Rachel’s hands were shaking. The skin of the vampire had been almost as hard as brick, so when she rammed the glass shard into his chest, the back half got pushed back into her palms. Perhaps the pain was causing the shaking, perhaps it was the fact she betrayed her principals and tried to save a vampire. It could have simply been the fact that she had nearly died only a minute ago.

Of course, the most probable cause was the poison she had consumed. It was not as deadly for humans as it was for vampires, but she had drunk an entire bottle of it. She coughed, spitting up a bit of blood.

“Relax sis,” said her brother, running up to her. “They’re gone now. You don’t have to keep up the sick and dying act.”

“No, they’re not all gone,” she said, glaring at Niero. The vampire was with the hellhound now, his face only inches from its enormous maw, a spray of blood and drool pouring over on him like heavy rain. Only, he somehow remained perfectly dry, not a drop of gore anywhere on his robes. He waited for the snarling beast to close its jaw, then he leaned in and whispered something in its ear. Rachel could have been wrong, but hellhound appeared to be listening intently. Then it stood and leapt into the woods, toppling a few trees as it went.

“What did you say to it?” asked Rachel. She ran up to confront the vampire, glass shard in hand.

“I told it to protect the village,” he said. “Just in case there are more vampires lurking about. That way you’ll have no worries while we’re gone.”

“While we’re gone?” asked Rachel, tilting her head quizzically. “Gone where?”

But rather than answer, Niero simply scooped Rachel off her feet and carried her back toward the village square. She kicked and screamed and dug her teeth into his hand, but the contact with his undead flesh nearly knocked her out. She went limp and watched as he carried her toward one of the houses. What did he plan to do now? Did he want some privacy for when he finally ate her?

“Someone lives there,” she said, as Niero grabbed the door handle. “You can’t enter without permission. We’ll burst into flames. I’ll die before you even have the chance to eat me.”

But the vampire ignored her, removing a small red key from his robe. “I am sorry for destroying your church, or rather, what’s left of it,” he said, depositing a small bag of coins on the ground. By now, the whole village had gathered around him. Some were clearly relieved he had slain the other vampires. Others were worried that he was now holding a young woman in his clutches. All farmer Nat was wondering was why a vampire was about to enter his house, but he decided not to ask about it.

“Well then, let’s be off.” As he put the key into the lock, a warm blue light tricked through the worn wood panelling. A somewhat pungent scent wafted over the farm, a scent Rachel only vaguely recognized. The slayers had once brought back a conch shell from their adventures, and told her she could hear the ocean if she put her ear to it. She could. She could also smell the ocean.

She was not sure how it was possible, but that same smell was now leaking through the door, along with a chilling breeze.

When Niero carried her through the door, she found herself in a large room, the wood panels far smoother and darker than those used in the village. The room was full of tables and several rather wealthy looking individuals, their clothes dyed with colors she had only seen in flowers before.

“Where are we?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Niero put her down, and she pushed open the door they had just passed through, expecting to see the crowd of villagers.

Instead she saw a large dark mass stretching out before her, dotted with little lights that slowly floated from one end to the other. A surge of water crashed against a nearby wall and soaked her feet.

“This is the ocean,” said Niero, coming up from behind. “Beautiful, is it not?”

“How did we get here?” asked Rachel, shaking her head.

“There is a lot to explain. Now come inside. You must be starving. You hardly touched your dinner back at the farm.”

They went back inside the building, which turned out to be a restaurant. Neiro was given a seat between the fireplace and a large window, where they could both see the ocean. The warmth of the fire and the chilling sea breeze met right where Rachel sat, giving her a strange sensation.

She liked the feeling. It was bracing.

“So, what do you want?” she asked, once Niero had finished ordering their food. She did not recognize the names of half the items listed, so she let him choose for her.

“I need you to help me find a vampire,” he said, glancing at her neck. “The very same one that bit you.”

“Why?”

“Because, I wish to slay it.”

She let that sink in for a moment. “A vampire killing vampires, huh? Is that common?”

“No,” he said, staring at the fire. “It is forbidden, actually, but like most forbidden things, it happens more frequently than you’d think. And there are exceptions, of course. I happen to be one of those.”

“An exception,? And what makes you so special?”

“Well, I have the council’s permission. I am a Reaper, you see.”

He said this in a hushed tone, glancing around so as to be sure no one else was listening. Rachel felt herself leaning forward in her seat.

“What’s a Reaper?” she asked.

“Well, while I hate to borrow metaphors from a vulgar beast like that bearded vampire, do you remember what he was saying back there? About animals and survival?”

“I think so,” said Rachel.

“Well, vampires are no doubt predators. This means we are competing for food. If there are too many of us, then we’ll exhaust our food source.” There was a bread basket in the middle of the table, which Niero started taking from. “Or another way of putting it, if the wolves eat all the rabbits, then the wolves will starve. This means there are only two options. Either you need more rabbits…”

“Or fewer wolves,” said Rachel, finishing his thought.

“Exactly,” he said, nodding. “And since vampires don't die of natural causes, you could imagine we have issues with population control. This is why we require Reapers to cull the herd.”

Rachel considered this for a moment. While she loved the idea of killing vampires, she liked it for the sheer sake of killing monsters, not to help sustain the population. Also, the idea of collaborating with a vampire was enough to make her retch.

“So, how can I help you find this vampire you're looking for?” she asked. “I’m not exactly a trained tracker.”

“The Mark on your neck, that’s how,” he said, pointing. “Since he bit you, you are connected. This particular vampire rarely leaves survivors, so he is hard to track down.” He paused for a moment, looking down at his hands. He clearly wanted to ask why she had been spared, just how she had survived. But he decided to save that question for later.

“And what if I refuse?” said Rachel. “Do I go home?”

“Unfortunately not,” said Niero. “I would like your cooperation, but I do not require it. This vampire is a menace to both your kind and mine, so this is not your choice to make. You must help me, whether you want to or not.”

Rachel laughed bitterly. “I see you don’t value free will much, do you, '' she said.

“Oh, I do, I just value human happiness more.” And then, before Rachel could bite back, he deposited a small bag of coins on the table. “And of course, I’ll pay you handsomely for your effort,” he added, pushing the money toward her. “Half now, half upon completion.”

“I don’t want it,”

He looked surprised. “Why not? Is it not enough?”

“Well, it’s like you said, I’m rare. I’m one of the only people who can lead you to this vampire you seek. Meanwhile, I’ve seen the way you throw coins around. They’re meaningless to you. Hardly a fair trade, I’d say.”

“Then what do you want?”

He instantly regretted asking. Rachel flashed a scheming look, leaning forward in her chair. He knew what she wanted, before she even opened her mouth - the one thing he'd rather not give her. The one thing no one should have too much of.

“Teach me how,” she said, grinning wickedly. “Teach me how to kill a vampire. Make me a proper slayer.”