"Floating sapphire and diamond oval twisted pavé pendant in eighteen carat white gold... Plain nine by seven millimeter." the shop owner gestured to the elegant piece I was holding in my hand. Three dark blue sapphires the size of quarters glimmered in the light reflected off the thousand crystal glass chandelier.

" That'll be a six thousand dollars only. " he gestured smoothly. The man surely knew his business. I pulled my hoodie up, just giving him a flash of my ruby eyes. He visibly stilled, his face blanching.

They knew us. We were the dons is the area, Galina's men and they know better than to dupe us. "So, what's the price you were telling?" I smiled sweetly, making sure he caught a glimpse of my fangs.

The Kashmir Sapphire burned a cornflower blue — a colour so stark against my chalky skin.

"For you only four thousand bucks, sire!"
"Uzhasnyy chelovek (horrible man)" he muttered under his breath.
"Ya slyshu tebya (I can hear you)" I chuckled, handing him my credit card. He was wide eyed. Obviously since I had spoken to him in English he hadn't thought I'm a Russian. Most of you wouldn't even know the difference. And staying in the US for years had changed my native accent.

"Now don't waste my time." I hissed.

"Yes sire, sure sire!" he almost tripped over the ornate decorations in his haste to get away from me. I revulsed him but he knew if he refused to serve he wouldn't see another day.

I loved feeling powerful, feeling mighty like I had the world in control. My Roza would surely love the necklace, just like the Ruby piece I had given her the other day.

Being with her had become a routine every night. We never had sex, but we’d kiss and touch and lose ourselves in the wonder of each other’s bodies—sometimes with very little clothing. She was slowly getting used to the new me and I was getting over the awkwardness and the fear of me breaking her with my strength. My milaya is a tough woman.

And after we’d talked and made out for a while—for hours, sometimes—she'd
let me bite her. Then I’d get that rush . . . that wonderful, exquisite flood of chemicals that lifted me from all my problems. I lost myself in that bliss of the taste her blood. This was heaven.

There was a lightness in my step as I punched in the code and locked the door behind me. She looked up from checking herself in the mirror. Her eyes looked heavy. She was always high on endorphins these days. It made her easy to control, just as I liked. I wondered if she was connecting to people back at home and if they know her whereabouts.

The dress she wore today was a navy halter sundress, made of light silk, so thin that they hugged her curves at the right places, showing off her womanly assets. I came up from behind and wrapped my arms around her, kissing the crook of her neck. She laughed — the sound was music to my ears.
I clamped my teeth on her earlobe and nipped playfully, deftly trying to undo the lace holding together the whole dress.

"Not now!" she slapped my hand.

"Really?" I laughed and lifted her up and placed her on the bed, tickling her all over. She pulled me in and kissed me fiercely.
Soon we were lying together as usual. She was on her side, and I was snuggled up against her back, one arm draped around her waist. I rolled over and brushed her hair away from where it had fallen over her neck and cleavage, enjoying the feel of her satiny skin.

“Already?” she asked. I usually didn’t bite me until the end of my visits. I did kind of enjoy these moments beforehand too much to give in to her demands. I could see need in her eyes. The need for the high more than the actual need for me but I didn't mind.  We would talk about fights we’d been in or the life I imagined for us when she'd become a Strigoi. Nothing too sentimental—but nice nonetheless. It felt good sharing my hopes and joys with her.

I could feel her braced herself self for the bite now, arching up in anticipation. I gently chuckled and pushed away her neck.
Reaching into my pocket I produced the necklace.

She stared in amazement at its beauty, at the way the blue stones glittered in the light. I placed the necklace against her skin and fastened the clasp. She gasped. Running my fingers along the necklace’s edges, I nodded in approval of my own handiwork. The blue was strikingly gorgeous against her apricot skin.

My Turkish Princess!

“Beautiful.” my fingers drifted to one of the dress’s straps. I slid my hand underneath it.  Goosebumps stood on her skin, sending a thrill through.

“It matches.” I concluded, studying the dress.

She smiled. In the old days, I had almost never gotten her gifts. I hadn’t had the means, and she hadn’t wanted them anyway. But she loved these new ways I used to pamper her. I could feel the adoration. If she stays, she'll be my queen. We'll rule together. I had a plan.

“Where’d you get it?” she asked.

I smiled slyly. “I have my sources.”

“You’re just like Abe.”

“Who?” I was curious. Rose couldn't have met another man.

“This guy I met. Abe Mazur. He’s some kind of mob boss . . . he kept following me.”

I stiffened. “Abe Mazur was following you?”

Abe Mazur is the most infamous Moroi name in the whole of Russia I'll kill him. He has hoardes of illegal business and deals with human, Moroi, Alchemists and Strigois alike. If he's stalking Rose, it couldn't be good.

I'll rip out his human heart and...