'That's right, we don't have the stamina.' ;You did it to Granny!' said Agnes.
'Yes, but when it's against someone's will... well, they end up so... compliant. Little more than thinking food. But someone who embraces the night of their own volition... ah, that's another thing entirely, my dear Agnes. And you're far too interesting to be a slave.'
'Tell me,' said Agnes, as a mountaintop floated by, 'have you had many girlfriends?'
He shrugged. 'One or two. Village girls. Housemaids.'
'And what happened to them, may I ask?'
'Don't look at me like that. We still find employment for them in the castle.'
Agnes loathed him. Perdita merely hated him, which is the opposite pole to love and just as attractive.
... but Nanny said if the worst came to the worst... and then he'll trust you... and they've already got Granny...
'If I'm a vampire,' she said, 'I won't know good from evil.'
'That's a bit childish, isn't it? They're only ways of looking at the same thing. You don't always have to do what the rest of the world wants you to do.'
'Are you still toying with her?'
Lacrimosa was walking towards them on the air. Agnes saw the other vampires behind her.
'Bite her or let her go,' the girl went on. 'Good grief, she's so blobby. Come on, Father wants you. They're heading for our castle. Isn't that just too stupid?'
'This is my affair, Lacci,' said Vlad.
'Every boy should have a hobby, but... really,' said Lacrimosa, rolling her black-rimmed eyes.
Vlad grinned at Agnes.
'Come with us,' he said.
Granny did say you need to be with the others,
Perdita pointed out.
'Yes, but how will I find them when we're there?' said Agnes aloud.
'Oh, we'll find them,' said Vlad.
'I meant-'
'Do come. We don't intend to hurt your friends-'
'Much,' said Lacrimosa.
'Or... we could leave you here,' said Vlad, smiling.
Agnes looked around. They had touched down on the mountain peak, above the clouds. She felt warm and light, which was wrong. Even on a broomstick she'd never felt like this, she'd always been aware of gravity sucking her down, but with the vampire holding her arm every part of her felt that it could float for ever.
Besides, if she didn't go with them it was going to be either a very long or an extremely short journey down to the ground.
Besides, she would find the other two, and you couldn't do that when you were dying in some crevasse somewhere.
Besides, even if he did have small fangs and a terrible taste in waistcoats, Vlad actually seemed attracted to her. It wasn't even as if she had a very interesting neck.
She made up both minds.