this vampire was and how much he had seen, he likely knew that we were nowhere near omnipotent. Sure, I knew a few offensive spells, but most of my education had been dedicated to theoretical studies.
As far as epic which is went, I wasn't very impressive.
I took a breath, steeled my resolve, and tried to sound as confident as possible, "Who are you?” I tried to sound firm and diplomatic.
The vampire smirked at me. He seemed entertained by my attempt to sound intimidating. Nonetheless, he offered me a sweeping bow, "My name is Raymond. I know what you're going to do tonight, Sarah."
He knew my name.
I opened my mouth, summoned the syllables to incantation, and started to raise my hands. A few sounds and a few gestures were all it would take to engulf this vampire in a pillar of cleansing fire. This was one of my most powerful spells, and it definitely could have killed him.
If only I had been allowed to finish it.
Like everyone in my circle, I had heard stories about vampires and their speed. I knew that some of them could move faster than the human eye could process. Raymond darted at me. Midstride, he pulled out a syringe, and I felt the tip bite into my neck. He depressed the plunger before I could make a single sound.
The world went dark, and I felt myself fall into his arms.
Then I woke up slowly. Okay, I thought, now was time to work on escape. I do find some way out of wherever he was keeping me. I knew I was up against more than one vampire, if only because they rarely hunted alone. More often than not, their instincts were to work together.
My eyelids fluttered open. The effects of whatever sedative Raymond had given me started to fade, yet my muscles still groaned and my body felt weighed down. Whatever he'd given me lingered in my system and probably would for a few more minutes at least.
I found myself in what looked like a studio apartment. Spacious and airy, the chamber spread out before me. On the other side of the room I saw a four poster bed. Gossamer sheets hung around the sides. To my right, there was a kitchen complete with fridge, stove, and a granite island. Stainless steel pots and pans hung an assortment of hooks.
No sign of the vampire. At first I thought it might be a good idea to feign unconsciousness. Of course, that would require I remain perfectly still. It also meant I would have to remain on my side and not move. It also assumed that if Raymond were nearby, he didn't already know I had awoken. His senses might've been strong enough to register the shift in my breathing or the change in my pulse. Knocked out, my heart rate was probably steady and relaxed.
Knowing that a vampire captured me spiked my heart rate.
Dealing with one of his kind would've been a lot easier if I'd known what this Raymond could do or what his limitations were. As strange as it sounded, vampires were a lot like dogs, with innumerable breeds. They had different abilities and vulnerabilities. Sunlight burned some but not others. Silver could be used in certain cases. Many vampires were fast while others could become invisible. I had heard reports other cases where the vampire seems telepathic or even precognitive.
What did I face? What could this Raymond do?
I already knew he was fast.
Realizing that he could be invisible for all I knew, I decided to skip deception. It struck me as pointless. Besides, if he realized I was awake, then maybe I could get some information out of him. For instance, it would have been very helpful to know the time.
I had been on my way to meet the rest of my circle. Those were the other casters I knew and trusted. They had effectively raised me since the moment I had discovered magic within my soul.
The ritual would start at one in the morning. They could do it without me, but it would be riskier. For all I knew, it was already the next day and the ritual had failed or succeeded. Of course, if it succeeded, then Raymond was dead.
We had been planning this spell for a long
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