From Inside the Grey House:
Natalia ducked as the staff came toward her head. She used her own staff to sweep Ben off his feet. The vampire fell hard as his weapon clattered to the ground. Natalia wasted no time in swinging hers toward his chest. Ben grabbed the end of the staff before she connected, trying to pull the weapon from her hands. Natalia held on, letting him pull her forward. She rolled over him, letting go of her staff to grab his dropped one. He was on his feet before she was, but she expected it. The vampires would always be faster than she was; as a result, she had to be smarter.
Ben was her last conquest with the staff. He had been using the weapon since he was human over one hundred years ago. He practiced with his favorite weapon often. He could easily beat anyone he came against. Most of Vincent’s vampires were reluctant to fight with staves even though they were typically too well fed to be taken down by a simple wooden stake. Natalia thought the fear was psychological. Whatever kept them from using the staff made it easier for her to get better at it. She had already beaten everyone else while using the staff. Ben was her final test, and he was very skilled.
Cat Stark 