Eastern Russia, 1254 A.D.
The eerie glow of the full moon seemed to illuminate the jeering faces of my captors, making them look more like monsters than men. I wasn't afraid though. Not of the dark, the men who held me…not even the overwhelming dread of my fate looming in the distance. There was only the anger. The overwhelming anger of betrayal. Deep down I knew that Matvei wouldn't keep his promise to me, no matter how much I wanted him to. He never was good at keeping promises. He would pay. I would make sure of it.
"We found this serf wench trying to escape near the border, my lord," one of my captors proclaimed, dropping me in a heap at Matvei's feet. "We heard that she belonged to you."
"Indeed she does," Matvei replied with a smile. "Good work, gentlemen. You have my leave."
"Elvira," he breathed. I could see the passion in his eyes as he looked at me. "You have no idea how much I've…"
"Don't." I hissed venomously, and I could see the shock and confusion in his eyes. "Do you have any idea what you've done? You know they kill runaway serfs! How could you do this to me?" I wailed
"Elvira…"
"You promised me with freedom, and this is how you reward me?"
"Elle, you know I couldn't live without you."
"If you ever loved me," I whispered. "You would have let me go."
Thirty lashes at the flogging post. That was the sentence. Though after the tenth lash, I had a horrible feeling that they weren't going to stop. With my back on fire as I fell into unconsciousness, all I could think about was revenge.
I didn't know if it was a dream or a delusion when I saw the dark, handsome man begin walking toward me. He had a hungry look in his eyes. I was surrounded in a pool of my own blood and it took only a moment to realize that that was what the strange man hungered for. My blood.
"Help me," I rasped.
"Are you mad?" my mind seemed to scream at me. "Vourdalak! Vampire! Run!"
But I couldn't move, I couldn't run, there was only me, my pain, and the vampire. I would do anything to dull the pain. Anything! The vampire nodded slowly, and I felt a piercing pain in the neck…and all went black.
At first, there was only the darkness…and for a moment I wondered if I was dead. That was when the pain hit me. A different pain, burning like a wildfire from my neck, throughout my entire body. Then there was the hunger. A feeling like I hadn't eaten in years. A hunger for revenge and blood. That was when I remembered. "Matvei." I hissed.
