further his own political position among the local vampires. He made an example of Lisette in a bid for power.”

Two looked out at the road ahead. Theroen was not driving at his normal reckless speed, as the road did not have his full attention, but they still drew near to the mansion. “Finish the story, Theroen? I want to know how it ends.”

Theroen nodded. “There is little left to tell, to be honest. Six more months of happiness -- forced, on Lisette’s part -- before it all ended. I said before that I had never really had call to become a man, in the forty years I spent with Lisette. I made up for that in one night. In one instant.

“When Isaac kicked the door to our apartment in, Lisette did not even flinch. She did not even look up, just continued to stare into the fire. I looked into her eyes and I saw great sadness there, and great fear. I also saw acceptance, and understood that Lisette knew that her death had arrived. In that moment, Two, I aged those forty years.”

* * *

Theroen was on his feet, startled. The door to the apartment had been blown inward, shattered and destroyed. The hulking silhouette in the shadowy entrance did not move, only stared, pale blue eyes shining out at them. Lisette closed her eyes for a moment, touched a hand to her forehead, and turned her head to the door.

“Isaac.”

“Lisette.” The vampire took a step forward, into the light, and surveyed them. He looked for all the world like a Viking in Englishman’s clothing. Tall, well more than six feet, with long blonde hair and a heavy blonde beard, Isaac’s vampire nature only added to his already formidable presence. He looked at them with an air that seemed almost detached. There was certainly no fear in him.

“I knew it would be you.”

“Ah. Who else? It is time to pay for your transgressions, Lisette. You must answer for what you’ve done, for thieving away the Eresh-chen from his master. We will not stand for it any longer. You will release them, and come with me for judgment.”

Lisette shook her head. “I know your judgment already.”

“That may be. You will come with me regardless. Your fledglings may leave. The one you stole from Abraham will have his own judgment to face. The other will be ... watched with great interest.”

Theroen took a step forward, meeting the eyes of the vampire in the doorway. “We go nowhere without Lisette.”

“Theroen...” Lisette’s voice was a whisper, the sadness behind it immeasurable.

“Mind your tongue, priest, lest you find it removed from your mouth.”

“You have no right...”

“Fledgling, do you know the concept of seniority? I have lived for more than a thousand years. I have every right, if for no other reason than it will bring me pleasure to see this one punished for her crimes.”

At this Lisette stirred, anger flashing in her eyes. “Crimes? Against whom? I swore no allegiance to your covenant, Isaac, nor that of any other. I am bound by no rules but my own. Your seniority matters not to me, nor Abraham’s, nor Edward’s. Eresh herself might give me orders and I would disobey as I see fit. I will not live by rules penned by the dead. I will not!”

Isaac seemed unruffled by this. His expression was amused, detached, a man only passingly interested in what he was hearing.

“You’ve made that obvious, Lisette. I would not be here otherwise.”

“No. And you... you live by rules written by dead vampires who could not have foreseen these times. The old ones are all dead, Isaac, or so disinterested in our affairs that they might as well be. Why do you cling still to their words? Why hold yourself to their useless laws?”

“Sin challas est mura. Si mura vallas etruars.” Isaac seemed to be reciting, as if the sentences had been drilled into him.

“I have read the scrolls, Isaac. Without law there is chaos. With chaos comes destruction. It is due to weaklings like yourself that those words hold true.”

For the first time, her words seemed to have an effect on Isaac. He turned to Lisette, gaze smoldering, a sneer on his lips.

“Weaklings...”

“Mark this, Isaac. You will be undone. You will know fear, and you will remember, in those moments before the eternal sleep, what I have said to you. You will know your weakness, and you will die in shame. That is your curse.”

“I have been cursed by many, Lisette, in