I moved my leg before I realised what was happening, once again that strange compulsion affecting me. Rather than fight it I threw myself into it, pushing that odd power to the limit. It was the only way to keep up with the inhuman speed of the Vampire Lord. Even then it was far closer than I would have liked. My hand snapped out, fingers closing in on the handle of the knife.

I paid for it as a fist crunched into my side and sent me flying into the wall. I barely had time to put my shoulder into it when I hit the wall, rolling my shoulder so the impact spread itself across my entire back. I landed on my feet, although my shoulder ached, and the side where he hit me HURT. Still, I was unbowed, and feeling a little like I had a deathwish.

"I don't know... I'm still here aren't I? The great and powerful Vampire so pathetic and impotent that he actually needs to expend energy to kill a small human girl! You are losing your touch if you can't kill me. I shouldn't have been so worried about you sticking your cock up my arse as I doubt you could even get it up!"

Something bestial flashed in Demetri's eyes. While he had slowed down and calmed himself that state of mind falling back into a rage as he sneered at her, some things, living or dead seemed to incite a man and questioning his manhood like that was a sure fire way to get him flustered.

Moran danced and twirled keeping the vampire spawn from simply overwhelming her as it was clear that to get to her they had to by pass that big man.

That had left her to deal with a raging Demetri, he was crude but straight forward, encouraged more then anything to make her scream, to take her in every hole and when she was a whimper mess, dispatch her.

She was quick, barely quicker than his honed reflexes it seemed though he wasn't above showing how much of a monster she had been dealing with as he sought to use dirty tricks such as stepping on her lead foot or getting his lead foot between her legs to trip her over them as he pressed forward.

He attempted to tangle up their feet as he sought to land a blow upon her at the same time hoping to make her a bit less evasive in the process.

I was being forced back rapidly, the only thing stopping him from just barreling into me and ripping out my throat seemed to be a healthy respect for the magical knife I carried. Instead I was backing up at a frightening pace and I knew that my back would quite literally be up against the wall in mere moments. As I couldn't stand my ground stepping back was the only thing I could do to prevent her feet from being tangled up. And if that happened, knife or no knife I was dead. More than once his feet caught the edge of mine, only the fact that I was barefoot managing to spare me, the elasticity of skin making my feet hard to trap. It was certainly hurting though.

A flash of red warned me of a particulary vicious kick and I attempted to dart away, the blade of the knife carving a white line in the castles light. We were both partially successful and a fresh line of red appeared on the vampires neck. His kick caught me and spun me, which once again cost me another two steps to catch my bal...

*Thump*

"Oh... bollocks."

Very unladylike perhaps but my back had just hit the wall, and its all I could think of for a moment.

Demetri grinned, the fresh blood he had dined on earlier seeping out of that wound in his neck, his eyes locked on hers as it was made clear just how close she was to defeat. She was quick, there was no doubt about that though head to head he was stronger. Now she had run out of places to flee and he let that sink in for a moment, his dark eyes traveled over her form as he considered how he was going to make her pay for her earlier comments.

It was that moment that she had know that it was virtually over, that there was no place left to run in which he calmed again at seeing her helpless, savoring that state for a minute or so he lunged in at her, his left arm leading to take any impalement she might make with the dagger or to ward off the weapon if he could.

“All over, so soon?”

His intention was simple. First and foremost get that knife away from her.. Next force her to the ground which would probably mean grappling her, then taring away any unnecessary clothing that remained a hindrance. He would make her pay for those words.

I didn't dive to one side as I would have dearly liked too. He had me and we both knew it, which left me scared and in ardent fear for my life, although I realised, just as he did that the only thing stopping him from closing on me and ripping my throat out was the knife.

I had nothing clever to say though in reply as he lunged. With nowhere to go I did the only thing I could and dropped, hoping to hamstring him and give myself chance to escape. It was a massive risk and I hoped he was angry enough to overreach, letting me get to his legs. If I wasn't as lucky as I had been so far then all he had to do was fall on me and I would be under a very, VERY unhappy vampire which was most definately a bad place to be. If I was though, I could cut his feet out from under him which would mean Morgan and myself would likely win.

Demetri did over reach allowing her to drop down though it was not as easy as this as he brought up a knee in resonse, either he smash into her whether stomach or forehead or she's stick him with that blade though he was not too worried about it.

The tossing of that knee was so sudden hat he did not manage to get he force behind I that he had liked and this indeed looked bad. What made it whose was when her sister emerged from the shadows and drifted forward, blades in her hands as they menacingly twirled about.

“Hold her down. First I am going to defile her then I am going to kill her, Daph. No, better thought you are going to kill her while I fuck her nice and slow.”

And for whatever reason her sister was here and approaching the conflict in haste and thus making this a two on one scenario it appeared. For maybe her sister had been under orders all this time to keep an eye on matters

His knee smashed into my forhead, whipping my head back and causing stars to fly... I didn't even get past him or cut his legs, only narrowly being forced onto my rump which would have left me in an even worse position that I already was. With the arrival of my sister I was screwed... royally, figuratively and it looked like literally aswell. I did the only thing my star-spangled conciousness could think of and bunched my feet up, driving up close to his body and attempting to ram that knife so far through his neck creating a wound that would mean he wouldn't be able to talk for a hour or two, even with his regeneration.

My body was entirely open, no thought to defence, just getting that knife in his neck so that the command to Daphnee would be the only one he could give... It was a desperate attempt to give Morgan time to save me... Although I couldn't tell if this sacrifice would give him enough time and freedom to save my life.

The command given, this looked bad as her sister began to move in. She grinned though she had drawn her blade at the earlier command she had yet to sheath it as she drew near, her eyes flickered to Demetri for a moment though he had been concentrating on Anne slamming a fist into her chest as she sprang up, grappling with her arm to keep the blade away from his throat not caring how much his arm got cut up in the process.

Morgan danced and fought against the spawn. He was more urgent now as he caught sight of what was going on, this wasn't good … he could not afford to brake away just yet and while he had considered luring the fight in that direction it would only give Demetri more options. Shit.

Then here was an opening, however brief as Demetri's eyes widened in shock and pain that blade of her sister penetrated the vampire lord sweeping through his chest with graceful ease as she stalked on up unopposed.

“Now, Anne!”

I didn't hesitate and I used that moment where he ceased its defence, his arm frozen in place by shock and drove that knife straight through his neck. The keen blade slid effortlessly into his neck, neatly bisecting his trachea, through the muscle and bursting out the other side. I didn't stop there and moved further into his embrace, out bodies pressed together like he was my lover.

As I did my hand came around, turning the lethal blade lodged so far in his neck, cutting through muscle and flesh with all the force I could muster. His blood sprayed over my face, cold and clammy but I didn't stop, the knife coming dangerously close to parting his head from his shoulders and my attention was soley on making sure that I succeeded.

After all, if I failed it wouldn't just be me dead, but my sister and Morgan as well.

The gore rushed through him, the combination of wounds had been enough, not to vanquish him but to cause his corporeal body as it broke up into mist and flowed out of the room through a crack in the floor as Demetri was forced to regenerate from his wounds while at rest in his coffin.

With Demetri gone the rest of the spawn were easy for the trio to dispatch. “He's not dead … Demetri, he's gone gaseous so he's retreated to his coffin, he's vulnerable now.”

He was forced to rest all that was required was to find the coffin and stake the vampire lord. All would be over then. In eight hours Demetri would waken fully restored.

Daphne watched on, though she did not say anything at all but watched their features intently.

I shook. My face felt cold and I could feel clammy blood drip from my chin down my cleavage, a decidedly disgusting feeling. I wiped my chin and flicked the blood from my hand, my expression mirroring my Frankly I just wanted to curl up in a little ball for a while but there was work to do... and questions to ask.

"Daphne... How did you manage to avoid his command? Not that i'm so far in your debt I would be on my knees thanking you if I thought I would stand again - but I thought his commands had to be obeyed?"

Once that was answered I asked the next, more pressing question. Simply "Does anyone have any idea where his coffin is?"

Daphne gazed at her sister though she figured what her sister was asking.

“MY PLAN. I GAVE IT A LITTLE THOUGHT AND WAITED IN THE SHADOWS IN CASE IT DIDN'T GO AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD SO YOU HAD A CHANCE TO DO IT YOUR WAY FIRST.

“IT WAS A RISK. DEMETRI CAN'T COMMAND IF I CAN'T HERE … WELL THERE ARE THING HE COULD DO TO RELAY ORDERS SO I WAITED FOR YOU TO EXHAUST YOUR OPTIONS FIRST. I CAN'T HEAR. I USED A THUNDERSTONE ON MYSELF SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR FOR ANOTHER FIFTEEN MINUTES AT LEAST EVEN WITH MY ENHANCED HEALING.”

“Well, isn't that something. But you're right Anne, we have to find that coffin pronto or all our efforts were for not.” He points to the crack, mimes sleeping and Daphne nods taking the pair threw the castle. There are other vampire spawn here and there, nothing the three of them can't handle though the most surprising was the one hidden in the suit of armor that looked to be a decorative piece at first.

Daphne lead them to the basement. Down a winding stair that descended into darkness she lit a torch that was place in a sconce near the door but as they got to the bottom of the stairs they could see gleam red eyes in the dark, several sets followed by growls as hounds came into view, wolves actually, and rather large ones at that.

Anne could have kissed her sister right there and then. She really owed her for this and the only reason that she didn't was that Morgan stepped in. He could use a kiss too, she thought... She admired them both and while she admitted that she might not be in this mess if not for them, she also was rather happy that they were here looking out for her. But, time was of the essense as she had no idea how long a vampire took to regenerate, and certainly didn't want to be hanging around when he did rise again, as no doubt he would be pissed off beyond all recognition.

The wolves, when they came across them made the trio pause. Who in their right mind put wolves in the basement? Red eyes gleamed at them... Oh. Right. Vampiric wolves. Anne didn't know why she wanted to roll her eyes at that, but something just said "cliche" to her... Which was an incredibly strange thing to think when said cliche was looking at her throat thinking that it would make a fine snack.

With just a knife, she couldn't fight slavering wolves... But a burning torch gave her something more of a plan. She stepped out in front, torch down and approached the wolves. In the corridor they had the choice of jumping her, or going around her side, where they would be vulnerable to Daphnee and Morgan. As she stepped forward she thought that she was getting sick of being the sacrifical pawn all the time, but it seemed like it was the best that she could do.

Boldly she stepped forward torch in hand as she moved forward the wolves scurried back or to the side cautious of the flames. Her two companions followed, weary but keeping close. From beneath his coat Morgan produced a pair of short blades , coated in silver of course, effective against vampires …

But Anne was mistaken. These wolves were not vampiric as Demetri had no means of doing, not to them any way. He had preferred some sort of guard to protect him while he slept and other vampires would have to sleep at roughly the same time.

But the things were more than they appeared and cunning too … like real wolves they allowed the trio to get into their midst by closing up ranks behind them … wolf pack tactics when one wolf attacked it would be from behind and when one turned to deal with it it would back off and thus you exposed your back to another and another. The pack would dart in and out with little harm but as they closed ranks behind them Moran called for a halt. Daphne did because Ann on point stopped then realized what had happened.

Morgan recognized the danger first. “Here. Back to back to back.” He gave Anne one of her blades, turned her sister to face the right way, she understood …

Of course the lupines did not anticipate this not that it mattered. Like a dog the pack was loyal to Demetri. They out numbered them three to one … oh, yes, they were brutal predators too. Shape shifters would had three shapes that they could shift into. A man, wolf or hybrid between the two. Oh yes, they were werewolves ...