Traian felt the monster's rage, bursting in his head, in his veins, as if his blood boiled, but he was free of the terrible paralysis. He clapped his hands together and spread his fingers wide, arms outstretched toward the vampire, which was already dissolving into vapor. Lightning forked and sizzled, sending multiple bolts across the night sky.

The furious vampire screamed once, and a putrid smell polluted the night air. Clearly one of those white-hot whips of pure energy had struck, inflicting wounds.

Kill her. Kill all of them, the master vampire commanded his followers.

Thunder splintered the sky. The earth rolled and bucked and the storm raged, a wild hurricane slamming into the forest and village as the vampire raged against Traian. Trees toppled and branches fell, some onto the rooftops of homes on the outer ring of the village.

They throw tantrums, Joie said, her breath in her throat. This time there was fear in her voice. She could feel the fury behind the storm, a foul thing bent on the destruction of humans and Carpathians alike.

Traian raced across the night sky toward the inn, doing his best to countermand the killing storm. He was still leaking too much blood, his body weakened by the multiple attacks, a common warfare for vampires against an experienced hunter. Still, he fought back, countering the vicious winds and the onslaught of rain pounding the village.

Valenteen, the vampire at your door, is dangerous beyond belief, Joie, a master vampire long sought after by Carpathian hunters. Whoever this master is, he commands Valenteen, and that is both shocking and terrifying.

I think I really made him angry, Traian, it might not have been such a good idea to tell him I thought he was nasty.

The entire inn shook, the walls swaying as if from the shock of an earthquake. The door to the verandah sagged, splintered again as something struck it with tremendous force.

Hurry, Traian, they're breaking through the door. Joie's heart was pounding so hard she was afraid it would burst through her chest.

Whispers filled the room, soft, insidious whispers made with sweet voices entreating them to open the door and allow entry. The bracelet on Jubal's wrist glowed brightly. A series of curved, wicked looking razor-sharp blades sprang out.

"What is that?" Gary demanded.

"A weapon to kill vampires," Jubal answered tersely. "Get behind me, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle cried out and put her hands over her ears. She took several steps toward the door, nodding her head, her lips beginning to move.

Gary leapt to her side, dragged her back, his hand over her mouth. He put his lips against her ear. "They're trying to command you to invite them in. You must not listen to them."

They heard something large thump hard in the room above their heads. Someone pounded on the upstairs floor, sending a spider-web of cracks along the ceiling of Gary's room. Pieces of debris fell and the light fixture swayed and then crashed to the floor. Jubal leapt back as the bracelet slipped from his wrist and spun close to him.

"They're breaking through above us," Jubal said. "Gary, keep Gabrielle close to you. If anything happens, get her out and somewhere safe. Joie, I'll take the ones coming through from upstairs, you keep the ones at the door out."

Jubal and Joie each knew the way the other worked, what they were capable of and that each would have the other's back. Gary was an unknown and they preferred to rely on each other despite his expertise.

"I've got it," Joie replied, not certain what she was going to do to prevent vampires from invading the room. "I need a shotgun." She kept her eyes on the door.

"Gary, do you have one? Where is it?" Gabrielle asked.

"Under the bed." Gary indicated his bed with his chin, his eyes remaining on the door.

Gabrielle retrieved the gun and handed it to her sister.

The ceiling shook a second time, and more debris rained down. Wood splintered and cracked, caving in just as the door burst inward, splintering through the middle. A swarm of insects flew straight at Jubal, bringing in the wind and the wild rain. Above their heads, a creature with glowing red eyes and stained teeth glared triumphantly down at them. The whirling blades of Jubal's bracelet rose swiftly into the air, spinning, giving off a low hum as the metal grew hotter and began to glow red.

A second dense cloud of stinging bugs swarmed through the hole in the door, attacking exposed flesh, biting viciously. Gabrielle screamed as she fought them off, slapping at them as they clung to skin and hair. Gary threw a blanket over Gabrielle's head, wrapping her face and arms to protect her from the worst of the bites.

Jubal cursed and beat at his face and neck in a frantic attempt to keep the insects off of him; at the same time, he refused to take his eyes from the widening hole in the ceiling. The vampire beat at the wood and ripped the beams away. He reached down through the hole toward Jubal's head, claws lengthening.

Gary dragged Gabrielle away from the danger of the swinging claw. He met the eyes of the vampire. "You cannot enter this room, foul thing. You are not welcome here."

The arm smoked. Little flames licked up the rotting flesh. The vampire screamed and jerked his arm away, thrashing around on the floor of the bedroom above them before thrusting his head just outside the widening hole and spitting venom at them. The spinning blades rose into the air and smashed into the exposed head, tearing through the face, burning and cutting as it went. The vampire screamed horribly and fell back out of sight.

Jubal closed his eyes, shutting out everything but the bracelet, forming an image in his head of the spinning weapon targeting the vampire's heart. He was oblivious to the insects swarming over him, Gabrielle's cries, or Gary's chanting. The only thing, in that moment that was real for him, was the mage weapon and the vampire.

The scent of burned flesh and hideous screams that cut off abruptly were his only confirmation that he'd been successful. He called the bracelet back to him. It came through the door with the master vampire's retaliation-hordes of bats. The bats covered his body, driving him to the ground with their weight, teeth biting into his flesh with the intention of devouring him.

Gary shoved Gabrielle behind him, toward the bathroom. "Get in there, cover every crack," he ordered and turned back to try to clear the bats from Jubal, knocking them to the floor and to incinerate them with a small torch he took from atop his dresser, ignoring the ones using their wings as feet and walking menacingly across the floor toward him.

A vampire appeared in the hole and Joie shot him with the shotgun, blowing him backward. Immediately the gun grew too hot to hold and she dropped it hastily, inhaling sharply when she saw what she faced. The vampire was back, the b.l.o.o.d.y hole blown through the body spewing maggots, but he was still standing as though unfazed.

Through the door, Joie could see that this was the real enemy. She stood stoically facing the monster outside in the hall. His smile was a terrible parody, as was his bow. He looked smug as he watched the black horde of insects biting the occupants of the room and the bats covering the body of her brother like a living blanket. Joie knew she was staring at something far more foul than the creature she had knifed in the cave. He beckoned to her with his clawlike fingers, and she felt a tremendous pull. It was only the pain from the vicious bites of the insects that kept her from stepping out of the room and into the hallway. She had no doubt that this vampire would kill her-that he would kill all of them.

She struggled to keep her mind her own, rather than allow his soft voice to intrude and command. "You are Valenteen," she named him. "A master vampire without equal. Tell me why you do the bidding of the other, the one who hides behind your strength."

The only weapon she had was to flatter the vampire's ego-stall him in the hope that Traian would come before Valenteen could entice her out to him. "It's clear you're much more powerful. Why would you serve such a creature?" She forced interest and admiration into her voice. "I find it hard to believe that a man like you needs someone like him."

Valenteen's lip curled, exposing blackened gums. "I allow him to think he commands me. It suits me to fall in with his plans. We both seek the same thing. If he finds it, I will take it from him."

Joie was being compelled forward, one slow step at a time. She struggled to stay grounded, flinging her hand out to Jubal. Her brother crawled to her in spite of the weight of the bats, clawing his way across the floor, pushing with elbows and toes until his fingers grasped hers while Gary continued to throw the bats off his back and legs. Jubal gripped her hand without hesitation.

"Of course you'll take whatever it is the two of you seek. He's a fool to think he can treat you with so little respect. I've been all over the world and have never encountered a man as powerful as you." Joie tried to interject a flirty note in her voice, but her acting skills didn't stretch that far. "You should lead them all. Everyone would benefit from your knowledge."

In spite of Jubal's restraining hand, she was jerked another step forward. Joie felt like a puppet on a string. She couldn't stop her body from going toward the beckoning hand, even with Jubal trying to hold her back.

Gary flung up his hands to stop her. "Leave this place," he commanded.

Valenteen sent a thrust of foul air toward Gary's face. Gary stumbled, grasping his throat and going down to one knee. At once the bats began to climb his legs, biting with vicious teeth.

Ignoring the others in the room as though nothing had happened and his conversation with Joie hadn't been interrupted, Valenteen nodded his head. "It is true that I have much experience in leadership. Perhaps killing you is not the best answer. Perhaps bringing you to my side would serve us both better."

Jubal let go of her hand and caught her around the waist, lifting her away from the threshold. At the same time, he tried to send the mage weapon spinning toward the master vampire. At once the vampire closed his hand, staring at Jubal's throat. Joie's brother went down hard, choking, coughing, fighting for air. The insects instantly swarmed over him, clogging his throat, attacking his exposed face. The weapon retreated toward Jubal, obviously trying to protect him from the insects and bats without the guidance of his thoughts.

Gary made a valiant effort to stagger to his feet, still fighting the bats, making a grab for Joie, but she shook her head and deliberately stepped into the hall.

"Help Jubal," she ordered. She kept her gaze on the vampire, trying to appear fascinated. Traian was close. He was with her, moving in her mind, giving her strength. The vampire believed he was still compelling her to do his bidding, but with Traian's aid, she moved on her own. She didn't look behind her to see if Gary was able to clear out the bats, she had to trust that he would. Intuitively she knew it was better for all of them to keep the vampire's attention centered on her.

Her stomach lurched at the prospect of being close to such an evil creature. She could see him clearly now, without the illusion the undead often used on their victims. Flesh hung from his bones. Tufts of hair clung to his scalp. His long, thick fingernails were in the shape of hooked claws, sharp and twisted and black. His eyes appeared red, streaked with yellow. The hole she'd put in him showed the rot in his insides. The black insects and wiggling white worms spilled from inside of him. Malevolence clung to him, sickening her and fouling the air around him. Instead of trying to stop herself from moving toward him, now Joie had to force her shaking legs to take a step.

Impatience crossed his face and he showed his teeth.

Her heart jumped, accelerated in spite of the need to stay calm. "Joining with a man so powerful and knowing he's certain to rule those around him sounds like a good idea. I've always admired strength." She tried to appease him even when it was obvious her reluctance showed.

Inches from his outstretched hand, Joie purposely tripped on a piece of the splintered door and stumbled. She protected herself with a palm to the ground, her body slightly turned, giving herself precious seconds to slide her other hand along her leg to grab the knife in her boot, the blade hidden flat against her wrist.

Valenteen leaned over her, spittle drooling from his mouth as he caught her by her hair and wrenched her to her feet. He dragged her against his body, jerking her head back to expose her neck, and sank his teeth deep, gulping as he drank.

Joie registered the fiery pain of an acid burn as he tore a gaping wound in her neck. Her vision blurred, and the ground lurched as her legs went rubbery. She could hear the sound of his heart, although she couldn't feel it beating. She made no sound of protest, made no struggle, giving herself up willingly. Some of the tension slipped from the undead's body. With every ounce of strength she possessed, everything she was, Joie plunged the knife deep into his chest, driving straight for his heart.