ever going to be able to actually put into practice anything he told me. Every vampire Iâd met so far could flatten me with one hand tied behind his or her back. Including Vladimir, the not-so-aristocratic matinee idol.
As it turns out, killing a vampire isnât that easy.
âSo, the whole stake-through-the-heart thing isnât true?â Alekseiâs scornful laugh was enough of a reply in itself. âVampires cannot be killed like that. Is stupid fairy tale.â
âWhy not?â Curiosity got the better of me. âI mean, you do have a heart, right?â
It was a pointless question because I already knew the answer. Iâd been lulled to sleep by the steady, rhythmic beat of Gabrielâs heart on more than one occasion, and I wasnât about to forget those other times when it went all jackhammer in his chest, usually as he was coming. I suspect most women get an incredible rush knowing they can evoke this type of physical response in a man. Knowing I could do this to a vampire was suddenly a hundred times more delicious.
âYes, I have a heart,â Aleksei said, âbut becoming vampire makes other changes.â
âThat recessive gene again,â I said with a smile.
He grinned back and tapped his sternum with the tips of his fingers. âIs true. It protects heart with muscle that is very strong.â
âStrong enough to stop a knife?â
âYou want to try?â he challenged me.
It was Anasztaiziaâs lack of reaction that told me it was a fruitless challenge on my part, even though I was tempted for maybe half a second or so. âJust asking,â I said with a nervous, shaky laugh.
âThe only sure way to kill a vampire is to cut off head and burn body.â He emphasized the point with a dramatic slashing gesture across his throat.
Of course it was. Why didnât I know that?
âIs that the only way?â I asked, because if there was a psycho-vampire bitch out to get me I wanted to be sure I had all the bases covered. Just in case.
Aleksei shrugged. âWell, there is also staking out in sun.â
âDoes the sun have to be shining or will plain daylight do?â
He stared at me with suspicion. âWhy do you want to know this?â
âBecause sometimes having the proper information can make all the difference,â I told him. âSo, which is it?â
âDaylight is for weakening, sunlight for burning.â He leaned forward, his expression almost gleeful. âBut I should tell you no human can kill a vampire. Only one vampire can kill another vampire.â
The superiority of his tone was just a little too smug for my liking. It explained why heâd suddenly overcome his initial reluctance to answer me. I was no threat to any vampire whatsoever. And that really pissed me off. Granted, I could see how decapitation might prove a little tricky for someone not blessed with homicidal, maniacal tendenciesâas well as a very big axeâbut I was infuriated at how easily he dismissed the resourcefulness of the human race.
âYou donât think a human could stake a vampire out in the sunlight?â I asked, pursing my lips.
Aleksei adopted the kind of exaggerated patience rarely seen outside of a first-grade classroom. âFirst you must catch vampire and overpower him, something you have not the skill or strength to do. Even the weakest vampire will always be stronger than the strongest human.â
It took me a minute before I realized he wasnât being a condescending asshole, he was just stating facts, and respecting me enough to be bluntly honest. I notched down my irritation, trying not to let it cloud my thinking.
âBut what about crosses, holy water, and garlic?â I asked. âCouldnât those be used to subdue a vampire?â The look on Alekseiâs face said his estimation of my IQ had just crashed through the floor. âOh, sorry,â I mumbled,
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