"Relax child, all you need to do is stand there."

Jane squirmed in the hands of this man. She did not know why he was calling her "child"; she was maybe ten years his junior. The alienness of his features drew her in, the violet-blue hue of his hair, the rose of his eyes, the soothing musical chimes she heard in his voice but every time she felt herself at the edge of the maw of oblivion, about to be swallowed by the wonder of this creature in front of her, Kyle's face came to mind.

"Now, can you tell me what has transpired? What has happened since meeting this young man you are so infatuated with? What has he told you?" The man asked again, his eyes drilling into hers intensely. She felt something at the edge of her consciousness, but she pushed it away effortlessly. She was getting more than a little sick of this. Since they entered what had looked to be an airplane hanger and then rode down an elevator into the depths of the earth into an extraordinary place that she could only guess was Bucharest, this man had questioned her about Kyle.

The long walk through the lit streets of one of the most breathtakingly beautiful cities she had ever been in, one that looked like it belonged to northern Italy and not in northern Louisiana, was soured by his interrogation. And then once she made it to the villa, one she could only assume was his house, he had to start the "look into my eyes" routine and insulted her on the count of her age.

Frustrated, she threw up her arms to break his grip, "Look, sir. he hasn't told me anything. and stop calling me child. I am no more than ten years younger than you, hardly a child."

"I told you she had been compelled," the big red-haired man said, " She can't even say the word "Dhampir." You say the word, and then it is erased that you even made the request."

"This is interesting, Jackle. I have never seen a Dhampir Thrall in my one hundred and fifty years. By all the ancestors, I should kill "Kyle" if that even is his name. Such power vested in a mere Dhampire is an abomination. Still, he has been left unclaimed, which also makes him valuable.", the odd man mused as he strode gracefully back and forth on a Persian rug in the room where she had been brought. A fire crackled in the quiet chamber with a few chairs and shelves of books. It was a study straight from works such as Wuthering Heights. It was not nearly as romantic as she pictured.

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"What do you want of me?" She asked, frustrated, "I have answered everything that you wanted."

Tears stood in her eyes as she glared at the two men. The one who was called Demetri looked at her, eyes softening somewhat, "My dear, you have already given me everything I need of you at the moment. Please, be my guest for a time. Know that anything that I would attempt to explain to you would immediately be forgotten because of something that I can't tell you about because you won't remember it. I know it is confusing but bear with me for a little longer and have a seat by the fire while I talk to Kyle. He is in some trouble now, having broken some laws of his people. I will do my best to sort it out and return him to you."

She remained standing defiantly, her body quivering in both fear and anger. The big man stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "It was not a suggestion or request, darling. He was rather nice about it. I would do what he asks, or the alternative is much more nastier."

Jane walked over and sat with a thump and then looked back at the red-haired giant, "By the way, it is nastier. Don't use more with it, idiot."

She turned back to the fire to stare into the flames. Demetri looked at her with a small smile and patted his Dhampir on the back.

"I think I am going to like her. She has a fire to her spirit." Demetri told Jackle with admiration.

His companion growled, "She's a mouthy little bitch."

"That's a compliment coming from you, my friend. We need to have a conversation with our new house guest and find out what trouble has come to our doorstep before proceeding any further. If too much is involved, it might be better to just hand him back to Gerald. There hasn't been a war between two cities in a century, and I don't feel like one now."

"Just having him here might start one."

"But a Dhampir with compulsion, and you said he moved like a Shtriga!" Demetri shook his head in amazement, still thinking out loud, "If he is really unclaimed now, it might be better to offer him a Writ of Port Sigur. Present it to the Grand Council to let it be known that he belongs to me, so if Gerald starts a war, it is on him."

"Let's talk to him. Find out his story first. As you said, it might not be with the trouble. We might not have enough Dhampir and Vetalas to defend Bucharest against an all-out assault from our neighbors to the north." for the first time, Jackle looked with worry in his eyes at his Master. Protection was the paramount job of the Dhampir, above anything else.

Demetri shook his head and shrugged his lithe shoulders as he walked off down the hall.