The vampire approached with lowered eyelids, and yet she felt as if she could see every detail of his powerful form. A shiver ran through her body as his gaze passed over her. No, he did not just pass over her, he did not stop at lace, taffeta, and tulle. He penetrated deep into her and would have exposed her soul if she had had one. He read her thoughts and glided through her rapidly changing emotions. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time to stand so naked before him.
"What do you have to tell me?" he asked, although he must have read the answer in her trembling mind long ago.
She bowed deeply again and still did not dare to raise her eyes. "Master," she said in a trembling voice, "the stone is destroyed."
"Destroyed? You cannot destroy the cloch adhair, the heart of Ireland!'
It annoyed her that she had expressed herself so clumsily, allowing him to correct her instead of showering her with praise.
"I could not destroy it," the vampire admitted sullenly, "but that is not important. The important thing is that it is no longer accessible to the Lycana. I have ensured that he now rests at the bottom of Lough Corrib for all time and can no longer thwart your plans."
The feeling of triumph flared up in her again so strongly that she raised her eyelids and looked at him.
No matter how many times she met him or saw him in her dreams, she was always surprised by the wave of greatness and power that surrounded him and now surged towards her as if it wanted to devour the vampire. She had to summon all her strength to keep her face of cool pride and not to back down.
"Ivy is yours! Do what you want with her. Grab her, wipe her out, annihilate her. Nothing will stop you. The ancient protective spell has been broken."
The master had won, and now she too, had reached the goal of her wishes. She had served him well. The reward was certain. Now, finally, he would offer her his hand and take her with him. She would be the princess at his side. The master was still standing there, motionless. Only his eyebrows rose a little, barely perceptibly, and yet the vampire felt hot and cold.
"Really? Are you quite sure?"
Of course, he had read her thoughts again. How reckless it is to let her wishes take shape. But why not? Wasn't she allowed to let her dreams run free now? She had a right to do so. She had won!
"Really?" the master said again, and it was as if shards of ice were clattering to the ground. "So, the owners of the bracelets did not manage to touch the cloch adhair again and refresh their strength before you threw the stone in the lake, sunk?" His voice was cutting. The vampire stared at the master in disbelief. She swallowed dryly. Her elation collapsed and gave way to desperate terror.
"They touched the stone, but only for a moment," she tried to defend herself. Now she would have liked to look away from his terrible expression, but he held on to it. Tormented her so that she writhed in inner agony.
"Only for a moment? Don't play dumb. That's not the point. Ivy touched the stone with her bracelet and renewed the protective spell. She is as unassailable to me as before."
"Yes, but that was the last time," whined the vampire, who fell to her knees under his gaze. "Every day that passes will weaken the protective spell further. And once she leaves Ireland, it will go very quickly."
"What does time mean to you? You will see, in just a few months…" She could not continue. She feared that his anger would push her to the ground and crush her.
"Yes, months, if not years! Wait and wait. I am tired of waiting!" he shouted. But as suddenly as his anger had flared up, it died down again. A grim smile appeared on his lips. "Yes, what does time mean to me if there is no longer any obstacle between me and the fulfillment of my goal. Get up!"
He flexed his long, bony fingers, and the vampire rose as if pulled by invisible strings. He even deigned to approve of her idea of sinking the stone in the lake. The vampire felt her cheeks glow.
"Thank you, my master. What are your orders? Should I continue to follow her and keep an eye on her?"
"What would that do?" he protested. "I can't reach her yet, but she won't escape me."
"Then I can come with you?" she called hopefully. Again, that twitch of her eyebrows.
"Why? I have no use for you at the moment."
She felt destroyed by a handful of words. "Master!"
He ignored her plea. "Return to your people. You shouldn't fuel mistrust unnecessarily."
"Yes, I obey," she assured him eagerly. "I'll make sure no one suspects anything. I'm ready. You just need to call me if you need my help. I look forward to being able to serve you again and am available for any assignment..." She broke off and remained silent under his withering gaze.
"Go now!"
"Master?"
He held out his hand. The lizard on his ring shimmered in the dim light of the stars. The vampire took a step forward and sank to one knee. She kissed the ring reverently. Her ruby eyes burned on her lips. Then she could no longer delay her farewell. Weighed down by the weight of the moment, she rose heavily. She managed to catch a last glimpse of the powerful, dark figure, then he disappeared. Only a hint of mist remained, which the night wind blew away. The vampire stood alone in the night field, above which rose the shadow of a half-ruined tower.