The girl sets down the pen with a sigh. She has yet again written through the night. This last story has been intense and somehow as she writes it down, retelling and sometimes copying directly from the old parchment sheets that her father wrote with his own hands it is as if she has lived through the experience along with him.

When the next evening falls she returns to her work. The story has a kind of momentum now, and it seems to almost tell itself.

“Though this story is about both of my parents, much of what I write comes from my father’s life more than my mother’s. This is partially because Father simply wrote more. Mother was never comfortable with the printed word. Her people had no written language, and she never truly mastered it, but Father often spoke with longing of the great libraries of his home world, where thousands of volumes lined the shelves. Printing is known in Mysteria, but printed books are still comparatively rare even now and he said that reading a good book was one of the few things he missed about Earth life. So it is no surprise that Father also loved to write. He seemed to have enjoyed setting his life down on paper.

“But it isn’t only the sheer volume of Father’s stories that puts him in the center of this account of mine. Father also had an incredible knack for getting himself in trouble. He was fairly skilled at getting back out again, but of my parents, Father had more scrapes and accidents by far.”

The aurora borealis burned brightly overhead. It created a spectacular display. Sheets and waves of cold fire, as if the sky itself were somehow burning, swept across the starry expanse. The colors were a dazzling rainbow array that swirled and mixed together in flowing patterns that painted the pristine white canvas of snow covered hills below.

Beneath this spectacle, two figures sat on top of a low hill. Lying on his back and gazing up at the sky, Aidan Rhiannon, aerian vampire and part-time thief, didn't feel the cold. He fanned his pure white wings idly back and forth, creating a peculiar kind of snow angel. His sapphire blue eyes were riveted on the display above his head, and he kept brushing a stubborn strand of raven-wing black hair out of the way so that his view would be unobstructed. Beside him his wife, Flame Song Firedancer sat, purring contentedly. Her own emerald gaze spent as much time resting on Aidan's face as it did on the sky. She too was impervious to the chill bite of the winter air, being protected by her thick white and orange fur. She was a firecat, and her people had always lived in the frozen northern lands where few others ventured.

"What are you thinking?" Flame Song asked, softly.

Aidan smiled up at her. "Just that I'm still amazed sometimes how lucky I am. Back on earth I used to daydream about this kind of life. I never thought I'd marry someone as amazing as you, I never thought I'd be a father, and," he added, getting to his feet, "I never in a million years dreamed that I'd be able to do this!" He leaped into the air and flew a series of dizzy spins and circles around the hill, laughing. Flame Song laughed too.

"You're in a good mood tonight."

Aidan landed next to her and sat back down on the ground. "Yeah. Nothing could get me feeling down tonight." He flopped over onto his back and stared again at the sky. "It seems like everything is going right."

Flame Song smiled at her husband's exuberance. She had wondered over the past year if his cheerful nature would ever return. Sometimes it seemed like the happy-go-lucky man she had married had indeed been killed for good when his heart had ceased to beat just over a year ago.

Last winter a vampire had come to the northern continent of Mysteria, the land they both now called home. He had planned on conquest, believing the far north, where the nights could last for weeks, to be the ideal place for his vampiric empire. He had failed, killed by his first victim, Aidan. But not before Aidan himself had died, and returned to life as one of the undead. The next few months had been hard for their little family. Their daughter, Littlespark, had remained largely unaffected by having a vampire for a father but Aidan struggled with depression, often wishing that he had simply died and stayed dead. Several times he contemplated suicide, and only the thought of Flame Song’s and Littlespark's grief had stopped him. Some days he seemed better, and others worse, and Flame Song herself felt drawn down into depression by the sight of her beloved's suffering.

Come spring the delivery of a small package from the eastern continent had lifted both their sprits. Tara, the Dragon Queen, had sent it. She was the ruler of all of Mysteria, and Flame Song and Aidan both regarded her with respect and devotion. She was their monarch, but more than that, she was their friend. The amulet it contained provided magical protection for vampires, allowing Aidan to see the sun for the first time in months. His spirit was buoyed up by the sight of sunlight, and even further lifted when he read the letter that accompanied the protective amulet.

"My dear friends,
My heart went out to you when I learned of your troubles. I cannot imagine what it is like for you, Aidan, to have to suffer through this. But know that my thoughts and prayers are with you both. May all turn out for the very best. The gods sometimes know what we need better than we. Know also that whatever happens I and the Clan will be there when you need us.
With love,
Tara Stargazer"

It was a letter, not of command from a queen, but of caring from a friend. Though brief, it said what Aidan most needed to hear; that, vampire or not, his friends would still be there for him. From that day on he began to recover and now, almost nine months later, he was at last back to his usual cheerful self.

Flame Song was brought abruptly out of her memories by Aidan's voice. "Now it's my turn to ask you. What are you thinking of, Flame?"

"Just thinking that you're back to your usual self again."

His expression sobered a bit. He smiled with a touch of sadness in it. "Yes. It's been a long road, and I think there's still some distance left to travel, but I fell like I'm really living life again. And now I'm glad. Glad to be alive. Or undead, or whatever you want to call it." He grinned. "Sometimes I have trouble with the terminology for all this."

Flame Song laughed. "I'm glad you're alive too." She leaned over his prone form and gave him an affectionate lick with a sandpaper tongue.

"Ack! There's better ways to show your gratitude than slobbering all over me."

"True." A feline grin crossed her face, and then her form seemed to shimmer and twist. When the shimmering stilled a flame-haired human woman was sitting next to Aidan. She leaned over again and gave him a kiss. "Is that better?"

Aidan reached up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down for another, longer kiss. "Mmmm hmmm."

Flame Song suddenly shivered. "It's freezing out here. Let's go inside."

Hand in hand they descended the snow-covered hill, Aidan wrapping a wing around Flame Song to shield her from the chill. At the base of the hill a dark opening led into the ground. Their northern home was dug into the hillside, providing shelter from the freezing winter wind. They went down the dark passage and opened the door that led into the fire-warmed house. The main room had a low ceiling but it was cozy, with flickering flames illuminating the polished wood floors and the piled cushions that served as the room's main furnishing. Flame Song and Aidan had settled themselves on a pile of cushions in front of the fire and were continuing where they had left off when a soft sound from another room interrupted.

Flame Song sighed, then got up and opened the door to the nursery, where Littlespark had been taking her nightly nap. Their whole family had switched to a nocturnal schedule. Aidan could function during daylight when he needed to, but found it difficult to stay awake the whole day through, so Flame Song and Littlespark had gradually switched over to his schedule. They had taken advantage of Littlespark's nightly nap to do a little romantic stargazing and, spellbound by the unexpected brilliance of the aurora, they had used up their brief moment of quiet.

Littlespark toddled out of the open door. Though only a year and a half old, she had grown fast and was easily the size of a two-year-old human. She could speak in full, if sometimes confusing, sentences and delighted in playing chase games with her parents. She clearly showed her mixed heritage. Though humanoid in appearance, she was covered all over with fine white fur. Her hair too was white, and her face was distinctly feline. She also had a pair of little wings, still covered in baby down. Her wing feathers were starting to come in here and there, and Aidan guessed that she might be flying within a year or so, to which Flame song replied that she hoped not. She was also hoping that if the child was going to be a shape-shifter that it wouldn't show until she was older. A shape-shifting, flying toddler would be a handful and a half.

As it was, Littlespark was still enough to keep them busy. Between entertaining her and dealing with the ordinary day-to-day, or rather night-to-night, tasks of keeping house they occupied the hours until Littlespark's bedtime. This deep into winter the sun was only up for few hours each day, so Littlespark and Flame Song both went to bed well before sunrise. Aidan, however, found that so long as he slept for the entire time the sun shone he would awaken completely rested, even if it was only an hour or two. Even in the deep winter when the sun hardly peeped above the horizon for weeks, he found he needed little sleep. He would sometimes catnap an hour here or there during the long night, but otherwise he didn't sleep at all until the sun returned. He found it left him a lot of time to think, and it was during those long dark hours alone that he had finally come to terms with his undead existence.

But tonight Flame Song didn't retire to the bedroom after tucking Littlespark in. Instead, she joined Aidan by the fire. She picked up a log and added it to the dying blaze, careless of the flames that licked up around her fingers. It still sometimes gave Aidan the creeps, watching her stick her hand into the fire like that, but he knew it couldn't harm her. It was a legacy of her firecat heritage. Though she had lost her fire-starting ability when she came to Mysteria and became a shape-shifter, she had retained her immunity to flames. Aidan too had a touch of the ability, though he could never bring himself to casually stick his hands in the fire the way she did. Several times in the past he had been forced by circumstance to drink Flame Song's blood in order to survive. They later found that he had absorbed some of her fire immunity along with it. On one occasion it had saved his life.

They sat in comfortable silence for a long time, staring into the flames. After a while Aidan voiced his thoughts. "You know, you've saved my life so many times now I'm starting to lose track."

Flame Song smiled warmly at him. "Well, I know I couldn't live without you, so I just had to."

"I always kinda thought I'd be somebody's knight in shining armor, but turns out I get to be the fair maiden most times."

Flame Song shook her head. Sometimes Aidan's Earth expressions left her bewildered by their complete lack of sense. "One thing you are most definitely not, love, is a maiden." She gave him a knowing look.

Aidan actually blushed a little. "No, I guess not." Then his expression turned more serious. "Beloved, I was wondering something."

"Yes?"

"Well, I know," he said with a grin, "that you can't live without me. But I was wondering if you could survive if I left for a little bit."

"Why?"

"Lately I've been thinking about Thomas. Did I ever tell you about him?"

"I know you're mentioned the name a time or two. He's another aerian, isn't he?"

Aidan nodded. "Yes. He's the one that first took me in when I came to Mysteria. You know that I didn't join the clan until after I met you and you started dragging me along on these crazy adventures. When I came to Mysteria I wanted to stay, but I figured that the Clan of the Lost Dragon was a bit too high and noble for the likes of me. So I just kind of wandered without much purpose. I really loved having wings; it's always been my fondest dream to be able to fly, so I decided I might as well go to Aerievale, the aerian city. Well, I didn't fit in there as well as I'd hoped, and I actually got myself into a spot of trouble or two. Then Thomas bailed me out. He was an old Mysterian, an aerian born and bred. He taught me what being an aerian meant, that it was more than just being a human with wings. He gave me a home too, and put up with a lot of nonsense on my part. I stayed with him until that little run-in with the demon lord landed me here in the north. I did send a letter letting him know I was still alive, but I haven't seen him in years. I don't even know if he's still alive himself. He was as old as the hills when I knew him, and it's been a while."

"So you want to go and visit Thomas then?"

"Yes. If you want me to stay I'll stay, but, well..."

"Of course you can go. How long do you think it will take you?"

"If I fly straight there, non-stop, nights and days, I can do it in three days. Four if I stop for a nap or two. Then I can stay for a few days and come back. Say two weeks at the very most."

"I'll miss you. Two weeks will probably seem like forever, but I agree that you should go see your friend."

"Better sooner than later then. If you don't mind, I'll leave tomorrow night."

Flame Song smiled. "In that case, maybe I should give you a proper send-off."

"Oh?" Aidan raised one eyebrow, which always made Flame Song laugh.

She chuckled as he'd intended and said, "Yes, a proper send-off indeed. And I had better start by helping you out of this thing. I don't know how you're going to manage it on your own." As she spoke she moved behind Aidan and began unbuttoning the buttons by the wing holes in his shirt. Aidan wore special shirts designed with aerians in mind. They had wing holes that fastened with buttons so they could easily be slipped on over his wings, but trying to button them alone resulted in twists that would do a contortionist proud. Aidan could manage them by himself if he had to, but he liked having Flame Song undo them, for more reasons than one. She finished the buttons and slipped the shirt off. Then with a little laugh she ran her fingers over his bare back and onto his soft, feathered wings.

"Mmmmm... What would a guy have to do to get a back rub from you?"

Flame Song bent her head to kiss the back of his neck, which sent a pleasant shiver through him. "I'm sure I can think of something," she said.

Aidan awoke a few hours later. His sun sense told him that the sun had just slipped below the horizon. He lay still for a moment, unable to summon enough energy to overcome the lazy feeling of contentment he felt and get moving. He and Flame Song were still lying by the fire, which was nothing but glowing embers now. His arm was around her, and one wing was draped over her. When he breathed in, he smelled the scent of her hair. She was still sleeping soundly and doubtless would remain so for another hour or two. Eventually he managed to overcome his inertia and get up. Flame Song stirred and shivered as he removed his wing from over her. He padded barefoot into the bedroom and got a blanket, returning and tucking it around Flame Song. She sighed and dropped back into slumber.

Back in the bedroom Aidan picked out some traveling clothes. He selected black trousers, blue vest and a matching blue shirt, an easy enough choice, since his wardrobe was almost entirely composed of black or blue in various shades. He put on his pants but left the shirt and jacket off for the time being. No need to struggle with awkward buttons when Flame Song could do them up for him later. He came back into the main room and sat down by Flame Song’s side. With a tender smile he brushed a strand of fiery hair off of her forehead. I’m the luckiest man in the whole world, in all the worlds, he thought. Maybe I shouldn’t go. Even for just two weeks I’ll miss her. But no, I need to go. I’ll just have to hurry back as soon as I can, that’s all. He got up and added another log to the dying fire, then sat back down and watched Flame Song sleeping. He was still sitting there, looking at her, when she awoke.

“Good morning,” she said sleepily.

“Actually, it’s more like good evening,” he replied. Flame Song smiled, then yawned and stretched. “Sleep well?” asked Aidan.

“Yes. How long have you been sitting there?”

Aidan consulted his internal sundial and said, “About three hours.”

“You’ve just been staring at me for three hours? It’s a wonder I didn’t have nightmares about being watched. And it’s a wonder you didn’t get bored with the view.”

Aidan grinned. “I could never get tired of looking at you, love.”

“Evidently not. When are you leaving?”

“The sooner I go, the sooner I’ll be back. I’d like to go now.”

Flame Song nodded, then grinned again. “I’ll give you a hand with your shirt then.”

A few minutes later Aidan was dressed and ready to go. He straightened his amulet. “How do I look?” he asked Flame Song. Since his reflection no longer showed in mirrors, he had to depend on her opinion. She gave him a quick kiss and said, “Wonderful.”

He went into Littlespark’s room. At the creak of the door she opened her eyes and sat up. “Daddy?”

Aidan sat down on the bed beside her, picked her up, and put her on his lap. He gave her a hug and said, “I’m going to go on a trip, Spark. I’ll be back soon, but while I’m gone you can keep your mother company for me.”

“Where are you going, Daddy?”

“To see an old friend. I’ll miss you, fuzz-ball.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and put her back on the bed. Then he got up and went to the front door. Flame Song and Littlespark followed. Outside the stars were shining brightly and the aurora, though dimmer than the night before, was flickering overhead. Aidan launched himself into the freezing air. He circled their hill once, waving. Flame Song and Littlespark waved back. “Bye-bye Daddy!”

With one last wave he turned and winged off to the southeast. He flew on for an hour or so before spotting a herd of deer below. They were large animals, similar to the caribou or reindeer of earth, but with antlers more like ordinary mule deer. He circled the herd once, looking for a likely target. Then he spotted a young male standing a little ways off from the rest. With a flick of his wings he turned and dove at the animal. In one smooth motion he back-winged and landed next to the deer, grabbing it around the neck. Before the startled animal had time to react he’d sunk his fangs into its neck. The deer froze. Aidan had noticed that his bite seemed to paralyze his prey. He wasn’t sure exactly why, but it made things a lot easier. When he’d had his fill, he released the deer. It staggered away, then shook itself and straightened. The animal was large enough that it wouldn’t miss what he’d taken. Aidan preferred to feed on the large northern deer for just that reason. He didn’t like having to kill to live, even animals.

With his dietary needs taken care of for the next few days, he took to the sky again and continued his journey. He pushed on as fast as he could, and that was pretty fast these days. The sun had risen and was high in the sky by the time he reached the ocean. He didn’t pause, but kept on, flying as fast as he could over the crashing waves. The water was dotted with icebergs that were especially thick this time of year. By the time he reached the opposite shore the sun had long since set. He continued, turning south to follow the coast. He flew along the coastline for the rest of the night and all that day. As the sun set on the second day he saw the Dragon Queen’s tower, touched by the last of the light, far to the east. Not long after that the coastline swung away to the west and he left it to continue south. For a full night he flew over dark forests, spotting here and there the lights of tiny villages that dotted the land. The sunrise the next day was beautiful, and now he was far enough to the south that the days were more than a couple of hours long, though they were still short. He basked in the light, reminded again of the gratitude he owed Tara Stargazer for giving him the amulet that made it possible for him to enjoy the sun. By the time the sun began to sink in the west the mountains that lay to the north of Aerievale were just visible on the horizon. Aidan mentally calculated speed and time and realized that he would cross the mountains and arrive some time around three in the morning.

Hmmm, he thought. I might as well stop for a rest and arrive at a decent hour. I wonder if there’s a town or village around here? I could do with a nice nap in a real bed. He scanned the darkening ground below. It seemed to be an unbroken expanse of wild woodlands and meadows. At last as he neared the foothills of the tall mountain range he spotted a small cluster of glowing lights below. Aha! A village. I hope they’ve got an inn. Well, I’ll find out, but first, I think I’d best get something to eat before I venture out in public. He dipped down among the trees, searching. It didn’t take him long to find a hapless rabbit and pounce on it with inhuman speed. Fed well enough for the moment he took wing again and flew on to the village.

He circled lower over the little group of houses that huddled in a clearing in the dense snowy forest. He landed in the center of town and looked around. The village was quiet, most people probably in their beds at this hour, but from a building somewhat larger than the rest golden light spilled from the windows, and when somebody opened the door cheerful voices spilled out as well. Aidan could just make out a faded sign swinging over the door. It depicted a cluster of grapes with the word “inn” carved underneath. Well, looks like I’m in luck, he thought.

He opened the door and stepped into a warmly lit room. It was full but not crowded. He threaded his way through drinking villagers and serving girls to the bar where a middle-aged man was pouring drinks. He drew an odd look or two, as outside of Aerievale itself aerians were hardly a common sight, but most of the men ignored him entirely.

“Excuse me sir, the sign outside says this is an inn. Do you have rooms for rent then?”

“We do indeed. What’s your name, lad?”

“Aidan. I’m in need of a room for the night.”

“Well, you’re in luck then. We’ve none else staying over tonight, so you’ve your pick. They’re all pretty much the same mind you, and all the same price.” The innkeeper quoted a price that Aidan found quite reasonable, and in exchange for a handful of coppers Aidan found himself possessed of a shiny brass key. “There you go lad. Do you want someone to come and wake you come morning?”

Aidan considered. If he slept past sunrise, which he was likely to do, he wouldn’t be waking by himself until the sun set again. But he didn’t want to be up at the crack of dawn either. He’d much rather get some daylight rest. “How late can I stay in the room?” he asked.

“Ah, you want to laze a-bed come morning eh? Well, no trouble here. So long as you’re out by mid-afternoon so the girls can get the room cleaned for the next night.”

“Thank you. In that case, I’d would appreciate somebody coming to wake me about noon.”

“I’ll send someone then. And for the moment, can I get you somewhat to drink?”

Aidan shook his head. “No thank you.”

“You sure? We’ve some very good ales here.”

“Yes. I don’t drink ale, or anything alcoholic for that matter.” This was true, though before becoming a vampire he hadn’t turned up his nose at the occasional glass. Flame Song hadn’t really approved, but she had always been patient with Aidan’s shortcomings. But now, of course, there was only one liquid he found palatable.

The innkeeper laughed. “You’re a rare bird ‘round these parts then. Er, no offence,” he added, glancing at Aidan’s white wings.

“None taken. I don’t mind a good joke.” He smiled, but didn’t show his teeth. However welcoming people might be to an aerian, he knew they wouldn’t be nearly so happy at having a vampire in their midst.

Aidan noticed a young woman, about the same age as he himself, watching his exchange with the innkeeper. She caught his gaze and quickly looked away. Aidan wondered what he’d said or done to cause her interest. With a mental shrug he turned back to the innkeeper. The atmosphere was warm and friendly here and Aidan decided he wanted to stay and enjoy the company. But a man without a glass stands out like a sore thumb in a bar. Even if he hadn’t just told the innkeeper he didn’t drink he couldn’t pretend to drink ale. Experience had shown him that alcohol fumes actually made him feel sick and he’d have a hard time not showing it. But he could pretend to drink water, or some other non-alcoholic drink.

“Excuse me again, but do you have anything that’s not alcoholic here?”

The innkeeper shook his head. “Nothing but water.”

“Could I have a glass of water then?”

The innkeeper shrugged as if he found the idea strange, but poured a glass of water and slid it across the bar to Aidan.

“Thank you,” said Aidan. Then, taking his glass he went over near the fire where a group of young men were drinking and telling jokes. He felt eyes following him, and guessed that the young woman who’d shown such an interest in his conversation with the innkeeper was still watching him. He decided to just ignore her. He found a chair, and was welcomed into the group, with a few predictable bird jokes. He smiled good-naturedly, careful to not show his teeth. As the night wore on, he wet his lips from time to time from his glass; occasionally finding excuse to spill a little so that nobody would notice that the water level wasn’t going down. He told a few jokes of his own, and just generally enjoyed being in human company. However much he loved Flame Song and their home in the north, it did get a little bit lonely at times. He had missed being around people. Gradually he began to relax and really enjoy himself.

During a lull in the joking by the fire he heard a soft-voiced argument off to one side. With a quick glance he realized that the girl who’d been staring at him was arguing with an older man. Curious, he turned back to the fire, but kept his ears open. His keen hearing made it easy to make out their conversation.

“Look Brandon, I know you don’t want to believe it, nobody does, but it’s the truth!”

“Now Shauna, I know how seriously you take this sort of thing, but honestly, a vampire? There’s never been any such thing in these parts. Not as far back as anybody can remember. It was just some accident, that’s all.”

“An accident? Really? There’s a whole family gone missing, and Jason found dead just last week with teeth marks on his neck. What do you want, for the vampire to leave us a neatly signed note? What else could it be? And you saw that stranger sneaking around town last night yourself.”

“I’m sure there’s some other explanation. Sure, I admit I saw that guy, probably a thief or a brigand, nothing more. And we don’t know that the Greenholts are dead. They could have just gone on a trip.”

“Without telling anybody? I don’t think so. Why will none of you see reason about this?”

Aidan’s heart sank. Great, there’s another vampire in town, and not one that practices the same self-control as I do, by the sound of things. Just what I need. One slip and I’m going to have a torch-wielding mob after me because of him. Maybe I should just give it up and head on to Aerievale tonight. But the thought of rest in a warm bed was too alluring. I’ll be fine, he convinced himself. It sounds like nobody really believes that there’s a vampire about, and I’ll just take care that I don’t give them any reason to think otherwise.

He returned his attention to the young men by the fireside. Somebody was telling a funny story, and Aidan found himself smiling as it went on. Then the young man telling it got to the punch line. Aidan burst out laughing. That kid sure knows how to tell a story! Suddenly he remembered that he was supposed to be being extra careful. He pressed his lips together and looked around. The other young men were all too far-gone in drink to notice much of anything, but the girl was looking intensely at him again. He met her stare and this time she didn’t look away.

Crud, here I go telling myself to be careful, and I’ve gone and given myself away to the only one in here who actually thinks there’s a vampire about. I’m sure she noticed my fangs. Problem is, I’m not the one she’s after. But it doesn’t look like she’s going to go fetch that torch-wielding mob, at least not right now. What should I do? He shook his worry off. Best to just act like nothing happened. She can’t cause me much trouble on her own, and I don’t think she’ll have any easy time persuading anybody else to help. I do think I need some fresh air though. I’ve gotten myself all worked up. I should go walk it off.

He got to his feet and made his way through the crowd and into the night. Once outside he took a deep breath of clean cold air. Physiologically speaking he didn’t need to breathe anymore, but he found that psychologically he still wanted to sometimes. He wandered in a circle around the inn, trying to relax, but he still felt tense. He had a bad feeling about that girl. She was going to cause him some kind of trouble, he just knew it.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the soft footsteps behind him. He did hear the swish of a club whistling through the air, and spun around just in time to see the face of the one swinging it. It was the girl from the bar. He had time to think, what the…! but not to do anything else before it connected firmly with his head and everything went dark.

Aidan awoke in the dark with is head aching. He went to put a hand to it, only to find that he couldn’t. His hands were tied together behind his back. He tested the rope that held him and found that he couldn’t break it. There was a sound of a match striking, a hiss of flame, and he had to close his eyes against a sudden blossom of light.

After blinking the spots from his eyes, Aidan could see that he was in a small cave. A single dark passageway led upward, presumably to the surface. Aidan was leaning against the back wall of the cave. When he tried to lean forward to get to his feet, he found he could only move a few inches. The rope that tied his hands together apparently was attached to the cave wall somehow. Standing over him with a lantern in her hand was the girl from the inn.

“Well, vampire, you’re not feeling so cocky now, are you?”

“What?” Aidan was still dazed, but he didn’t think this would have made sense to him anyway.

“You had some nerve just waltzing into town like that. Choosing your next victim were you?” Her expression was a mixture of hatred and revulsion.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t try to deny it, I know you’re a vampire.” She glared at him.

Aidan sighed. “Okay, I admit to being a vampire, but I haven’t done anything. I only got into town tonight. I’ve never been anywhere near here before.”

“How can I trust the word of an admitted killer?”

“Hey! I admitted to being a vampire, but I’m no killer!”

“All vampires are killers, it’s their nature. They have to kill to get blood to survive.”

“Lady, please, listen to me. I’m no killer. I never touch human blood, never.” Which, strictly speaking, was true. Flame Song, after all, wasn’t really human, and there had been that dwarf, but dwarves weren’t human either. Though that vampire hunter on Spectoria had been, come to think of it. Ok, so I have taken human blood, but I’ve never willingly taken innocent blood.

The girl hesitated, and then scowled. “No. It’s just a trick. Well, you’re not going to fool me. I’ll keep you here until I get what I want, and then I’ll put you out of your misery.”

With a feeling of resignation Aidan asked, “What do you want then?”

“I want to know where the other vampire lairs. I know you’re not the only one. I saw him just the other night, and he’s not an aerian. So tell me where he is and I’ll give you a quick release, otherwise I’ll leave you here until you starve to death.”

“I don’t know. Believe me, if I knew I’d tell you in a heartbeat, but I don’t know. I told you before, I only just arrived here. I’ve never laid eyes on this other vampire. I certainly don’t know where he is.”

“I don’t believe you.” She said flatly. “Well, you’ll change your mind in time.” Without a further word she turned and strode up the tunnel. The light from her lantern vanished, leaving Aidan in utter blackness. Aidan tested his bonds again. He tried to feel the knots that held him to the cavern wall, but the girl had done a good job of tying him up and he couldn’t get at them. He could feel a touch of cold metal, and guessed that there was a ring driven into the wall, and the rope looped through it before being tied around his wrists, but there was so little slack in the rope that he couldn’t be sure. The only thing he was sure of was that he wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon. He sat alone in the darkness for a long time before he finally drifted off into an uneasy doze.

Aidan awoke as the sun touched the horizon. For a moment he was disoriented by the complete blackness around him. He couldn’t even tell if his eyes were actually open or not. Then he felt the cold stone beneath him and the ropes around his hands and remembered the events of the previous night. The ache in his head had faded somewhat, but was still there. It wasn’t long after sunset when he saw a faint glimmer of light and heard steps coming toward him. He gave the girl a longer look this time. She was short, about the same height as he was, and had blue-gray eyes. Her hair was blond and pulled back in a sensible ponytail. She was pretty, in a cute kind of way, and he realized that she probably looked younger than she really was. She might well be at least his own age.

“Have you changed your mind yet, vampire?”

“I can’t change my mind because I honestly don’t know. And I have a name besides ‘vampire’ you know. I’m Aidan. What’s your name?”

She hesitated, as if suspecting some kind of trick, and then said, “Shauna.”

“I once had a good friend named Shauna.” He smiled wryly. “But that is neither here nor there. Shauna, I beg you, let me go. I mean no harm to you or to anyone else here. I’ll help you hunt down this other vampire if you want. I have no love for those who kill people, vampires or not. What will it take for you to believe me?”

“You’re a vampire. You would have to present a signed letter from the Dragon Queen herself, and even then I’d be suspicious.”

Aidan couldn’t help himself, it was just too ironic. He burst into laughter.

“Why are you mocking me?” Shauna’s voice was confused, hurt. Suddenly she didn’t seem quite so confident.

Aidan quieted his laughter. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking that if I’d known this was going to happen I could have brought you exactly that. I count Tara as a friend, and I actually had a letter from her not long ago.”

Shauna’s expression told her disbelief louder than words. Aidan shrugged. “You don’t have to believe it, in fact I bet you won’t, but I’m a member of the Clan of the Lost Dragon.”

“The Clan?” Shauna’s eyes lit up at the thought of the legendary band of adventurers. Then she scowled. “You’re right, I don’t believe it. They would never allow one of the evil undead among them.”

“Believe what you will,” said Aidan, giving up on trying to convince this crazy girl to let him go any time soon. “But tell me, why do you feel so strongly about vampires?”

Shauna hesitated. Why should she open her heart and tell her story to this vampire? But then he would never have the chance to repeat it, and he was something in the nature of a captive audience. “It’s not just vampires, it’s anything that’s a threat to this town.” She settled down on the floor, placing the lantern beside her. “My father, you see, was a great warrior. He fought in many battles when he was younger, defending Mysteria. He even fought along side the real Clan of the Lost Dragon. When he came home he took up the job of protecting the village. The forest is a dangerous place, and there are goblins and worse things in the mountains. There are no larger villages to turn to, so we have to fend for ourselves. My father guarded this village for nearly twenty years. Then he died. He didn’t even die in battle.” The pain of the memory was evident on her face. “He got sick, some kind of fever, and just never recovered. He never had any sons, only me, so I took up where he’d left off, defending the village. Nobody took me seriously at first, and some of them still don’t, but I’ve proven myself often enough. We’ve had almost no trouble of any kind for the last year, and then you vampires show up.” She broke off, saying, “Why do you care anyhow?”

“I just wanted to know. You seem so dedicated. You’re wrong about me, but I can understand where you’re coming from. This whole village is like a family to you, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “But what do you know about family?”

“A lot. I would give my life for my family. If you feel the same way about these villagers then they could not ask for a better protector.”

She suddenly got to her feet and glared at him. “You’re just trying to trick me into letting you go. Well it won’t work. I have no sympathy for you, vampire. I won’t let you loose until you tell me where the other vampire is.”

Aidan sighed tiredly. “I’m not trying to trick you into anything. I think by now I know better. I just wish you’d believe me when I say I don’t know anything about this other vampire.”

“It does no good trying to protect him, you know. Even without you I’ll catch him sooner or later.”

“I don’t want to protect him, whoever he is. If he’s been murdering innocents, then I’ll happily help you get rid of him. But I suppose you just think that’s a trick too.”

Shauna just glared at him. Then she snatched up her lantern and stalked off. As she rounded a curve that would take her out of sight she turned back and said, “You can’t hold out forever you know. Pretty soon you’re going to start feeling hungry. What will you do then, vampire?”

A very good question, thought Aidan as the glow of her lantern slowly vanished. That rabbit was pretty small and it’s been a while. I’m already starting to feel hungry. By tomorrow night I’ll really be feeling it. I don’t think I’ve ever gone more then three days without some kind of meal. I don’t know what starvation will do to me, but I imagine it’s not going to be good. And I don’t think Shauna is going to give in and let me go any time soon. I certainly haven’t lost my knack for getting into trouble. He sighed. Now if only Flame Song were around to bail me out of it. He passed the night alone with his thoughts, and when the sun rose that morning he was sound asleep. He didn’t see Shauna when she came into the cave, lantern lit, and stood gazing down at him where he slumped against the wall in a rather uncomfortable-looking position.

I could almost wish he were telling the truth, she thought to herself. He looks so innocent, so peaceful. It’s hard to believe he’s a bloodthirsty killer. He looks more like an angel. She stared, taking in his soft-feathered wings, his unruly dark hair, and his peaceful expression. Her own expression softened momentarily, but then she shook herself. No. He’s nothing but a murdering vampire. He doesn’t deserve any compassion. If he’s an angel he’s a dark angel of death. She turned to go, but couldn’t resist one last look behind her.

When Aidan awoke the next night he found Shauna already sitting beside him with the lantern lit. “Well vampire, are you ready to tell me what I want to know?”

Aidan shook his head tiredly. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know myself.”

“Why do you persist in this nonsense? Just tell me!” Her frustration was evident.

Aidan remained silent. What point was there in arguing with the girl? She wouldn’t believe him no matter what he said. He was starting to slip into depression again. He had struggled so much, come so far, and now he was going to end his life in the dark hole with only a stubborn girl for company.

“What loyalty could a vampire have? Why save the other vampire? You know I’ll catch him sooner or later?”

“I’m sure you will,” Aidan said tiredly. “But I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

She looked at him. “You know, you almost have me believing you.”

Aidan didn’t respond. An uncomfortable silence stretched out. Shauna broke it at last. “You’re a strange contradiction. A devil who looks like an angel, a murderer with the face of an innocent. How did you end up being a vampire?”

Aidan looked up at her. What reason did he have to share his life story with her? But then what reason did he have not to? With a mental shrug he began, “I didn’t want to become a vampire. It was the last thing I wanted, in fact.” He thought back to that day. He’d been knocked out and carried off then too, but he’d woken in a wooden shack with a vampire sitting by his side. “I was kidnapped by a vampire. I think he was more than a little crazy. He wanted to build an army of the undead, and I was his first recruit. There isn’t really much to tell. He turned me into a vampire, I managed to kill him and get away. I’ve been like this ever since.”

Shauna was looking at him with a kind of unwilling fascination in her eyes. “Did it hurt, being turned into a vampire?”

“The first part, yes. More than anything I’ve ever felt, before or since. But once it was over with it didn’t hurt at all.”

“How…” she hesitated over the question, and then asked, “How did he do it? How do you make somebody a vampire?”

Aidan looked at her. Why was he sharing this? She didn’t care; to her he was nothing but a threat to her precious village and an object of horrified curiosity. But he felt the desire to talk about it. He’d never really discussed that night with anybody, not even Flame Song. At first he hadn’t been ready to deal with it, and then it just hadn’t come up. He took a deep breath, and answered. “He drank my blood. That was the part that hurt.” His eyes went dark, turned inward on an unpleasant memory. “He drained me to the very edge of death, but stopped just before he killed me outright. I was still dying though. I wouldn’t have lived out the night, if he hadn’t…” He stopped. The memory was still almost too painful.

“Hadn’t what?” asked Shauna.

“He cut his wrist and made me drink his blood. I didn’t want to, but I was too weak. He forced it into my mouth and I was choking on it. I swallowed reflexively. I couldn’t help myself. Then I passed out. The next thing I remember was waking up the next night, a vampire.”

After he finished there was another long silence. Then Shauna said, “That’s horrible.”

Aidan didn’t reply.

Shauna’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “But how do I know that’s the truth? Maybe you’re just trying to win my sympathy again.”

Aidan shrugged. “I can’t make you believe anything. But it’s the truth.” He leaned back against the wall as best he could, suddenly very tired, and suddenly aware of being very hungry. “Shauna, I know you won’t let me free, I’m not asking you to, but I don’t want to starve to death. Could you please bring me something? I haven’t eaten since before you captured me.”

Her expression of sympathy vanished completely before a look of total horror. “You want me to bring some helpless victim to you? Are you crazy?”

“No! And if you did, I wouldn’t, I couldn’t harm anyone. All I need is some animal. Bring a rabbit, a chicken, anything. I told you I don’t drink human blood and I never will.”

“No.”

He was pleading now. “I beg you, please. I’ve never been more than a few days without food. I’m afraid I’ll lose control of myself. I don’t know what I could do if I were starving. And if I hurt you, or anyone, I’d regret it forever. Please!”

“No! I told you I’ll leave you here to starve to death if you don’t tell me where the other vampire is, and I’m not going back on it.” She snatched up the lantern, bolted to her feet, and stormed out of the cave. Aidan slumped against the wall. His heart felt as dark as the utter black of the cavern around him. He was going to die here and Flame Song would never know what had happened to him. Littlespark would have to grow up without a father after all.

On sunset of the next night Aidan awoke ravenously hungry. He hadn’t felt like this since he’d first become a vampire. He tried to push the sensation aside, but it stubbornly refused to go away. It wasn’t long before he heard Shauna’s footsteps coming closer. He closed his eyes against the lantern light, far too bright after the pitch darkness. She set down the lantern and asked her nightly question. “Well vampire, have you decided to tell me yet?”

Aidan gave her the same response. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.” This is becoming a kind of weird ritual, he thought.

She sat down just a few feet from him, and Aidan was suddenly hyperaware of her. He could hear her heart beating. He could smell the scent of her blood; hear it rushing through her veins. He could hear every breath she took. His hunger surged to the front of his consciousness, and he pushed it back down with great difficulty. She seemed to be aware of the intensity of his gaze. Her blue-gray eyes locked onto his. “What are you staring at?”

He closed his eyes and turned his head aside. “Nothing,” he gritted through clenched teeth.

“What’s it like to be a vampire?” The question was sudden and unexpected. Aidan seized on the chance to distract his mind from his hunger.

“It isn’t really all that different, at least for me. I do most of the same things I did when I was alive.”

“But you don’t eat normal food anymore, do you?”

“No.”

“Do you miss it?”

He considered. “Sometimes I do, a little bit. But mostly I don’t.”

“What’s it like, drinking blood?”

This isn’t doing a very good job of keeping my mind off food, he thought. “It’s hard to describe. It isn’t really like anything else.”

Shauna leaned closer to Aidan. She reached out one hand and touched his cheek, softly. “You’re warm. That surprised me when I carried you here, you know. I expected a vampire to be cold, like a corpse.”

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore her bloodsmell. She was so close, too close. He was suddenly glad that he was tied up or he might have done something he would have regretted a great deal afterward. He managed to get a grip on himself and answered her. “Yes. That’s one of the legends that isn’t true. Not all of them are.”

“What about the legends that say…” She stopped and seemed to be embarrassed. “Well, they say that vampires are incredible lovers.”

Aidan blushed. That wasn’t what he’d expected her to ask about. “I, uh…” He didn’t know what to say. His eyes were still closed, but he heard her move closer. The bloodsmell grew even stronger. Then he felt her lips brush his and they were kissing. Her kiss was passionate and deep and for a moment another kind of hunger rose up. He almost gave into it, but the memory of Flame Song suddenly brought him to his senses.

Aidan turned his head aside violently, breaking off the kiss. “No!” He found himself panting, gasping for breath as if his lungs still needed air.

Shauna looked at him with shock written on her face. “No,” he repeated. “I can’t, I won’t.”

Shauna still looked at him with that expression of total surprise. He wondered if it was surprise because he’d stopped things, or because she’d started them. “What is it?” she asked. “Why? If you wanted to get free, you might actually have gotten me to do it.”

He found he was shaking. He took one more deep breath, trying to steady himself. “Two reasons: One, if you had freed me, starving as I am right now, I probably would have done something we both would regret very much. But more importantly, I simply can’t. I would be betraying my wife.”

Her eyes widened ever further. “Wife? You’re married?”

Aidan nodded.

“Why on earth would anybody marry a vampire?” Shauna burst out.

“Well, I wasn’t a vampire at the time, but I honestly think my Flame Song would have married me anyway. She’s dealt with the whole vampire business a lot better than I have, that’s for sure.”

Shauna scowled darkly. “And how do I know that you’re not lying again?” Her face was burning, and Aidan realized that she was humiliated by his rejection. Great, he thought, now she hates me personally, as well as for being a vampire. “You probably are lying.” Her eyes were blazing as she said it. “I can’t trust you at all. I’m not going to bring you any food, and I don’t even know if I’ll come back. Maybe I should just leave you here to rot!”

She grabbed the lantern and stormed out. That’s getting to be a habit, thought Aidan wryly. I always manage to make her storm off angry. Well now I guess that’s done it. It’s curtains for me for sure. I wonder how long it takes a vampire to die of starvation?

The rest of the night dragged by miserably, and when sunrise came Aidan fell into an uneasy sleep, full of vague nightmares which he couldn’t quite remember upon awakening. He awoke as usual when the sun sank below the horizon. He waited for Shauna to come, hoping that she might have changed her mind, but the long dark hours dragged by with no sign of the girl. Aidan’s hunger had reached a point where it was hardly recognizable as hunger anymore. He felt like he was burning, and wondered if he would be hot to the touch, but had no way of telling if the fevered sensation was real or not. He was lightheaded and dizzy, and he couldn’t quite focus his thoughts. His mind kept wandering off. He wondered briefly if he was going insane, but couldn’t hold onto that thought either. By the time the sun rose again he felt too weak to even move. He simply leaned limply against the wall and dropped off into fitful slumber.

He awoke the next evening feeling about the same. Maybe it gets to a point where I won’t get any worse, he thought. How many days has it been? Five, I think, or six. His mind wandered again and only his sun sense told him he’d been meandering mentally for more than an hour when he saw a faint glow coming down the tunnel and heard footsteps. He felt a surge of hope. Was it Shauna? But then that wouldn’t help him any. For her own safety she shouldn’t free him now. He doubted if he could control himself in his starved state. And besides, she hated him now. Then his keen ears picked out the fact that this step was heavier, a different stride altogether. Who on earth…? The stranger rounded the corner and came into view. Aidan squinted against the light of the lantern. It was a man, tall and pale skinned with blond hair and brown eyes. His expression was amused, even sardonic. He walked over to Aidan and held the lantern up for a good look. Then he grinned. The light glinted off of sharp fangs. It’s him, thought Aidan. The other vampire!

“Well, well, well, isn’t this amusing. Dear little Shauna has caught a stranger instead of me. No doubt she’s trying to pry my secret hiding place out of you, and you, poor sap, don’t even know where it is. How very ironic.”

Aidan simply lay limply, unable to summon the energy to do anything in response.

The other vampire shook his head. “Pathetic. If it were me she had caught, I’d have managed to get my fangs into her by now, but then she would never have caught me in the first place.” He cocked his head to one side. “But what’s this? I think I hear her footsteps now.” He grinned at Aidan, and blew out the lantern. His voice sounded practically by Aidan’s ear in the dark. “Now I think I shall have a little fun. You are, no doubt, half starved, and here a wonderful meal is coming right your way. I think it quite fitting that the little would-be vampire slayer should be killed by her own captive vampire.” Aidan felt the cold touch of steel against his wrists and suddenly found that he was free. A rush of adrenaline broke his lethargy. He got halfway to his feet in a crouching position. Everything seemed crystal clear. Shauna was already almost there, enough light spilled into the cave for Aidan to make out the other vampire, slinking into a shadowed spot to hide and watch the fun. He heard Shauna’s footsteps approach and then she came into view. She stopped, shocked by the sight of him standing there, obviously freed. He was hit as if by a wave with her bloodsmell and for one instant he nearly gave into the overpowering hunger. Shaking with the effort of it, he bared his teeth in a snarl and yelled, “Run! If you value your life at all, then run!”

Shauna didn’t wait around for any further explanations. She dropped her lantern and ran. Aidan had to grapple again with his hunger to keep from going after her.

“Oh my, I am quite disappointed.” The other vampire’s sardonic smile was still in place. “I was looking forward to seeing the little pest get her throat torn out. Well, I shall just have to take care of that myself, I suppose. But first I’ll take care of you.” The tall vampire drew a dagger and advanced on Aidan. Aidan’s daggers were no longer at his belt. He presumed that Shauna had relived him of them when she first caught him. But she’d missed the little dagger he kept hidden in his boot. In one smooth motion he drew it and faced the taller vampire.

The sense of crystal clarity was still with him. He was filled with a feverish energy. He knew that he would have to pay for it after this was over, his starved system didn’t have that much energy to spare, but he didn’t care. The other vampire slashed at Aidan, and he almost laughed. The man knew nothing about knife fighting. He was, no doubt, used to facing merely human opponents. He was going to be in for a nasty shock if he thought Aidan would be easy prey.

Aidan dodged every blow the other vampire aimed at him. Their battle was quick. Both vampires moved with reflexes far faster than human, but though the taller vampire had the greater strength, Aidan was the quicker of the pair. He still remembered what it was like to fight an even battle against an equal opponent. Aidan bided his time, waiting for an opening, and then one came. Cat-quick he slashed out. The other vampire reeled back, a deep cut across his knife hand. Bloodsmell filled the air. The wound began to heal immediately, but the damage was done. His knife was knocked from his hand. Then Aidan reversed his little knife and slammed the wooden pommel into the other vampire’s head. Had the knife’s hilt been made of metal it would have had little effect, but to a vampire wood is the most dangerous weapon. The vampire was thrown against the cave wall by the force of the blow. He rebounded, stumbling, and Aidan got an arm around his neck in a headlock.

Afterwards Aidan wasn’t sure if he could have done what he did in cold blood, but in the heat of battle, with the other vampire’s bloodsmell still in the air, he didn’t even pause for thought, he simply reacted. He sank his fangs into the other vampire’s neck and began to drink. The sensation of energy flowing into him was amazing. The taste of the vampire’s blood was heady, like nothing else he’d ever tasted. He gave in totally to his hunger and didn’t stop until the other vampire dropped limply to the floor, dead.

As Aidan turned away, wiping blood off of his lips with the back of his hand, he heard a gasp of shock. Looking up he saw Shauna standing at the entrance to the cave. She had a wooden stake clutched in one hand and she was staring at Aidan with a horrified expression.

“What have you done?”

“I’ve taken care of your vampire problem for you, look.” Aidan knelt down next to the dead vampire and indicated his sharp fangs, which were exposed in a snarl, even now. The body had started to dry up and crumble into dust already. Suddenly exhausted, Aidan sat down and rested his head in his hands. Shauna shook her head in disbelief.

“What happened?”

“He came down here just before you did. He seemed to find the whole situation very amusing. He decided it would be fun to cut me loose when he heard you coming and watch me kill you.” Aidan smiled tiredly. “He didn’t count on my having enough self-control to tell you to run for it. I’m glad you had sense enough to do so, because I don’t think I could have kept myself under control for long. Then we fought, and I won.” He shrugged. “That’s all there is to it.”

“You drank his blood!”

“Yes!” Aidan was suddenly tired of this girl and her accusations. “Yes I did! It was his or yours, Shauna. If I hadn’t, I would have attacked you as soon as you came back. I was starving, I had to get blood from somewhere.” He got to his feet and very deliberately licked the blood off of his dagger before returning it to his boot. “I am what I am, Shauna. I’m not going to deny it. Now what are you going to do about it? You have what you wanted.” He gestured at the crumbling from of the other vampire. “Your precious village is safe. And I’m not going to tamely allow you to tie me up again.”

“What are you going to do?” Shauna asked the question hesitantly.

“I am going to go home. I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful daughter waiting for me. I’ve been gone too long already.”

Shauna shook her head. “You keep surprising me. You have a daughter too?”

Aidan nodded. “Yes. She’s just eighteen months old, and she shouldn’t be without her father. I wish I’d never left. Does this mean you’ll let me go?”

“I…” Shauna looked at Aidan for a long moment before finishing. “I think so, yes.”

Aidan smiled. “Thank you.” He walked past her to the cave entrance.

“Aidan, wait.” Aidan turned around, surprised. She had actually called him by name instead of just “vampire.”

“Just one more thing before you go.” She planted herself directly in front of him. Aidan was puzzled, what now? Then Shauna threw her arms around his and gave him a kiss. Aidan was too surprised to react before she broke it off. He stood there blinking at her. She grinned. “One for the road. Tell your wife how lucky she is when you get home.”

Aidan shook his head, bemused. He would never understand this strange girl. He wondered again if she was really as young as she looked. Then, with a mental shrug he turned to go. He made his way up the twisting tunnel to the surface. Standing outside in the snow he took a deep breath of fresh air. With one last glance behind him at the dark cave mouth where Shauna was standing, he launched himself into the air. Time to go home.