Once again it is time for the AbsoluteWrite Blog Chain. This month it is hosted by the lovely Auburn Assassin, who has chosen MASQUERADE as our theme, in honor of the season. This is a little piece of flash fiction involving the MC of my latest project, BANSHEE.

He could not take his eyes off her. She had him, and she knew it. She spun away through the crowd, laughing, his eyes following her from behind his mask. A wolf-mask. She laughed at the irony: she was the hunter tonight, not this proud, proper man with his somber suit, gloves and hat.

Hallow’sEve in the streets of the Coile, when every artist and poet and fashionable junky came out to revel in costumes and masks; and the occasional gentlemen, come for a taste of illicit culture. Music and joyous, lustful cries filled the air around her.

She was a skilled huntress, luring him to the alley was easy. Her Death’sHead mask had been chosen to highlight her eyes: a stunning green she knew fascinated men, which she considered to be the weaker sex. Her costume was bright reds and yellows, meant to catch a man’s eye, and revealed more than an appropriate amount of flesh. She danced and spun away through the crowd of revelers, teasing and taunting him. Luring him further from the safety of the crowd to the quiet, sanctity of the alley. He followed obligingly, ignoring the party raging around him.

She ducked into the alley with a coy smile calculated to entice. She allowed herself to strut down the alley, Swaying her hips suggestively. Males were so predictable, they made such easy prey. She salivated at the thought and licked her fangs. She was going to enjoy every drop of his rich, upper-class blood.

She glanced over her shoulder. The gentlemen was close, his walking stick clicking on the cobbles as he followed her down the dark alley. She turned about to face him and let her eyes work their magic. No human could possible withstand the dominating will of a hungry Wampyr.

He stopped a half step from her, eyes wide, his breath caught. She could hear his heart pounding, his delicious blood flowing through his veins. She smiled, and pressed herself against him. He tensed, clenching his walking-stick, unable to flee.

“What is your name, lover?” she breathed in his ear, teasing at his neck with her lips. He smelled so good. She was hungry, but wanted to enjoy this meal. She would take her time with him.

“Orton,” he stammered.

“Tell me, Orton,” she whispered and wrapped her arms around him. “Am I beautiful?”

“Yes,” he managed to spit the word out through clenched teeth.

“Do you want me? Do you fear me?” She laughed in his ear. “Do you know what I am?”

“No, no, and yes,” he said. She stepped back, pushing him away. What was wrong? Was he resisting her? How? She pushed harder with her power, trying to dominate him, control him. It was like pushing against an oak tree. What kind of mind could do that?

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“Orton Michael Vogt, investigator for SpecialBranch. And you are Caroline Aranna Palion, unlicensed Wampyr.”

She crouched and prepared to leap, fingers curled like talons. He might be immune to her domination, but she was still far faster than any human. She would still feed tonight. She hissed at him and leapt. He moved in a blur, faster than she could have imagined, whipping up his walking-stick. She drove herself onto it and screamed as the sharpened wood pierced her heart.

She carried with her to Hell the memory of those blue eyes, looking at her from behind his wolf’s mask, filled with sorrow and pity.

Here are the other participants, please check out their blog posts as well and feel free to comment.

Auburn Assassin http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/ and direct link to her post

Hillary Jacques http://hillaryjacques.blogspot.com and direct link to her post

Aimee Laine www.aimeelaine.com/writing/blog and direct link to her post

Ralph Pines http://thewonderingswordsman.wordpress.com/ and direct link to his post

Veinglory http://erecsite.blogspot.com/ and direct link to her post

Laffarsmith http://www.craftingfiction.com and direct link to her post

PASeaholtz http://paseasholtz.com/ and direct link to his post

Madelein.Eirwen http://madeleineirwen.blogspot.com/ and direct link to her post

Amy Doodle www.mindovermullis.com and direct link to her post

CScottMorris CScottMorrisBooks.com

Orion_mk3 http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com/

Dolores Haze http://dianedooley.wordpress.com/

Aheila http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/

FreshHell http://freshhell.wordpress.com

IrishAnnie http://superpenpower.blogspot.com/

Lilain http://www.abigailschmidt.blogspot.com/

Semmie http://semmie.wordpress.com

Bettedra http://bettedra.wordpress.com/