The rest of the night dragged by miserably, and when sunrise came Aidan fell into an uneasy sleep, full of vague nightmares which he couldn’t quite remember upon awakening. He awoke as usual when the sun sank below the horizon. He waited for Shauna to come, hoping that she might have changed her mind, but the long dark hours dragged by with no sign of the girl. Aidan’s hunger had reached a point where it was hardly recognizable as hunger anymore. He felt like he was burning, and wondered if he would be hot to the touch, but had no way of telling if the fevered sensation was real or not. He was lightheaded and dizzy, and he couldn’t quite focus his thoughts. His mind kept wandering off. He wondered briefly if he was going insane, but couldn’t hold onto that thought either. By the time the sun rose again he felt too weak to even move. He simply leaned limply against the wall and dropped off into fitful slumber.

He awoke the next evening feeling about the same. Maybe it gets to a point where I won’t get any worse, he thought. How many days has it been? Five, I think, or six. His mind wandered again and only his sun sense told him he’d been meandering mentally for more than an hour when he saw a faint glow coming down the tunnel and heard footsteps. He felt a surge of hope. Was it Shauna? But then that wouldn’t help him any. For her own safety she shouldn’t free him now. He doubted if he could control himself in his starved state. And besides, she hated him now. Then his keen ears picked out the fact that this step was heavier, a different stride altogether. Who on earth…? The stranger rounded the corner and came into view. Aidan squinted against the light of the lantern. It was a man, tall and pale skinned with blond hair and brown eyes. His expression was amused, even sardonic. He walked over to Aidan and held the lantern up for a good look. Then he grinned. The light glinted off of sharp fangs. It’s him, thought Aidan. The other vampire!

“Well, well, well, isn’t this amusing. Dear little Shauna has caught a stranger instead of me. No doubt she’s trying to pry my secret hiding place out of you, and you, poor sap, don’t even know where it is. How very ironic.”

Aidan simply lay limply, unable to summon the energy to do anything in response.

The other vampire shook his head. “Pathetic. If it were me she had caught, I’d have managed to get my fangs into her by now, but then she would never have caught me in the first place.” He cocked his head to one side. “But what’s this? I think I hear her footsteps now.” He grinned at Aidan, and blew out the lantern. His voice sounded practically by Aidan’s ear in the dark. “Now I think I shall have a little fun. You are, no doubt, half starved, and here a wonderful meal is coming right your way. I think it quite fitting that the little would-be vampire slayer should be killed by her own captive vampire.” Aidan felt the cold touch of steel against his wrists and suddenly found that he was free. A rush of adrenaline broke his lethargy. He got halfway to his feet in a crouching position. Everything seemed crystal clear. Shauna was already almost there, enough light spilled into the cave for Aidan to make out the other vampire, slinking into a shadowed spot to hide and watch the fun. He heard Shauna’s footsteps approach and then she came into view. She stopped, shocked by the sight of him standing there, obviously freed. He was hit as if by a wave with her bloodsmell and for one instant he nearly gave into the overpowering hunger. Shaking with the effort of it, he bared his teeth in a snarl and yelled, “Run! If you value your life at all, then run!”

Shauna didn’t wait around for any further explanations. She dropped her lantern and ran. Aidan had to grapple again with his hunger to keep from going after her.

“Oh my, I am quite disappointed.” The other vampire’s sardonic smile was still in place. “I was looking forward to seeing the little pest get her throat torn out. Well, I shall just have to take care of that myself, I suppose. But first I’ll take care of you.” The tall vampire drew a dagger and advanced on Aidan. Aidan’s daggers were no longer at his belt. He presumed that Shauna had relived him of them when she first caught him. But she’d missed the little dagger he kept hidden in his boot. In one smooth motion he drew it and faced the taller vampire.

The sense of crystal clarity was still with him. He was filled with a feverish energy. He knew that he would have to pay for it after this was over, his starved system didn’t have that much energy to spare, but he didn’t care. The other vampire slashed at Aidan, and he almost laughed. The man knew nothing about knife fighting. He was, no doubt, used to facing merely human opponents. He was going to be in for a nasty shock if he thought Aidan would be easy prey.

Aidan dodged every blow the other vampire aimed at him. Their battle was quick. Both vampires moved with reflexes far faster than human, but though the taller vampire had the greater strength, Aidan was the quicker of the pair. He still remembered what it was like to fight an even battle against an equal opponent. Aidan bided his time, waiting for an opening, and then one came. Cat-quick he slashed out. The other vampire reeled back, a deep cut across his knife hand. Bloodsmell filled the air. The wound began to heal immediately, but the damage was done. His knife was knocked from his hand. Then Aidan reversed his little knife and slammed the wooden pommel into the other vampire’s head. Had the knife’s hilt been made of metal it would have had little effect, but to a vampire wood is the most dangerous weapon. The vampire was thrown against the cave wall by the force of the blow. He rebounded, stumbling, and Aidan got an arm around his neck in a headlock.

Afterwards Aidan wasn’t sure if he could have done what he did in cold blood, but in the heat of battle, with the other vampire’s bloodsmell still in the air, he didn’t even pause for thought, he simply reacted. He sank his fangs into the other vampire’s neck and began to drink. The sensation of energy flowing into him was amazing. The taste of the vampire’s blood was heady, like nothing else he’d ever tasted. He gave in totally to his hunger and didn’t stop until the other vampire dropped limply to the floor, dead.