Disclaimer: The characters in the following story, with the exception of "Loral Williams" and a few other auxiliary characters

Disclaimer: The characters in the following story, with the exception of "Loral Williams" and a few other auxiliary characters, are owned by Spelling Television Inc. [A subsidiary of Spelling Entertainment Group Inc.]. Vampire: The Masquerade is owned by Mark Rein*Hagan/White Wolf Publishing. My use is in no way a challenge to their copyrights.

Note to the Reader: The vampire legend is not the creation of anyone person, and no one set of rules or myths interprets what a vampire is. Every storyteller redefines what is logical and permissible in his or her story's universe. If I stray from the World of Darkness interpretation, it is only because I am endeavoring to write a fuller and richer tale.

A Double Edge

Part I

Chapter 3

Cash found his love curled up on her bed in her old room at the mansion. Her eyes vacantly stared at the door. He knelt beside her and stoked her cheek gently. Slowly she came out of her trance and searched his face. She was so beautiful Cash's heart wanted to break just under the strain of looking at her. He loved her beyond words, and wisdom. They were meant to be together, and he would help her through this, he would be her strength. He bent down to kiss her lips but found only her cheek.

Sasha looked up at the ceiling, she hated doing this too him, but after tonight it might be for the best. He didn't know what she could do, how she could kill.

"So what's the verdict? Are we condemned?" there was a cruel edge of sarcasm in her voice as she looked back at the Prince's bodyguard.

Why did this always have to happen Cash wondered. As soon as who they were got close, what they were pulled them apart. They never could escape their clans. She was Brujah, and he was Gangrel. Romeo and Juliet had it easier.

"No, all Julian wants is territory concessions. Look I know you're still hurting from this…. do you want to talk about it?"

"What are the concessions?" She asked ignoring his question.

He sighed. "Why do you always do this?"

Silence.

"Five blocks to Venture, Five to Toreador, Eight to Gangrel" he finally gave in.

"Hmm lucky you." She said and turned her back to him.

"Please Sasha don't do this…." And suddenly he was angry with her with the Brujah in her. Why was she always so stubborn? Why couldn't she ever just accept help? Why did she have the power to make him plead with her? He got up and walked to the door, but before he could go, Sasha turned around.

"Did I really see Loral?"

It was midnight before any of the residents of the Luna compound realized that their late afternoon visitor was missing. Despite the increase in security since the report of the hunter, no one had seen her on the grounds for hours, but her pickup sat idle in the garage.

None of the guards had seen or heard anything, but figuring that he could either go on a wild goose chase looking for a girl he had never met, lost in a 50 acre plot of forest in the dead of night, or go back inside and be within 200 ft. of Sasha, Cash took to the woods.

Loral's mind seemed completely fuddled in the seat of luxury that the Luna mansion provided. She needed to think things through, come to a conclusion, and develop a plan of action. Sitting in a rarely used bathroom, gilded mirrors just added to her sense of confusion.

Her arm still hurt but only a little. Whatever had happened it seemed the worst had passed, even so a large spot of blood had soaked through her suit. She took it off and held the sleeve under the facet until the water ran from red to clear.

She couldn't shake the image of blood flowing from Sasha's eyes like tears, or the way Luna had looked at her when she had started to bleed.

Bleed.

She looked down at her right arm. The nearly unblemished skin reflected the cool light. It was just like last time. Her arm started to hurt and then bleed, but she wasn't cut or even bruised. The only sign of abuse was a small faded scar below and right of her wrist. She traced it with her index finger trying to remember how she got it.

The flood of memories hit her like a tidal wave.

She had to get out of there.

Cash did a wide sweep around the perimeter of the grounds until he picked up the sent of lemony hair products.

"Bingo." He headed into the thick brush. It gave easily to him; the forest was his second home and the night, a part of his nature. Finding her would be no simple task, but he was an accomplished hunter, and she had done nothing to cover her tracks.

It took him about two hours, but in the end he finally spotted her leaning against a tree in a small clearing. She seemed to be tracing a line on her arm in the moonlight. Suddenly she glanced his way. Cash froze. Had she known he was here? But how?

She got up and quickly and retreated to the deeper shadows of the trees, finally he lost sight of her all together. Damn!

Cash left his hiding place cautiously. He didn't like this one bit. It felt like he was being led, herded. He couldn't quiet explain why, maybe he was just still high strung from the hunter report, but he pulled out his semi-automatic. He could always put it away when he found her. Sighing he headed into the darkness.

From her vantage point in the lower branches of an old oak Loral watched as Cash followed her into the woods. He had his pistol drawn.

So they had sent someone to deal with her. She groaned internally. It wasn't that she couldn't take him. He wasn't all that big, and was too young to have a lot of fighting experience. It just seemed so unfair. Life had been going well, she didn't need this. Pushing her misgiving aside she concentrated on the task at hand. It had been too long. She felt for the knife under her arm, and thought better of it. He obviously had another weapon under his jacket, probably a gun. If she could just get at it……

He was right under her trying to figure out where she had gone too. Now was her chance. Three Two One, She dropped, snaked her arm into his jacket mid-jump, loosened the gun, from its holster, pressed it into his rib, and made contact with the ground. But before she could pull the trigger she felt the cool round barrel of Cash's gun on her neck.

With less then a foot between them he could feel her breath. She was good, but her timing was off just a little. He had seen her a split second before she leapt, and was ready to bring her down, but he hadn't expected her to be able to get at his phosphorus gun. Now they were trapped by each other. Someone was going to have to give.

"So tell me Cash you always chase around unarmed women in the woods in the middle of the night, or is this just something special for friends of Sasha?"

"Truthfully, I don't really want to do this if you don't." came Cash's replay.

"Prove it." Loral couldn't believe the gull of this guy. Like she was so naïve as to fall for that.

'Decision time' he thought to himself. His choices were few and far between. He could attempt to dominate her mind, and disarm her, but that would take considerable concentration, and he did know if he could bend her will before she let off a round. He could try to manually disarm her, but she was so close he probably wouldn't be able to without getting shot. Only one option left

Cash lowered his gun, dislodged the bullet in the chamber and released the clip. He led it up to her.

"Your move"