SO sorry for the 6-month wait you guys went through. Welcome to the new readers who commented, followed, or clicked favorite. One, or two, of our four vampires will be dying sometime in the next few chapters (obviously not Bash) so stay tuned and review! =D

Disclaimer: I was not alive in this time period so don't count me on everything. And I do not own these characters except those I made up.

"Elizabeth!"

His sister shook her head. "I am not finished yet, Sebastian."

Francis glanced nervously up the street. "Hurry Elizabeth, we haven't got much time if we are going to be gone when the guards come."

Elizabeth looked up, blood dripping from her lips. "Then you two may go, but I will stay."

"Do not be a fool, Elizabeth," Bash tried to reason with his sister. "Have you learned nothing since we took you in and made you our family?"

Her eyes flashed as she stood quickly and went face-to-face with her brother. "I had a family. I had a husband and the war took him away. Do not dare speak to me of family. Nobody would let me join my husband and now I am stuck here, feasting a corpse because that is how I survive," she fell back down onto the ground.

"You are angry," Bash went to his knees and looked at her, as she avoided looking him in the eye, "and I understand that because I was too once. But you have lived for years and you have enjoyed the life you have. Why such hatred now?"

Elizabeth looked at the body in front of her in disgust. "This man smells of pigs and dirt."

"Is that the reason for this?" Francis asked her. "Because of one mans odor?"

"No Francis, we have tasted worse. I am so tired of hiding from everyone and from the light. Do you not wake up and hear the sounds of happiness of the children who play in the sun?Why should we hide from others who we truly are?"

Bash was losing his patience. "You know exactly why, Elizabeth. You wish to reveal yourself to the people. Why? So that they may burn you or take your head? I cannot believe I am hearing this from you," he paused for a moment to collect (he was the only one who could control his temper) and then stood up. "Sister, I have changed my mind. If you want to let everyone know who you are and endanger this family, you do that. Do what you please. But if you are to act reckless, do not think that the rest of us will not extreme measures to protect ourselves. Francis, let's go."

"Wait," Elizabeth stood up as well. "I am sorry. I was not thinking about the consequences that would be visited upon you. I simply wish to see some light again."

Bash softened, a rare occurrence that was reserved only for family. "I know, Lizzy. It is a hope that we all have."

She nodded glumly, not looking him in the eye.

She had been acting odd all week.

"What has changed?"

"The party. The people," was all Elizabeth said.

"What of them?"

"Their lives."

Bash fought the urge to scratch his own eyes out. "Their lives," he repeated. "What lives do such fools lead that have you wishing you were one of them?"

"They know each other," she answered. "We know nobody, because we are our own kind."

Bash was not in a mood for any of this. "Get to know them and be done with them. Is that now how we go about our lives?" Before she could say anything else, Bash held up a hand. "Elizabeth, no more, please. I will make you a deal. Tomorrow night, you and I may come back to town and meet someone new. How is that for you?"

"And after we have met?" she asked cautiously.

"Do as you please."

"Sebastian-"

He could hear the guards coming. "We must go home. Hurry," he instructed. Francis had left during their discussion.

Elizabeth said no more for the remainder of the night.

At the home of Count Blackthorne

"Mary!"

Mary heard the footsteps of her husband as he came to her dressing room. "Yes?"

Her husband appeared at the door. One of the maids bowed her head and left quietly.

"I am going into town on business."

Mary sighed. There were only two matters of business that he would be referring to and she would not wish to know either. "Very well then."

"Do not expect me before supper."

That answered the question of his type of business.

After he left, Mary put her hand on the small table she was currently getting ready at. She had no power of his affairs, but all she could do was smile and act as a wife should regarding a husband's mistress- staying quiet.

Later that morning, she asked a servant to get a carriage ready for her to take her into town. Mary wanted to visit a market.

The market was busy, but not with those making purchases.

They were whispers.

Mary put a handkerchief over her nose. Something smelled horrid.

"What happened?" she asked a fellow noblewoman.

"Dead," she said. "A drunk. No doubt hit his head on the ground."

Mary looked to where the guards were. The body was gone but there was red on the cobblestone.

"Hit his head, you say?"

"Yes."

Mary looked a closely as she could. There was blood in more than one spot. And perhaps a little too much blood.

"Odd," she furrowed her brow and walked away.

At the Valois home

"Sebastian!"

Bash opened his eyes.

"SEBASTIAN!"

As if his hearing was not already good enough.

Bash sat up. It was Elizabeth screaming for him. She was going to make sure that he kept good on his word.

"Scream a little louder, I do not believe the whole country heard you," he said as he walked into the library.

"Come here, silly," Elizabeth beckoned for him to join her at the bookshelves. "I want to meet the writers of these books."

"Some are dead," Bash told her, coldly. "Is this the reason why you called me?"

"You promised me," she said.

"That I did," he held his arm for her. "Shall we?"

"Did Henry say this was all right?" Elizabeth linked her arm through his as they walked out the door. They were in no rush.

The night was cold and crisp as Bash and Elizabeth walked into the town. It was dark enough for them to be out, but not late enough for everyone to be in their homes.

"There," Bash pointed to a pub. "Do you wish to go in there?"

"What name shall I give them?"

Bash thought for a moment. "Mary," he decided.

The side of Bash's lips twitched at the sight of his sister's excitement. She spent plenty of time joining conversations and getting to know the people of the town. He felt relief when she gave them the name he had told her to use.

"Time for one more adventure," he whispered to her as he came to retrieve her from the group she was conversing with.

"Bash, I feel hungry," she told him.

He stiffened, wondering if his sister was going to behave in the same manner as the night before. But then something caught his eye. A man and a woman in the darkness, in a passionate embrace. They seemed as though they were trying to remain hidden. Bash smiled wickedly, his own hunger catching up to him. He had just thought of a new idea for a game.

"Elizabeth, do you see that man and woman over there?" he pointed them out to her. The couple were starting to walk away. He could hear the woman say the words, "your wife" to the man.

"Yes," his sister replied.

"You are hungry and I am hungry," Bash continued. "How about a race? Give the woman a few minutes head start and then find her. If you find her, she is all yours. After you have fed, then I will go search for the man."

"All right," she agreed, surprising even her brother.

They stood as they were in silence. After a few moments, Bash whispered, "go."

It did not take Elizabeth very long.

Only Bash was able to hear the muffled screams. He chuckled to himself. It seemed as if his sister had found her dinner. Now came his turn to wait.

And wait.

Growing impatient, he went to look for her. "Are you quite ready yet?" he asked impatiently, striding towards her.

He looked to the body on the ground.

"Elizabeth," he said, panic in his voice. "Stop what you are doing."

"What does this one matter?" his sister snapped.

Bash looked at the body again. This one would matter a lot to the people, not that his sister was realizing this. "I am protecting you from Henry," Bash took her arm.

He waited until Elizabeth stood up and left in a hurry. Bash stood in the shadows. For the first time in centuries, he felt sick.

How was he going to explain the death of Countess Donaghue?

To refresh anyone's memory, Countess Donaghue is the wife of Count Donaghue and the presumed mistress of Mary's husband.

Take a guess (or hope haha) who the death(s) will be!