"Cursed woman," Vlad scowled. "What did you do to irritate the League?"
"Umm-"
Before she could finish, he brought his sword up fast, splitting another bolt in two. "Cowardly dogs," he called. "Will you shoot little sticks at me from the alley all night? Or come meet your deaths like the men you pretend to be?"
"We're not cowards," someone hissed from the alley. "We're just cautious."
"Very cautious," someone else muttered, loud enough for Vlad's ears to catch.
"Cautious. Cowards." Vlad hefted his long sword and headed towards the alley's mouth. As he stalked forward, he stretched his neck. "Same thing."
"No, it's not!"
A steel twang announced another bolt's murderous passage. He cut it in half with a lazy swing. "You think to kill me with these petty tricks? I've never heard such insults."
There were three of them.
He was certain of it.
Each pressed tightly to the edge of the alley.
"Now!"
Three bolts sang through the air.
"Tch." Using a small amount of blood energy, he swept his blade in a fiery line which splintered all three bolts. "Even if there were a hundred, you could do nothing."
One of the shadows detached and stepped into the open.
Vlad paused, looking him up and down as the vampire hunter pushed back his hood to reveal a long face covered in scars.
A bushy moustache.
Dark brown eyes which were set deeply into his head.
"Just give us the girl!" The hunter pointed at Lucy. "She's all we want."
"That girl?"
"Yes."
"I don't want her," he said.
"Vlad!" Lucy squealed. "Don't say such things! I'm your Bride!"
"Don't be foolish," he snorted, not looking away from the vampire hunter in front of him. "I would give her to you. But there is a problem."
The hunter tightened his grip around the large warhammer in his hand. "What problem is that?"
"I'd give her to an Englishman. Maybe to a merchant. I'd think about giving her to another vampire. But never to a Turk."
"I'm not a Turk."
"I know. But you didn't let me finish." He held up two fingers and counted them off. "Turks. Vampire hunters. They're two scum I cannot deal with. Three, if you count the French."
"You're making a big mistake."
"I don't think so," he said casually. "Have you ever met the French?"
"I mean in keeping her from us!"
Vlad shrugged. "What did she do to you? She is not a vampire."
"I will be!" Lucy called. "You just have to-"
"Hush," Vlad said, without turning. His voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp enough to cut her off. He waited a moment, then nodded at the vampire hunter. "Tell me her crime."
"It's not your affair," the hunter sneered. "But the fact I was willing to try dealing with you should have given you an idea of how important it is to us. If you kill us, more will come."
Vlad grinned at him, showing his fangs. "You can promise this?"
"Look at him," one of the other hunters gasped. "He's crazy, John."
The hunter snorted. "He's not crazy. Just stupid."
"Come," Vlad said, beckoning them. "All of you. I don't have time for this nonsense, so it would be best to end it quickly."
"You want to fight us all?"
"You make it sound like there will be a challenge," Vlad said, scratching his head. "You look very weak to me."
"You're underestimating us," the hunter, John, said. Behind him, the other two picked their way out from the alley. Hammers and stakes in hand. "Sounds like you're eager to die."
"Not to die," Vlad said, pulling his grin even wider. "I am just thirsty."
"We'll-"
"Enough talk," Vlad growled, slamming his heel down and shooting forward. A blast of mud spat in his wake as he leapt on them.
Red crackling fire spewed out of his hands and down the blade.
The arc of its swing lit the street with crimson light.
To the hunter's credit, he managed to throw himself down and avoid the full blast of Vlad's first step attack. Enhanced by blood energy, the blade's explosive arc tore through one of the other hunters, shearing his torso in half.
He had time to shout something.
Vlad didn't know what. It sounded like a name.
A lover? A sister?
It didn't matter.
The third hunter was lucky. He brought up his hammer and the shockwave ripped the weapon from his hand.
Along with a finger.
But otherwise, he survived to witness Vlad's second step attack.
But he would not survive to see the third.
Blood sprayed across the street, gushing over Vlad's face. He let out a wild laugh and whirled, bringing his sword up to catch John's hammer before it could crush his skull.
The blade rang in Vlad's hands.
Wincing, he realised the sword wouldn't take another blow like that. The steel wasn't high quality.
Pouncing, Vlad moved into the third step, battering John's defences with a series of quick explosive swings. None of which managed to draw blood.
"You have a little training," Vlad smirked. "But if this is you best, this fight won't last much longer. Get on your knees. I'll kill you quickly."
"To Hell with you, demon!"
"That's the spirit!" Vlad called happily, repeating the third step. Harrying the man back towards the alley.
John dropped his stake.
He knew it was a waste to keep it.
Instead, he snapped open a pouch and pulled out a small vial. Popped the top off with his teeth.
And sprayed Vlad with the fluid.
Raising his eyebrow, Vlad resisted rolling his eyes. "Again with the holy water?"
"Back!" John threw the vial down and pulled out a silver cross instead. "Keep back, you heathen leech!"
Vad paused.
John took it as fear of the crucifix.
"There," John purred, eyes gleaming. "You can't stand against the power of Jesus. Our Lord will-"
Vlad brought the great sword down with a lazy overhead swing.
It slashed through the crucifix, leaving the icon to fall in pieces in front of the vampire hunter's feet.
Along with both hands.
They stared at each other.
For half a heartbeat.
In that moment, John's eyes slowly lost focus as realisation pushed through his brain.
Then a thin red line appeared, running down his forehead.
Nose.
Chin.
Throat.
Chest.
With a grotesque wet sound, the vampire hunter fell in two pieces like his precious crucifix.
If he had any last words, Vlad hadn't heard them.
Lucy let out a shocked squawk. Then rushed over to wrap her arms around Vlad. Burying her head in his chest, she sobbed heavily. "You saved me again! Vlad, you saved me twice now. Don't you see? You simply must take responsibility now! Let me be your Bride! Please!"
The old vampire in a fledgling's flesh looked down at her.
His emotions confused.
In all his years he'd never seen anything like this. Someone so desperate to become a Bride. Most Brides were the product of slow development. They might start as servants. Renfields at the Court.
Or they were honoured guests.
Daughters of honoured guests.
Like traditional human marriages, becoming a Bride to the Court of the Black Dragon was to make a tie which would bind families to the vampire Court forever.
Or, that's what it used to be.
He sighed, not knowing what had changed with the Brides.
Or what it would mean for Lucy.
With that in mind, he shook his head. "It's not for me to say, silly girl," he said, not unkindly. "I told you this."
She looked up at him, her eyes red.
He could feel the hope dying in her.
See the fear growing.
What was she afraid of? There were other options to become a vampire, if one was desperate. Why become a Bride to a Court which was, by all accounts, powerless in this age?
And was it his place to peel the secrets from her heart?
"But," he said, rolling his eyes. "I will introduce you. If I can."
"Really?" Her eyes widened and a smile tried to form.
He held up a finger. "I said if I can. I do not know what has happened between the Court and the Brides. I don't know if my word means anything anymore. We shall see."
"You promise me, though? You will take me to the Brides?"
"It's what I said, didn't I?" Shrugging, he looked around. People were walking down the street. They angled away from the bodies, or stepped around the blood. How strange. No one seemed to care.
Lucy skipped away, almost delirious with happiness. "I can't believe it! I'm going to be a Bride! I really am! Oh, Vlad! I can't tell you what this means to me. I'll-"
"Silly girl!" He snapped at her. Pointing at the corpses. "What are you doing? Collect their belongings!"
"Oh, right." She glanced down at them, wincing. "Gross."