Page 45 of Prince with a Chance of Darkness

She was here, said the demon sounding incredibly sure of itself.

“Was she?” questioned Vlad, no longer sure of anything anymore.

The odds of Ponytail Girl being in Grimm Cove were slim to none. He knew as much. Following the phantom scent was simply one more sign that his grasp on reality was slipping. Something else for The Weird Sisters to share looks and speak to one another on the mental pathway reserved for themselves.

He knew of their whispers, of their worries. They wore them on their faces, despite their best efforts of the contrary.

He could not fault them. Vlad knew he was not a man who could be permitted to lose his way—to lose himself to darkness fully. In him lived a great evil, and he was starting to wonder if that evil was the demon or the man.

He remained on the steps of the chapel, unable to pull himself away just yet. His demon was perched on the edge of trying to break free, as if waiting for any sign that Ponytail Girl might truly be in the area. It longed to see her again too, if for no other reason than to assure it that she was alive and well.

The air prickled with warning, his senses alerting him to danger at once.

There are others of our kind near, his demon warned with a growl.Someone powerful tries to cloak their presence from us.

Vlad knew of only a few kinds of supernaturals who could manage such a feat, especially when dealing with someone like himself. Only the most powerful of necromancers and witchescould achieve it. Both were dangerous and would present an interesting foe to go up against. He feared neither.

He closed his eyes, stretching his senses and his powers. He felt them then. Six—no seven vampires in the immediate area, none of which were of his line or those who served him. They weren’t of Bram’s doing, either. These were new to him.

There are more than that even, whispered his demon as if it might be overheard.Many more here, on this campus, on this night. I am only just sensing them now.

There was something else there, evading his detection, as if dancing on the edge of the shadows of his mind. Whoever or whatever it was wouldn’t be able to hide for long. He tipped his head slightly and laughter carried over the distance to him.

It was male and familiar, bringing with it memories of his youth. Of dark days long since over. The laughter faded as quickly as it had started, leaving him wondering if he ever really heard it or if his mind was playing tricks on him—like it was with Ponytail Girl’s scent.

Regardless, others like us are close, the demon said, reminding him he had a task to do.

Vlad moved silently as he walked alongside the chapel, following the scent of vampires—faint, but present.

“Do not fear, little mouse. Just a little taste. Maybe we keep you around after. Would you like that? Want to be one of us? We don’t have a female—yet.” The male, accented voice found Vlad and his demon snarled.

This is Bram’s territory. Only we are allowed to enter it without permission and defy him, the demon quipped.Who does he think he is?

Vlad drew upon his ability to create darkness and blanketed himself in it as he continued onward. He wanted to see what the vampires were doing and who it was they were calling Little Mouse. Then, he planned to hunt them and see how they liked it.

He removed his top hat and set it on the ground before unfastening his frock coat. He slid it from his shoulders and folded it in half, laying it beside the hat. The night air was warm for spring, touched by a mild breeze. It moved across the fabric of his shirt, but he barely registered it. Since sexual release by way of anything other than his hand was a thing of the past for him and had been for four years, Vlad had a lot of pent-up energy he needed to expel. The vampires encroaching on Bram’s territory would do nicely to help him work off some of the excess energy.

He reached for his cuff links, unfastening each one with efficient ease. He dropped them into his coat pocket. He rolled his sleeves to his forearms. No sense getting blood on his coat or losing cuff links unnecessarily.

The voices ahead carried in the stillness.

“Let’s turn her,” said another male. “She’s smokin’ hot. I want to taste her first.”

The smell of night jasmine and honeysuckle found its way to Vlad as he was rounding the corner of the chapel. He froze, his entire body going rigid. Could it really be her?

We should not get our hopes up, said the demon, restless.We have been disappointed too many times over the past four years. This will be as the other times have been—a dead end.

He moved forward, stepping around the back corner of the chapel, giving him a view of most of the old cemetery. As expected, there was a group of vampires. They were forming a circle around someone.

The tallest of them had his back to Vlad and looked to have hold of long, dark hair. He jerked on it, and the tiniest of feminine gasps sounded.

“Little mouse, do me a favor,” the vampire said. “Scream for me.”

“Or,” said a woman who Vlad had yet to be able to see. “You could scream for me.”

That voice. He knew that husky voice. It was like music to his ears—a summoning of the soul he long since thought lost.

It was her! It had to be.

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