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PROLOGUE

So this is what death feels like

Maya Black struggled for breath, struggled to fight the creeping cold that swept through her body Jesus She hadn't wanted to go out like this Hadn't wanted to die in so alley

She'd been born in an alley like this, and she sure as hell hadn't planned to die in one

"Uood" The sick s, and she noticed that her blood coated his lips "Poor little cop, I think I've drained you dry"

Her heart was slowing, the hollow beat barely echoing in her ears The ground was hard beneath her, the htly over her And hell looked back at her from the creature's eyes

A vampire She knehat he was She'd seen his kind before Others thought things like him were just myths, but she knew better She knew demons were real, knew the devil was real Evil lurked in the world, she'd known that fact for years

"Begat her with his soulless black eyes "Begme to let you live"

To change you No, oh, hell, no She didn't want to beco

Not again

He slashed his wrist open with the edge of his fangs Shoved the wound to her mouth

No!

She turned her head away, trying to spit out the blood Her hands fumbled in the trash beside her

Where was her weapon? The vaainst the wall, sank those razor-sharp fangs into her throat, and then had her on the ground in less than a minute

She'd dropped her gun Where was it? Where-

Her fingers closed over the barrel of her Glock She pulled, struggling to bring the weapon closer It felt so heavy in her hand, so-

He laughed at her Actually laughed Then he grabbed the gun Her fingers swiped out, clenched around the butt He pushed the barrel dead-center against his chest and whispered, "Do it"

Without a er

The bullet shot straight through his chest He smiled at her

And her heart stuttered The beat was slowing, slowing

"You can't kill me, bitch, not with your weak bullets, not with-"

He broke off, gasping, and he stu a hand to his chest S, thin trail of smoke The scent of burnt flesh filled the air, combined with the stench of rotten food in the alley

Maya's lips curled as she stared at him

"Wh-what-" He fell to his knees, holding his chest "Wh-what d-did y-you do?"

She'd covered her bullets in holy water She'd been doing that since she joined the force ten years ago Since her first night, when a va the park

She'd barely gotten away froth she had In the end, she'd been lucky She'dhim until her partner arrived to help her

She'd survived

But tonight would be different, she knew that There was no backup for her tonight She'd been working the case alone Following a lead

Following death

The varabbed her hair; and jerked her head back His black eyes were rimmed with red Tears of blood leaked down his cheeks

His teeth ripped across her neck, but she didn't screath to scream anymore

Her finger jerked on the trigger, firing again, again, again-

But he didn't stop Didn't stop biting her, drinking fro her