Master Ammad heaved a deep sigh. "Augusta, I and Piao... were best friends."
"Were?" Prince Avner pounced on the past tense. "What happened?"
"Augusta was a looker when she was younger. I fell in love with her but she had her eyes to Piao. They got married and I went away. But Piao had a roaming eye. He broke Augusta's heart. I learnt about it and came back. I defeated Piao in a duel. I thought, I had a chance to Augusta when Piao was gone..."
Prince Avner waited patiently. Master Ammad had a faraway look on his lined face.
"But I was wrong. She had driven me away. She vowed that she would have my--" the master cleared his throat. "And feed it to her black crows."
"Meaning... Augusta is a--?"
"Witch as well as a vampire. Powerful. She can control minds." Master Ammad seemed awed of
