way in, before heading home and going to sleep for the day.

She picked up her tiny porcelain cup and took a sip of her coffee. It took her some effort not to spit it back out. She'd let it sit too long, and it'd grown cool and bitter. It only took her a moment to draw in some energy from her surroundings and heat it back up. After another sip, she decided to add some honey to it. She normally avoided the terrible tasting stuff, but after only a couple hours of restless sleep, she needed something to wake her up.

Her other reason for avoiding it was the cost. Coffee wasn't cheap. Only a few farmers grew the bean, and transporting it before it lost its effectiveness was difficult. The proprietor of this café claimed they had a mystic that helped transport it while keeping it cool, but that only allowed the owner to jack up the price. Regardless, she couldn't deny it had a better flavor than other locations she'd tried.

"It must be bad if Eura Falton is drinking coffee," a female voice said as its owner took the seat across from her. "What is it this time? Some lord get handsy with one of his servants? Is there some duke that thinks he might be able to supplant Nosferatu as the oldest living vampire? Or are you still tracking down those weapons? I already told you, I don't know where they went. And if you think, for one second, that I'm going to go talking to another filthy human again, forget it!"

Eura stared at her informant and sometimes ally for a long moment, wondering what her head would look like rolling across the table. She was tired, sore, and in no mood for Courla's attitude this morning. When Eura didn't respond after another couple moments had passed, Courla started to fidget.

"Don't give me that look," she said, picking up Eura's cup and grimacing at its bitter scent. Her slender hands placed the cup back down, but Eura had no intention of drinking any more. Courla was known for her skill with poisons. "I really don't know how you stomach that stuff. Only dimwitted humans can stand the taste. Seriously. Stop glaring. People are starting to look at us. That's better. I was surprised to hear from you again, after yesterday. I thought I'd paid my favor back to you. Considering I had to talk to humans, I think that puts you back in my debt. You know how I feel about them."

If Courla had one failing as an assassin, it was her tongue. She had a way of talking constantly, yet saying very little.

"What do you know about a City Guard named Elna?" Eura asked as she kept one eye on the tavern across the street. So far no one appeared suspicious. She knew it was a long shot, but she didn't have anywhere else to start. Roen thought she might frequent this specific tavern, but they hadn't found anything in her home to give them a clue. This location was the best way to pass her time while she waited for Courla to arrive.

"That stuck up princess?" Courla asked with a sneer in her tone. "What do you want to know?"

Eura raised an eyebrow as she looked over to her informant. It was hard to get this much of a rise out of Courla unless it was concerning the weaker race.

"Yeah, I know her," she responded to Eura's unasked question while tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind one ear. "I tried cozying up to her about a year ago. I'd heard that she had a taste for women and there was some information that I needed to get. I'm not above pretending, if it gets the job done. But you already know that. Anyway, I found out her schedule, and made sure to pass her a couple times in the streets. Then one day, I pretended to have an issue with a broken shoe as she was passing by. She ignored me. Can you believe that? Now I may not be the best looking woman around, but I'm no slouch! I know how to take care of myself, and make myself look good. I'd spent over an hour brushing out my lustrous hair, and worked on my story for even longer than that, and she just walked on by. I, um, ran into her again a few days later, and offered to buy her a drink. She didn't even bother to give me an excuse. She told me to pester someone else, as though I was some common riffraff. I don't think I've ever been dismissed like... like..."

"Like a human?" Eura finished for her, while she thought, _Your first problem is that you talked,_ but she kept her face impassive. "Maybe you weren't her type, or she had a girlfriend already." she added instead.

"Of course I thought of that!" Courla snapped in an offended tone. "Who wouldn't want some of this, though?" She made a gesture indicating her body, and this time Eura couldn't stop her head from shaking.

Courla was a bit conceited, and it wasn't entirely unjustified. She wasn't gorgeous by any means, but did have a classic beauty with her high cheekbones, long blonde hair, and hourglass figure. But that didn't mean she was everyone's ideal.

"What were her tastes in women?" Eura asked before almost taking another sip of her coffee. She remembered just in time to pretend, and set it back down. Courla didn't respond or act as if she even noticed Eura's action, but that didn't mean anything.

"That's the odd thing. I had no problem finding out she liked women, but couldn't get a clear idea of what she liked. As for her having someone else, I rather doubt it. Who would keep someone around with that attitude?" A waitress stepped up to them at that point, interrupting her tirade. Courla ordered some tea and waived the woman away. When the waitress left, she fixed Eura with a penetrating stare.

"Why all these questions about Elna? I thought you preferred men. Not getting sweet on the other side, are you? Trust me when I say, she's not worth your time."

Eura debated on her answer for a moment. She could pretend that Courla was right, and get some false info out about herself. She had no doubt that within half an hour, half the assassins in the city would think she was chasing after skirts. Having bad information out there about her was its own sort of protection. Not for the first time, she suspected that Courla's reputation as a gossip was hand crafted. The woman didn't act like an assassin. Eura discarded the idea of keeping the deception, though. Once Elna's death became public knowledge, some of those assassins would think she'd done it.

"Elna's dead," she told the her compatriot evenly. "I'm trying to figure out who did it."

Courla gave a low whistle as her tea arrived. She took a sip, then added some honey before shooing away the waitress. "A dead guard, huh? From what I gathered, she never had a disciplinary action taken against her, and she was good at her job, but I can't say I'm sorry to hear it was her. Too much attitude if you ask me."

"I didn't ask," Eura muttered, knowing the other woman could hear her. They were assassins and accustomed to death, but Courla's attitude was a bit too cavalier for Eura's taste.

Courla grimaced, but chose not to respond to the slight. "I'm guessing you can't tell me how she died? No, I thought not. Not if they're having one of us investigate one of theirs. Must be big if they called you in on it. Last time Nosferatu had you investigate a murder, it was that one count's son. What was his name? Ekker? Elkon?"

"Elkerton," Eura supplied. That had involved a nasty case with an upset wife, an even more upset mistress, and a family line in danger of ending.

"That's right. Elkerton..." Courla tapped her chin with one finger as though trying to recall something. "I never could understand how you figured out the wife killed her own son. I thought for sure it was the mistress."

Eura thought back to that case with a grimace. It'd been a nasty affair, with the mother killing her own son, and framing the mistress in an attempt to get rid of her. When Eura discovered the truth, she'd arranged to have the evidence appear before the city guards, and the wife was arrested immediately. The mistress was now the wife and quite pregnant. The guards were well rewarded for _their_ discovery by Count Elkerton. Eura didn't mind missing out on the credit. Those that mattered knew the truth, and that was all that mattered.

Eura glanced to the tavern as a portly woman waddled out. She glanced to the table they were sitting at and gave Courla an odd glance before stepping onto the street. The area was picking up in foot traffic, and this spot wouldn't be good for watching the tavern for much longer.

Courla heaved a sigh, interrupting Eura's thoughts. "And it would seem you're not going to tell me either. Is there anything else you want to ask me about her?"

Eura stood up as something occurred to her. "No. You've been a big help. Usual payment?" She dropped a couple coins on the table to pay for her coffee and Courla's tea. "I think I saw something in your color while walking all over the city yesterday."

"My color, huh?" Courla mused. "I could use another dagger. The last one you got me was so well balanced, but the blade is getting a bit worn. You really must tell me where you get your weaponry. That, or you could just owe me one?"

Eura offered a fake smile and shook her head. "And have you go to them, instead of giving me information? Not likely. I'll have it dropped off at the usual location." She took a step away, then turned back to face the other woman. "I found out who murdered the son by talking to the human staff. You'd be surprised how much humans know sometimes. Especially the servants."

Eura left Courla to stare at her in shock as she hurried down the street. That chubby woman had known Courla, but been surprised to see her talking with Eura. Something in her gut told her to follow.

She couldn't pick out the woman's scent from all the others clogging the thoroughfare, and cursed as she lost her target around a corner. It didn't matter, though. She didn't have more than a gut feeling to follow, and Courla really had been a big help. The Elkerton murder gave her an idea, and she turned north, heading for someone else's home.

# Chapter 6

Appearances

The Wallmue residence wasn't one that Eura would call posh, but it was comfortable enough. The human husband of the third victim had been among vampires long enough that he bathed regularly. If Eura had to judge by the slight dampness of his long dark hair, and the slight smell of soap still clinging to his lean body, she'd guess he'd bathed within the last hour. A late washing, but by the bags under his light blue eyes, she suspected he wasn't sleeping very well. She could also smell liquor on his breath, though he didn't seem drunk at the moment.

"Mr. Wallmue, I'm here about your wife," Eura told him as he stared at here with blank eyes through the doorway.

"I already told them everything I know." His voice came out deep and resigned, and more than a little hoarse. Either he was a phenomenal actor, or his wife's death was tearing him apart. She suspected the latter. He turned away from the door and started closing it.

Her foot blocked it before it could close and she stepped closer. "Look at my eyes, Mr. Wallmue, she commanded him. When he did, she noted that shock that briefly lit his gaze at seeing green eyes instead of red. She chose to prey on their similarities, in a city that he had to feel very much the outsider in. She tucked her red hair behind her ears to emphasize her point. "That's right. I'm not a vampire. Not really, anyway. I have some of their blood in me, but I'm also human. I was wondering if we could chat for just a moment?"

His glance went to her barely pointed ears, and hesitated a moment longer before shrugging his shoulders and walking away. She took that as a sign to follow, and closed the door behind her. Curtains covered the windows, and only a few sparsely placed candles lit the interior. It gave Eura the feeling that even the home was dark and mourning the death of its mistress. He walked into a small sitting room and didn't sit, so much as fall onto a large couch. She took a seat opposite the couch and took a moment to find a comfortable position on the stiff cushion.

A glance around the room affirmed her previous opinion of the house. The candles were expensive, and to burn them during the day when there was plenty of sunlight spoke of a disregard for money. Humans weren't as talented at magic as vampires were, so there was a possibility he couldn't manage glowing orbs which cost nothing but time and energy. That, or his emotional state wasn't strong enough to sustain that kind of spell. Contradicting the use of candles, the furniture was designed to look expensive, but she noticed the wear and tear. It was likely obtained second or third hand. This was a family that wanted to look wealthy and important, without the wealth and importance to support it.

"Mr. Wallmue, I've been—" she started in calming tones before he cut her off.

"Call me Kolsin," he told her without lifting his head or looking at her. "Calling me Mr. Wallmue reminds me too much of my father, and he was a bastard. Disowned me for marrying Dilayna. Said it would come to no good marrying, excuse me, but as he put it, 'One of those filthy blood sucking leeches.'"

His response sounded more like something spoken out of habit than anything else, but Eura just nodded. "Well, Kolsin, as I said before, I want to talk to you about your wife. I've been hired by an outside agency to look into her—"

"I wish you the best of luck," he cut her off again. She had to stop herself from grinding her teeth in frustration. It was almost as bad as talking to Courla. A mope sad version of the woman, but just as annoying. "I don't have the money to pay you. I know we... I mean, I look well off, but it's all a ruse. My wife—" he broke off as a sob tore from his throat. She waited, giving him time to mourn, even though his wife had been dead for a few days now, she could see he was in pain. "She... she wanted to look upstanding for our neighbors. She would throw a fit if she saw how much I let this place go since she... since she...." He took a moment to suck in a shuddering breath. "I think it was my fault she acted that way, though she would never admit it. A vampire lowering herself to marry a filthy human, ha! She never tried to hide me, and there was never a doubt in my heart that she loved me. But she tried hard to make us look as upstanding as possible. I hope whoever killed her cuts themself with a rusty knife and falls into the swamp to die a slow and painful death."

"You don't need to worry about any payments," Eura assured him. "My expenses are covered by my employer."

"And who would that be?" Kolsin asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Who would pay a third party to investigate my wife's murder? There were plenty of people who didn't like that she was married to me, but I can't see any of them killing her, much less paying to have her killer brought to justice."

"Do I look like someone who would have an issue with a vampire marrying a human?" Eura asked, allowing some of her annoyance to seep into her voice. "Believe me when I state I'm not in this for the money. I want to see justice served. The person who killed your wife has killed others, all vampires."

"And you care what happens to them?" he demanded, sitting up and facing her. His voice told her he was angry, but his scent didn't match. He smelled like a man resigned and depressed, not furious at the demise of others. "I can't say I was ever actually mistreated, but I can't say I was treated very well either. Only Dilayna ever treated me with respect. She understood me to my very soul. Somehow she understood how I was feeling better than I ever understood myself. There will never be another woman like her. She was the best those blood suckers had to offer, and they took her away from me!"

Eura grimaced at the slur against vampires. Apparently he had more of his father in him than he would admit.

"I'll find the one responsible," Eura told him. "But I need to know a few more things."

"Right. What does my grief compare to your job? My wife is dead and barely buried," the man shook his head as fresh tears seeped from his eyes. "Forgive me, that wasn't called for. It's just... Dammit, it hurts so much! I spend half my day screaming in my room, demanding answers that the walls can't give me, and the other half trying to drown my sorrows. I'm a mess, I know, but I'll answer whatever questions I can. Do you want a drink? I've got plenty of the good stuff. Dilayna wanted us to be ready to serve, no matter who might stop by."

"Please, no," she demurred. "Maybe after the sun has started to set, but not now."

He nodded, but got up and went to a cabinet by one wall. He rifled through a few bottles until he found one that wasn't empty and returned to the couch. He didn't pour himself a glass, but drank straight from the bottle. "Forgive me, but if I'm to remain coherent long enough to talk to you, I need to take the edge off." He took two more long swallows, before nodding to her.

"You mentioned that many people didn't like your wife, but none bad enough to want her dead," Eura started. This wasn't where she needed the conversation, but figured she'd work her way to what she really wanted to know.

"By the dragons!" he cursed. An odd curse considering dragons had been extinct for five centuries. "You ask the same questions the guards did! Didn't they put all that in the report they were writing when they talked to me the first, second, and third times?"

"I've read that report," she responded calmly, "but sometimes after a few days, something could occur to you. Something you were too grief stricken to remember the first time?"

"No," he shook his head again and took another swallow from his bottle. "No, there weren't any enemies that would have wanted her dead. No, there weren't any fights that I know about before the bastard killed her. No, I don't think she was having an affair. No, _I_ wasn't having an affair. No, I don't have a clue who might have done it. Any other questions I might have missed?"

Eura blinked a couple times, taking in his quick tirade. That had pretty well handled all the questions she was going to start with. By his scent as he spoke, he was telling the truth. She didn't doubt that he wasn't having an affair. Humans that did that to their vampire spouse were usually run from town. Unfortunately, the same wasn't true of the other way around. He didn't think his wife was having an affair, but that didn't mean she wasn't. Of course, Eura had already determined that that line of questioning was a dead end. The killer might be using sex as a way to lure their victims, or might not. What was certain was the shortening timeline. The kills were coming faster and more frenzied, which didn't speak to someone carrying out affairs with married women.

"Did she make any new friends recently that you know of?" she asked, making sure her voice remained calm and soothing.

"New friends?" he scoffed at her. "Of course. She was always making new friends. She once told me that our social standing was partly based on how many friends we had. The Following of the Dragon Knight also preaches that friends are required to maximize our potential in this existence. We were always making new friends, and helping those below us."

The Following of the Dragon Knight... They were religious fanatics that purported to do good in the world. They did, mostly, but Eura had seen a few cases where their 'good' had gone too far, and people had been hurt for not believing in their prophecies of the Dragon Knight's return. It was rare for a vampire to belong to the cult, though. Eura glanced around the room and didn't notice any relics that usually proclaimed a follower. No paintings of a half-human, half dragon man on horseback, or dragon symbols that she could identify. His curse earlier about the dragons made a little more sense, now.

"Was your wife a member of the following?"

"Dilayna?" He looked at her with a bit of surprise. "No. She said that if Nosferatu didn't preach about him, then he couldn't be that important. I don't really follow, either, but knew it was a great way to network and make more friends. It... Sometimes it was hard having a vampire wife. She was so much older than me, and we both knew that I would die long before her. Ha! That turned out to be a joke. She said she didn't care about those things, and was just happy that we could be together. Still, I found comfort in human companionship, and it was easier to meet other humans in the Following." He took a long pull from the bottle before wiping away fresh tears.

The comment about Nosferatu was the reason most vampires didn't belong to the following. Nosferatu had been alive at the time the Dragon Knight had roamed the world. Some even claimed that he'd helped bring down the Fallen King, though the Following tried hard to suppress those rumors. Nosferatu refused to comment on it the one time she'd dared to ask him, other than to say one thing. "The Dragon Knight is not what the Following claims him to be. He is both more, and so much less." His dark red eyes had scared her as he spoke, and she never dared bring up the subject again.

A member of the Following was out of the question as a culprit though, as the killer had to be a vampire.

"I don't know if it helps," Kolsin stated, "but we held a party here a couple days before her... before my wife was taken. I don't know if any of our guests were the one who... Anyway, I can get you a list of their names." His voice kept hitching as he spoke, and Eura wondered if he was close to breaking down again, or just getting drunk.

"That could help," Eura reassured him. "If you could break it down into two groups? Those that you might have known for a while, and those that were new. Why didn't you tell this to the guards when they talked to you?"

"I... I was so shook up at the time, and they didn't ask about new friends. I don't know why I thought about it now, but I hope it helps." He stood up and grabbed a pen, inkwell, and sheet of poorly made paper. This quality of paper wasn't expensive, but it wasn't cheap either. One more bit of evidence that they were trying to appear well-off, but weren't.

He finished writing and dumped a bit of sand on the paper with an unsteady hand to dry the ink. After a second he took care to dump the sand back in the jar, and handed the paper to her. She glanced at it, not recognizing any of the names under the 'new friends' column. Many of the names under the 'old friends' column were from the upper middle class in the city. The types of names that screamed about people trying to climb the social ladder.

"Thank you," she stood and offered her hand to shake.

He took hers in a firm grip and met her eyes with a steady gaze, though his breath reeked of alcohol. She was surprised at the callouses she felt on his hand. This was a man that worked hard to keep up this appearance of wealth. "You find the bastard that did this to her, and you make him pay. My wife was a great woman. The best vampire I ever knew. Promise me. Promise you'll make them suffer."

"They won't get away with it," Eura promised him and released his hand. "One way or another, I'll find the one responsible, and they won't escape punishment."

Eura shook her head as she walked away from the residence. She had every intention of keeping that promise, but deep down she was still trying to figure out how she was going to take down a vampire that'd taken four other people. Her first task was figuring out who it was, and the list in her pocket was her best option. She needed to talk to Commander Roen again and see if he could identify some of the names under the 'new' column.

# Chapter 7

Gut Instincts

Eura was bothered by the fact that the guards wouldn't meet her eyes as she walked into Nosferatu's palace. Normally they would stop and question her purpose in coming here, especially the day shift as they rarely saw her. The night shift knew her well enough, and when she'd come here last night with Commander Roen, they'd ignored her. This was different.

The guards knew who she was. That was disturbing enough, as she needed a modicum of anonymity to do her work. The graveyard shift saw her enough, but didn't know who or what she was. They likely thought her some high class whore. She was fine with that, as long as they never guessed the truth, and didn't want to use her services.

These guards would look at her, her deep red hair to be precise, then look away and pretend she didn't exist. That meant that they not only recognized her, but didn't want to be associated with her. What'd happened since last night?

"Where the hell have you been?" Commander Roen demanded as she walked into his office. The veins on his neck and at his temples were bulging as he glared at her. "I sent runners to find you over an hour ago. I gave you a job to do, and what do you have to show for it?" Bags almost as dark as Kolsin's hung under his eyes.

Eura paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. This wasn't like her commander. She expected him to pull out a blade and attack her from the shadows, not confront her with words or anger. He was acting like he had last night, but he should have been able to get his emotions in check by now. Was there someone else within earshot that he was pretending for? Always a possibility in this nation, and more so within these walls. She hated political intrigue, though it's what paid her bills. Keeping Nosferatu safe from his political enemies paid well.

"Nothing to say for yourself?" he continued to stare at her, his red eyes demanding an answer she didn't have to a question he hadn't properly asked. He knew she was working on finding the lawbreaker, so why all the anger?

"What happened?" she asked as she set her list on his table. There was no use in trying to defend herself. He would just see it as a weakness, and she couldn't afford to appear weak in front of her superior.

"What happened?" He turned and spat out the window before turning back to scowl at her. "You mean you haven't heard? I figured the news would be all over the city by now. I thought that's why you were here. Or did one of my worthless runners find you? What's that piece of paper on my desk?"

She didn't know what he was going on about, but at least he'd finally asked her a question she could answer.

"It's a list of names from a party held at the third victim's home. I suspect one of them may be the murderer."

"You _suspect_?" Roen asked as he picked up the list. Eura remained silent as he glanced over it. "Hmm, a few influential names here. Most of this list isn't worth piss for suspects. Madame Ulfery for instance was here at the palace yesterday when Elna was killed. Most of these names are ones that are too squeamish to take their own blood. They have servants who do it for them. Why are there two columns, old and new? I know of everyone in the old column, and some of them aren't that old."

"Old and new acquaintances at the party that was held before Mrs. Wallmue's death," Eura explained. "It's my guess that one of the new names will guide me to the killer. I'm hoping you know some of them, to set me on the right track."

Eura watched as Roen ran his finger down the second list. He stopped at a name and slammed the paper against the table. "Shit! You might be right. I know one of these names, and they're down in the morgue right now. I wonder if any of these others are potential targets. Why didn't they go after one of the wealthier names on this list? Why kill her?"

Eura's heart dropped as she heard his words. She understood his anger now, and even the guard's reticence earlier. If there had been another victim... If the killer took another life and became even stronger... her hands began to sweat as she realized her task just grew harder.

"This is good work, but it comes a little too late," Roen stated before pounding his fist against the desk again. "I'm afraid the killer struck again this afternoon and didn't even try to hide their tracks. So far there are no witnesses, but the body was found by a civilian and word is rapidly spreading about the rogue vampire in the city. It won't be long now until there is mass panic and worse."

Eura wanted to use a few choice words from her vocabulary, but worked to keep her face and voice expressionless in front of her boss. "Can I see the body? Were there any other clues to the identity of the one responsible?"

He looked up and considered her for a long moment. She wasn't sure what to make of his stare. Either he was considering her request, trying to figure out what he was having for dinner, or wondering how much he could get for her on the black market. There was no expression on his face anymore. Just his hard features facing her as he remained silent.

Eura held his gaze, refusing to look away, and schooled her own features to be just as unreadable. She didn't know what was going through his head, and wasn't going to give away her own fears and misgivings, but it was hard. Five victims. Five! There was no way she was strong enough, or fast enough to defeat someone like that. Even if none of those five losses had no experience with weapons or fighting—which Elna most certainly did—she still couldn't hope to match up to the killer's current strength and speed.

"I should take you off this case," Roen finally broke the silence and almost startled Eura from her worries. "It's too big now. I can't have you becoming a target. My assassins are supposed to work from the shadows, but whoever the whoreson is who's doing this has made it too public."

"Don't you dare," Eura snapped before she could think better of it. Once the words were out of her mouth, she ploughed on, trusting her gut more than her sense. "I can do this. If what or who I am becomes discovered, you can just deny it, or me. I can figure this out. Don't take me from this."

Roen shook his head. Eura expected him to get angry with her insubordination, but instead when he spoke, his voice was resigned and weary. "I said I _should_ take you off the case, not that I was. The choice isn't mine. Nosferatu spoke, and I will obey. He's certain that you will be the one to catch the killer, as if he can see the future." He paused to pinch the bridge of his nose, as though fighting off a headache. She would have been surprised if he didn't have one, being pressured from all sides to stop the killer and put an end to the fear that was likely already sweeping the streets. "Come on. The body is downstairs. I'm sure by now Meldin is done with his examination."

Eura followed her commander down to the morgue for the second time in less than as many days. The place still held the same scents of myrrh, cinnamon, honey, wax, and many others she still couldn't identify.

Meldin at least wasn't occupied with dubious company. He sat behind a small desk, bent over and furiously writing.

"What did you find out?" Roen demanded and the bald man jumped. He blinked a few times as his red eyes shifted focus. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and tried again to see them. "Oh! Captain Roen. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in. I was just writing down my notes to send up to you, but since you're here, I'll tell you."

Eura noticed the man looked worn and tired. He had to have gotten more sleep than she did after their late night, but he looked the worse for wear. He didn't speak further, and for half a second, Eura wondered if he'd fallen asleep with his eyes open.

"So tell me," Roen ordered as Meldin gave them a blank stare.

"Oh, yes. Of course!" Meldin jumped again. "Sorry, I... I didn't get much sleep. Don't usually have this many pressing issues coming in at once... Thought I'd be able to, um, never mind." His eyes flicked from Eura and then back to Roen as he stood up with his notes in hand. He walked over to a table with a covered body on top. It was obvious from the outline under the sheet that it was a female, but Eura couldn't tell any more than that. "The death occurred shortly before the body was found about midafternoon. I couldn't find any defensive wounds, nor evidence that this one was drugged beforehand. It's almost as if she let herself get taken. As far as I can tell, there was no attempt to hide it this time."

Eura turned to her boss and asked, "You said this one was on the list? Who was she?"

"Her name is... _was_ Sasha Patlett. She wasn't too notable, though she was known to hang around with the more influential in the city. It was her boyfriend that found her." Roen reached down and pulled back the sheet, revealing the woman with two puncture marks and her neck.

Eura's heart felt as though it stopped for half a second as she looked at the somewhat familiar chubby woman. It was the same one that she'd tried to follow that morning after her conversation with Courla. Eura didn't believe in coincidences, but she was having a hard time putting these pieces together.

"You seem surprised," Roen stated. "Did you know her?"

"Surprised?" she heard Meldin mutter. "She always looks stone-faced to me." Both of them glared at the man and watched as his cheeks burned red. "Right, sorry. You mentioned knowing her?"

"I didn't know her," Eura responded, and grimaced a little extra to show the bald man she wasn't completely stone faced. She was good at hiding her emotions, but Roen knew her well enough to read past that. "I only saw her earlier today while I was talking to one of my informants. She seemed suspicious, so I tried to follow her. I lost her in the crowd."

" _She_ ditched _you_?" Roen asked, sounding shocked and a bit disappointed. Eura thought up a number of excuses she could make, but made none. When it was obvious she wasn't going to respond, he continued, "If she saw your face, then the killer might know it too after taking her memories. Even more reason I should take you off this case."

"I don't know how well she saw me," Eura retorted. "It was across the street, and I wasn't trying to stand out. She happened to be someone I noticed. I followed my gut to follow her, but didn't have her scent, and didn't have a real reason to suspect her of anything." She realized she'd just offered an excuse for losing the woman, and bit the inside of her cheek in frustration.

"You've done well by following your gut in the past," Roen gave her the surprising compliment. "I still don't like it, but Nosferatu's order stands. You, and only you, will investigate this. What I said last night also still stands, though. If you figure out who it is, don't take them on. Contact me, and I'll have the entire city guard mobilize if I have to, to take them down."

"Thanks," Eura said and meant it. "After five kills, it might take that many to kill them. You said her boyfriend found her? Did he have anything else to say? Anything that may lead me to who did this?"

There was no mistaking the scowl that crossed Roen's face, nor the pain behind it. "Yeah. Apparently he didn't trust his girlfriend to be faithful. He said she was acting strange the last few days, and was following her around yesterday." He stopped and swallowed before glaring down at the body as though whatever he had to say was all the dead woman's fault. She hadn't seen her commander this upset since, well, last night when it was his daughter, Elna, on the table.

"What did he see?" Eura pressed after a moment of silence.

The muscles in Roen's jaw flexed a couple times before he spoke. "He said he saw his girlfriend getting friendly with one of the city guard. He said he saw them go into the guard's home after they were kissing for a bit. He was going to confront them, but when he got to the door, he heard the unmistakable sounds of two people... Anyway, changed his mind and walked away, figuring he would talk to her that night and try to work out a time they could all play together, but she didn't come to his place. When he went to her home, he found her dead. He was certain the guard had done it, until I showed him Elna's body."

"Elna... your—" she cut off as she glanced at the drawer that held Elna's body in it still. Elna, Roen's daughter, had been with this woman yesterday, and found dead last night. Now this woman was killed today. Was it a jealousy thing? If so, then that meant the boyfriend was the likely suspect. Except the boyfriend didn't sound jealous, as much as trying to take advantage of the situation. Also, the boyfriend had found the body. There was an attempt to hide the previous deaths, which made it even unlikelier that it was the boyfriend since he exposed this one. If all that was true, then following him might just lead her to the killer. She would use him as bait, and see what fish she caught. "Do you know where this man is now? What was his name?"

"His name was Markle Gonser, but forget it. I already thought of that, and questioned him thoroughly before I let him go," Roen informed her. "He was pretty distraught about losing his girlfriend. There is no way he was faking that."

She trusted her commander and his opinion, but her gut said that following him would lead to the killer.

"One more thing," Roen said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her from the morgue. When they were outside and out of earshot, he dropped his voice to a barely audible whisper. "I lied to you last night about whether there were any other scents in Elna's room. There was, and It was Sasha a smelled. I tried to find her myself, but it looks like she wasn't the killer after all."

"Why did you lie?" she asked, keeping her own voice just as low. Her anger flared up at his admission. If he'd shared that scent with her, she would have been able to follow the woman in the streets this morning and perhaps save her life, if not catch the killer.

"Because I wanted the killer for myself," he growled and left before she could ask anything else.

# Chapter 8

Tails

Eura halted next to a wood slatted wall and watched her mark. The sun sat halfway down the horizon before her, making it hard to see Markle Gonser in the crowded street.

Shops were closing up, but this was a tavern district. The streets would soon be even busier before they cleared for the night. With the death of Markle's girlfriend, she knew the taverns would be filled to capacity as vampires and what few humans lived here drank away the day's toils. For herself, she was looking forward to a cocktail of lamb's blood and strong liquor when tonight's activities were done.

Not until after she found whoever was taking sentient lives, however. The attacks were coming too fast, and she needed to put a stop to them. Commander Roen was on the verge of taking this task away from her, and she couldn't allow that. Not only because she'd never failed before, but because Nosferatu was placing his trust in her. Failure wasn't an option.

A ripple in the crowd pulled her attention back to her task and she cursed. She'd lost sight of her man. Stepping out into the throng, she used her heightened senses to find him again. It hadn't been hard to find him after leaving the morgue, and she'd gained his scent with ease after a quick stop by his place. Markle hadn't been home, but his lock was easy to pick, and his scent permeated the place.

The street stank of too many bodies in a closed area, but it was better than the human cities.

She caught a whiff of her target's scent, and followed it down the street. Someone jostled her and cursed. Without thinking, she checked her daggers, one up each sleeve, one in her boot, two sheathed behind her back and one hidden between her breasts. It said something about her that she checked her weaponry before her meager purse, but all was where it should be. The recent invention of a zipper made pickpocket's jobs harder these day. She wished she were wearing her leathers, but they stood out too much in this crowd. Her brown boots were good sturdy leather, but everything else was cotton and wool. If she'd known what part of the city she'd end up on, she would have worn all wool, but it was too late now.

The scent lessened and she stopped outside of The Hoary Goat. She'd never entered this particular tavern, but she knew its reputation. Even if she hadn't, the thin woman wearing next to nothing smiling at every patron who entered would have tipped her off.

"Hey darling," the black haired woman said as Eura approached the door. Her red eyes flashed as she checked Eura up and down, taking in her average clothes. Many of those entering The Hoary Goat wore threadbare coverings, making Eura seem like a prime target. "I haven't seen you here before. Care for a little company while you drink?"

Eura painted a smile on her face, pretending to give the woman the same evaluation. Instead of taking in her clothing—or lack thereof—Eura noticed the tell-tale bulge of a small blade on her hip, and the slightly more telling bulge at her crotch. Not a woman at all, then. Body modification was easy enough, if you knew the right mystic. The fact that her, or his, left breast was slightly more pronounced than the right meant he was hiding something there as well. Prostitution was a dangerous business.

"How many drinks?" Eura asked as though interested. She had to play her part, or risk being noticed. Prostitution was technically illegal in the vampire nation, but there were ways around that. Most whores had a working deal with the tavern owners. A patron buys their _date_ so many drinks, and afterwards, the two went off to have their fun. Of course, those drinks were water, and afterwards the owner and prostitute split the difference.

"Five," she said with a smile. It was easier for Eura to think of the person as a female, despite the lower bulge. The woman grinned and licked her lips, likely sensing a possible paycheck. "Trust me, sweety. I'm worth it."

Eura didn't indulge in this kind of behavior, but she knew that five drinks was cheap compared to those in other parts of the city. Vampires weren't susceptible to the same diseases as humans, and there was no way for the prostitute to know that Eura wasn't fully human. Eura's ears were hidden behind her hair and green eyes shouted her human blood.

She grimaced and patted her hip. "I'm afraid that's a bit too much. I only have enough for two drinks."

Eura received a glare and then was ignored as someone else approached the doorway. She tried not to smile at the fickle nature of the woman's business.

As she stepped in, she saw Markle drinking in a corner. Nothing suspicious about that at all. After the death of his girlfriend, he likely wanted to drink away his woes. He was watching all who entered, so she pretended to wave to someone else and headed for the bar. She felt his gaze slide off her. He appeared wary and cautious, meaning she had to be doubly so, without appearing to be.

She ordered a blood ale and received an odd look from the balding man behind the counter. He thought she was human. She would have been annoyed, but she had other things to keep her attention. She might need the strength the blood gave her later, and there would be no way for someone else to know she wasn't drinking straight ale, unless they got close enough to smell her drink. There were a few humans drinking at random tables, so her presence here wouldn't be noticed.

With her drink in hand, she headed for the wall she'd waived at, and sat down. From this seat, she was able to watch her target and the entryway. The man sat with others, but he didn't talk to them, sipping at his drink. His posture was casual, but there was something about it that made Eura think he was waiting for something. Could it be her target? She doubted it. The killer wouldn't attack in this crowded of a place, but there was a chance Markle knew the killer, even if he didn't know he knew.

Whenever a serving wench happened close, he'd grin and attempt to grope her with deft hands. The barmaids were used to this behavior and dodged most advances with ease. He was fast. So much for mourning his girlfriend...

_The man is a pig,_ Eura thought as she sipped on her blood ale. The stuff was stale and not at all satisfying. The blood used was from a goat, not her favorite, but it was better than hawk, and tasted like it had been killed last year. To top it off, the ale was weak. That didn't seem to stop a couple men from trading blows in one corner. They'd probably started drinking this garbage early that morning to have gotten that drunk. The fight didn't last long before both were escorted out by a woman carrying a large oak cudgel. The weapon looked like it'd been well used by the dents, scrapes, and stains marring its surface. The men would suffer from more than hangovers tomorrow.

She glanced back at her mark, and cursed when he wasn't in his seat. Standing, she thought she saw his dark shirt follow the fighters outside.

# Chapter 9

Chase

She needed to stay on him. She swore at herself for getting distracted. There was a good possibility that this man knew the killer. Nosferatu and Commander Roen were getting impatient with her lack of progress.

Once outside, she scented the air again, passing by the spot the prostitute had occupied as she followed the man's odor. The streets were mostly empty now. People knew it was dangerous to be out this late with the killer on the loose.

She had no issues following his unique smell. She could tell he'd bathed earlier today, using some kind of flowery scented soap. Odd that someone who would hang out in this part of town would use expensive soap instead of the more common lye soap. If he was like his late girlfriend, he was trying to keep up appearances. But then, why come to this part of town? There were a few oddities about him that drew her suspicions.

She heard a light boot scuff the ground behind her. She spun with fluid ease, pulling a dagger from her sleeve. Two people huddled together in an alcove of one of the buildings. No, they weren't huddled. It was too warm for huddling and from a moan she recognized as belonging to the prostitute earlier, they were actively pursuing the whore's business. Eura was surprised, with the rumors already flying about the killer; she'd expect people to seek crowded places. Of course, the woman couldn't do her work in crowded places, either.

The prostitute looked at her, with Eura's dagger out and ready. She would have expected the woman to flinch away or make some sort of commotion. Instead, she licked her lips and pointed down a different alleyway. She returned her attention back to the person making her moan, and Eura turned away.

The scent she was following went down the indicated alleyway. How had the woman known she was following that man? Was the prostitute working for the killer? Was she the rogue? Was Eura being guided into a trap? She couldn't see a Good Samaritan helping out a dagger wielding woman this late in the evening.

The scent grew weaker as she deliberated. She glanced at the couple again and growled. Nosferatu expected results. Commander Roen waited for her to let him know who the killer was. She couldn't let them down. With another curse, she turned and sped down the alleyway.

She tried to keep her leather padded footsteps from echoing in the alleyway, but the scent was light on the air. If she didn't hurry, she'd have to stop and smell the ground like some dog. She'd do it, if it came to that, but she'd rather avoid the degradation.

She passed through an intersection and lost the scent. Her heart thumped in her ears as she backtracked, testing the other paths. She found the scent again to her right on the road heading north. It was stronger now. She was catching up.

At this point, it would be better to grab Markle and question him. Her frustration mounted as she rounded a corner and lost the scent again. Did the man know he was being chased? She knew she should slow down. She needed to stop and analyze the situation, but if the man knew he was being followed, he'd go underground and she'd lose her opportunity. Once she was close enough, she could take to the rooftops to follow him.

The scent of flowery soap filling her nostrils was all the warning she had. Decades of training kicked in, almost as strong as instinct. Dropping to one knee, she pushed hard against the ground, driving forward. She rolled as the ground came up to meet her, twisting her body so that she came up facing her assailant.

"You're fast," Markle said as he pulled his cudgel back into a defensive posture. "Faster than most, I'll give you that pretty thing."

Eura freed her other dagger from its sheath on her arm and waited. With a blade in each hand, she planted both feet, ready if the man rushed her.

"Awe, you don't talk much, do you?" The creep licked his lips as his eyes roamed her tense body. "I wonder if your blood flows as red as your hair? I knew when you walked into the Hoary Boar, I just had to try you on."

Eura wasn't sure what the man was on about, but the world wouldn't miss someone of his ilk. How had Roen thought this man was mourning Sasha? She took a slow step towards him, watching for any signs he was ready to attack.

He waved his club before him, but Eura didn't sense any threat from the gesture. "Now, now. Where are your manners? My name is Aurelia. What might I call you?"

Aurelia? That was a woman's name. Had she been following the wrong man? Where was Markle? Eura knew there was something she was missing. She felt off balance in this situation, which only added fuel to her rising anger.

"What do you know of the murders recently?" she asked, keeping a tight rein on her voice. "Do you know who has been taking lives?" She didn't want to kill him if she didn't have to, but if she got her answers first, she could remove one more creep from this world. She'd be saving the city guards from getting their hands dirty. No reason to bother Commander Roen with this pig.

The man didn't flinch at her direct questions. He seemed at ease as he rested his cudgel against his shoulder. "Have you ever wondered how we always seem to know whether someone is speaking of taking, as in taking one's life essence, versus the regular taking, as in, I was just taking a stroll when some hot tart decided to follow me?"

Having this conversation was the last thing Eura expected to be doing this late into the night. She knew she should act. She needed to find out what this man knew. She wasn't used to someone looking at her with such ease when she held her daggers out. Fear or anger were the common reactions. The man sounded more like a scholar than someone dealing in criminal activities.

"Still nothing to say?" the man shook his head in mock disappointment. "I swear, the youth of today have no manners. Things were different before our current Nosferatu. Vampires were feared and _respected_. We didn't have to listen or give veneration to you weak humans."

Vampires lived a long time, though not immortal. She was a little over two hundred, and this man appeared to be no older than her. Her human blood didn't change her aging, as she drew strength from the blood she drank. Any other vampire her age would age at the same slow rate, unless they went long periods without taking. The current Nosferatu had held his position for most of her life, yet this man spoke as though he was much older.

Fear started to worm its way into her heart as a terrible suspicion came upon her.

"Ah, I see you're beginning to understand. Of course, that means I have to kill you now. Such a shame too. You have such a beautiful body. I was truly looking forward to enjoying it."

Eura struck, knowing she only had a small chance. This man was the killer. There couldn't be any doubt. Not with the way he spoke and acted. She should have seen the signs, but it was too late now. He would be faster, stronger, and smarter than any foe she'd face before. Not even Commander Roen would be a match for him. After this man took five other lives, no living vampire could stand against this man. She needed to get away and let her commander know. Hopefully he could get the City Guard together and destroy Markle, or Aurelia, or whatever his name was before he killed anyone else.

She brought her right blade up, aiming for his neck as she thrust the left dagger at his gut. She sensed, more than saw, him move. Pain erupted in her right hand at almost the same time the blade was knocked out of her left. How could the man move so fast? Both her blades skittered across the ground at the same time in opposite directions.

She stepped away from him, and he didn't press his advantage. She knew he was playing with her. Teasing her with a few more moments of life before he took her. If she ran, he'd catch her with ease. If she yelled for help, whoever came would succumb to his strength and speed as well. She was alone in this fight, and far outmatched.

She couldn't move the fingers of her right hand and her wrist was on fire. Her left hand still functioned, though. Using the pretense of holding her injured wrist to her chest, she grasped the blade hidden between her breasts. She waited. She knew he would speak again. He wouldn't be able to help himself. For him, it would be bragging. She could see he was arrogant, though he had every reason to be.

"Such a pretty thing. Maybe I'll wear your skin for a bit. I've only been a man for a few hours, but I wouldn't mind wearing your skin. I don't think you're entirely human, either. You're too fast. Humans have such weak minds, anyway. I have a feeling yours will be a delight to conquer. That body of yours will be a delight as well. And what secrets might I learn from your mind?"

Eura felt sickened by his words, but used the moment to attack. With the small blade in her left hand, she lunged, aiming for his throat.

A solid wall slammed into her face. It was probably only his fist, but it felt like a brick. She staggered back as something warm filled her mouth and her eyes blurred. She knew the taste of blood, though her own didn't give her any strength.

She blinked, trying to clear her vision. Her left hand was empty again. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been beaten so easily. She needed to retreat. She knew who the killer was now. She was over-matched and didn't stand a chance against him. She knew escape was impossible.

"You are strong," the man laughed. "Pretty and strong. I'm going to enjoy being you. I wonder what pretty little secrets I'll learn. Maybe I'll play with that pretty blonde I saw you talking to this morning. Elna may have turned her away. Who knew such a pretty guard was into chubby women? I'm sure that blonde could be lots of fun to play with."

Eura heard his footsteps, though she still couldn't see clearly. She jumped to her right, remembering that freedom was closer that way. She had to get away from this monster and let Commander Roen know who the killer was.

An iron band wrapped around her from behind, squeezing her tight to his chest. She felt her lungs compress as he squeezed her against his solid frame. Her arms were pinned at her sides and she couldn't reach any of her other weapons.

Fear pounded in her head as her chest cried for air. She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't fight back. She was going to die, or worse, he was going to take her life essence, joining her knowledge and skills to his. That second thought sent renewed fear burning through her. Would her mind join his? Would she still know who she was, but remain locked away in his awareness, unable to affect anything? He would gain access to all her secrets. Everyone she knew would be in danger.

Adrenaline joined her fear, and she fought against the arms squeezing the life out of her. She kicked with her legs, the only part of her still free. She felt feet connect with his legs, but he didn't seem to notice. How strong was he? She could feel him chuckling through his chest as her heart thundered in her ears.

She couldn't escape. He was too strong and too fast. He was too much in every respect. She couldn't even get enough air to scream for help. White motes danced in her vision. She was going to die, or worse, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

She wouldn't be leaving any family behind. Her mother had died during child-birth, and she had no idea who her father was, despite years of searching. She was about to become one more faceless victim to this pervert.

Darkness encroached on her blurry vision. Part of her knew she was still struggling, but she couldn't feel anything below her ribs. Her chest burned with a need for air.

The throbbing blood filled veins of his neck swam before her vision.

She couldn't do that! Not just because it was against the law, but because it was the worst thing, morally, a vampire could do. Saving her life wasn't worth that price.

But could she exist with the alternative? Sucked into his mind and subjugated to his will? He was already fast and powerful, but he would gain all of her skills and knowledge. He would be able to infiltrate the assassins. He could even get to Nosferatu and kill him, if he chose to.

The thought of seeing Nosferatu, with all his knowledge and centuries of power, laid out on the ground, drained of blood, made her decision. She couldn't let him down. He had given her this mission, made it clear that she was the one to complete it, and she would _not_ fail him. It wasn't worth saving her life, but it was worth saving his.

Despite the pain and approaching blackout, it took a simple thought to summon her fangs. She relaxed her neck and felt her teeth sink into his flesh.

Warmth flowed into her mouth. Instinct kicked in and she locked her jaw, sealing her lips to his skin. Her throat swallowed in reflex, taking in the life giving blood. She felt strength and renewed vigor flow into her.

It wasn't enough. His arms didn't loosen and the blood wasn't restoring her fast enough. Oblivion took her as she continued to drink. His laughter followed her into darkness.

## Chapter 10

Blood Mind

The world turned the color of fresh arterial blood. Nothing was visible but the constant red coating over everything. This couldn't be considered a room, but an open area where everything was one solid color. There were no edges for her eyes to lock onto. She felt as though she were floating, but she also felt something solid under her feet.

Was this the afterlife? She didn't feel dead. In fact, she felt good. Energy coursed through her body, suffusing her limbs with strength. Her heart felt light and giddy. The pain of moments ago was gone. She had no doubt that she could easily jump to a second story window, or move a boulder as large as her, or the man that'd attacked her.

Where was her attacker? Aurelia was his name, wasn't it? No, Aurelia was a woman's name. Either way, he wouldn't stand a chance against her now.

Images began to flash around her in the unending crimson. She saw a woman cowering in fear. A child held close to her breast as a man stood over her, fists raised and ready to strike again. Her face was tear stained and bruised. The child in her arms didn't move. From the blood stains on the blanket surrounding it, it may never move again.

Somehow Eura knew without being told that this woman was the true Aurelia. This was her before she became the murderous man that'd attacked her. Her red eyes flashed hatred and fear of the man towering above her.

His fist came down. She tried to protect the dead baby in her arms, but he was faster. The corpse tumbled from her arms and the limp body tumbled across the floor. Blank cloudy red eyes stared at the adults from a lifeless, gray face.

The woman screamed incoherently as she scooped the child back into her arms. The man came upon her again, speaking, though his words couldn't be heard over Aurelia's sobs. She turned on him, madness now filled features that may have once been beautiful. She set the corpse gently on the floor then leapt, tackling the man to the ground. He managed to grip her wrists before she could tear into him, but his throat was left exposed. The woman brought out her fangs and sank them into the man's flesh. He screamed, but Eura still couldn't hear it.

The scene faded, leaving Eura nauseous. Aurelia hadn't been a bad woman, just a woman in a bad place and terrible situation.

Another scene coalesced in the red surrounding her, and then another, and another. Each one showing Aurelia taking another life, until someone took her. Eura knew this wasn't the end, though. Aurelia's mind took over that body and the killing continued.

With every new life Aurelia took, she grew stronger, faster, and smarter. More lives than just the five she knew about. There were ten victims, she knew as memories assaulted Eura with each new taking. She could remember _being_ those people. Memories of a childhood she'd never had swamped her and threatened to carry her away. Hopes and dreams dashed as their life force was taken. Loves lost and destroyed by Aurelia's growing hunger and madness.

With every new death, Aurelia's addiction matured. She became more of an animal operating by instinct and desire, and less of a person. She had to have more. Each new taking fed a hunger in her that expanded instead of being satisfied. She was cautious at first, hiding her victims. But as her hunger and addiction grew, it became harder to care about staying hidden. Then she saw Courla talking with Eura, and knew that someone was on her trail. She thought it was Courla, based on Elna's memories, and went back to her boyfriend. She forced him to drink her blood, and took over his body, leaving Sasha behind and becoming Markle.

She was strong enough to take whoever she liked. The hunger cultivated in her, and consumed what little was left of her sanity.

As Aurelia's history played out, Eura was inundated with other memories. She remembered being held warmly in a man's arms. His name was Adan. He loved her and they were going to run away together. Her parents didn't approve, but she loved him. Before they could, Aurelia attacked in the body of a different woman. The rogue vampire feigned losing and tricked the young woman into taking her. Once in the woman's mind, Aurelia took over. She suppressed the woman's consciousness until it held no more control over the body than a flea does over a mangy dog. Then she met up with Adan that night and took him.

The memories paraded one after another, faster and faster, threatening to wash Eura away and leave a husk for Aurelia to take over. This was a trick she'd used before, But Eura struggled to hold onto her sanity.

Aurelia hadn't killed five people, but twice that many. Ten deaths, making Aurelia ten times stronger, ten times faster, and ten times more dangerous.

Eura focused on her own familiar memories, trying to block out everything else. She remembered the orphanage where she grew up. There were bullies who tried to take advantage of her as a child. She focused on a memory of one of them lying on the ground, holding his crotch. Her foot had hurt from delivering the blow, but she'd known even then that she had to be ruthless if she wanted to survive. Her punishment had been severe, but she rarely suffered a bully again after that.

She remembered training to be an assassin. Taking down an alpha wolf with her bare hands, and the heat of its blood as she drank from its throat. Her senses had more than tripled in intensity. It only took her a single night to become accustomed to her new abilities. She was proud of that fact. Proud that it'd taken her a single night what it took some a week to master. But not as proud as she'd been the day Nosferatu deemed she was ready to take up the mantle of assassin.

A light feminine laugh echoed around the space she occupied. Eura spun to find it, but there was nothing to see besides the red and flashing memories. Something shifted. She couldn't put her finger on what, but she knew that this space was shrinking. She could feel an external force compressing the area and her existence along with it.

Understanding penetrated her mind. Panic soon followed. She hadn't escaped somehow and gotten away. Either she was in her target's mind and being consumed, or... Or Aurelia was trying to take over her body after she'd drank his blood.

With those other memories at her disposal, she knew Aurelia had used this trick in the past to avoid capture. It was easy to avoid discovery when your body and gender were so easily swapped.

But she wouldn't make this easy for him... or her... Eura growled as she focused again on who she was. This was her mind. This was her body. There wasn't a chance she was going to let this woman have her life. She'd worked too hard for it, sacrificed too much, to let someone else steal her memories. She prided herself on her strong will and adaptability. Two skills Nosferatu and Commander Roen had put to the test before. If she could master an alpha wolf's senses faster than anyone in memory, then she could keep her mind intact against one that had degraded into insanity and instinct.

"I am Eura Falton. I am a trained assassin. I am half vampire. I was raised an orphan, but my father is still out there somewhere. I will not lose to some lowlife scum." She repeated the litany, mentally pushing back against the encroaching redness. The compression slowed, but didn't stop. This was her body, her mind! She couldn't give up. Aurelia was in her mind. Eura had over two-hundred years of experience in this body. Over a century and a half of that learning to be an assassin and control every aspect of her physiology.

Aurelia had ten kills to add to her strength. She had swapped bodies four time, but taking over weaker minds ten times. Aurelia was strong and experienced, but Eura was stubborn and this was her body!

She continued her litany, affirming who she was and calming her fears. She split her mind, keeping the words going with one part, and picturing Aurelia as she was in her original form. She pulled up the horrible memory of the woman clutching the dead baby, with her bloodstained dress. Placing that image before her, she watched the retched woman appear out of the red, as though appearing from bloody mist. She had the woman's memories to tell her what was needed to defeat her.

"What?" the ordinary woman demanded, looking around in confusion. "How? This isn't possible!"

With Aurelia before Eura, she no longer had to concentrate on the image. She conjured chains from the mist. The chains moved like snakes as they slithered from behind the rogue and struck. Eura was ruthless as the chains ripped through the other woman's body like spears, piercing her flesh and making her scream. They struck, turned while still in the air, and stabbed again. Blood flew from the wounds as the chains tore through the evil image of Aurelia. The rogue was dragged to the ground, her screams filling the red space as the chains ripped her apart.

"I am Eura Falton and this is my body," she stated one last time as the world around her fractured and blew apart. "I am Nosferatu's assassin!"

# Chapter 11

Prisoner

Eura's eyes snapped open. Aurelia's—or Markle's—limp body lay beneath and chaos surrounded her.

"She's awake." Eura recognized the voice of the prostitute from earlier.

"You monster!" an old woman screamed in her face before a fist connected with Eura's jaw.

"Tie her up!" someone else screamed.

Eura opened her mouth to defend herself, but someone's foot connected with her stomach and knocked the air from her lungs.

She rolled with the blow, trying to lessen its impact. Jumping to her feet, she felt her head impact something hard, but it gave way with her new strength. Her balance was off, having moved faster than she'd meant to. Her feet tangled with someone else's and she fell again.

Her skin felt odd, as though it belonged to someone else. She knew she was herself, but there was so much more to her now. She was stronger, faster, and filled with more power than she thought possible. Despite feeling too large for her skin, she knew she could kill every one of these people and escape. She could light them all on fire with a simple spell, or freeze them in their tracks. They were beneath her. She wasn't beholden to them or their ways. She was a wolf, and they were all lambs to be devoured by her hunger. They were as far below her, as humans were below dragons before their fall.

But dragons _had_ fallen to humans almost three centuries before she was born. As powerful as they were, they'd succumbed to the Fallen King and his conquering army. Just as Aurelia fell to Eura's mind and willpower.

Eura turned to face the person she'd tripped over. A young woman lay unconscious on her back. Blood covered the woman's face and poured from what remained of her nose. That must have been what Eura struck when she'd tried to stand.

The blood beckoned to Eura. It was right there, calling to her. Her jaw and stomach hurt from the blows she'd received. That pain would go away with—

She cut that thought short and looked around. She couldn't do that. She _wouldn't_ take another's life. Not again. She needed to report to Nosferatu. He would redeem her. He'd sent her on this mission and would know that she was innocent. Commander Roen would vouch for her too. They knew the truth.

Aurelia's corpse lay dead close by, mocking her. She wasn't innocent and never would be again.

The crowd around her stayed back, looking at her with fear. If they didn't know her strength, they suspected it. They were right to fear her. They were nothing more than food to her now.

"No," she growled under her breath. "That's not me. I won't do that. I won't become her."

Her instincts demanded she fight. Demanded she show them what she was capable of. Demanded she feed. She might as well be a god to them. They should worship her. They weren't worthy to stand in her presence.

For a long moment she fought her instincts, and almost lost. Memories swarmed her, reminding her of the bliss she would feel if she fed again. Telling her of the glories she could reach if she continued down Aurelia's path. She saw other memories, too. Not just feeding off other sentient beings, but of an army building. A force was growing in the Hornhildt Mountains that would sweep down, burning, raping, pillaging, and feeding on them all if it weren't stopped. Aurelia hadn't been the only vampire to go rogue. There were many others, waiting for their opportunity to topple the current Nosferatu. This was where that missing shipment of weapons had gone; to supply this new army. And they were being led by—

It took more effort than she cared to admit, but she dropped to her knees and bowed her head. "I submit myself," she told them through clenched teeth. "My name is Eura Falton. I have information Nosferatu needs to know. The Fallen King—"

She was cut short as the first boot struck her. By the time she was beaten into sweet oblivion, she couldn't remember what was so important that she was willing to endure the crowd's violence.

