The vampire looked very pleased with himself as he turned to go.
 
 He had come alone, and now Liadan was grateful for that fact. It was
 
 easier to deal with a single vampire than a couple. The last thing she
 
 wanted was him telling his tale to all and sundry. The minute he
 
 mentioned her name, the brothers would be after her.
 
 She pulled the silver knife from her sleeve. She said a quick spell
 
 to make her aim true and then plunged the knife into the vampire’s
 
 back. She was much stronger than she looked. The form she presented
 
 made her look frail and weak, but her true body was solid. The
 
 Bound
 
 203
 
 vampire’s body jerked once, and then he fell apart as his heart was
 
 torn asunder by the silver.
 
 Liadan shivered as she looked at her previously pristine clothing.
 
 She wished she hadn’t worn her second-best dress. Killing vampires
 
 was a filthy business. They tended to explode when their hearts ripped
 
 apart. She was covered in blood.
 
 If she moved quickly enough, she might be able to preserve some
 
 of it. Vampire blood was very powerful. Perhaps the day wasn’t a
 
 complete waste.
 
 The sound of laughter filtered across the pond. She had to find a
 
 way to get that bitch alone. She had to get her off this plane and make
 
 it look like she had walked away. If the brothers thought she was
 
 taken, they would move mountains to find her. If they thought she had
 
 been killed, it could get ugly. Liadan didn’t like to think about what
 
 they would do to her. She had no plans to martyr herself.
 
 As she made the long walk toward her cottage, an idea came to
 
 her.
 
 * * * *
 
 Beck walked out of the caves and handed his sword to Colin