There was still a splash of sunset color in the sky when David stepped out of the cabin. The other three were already waiting for him in the grass outside. They all looked solemn, and Megan looked a little nervous. David rested his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, and she put her hand over his and smiled.

Mack got up from where he'd been sitting in the grass. "Well, I've seen my last sunset. I'm glad it was a pretty nice one. So now it's time." He looked at the others, his fellow humans for now, but not for much longer. "You two sure you want to watch this? I doubt it'll be pretty."

"We're sure," said Jeff steadily, and Megan nodded.

"All right." He took a deep breath, and for the first time David saw something that might be a flicker of fear on the big man's face. His heart was going fast, but with another breath he steadied himself. "Go ahead then."

Though David wasn't wearing his cloak or hat, he had belted his sword on. He drew it now and stood in front of his friend. He took a deep breath of his own, feeling nearly as nervous as Mack. He'd killed dozens of vampires, but this would be the first time he'd struck at a human. He took a moment to chose his target carefully. He didn't want to break bone, it would be that much harder to heal when his friend returned. He had considered another location, but the heart was the one blow he knew would kill instantly, without causing his friend any pain. He nodded to himself then and stepped forward. With one smooth, precise blow he sank his sword into Mack's chest, just to the left of the breastbone, between two ribs.

Mack dropped to the ground and lay there, as David had seen so many bodies lie before. But his head's still attached, he thought to himself, with a funny sort of detached feeling, as if he wasn't quite the same person as the one thinking the thought. Shock, I think. Which figures. It feels like I've killed a friend.

Megan and Jeff stared at the still form in the center of the clearing, and they were all thinking the same thoughts. What if it didn't work? What if Mack was just dead?

David wiped his sword off on the grass, sheathed it, and then walked over to kneel beside Mack. He used a bit of Mack's ruined shirt to carefully wipe blood away from the puncture in his chest. And then he relaxed, relief flooding through him. "It's starting to heal already. He's alive."

He could hear Megan and Jeff both let out a breath of relief. He smiled up at them, feeling a little shaky. "I think that was the scariest thing I've ever done. Scarier even than dying like this myself." He stood then, and bent to pick up the prone form of his friend. Inside Megan helped him remove the bloodied shirt and clean the blood from his already-healing chest. They laid him on his cot, which had been set up in the storage room, with a heavy tarp shielding the room from the sun.

"When will he wake up?" asked Jeff.

"If my experience is anything to go by, it will be at sundown tomorrow."

The time seemed to crawl by as they waited. They could all see Mack's now unmarked chest, they knew he had to be alive, but it wasn't quite certain, wasn't quite real until he could sit up, speak to them, reassure them.

They occupied themselves with everyday activities as best they could. David was relieved when sunrise neared and he could sleep. He didn't even mind Megan wanting to go to bed early. He held her close and took as much comfort in her presence as she did in his.