Angry and frustrated, Eve had had enough and she snapped!

* * * *

She moved so fast, all he saw was a blur. She sprung towards him and pulled his silver dagger from his waist, drawing it up to his neck. She bared her fangs and hissed up at his face, her eyes glowing red. "Proof enough I mean you no harm? If I did, you and your two guards behind me would already be dead. Now show me to my daughter!"

Drago raised a sharp hand to his guards. They were shifting, preparing to attack her and he growled at them to stop. "At ease!"

They grunted their response, reverting to their human form and Drago glared down at the undead beauty. "Your arrogance is astounding, wench. Men have been killed for lesser attempts on my life."

She tucked her incisors away and calmly handed him his dagger. "As I said, I mean you no harm." She took a step back and drew in a slow breath, releasing it as though all her energies were spent. "Please. I'm growing weary of this cat and mouse. I get it. You hate me because I'm a vampire." Her gaze flickered as though momentarily disturbed by some internal thought.

Drago's anger slowly evaporated as he watched her expression change. Was that sadness he detected?

"Well, I hate me, too," she said woodenly, "so let's move past this to a more important issue--my daughter. I can help her remember where Balkathan's lair is."

"How?" he asked. Curiously, he was more interested by what she'd said about hating herself. Hadn't he hated himself two hundred years ago when his castle had been attacked by Balkathan's army and he'd been turned?

"I can go into her thoughts. Vampires read minds and I can find her memories buried beneath her madness," she said quietly. "Please. Do we have a truce? We both want the same thing, the wellbeing of my daughter. I want to take her away with me and you want to know where Balkathan's lair is."