Vicente carefully laid me down in the bed, soon joining me. I smiled as he was inches away from me and kissed my nose.

"You're so cute Vicente." I chided to his disappointment,

Vampires always hated that word cute, so it made me giggle.

"If I'm...cute...then you're gorgeous." He replied.

I blushed a little and looked away from his face. We were both curled on the bed, still in our clothes, smiling and kissing. The world seemed to lay still for us until Vicente got up.

"Damn it." He mumbled.

"What's wrong?" I asked sitting up.

He ran his hand up still-loose hair and sighed.

"I need to send you on a mission." He said reluctantly.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he held a finger up.

"I'd like to have you here forever Emmie, but I need to send you on assassination missions, otherwise the Wrath of Sithis will be after you and I'd have to expel you from here."

I pouted. I didn't want that, but I also didn't want to leave Vicente. He tenderly kissed my cheek and told me what I had to do, how I had to go to Bruma and kill a man by the name of Banelin and stage it to be an accident. I had to make a stuffed minotaur head fall on him and crush him. He usually sat in his chair, underneath the head, between eight and nine PM. I sighed and got up to leave when Vicente stopped me.

"If you want my suggestion, go through the basement."

he held my hand, and I clutched onto it. Something bad was brewing, something beyond our comprehension or business. He felt my pain and brought me into a tight hug.

"I love you Emmie. Come home soon." He whispered in my ear.

"I love you too Vicente. I promise I will." I replied and kissed his cheek tenderly, as he had done with me.

I smiled and broke the hug, quickly leaving the sanctuary before I could see Vicente's heart break.

---

I shivered as I saw my breath in Bruma. I always hated it here, it was cold all the friggen' time. I tried to shake off the cold and snow as I easily picked the lock on Banelin's basement and quietly slipped in like a shadow. I quietly moved across the basement and opened the basement door. I looked out a nearby window and noticed it should be around nine PM. I smiled deviously as I saw Banelin in his chair, reading a book and looking comfortable. I remembered the crawlspace in the guard's room and quickly made my way up there, barely making a sound.

"What was that?" The guard, Gromm, asked brusquely.

I held my breath as I darted into the crawlspace and heard Gromm stomping up the stairs. My heart beat furiously in my chest as I tried to close the crawlspace door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Whoever's up here, show yourself!" He shouted angrily.

Still holding my breath, I darted into the darkest area of the crawlspace and melded into the shadows with my armor. Gromm stomped noisily over to the door and stared straight at me.

"Could've sworn I closed this thing." He grumbled and shut the door.

I sighed with relief and carefully turned around and drew out my dagger, and as soon as I heard Gromm go downstairs, I cut the ropes on the minotaur and Banelin grunt in his death. I peeked out of the hole and smiled wickedly as I noticed he looked perfectly normal, save for the crooked neck and blood spatter on the book. I sauntered out of the crawlspace and downstairs and saw Gromm glowering at me.

"You!" He hissed.

I gasped in surprise and opened the door, flying down the stairs and out the door with remarkable speed. He grabbed my ankle which caused me to fall soundlessly into the pile of white snow. He lowered his axe and I rolled out of the way just in time as it left a nasty cut on my side. I limped into the streets, leaving a trail of blood as Gromm chased me with bloodlust in his eyes. The guards immediately aimed their arrows at Gromm and opened fire as I pushed help away and ran out of the city gates, leaping onto my horse and galloping away back home.

---

I finally returned home, messy and bloody. I stumbled in the door after about a week of no sleep. Antoinetta was the first to notice my state and immediately supported me into the main hallway onto a bench.

"Oh my." She gasped as fresh blood erupted from my wound. Apparently he cut a little closer than I thought as my breath became labored and raspy.

"All the bad things happen to you, don't they?" She whispered with a smile.

She must know that I'll get better.

"I'll be right back. Mrajj'Dar is the only one who can heal this wound.

I clenched my teeth in the thought of dealing with that asshole, but I guess it was for the better, but I had one question still.

Where was Vicente?