Dance with the Devil

Epilogue

   Young and untrained it seemed.

   I trotted carefully up to the two story building, looking for any signs that someone was watching the street. But there was nothing, not a twitch of a curtain or a single shadow moving past a window. I readjusted the grip on my knife and pressed myself against the wood slats as I came upon the house, I would not give those sneaky bastards a chance to come up behind me.

   I peered into the window but saw nothing, it was covered by a heavy curtain so even the light from the fire I knew was burning inside could not pass. It was not ideal, but I could hear no other voices, no movement at all despite knowing that vampire was inside. Surely if there were others the sight of such an irresistible victim as an infant would cause a frenzy, the vampires fighting over the few drops the child’s body held causing a chorus of sounds.

   Maybe my luck was changing for the better. It certainly couldn’t get worse from here.

   As I gripped the latch on the door, pulling it open and diving inside I thought that just might be true.

   There were two of them; twin girls standing before the hearth in an otherwise sparsely furnished room. A table flanked by two chairs, a bench against a wall, floors that looked as if they had never seen a broom and not a lamp in sight. The only light brought to the nearly empty space by the fading fire.

   A peasant’s home at best, surely it wasn’t hard for these twin vampires to overcome them and take it as their own. They were a mirror of the other, their only difference was the one was still sopping wet where her sister stood in dry clothes. And they were clinging to each other, in fear, in fear of me.

   I measured the both of them eagerly, wondering if one would fight me as I took her sister. They had some affinity for the other that was obvious, so surely one would be more than willing to sacrifice her body to not only save herself but her sister. Actually this worked out well, one could care for the infant as I laid her sister out, I wouldn’t have to worry about it perishing while I satisfied myself. This was truly a night of success for me.

   A laugh bubbled out of my throat at my good fortune, “the Master will certainly be pleased,” I mumbled aloud.

   But to my horror my words found an answer, and not from the scared children in front of me.

   “I wouldn’t be so sure,” a voice I knew all too well boomed from behind me.

   I spun around to find myself face to face with the Master Slayer. The former Master Slayer actually as he has retired just a night after the Blood Moon gathering. He was not a step from me, his features obscured by the heavy hood he wore, but still I knew that face. Knew it the night of that gathering as well, he thought he had concealed himself well enough with that full mask, but I knew who he was. That weak chin, those womanly eyes, he was not hard to mistake. And the fact that he had the gall to dress to match my betrothed, it had angered me true, but it wasn’t until I caught sight of Eve in his arms, the pair of them twirling around in the dance floor that I became enraged.

   And yet no one thought any responsibility should fall on him for Eve’s disappearance and that of his assistant? I barely kept my sneer to myself.

   “Master,” I swallowed my resentment, “what are you doing here? Are you after these two as well?”

   My heart dropped in my stomach knowing there was no other reason, and that he would get credit for the kill. I was unhappy to admit he was far better at killing then I.

   “No,” he answered simply.

   I looked back to the two girls, only to find that the one who had been soaked now wearing a robe that pooled around her feet, her sister tugging it closed as they both glanced sideways at me, “then I do not understand,” I spoke to the Master as I considered their stances, more relaxed then when I had entered, “that one is a killer,” I pointed my blade at the one on the right, “she killed a woman just now, and I believe she may have stolen her child.”