Last Vampire 6(22)

" Vattened ia,"he says. Get away. "Or it will be you we string from the tree."



"It won't happen," I reply, and in a fast move I step forward and cut the top of the woman's left arm. The wound is not serious, it will heal, in time, but I want it to serve as a warning that I am skilled with a blade. Blood springs from her flesh and soaks her peasant clothes. The three hardly saw me move. Yet I know they will need more persuasion than this to back off. Of course I have been here before. A part of me knows that even though it is becoming easier to forget that I have. Surely I will kill them all, for the sake of poor Dante.



The woman screams in pain. "She has cut me! Kill her!"



"You foul creature!" the brute shouts as he dashes forward and tries to run me through. But I have sidestepped his lunge, and tripped him. As he tries to raise his head from the ground, I kneel beside him and pull his head back by the hair. My blade rests across his exposed throat, and I speak to the ugly woman and the fair man, who at least has had the wits to wait to see what I can do.



"If you leave now," I say. "I will let this man live."



"He is no friend of mine," the fair man says. "Do with him what you wish."



"No!" the woman cries. "He is my husband!"



"Then you agree to leave?" I say.



The brute, my knife scratching his trembling throat, is agreeable. "We will be gone," he says.



" Bene."Good. I smash his face in the dirt and then release him. But he is no sooner back on his feet than his dull eyes flash with anger and he makes another try for me. Once again I sidestep the thrust of his sword, but this time I sink my blade deep into his heart and withdraw it before he can take it with him to the bloody ground. His wife cries as he lands facedown. She jumps toward me, her arms flailing,and I kill her as I killed her mate. Now there is only the fair-haired man left. Dante is muttering prayers to heaven and drooling all over his wretched face. Wip­ing off my knife on the sand, I stand and pull off my cap, letting my blond hair fall. It shines in the last rays of the evening sun. Fair head smiles and nods in appreciation.



"My compliments," he says.



But since he nowknows I am a woman, he cannot walk away. Sicilian pride—he finally draws his sword and points it in my direction.



"I have been trained by the Vatican guards," he says. "You may submit to me now, or I will have your head."



Pointing my knife at him, I laugh. "I have been trained by far more experienced teachers. Leave here this instant or I will cut you badly."



He takes a step closer. "My name is Pino. I would take no pleasure in killing such a beautiful woman as you. Drop your knife, and let us take pleasure in each other."



"No," I say. "I would rather kill you."



He moves closer still. The tip of his blade dangles three feet from my face—Icould almost reach out, without moving my feet, and take it from him. But I am too much the good sport, and I don't want Dante to see me as a supernatural being. Then I might have to kill him as well. It is funny, how I know Dante, without even being introduced to him.



"You are young," Pino says. "Why make such a rash decision?"



"You are proud," I say. "You have seen my skills. Why not withdraw? Your death will prove nothing here."



He smiles but I have angered him. He takes a swipe at me with his blade, trying to cut my left shoulder. But he misses, and another smooth swipe also fails to draw blood. He appears more puzzled than worried.



"You move well," he says.



"Last chance," I say. "Leave or die."



"All right, cold woman," he says as he turns to leave. "I am no match for you." But he has hardly turned his back on me when he spins and tries to take offmy head with his sword. Ducking, I thrust forward and plant my blade in his abdomen. There I leave it as I back offa few steps. He is still regaining his balance from his failed attack. He stares down at my knife in amazement. I don't know if he understands yet that his wound is fatal.



"What have you done?" he gasps as blood begins to show around my knife. Dropping his sword, he reaches down and pulls out the knife with both hands. Bad move—now the blood spurts out, over his hands and onto the ground. He still cannot comprehend that I have defeated him. "You witch!"



"I am not a witch," I say casually. "I am a good Samaritan. This man you torture has done nothing to hurt you."



Pino drops to his knees, bleeding over everything. "But he is a leper," he gasps.



"That is better than a corpse." I come closer so that I stand above him. I stick out my hand. "May I have my knife back please?"