What did I do, he asks...if only I knew! At a guess, knowing would worsen the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I pressed one hand to it, and the other—to my neck. Warm, sticky wetness coated my palm. I didn't realize how much the minor cut had bled.

"Too late for hiding it, Zoe," Cruz said softly, sitting up. "I already fed on your blood."

Three vampires and one little me, with a bleeding neck. Suddenly, the crypt appeared even smaller than before, and the portal—even brighter. Beyond it was Eternal Acres, the place specializing in vampires...and more vampires...but at least they seemed friendlier than Freida.

"Okay, okay...I made a horrible mistake, but at least you're awake. Let's go, Cruz. Anything is better than staying here!"

Cruz glanced at the epic battle happening under the mausoleum's dome and sat up straighter in his coffin. "Did Freida cut you with her dagger?"

There was so much concern in his brown eyes, I didn't scream at him we should run, now. Actually, fear stole my voice completely, and I just pointed at the knife on my belt. This dagger?

"She cut you with her dagger. And you kept it. Somehow. Oh, Zoe!" Cruz's hands clenched the side of the coffin so hard, the polished wood cracked in his hands. "I am sorry, but I need to, rather I have to...ah, you'll bleed out without my help, Okay? The blade's enchanted to keep the blood from clotting, until the vampire's ah...saliva m-mixes with it."

No wonder I was woozy!

And now, thanks to Cruz's explanation, I grew so scared on top of it, my teeth rattled. By all rights, I should have run away from a vampire who offered to close a bleeding wound, but this was Cruz! Maintaining our eye contact was the only thing that allowed me to keep my nerve. His eyes were warmer than anything in the world.

I leaned closer to him—sitting in a coffin—gosh!

"Do it. I t-trust you." I actually did, because he looked even more terrified than I felt, and we both stuttered so badly, we could barely get the words out. Also, what was the alternative? To die slowly?

"Okay." Cruz's head bowed over my neck. "I think, I remember how to—" he whispered.

I didn't feel his breath, when I should have had. I shivered and covered it with an awkward chuckle. "Doesn't have to be perfect, right?"

"Ah...actually, it has to," he argued, timidly. "Hold still?"

The touch of his lips and tongue registered on my skin with a slight chill of peppermint. The blood flow stemmed and the brain fog cleared immediately.

"Wow! You're like a cappuccino first thing in the morning."

"Don't...please!" Cruz pleaded in a strained voice. His shoulders rounded and stiffened, every muscle in his back bulging with a titanic effort. I still couldn't see or hear him breathe, but if he could, his chest would heave now. Freida's inked symbols lit up hungrily all along his spine. "Please, don't say things like that."

"Drink her up!" Freida thundered, circling high under the dome. "Drink her up!"

I crouched instinctively, expecting her to fall upon me like a hawk.

"Resist!" Bartolome hollered, engaging his foe.

"Feast!" Freida yelled over the voice of reason. "I allow it!"

Cruz froze, paralyzed by the opposing commands, all except his hands. They raked the polished mahogany and bronze handles. Wood creaked, broke, and sawdust spilled onto my shoes. I didn't think he knew that the top of his head bumped my chin.

I threaded my fingers through the lazy raven curls. "Cruz, you're helping me. You won't hurt me, because you're good people." My tongue refused to say a 'good vampire', even though this was what he'd just become.

With an anguished scream, Cruz licked the wound in my neck: once along and once across, yanked back and hopped out of the sarcophagus...holding a seven-foot board he'd ripped out of the coffin in his hands. His glance darted everywhere, to avoid mine.

Nervous giggles seized me, despite knowing the source of the adrenalin that coursed through my bloodstream. Cruz was too adorable in his embarrassment!

He heard it and swiveled a panicked glance over my face. For a blink, our gazes met. I pip-squeaked and looked away, while traitorous blush flooded my cheeks. Being warm-blooded had its disadvantages!

With a strangled yelp of his own, Cruz hurled his impromptu weapon at Freida. It bounced off of her like a splinter.

"Stupid-powerful Ancient vampire," I hissed. "Bugger!"

Cruz gripped my hand. "Let's get out of here!"

His hand was icy, but I squeezed it tightly in my sweating, hot one, and we ran for the portal.

Cruz didn't have Bartolome's speed yet, but it should have only taken us a second to escape...if Corazon didn't step out of the blue light. Stepped out and planted her hands on her hips, blocking the way.

"Where do you think you are going, lovebirds?"

"Corazon!" Bartolome, Cruz and I cried out in unison. "Please!"

If we hoped that Corazon would have a miraculous change of heart, it was a bust, because she just laughed. Her cruel cackles sounded so much like Freida's, I would have never guessed she was related to the good guys in this crypt.

Cruz looked mad enough to tackle his twin and clear the path, but her betrayal must have stabbed Bartolome through the heart.

The old vampire gaped at his granddaughter, whispering, "Corazon, child—" and didn't counter Freida's never-slowing attack in time.

The fateful lapse was too short for the human senses to account for, so all I knew was that one moment the two Ancient vampires grappled, and the next—Freida held Bartolome like a stick-man in outstretched arms.

She bent him into a horseshoe...or attempted to.

His vertebrae grated, making me want to push fingers into my ears so I wouldn't hear the final crunch. Bartolome grunted, resisting, stiffening against the murderous twist. He might have won an inch.

Freida's face contorted with the effort.

"Finish him!" Corazon screeched, just as Cruz screamed "Grandpa!", let go of my hand, and dashed toward the combatants.

He may have let go of my hand, but I didn't let go of his.

I held on for dear life, as the lilies and Corazon's bared teeth smooshed together into one white streak at this super-vampiric speed.

As I was hitching this insane ride, I loosened the dagger by touch, heaved a sigh of a doomed woman and squeezed the sharp blade in my fist. It bit into my skin with glee. Blood flowed, and I slapped a wounded hand over Cruz's lips and chin and...whatever I could reach close to his mouth. "Go save Bartolome!"

He slurped and pushed me away in the same move.

The first reaction was instinctive, the second was a conscious choice. He was as gentle as he could be without knowing his strength; I was sure. Cruz would never hurt me, I thought, dropping onto my butt. He'd never drink me up and 'discard the husk'. I winced, as Bartolome's creepy description sprung to my mind far too vividly.

Freida and Corazon laughed maniacally when they saw Cruz feed again.

Bartolome fought for his life, screaming incomprehensive threats and promises.

I unwrapped the magic yarn just in case. It was useless against the Ancient vampires, but maybe I could slow Corazon down, if she tried to help her Mistress?

Cruz whirled in one spot, squinting dangerously, until he faced me. A trickle of blood came out of the corner of his mouth and fangs peeked from underneath his upper lip. I squeezed the crocheting hook, my only weapon, tighter. Could the yarn hold him? Would I have to try?

Please, don't break my heart.

Cruz lunged...I screamed...he blew past me.

He swept the lilies, the flower stands, the coffin and even the onyx sarcophagus that must have weighed a few tons, and sent them flying into Freida's head. He made it look as graceful as a forward pass, but the effort of the throw drove him into the marble slabs of the floor to his knees.

Still sitting on the floor, I pumped my fist. Cruz would never turn like his sister! His heart was too pure to be corrupted by evil, even if it no longer beat in his chest.

The stone slab smashed Freida's head into tar, from which white bones and some strange tendrils protruded. These appendages moved frantically to weave things back together, as Freida plunged twenty feet to the floor.

I pressed my hand to my mouth, afraid I would be sick, so I missed Corazon's move. The twisted sister launched herself at me, wailing it was all my fault. I wouldn't repeat what she had called me, but it jolted me from my stupor, and at the last second, I threw the yarn at her. She shredded the delicate pattern in one stride of her long legs. What a waste!

Frantically, I pushed with my feet against the marble, the soles of my sneakers making a revolting squeegee sound. But screw the sound! It worked! I was sliding away from Corazon and closer to her brother.

The floor still held Cruz, as if it were quicksand. "Knock it off, Cora!" he yelled, fighting the fluid marble, as if his sister was stomping on his castle in a sandbox, not angling to bleed his girlfriend.

Girlfriend? Gosh, that sounds so nice! I scrambled harder. Corazon's hands reached for my throat, her inch-long, perfectly manicured artificial nails poised on the fresh cut in my neck. One of my shoes slipped, throwing my leg forward, and tipping me out of balance, onto my back.

Bartolome zoomed down from the ceiling, grabbed his rabid granddaughter around the waist and dragged her, kicking and screaming, through the portal.

I heaved a huge exhale and sat up groggily. "C-cruz?"

He plowed five yards through marble to gather me from the floor into his arms.

"Cruz..." I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He gazed into my eyes, a responding smile flitting to his lips. "Zoe..."

A perfect moment! The most perfect moment of my entire life! "Oh, Cruz..." I whispered. "Huh? Why is it getting so dark?"

He yelped and dashed to the portal, carrying me. He was so fast, but behind us a shadow rose even faster.

The vile thing overtook us, forever deepening and stretching, coating the crypt in the darkness that my sight could no longer penetrate even with the magic brooch.

The portal's magic blue light receded.

Cruz stumbled.

"Leaving so soon?" Freida lisped. Her jaw probably hadn't regenerated completely yet.

The strength of her arms, however, was charged to the full.

She yanked at Cruz's ankles to send us flying away from the dimming portal. As we struggled upright, she sauntered through the last patch of blue light in the darkness, only three-by-three feet. Her face zoomed out to occupy the entire extent, as if it were a screen.

My stomach didn't need a close-up of her mangled face. Half of it was porcelain skin, pink lips and a blue eye. The other half—bare bone, tar, empty eye-socket and tentacles tirelessly working on the vampiric cosmetic surgery.

She smiled lopsidedly with her half-of-a-mouth and winked at Cruz with her only eye. "Have a great stay, my darling boy. Don't forget to keep hydrated!"

We ran like I had never run before, but an image of Freida's giant hand replaced the image of her giant face on the portal/screen.

"I'll be back!" her voice boomed. She snapped her fingers, and the portal closed.

"What should we—"

The mausoleum shook from its roots to its top, cutting me off mid-question.

Giant cracks ran up the walls, cutting into the dome. It opened like a tulip. Cracks grew wider and wider. The groaning and crushing sounds from the outside was the terrace breaking away. The first shard of obsidian to split away from the dome was the size of two grown men. It impaled into the marble like a spear of the gods, sending a shock-wave that started a domino-like collapse.

"Cruz!" I screamed, inhaling dust and despair.

He scooped me in his arms and dashed for the gaping breach in the wall, gaining speed.

"You can fly?" I asked in awe.

"Never tried it before, so the landing might be—"

He ran out of the floor and leaped into the emptiness of Necrontium.

The smell of rain and night wind hit my cheeks. Behind us, Freida's mausoleum creaked for the last time, exhaled and collapsed in a mushroom cloud of debris and sand.

I hugged Cruz tighter and closed my eyes.