"Nay," Magnus assured her, "but thou shalt be little more than such, an thou dost not come away with us."
"Come away?" Finally, Nan's eyes opened almost fully. "Yet wherefore ought I?"
"For that an thou dost stay, thou wilt be turned into a thing of evil!"
Nan frowned, considering, then shrugged. "What matter what I shall become? I have a dry, warm chamber within. Its walls are hung with tapestries and the floor is covered with thick carpets. There be chairs and tables that glow with the rich gleam of grand woods, and a great couch with soft feather beds. Nor am I lonely, for a proud gentleman doth company me. In truth, he doth dote upon me, bringing me rich foods and fine wines, and doth dance and talk with me till I do sleep."
"Then doth he drink thy blood," Magnus told her, his face grim. " Tis therefore thou art so listless; 'tis therefore thou hast those marks upon thy throat."
Nan raised a hand, fumbling toward her neck. "These… they are but…" Her voice trailed off in confusion.
"He is a vampire," Cordelia explained, more gently. "He doth keep thee to bleed thee for his supper."
Nan frowned. "Oh. Doth he truly so?"
"I assure thee that he doth," Cordelia said, shocked. "Dost thou care naught?"
Nan's gaze strayed. "I think I do not. Upon a time, I might have—yet I do not now."
"Oh, but thou must!" Cordelia cried. "Come away with us! We may still save thee!"
"Save me?" Nan frowned, blinking. "From what?"
"From becoming thyself a vampire! An he doth continue to drain thee, thou shalt become like to him!"
"Oh." Nan pursed her lips, considering. "Is that so bad?"
"Why, 'tis horrible!" Cordelia insisted. "Wouldst thou do to another what he hath done to thee? Wouldst thou take the very life from another's veins?"
Nan concentrated, thinking it over…
"Do not let it trouble thee overlong," Geoffrey said, with sarcasm. "Come, wilt thou be good or evil? 'Tis as simple as that."
Nan blinked, thoroughly confused now, and Cordelia glared at her brother.
"An she truly careth naught," Gregory mused, "we have but to pose the question in another fashion… Nan, why not come with us?"
"Aye!" Cordelia added. "Wherefore not?"
Nan's brow creased in concentration. Then, finally, her face smoothed again. "Wherefore not, indeed?" She actually managed a slight smile as she lifted a hand. Magnus let her go, and stepped back—but her hand came on up to touch his. "Where wilt thou go?"
"Why, to the nearest village," he said, with immense relief. "Geoffrey, lead!"
Geoffrey didn't need persuading. He turned away, drawing his sword, and led them back along the path. Magnus followed, propping up Nan, with Cordelia and Gregory behind him and Fess bringing up the rear.
Geoffrey led them around a curve and under a huge old tree. As they neared it, Magnus pulled back. "Hold! There is summat about this oak that…"
A shadow stirred within shadows, detached itself, and stepped toward them, smiling. His clothes were black, and skintight; his face was white as paint, his eyes shadowed into points, and his lips very, very red. "Kiss," he said, reaching for Cordelia. "Kiss. Kiss."
She struck his hand away, stepping back, and Geoffrey leaped between them, stabbing upward at the vampire, then riposting—but the vampire only looked down at his shirt-front, nettled. "Thou hast ripped my cloth."
Geoffrey stared. There was no spreading stain, no blood on his sword.
The vampire grinned at his discomfiture, showing pointed fangs. "Nay, steel shall not harm me—and I hunger. An thou wilt not give me to drink, then return my lass to me." He reached for Nan.
"Avaunt!" Magnus struck his arm down, in spite of the crawling revulsion within him. "She is no thing of thine, but a woman sole in her own right, and no man's chattel."
"Thou knowest not of what thou speakest, boy," the vampire sneered. "Tell, Nan—whose lass art thou?"
"Why, thine." Nan tried to step toward him, but Magnus held her back. "Lay off!" she cried, struggling against his arm.
"By what right dost thou keep her, when she doth desire to go?" the vampire demanded.
"By what right dost thou keep her, when she would desire to go were she recovered of her senses?" Gregory demanded.
"What sprat is this?" the vampire snarled. "Be gone, mere inconvenience!" He pounced, claws reaching for Gregory.
Geoffrey shouted and leaped at him again, but this time the vampire turned, catching him and lifting him toward his mouth. "Tender," he growled, "succulent."
Magnus let go of Nan and hurtled into the vampire, knocking Geoffrey out of his grasp. The pale man went flying—and kept flying, as his cape spread out into wings and all of him shrank into a bat. He wheeled about in the air, streaking back toward Gregory.
"Why, 'tis a birdbrain!" Geoffrey laughed. "Come, hen! What fowl prank wilt thou play next? O bird absurd!"
The bat wheeled, its eyes glowing fire, and pounced— but Geoffrey dodged behind Fess. The bat didn't even try to follow—it sailed straight at Fess's neck, needle-fangs glinting—and striking down through horsehair with a resounding clang as they met Fess's metal neck. It spun toward the ground, stunned, and just barely managed to pull out of its nosedive and start flapping up.
But that was long enough for Magnus to find a long stick. "One bad bat doth deserve another," he grunted, and swung.
The club cracked into the vampire. He lurched and went spiralling down to the dirt, out cold.
The children stood transfixed.
Then Nan gave a wordless cry and reached out toward the fallen creature.
Geoffrey leaped to block her. "Nay! Thou art freed of him now, and shalt remain so!"
"It will be a while before she ceases to crave his presence," Fess advised him. Geoffrey nodded, caught Nan by the wrists, and pulled her away.
"What now?" Cordelia demanded. "We dare not leave him so, or he will revive and begin his depredations anew."
"Why, we have one who doth await the occasion," Gregory answered. "Magnus, summon."
Magnus straightened, gaining a smile and calling out, "Wee Folk! We have done what we can! Now come and aid!"
"Why, that will we, and right gladly!" The elves stepped out of the long grass all around. "We had hoped for such as thee, young witchfolk, who could disable this nemesis long enough for us to… seek its disposition."
"Then we may leave it to thee?" Magnus asked, relieved.
"Assuredly," an elf replied. "He shall ne'er trouble the folk of this shire again, I promise thee."
"In truth," a brownie agreed. "He was not here a year agone; he shall not be here after."
"Gramercy, then." But Cordelia was still troubled. "What shall we do with Nan, though? We cannot bring her with us—and she cannot care for herself now."
"Be of ease in thy mind," an elf-woman assured her. "We shall care for her till her body hath filled itself up with blood again, then take from her mind all memory of Elfland and bring her once again unto her own village."
The circle of elves closed around the form of the vampire, and the spokesman said, "Thou shouldst be gone now, younglings. We shall do as we must, yet thou hast no need to see."
"Why, therefore shall we take our leave," Cordelia said. "Fare well, good elves! Be kind to Nan!"
"We shall," the little woman assured her, and they turned away.
They had only travelled for fifteen minutes or so when another elf stepped out onto the trail ahead of them. They looked up and stopped. "What cheer?" Geoffrey called.
"All," the elf answered. "The lass sleeps, and mends; the vampire will sleep forever—unless some fool comes upon him, not knowing how much is at stake."
"Thou hast buried him at a crossroad, then?"
"Nay, for folk might come upon him there, if they sought to rear up buildings. We have hidden him in a deep, dark cave."