to life as night fell, spreading a cloak of darkness across the land.
He changed his clothes, and then left the house. Blending into the shadows of the night, he went in search of prey.
It was dark when she woke. She scrambled to her feet, amazed that she had slept so long, but then, she wasn't getting much rest at night.
Dusting off her pants, she started walking home. It was only six o'clock, but it seemed later. Clouds hid the moon. Feeling suddenly nervous, she glanced over her shoulder, assuring herself that she was alone. The park, which had seemed beautiful and romantic when Grigori had been beside her, now loomed dark and foreboding.
Certain she heard footsteps behind her, she started walking faster.
She screamed when she felt a hand close over her arm.
"Shut up! I don't wanna hurt you, lady. Just give me your cash."
"I... I don't have... have any."
"Don't lie to me! And don't turn around."
"I'm... not... not lying." She was shaking all over. Her legs were weak, and she felt hot and cold at the same time. Fear congealed in her belly. She gasped when she felt something small and round and hard pressed into her back.
"I've got a gun, and I'll use it if I have to. Now, stop stallin' and gimme your money. All of it."
"Honest, I don't... don't... please..." She was going to die. And she wasn't ready. Please, not now...
His hand tightened on her arm, making her wince.
"Please... I didn't bring my wallet with me."
"I don't - "
His words died away in a choked sob and suddenly he wasn't holding her anymore. She heard what could have been a growl, followed by a sharp cry of pain.
Terror held her frozen to the spot. She told herself to run, but her feet refused to obey. It took all the courage she could muster just to glance over her shoulder.
She was sorry when she did.
Two dark shapes stood a few feet away, locked together in a macabre embrace. The taller of the two men was bent over the other one. She heard a muffled sob, caught a whiff of blood, and then she heard a voice, low and hypnotic.
"Leave this place and don't come back. You will remember nothing of this night. Nothing. Do you understand?"
She saw the shorter of the two men nod, then turn and walk away.
She was trembling violently when Grigori took her in his arms.
"Are you all right?" His voice was soft and soothing.
"Y-yes."
"Did he hurt you?"
She shook her head, knowing somehow that if she said yes, the man who had tried to rob her would die. "No. I'm just... just so... so cold."
Wordlessly, he swept her into his arms. Strong arms that would keep her safe. She buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder. There was a humming in her ears, a sensation of swift movement. She snuggled against him, her eyes closed, her heart pounding. She didn't ask where he was taking her. At that moment, she didn't care. He was warmth and safety. He would protect her.
Moments or hours later, she wasn't sure, he set her on her feet.
She felt a sense of power flowing past her, and the room was suddenly filled with the light from a dozen candles.
"Where are we?" Marisa asked.
"My home."
She glanced around. The room was large, with high, vaulted ceilings and old-fashioned leaded windows. Faded green drapes hung at the windows; a faded green-and-gold carpet covered the floor. The walls had once been pale yellow. A huge stone fireplace with a black marble mantel took up a good portion of one wall.
"You live here?" Her voice echoed off the high ceiling.
He nodded. "But it won't be legally mine for another week or so."
"Oh." She was trembling again.
He whispered her name as he took her in his arms. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now."
"He... he had a gun."
"Not anymore."
"You took it?"
Grigori nodded.
"You drank from him, didn't you?"
"Yes. And then I wiped it from his mind." She felt the muscles in his arms tense. "It troubles you, doesn't it?"
"A little." She smiled up at him tremulously. "But I'm getting used to it."
"Ah, Marisa, do you have any idea how much I need you?"
"You? Need me?"
He nodded. "Shall I wax poetic and tell you that I need you as a flower needs the sun, as a starving man craves sustenance? Shall I tell you how beautiful you are to me, how much I want you?"
She stared up at him, the mugger momentarily forgotten. Candlelight