Author's Note: WARNING: This chapter contains intense blood and violence.

Chapter 8 – Battling Demons

"I want to see Tynan." Vladislaus looked up from the book he was reading with a very dull expression. It was after my second piano lesson and he had insisted upon studying in the library until dinner time came. I had just finished reading Homer's The Odyssey in Latin and sitting in an extremely comfortable chair had made me think of my dapple grey stallion. I wanted to know of his welfare.

"Very well," he said shortly and shut his book, Paradise Lost.My eyes widened in surprise at his willingness to grant my wish, but I wasn't going to comment on it. Vladislaus had been acting a lot more anxious than normal since we had kissed. He disliked letting me out of his sight and even offered to teach me how to wield a sword. Of course, I had refused. Sword fighting was not considered proper for a lady and I was sure he knew that. So why had he asked?

"Take my arm, Isabelle, and I will show you where your horse is stabled. But it comes with a price." A devilish grin spread across his face. I took his arm, watching him attentively to see what he meant.

"I want to taste your blood," Vladislaus said, his eyes glittering with lust and passion. I tore my eyes away from his to keep from becoming hypnotized. I needed sensible thoughts to decide on my answer.

"It might hurt, but I give you my word that I will not drain you. I only want a sip…" he said as he ran a long-fingered hand down my neck. I shivered.

"How do I know if you will keep your word?" I asked, careful to keep my voice steady.

"You will just have to trust me," he replied.

"Can I trust you not to hypnotize me if I look at you?" I inquired apprehensively.

"Yes."

I looked up at him and stared into nothing but his dark raven eyes. He had kept his promise. But that didn't mean that if I let him bite me that he would stop after a couple drops. I knew from the book Killing Evil: What You MUST Know that once a vampire started to feed, it was nearly impossible for him/her to end a much enjoyed feast. But he wasn't a normal vampire.

"All right." My voice shook, and my rational thinking screamed at me to reconsider, but I ignored it. I had gone too far now to be put off by a little bit of pain. And I missed Tynan more every second.

Vladislaus raised his eyebrows. "I am impressed, Isabelle. I did not know one could love someone so much as to risk her own life for him. He is only a horse."

"Clearly, you have a lot to learn about the ways of love," I answered. "And I do not believe that you will kill me. I have been in your possession for too long and you have "rescued" me too many times. But then again, I am getting in the way of your mission to murder my father and receiving your seat next to the devil…"

He chuckled softly and bent down so that his lips brushed against my neck. I cringed and my body tensed up, but when he did not bite I felt myself relax. What was he trying to do?

"Oh Isabelle, you are so young and so naïve. Consider this a vampire's kiss…" with those words he sunk his razor-sharp fangs into my skin.

Pain. An unbelievable amount of pain. It was like my body was being sucked dry by some unseen force. My head began to throb and I whimpered while arching my back and struggling against the firm grip he had on me. I could feel blood, my own blood, running from my neck and on to the floor. I was being suffocated and as he tightened his hold on me, I shouted his name. My fists pounded on his back, useless against his lethal embrace. All I could think of was the amount of blood I was losing… I dug at his neck with my fingernails, desperate to be set free.

Vladislaus snarled and pulled away. I pushed him so that I was no longer within contact of his arms. His mouth was coated in blood and as he raised his sleeve to wipe it away, I took the opportunity to get as far from him as possible.

"Isabelle, calm down. It was only three drops. You act like you have been violated. I kept my word, and so did you… in a sense. We can go to the stables now if you like." His tone had turned remotely cold and distant.

My stomach heaved and I fought to keep up with my lungs, which where begging for more air than I could muster. I ran my hand along my neck and felt two tiny puncture marks, but no blood. He hadn't been lying. I took a deep breath and looked at him.

The wounds I had inflicted upon his neck were healing, but I could sense that he was angry about it. His eyes were burning and the evil that was radiating from him made me feel queasy.

"You can't die by the stake, can you?" I asked, watching in disgust as he licked his fangs.

"Clever girl. It only took you several days to figure that one out," he snapped; his thick accent made his words sting. My eyes began to water at the sharpness of his voice. It reminded me of a shattered stain-glass window, a window that could not be pieced back together.

"So you cannot be killed?" I said, keeping my voice low and almost inaudible. But he heard me.

"Oh yes, I can be killed. But not by any weapon a mortal can wield. Not even your father, Isabelle, although in his werewolf form, was able to wreck much destruction upon me. He could never truly extinguish my presence. That's why I am back. Well, I was sent back, but you probably know all about that, since you felt the urge to plunder through that damned book. Why I did not dispose of it I cannot understand…" his voice rambled off, but I heard nothing past "that damned book." He had been spying on me. Probably the entire time I had been at the castle he had been spying on me. For what purpose?

I decided not to bring that matter up. He appeared extremely tense and one wrong move could be the result of my death, even if he didn't mean it. He was a demon and a killer first, before anything else. And that could not be changed, no matter how much I wanted it so. It was not within my power.

"May I go see Tynan now?" I said, praying that he would not be angered by my persistent request. He sighed and then nodded solemnly. I followed him out of the library and when we were in the hallway I took his hand. He kept on looking forward and walked faster. I had to run to keep up with his long strides. I tried to keep track of where we were going, but there were so many twists and turns, doors and hallways, that I gave up after the first five minutes.

"Is there an entrance to your castle?" I asked, glancing up at him.

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "The only way to get in here is to fly in," he said, his voice coated with spite. "However, Floor 2, as you call it, does have a door that opens out into the forest. The only reason I have a door there is to "entertain" guests with my ballroom that I built in 1461. That door is your only means of freedom, Isabelle, but remember what I told you would happen if you tried to escape."

"I wasn't planning on it, count," I said, replying in the same heinous tone. I wrenched my hand from his grasp and took to admiring the paintings to pass time. He said nothing, but I noticed that he had his right hand on the hilt of his sword. Who was going to attack us in his own castle?

Vladislaus led me through a door and I found myself in a remote hallway. On one side was a consecutive line of twelve medieval knights, their armor glimmering in the weak light. On the other side was a series of paintings done by the famed artist Leonardo da Vinci. I wanted to touch one of the knight's swords but he hissed and batted my hand away.

"Do not touch that."

At the end of the hallway were two large oak doors that had a statue of a black stallion rearing above them. The horse had red eyes. Vladislaus spoke a word in a language I did not understand and the doors swung open, revealing Tynan's finely sculpted head. He whinnied and reared up, nearly freeing himself from the stall he was in.

"My love, how have you been?" I said, placing a hand on his muzzle. He seemed to be in wonderful physical shape and his coat gleamed like silver. Clearly, he had been well taken care of. I made a mental note of thanks to God for that.

"He looks great," I commented to Vladislaus. When the count did not answer, I turned around to see that he was no longer there. I shook my head, kissed Tynan's nose, and continued down the row of stalls. The stalls were spacious and airy; my only compliant was the lack of light, for there were no windows. I was about to go back to Tynan when I heard a muffled yelp.

I spun around, trying to locate the source of the noise. I could hear banging and as I walked faster past the stalls, the noise grew louder. There was another horse in the stables.

When I arrived at the stall where the noise was coming from, I was in awe. The most beautiful black stallion was there, his eyes glowing a fierce red and teeth bared. He was the biggest horse I had ever seen, and his forelock was so long it shaded half of his face from view. He reminded me of a splendid warhorse, like the ones that I had seen in pictures. Their muscles rippled under the sun and their coats shined so bright it was hard to look upon them. Men would tremble at their feet and flee when they were coming. The power that they held was enough to even counter the wrath of the devil himself. And here I was, five feet away from one.

"Jovan," Vladislaus said behind me. I did not remove my eyes from the stallion as he came up next to me, his footfalls making hardly a sound on the rough cobblestone. "His name is Jovan."

"Jovan," I said softly. The name sounded familiar. Where had I heard it before?

"Is that Latin for…" I began as I struggled to remember.

"Majestic, yes," he answered, his voice swelling with pride. "This horse has born me well and has never faltered in loyalty. I have never once questioned his obedience…" Vladislaus reached out to stroke the horse, which willingly came to the front of his stall to be petted. I marveled at how a horse would let a demon touch him. Then again, Jovan didn't appear to be just any ordinary stallion…

"He's gorgeous," I breathed, admiring the horse's glossy coat. I could have groomed Tynan thoroughly three times a day and his coat would never look like this, no matter how much effort I put into it. It just wasn't possible.

"Come here, he won't harm you," Vladislaus said, motioning me forward with his hand. I gulped and took a shaky step towards him, watching the horse carefully in case he decided to lash out at me. But Jovan made no such effort. He was content as long as his master was present.

Vladislaus took my hand gently and placed it on the horse's neck. His fur felt like soft velvet, and I smiled as I stroked the smooth skin. Jovan closed his eyes and lifted his head; he was obviously enjoying my touch.

"He has not felt the hand of a female for so long, Isabelle. It makes him much more docile. Pity it doesn't work on all of us, isn't it?" He wrapped an arm around my waist, but I did not remove my hand from Jovan's neck. His coat was so soothing to my skin…

"Don't you dare bite me again," I said warningly, as I let my hand run through the fine strands of the stallion's luxurious mane. Jovan nickered and his eye color turned from a blazing red to a much more calm and placid brown. I wondered at this.

"Now, don't soften my warhorse into liking humans," Vladislaus whispered in my ear; his breath made my skin prickle. "He is an effective killing machine that must not be tampered with." His lips grazed the sensitive flesh on the back of my neck, which caused me to tingle with pleasure. I automatically arched my body into contact with his, but then I realized how dangerous the present situation was and tore myself away from his grasp. I heard him hiss behind me. It was obvious that he was not expecting me to fight him.

"I'm just full of surprises. I guess not even someone as powerful as you can predict what I am going to do next," I said recklessly, chewing on my bottom lip as I continued to caress the horse. Jovan sighed, nudged my arm gingerly with his nose, and then returned to the back of his stall to continue his interrupted feast of hay. I grinned, but the grin changed to a shriek as I felt Vladislaus grab me by the neck. I turned around slowly, careful not to meet his gaze.

"You're a sly one, Isabelle. Very sly… like your father. But you do not know that you are only a puppet on my string. You're not strong enough to fight. I am the MASTER here, Isabelle, and if you have a problem with it, then you will face the consequences." He picked me up, his hand still firmly on my neck, and I struggled for air as he smiled up at me. I heard Tynan neigh, his tone was filled with concern, but not even my beloved horse could save me.

"You truly are a demon," I choked out, feeling extremely betrayed and alone. I had trust him, been tricked into the thought that he cared about me, and now here, in the witness of my helpless best friend, he would kill me and extract his revenge on my father. I had fallen prey to his trap.

"I'm only as evil as you believe me to be," he replied, and lowered me to the ground. I bolted away from him, tears blurring my vision. I threw open Tynan's stall door, grabbed his mane, and dragged him out of the stables. I saw the count flying toward me in his bat form, but I shut the doors firmly in his face. They locked automatically.

"Tynan, please, run," I cried, and I took a firm hold of his mane and swung up onto his back. He did not waste any time and launched into a full-fledged gallop, his eyes wide. My sudden urgency to escape was making him excited, and as we round the hallway, past the magnificent paintings and knights, I spotted a window hidden behind a door. If I was lucky, Tynan and I could both fit.

"GO!" I screamed at him. I could hear Vladislaus cursing and yelling in rage down the hall. Any second he would break out of the stables to tear us apart. I knew that it was not in the nature of vampires to be merciful.

"Please, Tynan, please," I begged, my voice almost drowned in tears. "Just JUMP!"

My stallion laid back his ears and took a step in the opposite direction. He seemed to be saying that the window was not the safe way out of the castle. I could tell he did not understand my insistence on condemning both of us to certain death.

"I KNOW IT IS NOT A GOOD ESCAPE PLAN TYNAN! WE DON'T HAVE TIME! JUST JUMP!" I dug my heels into his ribs but he did not move. Frantic, I grabbed a sword from the knight next to me, but it wouldn't break free from its sheath.

"Acquiro," I shouted, my tongue involuntarily falling into Latin, given my present state. The sword slid out of its sheath, nearly blinding me with a white ray of light. It was none too soon, for Vladislaus had broken through the oak doors and was now flying at me with a fathomless expression in his eyes. I grimaced in pain as the hilt of the sword started to burn my skin, but I would not let go. I knew the weapon could not save our lives, but I was determined to injure him regardless. When he was just inches from me, Vladislaus morphed into his vampire form, and I caught two words before I was thrown from Tynan's back:

"No Isabelle!" I landed on my side and did not move; the wind had been knocked out of me. The Grim Reaper tore the sword from my grasp and spun around to meet Vladislaus, who was racing towards me. He stopped abruptly and froze.

"I warned you, Vlad, that if you continued to disobey my master, you would be punished. I will kill you and send you back with the damned souls, where you belong. Gabriel will be dealt with by me now, since you have proven once again that you are not worthy to do my master's bidding." The Grim Reaper took a step toward him, the sword blazing white. I did not understand how the spirit was going to kill him. Vladislaus couldn't die…

"Pity that the one you "loved" would be the cause of your ultimate destruction," the Reaper said mockingly. "Had she known of the weapon she withdrew, she would never have drawn it in the first place. But then again, you underestimate the role humans can have in determining your fate."

Vladislaus captured my eye contact and motioned towards another knight with his eyebrows. He wants me to get a sword for him? Why can't he do it himself? I glared at him, but he shot me a pleading look and I sighed. Clearly he wanted me to think he was in some kind of danger…

But you can't die, I told him silently.

He shook his head insistently as he backed away from the Reaper. Get the sword, Isabelle… NOW! I groaned and crawled over to a knight while Vladislaus taunted the Reaper. I was willing to play his little game, of course, but only for so long. Who I was really concerned about were Tynan and myself. The Reaper would surely murder us… and as much as I hated to admit it, I did prefer the count over the bringer of death. If I was going to die by anyone's hand, I wanted it to be his.

"Acquiro," I whispered, and the sword sprang free. My hand burned with excruciating pain, but I managed to throw it at Vladislaus before collapsing back on the ground. That horrible bloodsucker owed me…

The Grim Reaper howled in anger and strode towards my limp body, raising his sword in an effort to strike. Tynan stepped in front of him, his eyes daring the spirit to take one more step forward.

"No, Tynan," I whined. "He'll kill you…" I watched in horror as the Reaper thrust his sword into my beloved stallion's chest. Tynan screamed in agony and fell to his knees, but kept his ears pinned to his head. The spirit was about to finish off my horse when Vladislaus stabbed him from the back.

"Don't touch them," he murmured, his eyes glowing with contempt. The Reaper swung at Vladislaus, but stopped in mid-air when he saw that the count was wielding two swords, the white one I had given him and the one from his scabbard.

"Surprise," Vladislaus said, his voice dripping with animosity. And then they entered the most violent and intense sword-fight that I had ever seen. Their movements were too fast for my eyes; everything was a blur. I forgot about Vladislaus for a moment and slithered my way over to Tynan. His eyes were open and the wound on his chest was bleeding profusely. I held back a sob as I placed my hand on his shoulder. I knew in my heart that he was not going to make it. I laid my head down on his neck and watched as the vampire and bringer of death dueled to keep my mind off of the fate of my horse. I gasped in shock as the Reaper slashed through Vladislaus's clothing, carving a deep gash in his chest. The wound did not heal and I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes before it was replaced by something much more powerful: abhorrence.

"How did that feel, my little pet?" The Reaper said, laughing. The window behind me broke, sending a cold gust of wind into the hallway. I shivered and tried to protect Tynan's body from the chill by draping myself over him. He was too weak to stir.

Vladislaus caught the spirit's sword and brought it to the ground so that it got stuck in the wood. He then shoved the white sword into the Reaper's chest, so far that I could see it peeking out of the spirit's backside. The sight made me feel nauseous.

"Now you know how it feels to be seconds away from death," Vladislaus growled, blood running from his wound and onto the oak floor. "Too bad you can't be there when I die too, brother. Now go to hell." He then ripped out the sword and sliced off the Reaper's head. The spirit dissolved, leaving only a ragged and torn black cloak behind.

Vladislaus's hands were shaking so hard he dropped both swords. He looked at me and I knew that look instantly. It was a look of farewell. "No," I sobbed, my heart breaking. "You can't…"

It took ages for him to fall. It was graceful, almost like a movement in a waltz, and his body bent elegantly before collapsing on the ground in a defeated heap. I heard screaming, and wondered where in the hell it was coming from. It sounded like a helpless soul being forced to watch her lover die. And then I realized that I was the one who was screaming.

Author's Note: (Holds up invisible shield) I promise that this is not the end, I have at least five more chapters to go, if not more. I assure you that the next chapter will be much more uplifting. Then again, if I don't get reviews, I just might change my mind… (Grins wickedly and then runs away)