earth, take to the skies, go below the ground, wherever we choose, with no one commanding us, yet you give up freedom to become a slave to a master. That makes no sense to me, Emilian.”
Deliberately he continued to use the vampire’s name, distracting him, perhaps even confusing him from his goal. Traian shifted a bit to his right, a barely perceptible movement that took him a few inches closer to the lesser vampire.
“You are slave to the prince,” Emilian accused, showing his teeth. Once immaculately white, they were stained brown and beginning to take the shape of serrated spikes.
“The prince of our people does not command us, Emilian, you know that.”
“Have you forgotten that he sent us from our homeland, banished us and kept the women for himself and those he favored?” Emilian snarled the words, hatred pouring through his voice.
“Is that what your master has told you?” Traian risked another couple of inches, the glide smooth enough that the agitated vampire failed to notice once again. “Have you forgotten so much? The prince allowed each of us to make our own decision, as is the way of our people. You chose to leave our homeland and I did as well. Do not blame your failure to keep your honor on our prince.”
Emilian bared his teeth, the bloodshot eyes turning ruby red as his temper flared. “If you chose to cow down before him and crawl like a dog at his bidding, more fool you. I will enjoy power and have the world bowing at my feet.”
Traian managed another two inches, within striking distance now. “As you crawl like the dog you have become to your master, whining for a pat on the head as you bow at his feet?”
He moved with blurring speed, streaking across the short distance, slamming his fist deep into the chest of his old friend, fingers burrowing deep for the beating heart. Emilian tore at him with claws and teeth, desperately trying to break free from the hunter’s merciless grip.
Black blood burned Traian’s skin as he tore the heart free and threw it a distance from him. Emilian faltered, staring at his own heart, crying out and reaching toward it. He went down to his knees and fell face down, stretching his arms pleadingly toward his heart.
Traian took a few steps to get clear of the trees to call down the lightning. The ground spewed dirt and rocks into the air just a foot in front of him, a geyser erupting violently. A rock hit his chest, driving him away from Emilian’s heart and back toward the vampire lying on the ground.
Another relatively new vampire sprung at him, leaping on his shoulders, clawing at his eyes. Traian dissolved, or attempted to; Emilian caught his ankle and sank lengthy talons deep to keep him from shifting shape. Gleeful laughter erupted from the sky as the master vampire once more was certain he’d gained the upper hand against the hunter.
Traian turned and ducked forward all in one motion, hurtling the vampire off of him and slamming his fist hard into Emilian’s back, breaking the spine with an audible crack. Emilian screamed and released him and Traian leapt into the clearing, calling down the lightning. The sizzling bolt struck the heart with deadly precision. Emilian convulsed, his mouth opening wide, maggots pouring out, attempting to abandon the dying corpse. The bolt of lightning jumped from earth to sky and back, this time incinerating the body, leaving ash to blow away in the wind.
The second lesser vampire attacked with blinding speed, rushing toward Traian and at the last moment, shifting, taking to the air as a giant, winged bird with a wedge-shaped head, wicked curved beak and claws the size of a grizzly’s. Traian managed to duck, allowing the bird to skim past him, cutting a razor-thin fiery streak across his back and shoulder as the thing went past.
The ground rolled, tossing Traian off balance, a signal that the master helped his pawn from a distance and he had to gain the upper hand fast or the master would come in to finish the kill. He was losing blood and that was the whole point of these attacks by the lesser pawns—to weaken him. No master vampire would risk his existence unless he had an advantage. They always used the fledglings, unless they had no puppets to control and then, as a rule, they avoided hunters.
Around him, in a large loose circle, the ground shook and rolled and