I tried to sit up, but the pain kept me down. I saw Mrajj'Dar and Antoinetta emerge from a door, and started to hyperventilate. Antoinetta soothed me and told me to take deep, slow breaths as Mrajj'Dar healed me. Soon the pain melted away and I could breathe easier. I looked up to thank him, and he glowered at me.

"Don't try anything like that again," He spat, "I was barely able to heal you."

I gulped slightly and managed to sit up. There was some pressure, like being pregnant, but no pain. Antoinetta sat next to me and I sighed.

"Where's Vicente?"

Antoinetta seemed hesitant until she answered, "On a mission."

"Are you sure?" I asked suspiciously.

She sighed gently and looked to me.

"He didn't want me to tell you, but I think you should know."

My stomach started to do flips. Was he being unfaithful?

"He's out...you know...feeding."

I sighed in relief.

"Geez, I thought he was being unfaithful," I admitted, "What's the big deal about it?"

"Well, he only feeds on females. Particularly virgins."

Okay, this was going just a tad overboard.

"Eww, if you need me, I'll be in his room."

I walked down the corridor, rubbing my face and eventually sitting on my bed. I looked around the room, and it looked like it belonged to a scholar, not a vampire. I laid back on the bed, and felt immensely depressed, but I couldn't figure out why. Soon I heard the doors creak open and Vicnte was wiping his mouth with a pure white cloth. When he saw me, he gasped and threw the cloth into a drawer.

"Emmie, I didn't expect you to be back already." He said hurriedly.

"Vicente, what are you hiding?" I whispered.

He shook his head.

"If this is about the virgin feeding thing, I already know."

"And you're okay with it?"

He seemed almost in disbelief.

I waved my hand and he sighed.

"It's fine, it doesn't really matter. Vampires have to eat too, don't they?"

Vicente sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Emmie."

"What's there to tell?", I laughed, "Vampires need to feed to keep alive. It's simply what they do. You can't help it, can you?"

He shook his head and moved a little closer.

"So why females? And virgins?" I asked.

He chuckled lightly and laid next to me.

"I would tell you, but you'd have to be a vampire in order to truly understand."

I sighed, and we left it at that. He moved closer, and soon we were laying together like we did before I left for Bruma. He stroked my hair softly, and gasped as if he forgot something.

"Please tell me it's not another mission." I whined.

"No no, it's your payment." he replied and tossed me a small sack of gold.

I absentmindedly tossed it to the ground as he handed me a small dagger in a beautiful sheath. I drew the dagger and gasped at its beauty and the way it glowed and warmed in my hand.

"It's something I picked up when I was out the other day. It's called Sufferthorn, and I'm sure its prick is deadly."

Ah, so it's a magic weapon. I also tossed that on the floor next to the gold and Vicente frowned.

"Don't do that." He scolded gently.

I pulled him down next to me and smiled.

"I don't care about the rewards or the victims my dear. All I care about here is you."

He smiled and kissed me, and I was on Cloud Nine.