

## The Goddess and The Vampire

## A Wilhem Walengrave Vampire Novel

Book 1

### Jon Herrera

Copyright © 2015 by Jon Herrera. All Rights Reserved.

Smashwords Edition

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system - except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper - without permission in writing from the publisher.

Cover Illustration Copyright © 2015 by Jon Herrera

Author photograph Copyright © 2015 by Jon Herrera

### Acknowledgments

I'd like to thank my wife Dawnell for putting up with me as I ignore her for hours on end and crank out my daily word count.

Then I need to thank the many people who helped by reading my first drafts and making suggestions about the direction of the work. Andrea was one of my first readers and has always been supportive of my efforts. Duane was another early reader and offered several useful suggestions. Jen read all of my books and got my often quirky sense of humor. Chris liked one of my books well enough that he wrote a review on Amazon. Jennie didn't care for the bloody bits in my vampire book, but she did read it.

Arleigh was kind enough to offer advice on cover designs, and though I didn't follow it very well, I do appreciate her help.

A special thanks goes out to Irene, who bravely took on the role of copy editor and did a line by line reading of my books which resulted in the correction of countless typos, confusing sentences, and other stylistic tics that needed a bit of tweaking.

### Table of Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Epilogue

About the Author

### Prologue

"MY NAME IS Wilhem Walengrave." I said and looked around the circle of faces staring at me. "And I'm a vampire."

"Hi, Wilhem." The group said in unison.

Monsters Anonymous was created with the idea of hate the sin, not the sinner. While the goal of Alcoholics Anonymous was to resist the temptation of taking another drink, we were more along the lines of Overeaters Anonymous. We wanted to limit our troublesome ways, not eradicate them. We were not going to stop being vampires, werewolves, gnomes, fairies, gods and goddesses. To name but a few. But we were trying our best not to treat the world's human population like cattle. Or worse.

"I'm having a hard time dealing with my Chosen." I said and looked at the floor. There was a murmur of sympatric feelings from the group of Supernaturals, as we prefer to call ourselves. We all have humans in our lives. Vampires call their human blood donors their Chosen. It's a kinder term than Bride or blood slave. It's also legal, whereas keeping a dozen humans locked in your basement tends to lead to problems.

"My human woman has been with me for thirty years." I said and smiled for a second. "She has always wanted our relationship to be...exclusive."

They all just stared at me. Crosstalk, other members replying to what I was saying, wasn't allowed. We call it sharing, but sometimes it feels more like a monologue. I still felt a bit of sympathy, my fellow Supernaturals were not known for their great fidelities. Several of them had surprisingly large harems.

"But I find it challenging." I said and looked around. "It isn't how we are made."

I stood for a moment and tried to think of how to put my feelings into words. After a few uncomfortable moments, I sat down. The group gave me a smattering of applause.

The group leader stood up and made a few announcements. The location of the next meeting, who should bring the coffee next time since this batch was one step up from battery acid, and a recitation of the Serenity Prayer. The meeting was almost over when the man in the brown robe stood up and walked to the center of the circle.

"The end is near." We all groaned and leaned back in our folding chairs. Sammy the Cincinnati Seer had been predicting The End for the last thousand years or so. His usual spiel had to do with A) the end of the world by natural disaster, B) the return of the Christ, C) a zombie uprising, or D) all of the above. He tended to talk for hours as he extolled everyone within earshot to repent before the end. His pleas tended to fall on deaf ears at a Monsters Anonymous meeting. I closed my eyes and waited for him to get started. The vampire to my left leaned over and bumped my shoulder.

"You know." She said and raised an eyebrow. "I actually believed him the first time I heard him. I think one of his powers must be to force belief. I was one of the people waiting in a field on October 22, 1844 for Jesus to drop down from the heavens. I still have a few hard feelings about that."

"The first time I saw him." I said and whispered back to the vampire. "He was predicting the end of the world would happen at midnight on December 31st, 1999."

"I remember that." Someone across from us said and nodded. "I was scared shitless about touching any technology."

The group leader cleared her throat and gave us a look as she tilted her head toward Sammy. We all fell silent and turned our attention to the Cincinnati Seer.

"The signs are clear." Sammy said and held his arms wide. He was short and dirty. His dark brown robe and rope belt reminiscent of a Benedictine monk, but they had disavowed themselves of him several times and asked that he wear something else. He always ignored them just as he tended to ignore everyone else. He lowered his head and stared around the group with wild eyes. His long brown hair fell around his shoulders and in the harsh light, he looked like a rock star waiting for the music to come up. He was clearly mad. He looked at me and froze where he stood. His mouth gaped open and his eyebrows seemed to be trying to find the shortest route to the top of his head. He bent his knees and pointed at me with a bony finger.

"Here is the man that will be the death of us all!" Sammy said and looked around the gathered faces to make sure they understood their danger. "The Goddess is coming."

I saw someone across the circle, making a twirling motion with one finger by their forehead. We all agreed with that assessment. Sammy ignored us all as he crouched over and held his open hands before him in some kind of beseeching gesture. When he looked at me again, I saw a white light crackling in his eyes. It was the kind of magic I had seen in other Seers. He was looking into the future.

"You can't stop the end of the world with a good spanking." He said solemnly and his power faded just as quickly as it had risen. "It's all your fault. You may not care about the end of the world, but surely the rest of you must!"

Silence greeted Sammy as he scanned our faces. He threw his arms up and let them fall. He shook his head and wandered away into the shadows of the room. We all felt blessed that he hadn't talked for hours.

"I think that's it for this time." The group leader said and smiled at all of us. "Remember that we're always here if you need us."

My phone buzzed with a text message as soon as I turned it on. I read the message and smiled at those around me. They all waved their farewells and I took my leave. I didn't see Sammy the Cincinnati Seer among them. Maybe he was already off somewhere else, predicting the end of the world to a more receptive audience.

### Chapter One

Sunrise was approaching. Vampires have a natural aversion to sunrise, since daylight leads to spontaneous combustion. But it was a sure method of suicide. One of a handful of ways for the near immortal set to put an end to it all. The Vampire Jake was here with that goal in mind.

The loose gravel shifted under the soles of my Tevas. The unsure footing meant I couldn't just flash over to Jake and grab him. I didn't want to risk enthralling him either. He had a few tricks that might confuse my vampire senses. I might slip and send us both over the edge. Jake might want to die today, but it wasn't on my to do list.

He turned his face toward me. He was as beautiful as he had been on the day he was Turned over a hundred years ago. His body would remain twenty years old for as long as he lived. His good looks and ready wit were a magnet to young humans.

"You're lucky, Wil." Jake said and spread his arms to welcome the coming sun. "You only have one woman in your life. Everyone I feed on seems to move into the top floor of the Nightshade Gallery and take up residence. My one regret is that many of them will die when I do."

When a Vampire made someone their Bride, or their Chosen as I liked to call them, they formed a bond. The longer power was shared with a human, the stronger that bond became. The death of one often meant the death of the other. Jake wasn't just killing himself, he was killing his long time Chosen as well.

I inched forward across the uneven rooftop. A stiff breeze forced me to grab onto a cold antenna support to steady my balance. Jake's slim body was as rigid as the low retaining wall, only his thick hair was windblown. He was using some Vampire power to secure himself where he stood. I would have to talk him down, or take part of the roof with him.

"What happened this time, Jake?" I said and took another unsteady step toward him. "Did you really run out of floor space for your groupies? Or did you buy another fake Gauguin?"

"Not funny, Wil." Jake said and whirled around to put the seven-story fall behind him. "It wasn't even a good fake."

"So hang it in a dark corner." I said and thought about the many shadowy spots in the Nightshade Gallery. "Maybe no one will notice."

"Like I'd take business advice from you." Jake said and rocked back and forth on the ledge. He hopped down and scattered small stones under foot. He didn't need to breathe, but his chest rose and fell with rapid breaths all the same. He shoved his hair away from his face. "The Nightshade Gallery has a reputation to maintain. What if word gets out that my walls are covered with forgeries?"

"No one will care." I said and took the last couple of steps over to Jake. "When was the last time you had to rely on the sale of art to keep your doors open?"

"I sell art all the time." Jake said and turned his narrow face toward me. A bit of fire shone in his slate gray eyes. "That's why I'm up here. Fedor was the client that bought the Gauguin. The damned thing looked perfect when I bought it. But later when I showed it to Fedor it looked like the work of a talented fifth grader."

I nodded in understanding. Fedor is the Consul at The Fort Worth Vampire Consulate and he usually gets what he wants. People who can't get him what he wants have been known to disappear into his dungeons. Then just disappear.

"I also wanted you to come up here and admire the view." Jake said and licked his lips. He looked around the rooftop with trepidation. He seemed to expect something to happen at any moment. He spoke into my mind. 'I acquired something new the other day. Something I think you should see. It's a painting of a Goddess. Once I'm dead you can have it.'

"I'm not that into paintings." I said and looked around. A flag flapped in the wind on a distant building. The sky showed a bit of morning light. Anxiety swirled around us as death drew nearer. "A Goddess you say?"

"Yes." Jake said and moved to face the eastern sky again. "You never told me you knew a Goddess."

"Because I don't." I said and prepared to reach out and grab Jake. "Any other last words?"

"As Master of Fort Worth you should take my death more seriously." Jake said and leaned toward the sun as he descended into depression. "Think about what the papers will say. _Master of City Laughs as Friend Dies_."

"We don't have time for this, Jake. And I'm not really the Master of Fort Worth." I said. My chest throbbed with warnings of the approaching dawn. "Tell me more about this painting. But tell me later."

"Will you talk to Fedor about the Gauguin?" Jake said theatrically and looked at the oversized watch on his wrist. The cries from a plague of grackles greeting the morning almost drowned out his words. "If you promise to help me, I might decide to live another night."

"I'll talk to Fedor." I said and stretched out my hand to him. "Can we go downstairs now?"

"We need to talk." Jake said and looked past me with a start. Another flash of power in his eyes showed that he was using some vampire power. His eyebrows rose and his mouth dropped open. "Oh."

I coiled in anticipation of stopping Jake in mid-flight. Instead, he fainted dead away. I caught him before he hit the rooftop. The son of a bitch almost knocked me over the ledge. I slipped on the gravel and fell against a cell phone tower. Jake landed on top of me. My heart started beating faster as I prepared to flash for the stairs. I felt some power being used.

I looked up and saw a small woman with her back to me. She had a green aura of power that caused ripples to distort the air around her. I was on my feet in a moment, the coming dawn forgotten. She raised her arms and spread her fingers as she tilted her head back. A shock wave of force flashed out from her. The building shook beneath me. The surrounding towers cracked and tumbled. Alarms sounded and fires erupted. The sun rushed over the horizon as if the woman had pulled it. She turned and smiled at me, the light of the dawn full on her face. I waited to burn in the sun, but she held me protected in her power.

She was young, almost a child, but her green eyes were glowing with a timeless energy. Her smile had too many teeth and the tops of her ears poked out of her hair. She was an Elf, but unlike any Elf I had ever seen. I saw her clearly in the light of a fully risen sun. She was wearing a gossamer dress made of a sheer fabric that clung to her thin body. Her black hair caught the morning wind and looked like a lion's mane. It took me a moment to notice she was floating a few inches from the rooftop. She was beautiful and terrifying.

She brought her hands together and then threw them wide. She arched her back as more power poured out of her. The world shattered and the darkness of space rushed in to surround us. I was weightless and helpless. The Elf revelled in this destruction and laughed. I watched as she turned her attention to the destruction of the moon and the sun. I could hear her through the vacuum of space.

"Oh, Beloved." She said in a voice that filled my mind with a familiarity I didn't share. "Isn't it glorious?"

I stumbled back a step and tripped over Jake. I fell back onto the rooftop. A meteor streaked across the sky like an omen. My throat closed and tears flowed as the vision of destruction filled my mind. The thickness in my chest hurt. But I didn't have time to mourn the world at the moment.

I grabbed Jake and flashed down the stairs. I found shelter for us in the mechanical room's cool darkness. Before I could do more than lay down, I was dead to the world for another day.

FORT WORTH'S VAMPIRE Consulate was installed in a nice turn of the 19th century brick and mortar structure. The building has several Neoclassical Revival details. I liked the feeling of grace and grandeur the structure projected. Our building is twenty stories tall and has extensive subterranean works. It was built a bit over a hundred years ago, the same time all the other Embassies and Consulates were built.

The lobby smelled of old magazine and perfume samples. The small waiting area was right next to the door and these newsstand scents were always the first thing to assault my senses. The rest of the spacious room had no real scents to speak of. The fat square columns that went up to the classical Greek molding of the two story tall ceiling were a nice pale marble. The room was lit by several large ceiling bowl light fixtures with brass details. The reception desk took up most of one wall. And a couple of check writing desks filled with Vampire Commission forms and brochures sat here and there.

As Master of the City I have an office at the Consulate. I never use it. Fedor and Kilestra run this part of Texas and they keep me around to do the public bits like cutting ribbons and attending galas. I'm not as ghoulish as Fedor or as frightening as Kilestra. People prefer seeing a more human-like vampire as Master. It's more of an honorary title.

The Consul is where the Vampire Commission wields its local authority. They run the Supernatural world from a stronghold in the Carpathian Mountains. There was a large painting of Dracula's Castle hanging on the wall behind the reception desk. Just looking at it gave me a shiver. I was never sure if it was just the image or if it was imbued with a bit of magic.

The Commission was run by a lot of scary vampires. The painting showed a row of impaled bodies in the foreground as a reminder to every Supernatural who visited the Consulate to behave themselves. The two Supernaturals that nearly got us all killed in 1897 were featured prominently in the front. A vampire and a werewolf that brought knowledge of our existence to the wider world. I turned my eyes away from the grisly sight.

And now that we are all out in the open, The Commission has spread its power around the world through its Embassies and Consulates. They like to say that The Sun Never Rises on the Vampire Commission. I have to say I like it better this way.

The Commission deals with all the major league problems. My problems were always a bit closer to home and usually a bit less world altering. Like the recent murder of a Vampire in the nightclub he managed.

"I hear Kilestra took Fredric's head." Andy said without looking up from his gun magazine. "She did leave the rest of his body behind. Not her usual M.O."

Andy was a tall, thin man who has been in my service for about eighty years. He's not someone I share power with, but he has someone who takes care of him. I have never found out who. He is forever in his sixties and has an uncanny ability to resist vampire powers. He used to be a Hunter and has endless stories about the good old days. Now, he follows me around and we enforce the rules of the Vampire Commission.

"The Vampire Fredric was nothing but trouble anyway." Jackie said from behind the reception desk's long counter. "Always seducing women and talking with that fake accent. Like he learned how to be a vampire by watching old movies."

Jackie was a slightly round woman in her forties who was one of Fedor's Chosen. She kept the Enforcer division of the Consulate running and kept her finger on the pulse of the Supernatural community. She always looked clean and professional, as opposed to Andy, who dressed like he just came in from the back forty.

"Fredric seemed to be popular with the women at the Jangling Spur." Andy said and raised his eyebrow. Jackie shook her head.

"Good to know everyone thinks this is a joke." Fedor said from inside his office. "The death of a prominent vampire is serious Consulate business."

"Yeah." Jackie said and shuffled folders around on her desk. "One less vampire to worry about."

"Wilhem, a moment if you please." Fedor said, ignoring Jackie.

Consul General was embossed in thick gold letters on the door. I left the Vampire Consulate's sterile public area and entered the late Victorian world of Fedor's private offices. Dark woods, lead glass lamps, and china cabinets filled with curios crowded the room. The air smelled of cleaning products. An antique fan with shiny brass blades kept the air moving. Art from a wide range of periods covered the walls. There was a clear preference for Impressionists.

Fedor sat behind a large Empire desk surrounded by dark wooden file cabinets. The room was filled with items that were both beautiful and a bit creepy. Much like Fedor himself.

"We have a number of Rogues in the Metroplex at the moment." Fedor said in his smooth British accent. "A few simple debt collections, a couple of rule breakers, and a drug dealer or two. People you can take care of for me."

Fedor was an Ancient Vampire with a mane of white hair that gave him an air of madness. It was a good match to his beard that was in a style not popular since the U.S. Civil War. Unlike most vampires, Fedor looked old. This was a deception he had used to his advantage many times in the past.

"This is America, Fedor." I reminded him as I sat in one of his rigid wing backed chairs. "We don't kill interlopers on sight."

"Really?" He said and cocked an eyebrow at me. "Does your little pet Kilestra know that? She never seems to have a whole body to turn in for the reward."

"Little pet?" I said and looked into the darker corners of the room with a bit of trepidation. "Feeling suicidal, Fedor?"

"Your Ancient doesn't scare me, Wilhem." Fedor said and let his own power flash in his eyes. He pushed some forms across the desk. He took a moment to look around as well, then let his power fade. "These are small fish well within your skill sets."

"And small payouts as well?" I said as I flipped through the forms. Fedor paid a reward for captures and a percentage on loans and gambling debts. He watched as I checked the amount on the handful of Rogues.

"You should be more careful with your funds, Wilhem." Fedor said and drummed his fingers on his desktop. His forehead furrowed as he looked at me. "You have the title of Master of the City of Fort Worth. There's no reason you shouldn't have all the money you want."

Fedor meant that I should just levee taxes, run a protection racket, and maybe collect a little more personal Tribute. That's the way some vampires run their city. That's also how images of crowds with torches and pitchforks end up on the evening news.

"You know I don't embrace that whole Master of Fort Worth thing, Fedor." I said and flipped through the Warrants and Orders to Appear. I stopped when I found a name I recognized. "Billy's in town?"

"So I hear." Fedor said and adjusted the Eldridge knot on his thick silk tie. "He's got fines from a couple of dozen Consulates around the Country."

"Just about money this time?" I said and put Billy's many extracurricular activities out of my mind.

"He's proven impossible to rehabilitate." Fedor said and a vein popped out on his neck. "I can't Re-Educate a mind like his. Still, he has enough sense to keep moving. Get the money he owes me and send him on his way."

"He's mostly harmless." I said as images of Billy getting humans stoned so he could drink their intoxicated blood drifted through my mind. I shook my head. "Mostly."

"You need to find a better class of friend." Fedor said and waved a hand at me.

He turned his attention to his Twitter feed. He had one of those Steampunk computers made out of Victorian era elements fused onto a modern machine. It fit in nicely with the rest of the room. He squinted at some comment and quickly tapped out a reply. This was usually a good sign that he was done with me, but I wasn't done yet.

"I can't help but notice that Kilestra isn't in my files." I said as smoothly as I could. Kilestra and I had been close for over a century. Lovers, conspirators, and friends off and on.

"I knew you wouldn't want that case." Fedor said and turned his face to me while leaving his fingers over the keyboard. "So I handed it off to Gerald."

"Gerald hasn't got a chance against Kilestra." I said and narrowed my eyes.

"Maybe not." Fedor said as he copied and pasted something into Twitter. "Was there something else?"

"Jake seems to be worried that you might lock him up." I said and looked over at the collection of paintings on Fedor's wall. One of them was a very crude painting that didn't fit in with the masterpieces around it. It had a nice frame, though.

"If he doesn't get me a Gauguin." Fedor said without looking at me. "I will do some very bad things to him."

"I'd like to offer my protection." I said and cleared my throat to get Fedor's attention.

"What?" Fedor said and looked my way when he noticed I hadn't left yet. "Fine, I won't kill him right away. Tell Jake my patience isn't infinite."

"One last thing." I said and leaned forward. "Do you know anything about Elves?"

"They have a good flavor." Fedor said and let his hands move away from the computer as he leaned back in his chair. "Some of them have a very good flavor indeed."

"Thanks." I said and left Fedor's office as he sat staring off into space.

JACKIE WALKED UP to me and the sparkle of light in her eyes told me she was having a Vision. She was Seeing the future, or one possible future anyway. She usually shared these little glimpses of the world to come with Fedor. It was one of the reasons Fedor had made her his Chosen in the first place. Seers are somewhat rare.

The look on Jackie's face was one of love and lust. She shifted her full hips to one side and tilted her head. Her short brown hair moved with a little bounce. Her mouth curved into a smile. Her movements were in stark contrast to her formal business suit and sensible shoes.

Jackie put her hand on my chest and looked at me in a way that implied more than friendship. A lot more judging from the way she let her body melt into mine. She rubbed her head on my chest and cooed in a way I found very distracting.

"Is your Elf around?" Jackie said and looked this way and that. The corners of her eyes crinkled and she smiled at me. "I don't want to make her jealous."

"My Elf?" I said and took a step back to separate our bodies a bit. "I don't think so."

"Good." Jackie said as she took my hand and started to pull me after her. "Then we can go to one of the Guest Rooms. We haven't been on the seventeenth floor yet. There's that one room that has mirrors on the ceiling. I know how you like to watch."

The twinkle in Jackie's honey brown eyes switched off. She stared at me in the confused way she had after she got a glimpse of some possible future event. She snatched her hand back from mine and looked me up and down. She rolled her eyes. Her Visions were only clear for a short while after she had them. Something to do with potentiality and the like.

"Is it that bad?" I said and tried to console her as an image of the world's destruction ran through my mind.

"I suppose it could be worse." Jackie said and moved back behind the counter. "Shouldn't you be out looking for Rogues?"

I walked down the street to the Nightshade Gallery. It was a clear night and the air still smelled a bit of warmth and sunshine. I stopped outside the Gallery and looked through a large window. I saw a small crowd of well-dressed people with glasses in their hands. The gallery sold art, but their real business was having Vampire and Human Mixers. Events where vampires can get a little taste of fresh blood. And humans can get a taste of the powers of a vampire. At a small cost to each, of course. It's a little more intimate than the Vampire Seeks Blood page on Craigslist. Jake ran this Gallery.

"Wilhem." Jake said and made a show of spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture as I walked in. The Gallery was like other places that display art, it had neutral smells and the only sound was the background murmur of people speaking to each other in low tones. Jake's voice easily carried to the farthest corner. "Always good to see the Master of the City."

"Hey." I said and showed a flash of power in my eyes. The small group gathered here on a cool November evening looked suitably impressed. Jake put a hand on my shoulder and guided me away from the public areas. He showed no sign that he had recently been contemplating suicide.

He opened a door and led me into his office. It was a lush room meant to intimidate the less affluent and impress the wealthy. The room had hints of vanilla and old books, scents that Jake carefully placed here and there to add an air of calm. All manner of art was scattered about the spacious area. I spotted one of my photographs on a wall behind Jake's desk. A platinum print of the Alamo from around 1910.

"You sold one piece last month, Wil." Jake said and took a bit of paper off his desk. "Don't spend it all in one place."

The paper listed the fees for Jake's services and the tiny amount that remained for me. Well, I wasn't exactly the most successful of his clients. I folded the paper and put it away.

"This is what I wanted you to see." He said and pulled aside a plush red curtain.

It was an oil painting of a young woman sitting on the ledge of a rooftop. The buildings behind her were out of focus, but they were easy enough to make out. It was the view from the Flat Iron Building's rooftop in Fort Worth. Where I had recently had a chat with Jake and seen the world destroyed.

The woman in the painting was an Elf. She had called me Beloved before she caused the Sun to go supernova. She was wearing some kind of formal gown and had a coat draped over her shoulders. She stared out of the painting. The artist had done an amazing job of catching the glowing green light of power in her eyes.

The image would have been lovely had it not been for the black chains binding her. The same dark metal formed a slave collar and shackles hung on her wrists and ankles. At a guess, the metal was tarnished silver. Silver tends to inflict the kind of damage I saw on her skin around the restraints.

The canvas was speckled with a fine gold filigree. It formed a lacy pattern over the painting's entire surface. Thin gold strands invisible from only a few feet away.

"What is this?" I said and reached out to touch it. A spark of fire burned my finger and I quickly pulled it back.

"That's the magic I warned you about." Jake said and shook his head. "Ravenhawk says it's some kind of a binding spell. It also seems to repel vampires."

Ravenhawk was a witch with a small consulting office at the Gallery. Her specialty was Native American magic and Spirit Guides. This didn't look Native American.

"So this is new, then?" I said and looked at the buildings in the background. They looked exactly like the view facing east that we had seen only this morning.

"No." Jake said and showed me a parchment that was fragile with age. "This is an Elven painting from about 1200 BC. Even among Elven Scholars, the subject matter has always been a topic of discussion. The only thing everyone agrees on is the woman's identity. This is a portrait of Desiara, the Goddess of the World's End."

"That explains a lot." I said and shook my head to clear it of screams and fires and drifting rubble. "So you wanted me to see it because it has Fort Worth in the background?"

"Yes, that." Jake said and picked up a magnifying glass from his desktop. "And this."

He held the magnifying glass above the Goddess's hands. I saw she was holding a tri-fold cameo. Three men's portraits. They were head and shoulder studies of serious men in formal clothes. The one on the far right was of me. Since I wasn't aging and I seldom changed my hair style, there was no way of telling when the portrait had been made. The portrait portrayed me much as I appeared now.

"Where did this come from?" I said and felt my hands clench into fists.

"Fredric gave it to me." Jake said and returned the magnifying glass to his desktop. "He said Carlo found it and he wanted me to keep it safe for him. Maybe this is why he was killed."

I looked at the Elf Goddess and found Jackie's talk about "my Elf" bouncing around my mind. I gave the portrait a serious look. The filigree seemed to form lightning bolts shooting out from the Goddess's outline. My portrait in her hand shot down any hopes that this wasn't going to be the Elf in Jackie's vision.

"Keep it for me, Jake." I said and a subtle waft of power from the painting flowed over me. "We'll work out something for the payment."

"Of course, Wil." Jake said and looked at the oddly out of time portrait. "It should be safe here. Assuming the world isn't destroyed anytime soon."

### Chapter Two

FORT WORTH'S NORTH Side was home to the Jangling Spurs night club. Fredric had managed the club for Carlo, one of the perks of being his Fledging. It's also where he lost his head in the back room on a busy Friday night. No one knew he was dead until it was closing time.

The front door of the Jangling Spurs was blocked with yellow police tape. It was slack and blowing in the wind. It didn't look up to the job of keeping the curious out. It was definitely not going to keep me out.

Few things are as depressing as an empty nightclub. No music, no smoke, and no loud talk and laughter. It was just a room with a couple of chrome-covered poles and many mirrors. The room was surprisingly dirty. Most clubs run by vampires are spotless and smell of cleaning products. This room smelled of spilled beer and cigarette butts. My vampire senses wanted me to turn and leave. How had Fredric worked here?

I spotted a door in the back wall and weaved through the tables to get to it.

I pushed open the red leatherette-covered door and found a small hallway. It was lined with vending machines and stacks of long cigarette boxes. Another line of police tape zigzagged across a door at the end. I pulled the tape down and went inside.

More vending machines crowded the room. Old style cigarette machines, the kind where you pulled a knob to get a pack of smokes. I smelled cigarettes and dried blood. A desk and a file cabinet were wedged into a corner. A large dark stain on the floor at the foot of a red leather sofa attracted my attention. I felt an echo of violence and saw the flash of a long blade in my mind.

I've seen a few beheadings over the years. The spray on the vending machines and the stain on the floor looked right. Kilestra liked swords, and I've seen her use them in the past. Time was that I liked a good blade as well, but times change. Modern vampires prefer high caliber guns. A heavy slug can take a head off faster than a sword and with a lot less risk of personal injury. A sword is an intimate weapon, one used in close quarters. Of course, Ancient Vampires can have a soft spot for Traditions.

I turned on a small lamp and searched the desk. Bills, invoices, and other business items. The file cabinet contained G-strings and feather boas. Three books were on top of the filing cabinet. All three were covered with brown paper. Two were bound copies of back issues of Exotic Vampire Dancers. Fredric was featured on one cover. He was sitting on the red sofa with a girl on each knee and a leer on his round face. The third book was the same size and shape, but its title was Elven Gods Past and Present. It was the kind of magazine you'd find at the checkout line in grocery stores.

I slid the book into my jacket and gave the room one more look. There was nothing else of interest here. Even the calendar featuring exotic dancers looked like a bit of set dressing. I turned and left the Jangling Spurs.

I got back to my Dodge Magnum and sifted through the papers from the Consulate. None of the vampires listed were near the club and I didn't really feel like tracking anyone down tonight anyway.

A rap on the window by my head made me jump. I looked up and saw a man wearing a Fort Worth Police uniform. He was a large black man and wore a black uniform that was just a little too small for him. His badge had the sleeping panther on top and SD embossed below it where a five pointed star normally appeared. He was the lead officer in the Fort Worth Police Department's Supernatural Division.

"Find anything interesting?" Sargent Jones said and leaned on the Dodge's door. "Got a report that some idiot broke in here. Too bad the cameras are all off now. You and Kilestra leaving the same crime scene might get a few hits on YouTube."

"You've got video of Kilestra, huh?" I said and put my hand up to block the light from Sargent Jones's flashlight.

"Yeah." Sargent Jones said and pointed the flashlight inside the Dodge and gave it a sweep. "She was carrying a duffle bag and what looks like a sword in one hand. But maybe it was a walking stick, the video was shit and the hallway was dark."

"You're sure it was Kilestra?" I said and let a small hope grow that it was just someone who looked like her.

"Oh yeah." Sargent Jones said and gave a mirthless laugh. He looked back at the club and nodded. "She vanished halfway down the hallway in the shadow of a vending machine. Know anyone else who can do that trick?"

No, I didn't.

THE NEXT NIGHT I decided to get an early start. I drove to East Fort Worth not long after sunset. I was surprised to find many of the streets recently resurfaced, but then, I hadn't been on this side of town in several years. The houses were also freshly painted, many in bright colors that would have shocked their original owners. A few had large fences across their front yards. All had at least one too many cars parked in front.

"Yo." Billy said when he opened the door and let a cloud of blue smoke escape into the night. Billy had unkempt hair and a scruffy beard. He was wearing blue jeans faded to white and a dark green T-shirt covered with a denim vest. He appeared to be having a hard time seeing me. "How's it hanging?"

"Fedor has papers out on you." I said and pushed Billy back into the cluttered living room. "You owe a lot of money."

"Oh yeah." Billy said and slapped his forehead. "I knew there was some reason I wasn't supposed to answer the door."

The house was well on its way to structural collapse. The floor sagged under my weight in a disconcerting way. A vine had worked its way into the cracks of the windows and was slowly pulling them apart. There was a strong odor of cat piss and dry rot. Old books and magazines teetered everywhere. I could hear the sound of a TV with the volume turned up coming from the next room.

"Nice place." I said and waved a hand in front of my face. The living room held a sofa, a swivel rocker, and a console TV. A large stain on the ceiling brought to mind a Rorschach test. I could see a staircase leading up and two doorways leading out.

"I'm planning on doing some remodeling." Billy said and walked over to the oversized couch and flopped down on it. "Mom kind of let the place go to hell."

"You don't say." I said and took a seat in the swivel rocking chair that was a vintage 1970s gold color. The chair took my weight and supported me as if it had been tailor made for my body. I found myself rocking back and forth contentedly. Then I remembered I was supposed to be more intimidating and stopped. "So I'm going out on a limb here and guessing you don't have twenty grand lying around."

"Huh?" Billy said and looked my way as if he had already forgotten I was there. "Oh yeah. If all you want is money, I got money."

Billy hopped up and went to the dark wooden door at the staircase's bottom. He made a be-quiet movement with a finger to his lips. He opened the door and disappeared into the next room.

A crash of some kind of metal and a woman's shout came from the other room. Billy apologized in muffled tones to someone. The old woman yelled at him to get out of her closet. More sounds of things falling and muffled curses reached my ears. A moment later, the door opened and Billy returned. He yanked the door closed behind him. Something hard hit the wall and bounced off with a loud thud.

"Dude, how have you put up with your Mom, like, you know, forever?" Billy walked over to the couch and fell back in between the pillows. "Here."

Billy tossed me a duffle bag that crashed onto the rotting floor with a soft thud. It was an Army issue duffle bag that looked to be Vietnam era.

"You keep your money in a duffle bag in your mom's closet?" I said as I got up and kicked the bag with the toe of my shoe.

"Well, part of it." Billy said and scratched his beard. "But Dude, I can't like, keep all my money in duffle bags. That would be weird."

I watched as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a delicate wooden box suitable for keeping a small stash. He fumbled with a tiny pipe made of blue glass. He rooted around in the box and took out a small packet wrapped in white paper. He dropped the pellet in the pipe's bowl with practiced ease. He paused for a moment and looked at the money and then at me.

"Uh-huh." I said and undid the spring latch that held the duffle bag closed. When I pulled the bag open, hundred dollar bills spilled across the dirty floor. "About how much is in here?"

"That one?" Billy said in a mumble around the small pipe he was trying to get started with a Bic lighter. "I think that one only has about thirty grand in it. It's not all hundreds."

I put the stray hundreds back in the duffle bag and refastened the latch. I stared down at the bag. I tried to puzzle out how Billy got his hands on thirty thousand dollars and why he was keeping it in his mother's closet. Nothing sprang to mind.

"Is that enough, Dude?" Billy said before taking a long drag of whatever it was he had ignited in the pipe. "I know I owe The Commission some serious scratch, but that's all I can get right now. Mom's kind of pissed that I woke her up."

"This'll do for now." I said and stood up. "But I might have to swing by again later."

"No problemo." Billy's eyes lost what little focus they had and he took on a comatose posture. He hunched over and almost fell off the sofa. He was unsteady as he fell back into the cushions.

The Surfer Dude act used to really piss me off. I know Billy comes from Oklahoma and he's never been surfing in his life. I was willing to forgive him his odd eccentricities since I had a few of my own. I was about to leave when his head snapped up.

"I saw this Elf the other day." Billy said in a soft, dreamy voice. "She was pretty bitchen."

"Oh?" I said and swallowed at a sudden dryness in my throat. "In what way?"

"She brought out the Humbert Humbert in me, man." Billy said and nodded with a smile. "Elves look so, you know, young. And she tasted, like, really good. Really outstanding."

Billy passed out and I took the little pipe out of his hands. I knocked the bowl's contents into a hammered aluminum ashtray. It joined a growing collection of spent wads of paper. I hoisted the duffle bag over my shoulder and left by the same door I had come in.

A TALL WOMAN and a not so tall man were standing by my car when I came out of the house. They had a supernatural smell and it took me a moment to pin them down. The man was an exotic Were of some kind. A bear I would guess, one with hints of Grizzly. He was broad, had a barrel chest, and looked like he could bench press a Chevy.

The woman was surrounded by a dusty cloud of ash and decay. She reeked of graveyards, to my vampire nose, that odd mixture of flowers and decay. She floated in the air and her white robe moved like towels in the rinse cycle. Her hair hung to her shoulders in thick black tangles. Her skin was bone white and she looked Asian, Japanese at a guess. She was some kind of wraith or maybe a death Goddess.

The Dodge was parked under one of the street lights that the City had added after a series of attacks in the neighborhood. It threw cool shadows for about ten feet, but didn't do much to illuminate the street. The two Supers looked a bit ghoulish standing in the stark light with the black night behind them.

"What's in the bag, Friend?" The muscular man said with a Mexican accent. "You kill someone and taking the body to the landfill to get rid of it?"

"Raoul, do you really think a Vampire that's been around for so long would carry a kill around in an old laundry bag?" The floating woman said in a clean Japanese accent. "I think it is more likely he just got hooked up with that totally wasted Vampire whose crashing here."

"You know, Izumi, I like the way you try to fit in." Raoul said and rubbed his neck. "But I'm not sure you should be using slang."

"What slang was I using, Raoul?" Izumi said and turned her bony face toward the man.

"Never mind." Raoul said and turned back to me. "Looks like a pretty big stash, my friend."

"He is a vampire, Raoul." Izumi said and nodded sagely. "Who knows what it takes to get them stoned?"

I opened the hatchback of my Dodge and tossed in the duffle bag. I closed the lid with a loud thump and turned toward Izumi and Raoul. They had moved on to a discussion about the merits of controlled substances found in Mexico versus those found in Japan. They stopped after a moment and stared at me.

"Is there something I can do for you two?" I said and let a little power flash in my eyes.

"We're Hunters, Mother Fucker." Raoul said and stood up straighter. He swaggered toward me and poked my chest with a thick finger. "You've got some information we need."

"Oh?" I said and jingled my keys in my hand. I felt a tingle of fear in my chest. Weres didn't normally threaten vampires, unless they had some reason not to fear them. "That so?"

"We are here on business." Izumi said in her crisp and official voice. She smiled at me and her dark eyes twinkled like a starry night. "We would like to ask you a few questions."

"Yeah." Raoul said and looked at me with an appraising eye. He tilted his head and nodded. "And if we don't like your answers, it could get ugly."

"You don't have Orders with my name on them." I said and pushed Raoul aside. I unlocked the driver's door and swung it open. "So, one more time, what do you want?"

"We want Kilestra." Izumi said and put her hand out to stop the door from fully opening. "And you know where Kilestra is. Could you please tell us?"

"Stop being so nice." Raoul said and stuck his jaw out in a nice impersonation of Mussolini. "Where is that Ancient bitch hiding?"

"I'd be careful if I were you." I said and looked into Izumi's black eyes. I returned her interest in me and gave her my little let's-wait-and-see smile. She was a bit thinner than I liked, but she did have that exotic thing going for her. She blushed in an un-Hunter like way and turned her face. Raoul wouldn't make eye contact. One point for him.

"Listen." Izumi said as she rested one hand on the long handle of her Katana. "All we require is Kilestra. We happen to know Fedor has issued an Order to Appear. So we were wondering if maybe we could work together."

"So you would get Kilestra, at least for a minute or two." I said and crossed my arms in my best imitation of a tough guy. "What, exactly, would I get out of the deal?"

"The reward from Fedor." Raoul said and showed me how a real man crosses his arms. His biceps were large, but they didn't intimidate me. If it had been closer to a full moon, then he could have put a bit of a scare in me. His general lack of fear of me still distracted me a bit. Raoul's voice rumbled in his chest. "Help us and we won't have to make your death a little more permanent."

"Again, what Raoul means." Izumi said and floated closer to me. "Is that we can both make our Bosses happy. Maybe you can make your human lover happy, too. I hear she enjoys her exclusive relationship with you, but has fears that you will reconnect with Kilestra one day. We could fix it so that never happens."

"It's an Order to Appear." I said and looked at the two Hunters with the light of my vampire power in my eyes. "Not an Order of Execution."

"Things happen." Izumi said and smiled while she hid her teeth behind her fingers.

"So who do you two work for?" I said and made my voice cold and dispassionate. I looked at Raoul. "And why do they want to talk to Kilestra?"

"None of your business." Raoul said and rolled his thick neck so that something popped. "You in or out?"

"Tempting, but no." I said and forced the car door open. This knocked Izumi off balance. She glided back into Raoul and knocked him over. More to her than meets the eye. "You two need to check in with The Consulate. You don't want to get fined for Hunting without a License."

"OH, LOOK WHO decided to pay us a visit." Grandfather said as I walked into the dining room. "The blood sucker from the basement."

"Be nice, Dad." Mother said as she moved a few plates around. "Wil has always been good to us."

"If by good you mean he feeds on us like a cheap Chinese buffet on a Friday night, then yeah, he's a real peach." Grandfather said and looked at me with his prove me wrong face.

"I had a long day at work, people." Father said and held a hand up. "Can we not go through this again tonight?"

"Oh, sorry, spending my golden years as a fatted calf was not something I had planned on." Grandfather said. "But then, I've had a couple of hundred years to think about it, so maybe it's not all that bad."

Grandfather was a thin man in his 60s with hard features and a shock of short gray hair. He bore a passing resemblance to a late model Clint Eastwood. Beady eyes, a thin mouth, and a rigid posture that belied his age. He was wearing a dark green T-shirt that showed off his thin upper arms. He was stronger than he looked

"Now, Dear." Mother said and steered me to an empty chair. "Have a seat."

Mother was slim and beautiful. Her face was a lovely oval framed by her thick auburn hair. She's been a model for many of the great artists of the past hundred years or so. She has a natural symmetry and grace and she makes anything she wears look amazing. Tonight she was wearing a simple kaftan with a floral pattern. Something she knew I liked and something she could easily slip out of if the need arose.

"Just thought we could spend some time together." I said and sat in the chair next to Mother. "How are you doing?"

"Well, I was down at the Market earlier and the prices are just shocking." Mother said as she usually did. "And there was a bit of gossip about that girlfriend of yours. The vampire one, I mean."

"Oh?" I said and watched as my Father took a slice of meatloaf from a serving platter. He sat at the table's head, still the king of his castle. He was a short man who liked to wear a button front shirt and a jacket, even while having dinner at home. Grandfather sat at the other end of the table. It was a rare event for them to dine at home. I usually found them in front of the TV or surfing the web.

"Well, everyone was talking about how that Gangster Vampire was killed." Mother said with a touch too much eagerness. "Looks like it was Kilestra that did the deed."

"Did the deed?" Grandfather said and wrinkled his forehead. "They said she killed him. One blog said she chopped his head off and took it for a souvenir."

"Must we always have these discussions over dinner?" Father said with a twist to his mouth. "I'm trying to eat here."

"Oh." Grandfather said. "Yeah. She did the deed."

"You should steer clear of that vampire." Mother said and gave my knee a squeeze. "You'll make Sally jealous. And I know you don't love Kilestra."

"I can understand Kilestra's point of view. I would take offense if I found your Mother in the sack with another man." Father said as he munched his meat loaf. "But then, I'm not a modern man like you and your Grandfather here."

"Or maybe she would be smart enough not to get caught." Grandfather stage whispered loud enough to be heard in the next room.

"Ouch." He said when Mother threw a hard roll at his head.

"You know the sad part, Son?" Father said and leaned in my direction. "They put on their good behavior for you."

"As always, I'm touched by your concern." I said to Grandfather and Mother. "Sally knew about Kilestra before we met."

"Oh, that makes it all better." Grandfather said. "A nice modern girl who doesn't mind sharing a man."

"Not a lot of sharing going on at the moment." I said and smiled. "But I have to admit Kilestra has been a bit calmer about the whole situation than I expected her to be. The last time I had a similar situation, it didn't go so well."

"We know." Father said and banged his fork against the table. "No talk about decapitations or any other kind of severe bodily injury."

"Spoilsport." Grandfather said and shoveled a load of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

I decided Father didn't want to hear about the end of the world either. I needed to talk to someone about it. I just had no idea who that someone might be.

"KIND OF YOU to bring in the cash, Wilhem." Fedor said as he pressed a button on his desk to summon Jackie. She quickly came in and collected the piles of loose bills that were spilling off his desk. "But I need to see Billy now. He's been up to his old tricks, and well, we've gotten a couple of complaints. Maybe a little time in the dungeons will do him some good."

"This isn't anything dangerous, is it?" I said as I helped Jackie stuff bills in a large canvas bank bag.

"I don't think so." Fedor said and a line etched between his brows. "Might be a good idea to leave Andy here, just in case."

I followed Jackie out to the waiting area with the bag of money and sat it beside her desk. She smiled at me nervously and I couldn't help but be a bit worried about the future she had Seen. Jackie's brief little glimpses of the future were often like that. Enough information to tantalize but not enough to help change what was coming. Jackie sat down and began filling out a deposit slip.

"I'll find something to do around the Office." Andy said from the sofa next to the table piled with magazines. "Maybe some maintenance issue that needs my attention."

"You mean like that leaky faucet in the Ladies you've never even looked at?" Jackie said with a tilt of her head. "Or that burnt out light in the back storage room?"

"Yeah." Andy said without moving. "Like that."

I PULLED THE Dodge up to Billy's house around ten thirty. Neighboring houses had loud music of one sort or another spilling out. A couple of porches had people sitting on old sofas. They were having a lively discussion by yelling across the street. This kind of thing used to bother me. Change in general used to bother me. After a while, you take the Buddhist path and realize the truth of impermanence.

"It's not so bad tonight." Billy said as he flashed to my side. "At least they're not shooting at each other."

"Yet." I said and tried not to look surprised to see him out of the house. "I need some money Billy."

"Oh yeah." Billy said and slapped his forehead much as he had the first time round. "I owe Fedor something, don't I? Come on in and I'll see what I can find."

The living room looked much the same. Except for the addition of a giant flat screen TV and a cable box. One of those shows where people take priceless items to pawnshops was playing. I looked around for the remote to change the channel.

I hated those shows. Half the time the priceless item was something I had once owned and had tossed in the trash. I didn't need any more reminders about how dumb I was. The old man behind the counter was holding up a small metal figurine. He was talking about how it contained some powerful magic. He said there were only a handful of them in the world. I found the remote and turned the TV off.

"There." Billy said and dropped another Army issue duffle bag at my feet. "If you see anything you want, you can have it. Mom and I are, like, moving in a couple of weeks. This place is kind of bumming me out."

"Really?" I said and looked around. "I think I'm good."

"Seriously, Dude." Billy said and looked around the rotting house. "Bring a truck and help yourself."

I looked around again and shook my head. I hefted the duffle bag over my shoulder and guided Billy out the front door. He went quietly with me to the Dodge parked at the curb between two sad little trees.

"Fedor would like a word with you Billy." I said as I dropped the bag and opened the hatchback.

"What does the old dude want, Wil?" Billy said as he picked up the bag and tossed it into the back storage area. "Isn't this enough money?"

"Did he say that was a bag full of money?" One of Billy's neighbors yelled to someone across the street. "That looks like a hell of a lot of money."

"It's not that much." Billy said and turned in the speaker's direction. "Just about fifty grand."

"Damn." The neighbor said and hopped off the porch. "I've never seen fifty grand before."

In moments, everyone from the neighborhood was standing around. They pushed each other aside to see an old Army duffle bag. I took a deep breath and waited for the first hand to reach out and try to take the money. But none of them did. They just looked and walked away. I heard them talking about how little space it took up and how none of them knew Billy was a drug dealer. Not that any of them were surprised.

I lowered the hatch and Billy gave the Dodge a serious look. He walked around and rubbed his chin as if he was unsure of something.

"This car is black." Billy said solemnly.

"Uh, yeah, it is." I said and motioned for him to climb in.

"Kind of a clichéd color for a vampire's car." Billy said as he settled down into his seat. "Don't you think?"

"I like it." I said and Billy just nodded his head to the music as I drove us to the Consulate.

### Chapter Three

BILLY AND I walked into the lobby of the Consulate. Billy looked around as if he had never seen the place before. Or maybe he just didn't remember seeing it before.

"Andy, keep an eye on Billy for me." I said as I walked past Jackie and strolled into Fedor's private office. He was listening to a recording of The Pirates of Penzance and waving his hands in time with the music. His eyes were closed and if I didn't know better, I would say he was smiling. I don't think I've ever seen Fedor happy.

"You should knock before entering a man's sanctum Sanctorum." Fedor said during a pause in the music. "You might startle him and then who knows what would happen?"

"This is your office, Fedor." I said and sat in one of the massive green leather chairs that faced Fedor's mountain of a desk. "You have a home. Someone told me they saw you leave once."

Fedor clicked a remote and the music died in mid chorus. He opened his eyes and the brown glow around the edges had the intended effect of scaring the hell out of me. I've never seen Fedor angry either and I'd like to keep it that way.

"I've got Billy." I said and pointed at the waiting area with my thumb. "So can we talk about Jake now?"

"Does Jake have a new Gauguin for me?" Fedor said and looked at his manicured nails. "I moved that 'painting' he sold me into a place of honor in one of my cells. There is every possibility Jake will have a lot of time to study its brush strokes. Well, maybe not that much time."

"I've got fifty grand." I said between clenched teeth. "I can buy the painting back."

"Did you get the fifty grand from the same place you got the twenty you gave me last night?" Fedor said and narrowed his eyes and twisted his mouth. "That twenty grand disappeared before Jackie could get it deposited, where it would have been the bank's problem and not mine. And for your information it was fifty million I paid for that painting, not fifty thousand."

"Oh." I said and couldn't quite think of anything clever to say after that. I reached into my pocket where I was carrying a wad of twenties, only now there was nothing.

"So I wouldn't count on helping Jake with any money you got from Billy." Fedor said and drummed his fingers on his desktop. "In case you didn't hear me, I don't want the money. I want a Gauguin."

When I walked into the waiting room to get Billy, he wasn't there.

"Did you happen to see Billy or Andy?" I said to Jackie who was looking at something on her computer screen that looked a lot like Tetris, only with diamonds and rubies.

"No." Jackie said without looking up. "Can't you see I'm busy? I'm in the middle of a Tournament here. I've got five bucks on the line."

I went outside and was nearly blinded. There was a green glow coming from the general direction of where I had parked the Dodge. As my eyes adjusted, I could now see the Dodge was glowing green with neon blue pinstripes.

"This is much sweeter." Billy said, awaiting my approval. Andy stood nearby with an impressed look on his face. "This is a bitchin' paint job."

"I thought I asked you to watch Billy for me." I said to Andy as I shaded my eyes from my car.

"I did watch him." Andy said and nodded. "And I have to admit I have no idea how he did this, but it only took him a couple of minutes."

"Looks good, right, Dude?" Billy said and made a TaDa motion toward the glowing Dodge.

"Yeah, it looks great." I said and grabbed Billy by the collar. "If I'd ever wanted a car visible from space, I'd be ecstatic."

"Hey, easy man." Billy said and put his hands up. "I thought we were friends."

"We'll be friends again when this wears off." I said and pushed Billy toward the Vampire Consulate entrance.

"Oh, you mean like the money?" Billy said and paused for a moment. "This isn't like that. I'm good with cars."

"Wow." Raoul said as he rolled up next to me. "It's gonna be a lot easier to follow you now. Not that it was that hard to start with."

"Thanks." I said and stared at my glowing car. "I'm not even sure I can drive this thing."

"There's a car wash a couple of blocks away." Andy said and put his hands in his pockets. "I got a few quarters."

"I don't think that will help." Raoul said and nodded at the Dodge. "That little vampire said he used magic on your car. You can't wash that stuff off."

"You know." Izumi said casually and nodded at me. "We could give you a ride. If you were maybe heading out to see, oh, say, Kilestra?"

I watched Andy as he led Billy back into the Consulate and handed him off to Jackie. Judging from her reaction Andy caused her to lose her tournament. Life can be disappointing sometimes. Izumi and Raoul were watching through the window with me. We all winced as Jackie grabbed Billy by the ear and led him off.

"She should work down in the dungeons." Raoul said. "A twist like that could make a man talk."

"What makes you think she doesn't?" I said. I looked over at Izumi and she looked back at me with her bony face. "Do you know anything about Goddesses?"

"Of course." Izumi said and nodded. "I am the reincarnation of the Goddess Izanami-no-Mikoto. I know many Gods and Goddesses."

"What do you know about the Goddess Desiara?" I said and tried to hide my anticipation.

"Ah the Goddess Desiara's is a sad story." Izumi said and bowed her head. "And one I would be more than happy to share with you, once we have Kilestra in custody."

"Thanks." I said. I looked at the car and shook my head. I went back into the Consulate.

I SAT ON the long red couch in the waiting area. An art Deco chandelier was a nice match for the flat metal ceiling tiles. They didn't match the classic lines of the square columns and marble floors. But then, the building was a bit of a mixture of styles. It still felt like home.

"So, anything new on the Kilestra front?" I said and looked at Andy.

"She hasn't lopped off any more heads that I've heard about." Andy said and yawned. "I hear Fredric was one of those vamps that the Ancient Carlo Acerbi helped to Sire. Carlo did the heavy lifting of teaching him how to be a good undead."

Carlo Acerbi was a vampire that made his money the old fashioned way. He ran numbers. Of course, now he was a good law abiding citizen. Any rumors that he was the head of a crime syndicate were strictly hearsay.

"He's been having meetings at that warehouse he calls home." Jackie said and looked my way. "All the important vampires have been seen coming and going. Well, all except for you. Some people aren't all that happy having you as Master of Fort Worth, Wil. Frederic wasn't fond of you and he didn't make a secret of it. There hasn't been another meeting since his untimely passing."

Carlo was settling down and making connections with other powerful vampires. He ran several businesses. Frederic had been one of his top Lieutenants in charge of acquisition and distribution. Exactly what he was acquiring and distributing wasn't known. But I was willing to bet it wasn't anything easily found on the open market.

"I met Frederic once or twice." I said and tried without success to bring a face to mind. "He was odd, even for someone tapped by Carlo. But I wouldn't have killed him that way."

"The Consulate's Military Attaché said it was kind of a messy kill." Andy said as he tossed aside another magazine with a fish on the cover. "Kilestra doesn't normally leave evidence. Or witnesses."

The Consulate's Military Attaché was known simply as The Captain. The Vampire Commission recruited him from the Inquisition in the good old days. I always tried to stay on the big man's good side. When I could find it. I shook my head to clear it of vampires who practiced torture to relax at the end of a long night.

"I'm heading home now." I said and smiled at Andy and Jackie as I walked out.

HOUSES WITH BASEMENTS aren't common in Fort Worth, but there are a few around. You can always pay to have a house built with one if you happen to be rich. I was lucky enough to find a house that was built by a rich family, but no one wanted it. A couple of murders had taken place there. Amazing how long a property like that can stay on the market. The ghosts were doing their part to keep people away. It was also ranked as one of the ugliest buildings in Fort Worth. The Mansion suited my needs to a tee.

The house is large enough for my parents and grandfather to each have their own rooms. Mother and Father have even been known to use the indoor swimming pool once in a while. They've made friends with some of the new neighbors and they seem happy enough.

Once I closed the garage door, the room took on an eerie glow from the Dodge. It was kind of like a giant black light had been left on. My stomach gave a little twist and I made for the utility passage's darkness.

The basement had been pretty large to start with, so all I had to do was some remodeling. The 1970s were a sad time for architecture and interior design in my opinion. I'd needed to sandblast the whitewashed stonework. I also replaced the dark parquet floors with a light corkwood I liked better. I had a bedroom, a bathroom, and a common room with a couple of sofas and a TV. A sink and a small fridge were in one corner. My crypt, where I spent most of my days, was behind a narrow door.

I have a small photo studio near the existing air conditioning ventilation system. I found it relaxing to take the occasional still life or portrait. The new technologies were so much easier to use than black powder and glass plates. I could keep my skills honed and get a few pieces displayed at The Nightshade Gallery. You never knew what would lead to a few dollars or a new client.

I walked into the open common room and took a moment to look around. The remodeling was done in this room. The walls were bare stone with a couple of 16x20s from my Galveston Series here and there.

My cell phone rang and I saw that it was Father calling.

"Hello, Father." I said and waited for him to tell me what a bad son I was, as was his usual tradition. In life, Father had been an illiterate farm hand whose only goal had been to see his next meal. That he was now a University Professor would have amazed the man he was two hundred years ago.

"Your Grandfather is missing." He said in a rush. "Again."

"He's a big boy, Father." I said and rubbed my eyes, still stinging from the glowing Dodge's effects. "Have you called the usual Strip Clubs and 24 hour Video stores?"

"They haven't seen him." Father said. "We had a bit of a disagreement and he said he was leaving. But he's never actually left before."

"I'll keep an eye out." I said and put thoughts of Grandfather to one side. "I have a little magical problem. Could you talk to Ravenhawk?"

"Want her to look at your car?" Father said and chuckled. "Who'd you piss off this time?"

"Hmm, you saw it, eh?" I said and rubbed my forehead.

"Half of North America saw it." Father said. "I'll ask her to stop by when she gets a chance."

Father disconnected before I could say anything else. He never was big on conversation.

I put the phone away and walked over to my spare bedroom. I opened the door and found Grandfather in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin. After a minute or so, he peeked out of one eye and then closed it again. He followed up with a loud fake snore.

Grandfather looked to be in his sixties, but was closer to his two hundred and sixties. He had the kind of wild hair Clint Eastwood was famous for a couple of years ago. Also like Clint, he was thin and wiry and always looked a little odd when he smiled.

"What happened this time?" I said and sat down on the end of the bed.

"Your parents are nice enough people." Grandfather said and pushed down the covers to reveal that he was fully dressed. "But I've had all of them I care to take. I've met a few new people. A couple of special ladies have expressed an interest in spending time with me."

"So spend time with them." I said and tried to keep the image of Grandfather and his special women out of my mind. "You know I need to see you about once a week. And you know bad things would happen to you if you didn't see me."

"I think you're just making that up." Grandfather said and squinted at me. "Maybe my health has nothing to do with letting you feed on my blood. Maybe I've just got good genes."

"Oh, I see." I said and nodded. "So you've met someone else who remembers the Battle of Bunker Hill? You really think you owe your longevity to clean living and daily exercise?"

"No." Grandfather said with a bit of bitterness. "I guess not."

"It's alright, Grandfather." I said and looked deep into his eyes. "Everything will be fine."

"Of course, it will." Grandfather said as his mind drifted under my spell.

I pulled the old man close to me and brought my mouth to his neck. He was still strong, had been strong when I first made him one of my Chosen. I sank my fangs into his jugular vein and let his hot blood fill my mouth with its familiar flavor. I shared a bit of my power with him and made his troubles drift away.

I licked the wounds to heal them and laid him back down onto the bed. I passed my hand over his forehead and felt him relax.

"Have good dreams, Grandfather."

I would have to visit Mother and Father later. I felt another presence in my rooms. Sally was here.

"SALLY." I SAID and gave her a hug. "Good of you to drop by."

Sally has been my human lover long enough for me to be used to her presence. She's a dark blond with watery blue eyes and she's the most important human in my life. She's tall and athletic with long well-muscled legs due to her work as a waitress. She's in her mid-twenties and will stay that way as long she remains one of my Chosen. I had to court her for a few months before she agreed to the commitment.

"Do you know your garage looks like a scene from Poltergeist?" Sally said as she sat on the overstuffed couch and leaned back onto the firm cushions. "What happened to your car?"

"An old friend decided black wasn't my color." I said and sat down next to her.

"Clearly he doesn't know you very well." Sally pulled me close and gave me a deep kiss, the kind that still surprises me, but in a good way. I let my hands explore her body and I took a deep breath of her perfume. Chanel No 19. I'm pretty sure she only wears Chanel for me. Sally looked up at the sound of Grandfather shuffling across the floor.

"Gotta take a leak." He said and openly stared our way. "Don't mind me."

Sally sat up straight on the couch and pushed me away. She looked at me and raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question. What's he doing here?

"Seems Grandfather had a falling out with my parents." I said. "So he's crashing here for a few days."

"But they live upstairs." Sally said and gave me her seriously? face. "I can deal with that, but I'm not sure how I feel about your Granddad bunking in the next room."

The toilet flushed. A moment later Grandfather opened the door and shuffled back toward the spare bedroom. He bit his lip as he looked our way and then shook his head when he saw we were just sitting on the sofa. He closed the bedroom door loudly behind him.

"We could go to my crypt." I said. "My door has a lock."

"Yeah, I don't think so." Sally said. "Seeing your Granddad in his underwear was kind of a deal breaker for me."

"He was wearing underwear?" I said and Sally punched me in the shoulder.

"I guess I have to ask you if you know anything about Kilestra." Sally said and shifted into her business mode. "My readers want to know these things."

"Your readers?" I said and leaned back. "You write a blog. You're not exactly a columnist for the New York Times."

This got me another punch.

"So far as I know." I said and lifted my shoulders. "Kilestra didn't do it, but all the evidence seems to point to her as the killer."

"You think she's being framed for the hit?" Sally said and used her phone to make notes.

"I think she's playing out of my depth." I said. "As usual."

"Ok." Sally said and sounded serious. "You know I've been approached by the Bureau of Vampire Affairs? They offered me a job. The Vampire Commission has also shown interest in me."

"Since you're sleeping with a vampire?" I said and looked into her eyes. She didn't look away and I didn't feel any falsehoods. "Why would the BVA or the VC want the services of a world class barista and blogger?"

"You're not the only vampire that still likes to drink coffee." Sally said and nodded. "I've got a few contacts who drop by from time to time. I could be a valuable asset. None of them are saying much about Kilestra and Fredric. I hear Carlo isn't planning on handing Kilestra over to Fedor if he finds her first."

"There's a shocker." I said and rubbed the back of my neck. "We tend to form strong attachments with those we make and those that made us."

"Any chance we could get someplace for just the two of us?" Sally said and leaned into me. "I know you have your family and I accept that, even if I don't always understand it. I'd like somewhere we can be together."

"So you're happy being with a vampire?" I said and couldn't help but think of Jackie's prediction.

"Oh, it's been interesting." Sally said and nodded. "My readers think I'm so lucky. I can't believe some of the stories other humans have told me about vampires. They have dozens of lovers and Chosen. And still go out and drink from random strangers. Just the thought of all that blood sharing. I'm so glad you're different."

"Me, too." I said and gave her a small hug. "So. How would you feel about, say, one or two other people? You know, instead of dozens?"

"Oh." Sally said and moved to the other sofa so she could look me in the eye. "I was expecting this someday. Maybe not so soon. Who do you have in mind?"

"I think you know Jackie." I said and scratched my ear.

"No." Sally said and shook her head. "The only Jackie I know..."

Sally looked at me and raised her eyebrows. I nodded an embarrassed affirmative.

"Jackie the fifty year old, slightly overweight Consulate Receptionist?" Sally said and sat back. "Isn't she married? Or is she involved with Fedor?"

"She's divorced." I said and frowned as I nodded. "Because of her involvement with Fedor. I think she's closer to forty-seven than fifty."

"You want to sleep around with your Boss's forty-seven year old girlfriend?" Sally said and nodded. "That sounds more like what my Readers told me to expect. You said two?"

"An Elf." I said in an uncertain tone. "Just an Elf."

"An Elf?" Sally said and nodded. "A super model thin and forever 16 year old Elf?"

"I always thought they looked more like 14 year olds." I said and shut up when Sally glared at me.

"Well." Sally said and stood up. She leaned over and gave me a friendly kiss. "You've given me a lot to think about. I need to do some research."

"I love you." I said and watched as she left by the stairs that led to the rest of the house.

"I'm not a kid anymore." Grandfather said and poked his head out of the bedroom. "But I wouldn't let a sweet young thing like that walk out on me."

"She's not walking out on me." I said and looked at Grandfather, but he'd already closed the door. Maybe I could find somewhere nearby for Grandfather to live. Close enough for easy access, but far enough away that he won't bother any of us.

I went to my coffin and lay in the darkness. Visions of Sally and Desiara and Jackie ran through my mind. Other things filled my thoughts as well. Like a dead nightclub owner and Billy's sudden magical abilities. And the end of the world.

My mind wandered back to the Goddess. I saw Desiara's glowing green eyes. An ache in my chest over how sad she looked in the painting left me wondering why I cared. My mouth was dry and my dick was hard just thinking about her. And we hadn't even met yet, not really. I forced myself to breathe and counted my breaths in meditation. In time, the sun rose and I was dead once more.

I TOOK THAT night's first breath. Loud music drifted in from the common room. It was generic music with a lot of electronics, the kind of beats they use in audio loops. Since it was Grandfather, it was likely some kind of porn. To my surprise, it was a workout video.

"Hey, Sonny." Grandfather said as I walked into the common room, where he had rearranged all the furniture so he had a clear space to lay down a large workout mat in front of the flat screen. He was wearing a workout suit from the 1980s by the look of it and had a white headband with red and blue stripes covering his forehead. He wasn't working out though. He was sitting on the sofa watching the people on the screen run in place.

"I think you're supposed to follow along in order for the workout to have any effect." I said and took a seat next to Grandfather. "Is that Jane Fonda?"

"I ordered one of those workout DVDs with a lot of random letters and numbers in the title." Grandfather said and pointed at the TV. "But it won't be here for two to six weeks. So I thought I could watch Jane in the meantime. It was just sitting on the shelf in the Library. I think they forgot they even had it."

"You're not in bad shape." I said and reached over to squeeze his thin bicep. "For a man of 280."

"I'm 276." Grandfather corrected me. "And I don't look a day over 60."

"So why are you watching a workout video?"

"Old people are a lot more active than they used to be." Grandfather said and shook his head. "In my day most people were dead by the time they were 60, now people are just getting started. I've been spending some time at the Senior Center and I feel out of place. All the chicks want more active types, and I've always been more of a thinking man."

"Chicks?" I said. "I should have known it would have something to do with women."

"Ok, break's over." Grandfather said and got up and started to move with the music. Well, almost with the music.

I took a shower and when I turned the water off, I couldn't hear the music anymore. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Kilestra was sitting on the sofa's edge.

### Chapter Four

"I PUT YOUR dear old man to sleep and turned off that annoying video." Kilestra said and gazed my way. "You look good enough to eat."

"I bet you say that to every man you see walking out of a shower." I said, and got dressed while Kilestra smirked in my direction.

"I can smell your little human." Kilestra said, as she tasted the air and rolled her eyes. "But I see she didn't stay long. I'm guessing this had something to do with James. He's still trying to get into my pants."

"You know Fedor has a Reward on your head." I said and tried not to think about her and Grandfather. I buttoned up my shirt and tried to clear my thoughts. "You've broken a lot of the rules Fedor likes to enforce. You're worth a lot of money to anyone who can bring you in."

"Fedor just wants me in his dungeon." Kilestra said with a wave of her hand. "I think he knows I didn't kill Fredric."

"Do you know who did kill him?" I said and really looked at Kilestra. She was calm and poised, as always. But she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt with a pair of black sneakers. A little more casual than usual. But even with thrift store chic, she would still stand out in a crowd.

Kilestra was tall and fair skinned with wavy coal black hair. Her eyes were gray, but went to cobalt blue when she was using her vampire powers. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.

"No, I don't know who killed Fredric." Kilestra said and crossed her long legs theatrically. "But I have my suspicions. I was hoping to tear you away from your still life photography and your Code Enforcer errands. Get you to do a little spying for me."

"I'm not really good at spying." I said. "I'm not even a good Code Enforcer."

"You can be discreet." Kilestra said and raised an eyebrow at me. "When you're not driving a car that looks like it was at Chernobyl."

"Ravenhawk is coming by to have a look at the Dodge." I said.

"Oh." Kilestra said and perked up. "Is she really?"

"It's strictly business." I said and held my hands up to postpone whatever she was going to say next. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Hmm," Kilestra said and tapped a finger to her lips. "I could make it my business."

"What is it with you and Ravenhawk?" I said and let my power flare in my eyes.

"You're better off not knowing." Kilestra said and smiled her evil smile. "Who worked the spell on your car?"

"Billy." I said and let a breath fill my lungs. "I'm surprised his magic worked."

"Billy is surprising in many ways." Kilestra said and narrowed her eyes at me. "He's always up to something. Just like Ravenhawk is always up to something."

"Ravenhawk and I are just friends." I said and stepped closer to Kilestra. "And you and I are getting closer to not being friends."

"Fine." Kilestra said and let her power go with a shrug. "When you get your car fixed, I would like you to go over to Carlo's place and have a look around. See if anyone is coming and going. Blend into the shadows, maybe read a few minds of the human neighbors, you know the usual."

"It's against Consulate rules to seduce people or listen in on their thoughts." I said and let my anger fade. "You know I'm not as good at that kind of thing as you are, anyway."

"You have never practiced enough." Kilestra said, stood, and walked over to me. "All you have to do is pretend you like them, look into their eyes, and give them a little smile."

"Yeah, I know." I said and stopped her hand before she could caress my face. "I just don't enjoy it quite as much as you do."

Kilestra tossed her long dark hair and listened to something I couldn't hear. She smiled to herself and looked my way. She patted her hand on my chest. She looked around the room.

"I like the new motif." Kilestra said and frowned her approval. "I never liked it when it was all whitewashed stone walls and dark hardwood floors. It was cold and creepy. And if a building makes a vampire feel creepy, it's got to be pretty damned creepy."

"It's still a work in progress." I said and laid a hand on a bare stone wall. "I ran out of money before I ran out of things that needed to be restored. I still need a couple of things out at the Studio as well, but it works, and that's all that matters."

"You're going to have to leave the past behind sometime, Dear Wilhem." Kilestra said and let her face relax. "We may not change, but the world around us is ever in motion."

"A couple of hunters are looking for you." I said and walked away from her.

"Only two?" Kilestra said and stared off into space. "A Mexican Grizzly and a Japanese ghoul? I know them. They work for an Ancient in Mexico."

"Any idea who?" I said and did my own far off look. I could get nothing but vague impressions of power and hints of lust for more power. "What does he want here?"

"Best I keep it to myself for now." Kilestra said and stood up without appearing to use any of her muscles. She was fond of using all the vampire skills that made her look less human and more monster. Watching her always left me in awe.

"Carlo knows me." I said in my stating the obvious voice. "I can't exactly sneak up on him."

"Well, I trust you'll think of something, my dear." Kilestra said.

"Did you say the hunter was a Mexican Grizzly?" I said and envisioned his dark hair and thick build. "I thought I smelled bear in him."

"Yeah." Kilestra said and stifled a yawn. "He's one of the last of his kind. Izumi is much more interesting. She claims to be the latest reincarnation of the Goddess Izanami-no-Mikoto. She's good with her Katana and Wakizashi but I don't think she's a God."

"I have to admit I underestimated them." I said and shook my head.

"I'm not worried about them." Kilestra said and looked at me. "If anything, they should be worried about me."

"Do you know anything about Elves?" I said and watched Kilestra's face lose its expression as she read my mind.

"Jackie?" Kilestra looked at me with a cobalt fire in her eyes. "And an Elf?"

"Yeah." I said and looked around the room. "Seems so. How about the end of the world? Know anything about that?"

"Like how I'm going to kill you for kicking me to the curb and taking up with Jackie?" Kilestra said and walked over to me. She looked into me with her vampire power and then let her eyebrows raise. "You haven't fucked Jackie yet and you haven't even met the Elf?"

"You know how it is with Seers." I said and watched as Kilestra relaxed. "I had a vision of my own. About an Elf destroying the world."

"Really?" Kilestra said and tapped her lips with a fingertip. "Big hair, glowing green, featured prominently in a painting down at the Nightshade Gallery?"

"Uh, yeah." I said and looked down at my fingernails. "That's the one."

"You have to make everything so damned complicated." Kilestra said and paced the room in front of me. "You're already in love with her aren't you?"

"She's pretty amazing." I said and looked up.

"You're a fool sometimes." Kilestra said and gave me a slap with enough follow through to turn my head. "Ask your little friend Ravenhawk about Elves and vampires."

I started to reply to this, but one moment Kilestra was standing in front of me, the next she was gone. I can move fast, but not that fast.

I went upstairs to talk to Mother and Father and start my night with a full belly. They used to object to my visits for a quick drink, but they have gotten used to it now. The situation with Grandfather is foremost on their minds. I get a touch of worry from Father and a touch of relief from Mother.

"So you think it's a good idea to let your Grandfather move out? Free to roam in the general population as if he were just another old coot?" My father said as he rubbed the spot on his neck where I had bitten him. "He's been known to forget he's supposed to be weak and frail."

"Not all old people are falling apart." Mother said with a bite in her tone. "He's not stupid. Besides, it's not as if he's planning on moving to Houston or El Paso. He's just moving a few blocks away. Still close enough for Wil to make his weekly visit without too much inconvenience."

"He's dangerous." Father continued. "What if he sweet talks some woman with fragile bones and he, uh, you know, breaks her. While he's proving to her what a great lover he is. Or something like that."

I cringed at the idea of Grandfather getting passionately out of control.

"Then he would have to move back here and keep out of sight." I said and gave my phone a glance. "But I really don't think that's going to be a problem."

"SO, SWEETIE." GRANDFATHER said as he leaned in close to Ravenhawk. "Do you like older men?"

"Not all that old, no." Ravenhawk said and gave me a relieved smile when she saw me walk in. I liked Ravenhawk, once upon a time I loved her. She's smart, good at magic, and puts up with Grandfather's endless advances.

"Hey, Raven." I said and took in her good looks. Ravenhawk has long black hair and dark eyes that change color from time to time. She was wearing jeans and a white button front shirt. I smiled at her, but not too much. I always take Kilestra's threats seriously.

"Yeah." Grandfather said. "He's not as old as me, but he's pretty damned old. Plus, he has at least one too many girlfriends already."

"I hear you need a witch to look at your car?" Ravenhawk said in a professional manner. She turned away from Grandfather, but I could see her breath quicken.

"Yeah, I got a new paint job from a vampire that thought he was doing me a favor." I said and led the way down the service corridor to the garage. The door to the garage had a halo of light leaking around the seams. Light flooded the hallway when I opened the door.

"A vampire did this?" Ravenhawk said as she walked around the glowing green Dodge Magnum. She shielded her eyes with a slim hand. "This is pretty serious work. The paint's been irradiated at the molecular level. You don't learn this kind of matter manipulation from watching a video online. I'd say a real Wizard did this, not a vampire."

"Billy's no wizard." I said in disbelief.

"You mean Billy the Surfer Dude, whose crashing with his Mom in Poly?" Ravenhawk looked at me with her mouth set in a firm line. "That Billy can barely remember what year it is. He couldn't have done this."

"Well, I didn't actually _see_ him do it." I said and scratched the back of my head. "But he took the credit for it when I came back and the car was glowing."

"Hmm." Ravenhawk said and stared at the car. She opened a small bag that looked like a traveling salesman's case. She selected and laid a few items out on a workbench. "This will take a few minutes."

I watched as she set her face in a stern expression and started to chant. Time passed. She took a deep breath. Then she danced as well as chanted. I felt her magic fill the room.

I became aware of fresh grass and woodlands and heard a bit more chanting in the back of my head. Red light danced around Ravenhawk like the sun's corona during a total eclipse. She lit a bundle of sticks and waved it around the car. I felt the power build up and burst out like a strong wind blowing out a candle. When my eyes came back into focus, the Dodge wasn't glowing anymore. Now it was a dark candy apple red in color.

"Thanks." I said and gave her a quick hug now that the professional part of her visit was over. "I'm always impressed by stuff like that."

"Yeah. I'm sure a bit of magic really wows the two hundred year old vampire set." Ravenhawk said with a hint of weariness in her voice. "It does take a bit out of me."

"I can help with that." I said and forgot about Kilestra's veiled threats for a moment. I pulled Ravenhawk close and nipped the skin on her neck. I took some of her blood and gave her some of my power. We parted after only a few moments.

"You owe me a favor, Wil." Ravenhawk said and ran her hand up and down my chest, "I need some new pictures of my niece."

"Is that all?" I said and wrapped my fingers around her hand. "I could always use a few more shots of you in my portfolio."

"I didn't let you show the last ones." Ravenhawk said and blushed just a little. "What makes you think I would let you show any new ones?"

I looked at Ravenhawk and took in her slim figure and her twinkling eyes. I don't know why Kilestra hated Ravenhawk. I knew that Sally didn't like her either. I wondered what an Elven death Goddess would do when she was jealous. I shuddered at the possibilities. Maybe it was a little reckless to ask Ravenhawk for help.

"Do you know anything about Elves?" I said and watched as the color drained from Ravenhawk's face. "And vampires?"

"Elves?" Ravenhawk said and giggled as she looked away. She found something on the far wall very interesting. "I'm sure I don't know anything about Elves. Or their relationships with vampires."

I felt the lie as it bounced around the room and was shocked by it. Did Ravenhawk have something to do with Fredric's death? Did she want to destroy the world? Or did she just want to kill Kilestra and possibly me?

I let Grandfather show her out. I had one more thing to think about.

I LOOKED OVER the Rogue files Fedor had given me. I decided to look for the one with the highest reward. I cruised over to one of Dallas's nicer areas. A neighborhood with a lot of large lawns, large trees, and large houses. Many of these homes have graced the pages of Architectural Digest and Vampire Homes.

I parked outside Vladlena's house, a large rambling McMansion made of stone high up on a hill. The house sat back from the street with a rolling lawn like an angry sea before it. A stone and iron spiked fence surrounded the property, leaving only one gated entrance.

The house had a nice view of the lake and easy access to the park with its hiking and cycling paths. I felt sure it had a nice pool and lots of lounges for soaking up the rays. The perfect house for a well to do vampire to hide in plain sight. Also the perfect place to drive a daylight-missing vampire over the edge. Like an alcoholic living over a nightclub or someone on a diet working at a donut shop.

I flipped through the folder Fedor had given me on Vladlena. Made in the 1930s. She earned a good living working for the local Vending Authority. Texas mobsters don't get the kind of publicity their Yankee brothers seem to thrive on. They are still just as connected with all the usual criminal activities. Like selling cigarettes and booze in unregulated vending machines. Usually in out of the way places. Like nightclubs owned by vampires. Did she know anything about Fredric's death?

I kept reading bout Vladlena and found a photo from a Russian dating site. She was tall and lovely, in a Russian kind of way. Severe but beautiful. Long black hair and a thin body. Her RussinVampersAreHot nickname was CharminglySweet. I had a giggle over that one. But her looks were more of a side issue.

She had been a mob enforcer off and on for the past eighty years or so. Fedor wanted information about a vampire killed without permission or the proper paperwork. Vladlena didn't like the new talent the local Higher Uppers had brought in, so she took the Vamp for a ride. Bits and pieces found their way to members of the local Family and they put a call in to Fedor.

Bottom line, Vladlena is worth a lot of money, but she's a nutjob that's gone off the reservation.

I sensed a vampire approaching. I barely stopped myself from jumping when she rapped on my window. I powered down the glass and stared at a tall, thin vampire with coal black eyes. She had slick black hair and her lips were painted a red I could see in the dark. She ran her tongue over her teeth and I could see her fangs slide into place. This was the vampire in the photos I had been looking at.

"Are you looking for me, little vampire?" She said in a thick Russian accent.

"Vladlena?" I said and tugged on my shirt collar. "Or should I call you Charmingly Sweet?"

"Yeah, Vladlena will do. Not my original name, of course, but I like it. I noticed you watching my house and I tend to get a little nervous about things like that." She leaned in and laid a slim hand on my shoulder. She squeezed just enough to show me that she was a lot older than I believed. I let out a little gasp of pain.

"Oh, sorry, did that hurt?" Vladlena said in one of those gravelly voices that comes from smoking for a couple of hundred years. "I just wanted to make sure I had your attention."

"Fedor would like to see you." I said and rubbed my shoulder until the pain faded away. "Seems you killed someone and there's paperwork to be filled out."

"Consulates and their damned paperwork." Vladlena said and stomped away from the car. "Vampires aren't meant to be 'governed,' we aren't supposed to follow any rules. Does anyone chase down a lion after it kills a zebra and demand it fill out some form? No! But you kill one or two rivals. Which was perfectly legal just a few years ago. And you have to go all repentant and beg forgiveness."

"One or two?" I said and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, they tend to pile up over the years and old habits die hard." Vladlena took a deep breath and walked back toward the car. "I'm having some difficulty adjusting to these times."

"So, I'm guessing you weren't made in 1930 then." I said.

"No." She said flatly, reached in the window, and took the folder with her name on it. "It was 1030. Someone at your office made a mistake. I have worked for the mob, though they have all gone by different names."

"How about riding down to The Consulate and we can sort this out?" I said without even the slightest hope she would get in the car.

"I'm thinking no." Vladlena said and leaned onto the car door. She caused the shocks to squeak and the car to tilt. She tossed the folder in my lap. "Tell Fedor to burn in hell."

Vladlena released the door. Before I could get going, she kicked the side of the Dodge and sent it skidding off course. I was able to get it under control and she didn't seem in a hurry to follow me.

I sped around a corner and almost ran into Gerald's black '63 Stingray. Gerald swerved out of my way and came to a stop in the middle of the road. I cursed under my breath and backed up the Dodge so our windows lined up.

"Hey, Willy." Gerald said and smiled his toothy grin at me. "I see you met Vladlena. Odd about that mix-up with the paperwork, eh?"

Gerald winked at me and wiggled his eyebrows. It's the kind of thing that might have looked cute when he was, oh, twelve or so. Now it just looked asinine. Gerald was good looking, in a 1950s football star sort of way. I like to think of myself as good looking in a 1950s movie star kind of way.

"Still picking up kids at the soda shop, Gerald?" I said and nodded toward a high school letter jacket in the Vette's back seat. "Isn't it about time you grew up a little?"

"Jealous much?" Gerald said, but his smile was fading. "Listen, Pal, you know Fedor gave me Kilestra's file. I'd appreciate it if you just kind of stayed out of my way."

"And you think getting Vladlena to break a few of my limbs would be a good way to get me out of the picture?" I said and picked up a random bit of paper. "I would have still gone after Vladlena. Even if I had known she was a few hundred years old and a little on the psychotic side."

"Yeah, right." Gerald said and made an up and down motion with his fist. "Wanna tell me where to find Kilestra?"

"Let me think about that-hmm, no." I put the Dodge into gear and accelerated down the road.

THE DODGE WAS making some funny noises. A kind of rattle and clunk followed by what sounded like a sigh of surrender. The engine died and I steered it soundlessly to the nearest curb. Even after all these years, I tend to think of cars as a fad that will one day pass. I have yet to learn anything more than where to put the gas. As a result, the Dodge was sometimes in need of minor and major repairs. Thankfully, like most modern cars, it was designed with drivers like me in mind. I hadn't had any problems in weeks.

Between Vladlena's abuse and the rough roads leading home, the Dodge needed a little break. I was hoping that was all it needed.

"Why does a big shot vampire like you drive a POS like this?" Raoul said as he rolled to a stop beside me and watched the steam rise from under the Dodge's hood. "Why ain't you driving a Viper or a Ferrari or something?"

"I can barely figure out how to drive a Dodge." I said as I tried to power up the window, but the motor just growled and nothing happened. One of Vladlena's kicks had hit something important to the window. I looked at Raoul and Izumi as they got out of their Suburban and prowled around the Dodge.

"Smells like something electrical." Izumi said and crinkled her nose. "Pop the hood."

"You gonna help this blood sucker out?" Raoul said and shook his head. "This is like a prime example of taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity."

"Yes, like helping him so he can carry on and lead us to Kilestra." Izumi said and stared at Raoul.

I pulled the hood release, got out, and followed Izumi to the Dodge's front. She looked under the hood with the calm air of experience. Like most modern cars, everything was hidden and looked space age.

"You know, Master Walengrave." She said and looked over at Raoul. "You shouldn't leave your car unattended so often."

"What are you saying?" Raoul said and looked our way. "Is he going to take us to Kilestra?"

"It is easy to make a car stall." Izumi said and smiled at me. "You just have to put something in the tail pipe."

"You know, Izumi." I said and leaned in close to her. "I would have never guessed you two had anything to do with my car problems. Cars are a mystery to me."

"Yes, I know." Izumi said and gave me a shy Japanese smile. "Raoul is growing impatient. He prefers more straightforward methods."

"Like turning into a bear and eating me?" I said and looked around.

"That is one option." Izumi waved a hand and a wadded up cloth appeared out of nowhere. She dropped it on the ground. "Take your time and think about a few others."

Then Izumi got back into the Suburban with Raoul. They waited while I stared down at the engine. What other sabotage had been done when I wasn't looking? After a few minutes, Izumi reappeared at my side.

"Is there another problem, Master Walengrave?" Izumi said and joined me in staring into the engine compartment.

"Yeah." I said. "Just one. I don't know how to lower the hood."

I HADN'T SEEN Izumi and Raoul in the rearview mirror for a while. I guessed they had to have something else to do. The ambush car repair didn't really improve my feelings toward the two Hunters. I put them out of my mind.

Carlo lived in an old church in the middle of downtown Fort Worth. It's a classic building with a lot of carved stonework and a couple of tall steeples. And it's huge. I'm guessing it has something like a hundred thousand square feet of space. The property takes up the better part of two city blocks. There's parking for the couple of thousand people who used to go to church here. The small stonework sign is still out front, only it no longer has the name of a church. Now it reads The Vampire Carlo Acerbi in gothic style letters.

I'm guessing Carlo doesn't care that the local's park in his massive lots. Or maybe he has plenty of people who stop by for a visit. I parked in the half filled lot and didn't feel that I drew too much attention to myself.

From time to time Carlo has challenged me for the rights to Fort Worth. He's never won a challenge. Fedor likes me, and Fedor is the deciding factor when it comes to any kind of dispute.

Looking around I can't help but be a bit jealous. Carlo's church is a lot bigger than my mansion. I tense as I sense a vampire approach.

### Chapter Five

"Master Walengrave." A low voice said from beside the Dodge. "What can we do for you?"

I looked up and saw Tyler, one of Carlo's fledglings. I shook my head. I needed to start paying more attention to my surroundings. I got out of the car and looked down at Tyler. He was almost a foot shorter than me, but he clearly spent a lot more time working out than I ever had. His muscles didn't intimidate me and my stare didn't intimidate him.

"I meant no offense." Tyler said and lowered his eyes. "I merely wanted to say that we are honored to be visited by the Master of the City of Fort Worth."

"It's more an honorary title." I said and relaxed. I leaned back against one of the Dodge's big dents and crossed my arms.

"Whatever you say." Tyler said and nodded.

"Do you know anything about what happened to Fredric?" I said and tried to sound a little bored by the whole thing.

"I think he was decapitated." Tyler said without emotion. "By someone who looked a lot like Kilestra."

"You don't sound too tore up about it." I said and tilted my head.

"Fredric wasn't always an easy man to like." Tyler said. I waited, but he didn't volunteer any more information.

A few moments later Carlo walked out and joined us. He looked around as if he hadn't left the safety of his castle in years. He seemed surprised by the city that surrounded him.

"What are you doing here, Wilhem?" Carlo said and looked at me with a long face. "My house is in mourning, as I'm sure you're well aware."

"It's a nice night." I said and meet his gaze. "And I'm always looking for something new to photograph."

Carlo looked up the street and back down at me. He reached over and laid a cool thin hand on my shoulder. I almost flinched, but managed to suppress it. He patted me a couple of times in an almost friendly manner.

"You are always welcome, Wilhem." Carlo said and stepped away from me. He made a follow me motion to Tyler. The two of them walked back to the former church with its glowing colored windows.

I waited a few minutes and followed them. I had been planning on the direct approach anyway. I found a small private garden and a short winding path that ended at an ornate door. I pulled a black chain and heard a gong sound from inside. A moment later the door swung open.

"Master Walengrave." A vampire trained in the art of being a butler greeted me. He was dressed in a formal suit and seemed to have a permanent snarl on his lips. "We've been expecting you."

"Have you?" I said as the butler stood aside and allowed me to enter the building. "Odd, since I hadn't planned on stopping by."

"What Henry means, Wilhem." Carlo said as he gave the butler Henry a cool look. "Is that the Master of the City is always expected and welcome in my home."

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. I nodded my head the way I had seen countless mob bosses and other big wigs do in the movies. My real experience with any kind of power structure was pretty much nil. Carlo returned a small bow and spread his arms in what I took to be a welcoming gesture.

Carlo Acerbi was turned during the days of the Holy Roman Empire. He had classic Italian good looks from his curly hair to his aquiline nose to his muscular body. He was a little short by modern standards, as almost all Ancients were. He was a little less than five feet tall, but a vampire's strength doesn't come from his body. He was a vampire of many talents. One of his talents was the ability to feed off fear and many people were afraid of Carlo. That he had chosen to move to my City had made me afraid of him as well.

"Join me in the Library?" Carlo said with a little bit more obsequiousness than I had ever seen before. The Butler, Henry, led the way. We walked across the large open room outside what had once been the sanctuary. The floor was covered in colorful tiles. Ornate columns rose up to a vaulted ceiling. A complicated mosaic of geometric patterns gave the room a holy feeling.

We turned off down a narrow hallway. The curving wall was lined with several larger than life sized statues. Leftover holy men from the days when Carlo's humble abode was still a church. I was a bit surprised when the hallway ended at a small elevator. The ding as the door slid open seemed oddly out of place.

We rode up in silence, well, except for the old elevator's small jerks and rattles. The car missed the third floor by a few inches and dropped back down into place as the doors slid open. I have never trusted elevators and I closed my eyes for a moment to steady my nerves.

"I know." Carlo said as he laid his small hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to have this thing replaced with something a little more modern. I just haven't found the time to deal with it yet."

"Maybe we could take the stairs when we head back down." I said running a hand through my hair.

"Of course, whatever you like." Carlo said and offered an understanding nod.

We followed Henry down a long curving hallway. Closed doors lined the walls. High hanging lights that had a gothic flavor cast a cream-colored light. The ceiling was at least fifteen feet high and the hallway was about eight feet wide. And yet all the open space felt confined.

Other hallways branched off here and there, and we took the last one before the hall ended. A short walk brought us to a large wooden door with oversized black metal fixtures. Henry pushed the door open and held it as we walked in.

The west wall was made up of old style windows. There was a view of trees, and behind them, the lights of downtown Fort Worth. Several tables made of yellow wood filled the room's center. The remaining three walls were filled with floor to ceiling bookcases. Locked bookcases.

The books were mostly leather-bound and had a feeling of age and power about them. Books of power. The kind of ancient tomes witches and wizards like to write in their fading years. A way to pass on their knowledge to those that want to follow in their footsteps. Not usually the kind of things a vampire had much interest in. We tend to carry our power around inside us and don't care who or what will come after us.

"You know, Master Walengrave." Carlo said and walked to the window and gazed into the night. "I understand why you might have been displeased with Fredric. You could have contacted me directly. I thought you were a more modern vampire who didn't go in for the Old Ways."

"I try to keep my involvement to a minimum." I said. The sounds of distant traffic and the rustling of leaves floated in from outside.

"Were you unhappy because we didn't cut you in on the deal?" Carlo said and turned his face to me. There was a flash of vampire power in his eyes. "I talked to Fedor, he said you didn't like to be directly involved. Your disguise as a lowly Code Enforcer had me fooled."

"Cut me in on what deal?" I said and images of vending machines drifted into my mind.

"Yes." Carlo said and let his shoulders sag. "A small business venture involving distribution."

"Oh." I said and tried to sound like I knew exactly what he was talking about. "Something Fredric learned about from one of these books?"

One of Carlo's eyes flinched for a moment and he clenched his jaw. His control only slipped for a moment. He bowed his head in my direction and led me over to the bookcase with the magical volumes.

I was impressed by his collection. Well, as impressed as I could be with a bunch of books with titles I couldn't read. Locked behind thick plates of bullet proof glass. The text on the spines looked Elfish and that made me nervous. Waves of magical power wafted into the room like a sticky fog on a cool night.

"These were Fredric's last great passion." Carlo said with a dismissive wave of one hand. "He claimed to have learned some interesting things while reading these manuscripts. They hold little interest for me."

"I kind of like these books." A woman said as she strode into the library. "You never know what you'll read next."

I turned and looked at her. My heart stopped for a moment. I stood stock-still and stared at her. She wasn't floating in midair and she wasn't glowing with power, but she was my Elf. I turned my head from the Elf to Carlo.

"Her father told me her name is Desiara, but she goes by Katie." Carlo said and held his hand out toward the small woman. She took his hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She smiled at me and I could see those many teeth in the mouth that was a little too wide. She was a bit too thin, just the way I like my women. Her eyes were an alien green color and her heartbeat was a bit too fast. She looked to be about fourteen human years old, but I knew looks could be deceiving. I swallowed at a dryness in my throat.

"An Elf, Carlo?" I said and tried to keep my heart from skipping another beat. Maybe Desiara was a common Elf name. "I haven't seen one of her kind in years."

"I'm standing right here, Vampire." Katie said and pouted at me.

She tilted her head and gave me a stare. I stared back. She was small and radiated a confusing mixture of energies. She was wearing tights printed to look like blue jeans and a gray hoodie. The thick strap of a leather messenger bag crossed her upper body. The bag had lots of flaps and pockets. She didn't look like a Goddess.

"Carlo tells me you're some big wheel around here." Katie said and narrowed her eyes at me. "But you don't look like anything special to me."

Carlo pulled his arm away from Katie. He delivered a slap to her face that sent her sprawling across the floor. I froze again, waiting for the Goddess to appear. But Katie just glared at Carlo in impotent rage and rubbed the side of her face. My eyes opened a little wider. Not because I had never seen a woman slapped before. But because I feared the consequences of striking this particular woman. Nothing, however, happened.

"Apologize to our guest, my dear." Carlo said in a voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in fear. Carlo was using one of his powers in a situation where it clearly wasn't needed. Katie froze for a second, then turned her gaze toward me. She laid her forehead on the floor near my feet so that her small round ass rose in the air.

"Please forgive me, Master." Katie said without raising her head. "I meant no disrespect. I thought..."

"There is no need to share your thoughts, Katie." Carlo said and pulled her up by her hair until she was kneeling before me. I had another one of those tremors I was having a hard time hiding. Katie stared at me, but I saw no sign that she was either repentant or pleading for help. She kept her mouth shut and lowered her eyes.

"She is a good girl." Carlo said and smiled for the first time. "She can be a very good girl."

"I'll take your word for it." I said and gave the room one last look. "I think Henry can show me out now."

ANDY WAS IN the Consulate parking lot when I walked out. He was putting a fresh coat of wax on his 1985 Custom Deluxe Chevy Pickup Truck. It was dark blue with a clear coat finish. It had a soft sexy glow that had nothing to do with magic. Andy has done about a million careful hand washings and waxings. He's one of those people that likes to think of his cars as an extension of himself. I tend to think of them as a temporary means of transportation. Andy noticed the dents in the Dodge's side instantly.

"What happened here?" He walked around the Dodge while he wiped his waxy hands on a red shop rag. "Those dents almost look like someone kicked your car."

"Yeah, someone did." I said and walked over and stood by him. We both stared at the dents. "It was Vladlena, the slightly crazy vampire Fedor wants me to bring in."

"If someone did that to my pickup." Andy said and shook his head. "Well, there wouldn't be much to bring in."

"It's only a car." I said and put my hands in my pockets. "It's not a big deal."

"Pagan." Andy said and shook his head. "I'll get someone to have a look at it tomorrow. I still have a couple 'Auto Mechanic to the Master of Fort Worth' signs I can trade."

Andy walked back to the Custom Deluxe. He opened the chrome toolbox that nestled close to the pickup's cab. He reached inside and pulled out a Desert Eagle 44 Magnum automatic. He popped the mag to make sure it was loaded and reinserted it with a loud click. He then put the large black automatic into his shoulder holster. He nodded at me. "We need to pay Vladlena another visit."

Before I could object to Andy's plans for Vladlena, Gerald rolled up beside me.

"I went to Kilestra's house." Gerald said as he hopped out of the Corvette. "A few of her people are still there, but she's nowhere in sight. I was going to take her Chosen as hostages. Maybe keep one or two at my place, but it turns out none of them were home."

"I'm sure they're all broke up that they couldn't spend some time with you." Andy said and took out the Desert Eagle and buffed the barrel with his rag. "And I'm sure you'd get all broken up if you actually had found any of Kilestra's Chosen."

Gerald ignored Andy and stared in my direction. He stood with his feet a bit too wide apart. He crossed his arms so that his biceps looked bigger than they already were. It's the kind of pose that comes from reading way too many comic books. And watching a little too much wrestling on Saturday nights.

"You're gonna help me, Willy." Gerald said and pointed a beefy finger at me. "Where can I find Kilestra?"

"Hmm." I said and stroked my beard in an attempt at looking wise. "Have you tried her fledging's house in Azle? She lives near one of those gravel pits. It's a good place to hide the occasional body. Lots of rock haulers out that way, talk to a couple of them, see if they know anything."

"Azle?" Gerald said and furrowed his brows at me. He shifted his square jaw from side to side for a moment. Then he nodded as he made up his mind. "Yeah, it seems like I heard about Kilestra hooking up with some redneck that ran a beer joint out there. I'll check it out. Thanks."

Andy and I watched Gerald get back into the Vette and peel off into the night. Andy looked at me with a question on his face.

"What?" I said, going for innocence and not quite making it.

"Kilestra doesn't have any fledgling in Azle, does she?" Andy said and raised an eyebrow.

"Anything's possible." I said and walked around to the Custom Deluxe's passenger side.

"And isn't there a group of Hunters out that way who work as gravel haulers?"

"Now that you mention it, I do recall hearing something about that." I said. "I hope Gerald will be alright out there. All alone. Surrounded by people who want to kill him."

"Funny." Andy said and climbed behind the wheel of the Custom Deluxe. "I was hoping he suffers a horrible death and we never see him again."

"I THINK WE should just kill her." Andy said and patted his Desert Eagle in its shoulder holster. "Blow off enough limbs and you can slow down even an old vampire."

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea." I said and rubbed the spot on my shoulder where Vladlena had given me the Vulcan Death Grip. "Vampires close to a thousand years old are a pretty rare breed. We tend to take serious revenge on humans who kill an older vampire. Even those that really need to be killed. Besides, we don't have an Execution Order."

"You're the Boss," Andy said and put both hands on the steering wheel. "But if it looks like you or her, I'm gonna have to save your ass."

"Good to know." I said and drummed my fingers on the dashboard.

"So." Andy said and did a few neck rolls that filled the truck's cab with small cracking noises. "You wanna hit the drive thru before we head off to your certain death? Seeing friends get whacked always gives me a good appetite and I want to be ready."

"We don't know Vladlena wants to kill me." I said and kept an eye out for a hamburger joint. "But we can swing by Whataburger and get you something, just in case."

"Yeah." Andy said and rubbed his hands together as we idled at a stoplight. "A nice combo number 5 with jalapenos should just about do the trick. And just for the record, Kilestra doesn't have to trade info with Fedor to get by."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that before." I said. I looked out the back window and saw Izumi and Raoul's black Suburban. They kept a steady distance between us. "Do you know how to shake a tail?"

"You mean dancing or do you want to get rid of those numbskulls in the Suburban?" Andy said while he looked in the rearview mirror. "What's the big deal? We know every street in the Metroplex. We take a few back roads and a couple of quick turns and then park in some dark alley. At least, that's how they all do it in the movies."

"And how would you do it?" I said without thinking it through.

Andy pulled out the Desert Eagle, leaned out the window and fired off a few rounds in the Suburban's general direction. A loud pop sounded as a tire was shot out. The Suburban wobbled to the curb.

"Wow." I said. "That worked out pretty well."

"Yeah." Andy said as if he never had a doubt. "On a related note, I'm gonna need to stop by a junk yard tomorrow and pick up a new tail light."

"And why are you telling me?" I said.

"It's a business expense." Andy said. "The Truck seems to have a lot of mechanical issues when you ride along."

THE SKY WAS cloudy and gray. A steady wind tugged at our clothes when we stepped toward Vladlena's McMansion. None of the windows showed any light. A scattering of dry leaves made the gothic lines look less regal and more haunted.

Now that I had a chance to give it a closer look, I could see the grass needed a little trimming. And stacks of newspapers sat by the front door. And the windows were dirty. We wandered around for a few minutes. We found a For Sale sign laying behind the privacy wall. Lying next to it was a broken chain with a padlock still attached to it.

"Looks like this isn't exactly Vladlena's house." Andy said as he peered up at the dark mansion. "Times are hard. I heard many people are trying to do a bit of urban homesteading on houses like this."

"Vampires can always do a bit of mind manipulation." I said and moved up the long driveway. "A home owner won't report you to the authorities if they think you're a guest."

"Right." Andy said and looked around. "This is one big ass house. I don't think the two of us can cover it. Hell, I'm not even sure the two of us can cover one side of it. So what's your plan?"

"Last time Vladlena just kind of popped out of thin air." I said as we walked up to the house. "I'm guessing she'll just show up, sooner or later. We can do a little recon while we wait."

"Yeah, that's a good plan." Andy said as he walked up to a large window and peered inside. "This place is empty."

"Makes you wonder." I said as we walked around the house to a large wooden deck. The door leading into the kitchen was open. It was dark, which was not a problem for me, but Andy stopped and pulled out his Desert Eagle.

"I'll wait for you on this nice redwood bench." Andy said and sat down. The old boards creaked under his weight, but the wood held.

"I won't be long." I said and walked into the darkness.

Empty rooms and silence greeted me. I found a utility room in the house's center that doubled as a storm shelter. A coffin was sitting neatly against one wall on a pile of dirt. Vladlena was an Old School vampire. You didn't find too many vampires who still liked to sleep on native soil. Room by room, I moved, quickly working my way to the top floor and the master bedroom. Here, floor to ceiling windows faced the lake across the street. It was a lovely view, even in soft moonlight.

"It was the sight of still water which seduced me." Vladlena said from a dark corner of the empty room. "People jog in the darkness, some find a secluded spot and make love in the open. I could never stay in a place that didn't have some kind of water nearby."

"Since I moved here before the lakes sprang up." I said in as close to a conversational tone as I could get. "Water wasn't that important to me. I liked the area when it was still a little wild. It used to be more of a challenge to find people."

"I know you carry your food with you wherever you go." Vladlena said and I could hear the disgust on her face. "No one should keep their own family as pets. That's not right. One of my first acts was to kill my family. My father sold me to my Makers. Maybe it would have been more of a punishment to keep him around."

"I'm not punishing my family." I said and turned toward Vladlena. I could see her sitting with her back to the corner and her arms hugging her knees. "I just couldn't stand the idea of living forever without them."

"Isn't it time to cut the cord?" Vladlena said and laughed. "That was what Mikhail said to me. Right before he left me. Right before he threw me away like a loaf of moldy bread."

"Uh, yeah." I said and moved a little closer to Vladlena. "That first separation can be a bit traumatic."

"Oh, yes." Vladlena said and nodded. "I still have the occasional fantasy of tracking him down and killing him."

"Some dreams are best left unrealized." I said and stood in front of Vladlena so she had to look up at me. When she did, we locked eyes and I let my power flow into her. I saw her relax, watched the tension leave her muscles. The anger disappear from her face. She was really quite beautiful, when she wasn't trying to kill me.

"Oh yes." Vladlena said to me as she leaned toward me. "Mikhail found me beautiful as well. He took me when I was seventeen. A bit old for the times, but still young enough to entice a vampire as old as him."

Vladlena ran her hands across my chest. She drug her fingers down my abdomen and made my muscles twitch. She didn't break eye contact as she let the surprising warmth from her power dance across my skin. I felt her energy even through the denim and leather of my clothes. She ran her tongue over her lips and raised an eyebrow.

I leaned into her and put my mouth to her neck. I took a little nip of her flesh. It had a tired taste, like it had seen too many years and not enough rest. With the connection open I felt her many powers. I grasped at the largest one and a sense of time drifted my way. I had a moment to sense her use of this power over time and I wanted it.

Then she pushed me away, before I could get more than a nibble of that power. I was thrown into the wall across the room. I found myself on the floor with a ringing in my ears.

"You are cute, Wil." Vladlena said and walked slowly toward where I lay sprawled. "But I'm no longer a mere child who can be robbed so easily."

"Ok, so much for Plan A." I said and sat up. "I'm guessing you've fed recently and you've got a bit of a buzz going. So maybe now would be a good time to tell me a little more about Mikhail."

"Let's just say he took everything from me." Vladlena said and leaned over and put her hand against my chest. I couldn't move. "Mikhail was a little bit ahead of his times. He liked strong women. He liked to be dominated. He liked to be controlled. I get the feeling you also like strong women, Wil. Do you want me to show you what Mikhail liked best?"

A blast of sound and light from a gun's muzzle lit up the empty room and filled my ears with white noise. I looked up at Vladlena and she looked down at me. We did a quick scan and found neither of us had been shot. A second shot sounded. It was followed by the sound of someone yelling and then cursing in Spanish. Vladlena looked at me.

"Friends of yours?" Vladlena said.

"Alright, Kilestra." Izumi yelled in our general direction. "You're coming with us."

"I know that it is dark in here." Vladlena said in her thick Russian accent. "But I am not Kilestra."

"I got you covered, Wil." Andy said and a moment later, another gunshot echoed in the room.

"Stop firing, already." I said. Wood splintered, glass broke, and someone cried out.

"Oh." Izumi said and stumbled in the dark before falling down. "That hurt and now I've got glass in my hair."

"Glass in your hair?" Raoul said from somewhere in the darkness. "That son of a bitch shot my leg."

"It's been fun, Wil." Vladlena said and let her hand caress my face. "Don't force me to kill you."

One moment Vladlena was holding me and the next she flashed away. I had to get Andy and get out of here, before he ended up shooting me next.

I found Andy in the doorway and pushed him back into the hallway. Izumi and Raoul were still yelling as we moved down the stairs and back out the door I had come in. Andy still had the Desert Eagle in his hand. He moved around like an extra on Law & Order or maybe someone playing paintball. We were almost at the truck before Andy relaxed and put the Desert Eagle back in its holster. Izumi and Raoul's Suburban was parked behind the Custom Deluxe. It had a couple of holes in it, but otherwise seemed OK.

"They went in another door." Andy said as we headed back to the Consulate. "As far as I can tell, Vladlena left everything unlocked. I followed when I heard them talking."

"And why did you shoot them?" I said while I shifted my jaw around to try and pop my eardrums back into place.

"It was a diversionary tactic." Andy said and nodded. "It worked, too."

### Chapter Six

"THANKS FOR THE tip." Gerald said from his spot on the couch as we entered the Vampire Consulate. "I didn't find Kilestra in Azle."

I looked at Gerald and had to be impressed. He was covered in blood, most of it his own. His schoolboy clothes were ripped and shredded. He had several twitches he couldn't control. When he stood and walked toward us, he had a noticeable limp.

"Did I say Azle?" I said in my all-innocent voice. "Maybe I was thinking about Venus."

"I did find a pack of Werearmadillos." Gerald said and set his face. "Pretty nasty ones, too."

Andy burst out laughing and I couldn't help smiling a bit myself. Jackie looked at him and let her eyebrows go up. Her face spoke as clearly as words, armadillos did this to you?

"Armadillos are a lot tougher than they look." Gerald said and narrowed his eyes. "This isn't over, Willy. One of the Armadillos gave me a lead. I'm going to find Kilestra and bring her to Fedor."

"How did you manage to piss off the Armadillos?" Andy said as Gerald was limping toward the door.

"I ran over a regular armadillo and they took offense." Gerald said, and then winced in pain at the movement. "Happens all the time on Jacksboro Highway. And thanks for telling me about the Gravel Haulers. Those rednecks damn near killed me just for being a vampire."

Gerald gave us all his evil eye and then left.

"That guy has more issues than Vogue." Jackie said and looked at the bloody floor and the stains on the couch. "I'm not cleaning up any of this blood."

"I'll be sure to mention that." I said and went into Fedor's office.

I SAT DOWN in one of the green leather chairs and took a deep breath. Fedor looked at me without much interest. Before he could ask me what had happened, I heard a noise from the outer office. It was a booming voice, not gunshots, but it still sent a shock through my system. The next moment Grandfather entered Fedor's office.

"Nice place you got here, Fedor." Grandfather said and took in the Victorian atmosphere of Fedor's inner sanctum. "You know the '50s are over, right? And I don't mean the 1950s."

"It's just a little reminder." Fedor said and stared at Grandfather. "Of a more refined era."

"Yeah, I think Dickens got all that refinement down on paper." Grandfather said and looked around. "You just need a few homeless children begging for bread crumbs to add a touch of verisimilitude."

"What can I do for you, James?" Fedor said in a flat tone that made his English accent sound even more pretentious than usual.

"I've moved out of the Mansion, well, just about, and I was wondering if you had some work for me." Grandfather was wearing his black suit with a black T-shirt. He looked like a cross between a priest and a has-been rock star from the '60s. This was my usual fashion statement. I had to pause for a moment to wonder what I looked like to people. I shook my head, sure I looked better in this outfit than he did.

"Do you want to help Wilhem track down people who owe me money or information?" Fedor said as he leaned back and steepled his fingers. "We can always use more Enforcers."

"You seriously want my Grandfather to be a Code Enforcer?" I said and rubbed my eyes. "I'm not sure he's exactly right for the job."

"Well, you're not exactly right for the job either and I still keep you around." Fedor said and let his eyes drift in my direction.

"I was thinking more of the Acquisition front." Grandfather said and sat down in the other green leather chair. "I have one of those faces that make people want to talk. I'd be good at getting Information."

"Really?" Fedor rocked slowly in his large swivel chair. He turned his back to us and continued to rock. After a few minutes, Grandfather looked at me and raised his palms. I shook my head to say I don't know. Fedor has never been this shy with me. I always got direct answers, whether I wanted them or not. Fedor turned around and slapped a hand on his desk.

"Alright." Fedor said and nodded at Grandfather as if he had found a long lost friend. "We'll give it a go. Find me some information worth having."

After Grandfather left, I kind of stared at Fedor for a few minutes. Maybe it was time for me to let the family live more of their own lives. Well, within reason.

"I never paid much attention to the Consulate's information gathering side." I said to Fedor. "Do you really think my Grandfather will be good at it?"

"He does have one of those faces." Fedor said and drummed his fingers on the thick leather mat that rested on his desktop. "And I think he's picked up a few vampire tricks to get people to trust him. He has been with you for a long time.

"Most of our Intel gathering is nothing strenuous. Someone sitting in a crowded place and listening to random thoughts. Our Military Attaché, The Captain, does the serious data mining and phone tapping and all of that kind of thing. Your Grandfather has a way of making people drop their defenses and open up."

"That's a comforting thought." I said and waited.

"There's still the matter of Billy." Fedor said. "I put him in chains and probed his mind, but I couldn't get anything out of him. Before I knew what was happening, I had let him go."

"You think Billy whammied you?" I said and let the shock show on my face. "Really?"

"I'd like you to talk to him again." Fedor said and tapped a finger on his desk. "Try and find out how he did that and how he changed the color of your car. I like the dark red better than the black by the way."

"That was Ravenhawk's doing." I said. "She got rid of the glow and made it red. I've been thinking of changing colors anyway."

"So she read your mind and you got your wish." Fedor said and raised an eyebrow at me. "How sweet that she still cares. Now go talk to Billy, and try to get something real from him this time."

I ROLLED BACK to the all too familiar streets of Poly. Where the surface roads are named after letters and the freeways are named after Civil Rights leaders. The roads were in pretty sad shape. The Dodge bottomed out on a couple of the dips near Billy's house.

"Hey." Billy said as he pulled the old glass paneled door open. "Long time no see."

"Yeah." I said and walked into the living room. There was now a gaming system hooked up to the flat screen. A dirty looking Were was guiding her on screen persona through a dark forest filled with waiting monsters. The Were turned around and I recognized Beth. A standard issue Goth girl. Her makeup from Alice Cooper and her short spiky hair from David Bowie. She was wearing some kind of black spandex outfit that clearly showed she wasn't wearing anything else. She was a good old-fashioned Werecoyote and her eyes had the golden tint to prove it. I hadn't recognized her scent due to the many competing odors in Billy's living room.

"Wil." She said and crinkled her nose at me. "You smell good for a dead man."

"Thanks." I said and sat down on the couch next to Beth. "I heard you moved to Mexico."

"The magic scene down there is kind of dark and creepy." Beth said and shuddered. "So I decided to stick with what I know. Rolling drunken rednecks."

"Didn't you have a job as a bartender one time?" Billy said and plopped down on the couch on the other side of Beth.

"Yeah." Beth said in a well duh voice. "Where do you think I found the rednecks?"

"I need to talk to you about that money you gave me, Billy." I said. I watched the screen as something jumped out at the sword-wielding hero and quickly killed him.

"Damn." Beth said and dropped the controller. "This game is hard."

"I've got a bit of a cash flow problem at the moment." Billy said and scratched his scalp through his tangle of unwashed hair. "I spent most of my money on the new place and on odds and ends like the Xbox."

"That money you gave me the other day." I said and leaned forward so Billy could see me around Beth. "It kind of disappeared before I could spend it."

"What money?" Billy said and frowned. "Did I give you some money?"

Did Billy even have a short-term memory anymore? I recapped our last couple of meetings for him. He just stared at me with his forehead wrinkled.

"That's weird, Dude." Billy said and leaned back into the couch. "That's like major league weird."

"Billy was down in Monterey for the last couple of weeks." Beth said and wiggled around as she tried to help her character move faster. "I don't like to travel alone and Billy came down to share my return trip. And break me out of a pretty nasty Mexican jail."

I was beginning to see a pattern here, but it was still kind of fuzzy and didn't want to come into focus. Beth fiddled with the game controller. She loaded a saved game and started playing again. After a few moments of yelling and body jerking, the hero was dead again. Damn, this was a tough game.

"I've got some money." Beth said and tossed aside the controller again. "And it's not money whipped up out of nowhere. My money is good old-fashioned paper. But it's in Pesos. It takes up most of a storage unit. If that bothers you."

"Pesos?" I said and looked at Beth as I nodded my head. "How much space would ten grand worth of Pesos take up? Ten Grand American."

"It's in 100 Peso notes, so let's see." Beth said and stroked her dirty blonde hair as she did some mental calculations. "That would be like 140 thousand Pesos?"

"You sure you don't have anything real in your Mom's closet?" I asked Billy as I dismissed the whole idea of hauling around a pallet load of Pesos. I turned and looked into Beth's eyes. "Why do you have a truck load of Pesos?"

"I have to make a delivery." Beth said and frowned as if she didn't want to tell me about it. "And I was just going to loan it to you, not give it to you. I'm all caught up on my Tribute for the year."

"Fine." I said and tried to remember the last time I got anything of value from Beth. Nothing was coming to mind.

"Oh yeah." Billy said as he got up and walked to the dark wooden door that led to his Mother's room. "Let me go and look in Mom's closet."

Billy closed the door and I could hear his Mom yelling at him. He yelled back. I didn't listen too hard. Beth gave me a look and shook her head.

"Billy's mom is a bitch." Beth said and reached for the game controller again. I watched the game's hero die three or four more times. Beth beat the beast by throwing a bunch of bombs at it. She pressed buttons that brought up a bewildering array of options as she powered up a level. I couldn't make heads or tails of it. When Billy returned, he had to tap me on the shoulder to bring me back to this plane of reality.

"I didn't have any cash." Billy said as if it wasn't much of a problem, and I guess for Billy, it wasn't. "But I found a couple of bags of loose diamonds."

Billy tossed me two small velvet pouches. They felt like bean bags filled with small pebbles. I opened one of the bags and spilled the diamonds across my palm. Even in the dim light of Billy's living room, the diamonds sparkled with a fire all their own.

"That's about all I got right now." Billy said and yawned. "They're real. The bags of cash were just decoys to keep people from stealing my other stuff. Works every time."

"Oh yeah." Beth said as if she just noticed I was there. "I met this guy in Mexico who said you saved his life. He asked me to give you this."

Beth handed me a ring made of a dark metal with a swirling design. I recognized it as Damascus steel.

"And he sent me a wedding ring?" I said as I held the ring where I could see it in the light. "This guy did know I'm a vampire, right?"

"He was an Ancient or something." Beth said with a shrug. "Who knows what those bastards are thinking?"

I slipped the ring onto my finger and it snugged into place. I gave it a twist, but it didn't move. I cursed and showed Beth a flash of power in my eyes. Beth's eyebrows rose and she gave the ring a tug.

"It looks nice." She said and went back to her game. "Guess I can spend the Pesos now."

"Someone paid you a truck load of Pesos to give me this ring?" I said and turned Beth's face toward me. "What does it do?"

"How the hell should I know?" Beth said and tried to squirm out of my grasp. "He said you were in way over your head and this would help."

A few moments later I blinked my eyes. I was sitting on the sofa watching Billy and Beth explore another game location. I looked at my watch. Twenty minutes had passed. There was a kind of blank spot in my mind.

"Have I just been sitting here?" I said and they both looked startled that I had spoken.

"You were talking about some Elf." Beth said and narrowed her eyes at me. "You kept telling me how much prettier she is than me. And then you pinched my ass. You left a bruise."

"What?" I said and shook my head. "Why would I pinch your ass?"

"It was kind of unexpected." Beth said and smiled at me. "But I liked it."

I squinted my eyes and tried to think. It wasn't easy.

I LEFT BILLY and Beth and headed back home. It was getting late. When I got to my small private drive, I found the black Suburban parked in my way. I parked next to it, got out, and walked over to where Raoul was sitting behind the wheel.

"So you and the car are both in good shape now?" I said and noticed that a couple of the bullet holes had sloppy Bondo patches over them. I peered into the Suburban and saw that Raoul had a soft cast wrapped around his left leg. Raoul chewed a toothpick and curled his lip at me.

"If I wasn't still waiting for you to give up Kilestra." Raoul said through clenched teeth. "I'd kill you right here. In fact, if you don't tell me where I can find Kilestra, I just might kill you for the hell of it."

"Always a pleasure." I said and looked past Raoul to the empty passenger seat. "Where's Izumi?"

"She's over here, Kiddo." Grandfather said from the doorway to the access tunnel. "She's a nice little number, isn't she?"

"I've seen worse." I said and walked toward the light spilling from the doorway. Izumi was standing near Grandfather. She seemed to have stopped in the middle of saying something. She had her Katana resting on Grandfather's shoulder. She looked ready to take his head off. I stopped where I was, not sure I could flash across the distance in time to stop his execution. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh sure." Grandfather said and reached up and pushed the blade away from his neck. "Izumi here was just telling me what a good idea it would be to tell her if I spotted Kilestra around here."

The light in the access tunnel was good enough for me to get a better look at Izumi. I watched as she slid the long Katana into some kind of fabric belt. It rested neatly next to her slightly shorter Wakizashi. She showed the practiced ease that comes from years of using the blades. I had no doubt that she could have killed Grandfather before I could have stopped her. But she hadn't, so I just stared at her, instead of killing her.

She was a couple of inches taller than me and must have weighed half as much. I like thin women, but Izumi was taking it that extra step. She was basically skin stretched tight over bone. Of course, she was some kind of a grim reaper. I guess I could count myself lucky that she had the skin. I raised my eyes to her face and she smiled at me without showing her teeth. Her flesh was all white and her eyes were all black with thick lashes like spider legs. I found that to be an interesting face. Her flowing robe flashed in front of my face and gave her the illusion of more body than she had.

"Is that right?" I said and put some persuasion into my voice. "How are you doing, Izumi?"

"No need for that, Master Walengrave." Izumi said and floated away from Grandfather like a cloud on a warm night. She glided back toward the Suburban. "Your Ojiisan and I, were just, you know, talking."

"Talking?" Raoul yelled as he struggled to get out of the Suburban. "You were supposed to be putting the screws to him. Twisting his arm. Threatening to break his fucking neck. Do I have to do all the heavy lifting?"

Raoul limped forward and pulled out a pistol. It was a CZ 75b. I read way too many of Andy's gun magazines. He pointed it at Grandfather. I flashed forward and swept Raoul's good leg out from under him. He lost his grip on the gun as he fell. He yelled out in pain as his injured leg bounced against the pavement. He scrambled to reach for the automatic. Izumi stepped forward and put her bony foot on it.

"Hey, be careful with that." Raoul said and looked up at Izumi in confusion. "That thing cost me $700, plus I had to buy special anti-Vampire ammo."

"You do know aftermarket stuff like that will void your warranty." Izumi said as she scooped up the CZ 75b and tested its weight in her skeletal hand. "It is a good weapon. I've used them from time to time. I've had the opportunity to take them off the bodies of Special Forces personnel. I resell them in the Night Markets."

Raoul crawled to his feet and rubbed the back of his head. He limped back to the Suburban and leaned against the front fender. He gave both Izumi and me a hard look as he curled his lip and squinted his eyes. He didn't look happy.

"All we want is to find Kilestra." Izumi said as she guided Raoul around to the car's passenger side. "This isn't personal. It's just business."

"But it's getting personal." Raoul said as he opened the door to the Suburban. He took his gun from Izumi and re-holstered it. "Next time I'll be the one doing the talking and Izumi will be the one waiting in the fucking car."

Grandfather walked over and stood next to me. We watched as Izumi and Raoul drove off. Raoul gave us the finger and yelled something in Spanish, which I'm pretty sure wasn't flattering.

"I think that girl has the hots for me." Grandfather said and poked me in the side with his elbow. "And can she talk. She said they have their cover story in place, whatever that means."

"She had a sword to your throat." I said and stared at him.

"Yeah, she was showing me her Katana." Grandfather said and nodded. "It's a beauty. Made by some Master that's been dead for a couple of thousand years. It was singing to me. Gotta love magic swords."

"Did you find out why they want Kilestra?" I said and tried not to think about what a magical sword would do to my tender vampire flesh.

"No." Grandfather said and put a finger to his lips. "But I'm a Collector now. If I did know, you'd have to pay for it."

"Yeah." I said and let my thoughts wander for a moment.

"Izumi said they killed some Vampire in Monterey before they got the call to come here." Grandfather said and tilted his head at me.

"Monterey?" I said and felt a tingle from the ring on my finger. "They killed an Ancient?"

"Sanctioned Kill Order." Grandfather said as he looked up from his phone. "There's no name listed though. Kind of odd. No photo either."

There was a fuzzy ringing in the back of my head. A moment later, I couldn't recall what, exactly, we had been talking about.

BACK IN MY rooms, I held Grandfather in my strong embrace and sank my fangs into his neck. I took just enough to hold me through the rest of the night. I released him and looked into his old eyes. He smiled that slightly stoned smile that comes from years of being a Chosen and patted me on the cheek.

"I know Sally thinks you are abusing us." Grandfather said and looked tenderly at me. "Sometimes I have doubts myself. But it is better than the alternative."

"I think so." I said and guided him to his temporary quarters.

I'M NOT MUCH of a Seer, visions of mad Goddesses notwithstanding. But I can do a bit of reading of the recent past. It's a Power I stole about a hundred years ago. It's not a great skill, I can only see people I know and I tend to get just flashes. Like all such skills, it would improve if I used it more, but I never seemed to have the time.

Off the Common room are two smaller rooms that were closets of some sort when I got the house. One had a nice little air shaft that was easy enough to run a stove pipe through. The room is small. With just enough room for a stool and an old Franklin stove. Its dark open face was perfect for staring into the flames and getting a nice whiff of wood smoke.

I started a small fire, sat with my back against the wall, and watched the flames dance. I let my thoughts drift to Kilestra and a vision took form from recent echoes.

I see her in a long dark hallway. It's on the upper floors in Carlo's home. Kilestra takes a turn and heads into a large room filled with books and tables. The windows are old style, small with panes of glass in a metal frame. Several of the crank driven windows are open at odd angles. The noises of downtown Fort Worth drifted in with the cool of the night. Kilestra looks around the room and walks purposefully toward the far wall of bookcases.

Kilestra keeps to the shadows as she moves through the room. I take a deep breath as my vision self feels someone else enter the room. Kilestra turns instantly and sees Fredric standing there. There's no point in trying to hide from another vampire. Kilestra just stares at Fredric. But Fredric ignores her. He walks up to one of the tables, and sits down. There's a large book with latched hinges keeping it closed. He says something and the latches pop open. He flips through the pages of the large book. I can see the page he stops on is filled with glowing illuminated characters. His face has the look of an old style horror movie with harsh shadows in all the wrong places.

The flames flicker madly and the scene has changed.

Kilestra is leaving the Jangling Spurs's back room. She has that large book Frederic had been reading cradled in one arm. She was swinging a duffle bag with the other hand. She gives the hallways a quick scan and then flashes through a shadow and out of sight.

I try to guide the vision back into the club's office. I wanted to see if Fredric was alive or dead. See if his head was still attached to his body or if maybe Kilestra was carrying it around in a bag. The vision faded and I was left to ponder the possibility that Kilestra had killed Fredric.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost sunrise. I walked over to my crypt. I lay down and closed my eyes. I waited a few minutes, and then I was dead to the world.

### Chapter Seven

I OPENED MY eyes at sunset and stared at the lining of my coffin for a few minutes. I could hear Grandfather banging things around in the small kitchen. He was likely looking for something to eat and was having trouble finding anything. I kept the kitchen stocked when I was expecting human company. Not when I wasn't expecting home crashers.

"I know you're awake." Grandfather said. "I'm going to order some food. I think I'll take the left side of the Chinese takeout menu. You should go and see your parents. They're worried about you. And you haven't stopped by in a couple of days and they're getting nervous."

"Right." I hopped up and went through my usual start of night routine. A little stretching, a quick shower, and a fresh change of clothes. The outfits in the closet were starting to look a little dated. But then, black jeans and T-shirts worn with a black blazer never go out of style, do they? Time to visit the parents.

"Wil." Mother said and gave me a brief hug. "So good of you to stop by."

"Your mother thinks you're mad at her, Son." Father said and casually lit his pipe. "You're not really upset about having James bunk with you for a while, are you?"

"Not upset enough to forget the two of you need my attention as much as Grandfather." I said. Mother visibly relaxed and Father let out a long puff of smoke as he nodded his relief.

Mother was wearing a dress with a knee-length skirt. Silky layers of fabric that said Disco to me. Her dark brown eyes had a kind of desperate glint. She smiled at me with a longing no son wants to see in his mother. Father was wearing a smoking jacket, and I had to look twice to be sure, an ascot. He nodded at me weakly, and then took another mouthful of smoke.

"You know, you could update your wardrobe once in a while." I said and put my hands on Father's shoulders and stared into his eyes. He relaxed and I watched the muscles in his face sag. He lowered his arms and dropped his pipe in a small splash of sparks. Mother bent down and picked up the pipe. She patted at the tiny red embers and looked up at me with open jealousy that I had chosen Father to go first.

I put my mouth to Father's neck and felt the jump of his pulse. I sank my fangs into his flesh, letting the warmth of his blood flow over my tongue and fill my senses. It's at this moment that I wonder if I am cursed or blessed. My head felt light, my muscles felt revived, and it's a feeling of being reborn that I never want to end. But I have to end it. I stop before the urge to drain Father dry overtakes me. I pour some life back into him. He faints away in my arms and I lower him to the floor where he looks the way I feel.

"Your Father likes these clothes." Mother said as she laid her right hand on the back of my neck. "We both like to remember the good times when we first came to this house. We used to go to Spencer's Palace and dance the night away."

I stood up and took Mother's hand and we did the Hustle for a few steps. She smiled at me and licked her lips, I had been away a little too long, she looked frail and anxious. We stopped dancing and I pulled her close to me. She flipped her long dark hair away from her graceful neck with a practiced ease. I leaned in and pierced her flesh.

Her blood was slightly tired. It lacked its normal vitality, but it was still blood and it was still life to me. I take less of her blood, but I pour more of my power into her than I did with Father. She stiffens in my arms and moans. She pushes against my chest, but I refuse to stop. Between the blood and the power we both grow weak with pleasure. She surrendered and leaned into me. After a few moments, I pulled my mouth from the wound that was already healing.

"Is this what you do with Sally?" Mother said as she stepped away from me. She collapsed onto the large white leather sofa. "Or with Kilestra? What is it like with another vampire? When you don't have to be careful, when you don't have to hold back as much as you do with me?"

"It isn't the same." I said and licked away a few stray drops of blood from my lips. "You don't need to be jealous."

"Of course not." Mother said and stared at me from the couch. "Why would I be jealous?"

WHEN I TURNED to leave, I found myself floating in space next to the Goddess Desiara. She appeared to be basking in the recent destruction of the earth. And what looked to be this arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Not that I was an astronomer or anything. It's just that there was a lot more darkness in the sky than there used to be and a lot fewer stars. She looked at me with joy in her eyes.

"Time to visit the Elven home world, Beloved." Desiara said and grabbed my hand.

We shifted through time and space. I found myself in orbit around a mostly green world with three mostly green moons. Even the sun appeared to have a slightly green tint to it. Desiara closed her fists. The two largest moons compressed to half their former size. A moment later they crumbled into tumbling chunks of rock. She made a flicking motion with one finger and the last moon shot out of sight into the void.

"Here you'll find all the Elves of the world." Desiara said and pointed at the giant green world below us. "Wood Elves, such as myself, rock elves, shore elves, ocean elves and countless other minor tribes and groups."

I peered down at the world as if I would be able to spot the groups of Elves. Of course, I couldn't see anything but clouds and forests. Desiara floated close to me and put her mouth near my ear.

"They are all here now." She said and her hot breath moved over my cool skin. "I summoned them all home and they had no choice but to answer. The end of the world is not the kind of event you want to hear about second hand."

She moved away from me and brought her hands together. The Elven world shook and rattled. The world compressed like cotton candy as Desiara squeezed the life out of it. A sound like the universe's largest beer can being crushed rattled my brain. I watched in horror as Desiara ground the world into ever-smaller bits.

She grew in power at each step of the destruction. She breathed in the energies released and laughed in her exultation. I felt her power flow toward me as well. It was delicious. Like feeding on all those dead Elves at once. My head was light with power and Desiara's laughter filled my ears again.

I fell away from her and once again, I was back in the mundane world. An insane God hadn't destroyed the Elven home world. At least, not yet. I lay on the ground and stared up at the stars that hadn't been blown out like birthday candles. I had made it out of the house before the vision had hit me. I had known a few Elves over the years and felt a tremble of grief in my chest at what I had witnessed. My body shook at the loss of that feeling the Goddess had shared with me as she destroyed worlds. How could something so evil feel so good?

I took a deep breath. Maybe I needed to talk to someone about all this. The next question was who. I didn't really have a go to person for the coming of the Apocalypse. Or maybe I did. I seemed to recall that the Death Goddess, Izumi, had offered some information about Desiara. Now I just needed to get her away from Raoul next time I saw her.

DRIVING IN FORT WORTH in the evening can be a challenge. Many people seem to have nothing better to do than roam the streets and freeways. They live to dart in and out of traffic.

The night's early hours soon pass. Then the streets belong to me and a handful of shift workers and truckers. The Metroplex's downtown areas empty out after ten. By the time I rolled into downtown Fort Worth the streets looked like the set of some post-apocalyptic movie. A few cars were sitting around Carlo's parking lot and I pulled into a spot near the back.

I walked up to the main door. I walked through a small courtyard. A couple of statues of vampires frozen in the act of biting the necks of nubile young women. The plants were all dark and many were night blooming. Their flowers an odd mixture of the lovely and the macabre. A few hanging baskets with large pitcher blossoms filled out the stereotypical vampire garden. The air was heavy with pollen and fertilizer.

I walked up the steps to the heavy wooden doors. I used the oversized metal knocker that was shaped like an upside down crucifix. The door was solid and the knock made a dull thud.

"Master Walengrave." Henry said as he pulled the door open. "Welcome back."

"Carlo around?" I said as Henry ushered me into the massive entranceway.

"Master Acerbi is in his office at the moment." Henry said and shifted his eyes as he silently communicated with his master. "He will see you now."

Carlo's office was down another long, curving hallway. Its carved wooden door was dark and bore a thick patina of wax and age. Henry opened the door and stood aside as I walked in. The room was stark by modern standard. A large table served as the desk and two Roman style chairs sat in one corner. The walls had red panels with a couple of Gods painted on them. The floor had an intricate mosaic made of small tiles.

I half expected Carlo to be wearing a metal breastplate and a bronze sword. But he was dressed in modern business casual. He stood over the desk looking down at a map of Texas. Small wooden pieces rested on it, arranged as if they were about to go into battle. There was also a large black-figure amphora sitting on the table. The scene depicted a man floating in midair surrounded by people kneeling to him. It looked out of place.

Carlo caught my glance and cupped a hand around the side of the ancient bit of pottery. He turned it on a small rotating tray so that I could see the other side of the scene. The man tumbled from the sky and his worshippers had turned away.

"Do you know who this is supposed to be?" I said as I stepped closer to look at the amphora.

"I know it's not Roman." Carlo said with authority. "It was Fredric's last find in the Shadow Realm. After he broke its seal, he was never the same again."

I could see a few small chips that looked recent around the edge of the lid. It had a design that showed a jumble of bones and a grinning skull. Not sure I would have opened it.

"You know, Walengrave." Carlo said and gave the table a sharp rap with his fist. "I didn't expect you to take such aggressive actions against me. I could have killed you, if I had really wanted to run this small city in the middle of nowhere. But I didn't."

Carlo looked up at me with a pale fire burning in his eyes. The fire crackled and fizzled out as I watched. Carlo looked down at the table and let a long breath escape. He nodded at me and kept his eyes down.

"How may I be of service?" Carlo said in a low voice.

"Tell me what you know about Fredic's death." I said and watched as Carlo let a pained look pass over his face.

"Fredric had been acting a bit strange." Carlo said and walked around the table. "As I told The Captain when he investigated the murder of my Fledging. But he seemed happy enough with his books and his studies. And his new business ventures."

There was a knock on the door. I turned and watched as Katie the Elf opened the door and moved close to Carlo. She was dressed as she had been before. A hoodie and tights with the strap of her messenger bag crossing her upper body. Carlo put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. He smiled at her. Then he turned her around so she faced me. He gave her a small push.

"Katie has something she would like to say to you, Master Walengrave." Carlo said and narrowed his eyes at me. "Don't you, Katie?"

"I am yours, Master." Katie said and she looked at me with cool resignation. "The Vampire Carlo offers me as a gift. To make up for any misunderstanding you may have had in the past."

"A gift?" I said and another click of reality falling into place set my teeth on edge. The others didn't notice as Jackie's latest prophecy came true. Of course, none of them had been warned. "Why would you want to give me an Elf?"

"Katie is skilled in many areas." Carlo said and when he smiled, it didn't reach his eyes. "Her blood is strong and she does things only an Elf can do."

Katie knelt before me with her head bowed and her arms crossed behind her back. There was something ritualized about the stance. I felt as if I had walked into a meeting at some secret society. Only I didn't know the passwords or countersigns. There was also a little buzz from that black steel ring Beth had given me. It felt good. An overwhelming calmness washed over me. I knew I was being whammied, but I didn't care.

I noticed Carlo was wearing a ring like mine. He was also wearing an odd out of place look that might have been happiness. The rings seemed to be talking to each other. Some kind of energy contained within them was confusing me. I put my fingers on the ring and gave it a quick twist to pull it off. A moment later, I absent-mindedly slipped it back on.

"Fredric was impulsive in many ways." Carlo said and motioned Henry forward. The butler carried a crystal decanter filled with blood on a tray. He poured out two wine glassfuls and offered one to me, which I took but didn't drink from. Carlo walked back over to the table and looked down at the map.

"I don't know what, exactly, Fredric did to offend you." Carlo said and took a sip of his blood. "But I have no intention of offending you any further myself. Please believe me on that point. The word has been spread that I am persona non grata. My business is suffering and no one will return my calls. More people are afraid of you than I would have believed possible."

I looked over at Katie, who now stood before me with her head tilted to one side. She bared her neck and waited. Her eyes were closed and she wore a look of fearful anticipation. I absently rubbed the ring and Katie stood straighter and took a quick breath. I moved my thumb away from the cold metal.

I took a sip of the blood in my glass. It was still warm and tasted of young human. It held hints of the person it had come from. A young man, and a regular donor who was surely one of Carlo's Chosen. Carlo was honoring me by giving me this man's blood. I drained the glass and set it back on the tray.

"If the taste pleases you." Carlo said without looking up from the map and its painted bits of wood. He made a sudden sweeping motion and pieces tumbled off the table and onto the floor. A moment later he stood still and visibly relaxed. "The donor may also be yours. I know how tiresome it can be to have the same Chosen for so long. It is entirely up to you, of course."

I looked over at Henry. He met my gaze and stiffened, he was not going to show me anything. He looked away and took on the official blankness of the perfect servant.

"What, exactly, is going on here?" I said into the room's stillness. I touched Katie's shoulder to get her attention. She flinched, but kept her place. She slowly rolled her face toward me. She was still defiant, but resigned to the fact that I owned her. It's been a long time since I owned anyone, but I remember that look well enough. I stared into her eyes and said, "Speak."

"Carlo is honoring you in the traditional ways." Katie said and narrowed her eyes at me as if I were some kind of idiot. "When a great vampire has been offended, it is traditional to offer gifts. A Sex Slave is the usual first offering. Followed by Blood Slaves. If the Vampire is still not appeased, monetary gifts are offered. Carlo is waiting for you to name a price."

"A price?" I said and stared at the Elf who looked like a child, but had just described herself as a Sex Slave. She looked into my eyes and sighed. Images flashed into my mind. All of them pornographic and all of them featuring Katie in a starring role. The images were impressive.

"The price that will buy my safety and allow me to resume my work." Carlo said without looking at me. "You like those books upstairs? Take them all. You want money? Money I have in plenty. You want a nice car? A home in the Hamptons? A jet? Tell me what you want."

Carlo sounded almost like his old self, a bit gruff and more than a bit annoyed to have to talk to me. He seemed to understand that he had been rude and froze where he stood. He waited for me to deliver some kind of death blow to him. That he thought I possessed some kind of death blow didn't fail to amaze me. I looked back at Katie and found another burst of Elven porn running through my mind. Damn, I really wanted to try that. And that. And definitely that.

"Not here." Katie said and rolled her eyes. She tilted her head to the door leading to the hallway and pushed her face toward me. I nodded and without saying another word to Carlo, I left the room. Katie followed dutifully behind me. We were soon outside and heading toward the Dodge. I stopped her before she could climb inside.

"Slavery is against the law these days." I said and looked into her green eyes. "People don't own other people, at least, they shouldn't."

"Is that so, Master?" Katie said and put the emphasis on my title. "Besides, we aren't exactly 'people' are we? Human laws have always been more like suggestions."

"Maybe we can start over." I said. "My name's Wilhem, but my friends call me Wil."

"Yes, Master." Katie said and held her hand toward me. "My name's Katie, but people who own me call me fucktoy."

"Think I'll stick with Katie." I said and took her hand in mine. A jolt of metaphysical power flowed into me. I tried to pull my hand back, but it was already too late. My nerves tingled and my blood rushed. The current of her bondage flowed throughout me. I took a moment to examine the tendrils of energy. Yes, she was the slave and I was the Master. I peeled my hand away from her's with an effort like pulling free of a tar pit. It felt like Velcro slowly separating.

"So, destroy any good planets, lately?" I said and stared at my hand. It had a slight glow from the forming of the bond that faded as I watched. Damned magic.

"You should talk to my parents about that." Katie said and smiled in a way that hinted at the Goddess I had seen on the rooftop. "It's all very hush hush."

"I'm asking you."

"Ask again later, Master." Katie said and spread her arms in a bow. "When we are alone."

Katie looked around and motioned with her eyes toward Carlo's home. I looked up and saw Carlo standing in a window looking our way. I unlocked the doors with my key chain. Katie opened the passenger side door and hopped in.

I was briefly tempted to put her in the cargo area. If she wanted to play slave, I could play master. But a sudden image of the Goddess put an end to that line of thinking. I opened the door and slid behind the wheel. Katie was buckled in and staring straight ahead. I drove out of the parking lot and headed toward the freeway.

"I have lots of skills." Katie said and waved her hands around. "I can do a bit of magic. My blood has a nice flavor, or so I've been told. I like sex..."

"I still have the images bouncing around my head." I said before she could list any more of her talents. "I don't need a slave, I don't need a Donor, and I don't need any more complications. Tell me why Carlo was acting so weird."

"Really?" Katie said and seemed to become something like a normal person. "You're given a beautiful young Elf to do with as you please and you think Carlo is acting weird?"

""He's never been so, frightened, of me before." I said and frowned. I couldn't help but stare at the Elf. I had flashbacks of her wielding powers beyond the mortal kith and kin. It was like seeing an actor play a different role.

"Well, maybe you've never killed one of his vampires before." Katie said and crossed her arms. "Carlo isn't exactly the best vampire in the world, but I've seen worse."

"I didn't kill Fredric." I said.

"Yeah, well, you had Kilestra kill him for you." Katie said and ran her tongue over her lips. "Amounts to the same thing. Carlo doesn't want to be next. He was serious about not wanting to piss you off. He was also serious about your naming a price. He has a lot of nice things."

"He thinks I control Kilestra?" I had to laugh at that idea. "And what's with the attitude?"

"I'm just trying to feel my way." Katie said and let some of the tension run out of her body. "I'll learn what you want me to be soon enough. At least for a little while I can try and be myself."

"I was serious." I said and looked her way as I pulled onto the freeway. "You're not my property."

"Yes, I am." Katie said and pushed herself down into her seat. "You accepted me, so you are now responsible for me. I'm yours. You don't have to do much. I don't eat a lot and I can sleep anywhere. You can use me whenever and however you feel like it. Ignore me the rest of the time. I'm kind of used to that."

"How old are you?" I said as I zipped down the mostly empty freeway. I drove on autopilot, focusing my attention on Katie.

"Almost 214." Katie said and rolled her head toward me. "How old are you?"

"I've got a few years on you." I said and shook my head. "I'm a shade over 234."

"You don't look a day over 230." Katie said as she stared at me from the other end of the front seat.

"Funny." I said. "I think I need a cup of coffee."

"Vampires and coffee." Katie said and narrowed her eyes at me. "Carlo always had a pot brewing."

"It's hot and liquid, what's not to like?" I said and stared off for a moment. "Are you the jealous type?"

"Jealous?" Katie said and laughed. "Is your left shoe jealous of your right shoe?"

"Do you ever have dreams of destroying the world?" I said and watched her from the corner of my eye.

"Not me." Katie said and a green light flashed in her eyes. "Sounds depressing though. I'd rather not talk about it."

I spent the rest of the drive thinking about what Kilestra and Sally would have to say about me owning a beautiful Elf. Then there was the other half of Jackie's vision, that I would soon be spending a lot of time with her. It's not as if I spent a lot of time with Kilestra and Sally to start with and now this.

I absent mindedly took the Camp Bowie exit. I cruised the last few blocks to the Coffee Spot and pulled into a parking space in a fog. I knew Sally would be working tonight. I could see her through the large plate glass window. She was wearing the dark brown apron with the company logo of a stylized coffee ring. She looked lovely as always.

"Why don't you stay here." I said to Katie as I got out of the Dodge and slammed the door before she could answer. I walked into the vintage 1940s coffee shop. I went up to the counter where Sally was looking in my direction, but not looking at me. I turned and found Katie standing behind me like a lost child who didn't want to be seen.

"Who's this?" Sally said. She pointed a shiny bit of coffee paraphernalia at Katie. Katie was peeking around my shoulder.

"Katie." I said without looking at her. "Her Elf name is Desiara or something like that."

"Call me Katie." Katie said and bowed her head.

I stepped a bit closer to the counter and leaned in toward Sally, who leaned in to give me a small kiss. She was used to me having the occasional stray in tow. She looked a little less forgiving when Katie kneeled by my feet. Katie crossed her hands on her lap and tilted her face up toward me. She resembled a dog begging for a treat.

"So this is the Elf, Wil?" Sally said and pushed away from the counter. She tossed what looked like a strainer of some kind into a sink filled with bubbly water. She walked over while drying her hands on her apron and gave Katie the once over. "Nice. I didn't know we had any of their kind in the Metroplex."

"You notice that she's an Elf." I said and looked down at Katie as she did her best to look contrite. "Not that she's sitting on the ground at my feet?"

"I thought vampires liked that kind of thing." Sally said and crossed her arms as she stared down at Katie. "You're sure as hell not getting this kind of worship from me, so enjoy it while you can."

"You could enjoy it, too." Katie said and looked up at Sally. "I don't mind sharing."

"You don't mind sharing?" Sally said and looked out the window. "I had him to myself, mostly, for a few months anyway. I'm getting a lot of supportive comments on my blog about this."

"Katie was a gift from Carlo." I said before I could think better of it.

"A gift?" Sally said and nodded like the Godfather about to make me an offer I couldn't refuse. "Did you get the receipt so you can return it?"

"That's not nice." Katie said in her sultry little submissive voice. Sally gave her a go-to-hell look and Katie stood up and brushed off her pants. "Wil and I are, you know, connected. I'll be there to protect him."

"Uh, yeah. So you're just moving right in, huh?" Sally said and walked around Katie with a cold look in her blue eyes. "Where you'd be able to make sure that Wil never woke up again and no one would be there to stop you."

I shrugged the concern aside. How could I protect myself from a Goddess anyway? I wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. Clearly, I needed to do some more thinking.

### Chapter Eight

"Ok, Wil." Sally said and crossed her arms. "Why did Carlo give you an Elf?"

"I wouldn't speak to my Master that way if I were you." Katie said and opened her eyes wide. Sally could see the crackle of green power behind Katie's pupils. "Bad things happen to people that my Master doesn't like."

"Don't threaten Sally." I said and flashed power in my eyes.

Katie frowned and knelt on the floor again. She wrapped an arm around my leg. She blew out a breath and leaned her head against my thigh. The temptation to reach out and stroke her head was almost overwhelming. Sally caught my eye and shook her head as my hand reached out of its own accord. I slid my hands into my pockets.

"I think we need to have a little chat." Sally said and untied her apron. "Outside."

Sally waved at someone in the back and tossed her apron on the counter. She led us out the door. Katie followed behind me with her head bowed. Sally walked up to the Dodge and took a deep breath.

"Knock off the slave and master bit in public." Sally said and let her voice go cold and hard. "I'm not a vampire, but I have been around Wil long enough to pick up a few tricks. Don't test me or you will regret it."

"Yes, Mistress... Yes, Sally." Katie said and slumped out of her stiff subservient pose. "You two are no fun at all. Did you even see the customer's faces in there? That was priceless."

"How old is she?" Sally looked at me and lost a bit of her hardness.

"She told me 214." I said and looked at Katie.

"I'll believe the 14 part."

"Hey." Katie said and pouted out her lower lip. "Be nice."

"Says the submissive." Sally said and leaned in until her face was only an inch from Katie's. "Stop drawing so much attention to yourself."

Katie made a show of keeping her lips pressed together.

Sally smiled at Katie and then looked toward the Coffee Spot. A couple of cars pulled into the lot.

"Are you planning on tying her up and spanking her?" Sally said and rolled her eyes toward me. "My blog commenters have told me about this kind of behavior. Seems to be popular with a lot of vampires. I can deal with it if I have to, but can't she act like a normal person in public?"

"Our relationship hasn't advanced to that level yet." Katie said and batted her eyes as she strove to look pious. "He's only owned me for an hour."

"Did she say you own her?" Sally said and gave me a serious look. "We'll talk about this later."

"Bye bye." Katie said under her breath, but Sally heard and waved at her as if she were a small child.

"Back in the car." I said as I opened the door and slid behind the wheel. "I think I need to talk to Fedor about all this."

THE VAMPIRE CONSULATE was on the other side of town. Katie fiddled with the radio the whole way over. It was a relief to turn off the engine once I parked in the Consulate's lot.

I walked in with Katie in tow and found Gerald sitting behind the reception desk. He was reading a magazine with a close-up of an automatic handgun on the cover. He looked up when he saw me and smiled a little when he saw Katie.

"Well, hello there." Gerald said in the kind of soft voice that men use with women who look like Katie. Like every other woman who looks like Katie, she ignored him. She looked around the room like an interior decorator deciding what to replace first.

"You work here?" Katie said and wrinkled her nose as if the place had some odor I hadn't noticed. "Who's your style adviser? Boring Government Offices Are Us?"

"Fedor in?" I said to Gerald. He still had a hopeful look on his face, which crumbled with a scowl when he turned toward me.

"He said not to let anyone in." Gerald said and turned a page of his magazine. "But then, I'm not really a receptionist, I could have gotten that part wrong."

We walked around the desk and I opened the door to Fedor's inner sanctum. It was dark and thick scented smoke filled the room. Katie made a show of waving her hand in front of her face; I stood still and listened for any sounds. Somewhere near the room's other end, someone let out a low moan.

"Is this something I want to see?" Katie said and stepped in front of me. "Maybe we should just stay back here."

The ring on my finger throbbed for a second and I pushed past Katie to enter the room. I flashed to the front of Fedor's giant Empire desk. The smoke was thicker here. An open package on Fedor's desk was hissing and there was still a small stream of white smoke fizzing out of it. Katie pushed ahead of me, but I pushed her aside. I had completely forgotten that she was a Goddess. I had completely forgotten pretty much everything.

A hand reached out of the smoke and grabbed the front of my shirt. It was Jackie, the receptionist, who was naked and lying on her back on Fedor's desk. I'd never seen Jackie naked before and that was a great tragedy. Katie tugged at my other shoulder, but I couldn't take my eyes off the Tableau vivant in front of me. Jackie's face rolled toward me and she wet her lips. I recognized that look of lust from a few days earlier when she was in the midst of a Vision.

Jackie smelled... wonderful.

I wanted nothing more at that moment than to sink my fangs into her. After that, maybe, I would think of something else to do with her.

"I'm not sure Sally would like it if you fucked the Boss's piece of ass. And I'm sure the Boss wouldn't like it." Katie said as she fanned the smoke away enough for me to make out Fedor. He was leaning back in his chair with Jackie's arm gripped tightly in his hands and her wrist in his mouth. His eyes were shut and he was clearly lost to the world now.

Katie pinched my arm hard enough that it hurt and I shoved her away harder than I should have. She crashed into the wall. A few of the countless knickknacks of Fedor's Empire Age fetish bounced soundlessly on the thick carpet.

Jackie's fingers were crawling toward my face and I was leaning in toward them. Her flesh made my nose twitch and my throat longed for the feel of her blood. There were hints of sunlight, moonlight, and things I couldn't quite understand. Things I now wanted more than I had ever wanted anything before. I was dimly aware that the smoking box was gone. There was a crash of glass from somewhere behind me.

None of that mattered.

My mouth pressed against Jackie's skin and oh my God, her skin was just amazing. My lips were touching paradise. All it would take was a small nip to let that ambrosia flow into my mouth. It filled my mind. I parted my lips and let the points of my fangs scratch the barest surface of her so warm flesh. The taste of those first few drops was transcendent. I sucked in a little sip.

Then I was flying through the air. I collided with something large and hard, I tumbled over it, and fell out of a broken window. A moment later, I saw a blurry shape that looked like a man fall out of nowhere and land beside me. Another shape of someone I couldn't quite make out kicked that cardboard box away. The box was still pouring out a steady cloud of smoke as it skidded down the sidewalk.

"Get off of me, you bastard." Someone said, but they were talking from a good ways off, and there was no urgency to move. I also couldn't have moved much in any event. The fresh air was helping, but it wasn't helping fast.

"Damn." Raoul said from somewhere nearby or maybe not so nearby. "That was some good shit."

"Only for vampires." Izumi said and there was a bit of pity in her voice. "You have many enemies, Master Walengrave. We want to be your friends. Will you now tell us about Kilestra? Tell us where she is."

"Oh, sure." I heard myself say, but the words kept echoing around in my head and I couldn't be sure they actually made it out. "She has a number of places she likes to hide out. I'd look in the main sewage treatment lines first."

A demented sounding laughter filled the air. I realized it was mine. Then there was a sharp toed boot crashing into my ribs. Was Izumi kicking me? I seemed to remember that Raoul had been shot in the leg not too long ago. Pity that. I was just starting to warm up to Izumi.

"Hope you're happy now, you ruined my Letter Jacket." That strange, disembodied voice was sounding a lot more familiar now. It sounded like Gerald. The crumpled figure on the sidewalk beside me groaned and shifted a bit.

A noise was getting closer, it sounded like human police. Our Security Attaché preferred the sound of British police sirens. Then I heard another loud siren like sound. It was a woman screaming, it sounded a lot like Izumi.

"Please give me permission to kill these two, Master." A voice close to my ear said loud enough to rattle my brain. I turned my head away from it, but a strong hand grabbed my face and turned it back. An Elfin face dominated by glowing green eyes stared back at me. "I have been bound to you. I can't kill them without your express permission."

"Then don't kill them." I said through a throat thick with lust and longing for that paradise I had been denied. "Let them go, they aren't important."

There was a growl like a lion whose kill had barely escaped. Then the sound of feet hobbling away as quickly as they could. I forced open my eyes and saw a man and a woman moving toward a Suburban. I took a deep breath and rolled away. Something was sticking me in the back.

"Get away from me." Gerald said and tried to move. But since his body was a crumbled, bloody mess, he was having no luck. I looked around and saw the pile of rags was Fedor. I pulled him over and he flopped like the bag of skin and bones that he was. I couldn't help but notice the smile on his face.

"Katie." I called out into the night. The flashing lights of several police cars screeched to a halt nearby. I heard many excited voices across the littered sidewalk. I felt Katie's presence, though. She knelt down beside me and looked into my eyes. She was crying and her tears sparkled with red and blue and white from the police strobes. "Is Jackie alright?"

A BIT OF time passed unnoticed.

"Word of this gets out and you might as well lay out on a chase lounge and wait for sunrise." Sargent Jones said as he looked over his notes. "You're some weak ass Master of the City, Wil."

"It's more of an honorary title." I said as I held an Icepack to my aching head. "And I don't think there's anyone who wants to take over Fort Worth anyway."

"Of course not." Sargent Jones said and flipped his notebook closed. He put it away on his Batman-like utility belt. "Otherwise, someone might try to kill you."

"I'll be fine." I looked over at the ambulance where Jackie was sipping orange juice and getting something in an IV drip. She caught my eye, and then pulled the blanket she was wearing open and showed me her neck. She was still naked under the blanket. The Medic stopped her from taking it off. I could touch his mind and make him go away. I was sure I could. Katie stepped forward and blocked my view.

"Those two knuckleheads will be heading down to lockup. After we get them out of the hospital." Sargent Jones said and nodded at The Captain. "I think they'll be safer with us. The woman says one of your bodyguards was about to kill them, but you stopped her. Thanks for that. Saves me some paperwork."

"Katie?" I said and tried to look around her. "Could you step aside?"

"I'm here, Master. I'm not going anywhere." Katie said from where she stood between Jackie and me. I could smell Jackie and feel her warmth. I was finding thinking a lot more work than normal.

"You need me to call you a witch doctor or something?" Sargent Jones said and then shook his head. He looked my way again. "You'll want to get him home pretty soon. Sunrise isn't far off now."

"Could you please bring Jackie over here?" I said and rubbed at the tears blurring my vision. "And where is Sally?"

"I was talking to Sally." Sargent Jones said and walked off.

I heard Jackie moaning as the medical tech did something to her. I forgot about everything else. Katie kept me from rushing to her side.

"Yeah, thanks for asking about me. And no, we will not bring Jackie over here." Sally said as she took one arm and Katie took the other.

I was drowsy and just about dead to the world when my human and my Elf brought me back to The Mansion. They laid me in my crypt. I took a deep breath and let it out. Not strictly necessary, of course, but a habit I have never fully given up over the years. Then I was gone.

WHAT SEEMED ONLY a moment later, I was alive again. I took a deep breath and found that I felt almost normal. I raised an arm and saw that I was wearing nothing but a thin nightshirt. Judging from the style and the garment's threadbare state, this was something Mother had packed away during the Victorian Era for just such an emergency.

I patted my body here and there to make sure I had healed during the day. But then, it wasn't my body that had suffered the most damage. I did a few math problems and did my best to recall the events at the Consulate. It was all pretty clear, right up until the moment Katie and I entered Fedor's office. Then things got a bit fuzzy. Not missing, just blurry like a street seen through a rain-streaked window. Was that really Jackie on Fedor's desk? Just thinking about it brought back an echo of pain. I shook my head and sat up.

"Hey." Katie said from where she sat in a dim corner of the unadorned room. "This is a pretty depressing room. Bare walls and a single coffin on a pedestal. Looking up, there's a domed ceiling with a faded and ignored mosaic. And the only place for a faithful protector to rest her weary bones is on the cold, hard floor."

"I don't spend any waking time in here." I said and crawled out of the coffin. "And I've never needed a protector, faithful or otherwise."

Katie stood up and followed me out of the crypt and into the common room. I found fresh clothes laid out on one of the sofas. A cloud of steam accompanied the sound of running water. I looked over at Katie as she quickly peeled her clothes off.

"Now hang on there, Katie." I said and put my hands between her growing nakedness and myself.

"Quit being such a prude." Katie said and grabbed one of my hands and pulled me toward the bathroom. "The tub is just about full and the water won't stay hot forever."

I let Katie lead me into the bathroom. It smelled like salt and lavender. I took off the night-shirt and stepped into the bath. The water was hot and silky and brought a sigh to my lips. A hot bath always did, but I still tend to prefer showers. I like to think of myself as a busy vampire with more important things to do. Katie turned off the water and sat between my knees. She leaned back against me, letting out a low moan. This felt very good.

"A less trusting person might be jealous at a time like this." Sally said from the doorway. "At least I didn't catch you with Mother. Again."

"Hey Sally." I said as Katie methodically went about the business of lathering my feet. She then scrubbed them with the loofa. It tickled a bit.

"I think there's room for both of us." Katie said and smiled at Sally. "I think I could make you feel pretty good as well."

"Maybe later." Sally said and looked at Katie with more interest than I would have expected. I felt a warmth of lust fill the small room. I looked at Katie and she smiled at me and then at Sally. I pushed a thought at her to stop it. She rolled her eyes and let the magic go.

"Were you whammying me, little elf?" Sally said and sat down on the toilet. I seldom needed it, but the many people in my life found it convenient. "You are full of surprises."

"That I am." Katie said and I saw a twinkle of green in her eyes.

"Did your little moppet tell you you've been dead for four days and nights?" Sally said, turning her attention back to me.

"I guess she was waiting to spring it on me later." I said, more than a bit distracted by Katie's expertise with a slick soapy hand. "Did I miss anything interesting?"

"I got that job with the Vampire Commission." Sally said. I tried to keep a straight face while Katie twisted and turned her flexible body. She moved this way and that against me as she worked to clean this or that part of my body.

"Andy was arrested and released for lack of evidence in shooting Raoul." Sally said. "Fedor is still dead to the world. He seems to be healing and I hear he looks a lot better now than he did three days ago. Kilestra is still in the wind. And those two dimwitted Hunters were arrested and released. They swear they didn't have anything to do with what happened at The Vampire Consulate. They just happen to be nearby when Katie tossed you, Fedor and Gerald out the window. Gerald is still with us. And sad to say, appears to be recovering."

I let all this info sink in. It was hard to think. As I was jostled and scrubbed and rinsed like an old car getting detailed for the first time. Sally watched and bit her lower lip. She clearly had thoughts about stripping down and joining us in the tub. I let my own thoughts drift that way for a bit as well.

Katie drained the dirty water. She stood up and used the removable shower head to rinse herself off. I stood up so I would no longer be eye level with Katie's naturally hairless, and therefore less than private, parts. She turned the water on me and wiggled in a fascinating way as she moved the shower head around.

"I think you've done more than enough." Sally said and tossed one of the thick white Turkish towels at Katie. She caught the towel in midair with one hand. Then returned the shower head to its holder. She winked at me as she stepped out of the tub and pulled the glass shower door closed.

I reached over and turned the water to full cold. I took a deep, trembling breath and my thoughts came back into focus. After a couple of minutes, I turned the water off. I slid the door open. This time I was the one that got a towel in the face.

"I see it hasn't taken you long to get used to the idea of owning an Elf." Sally said as she watched Katie, now dressed in a black leotard, briskly rub my body dry. Katie tossed the towel over the shower door. She helped me into my clothes with the ease of a 19th century manservant. I found it easy to allow myself to be guided in dressing. I could understand why some vampires had manservants as a part of their Chosen.

"I never knew you missed the old days so much." Sally said and watched Katie's hands flash through their paces. "Will Katie scrub my back and lace up my boots when I move in?"

"If I tell her to." I said and looked at Katie, who gave me a little smirk.

"It would be my honor." Katie said as she ran a brush through my hair. "I live only to serve."

Sally opened the door and motioned for us to leave. I followed Sally up into the main house and then into the sunken living room. This was one area that still needed a little work. Half the room had dark wooden paneling, smoky windows, and hand knotted rugs. The other half still showed whitewashed stone walls and parquet floors. Sally led me to a white leather couch that faced a pair of high backed overstuffed chairs.

"We have other things to talk about." Sally said and sat on the sofa's edge. "Jake decided to take over the Vampire Consulate while Fedor's been out of commission."

### Chapter Nine

"Jake?" I said and shook my still woozy head. "Has he been doing anything Fedor wouldn't approve?"

"What do you think?" Sally said, still sitting up straight and speaking in her official voice. "He's been dealing information, reading Fedor's files, and setting his own bounties on Rogues. He's offered a reward for information about the attack on Fedor. And you."

"Doesn't sound so bad." I said and relaxed a bit. "Someone's got to run the place."

"I suppose so." Sally said and looked at me. "The Captain says it was an M18 Smoke Grenade. It was altered by the addition of some vampire poison called The Little Death. He asked me to tell you the package was addressed to Master of the City of Fort Worth."

"Was it?" I said and nodded. "I guess Jackie and Fedor open all the mail addressed to Master of the City."

"I suppose." Sally said and poked me in the chest. "But you're the Master of the City."

"Yeah." I said and let out a breath. "I guess so."

"I had a chance to do a bit of research on your new pet." Sally said. "Her past is shrouded in secret, but I was able to find out a few things. Seems she is 214 years old. Carlo won her in a poker game. From her father. The rumor is he lost her on purpose."

"All you had to do was ask." Katie said as she stepped from the shadows. "But I get the feeling you like being sneaky."

"As a Liaison for the Vampire Commission." Sally said coldly. "I have access to more information now."

"Does this mean you won't be at the Coffee Spot anymore?" I said before I could think better of it.

"No." Sally said and leaned toward me. "It means I get to do some leg work in the daytime for the local sleeping vampires. And have occasional chats with vampires from the other side of the world. I'm on probation for the time being."

"So you're still working at the Coffee Spot?" I said, letting a bit of unexpected anxiety creep into my voice.

"Yes, I'm still working at the damned Coffee Spot." Sally said. "What is wrong with you?"

"I think I can answer that." Katie said as she sat at my feet and rested her head on my knee. "Fredric took me to visit a vampire living in a pretty rough neighborhood. A kind of old hippie vampire sold me a bag of The Little Death. That's what's messing with his head."

"The drug that was used in the attack on the Consulate?" I said and closed my eyes, my head was still a bit fuzzy. "Why did you do that?"

"My Master told me to." Katie said and smiled at me. "He said it was a special mixture that he didn't hand out to just anyone. The little creep said part of the price was some of my blood. Bleech. I don't think that vampire's had a bath since Woodstock. And he felt me up while he drooled on my neck."

"So Fredric sent the package to the Consulate?" I said and tried to think why a vampire that ran a strip club would want to kill me.

"I didn't say that." Katie said and bit her lower lip in thought. "I think he was buying it for someone else."

"Is there anything else you want to share with us?" Sally said and stared at Katie.

"Nothing comes to mind." Katie said and ran her hand up and down my calf. "Well, I seem to recall meeting some werecoyete. And maybe another vampire. It's all a bit of a blur. You know how it happens sometimes."

"I think I need to lie down again." I said and stood up. The room spun around a bit and Katie jumped up to offer her support. I gripped her shoulder and she took my weight without stumbling. I smiled weakly and sat back down.

"I think you need to feed a bit." Sally said and leaned her head to one side. "It has been a few days and you always like a bit right after you wake up."

I sat back down and motioned for Sally to come closer. She straddled my legs and leaned forward. Her neck was at the perfect height and her breasts rubbed firmly against my chest. I pressed my mouth to her skin and could feel the rush of her blood. I sank my fangs into her flesh and the blood flooded into my mouth. Something was wrong. Her blood tasted bad and more metallic than usual. I stopped feeding and licked the wounds. I pushed her away.

"Dammit, that hurt." Sally said as she rubbed the spot on her neck where I had bitten her. She looked down at her hand and saw blood. The wounds hadn't healed. "Why did you do that?"

"Sorry." I said and wiped my mouth. "I'm not feeling my best."

"I can help with that." Katie said and did some bit of magic that healed the holes in Sally's neck. She opened her eyes a little wider. "Maybe we should call Jackie."

"Call me when you feel better." Sally said and stood up. "I have things to do. I'll be at the Coffee Spot later if you want to stop by. Alone."

I watched Sally leave and listened to the door slam. I heard her car start up and burn rubber as it left. At least my hearing was still working.

"Why am I in the main house?" I said to Katie as I noticed the absence of my parents and grandfather. "Where's my family?"

"I told them you wanted a little privacy." Katie said and walked over and took Sally's place on my lap. "They seemed to understand. Oh, and your Grandfather moved into that apartment, the one he looked at. He still spends a lot of time over here."

"Did you do something to Sally?" I said and ran my hands over Katie's back.

"Yeah." Katie said and waved her hands. "I healed the ungrateful bitch."

"Be nice." I said and smacked Katie's bottom. She seemed to like it.

Katie wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. She smelled warm and alive and I just naturally wrapped my arms around her. She seemed to be purring in contentment. Then the lights went out and we were in total darkness.

"I prefer the lights on." I said and leaned forward to take a small drink. I found that Katie was gone and someone else was sitting in my lap. Someone a little taller and more familiar.

"Oh, I know you like to watch." Kilestra said and rubbed her hand against my chest. She snapped on a small table lamp and I could more clearly see her lovely features. "But now is not the time."

"It's not what it looks like." I said feebly.

"Oh, you mean you weren't going to feed on and then fuck silly that little adolescent Elf?"

"OK, maybe it is what it looks like." I ran my hands up and down Kilestra's arms. "What can I do for you?"

"First off, you can feed on me." Kilestra said and loosened her muscles and melted into me. "You need more than human blood. Your little pet Elf is powerful, but her blood is not what you need at the moment."

Kilestra used a sharp fingernail to puncture the skin on her neck. A thin stream of blood shot out. I caught the blood in midair and then pressed my mouth to the small wound. I used my fangs to make the opening larger. My mouth filled with Kilestra's ancient power.

Her blood burned like a fine single malt Scotch, it sent ribbons of fire through my body. Each drop traced a map of my veins and arteries. Once it reached my heart, my pulse raced with an explosion of power. Kilestra tried to pull away from me, but I held her tight. Then her blood touched my brain and I lost all awareness of anything else. I was in a white ecstasy of power and pleasure; my mind seemed to be nothing but an orgasmic flash. I pushed this feeling back to Kilestra. She was the only other vampire I knew who could do that.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and awareness returned to me. I was still on the leather couch in the living room. The lights were on, but dimmed, I could see Kilestra on the opposite sofa. She looked tired and I could see rare signs of her age on her face. The coal of her cigarette glowed as she took a deep puff of smoke.

"An old habit I still enjoy." Kilestra said. I wasn't sure if she meant the cigarette or me. "How do you feel?"

"Better." I said and found I had returned to my normal vampire self.

"Good." Kilestra said and flicked the cigarette into the fireplace. "My blood won't keep you alive forever. I feel a bit weaker already. Fedor's going to start losing his mind quickly. He got a lot more smoke and it will take more power than I have to make him right again."

I closed my eyes and wondered if I should call The Captain. Have him lock Fedor up, for his own protection. But then, a battle between Fedor and The Captain might not be a good idea.

"I'm talking to you." Kilestra said and became much more businesslike. "Why did you accept a gift from Carlo?"

"I didn't seem to have any choice." I said and blinked as I tried to clear my mind. "Carlo seems to think I had Fredric killed for some unnamed offense. He thinks I have some power over you."

"The same power you have always had." Kilestra said. "The power to make me forget myself from time to time."

"You think Katie is some kind of threat?" I said and resisted the urge to look around for the destroyer of worlds. "Sally said pretty much the same thing, that Katie could kill me in my sleep. But she seems to have saved my life."

"It does look that way." Kilestra said and got a faraway look in her eye. She was seeing something that I couldn't. She smiled. "I think Carlo really hated her and you just happened along at the right time."

"Maybe not just happened along." I said and tried not to think about worlds exploding and billions dying. "There is more to her than meets the eye."

"She seems harmless enough for now." Kilestra said and squinted at me as she caught hints of my thoughts. "And she did try to kill those damned Hunters, so that's one point in her favor."

"Maybe next time." I said and felt the strange weight of the ring on my left hand. "I'll let her kill them."

"THERE IS SOMETHING wrong with Carlo." Kilestra said as she stood up. "He has never made his hatred of you a secret. But now he thinks you're really in charge around here?"

"He seems to think I'm trying to shut him down." I said and rubbed my neck. "He says no one wants to talk to him."

"Best if we let him keep thinking that." Kilestra said as she paced around the half-finished room. She looked down at me. "I told my people to make sure everyone knew to steer clear of him. At least for now."

"I'm not feeling that great myself." I said and found visions of Katie and Kilestra snuggling up on either side of me filling my mind.

"You'll be fine." Kilestra said and stopped to sniff at the hints of lust in the air. "Is your Elf doing that?"

"Doing what?" I said and couldn't take my eyes off her perfectly formed body.

"Right." Kilestra said and let her hip slide out in a provocative pose. "See something you like?"

Kilestra bent at the waist and gave me a cool kiss on the mouth. She still managed to ignite fires inside me. Kilestra's eye glowed as she used some power to push the lust away. My desire faded as the magic washed out of the room.. I thought about Sally and wondered how this was going to work.

"Sally's on the Vampire Commission payroll now." I said and Kilestra turned and walked toward the hallway. "I think she wants to talk to you."

"I'm a popular girl. Everyone wants to talk to me." Kilestra waved her hand like The Queen during a parade. "Your Elf is locked in your crypt. Oh, and don't expect that threesome any time soon. Katie's not really my type."

And just like that, she was gone. It's a trick I've never been able to pull off.

I WALKED DOWN the long cement corridor to my crypt. I found a silver chain with a large lock around my coffin. There was a loud banging from inside and the chain jangled a bit, but didn't break. I wondered how long Kilestra had a length of silver chain laying around. I broke the lock and let the chain fall off the casket.

The lid flew open and I found myself pushed against the wall by an enraged Katie. Her eyes were glowing green. Her extra teeth all seemed to be a good deal sharper and longer than I remembered them. She was still Katie though, and not a world destroying Goddess. She stared at me for several seconds before it registered on her senses who I was. She stepped back and forced herself to remain still.

"Who was that... woman?" Katie said through gritted teeth. "Did she hurt you?"

"That was Kilestra." I said and straightened my clothes. "She's a friend."

"Oh." Katie said and went from anger to pout in record time. "A friend with benefits?"

"Not currently." I said and gave Katie a hug. "And thanks for trying to whammy her."

"I just wanted to distract her." Katie said and blew air out of her mouth. "She pushed me away, though."

"Yeah." I said. "She's an Ancient, she does things like that."

"There's a silver chain on the floor." Katie said and touched the chain with her shoe. "I can't sleep in here with that."

"I'll get someone to move it." I said and rubbed her back. "I need to get to the Vampire Consulate and see what Jake's been up to."

"KILESTRA?" KATIE SAID as she followed me out to the driveway and down to the Dodge. "Didn't she kill someone a couple of weeks ago? Like, let me think, Carlo's spawn Fredric? My old Master?"

"The jury's still out." I said and stopped before unlocking the car. "Are you planning on staying by my side at all times?"

"I am yours." Katie said and bowed as she spread her arms. "Your wish is my command."

"What would you do if I told you to stay here all night?" I said and gazed at Katie as I tapped a finger to my lips.

"I would become better acquainted with your charming parents. And visit your lovely Grandfather in his new apartment." Katie let her eyes go to the middle distance. "Your Grandfather likes me. He really likes me."

"OK." I said and beeped the Dodge unlocked. "Get in."

Katie had taken a moment to slip a gray hoodie over her black leotards. She looked like a dancer taking a break. I should have made her put more clothes on, but I found that I did like the look of her legs. She stretched a toe a bit when she caught me looking. I decided to concentrate on driving before we ended up wrapped around a tree.

"Would you really have sex with my parents?" I said without looking at her. "Seriously?"

"They are an attractive couple." Katie said. "But no, not really. I'd maybe sleep with them sometime. Just sleep."

"And what about Grandfather?" I said a bit nervously.

"Oh, he wants to fuck me like there's no tomorrow." Katie said and nodded. "But I haven't let him. A lady likes to be asked politely."

I pondered that as I drove downtown and let a few of the images of Elf orgies she had put in my mind play out.

"HEY THERE, KIDDO." Andy said, nodding at Katie. "I was hoping to see you again."

"Hey, you." Katie said and swiveled her hips at Andy.

"So you know Katie?" I said and looked at Andy.

"I spent some time talking to her." Andy said and smiled. "While you were dead the past few days. She's pretty smart for a twelve year old."

"Fourteen." Katie said and put her hands on her hips. "Two hundred and fourteen."

"Oh in that case." Andy said and leaned back. "She might be a bit dim."

Katie crossed her arms and made a raspberry sound.

"Katie." I said and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Stop distracting all my people."

"Your people?" Jake said from Fedor's office. "I thought I was running the place in Fedor's absence."

I walked into Fedor's office and closed the door. But not before Katie had slipped in behind me. She smiled her Joker grin at me and I shook my head.

"Hey, no pets allowed" Jake said and squinted at Katie. "I hear she has some kind of mind control powers or something."

"I'm not sure its minds that she has an effect on." I said and plopped down into one of the green wing backed chairs facing the desk. "So you should be safe."

"He means you're dickless." Katie said as she hopped into the other chair and let her feet dangle from one of the arms. "Or maybe ball-less."

"Thanks so much for the clarification." Jake said in his icy Art Dealer's voice and then turned to me. "Aren't you supposed to be bringing in renegade vampires to keep the torturers occupied?"

"I've been busy." I said and rolled my eyes to Katie. "You know, victim of a random attack and a new Elf in my life. Like that."

"Yes." Jake said and looked at Katie. He nodded his head and squinted as he used his vampire power to look into her. "You're as pretty as a picture."

"Too bad I can't say the same about you." Katie said and blew air out of her lips.

Jake pulled a bit of paper from the pile, and slid it across the desk to me. I leaned forward to get a closer look. It was an itinerary. A list of people recently in Mexico. Four names jumped out at me. The Werecoyote Elizabeth, the she-Elf Desiara, the Vampire Kilestra, and the last was the Vampire William.

"So you know Kilestra?" I said and looked at Katie. "And Billy and Beth?"

"Oh, that Kiletsra. Yeah, we may have crossed paths." Katie said and gave me her innocent face. "I talked to Beth. Billy and Kilestra weren't real chatty. A lot like you in that respect."

"Yeah." I said and narrowed my eyes at her. "Being dead kind of has that effect on me."

I looked at the date and found it to be about three weeks ago. After Katie and Fredric bought The Little Death. Before Fredric was killed. Before The Little Death was used in an attack aimed at the Master of Fort Worth. A slight buzzing in my head made it hard for me think.

"By rights I can charge you at least a grand for that information." Jake said and drummed his fingers on the desk. "We are in the business of selling information, not just giving it away."

"You're too kind." I said and pushed the paper back to Jake. "Sally seems to think you're not running the Consulate as it should be run."

"Well, Sally and I don't always agree, do we?" Jake said. "But we do both care about you."

"Get out of my chair." Fedor said from the doorway. He walked in slowly. He banged the metal tipped cane soundly on the hardwood floor by the door. "I should have you staked out on the courthouse roof. Let all of Fort Worth see the smoke from your death."

"Fedor." Jake said and scrambled to his feet. "So good to see you up and about."

I looked at Fedor as he leaned heavily on his cane. He took a slow breath as he steadied himself. He made his way to his chair and put both hands on his desk before he tried to sit down.

"So Fedor." I said and looked deeply into him. "I see you found the trick of feeding on Supernaturals. But I don't think it's a long term fix. We're going to need some magical help."

"It's that kind of brilliant insight that has made you an invaluable member of my team all these years." Fedor said and gave me a withering stare. "Next, you're going to say I need to floss more often."

Then the air in the room went still and I lost track of time and place. Fedor froze in the act of sitting down and his eyes turned toward the door just as mine did.

We saw Jackie there. Dressed in her usual business attire and carrying a notepad and pen in her hands. She stopped dead in her tracks and licked her lips. She looked at Fedor and then at me and her mouth formed an oh.

"Yes, please." Jackie said in a husky voice as she dropped the notepad. She brought her recently manicured fingertips to the top button of her blouse. "Take me. Take me now."

Katie pushed Fedor down into his chair and then did the same to me on her way to the door. She pushed Jackie out ahead of her and closed the door in one smooth movement. I blinked and looked at Fedor. Jake looked from one of us to the other in disbelief.

"Is The Little Death some kind of permanent fix?" Jake said as he walked slowly toward the door. He was careful to keep an eye on both Fedor and myself. "Do we need to put Jackie in some kind of safe house for the rest of her life?"

"That might not be necessary." Fedor said through a voice thick with lust. "I'm feeling a good deal better now."

"Yes." I said and had to swallow before I continued. "I was able to smell her without flashing across the room and sinking my fangs into her."

"Let me in." Jackie said from the door's other side and then banged on the thick wood. "They need me and I need them."

I found myself standing up, as did Fedor. Jake stood in front of the door, but he was no match for the two of us at the best of times. I looked at Fedor and saw he was thinking the same thing. We shared a glance, then slowly took one step and then another toward Jackie.

"Could you get her out of here?" Jake said as he leaned against the door. "Somewhere far away would be best."

"We're trying." Andy said and I could hear the strain in his voice. "Katie's trying."

As we neared the door, Jake slid a small black cigarette out of a pack and tapped it against his wrist. He took a second to roll it between his fingers and did a couple of dry draws that made a motor boat sound. We were only a step away when he took out a gold lighter. He sparked a strong yellow flame into the cigarette's end.

The smoke was dark and sweet, it had a hint of nutmeg and cloves. Fedor stopped in his tracks, a look of pure rage turning his face crimson. His anger was close enough to me that it pushed everything else from my mind.

"You're smoking Kreteks in my office?" Fedor said in a stammer. "You do know that it's all but impossible to get that clove smell out of fabric? You'll ruin my leather, my carpet, and my drapes."

Jake looked at Fedor and took a deep pull of smoke, then blew it into Fedor's face. I grabbed Fedor and held him back as a blind rage sent him lurching toward Jake. In his weakened state, we fell to the floor. Fedor made feral noises in his throat and I did my best to keep him down. Fedor's anger washed over me and through me and I forgot all about Jackie. At least for a moment or two.

Jake put his thumb over the cigarette's coal, putting out the fragrant Kreteks. He tilted his head and listened to the outer office. He put a hand on the door and relaxed a bit. After a minute or so he opened the door. He waved his hand in a halfhearted attempt to clear the air in Fedor's office.

### Chapter Ten

"I think your return to work was a bit premature, Fedor." Jake said and knelt to look into the Ancient's face. "And you, Wil, appear to be suffering a few lingering effects as well."

"Let me up, Wilhem." Fedor said and squinted at Jake. "I need to open a window."

"How did you do that?" I said to Jake as Fedor found a small fan and turned it on. "Fedor smokes in here all the time. And the room was filled with The Little Death smoke last time we were here."

"He doesn't smoke clove cigarettes in here." Jake said and slid the black papered Kretek back into the pack. "He's told me several times how much he hates the smell of clove cigarettes. So I always keep a pack handy. Just to piss him off."

ANDY WAS SITTING behind the receptionist's desk when I walked out. He was eating a BBQ sandwich and staring out the window in a contemplative way. He looked up at me and wiped a bit of barbecue sauce off his chin. He offered me a wedge fry covered with a red powder. I waved it away. He nodded and took a big bite out of the potato.

I looked around the waiting room. I found Katie sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine with a large mouth bass on the cover. She licked a finger loudly and turned one of the glossy pages.

"It says here jerk baits aren't as popular as they used to be." Katie said without looking up. "Funny. I always loved a good jerk."

Andy swallowed loudly and almost choked. Katie rolled up the magazine. She ran her hand up and down the tube with a few quick strokes. She let the magazine flap open and fall onto the table in front of the couch. Andy cut his eyes to me and then turned his face back to the front window.

"Where's Jackie?" I said.

"Who?" Katie said and smiled sweetly at me. "I didn't quite catch the name."

"When was the last time you ate, Katie?" I said and headed for the door.

"Oh, I haven't swallowed anything good in hours." Katie said and winked at Andy.

I opened the door and pushed Katie out ahead of me. I waved at Andy, but he seemed to be lost in thought.

I DROVE ACROSS town to the Coffee Spot. I zipped in and out of the early evening traffic. Katie listened to an iPod that looked a lot like the one Andy recently bought. It was just after two when we pulled into the crowded parking lot. Katie perked up and looked through the big pane glass window.

"Ooh." Katie said and leaned into me. "Drunks."

"Behave yourself." I said as we exited the Dodge.

"You really can't trust Elves." Izumi said as she stepped out from behind a van and glided toward me. "But I can trust you'd show up at your girlfriend's place of work."

"Well, one of your girlfriends anyway." Raoul said as he leaned out of the Suburban's window. "I hear you got another honey at the Consulate. Not counting your little chica here"

"I almost killed you last time we met, sweetie." Katie said as she stepped forward. "Your boss ain't paying you enough to die, is he?"

"Hey, chill girl." Raoul said and raised his hand, showing off a tall brown paper cup with a white plastic top. "We're just here for the coffee."

"Yes." Izumi said and held up some kind of frothy green tea drink. "Just wanted to say hi."

I shook my head and walked into the Coffee Spot. It was crowded, but there were still a few open booths. I waved at Sally who just nodded back at me. The smile froze when Katie walked in behind me. She rolled her eyes and went back to the table she was waiting on. Everyone in the room seemed to be a little drunk and all of them stared at Katie. Elves are rare and her natural beauty had a magnetic quality. I took her hand and led her to a booth where we would be out of everyone's sight. After a few minutes, Sally came to take our order.

"I'll have a double Espresso and Katie will have a Greek Salad and a green tea." I said.

"Got it." Sally said and looked around. "It'll be a while before I can talk."

"No hurry." I said. "I just need you to do some research for me."

"Silly me, I thought you were just here to see me." Sally said and dashed off.

"Why did you order for me?" Katie said with her accustomed pout. "I'm not really a child. I can read a menu."

"The salad's good." I said over the crowd's murmurs. "And if you keep acting like a child, I'll treat you like one."

Katie responded by taking out the iPod and unwrapping the ear buds with a practiced twirl of the wrist. She ate the salad when it came, but refused to drink the green tea.

Katie watched as I took out the book I had taken from the Jangling Spurs and flipped it open. I found the entry on Desiara and looked at the Goddess's illustration as she glowed in the rapture of destruction. The city around her appeared to be something ancient and alien. Katie looked at the drawing and crinkled her nose.

"Don't like the picture?" I said and turned the book toward her.

"I've seen worse." Katie said and frowned at the book. "This was right before her imprisonment. She destroyed the old Capitol City and fed on the fear and despair. It was Foreseen. The Mages laid a trap for her and that was that."

"So she's imprisoned now?" I said and looked at Katie.

"Yeah." Katie said and crossed her arms. "But she can have visitors. Elves aren't monsters. Desiara can see people she loves and the people who love her."

"But doesn't a God have a lot of people who love her?" I said.

"Not that kind of love." Katie said and smirked a little. "She can talk to her husbands and her lovers. There aren't that many."

Katie pulled her hoodie over her face and stretched out in the booth. I read the entry on Desiara again. And a few related entries on other Gods, and Goddesses. Everyone was related to everyone else. Those Gods had children with mortals. This God created Elves. This one created the heavens. That one ruled in the afterlife. The family tree didn't have too many branches. Several Gods just appeared out of the ether with no explanation given.

Seems that Desiara was the go to Goddess for raining down ruin on the wicked. She would one day destroy the world and most of the space surrounding it. I tried to compare one of the pictures with Katie, but an Elf is an Elf. I found the book on Elven Gods pretty dull reading and pushed it away.

Katie picked it up and thumbed through it for a few minutes. She found a passage, turned the book toward me, and put her finger on the opening of a paragraph.

'Desiara's imprisonment can only be broken by the blood of one of her True Loves. It's known she had three true loves at the time. Each was depicted in the painting Desiara's Hope. Two of them are on the Elven Homeworld. The third's location remains a mystery at the time of this writing.

'The Elven Conclave of Magicians put this key in place as an added safeguard. The Goddess of the World's End leads a lonely life. It is believed she would be loath to kill one of her husbands, even in exchange for her freedom.

'Among her lesser powers is the ability to inspire devotion and an uncontrollable lust. She is credited with the creation of many powerful love potions...'

A small chill brought goose bumps to my neck. I looked up and saw a smile flicker across Katie's face. A flash of green light glowed in her eyes. She mouthed the word 'Beloved' at me. I felt very cold for a moment and a ding like a distant bell sounded in my ring. I closed my eyes. When I looked up again, Katie was back to being Katie.

The crowd was mostly gone an hour later and Katie was on her third Coke. She was leaning against the wall with her feet pointed toward the booth's open end. She looked up and pulled on her earbuds, they popped out with a decisive gesture. She looked around and squinted into the darkness outside.

"There's something nearby." Katie said. "Something old."

At that moment, Sally slid into the booth beside me and let out a tired sigh. She leaned her head on my shoulder and rubbed my arm. I patted her hand and cleared my throat to get her attention. She looked up with a small smile and then saw the look on my face.

"We need to go." I said and nodded toward Katie. "Vampire business."

"Next time you want to take your new girlfriend out on a date." Sally said and shoved against me as she slid out of the booth. "Take her somewhere I don't have to watch."

"Hey." Katie said and tilted her head at Sally. "Where's that swinging chick that wanted a threesome with me?"

"I'm at work, Elf." Sally said and spread her hands to take in the Coffee Spot. "In public."

"I was hoping you two could be friends." I said and squeezed Sally's hand.

"I can guess what you were hoping." Sally said and pulled her hand away. "Keep dreaming."

"I would like you to do some digging for me." I said and placed a hand on Sally's shoulder and poured a little calmness into her. "Check your new contacts and see what they can tell you about an Elf named Desiara."

"I'm sorry." Sally said and brushed my hand aside. Her eyebrows rose and she shook her head. "Since when do you need to enthrall me into doing something for you? And isn't your little nymphet here Desiara?"

"Not exactly." I said and looked at Katie. "We do need to go. We'll talk later."

"We'll see." Sally said and walked off. I left the book on Elven folklore on the table for Sally. Maybe she could make more sense of it than I did. If she agreed to talk to me again any time soon.

Outside we saw Raoul and Izumi standing on the sidewalk by the street. They both looked a little edgy. Katie and I could relate. I walked toward the Dodge and Izumi spotted me. She glided over and held her hand up like a traffic cop.

"Where are you off to?" Izumi said and let her eyes dart around in search of something. "Don't you feel that?"

"Uh, feel what?" I said as I clicked the door locks open.

"I'm not sure." Izumi said, turning her head one way and then the other. "It reminds me of that abandoned house where your redneck sidekick tried to kill Raoul."

I looked up at the traffic rolling by on Camp Bowie. I noticed one car that seemed to be rolling a little faster than the rest. An aura of magic was boiling off the car. I could see a pair of glowing blue eyes above the steering wheel. As the black sedan got closer, I could see Vladlena's face. I could clearly see the twisted smile and the focused stare. Her hands gripped the steering wheel and she hunched forward.

"Raoul, look out!" Izumi yelled as Vladlena drove over the curb and barreled toward me. I could feel the power of her stare. She was definitely aiming at me. She used her power over time and I felt my feet freeze in place. I watched helplessly as Raoul fell to one side and Vladlena ran over his foot. She corrected her course toward me.

I watched the front grille of the car grow larger in my view. There was a lot of chrome in the grille and on the bumper. Then the four headlights blinded me. I couldn't look away. The idea of getting killed by a rogue Russian vampire driving a magically enhanced 1962 Bel Air Low-rider had a certain romantic feel to it. I blinked and could see again. The car was much closer. With time slowed down, I was able to admire all the electric blue pinstripes on the hood. Nice craftsmanship.

Izumi was also frozen to the spot. So I was a little surprised to see the Suburban back out in front of the Bel Air. Vladlena was surprised too. She yanked on the steering wheel. She sent a ton and a half of Detroit's finest crashing into the Suburban's rear end.

A shower of sparks and a flash of enchantment showed a shimmering wall of force projected a few inches away from the front of the Bel Air. The shield glowed as the Bel Air ripped the Suburban in half.

With her concentration broken, time rushed forward again. Vladlena drove back into the night and powered up the car's hydraulics making it shift and bounce. She sounded her horn as she drove away. It played La Cucaracha.

"Well." Katie said as she crawled out of the crumpled Suburban. "That was fun."

"That crazy bitch ran over my foot." Raoul said and held his leg with the damaged foot dangling. "The full moon isn't for another five days. I can't fully heal without changing. You people need to stop hurting me."

Sirens somewhere in the distance were getting closer. I motioned for Katie to get in and she hopped into the Dodge. We left before the Cops arrived. I didn't want to be seen around chaos, Izumi, and Raoul again. I wasn't too sure I wanted to be around Sally when she saw the parking lot of the Coffee Spot. Broken glass, twisted metal, and a quickly growing pool of automotive fluids littered the area. We were a couple of blocks away when the first fire truck passed us. I was entering the onramp to the freeway before Sally yelled in my mind that the parking lot was on fire. I told her the fire department was on its way.

"Do you think Sally is going to be mad?" Katie said as we cruised towards downtown Fort Worth.

"She can be a bit moody." I said and let visions of the small inferno in front of the Coffee Spot waft through my mind. "But she's usually pretty forgiving."

Sally sent me a mental image of the sign for the Coffee Spot falling over and crushing several cars. I was sure one of the cars belonged to Sally. Since it had already been scorched pretty badly, I didn't really see the problem. Sally yelled in my head in a most distracting fashion as part of the building began to burn.

"Usually she's pretty forgiving." I said again. Once I saw she was safe I pushed Sally out of my mind. "I haven't even told her how much time I spend thinking about Jackie yet."

Katie noticed that when I exited I-30 we seemed to be heading toward Carlo's place. She stiffened in her seat and crossed her arms.

"You can't return me." Katie said and narrowed her eyes. "I'm yours now."

"Yeah." I said. I slowed down a couple of blocks from Carlo's place and rolled into an empty parking spot. "I'm kind of getting used to the idea of having someone else around to talk to. Andy's good to have around, but there are times when I don't want to listen to Randy Travis. That's why he bought an iPod."

Katie stopped fiddling with the iPod. She slid it quietly into her leather messenger bag.

"You're not going to replace Andy as my Vampire Consulate backup." I said and stared out the windshield. "But you have proven yourself to be pretty useful at times."

I could see the lights on in Carlo's house, but then, the lights were always on in Carlo's house. I rolled down the window and let the cool night air in. Even in November there were still bugs singing and moths fluttering around the street lights. I had a few spare hours until dawn.

"How long were you in Carlo's service?" I said and fiddled with the radio stations.

"Not long." Katie said and stared out into the night. "He's a lot like you. He never really wanted me around."

"Did he really win you in a card game?" I said and looked over at her, but she didn't turn her head.

"Yeah." Katie said and took a few deep breaths. "That's the way I remember it."

"How long have you been a slave?" I said and averted my eyes and turned my attention back to Carlo's house. Maybe this was a touchy subject for her.

"214 years." Katie said and scrunched down in her seat. "Born into servitude thanks to my Father. You wouldn't understand. Your parents love you."

"I'm not so sure about that." I said. "Sometimes I think they just need me the same way that I need them."

"I was with Carlo a couple of months." Katie said and pulled her hoodie tighter. "He wasn't nice."

Katie turned her face toward me and batted her eyes. "Not like you."

"OK." I said. "Did Carlo ever go anywhere special? Was he the one that sent you to Mexico?"

"Fredric spent more time with me than Carlo." Katie said and looked down at her feet. "He's the one that sent me to Mexico. He also wanted me to translate passages for him and help him do spells. He was scary good at magic. A lot better than me. But his Elvish was total rubbish. I don't know where he got those books, either. Some of them were filled with seriously forbidden knowledge. Stuff I wouldn't translate for him."

"Do you know what he was trying to do?" I said and looked over at Katie.

"He wanted more power." Katie said and looked into my eyes. "Like all vampires."

"What about Carlo?" I said and let a little power flash in my eyes. "What did he want?"

"Carlo kept me in a cage and walked me on a leash. He wanted to hurt me." Katie said and shuddered. "He knew I wasn't going to be easy to kill, so he could let his passions go."

"Did he treat Fredric the same way?" I said, trying to recall any impressions from my handful of interactions with Carlo. "Did he have other people he tortured for fun?"

"I saw two other cages next to mine and they often had people in them." Katie said and her eyes took on a distant stare. "They were just people, humans, not vampires or anything. It was seldom the same people twice. One of them talked about how much they liked it when Carlo took them for an outing in the country."

"Did they say where this outing was?"

"No and I didn't ask." Katie said and frowned at me. "They might have told Carlo I wanted to go next time."

A pair of headlights flashed from Carlo's driveway and headed our way. The long black Hummer turned at the corner and headed west on Jacksboro Highway. I fired up the Dodge and started to follow them. I decided to be a bit more subtle in my pursuit. The two of us and a handful of garbage trucks were the only ones on the roads now.

Hwy 199, aka Jacksboro Highway, heads northwest out of Fort Worth. It remains an urban surface street for several miles. It opens up on the other side of Lake Worth and becomes less urban and more countryside.

The Hummer rolled ahead of us as I did my best to keep far enough back to be just another car. I found a bit of cover behind a rock hauler. I noticed a small row of coffins with X's through them on the back above the mud flaps. I didn't get too close.

"What if this has nothing to do with Carlo's ranch or whatever?" Katie said as she watched the taillights come in and out of view. "What if this was just someone visiting and now they're going home?"

"Then I'll need to ask them for a place to crash for the day." I said and checked the clock. Sunrise was only two hours away. I was getting close to the point of no return for getting back to the Mansion. "Of course, I can always trust you to watch over me during the day."

"You really can." Katie said in an unusually serious tone. "Even if you don't believe it."

We were rolling among small hills when the gravel truck that had been our shield pulled off the freeway. It was then I noticed the Hummer had also pulled off. I made a quick adjustment and followed the Semi into the dusty darkness. We rumbled off the paved road and into the service road of a gravel pit. Gerald had been in Azle not too long ago looking for Kilestra and he had run into some trouble. Something about running over an armadillo when he wasn't looking.

"Watch out." Katie said as I stomped on the brakes and skidded to a stop in a shower of gravel.

A large armadillo was sitting in the middle of the road. It was surrounded by white chalk dust and frozen in my headlights. Its beady eyes shone as it tilted its tiny head this way and that, trying to get a good look at me. Then there was a bang on my window and Katie and I jumped like kids watching a scary movie.

"You're lost, pal." A large man said as he leaned onto the car. "This is a Company road, and I don't think you work here."

"I heard there was a pack of rogue armadillos out here." I said, putting on my Master of the City voice and doing my best to look down my nose as I looked up at the man. "I'm Master Walengrave and I decided to check out the rumor first hand."

The man stood up straight and squared his shoulders. He looked like I was Patton and he was prepared to be slapped across the face with a leather glove. A shuffling of feet sounded behind him and a slightly smaller man stepped forward. I could see him in the darkness and like his larger friend, I could tell he was a Were. It wasn't too big a leap to guess these were part of the Armadillo pack.

"I'm Justin." The smaller man said. "And this is Gravel. I'm the leader of the Armadillos of Azle, Chapter 12."

"Chapter 12?" Katie said in a stage whisper. "How many fucking armadillos are there in Azle?"

"You must be the Elf." Gravel said and relaxed his military posture. "I've heard about you."

"We're not rogues." Justin said, ignoring both Katie and Gravel. "We were told this territory didn't have a Master. We didn't think we needed to seek out the local Consulate. I'll correct that error in the morning. Which isn't that far off by the way."

"Since you're not outlaws." I said and looked Justin in the eye. "You won't mind offering us accommodations for the day."

"We'd be honored, Sir." Justin said. "Is there any other reason you paid us a visit tonight?"

"I'm looking for some information." I said. Justin relaxed. He was sure now that he had the real reason we were there and no longer tensed for battle.

"Follow me." Justin said and walked a few steps to where a large motorcycle rested by the roadside. It roared to life and its three headlights lit up the road like daylight. He rumbled off ahead of us and I nodded my farewell to Gravel as we followed Justin into the night.

"Did you ever stop to think that these guys probably work for Carlo?" Katie said and shook her head "And that we lost the Hummer?"

"Do some scouting during the day." I said without taking my eyes off the motorbike and the road. "See if you can find out where it went. I haven't seen any side roads and that Hummer isn't really an off-road vehicle."

"If it's safe." Katie said and peered into the surrounding darkness. "I'll see."

We passed two more biker dudes on our way. We drove past a couple of gravel pits that looked like hungry black holes. Pit mines were not as common here as in other places, but I did see one now and then. I could feel the sun getting ready to rise and there was a hint of light in the eastern sky. This was a little closer than I liked to cut it. I was about to pull over and dive into a gravel pit when the bike pulled into a small Western town set. He parked in front of the Saloon.

We followed Justin into the Saloon but didn't have time to look around. He took us to a flight of stairs. We went down. It was a surprisingly long flight of stairs. The wooden walls of the first level changed to smooth stone. Then the walls were rough stone as it opened into a large room. This looked like an old West style mine. The walls supported by thick wooden beams. Red hurricane lamps hung from rusty hooks. In a room off to one side behind a weathered wooden door, I found three coffins. A dozen cots lined the walls.

I walked up to the first coffin and opened the heavy lid. It was empty and showed no sign of recent use. The usual weariness of a new day weighed down upon me as I climbed inside. I was out before the lid fell shut.

### Chapter Eleven

I WOKE UP and took a deep breath. That was a mistake, the air in the old mine was stale and dusty. The lid of the coffin was open and Katie was standing over me. I let my senses fill the room and there was someone else there, but he wasn't moving either. I sat up and looked into Katie's soft green eyes. She didn't move.

I climbed out of the coffin and took a closer look at the Elf. She was still, but she didn't seem to be injured, didn't appear to be under some kind of spell. Clearly, something wasn't quite right. I'm sure Sally could tell me what this meant. She was a much more dedicated Googler than I was. Of course, she might not be speaking to me at the moment. How attached to a car can you get?

"I think she's asleep." Gravel's deep scratchy voice said from where he sat on the stairs. "She spent most of the day out scouring the countryside. We lost track of her a few times. She's good, better than we thought she was."

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" I said and walked around Katie. "Somewhere not too far away?"

Gravel nodded and slowly stood up. He was a lot bigger than I remembered. He walked softly around a corner and led me into a clean, modern looking room. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the mine. He pointed to a lunch table and waited until I sat down before he took his own seat.

"I'm at your service, Master Walengrave." Gravel said without emotion. "If you need information, or to feed, or anything else. I'm here for you."

I froze where I was sitting. That sounded a lot like the speech Katie had given me. A Werearmadillo would be good to have in a fight and I'm sure his blood was potent. I'm just not sure how many of these oddly subservient people I could fit into my life. Gravel seemed to read my mind from the look on my face.

"Service is an honor." Gravel said and shrugged his hands. I noticed he wore a Damascus steel ring like the one I was wearing. "I'm new at this kind of thing. I'm not bound to you in the same way the Elf is bound to you. That could change, though, I suppose."

I stared at the big, brawny man with his shaved head and jutting beard. He was at least six foot three and powerful in the way that all Weres are. He wore dark denim with a black leather vest and a red bandana hanging around his neck. His arms were bare to the shoulder and were covered with many tattoos. He didn't strike me as the kind of man who would volunteer for this kind of honor.

"Are you under some kind of coercion, Gravel?" I said as I looked into his eyes and let my power flow into him.

"Yes." He said simply. He put his hand out toward me. "But I am willing to be of service."

I looked at his hand and ground my teeth together. I put my hand into his calloused fist and it closed around me like a vice. The now familiar shock of lines of power flowing from him to me and back again shook both our bodies. One more mouth to feed. I shook my hand free and rubbed my palm. I was lost in thought for a moment.

Gravel's fist hit me right over the heart and sent me falling backwards. The blast of a shotgun split the air a moment later. I watched a cloud of small silver pellets swarm through the air. Right where I had been sitting a second before. Gravel tossed one of the small tables at the door. He threw his large body between me and my would-be assailant.

"Damn Vampire." A voice rusty with age yelled into the room. "Your kind ain't welcome here."

"This is Wilhem, the Master of Fort Worth and he's a guest." Gravel said and walked forward with an air of authority. "We don't usually kill guests."

The old man looked at Gravel and frowned. I was a bit troubled by the word 'usually.' I stood up and dusted off my black jeans as best as I could. It was a lost cause. I looked out the door and saw a blur of motion and the old man disappeared. It wasn't too much of a guess that the shotgun blast had woken Katie from her slumber.

Gravel and I rushed into the mine's main room. We found Katie twisting the old man's arm as she pinned his face into the dirt floor. The old man struggled for a moment and then gave up. He went limp in Katie's grasp and did his best to blow dirt out of his mouth.

"You can let him go, Katie." I said. "The danger seems to have passed for the moment."

Katie pushed off the old man and walked over to me with a hard glare at Gravel. She pointedly put herself between the big biker and me. She surprised me by putting her arms around my waist and leaning her head into my chest. If Gravel had taken a similar pose on my other side, I would have screamed. The big man didn't move.

"We run a Lost Mining amusement park on the weekends." Gravel said and helped the old man to his feet. "This is Earl, he plays an old miner. Sometimes he lets his imagination carry him away."

"Back in the Old Days." Earl said and fell into a pose with a bent back and a tilted head. "Miners found the odd vampire sleeping in a side shaft. Most vampires were not overly evil, but some were. Weren't no Law back then, no Commission to tell folks how to act. So we usually just killed em on sight."

"Not the way I remember it." I said and looked around the replica mine. "And I don't recall a lot of deep shaft mining around here either."

"Poetic license." Earl said and stood up straight. "Who'd pay to watch a machine break up big rocks into little ones?"

Earl dusted off his costume, picked up his shotgun, and left. We watched him go. I really needed to get out more.

"I'm guessing you're here because of Carlo and the other vampires." Gravel said and swiveled his head my way. "I can help with that."

"Yeah." Katie said and squinted at Gravel. "I've found out a few things as well."

"WE DON'T WORK for Carlo." Gravel said once he had righted the table and chairs in the meeting room. "At least not directly. Justin is our Alpha. He earns the Armadillos money by running a security company."

"You mean he rents you out as muscle to the highest bidder?" Katie said.

"Yeah, said the slave." Gravel said and smirked at Katie. "At least my gigs are all short term."

"Maybe they used to be." Katie said and smiled at Gravel.

"About Carlo?" I said in an attempt to steer the conversation away from the joys of slavery. "What can you tell me?"

"Carlo visits one of the old gravel pits at the road's end outside." Gravel said. "Vampires are living there. An Ancient and a couple of younger vamps Carlo sired with her."

"I can't go near a place like that." I said and shook my head. "An Ancient would feel my presence instantly."

"Did I mention the Armadillos run a Security Company?" Gravel said. "We've had them under surveillance for a couple of months."

"I did some scouting." Katie said. "Carlo has a lot of protection around that pit. A lot of Armadillos, though I couldn't tell which pack they belonged to."

Gravel picked up a remote control and pressed a button. A large screen TV on the wall came to life. Grainy black and white surveillance footage streamed across the screen. A collection of images featuring Carlo and a tall, thin female vampire. Victoria, an Ancient who used to be the Queen. Other vampires that looked a bit like Fredric came and went.

"How long has she been here?" I said. "I'm sure I would have remembered Fedor mentioning another Ancient visiting the area. The Old Ones love all the tiny rituals and details. She would have stopped by the Consulate."

"Not that long. She showed up shortly after Fredric was killed." Gravel said. "But she took over the place as soon as she got here."

"I'll bet she did." Katie said. "Whose the master and whose the slave there?"

"Do you have any other footage?" I said and looked at the remote in Gravel's hand. "Anything about Fredric's death?"

"We looked into it." Gravel said slowly and turned away. "It looks like Kilestra did it."

"Take me back to my car." I told Gravel. "I've learned enough for now."

THE NIGHT WAS still young when Katie and I headed back to Fort Worth. I told Gravel to answer when called, but that he could stay in Azle the rest of the time. He didn't protest. He told me he would be available. This was the first good news I had in a while. I wasn't looking forward to sharing a bath with Gravel.

"I think we could have some fun with Gravel." Katie said and smiled at me. "But he needs to learn to take his responsibilities a little more seriously."

"He did save my life." I said and tried to keep images of Gravel and Katie out of my mind. I looked at Katie and she gave me her innocent face as the pornographic film in my head faded away. I turned my attention back to the road.

"So." Katie said and leaned over until her shoulder bumped mine. "Who's Victoria?"

"Someone kicked out of power when the New Queen took over." I said. "An Ancient and a dangerous vampire. More important at the moment is finding out why she's here. What's going on that would make her drop whatever she was doing and come to live in a gravel pit in Azle."

It was around midnight when I pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot. I shook my head in amazement, what did vampires do before the 24 hour Supercenter was born? I parked out near the middle of the huge parking lot.

"What are we doing here?" Katie said as she followed me into the store.

"Weren't you complaining about my empty fridge the other night?" I said as I stopped to get one of the ginormous shopping carts. "You do eat, right?"

"Yeah, I eat." Katie said and pouted. "But it wasn't me complaining about your empty fridge."

"Anyway." I said and pushed the cart with that familiar sense of the hunter going after easy prey. "I need to get a house warming gift for Grandfather."

An hour later, the cart was full of fruits, vegetables, and meats. And assorted things that go with fruits, vegetables, and meats. I was now standing in front of a display of blenders. I was having a hard time deciding between the blenders. Should I get the super blender with a dozen blades or a regular old style blender with one set of blades at the bottom? Katie walked up, dropped an armful of clothes into the cart, and looked at the food.

"You don't really think I'm gonna eat all those vegetables, do you?" Katie said as she pawed through the carrots and broccoli.

"Well, you're an Elf, right?" I said. "I figured you needed a balanced diet."

"Uh, yeah. An Elf, not a rabbit." Katie said and gave me a look. "Sally's not a vegan is she?"

"It's good for you." I said and turned away from the dizzying display of blenders. "You need to eat a mixture of meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts. You're a woodland creature aren't you? Figure something out."

"Woodland creature?" Katie said and put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a raccoon you hit with your car and decided to nurse back to health. I'm a person. I like cheeseburgers and French fries."

"Fine." I said and grabbed the expensive multi-bladed blender. I dropped it on top of all the other stuff in the basket. "What you don't like, you can leave for Sally. And I'll give part of it to Grandfather. To use in his new blender"

WE STOPPED OFF at the Mansion and filled up the fridge in my rooms. I had enough left over to fill Mother and Father's fridge. And I still had a few things to take over to Grandfather. Mother and Father looked at the food.

"Very kind of you, Wil." Mother said in a way that clearly said if she wanted food she'd do her own shopping. "Would you like me to prepare something for Sally or Katie?"

"If you want." I said. "But I think you two should eat some of it. You need to keep your strength up."

"Yes, of course." Father said and cleared his throat. "You know we mostly eat out these days. After a couple of hundred years your Mother kind of got tired of cooking."

"Didn't you do the cooking for a while, Father?" I said and waited for the punch line I had heard a hundred times before.

"Yes, it was my cooking she was tired of." Father said and laughed at his own joke. I laughed with him. Katie shook her head and walked out of the kitchen. I smiled at my parents and then turned away. I knew better than to try and feed on them.

I headed down the cement passage to the driveway and the Dodge.

Kilestra was leaning against the Dodge, staring up at the night sky. It was gray and overcast, but there was no real rain tonight. I walked quietly up to her and she looked at me. Her presence was like the comfort of an old coat.

"Did you find anything interesting in Azle?" Kilestra said and turned her dark eyes toward me. "It's not a place I visit often. The streets are choked with armadillos."

"Yeah, I noticed that." I said and beeped the Dodge's doors unlocked. "It seems Carlo has a hideout in one of the old gravel pits."

"Makes a certain amount of sense." Kilestra said. "Some of those pits are deep and all but forgotten."

"I caught a glimpse of Carlo and one of his fledglings." I said and joined Kilestra in leaning against the Dodge. "This one looked a lot like Fredric, as best as I can remember him, but I only saw him from the side. I also saw his other Maker. Victoria."

"Really?" Kilestra said and perked up for a moment as she leaned into me. "She isn't much of a hands-on Maker. I hear she leaves all that to Carlo."

Kilestra let her eyes turn blue with power as she looked into me. Her face was cool and impassive as ever, but I felt a hint of concern.

"You're still not well." Kilestra said and tilted her head like a dog listening to a distant sound. "The poison seems to have taken up permanent residence inside you."

"Yeah." I said and looked off into the night. "Some kind of military smoke grenade infused with The Little Death. I've developed a taste for Jackie. She had a vision about our attraction, but, as usual, she didn't give me anything I could use to stop it from happening."

"Damned Seers never tell you what you need to know." Kilestra said and shook her head. "The Little Death is almost a myth. Someone with deep pockets was behind this. Were you the attacker's target?"

"Maybe." I said. "Fedor got the blunt of the attack. I just happened to be in the wrong place."

"Were you?" Kilestra said and looked back toward the Mansion. "Your little Elf was there. The Little Death didn't have any effect on her, did it? I don't trust her."

"I'm not sure I do either." I said and raised my eyebrows. "Jackie mentioned my scars during a vision, but didn't mention how I got them."

"Scars? Magic or silver or holy water, take your pick." Kilestra said and then pulled my hand up to look at the Damascus steel ring. "And why are you wearing this? I saw some of these when I was in Mexico not too long ago. There was an Ancient that was cranking them out like there was no tomorrow. He seemed intent on giving one to everyone he ever met. I didn't accept one. He said something about your saving his life. He wasn't all that pleased about it."

"Beth gave it to me." I said and looked at the ring. "She did mention some Ancient. She didn't seem to know his name."

"I don't either." Kilestra said and frowned. "Ancients and their damned mind tricks. You know, The Little Death is pretty old school, the kind of thing an Ancient might use."

"Explains why I never heard of it." I said and rubbed my forehead. "Does it also explain why I can't seem to feed on humans?"

"I've looked into it. The Little Death's main power is its ability to keep a vampire hungry." Kilestra said and frowned. "In ancient times it was used to torture New Bloods to help them see the wisdom of joining the fold. Big recruitment tool when the Commission was first getting under way. You won't find that in the official records, of course."

"No, I guess not." I said. My stomach gave a twitch and I felt that eternal hunger. A vampire can't starve to death. We can suffer the madness of hunger and decide to go out into the sun one morning.

"Talk to Ravenhawk." Kilestra said and scratched at her ear. "Alchemists created The Little Death from some secret recipe handed down by some God or another. Alchemists and Witches aren't all that different."

"Sure it wasn't a Goddess that created the recipe?" I said and had a small vision of Desiara working some magic I couldn't understand.

"I'm not an expert." Kilestra said and looked at me. "I suppose it could have been a Goddess. I always thought it was just a good story to scare baby vampires with."

"Katie pointed out a passage in an old book about Elven Gods." I said and looked at her evenly. "Wouldn't know anything about old books, would you?"

"A bit." Kilestra said and smiled without showing her teeth. "I'm having a hard time reading one I acquired recently. Think you can get your pet to help?"

"Think you can be a little nicer?"

Kilestra smiled and crossed her arms, clearly amused by the idea that she needed to be nice to anyone.

"Does it worry you that everyone still thinks you killed Fredric?" I said and decided not to think about my imminent madness for a bit.

"Not much." Kilestra said and walked toward the tall grass that surrounded the Mansion. "Your info's been interesting. If you keep up the good work, I'll give you a reward."

"Oh really?" I said and let my mind fumble with the possibilities for a moment, then shook my head to clear it. "I had a vision of you the other night. You were with Fredric and he was reading a spell book of some kind."

"Sneaking around in other people's minds isn't polite." Kilestra said and smirked at me. "I'm not sure it's a spell book. I think he was just looking at the pictures. I might let you see it someday. Depending on how this all plays out."

"Then what is it?" I said and looked toward Kilestra. She was already gone.

### Chapter Twelve

I DROVE TO the apartment complex that bordered the Mansion's property. They were sleek and modern and I never liked the look of them. This was where Grandfather had found a place to stay. It was also where Ravenhawk the Witch lived. I parked halfway between their apartments and headed for Grandfather's place first.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with a blender?" Grandfather said. He held the super blender at arm's length like a dangerous animal. "The apartment came with a microwave and I'm not even sure I'll ever use that."

"You can make smoothies." I said and pointed at the box's side. "And salsas."

"I saw a video online where someone blended an iPhone." Grandfather said and sat the blender down on his small dining room table. "Maybe I'll start with a smoothie."

"So how do you like your new digs?" I said and looked around the 600 square foot apartment. "Looks cozy."

"Yeah, it's small." Grandfather said and waved his hand in an arc. "Not everyone wants to live in an aircraft hangar, you know."

"Yeah, it reminds me of the first place we lived when we moved here." I said as I crossed the room in three steps. "Remember that sod house? Now that was a small room."

"Yup, those were the good old days, eh?" Grandfather rubbed the white stubble on his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I came across some Information the other day you might be interested in."

"Oh?" I said and sat down on one of the two seats next to the A/C vent. "And what will it cost me to get it?"

"This one's a freebie." Grandfather said as he patted the air in a placating gesture. "One of Fredric's human companions, a woman named Shirley. She's been running around town trying to sell some kind of information about Fredric. She says it's a big dollar bit of Info. Fedor told her to peddle it elsewhere."

"Fedor turned information away?" I said and raised an eyebrow. "How did she look?"

"She looked tired." Grandfather said and nodded in sympathy. "Fredric's been dead for a couple of weeks now. I guess she's on the lookout for some nice vampire to take his place."

I looked at Grandfather and felt the trap spring shut. The door to his bedroom squeaked open. A tall blonde woman wearing tight fitting jeans and a white T-shirt stepped out. Hints that she had once been a beautiful woman shown on her face. Grief and loss had taken their toll on her. That and the fact she was a vampire's Chosen and she probably should have died a long time ago.

"Hey, I'm Shirley." Shirley said and plopped down on the sofa next me. "I have some Information I'd be willing to share in exchange for a bit of your attention."

Shirley tilted her head and gave me a hopeful look. She batted her eyes and I could feel she was nearing the end of her use by date. Her smile had a seriously desperate feel to it. I relaxed and stared into her, letting my senses expand around her need. Her heart was beating too fast and she couldn't sit still for more than a few seconds at a time. I'd never heard of a Donor living this long without becoming another vampire's blood slave.

"I'm guessing Fredric had been weaning you off his power for a while or you'd be dead by now." I said and leaned away from her. "So either he knew he was in danger, or he was replacing you with someone new."

"That's not the information I have." Shirley said and frowned in a way that made any sign of beauty vanish from her face. "He said he was tired of me. I told him I wouldn't bother him. I just needed him to feed on me occasionally. You understand."

"Oh, I understand." I said and shot a glance at Grandfather. "Over the years I've had other cast-offs under my wing for a time. It really is a bit embarrassing how few vampires can stand another vampire's Chosen."

"I'm not asking for you to make me one of your Chosen." Shirley said in a shaky voice. "I don't even know you. I just want you to feed on me and give me a little energy. Just enough so I can leave town. I met a vampire online who is the Master of a big city on the East coast."

"Of course, a Master." I said and smiled. "Not just some lonely loser trolling the internet for his next mark. A castoff makes a perfect victim. No family, well, none living anyway. No one to protect them, no one who cares. Here you are like any junkie, willing to do anything for one more hit. But I'm sure Grandfather told you I'm one of the nice ones."

"You're not that nice." Grandfather said and averted his eyes. "Feed on her already, it makes my teeth hurt to look at her."

"What's your information, Shirley?" I said as I leaned my head close to her neck.

"Carlo is spending a lot of time in Azle." Shirley said and leaned toward me until my lips brushed the skin below her ear. "But he's also spending a lot of time in the Shadow Realm. Fredric spent time there as well. He finds things."

"What kind of things?" I said and put my hands on her shoulders to hold her still.

"The kind of things Kilestra wouldn't like people to find." Shirley said and looked around quickly. "The kind of things a lot of Elves might not like being found either."

"You're saying Kilestra had a good reason to kill Fredric?" I said and pushed her away. I thought about feeding on her and letting it kill her. The Little Death was twisting my thoughts. "I can't help you right now."

"I've got better Information about Fredric." Shirley said and looked at my ring. "But I'm guessing you're like Fedor and don't want to hear it."

I started to say that I did want to hear it, but there was a sudden pocket of emptiness in my mind. I couldn't quite remember what I had said. I was now in the hallway leading out to the parking lot. Guess I decided to ignore Shirley's info about Fredric.

RAOUL AND IZUMI were parked next to the Dodge when I came out. I was feeling a bit light headed and my skin had that translucence a vampire gets when he misses a couple of meals. Raoul rolled down the passenger side window and glared at me.

"Yo, you should think about handing over Kilestra to us." Raoul said and adjusted his position with a grimace. "Then maybe we could do a little favor for you."

"What kind of favor?" I said and looked into Raoul's dark Werebear eyes.

"You don't look so good, my friend." Raoul said and nodded. "I have something that could help pick you up a bit. I even have enough for that hardass boss of yours."

"You've got some of the cure?" I said and let power flash in my eyes. "I thought you didn't have anything to do with the attack?"

"We like to be prepared." Izumi said and nodded slowly. "You never know what might come in handy. And sadly, there are many 'cures' that do not work as well as ours. Cure and curse have to be balanced. It has to do with Yin and Yang, you understand."

"Just happen to be friends with the people who make The Little Death, eh?" I said and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Why should I trust you?"

"We didn't have anything to do with the attack." Izumi said and gave me one of her shy Japanese smiles. "But we do know the people who did. They have been kind enough to offer us their assistance with your unfortunate condition."

"So how about a little trade?" Raoul said and rubbed his hands together. "Our coincidentally useful potion for Kilestra."

"I don't know where she is." I said and looked at the supernatural Hunters. "Kilestra is out of your league. What do you really want?"

"She has something our boss wants." Izumi said as she leaned over Raoul. "You can tell her that."

"Sure thing." I said and looked at the Suburban. "Nice repair job."

"This is a different Suburban." Izumi said and adjusted her shiny black hair with a delicate white hand. "This one has red pinstripes that the other one lacked."

"Nice." I said and turned back to Raoul, who was giving Izumi a stare that made her look away.

"You can also tell Kilestra we're running out of patience." Raoul said and tapped his watch. "We might have to get nasty soon."

"You two need to leave my Grandson alone." Grandfather said from the doorway of his apartment building. "Or I'll have to get involved."

"What are you gonna do old man?" Raoul said and laughed like a movie villain. "We know all about you, you're nothing."

"Yeah, just keep thinking that." Grandfather said and stared at Raoul with his best Clint Eastwood squint. "I've got a new blender that will make short work of a runt like you."

"You people are just weird." Raoul said and rolled up the window.

Grandfather winked at me as he turned and went back inside. I headed across the apartment complex to Ravenhawk's place.

"Hello, Wilhem." Ravenhawk said when she opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

Ravenhawk's place was everything you'd expect from an excellent witch. One wall was filled with shelves and Apothecary drawers. Drying herbs hung on strings. Nearby she had one of those black topped lab tables from some school that no longer needed it. It was covered with items used in the cooking, mixing, and general spell and potion preparation. It was all neat and orderly.

The room's other half held a sofa and a TV. A bookshelf was filled with a mixture of Spell books and recent Bestsellers. It was all comfortingly familiar. Ravenhawk had picked this apartment because it was close to me. She had chosen to stay, even after we became somewhat less close to each other.

"What did you do this time?" Ravenhawk said and studied me for a moment. "The Little Death? I've never seen an actual case before."

"Kilestra said it was used to torture vampires." I said and watched Ravenhawk sort through her stockpile of herbs and potions. She was dressed in a slinky black night gown. I nodded and remembered the last time I had seen it. On her bedroom floor. That had been before Sally. The memories were a mixture of emotions.

"I can still hear some of your thoughts." Ravenhawk said and turned her head to smile at me. "I miss that sometimes. The Little Death will continue to cripple you. Feeding will drain your Donors and hurt them. You can only think of one woman, right? Jackie, is it? The Consulate Receptionist?"

"Yeah." I said and sat back into the thick cushions. "I wonder what she's doing right now."

Ravenhawk mixed, heated, stirred, and chanted. I watched her with fascination as she quickly blended her preparations and set them to one side. She walked back over and sat down next to me.

"This isn't a cure." Ravenhawk said. "It's just a stop gap. The Little Death is like an epoxy, the cure gets created at the same time as the poison. Alchemy isn't really my forte."

"And what about Jackie?" I said. "She didn't exactly seem excited about the idea of being sexually bound to me."

"No one cared about humans affected by The Little Death." Ravenhawk said. "The vampires had the power and the money so a curse and a cure was created for them. I can examine Jackie and see if I can do anything to lessen the symptoms."

"I'm sure she would appreciate that." I said and took in Ravenhawk's scents and energies.

Ravenhawk smiled at me and went back to her work. She poured the cooled potion into two small bottles, and handed them to me. I gave Ravenhawk a hug and she returned it briefly, and then pushed me away. I caught a frown that quickly disappeared.

"I'll send you an invoice." Ravenhawk said and showed me to the door. "This should keep you alive for a while."

I took a moment to drink my vial of potion. It had an unpleasant taste and I didn't feel much of anything. Then a slow warmth spread over my body and an overwhelming relief that something was happening.

I DROVE AROUND for a while and let my thoughts drift. I ended up at the Vampire Consulate with Raoul and Izumi following at a not too discreet distance. I saw a big piece of plywood where the plate glass window used to be. At least all the broken glass was gone.

Andy looked up when I came in and showed open disappointment that I was alone. He looked through the glass door and noticed the Suburban in the parking lot behind my Dodge. He patted the bulge under his left armpit.

"I could take care of those two." Andy said and tapped a finger to his nose. "I've still got a couple of contacts at The Vending Authority."

"I'm a vampire, Andy." I said and looked at Jackie's empty desk with a pang of longing. "I know how to get rid of a body if I need to."

"We're law abiding citizens." Fedor's voice called from his office. "Our business is tracking down Rogues and sharing our knowledge with other like-minded beings."

I looked at Andy and he made an up and down motion with the curled fingers of one hand. He returned his attention to a magazine with a Holland and Holland shotgun on the cover.

"Fedor's worried someone might be listening." Andy said and turned a glossy page without looking up. "He thinks the attack came from an official source. He's worried about his job."

I walked into Fedor's office and the smell of fabric cleaner was thick in the air. The rug had a just shampooed look to it. There was also a nice undercurrent of lemon Pledge. Fedor sat behind his desk, sorting through several manila folders. They were stacked and fanned and just sitting on his huge desk.

"Where's Kilestra?" Fedor said and stopped sorting papers long enough to glare up at me. "Where's Vladlena? And weren't you supposed to be collecting some money that idiot Billy owes me?"

"Kilestra is kind of busy at the moment." I said and lowered myself into a recently mink oiled green leather chair. "Vladlena has been trying to kill me. And Billy seems to have lost his memory of owing you any money. He did give me this a couple of days ago."

I tossed the pouch of diamonds, two or three lighter than when Billy had given it to me, onto the desk. He picked up a bag and peeked at the contents. He poured the diamonds into his palm. He examined them with a deeply penetrating stare. Satisfied the diamonds were real, he dribbled them back into the small velvet bag and made them disappear into an inner jacket pocket, toot sweet.

"That will just about cover the cleaning and the replacement of the window." Fedor said and leaned back in his green leather Captain's chair. He rested his elbows on the chair's small arms and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "Billy sold your Elf The Little Death. He's been papering the town with his funny money. I think he needs to spend some quality time in one of my guest rooms downstairs."

"Maybe." I said and absently fiddled with my beard. I tried to put the puzzle that was Billy together in my mind, without success. "How are you feeling? You were exposed to The Little Death a lot longer than I was."

"I'm fine." Fedor said and returned to sorting his paperwork. "As long as I don't see Jackie."

"I got Ravenhawk the Witch to look at me." I said and pulled the small bottle out of my jacket pocket. "She knew about The Little Death and was able to whip something up."

"Very kind of her." Fedor said as he took the bottle and gazed at the cloudy contents. "I've never liked magic."

"She said she'll send you a bill."

Fedor drank the contents as quickly as he could. I could see the warmth spread over his body as it had over mine. I looked up and saw Fedor breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Ravenhawk said it's just a temporary solution." I said and shrugged.

"Better than none at all." Fedor said as he shuffled a few more papers in a seemingly random fashion. "Then we can get back to business. I'd like you to track down the Werecoyote Elisabeth Gould. I have some information that she is the source of the drugs Billy has been peddling lately."

"What's the finder's fee on Beth?" I said and stood up.

"If you actually manage to bring her to me, I'll see what I can do." Fedor said and pulled out a document with Top Secret stamped on it. "The Captain's people found Beth's fingerprint on the packing the M18 smoke grenade was sent in. It was re-purposed by adding The Little Death to the smoke mixture. The Captain said it was a professional job."

"And you think Beth is an explosives expert?" I said. I had watched Beth lob bombs in a video game. I wasn't sure it was a skill that translated readily to the real world.

"Just find her." Fedor said and looked around suspiciously. He spoke in my mind. 'Trust no one.'

I WALKED DOWN the block toward the Nightshade Gallery. I was surprised to see someone standing in front of the gallery. It was Sammy the Cincinnati Seer. He was standing in a pool of yellow light from the lamppost on the corner. One hand was wrapped around a wooden pole with a large white sign attached to it. The sign said Repent Ye All Sinners For The End Of The World Is Nigh. The words at the bottom were a bit crowded.

Sammy was wearing his usual brown robe that looked to be made of sackcloth. It was tied at the waist with a thick rope. The robe stopped about mid-calf and I could see he was wearing thick leather sandals with straps. There was a small wooden bowl next to his right foot. He looked like one of those street performers that came to life once you gave them a dollar.

I walked up to him and he remained still. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cash. I peeled off a bill and dropped it in the bowl. Sammy's eyes opened and he stared at me.

"You have seen the end of the world!" Sammy shouted in my face. "Yet you do not act to stop it. That is a sign of wisdom."

"Is it?" I said and looked up and down the empty street. "I'm guessing you don't get a lot of business here. Sundance Square is just a few blocks over. There's always something going on there."

"The End is Nigh!" Sammy said and spread his arms wide. The sign flapped as he moved it. He tilted his head back and looked toward the heavens. His long hair scattered in a light breeze. He slowly lowered his face and I saw the light in his eyes. "You alone will live to see the new world."

"You know about the Elf?" I said and felt a sudden dryness in my mouth.

"I have been waiting so long." Sammy said and smiled at me. Then he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. As he did so, his body relaxed and his eyes closed. He returned to the way he had been before I had given him a dollar. I was tempted to drop another bill in the bowl, but decided against it. There are only so many times you want to hear the end is near.

I turned and went inside the Nightshade Gallery. I was hoping to talk to Ravenhawk again. It was another slow night, not an official Mixer, just a collection of people and vampires with nothing better to do. One or two were actually looking at the art. Jake greeted me when I walked in.

"Master Wilhem." Jake said in a booming voice. "So good to see you."

"Is Ravenhawk here?" I said and looked over at the door to her rooms. The door was closed, but I could see a little light around the edges and feel some kind of magic being performed.

"She's channeling someone's Spirit Guide at the moment." Jake said and let his face go slack. "At least she closed the door so I don't have to listen to that damned Indian chanting."

"If you don't like her brand of magic." I said and raised an eyebrow at Jake. "Why let her have rooms here?"

"Well." Jake said and leaned in close to me. "People dumb enough to pay for advice from long dead Native American goat herders are also dumb enough to buy art."

I felt something ping in my mind and I looked over at the small crowd. Grandfather was there among a small group of people. He regaled them with one of his stories. He looked over at me and nodded. He excused himself and headed my way.

"Jake here tells me he got you something special." Grandfather said and looked around. "But he won't tell me what it is. He's ruining my reputation as a world class gossip."

"Is it still in your office?" I said and cut my eyes to Jake. He pressed his lips together and nodded. I looked at Ravenhawk's closed door. "Could you ask her to join us when she's done?"

"Sure thing." Jake said and crossed his arms. "Should I arrange a hot rock massage and a pedicure as well?"

"I like hot rocks." Grandfather said and looked off. I grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him toward Jake's office.

"Whoa." Grandfather said as he looked at the painting of Desiara. "I know all Elves look alike, but this one looks kind of familiar. Have you shown this to Katie?"

"No." I said and sat down in Jake's chair. "Not sure how to bring up a painting of her in chains on a Fort Worth rooftop. Especially one that was painted a thousand years before there was a Fort Worth."

"Elves." Grandfather said and shook his head. "Been doing a bit of research, on Elves in general. One of those races that believe the world is going to be destroyed for its sins. Judging from this, I'd say the Day of Judgment is at hand."

Ravenhawk blew into the room and closed the door. Her classic Native American features were all business here at the Gallery. She was wearing some kind of ceremonial outfit that made her look like a poster for Arizona tourism. Made me remember why I had fallen for her. I admired the strong lines and bright colors. She walked up to the painting and stood with her hands on her hips. "I told Jake this was some kind of a binding spell." Ravenhawk said and shook her head. "This is high level Elf magic, I don't channel dead Elves, they don't like me."

"Is it dangerous?" I said and stood beside her. "Is she dangerous?"

"Let me show you something." Ravenhawk said and reached out and shifted the angle of the light on the painting. The scene changed. The woman's chains were gone and she floated in empty air. The buildings behind her were in ruins. The sky had changed from blue to brown. The Elf smiled and a green halo surrounded her head. I had first hand experience with the scene, she was smiling at me. An instant later, the scene returned to the sad woman in chains.

"Looks dangerous to me." Grandfather said and blew out a breath. "I'll have to ask Fedor if I can have a peek at his archives. I don't think the public library is going to help with this one."

"This is the lock to a prison cell." Ravenhawk said and looked at me. "Where there's a lock, there's a key."

"A magical key." I said and remembered Fredric pouring over a magical text and Kilestra taking that same book when she left the Jangling Spurs. This was a lock that I was sure shouldn't be opened.

"I couldn't help but notice your portrait in her hands." Ravenhawk said and pointed to the small oval in the painting. "I think that's significant. I think it means you're one of the keys."

"I'm guessing it was no accident that Katie wound up in your hands." Grandfather said and shook his head. "I'll see what I can find out."

"Did you happen to notice that madman on the sidewalk outside?" Ravenhawk said and raised an eyebrow at me. "He's famous for showing up places where some big disaster is about to happen."

"You know Sammy?" I said and tried to remember where I had seen him before. I couldn't put my finger on it. "He told me the end was near."

"He tells everyone that." Ravenhawk said and looked off with a thoughtful expression. "He's bound to be right one of these times."

I felt a shiver go down my back and I looked over at the painting again. I saw the Goddess destroying the world and I felt again her love for me. It was not an entirely good feeling.

I DROVE BACK to Poly and the Dodge bounced and jostled as it fell into one pothole after another. The streets were filled with parked cars, some that appeared to be permanent fixtures. Every house seemed to have one car in the driveway and at least two parked out front. I found a parking spot in front of Billy's house. Maybe no one wanted to risk pissing off the local vampire by parking here.

The clouds rumbled and there was a light mist giving the night a muggy feeling. The damp air made Billy's cement porch slick under my Tevas. A scruffy looking cat hissed at me and I hissed back. Billy opened the door before I could knock.

"Uh, hey Wil." He said and stepped out onto the porch beside me. "Nice night, huh?"

"You didn't tell me you sold The Little Death to that Elf you saw the other day." I said and showed Billy a flicker of my anger that made my eyes flash. "You almost got me killed. And drugging Fedor is not the best idea in the world either."

"Fedor?" Billy said and wrapped an arm around my shoulder and patted my chest. "Look, I had no idea that the Elf wanted to use The Little Death on Fedor. I thought she wanted to kill Carlo or maybe Fredric. I could feel the hate pouring off her, major bad vibes, but her hatred was clearly aimed at Carlo. I've never liked Carlo, so starving him to death would be no prob for me."

"So you knew the effect and you still sold it?" I said and pushed Billy back against the front wall. "Fedor thinks you need to spend a little time in one of the lower levels at the Consulate."

"That's not right." Billy said and tried to shrug. "I didn't do anything. I'm just the middle man."

"Yeah." I said and picked him up and slammed him against the wall. "I got a dose of it as well."

"Yeah, but clearly you just got a small hit." Billy said as he kicked his feet in the air. "Dude, you look fine. Well, mostly fine. I mean, I've seen you looking worse..."

"I got a potion from a friend." I said and lowered Billy to his feet. "But I hear this was some special blend of The Little Death."

"It's good to have friends." Billy said and rubbed his chin. "Besides, Beth is like the cook and I don't know the recipe. I'm more on the distribution side."

"Yeah, Beth." I said and pushed Billy ahead of me into the house. "I need to talk to Beth anyway."

The living room was filled with the same random crap and the smells of long neglect. Billy looked around and seemed surprised that no one was there. He relaxed.

"Beth has been spending a lot of time upstairs." Billy said and pointed to the dark staircase. "She's in the room on the left. I think."

I took the stairs two at a time and reached the top in a couple of seconds. I turned to the black painted door on the left and opened it without knocking.

Beth had a clothing optional approach to life. She was currently wearing some kind of body stocking made of black netting which left her naked by most standards. Beth wasn't exactly a beauty, but the show was always free and I had to force my eyes up to her face.

"Hey." Beth said without looking up from a large stop sign she was using as a table. "What're you doing here?"

The room was small and the only light came from a bare light bulb in a small lamp. The walls were covered with posters featuring rock stars from the 60s and 70s and the floor had a multicolored shag rug. Beth was bent over a tray with many small compartments, each of which contained some kind of herb or oil of dubious origin. The room smelled like a head shop and I was slightly surprised there wasn't sitar music playing softly in the background.

### Chapter Thirteen

"Mixing up more of The Little Death?" I said and took a step further into the room.

"Not my usual thing." Beth said and ran a hand over her Ziggy Stardust buzz cut as she surveyed the progress of her current project. "Strictly work for hire."

Beth turned around and examined a bookcase filled with bottles of oils and powders. She turned and looked at me for the first time. She stared into me and sniffed the air. I would have thought a room like this would have ruined her Werecoyote sense of smell, but apparently not. Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth formed a small o of surprise.

"So you were the target, huh?" Beth said and nodded. "No offense, but I thought it was for Carlo or maybe Fedor."

"Who paid you to make it?" I said and flashed power in my eyes.

"I can't seem to remember." Beth said and licked her lips. "Maybe if you spanked me, it'd help me to focus."

"How about I take you to see The Captain?" I said. "Maybe he could show you the error of your ways."

"Fine. This guy said he had the ingredients, but he didn't know to put them together. He had this high end alchemical set up and the pay was good." Beth said and looked around the room as if she expected to see an exit she had missed before. "But making The Little Death isn't like baking a cake. The damned recipe was written in Ancient Elfish for crying out loud. Fredric said he knew someone who could translate it. After that I found out The Vampire Commission has done a good job of making it damn near impossible to get the necessary agents. I'd never seen most of the components before."

"I'll take your word for it." I said and pointed at the door. "I think Fedor would still like to talk to you."

As we headed down the stairs, I could hear the sounds of a video game being played and Billy was cursing as his player was killed yet again. With Beth in front of me, I rounded the bend in the stairs and saw Katie sitting on the old couch next to Billy.

"Fedor told me you'd be here and you might need some help." Katie said.

"No problems so far." I said and walked over to Billy and took the controller out of his hands.

"Dude!" Billy said and looked at me as if I had just snatched the pen out of his hand as he was signing the Declaration of Independence.

"You're coming with us Billy." I said and tossed the controller on the floor. "Fedor wants to talk to you about a few things."

"Dude, that's harsh." Billy said and slumped as if his life had already ended. "Fedor hates me now. He thinks I tried to kill him and you want to take me in to the Consulate?"

"Yeah." Beth said in the same beaten tone. "He wants to see me, too."

They both looked at me sadly and for a second I was worried I would have to do something drastic, but they both seemed completely passive. I looked at Katie and she took a deep breath. I opened the door and we headed out to the Dodge.

"Hey, nice wheels." Beth said and looked at the Dodge like an auctioneer getting it ready for the block. "I thought you'd be driving something lame like a sports car or maybe a hearse."

"I think it'd look better if it were a different color..." Billy said and raised a hand.

"No." I said and stopped his arm in midair. "It's fine the way it is."

I LOOKED IN the rearview mirror as I drove out of Poly and noticed Raoul and Izumi weren't there. I shifted my gaze to Katie, who was slumped down in the passenger seat, nodding her head to some song I couldn't hear playing on her iPod. I nudged her and she looked up at me from under the shadow of her hoodie. She took out an ear bud and looked at me with a perfect imitation of teen angst.

"Did you happen to see Raoul and Izumi on your way to Billy's?" I said as I did my best to keep the Dodge from falling into a pothole and breaking something expensive. "They were following me around earlier, and now they're not."

"Andy told me the less you know the better." Katie said and started to put the ear bud back in. I grabbed her hand and brought the Dodge to a stop.

"The less I know about what?" I said and stared into Katie's eyes, letting my power rise up toward her.

"Hey, no fair Dude." Billy said from the back seat. "You're not supposed to whammy people like that, especially not in public."

"Yeah." Katie said and nodded at Billy. "It ain't no big thing. Andy just has some friends at a vending company and they have a tow truck. So they towed the Suburban."

"Were Raoul and Izumi still in the Suburban at the time?" I said and started moving forward again.

"Yeah." Katie said and put the ear bud back into place. "I think they were."

"Dude." Billy said. "You guys need to mellow out."

I PARKED NEXT to Andy's Custom Deluxe and could hear the engine pinging as it cooled down. I could guess how Katie had found her way to Billy's. My little group spilled out of the Dodge and we walked across the street. At three in the morning, the only sound in this part of Fort Worth was a freight train rumbling past on the tracks a few blocks away. The Fort Worth's Vampire Consulate saw a steady stream of vampires coming and going most nights. I didn't pay them any heed.

"Katie." I said and pulled her to a stop. "Take Beth inside and see if you can get Fedor to play nice with her. Billy and I have something we need to do."

"I'm your protector, Master." Katie said and pulled the drawstring on her hoodie tight. "I don't like being away from you."

"We won't be long." I said and grabbed Billy and headed back to the Dodge. I watched to make sure Katie and Beth made it inside and then headed for the Stockyards.

"You know that Elf is under some kind of spell, right?" Billy said as he slumped in the passenger seat in much the same way Katie had. "She acts like it hurts to be away from you. And no disrespect, Dude, but most people don't feel that way about you."

I ignored Billy and he played with the radio until he found a Beatles song he liked. He stared out the window as we headed down North Main Street. The roads were mostly empty, the businesses, mostly closed for the night. But I knew one club that stayed open for after-hours clients. Clients of the Vampire persuasion.

Fredric's club had stayed closed for two days in mourning. Now there was no sign anything at all had changed. I could hear music thumping inside. Billy ran a hand over his hair and tugged on his Black Sabbath T-shirt in an attempt to make it look better. I pulled the door open and we went inside.

Red lights glowed around the large open room, it was a lot more lively than the last time I was here. It was still a dark and gloomy place. Several warm bodies moved our way as we entered. Their hands eager to feel our cool skin in the club's humid warmth. I could feel two other vampires who sat in large round booths surrounded by humans. They both nodded at me and I nodded back. I wasn't there to see them. I grabbed the server who offered to show us to a booth of our own.

"Where's Shirley?" I said as I bent close to her ear so no one else would hear.

"I'll bring her to you." She said, showing off a pierced tongue as she licked her lip. "But Shirley's old and I hear she has tired blood since, well, you know. Since Fredric's untimely departure."

"Take us to her." I said and let a bit of light flash in my eyes.

"Yes, Sir." She said with a snarl and stopped flirting as she led us quickly to a side door behind the bar. "She's in the last room."

"Uh, Wil." Billy said as we started down the dark and foul smelling hallway. "What exactly do you want with this woman?"

"A couple of things." I said as we reached the last door. "Just do what I tell you."

"Aye, aye, Boss." Billy said and made a sloppy salute.

I opened the door and a yellow light spilled into the hallway. We stepped in and found ourselves in the break room. A sink, a microwave, a small fridge, and a tiny Formica topped table. A once white glass globe incased in ancient cigarette residue filtered the overhead light.

Shirley sat at the small table with a cigarette in her hand and a blank look on her face. She was wearing a thin robe over a leopard print bikini that didn't do much to hide her aging body. She curled a lip without really looking at us.

"Patrons aren't allowed back here." Shirley said as if reciting a poem she memorized in grade school. "Please find a booth and I'll be with you shortly."

"We need to talk, Shirley." I said and she looked startled at the sound of my voice.

"Yeah." Shirley said and leaned back wearily. "It worked out so great for me last time I gave you some information."

"Billy, I'd like you to meet Shirley." I said and waved my hand from Billy to Shirley. "Shirley, this is the vampire William Johnson, known to one and all as Billy."

"Hey." Billy said in a nervous voice. "Uh, nice to meet you."

"Yeah." Shirley said and took a deep pull on her cigarette. "Any friend of Wilhem's is an asshole, I'm sure."

"Billy." I said and wrapped my arm around Billy's shoulder and gave him a friendly squeeze. Fear leapt into his eyes and his mouth started to mumble protests.

"Please, Wil." Billy stammered and looked over at Shirley. "I haven't killed anyone in years. I've been following Fedor's rules. I just take little drinks here and there. Listen, I can get you more money. I can get out of town if you want me to. I can..."

"Hush Billy." I said and squeezed him harder as he tried to squirm away. "I was just thinking about the two of you."

I looked over at the sound of Shirley's chair hitting the floor. She backed away from the table and tried to push herself into the wall. Her face was drained of blood in terror. It struck an odd chord in me. Reminded me of my first nights as a vampire, my first kills. Billy went still in my grip. I looked at him and saw that old hunger on his face. His eyes had lost a bit of their focus. I could tell he was reliving a favorite kill as well. I shook my head and gave Billy a light slap across the face to get his attention.

"I've got more Info." Shirley said in a rush. "Better Info. I know things about Fredric no one else knows. Info you need, Wilhem."

"Everyone knows valuable information at a time like this." I said and waved a hand at Shirley that caused her mouth to snap shut. She glared at me and I turned back to Billy.

"I was thinking how the two of you need each other." I said, allowing my voice to take on a level of persuasion. "Shirley used to be one Fredric's Chosen."

"Oh." Billy said with a note of sudden comprehension and mild disappointment. "So that's why she looks like that."

"Fuck you." Shirley said between clenched teeth. She took a deep breath and the color returned to her face. I looked at her with power in my eyes and she stopped protesting.

"Billy, why don't you make Shirley your Chosen." I said and pushed him toward her. "Then I need to ask her a few questions."

Shirley looked like she wanted him to refuse. Billy was not exactly the sexy sparkly kind of vampire that makes young girls swoon. But then, Shirley wasn't a young girl. She stepped forward, righted the chair, and motioned for Billy to sit down. He did. She straddled his lap like the pro that she was. She wrapped her arms around his head, pulling his face to her neck. So much for the foreplay. Billy fed on her and she writhed around on his lap and made soft noises of surrender. It only took a minute or so and when they were finished, they both looked a lot better.

"Wow." Shirley said as she climbed off Billy and took a tottering step in my direction. "That was good. That was real good."

I took Shirley and sat her down in the other chair. She looked a good twenty years younger. Her skin was tighter, her hair was shinier, and she was smiling. Then she looked at me and sobered up.

"Thank you, Wil, but did you need to be such an asshole about it?" Shirley said and looked over at Billy. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I think it's been a while since he had any blood as potent as yours." I said and looked at Billy, who was staring off into space and had a slight smile on his lips. "I guess you were with Fredric a long time?"

"I was with Carlo about three hundred years and then he handed me off to Fredric one night. I wasn't with Fredric that long, just long enough to make me his." Shirley said and frowned at the memory. "He wasn't all bad. Not all the time anyway. Then Carlo felt about me the way you do. I wasn't good enough for him."

"I think you're good enough for Billy." I said without much feeling. I stay away from other vampire's livestock as much as possible. Shirley squinted at me as if she'd heard what I was thinking. I smiled an apology. I'm never too worried about offending people who eavesdrop on my thoughts.

"I thought you were some super vamp or something." Shirley said and looked at me appraisingly. "I can't hear Carlo's thoughts."

"I've never really needed shields." I said and closed my mind the way Kilestra taught me long ago. "So I don't usually bother."

"Oh." Shirley said. "So what did you want to ask me?"

"I was thinking I'd check out that tip about Carlo's interest in the Shadow Realm." I said. "Anything else I should know?"

"He keeps a lot of his floor plans in the garage across the street from the house." Shirley said and fidgeted. "It used to be a meeting hall or something, but now it houses Carlo's car collection. There's an alarm system. It shouldn't be much of a challenge for a top notch Code Enforcer and Master of the City like you."

"You said you know something about Fredric?" I said and flashed power in my eyes.

"Oh." Shirley said and smiled at me. "I was just trying to save my life. Like you thought."

"Dude." Billy said and sounded a little frightened. "You're Master of Fort Worth now? You should have warned me, I would have shown, like, you know, more respect."

"Let's go." I said. "I'm taking Billy to the Vampire Consulate and you can ride along if you want to. I'm not sure when he'll be out. Fedor is usually pretty liberal with his guest's Chosen."

"Yeah." Shirley said and looped her arm through one of Billy's. "I'll tag along."

I HANDED BILLY and Shirley over to Fedor and picked up Katie. She already had the two fat envelopes with my payment money for Beth and Billy. We got in the Dodge and headed back to the Mansion. Katie was still in full gangsta mode and hiding in her gray hoodie and her music. We didn't talk on the way home. I felt more of an attachment to her than I should have. Considering how long we'd known each other. I kept feeling something wasn't quite right. Could have something to do with watching her eat planets like Junior Mints, but who knows?

My phone rang with the theme song from Dark Shadows, my ringtone for Kilestra. I answered it while driving down the deserted streets near the Mansion.

"This night's pretty much shot," I said as I answered the phone. "But I'm pretty flexible on tomorrow night."

"Good to know." Kilestra said and let her voice drop a little. "I've always liked flexibility."

"I found one of Fredric's Chosen." I said as I pulled into the long driveway and parked in my usual spot in the garage. "She's an old human who was in pretty bad shape. Chosen withdrawal."

"Have you added yet another human to your stable?" Kilestra said in a teasing tone. "Sally keeps blogging about how different you are from other vampires. You're going to ruin her image of you."

"I think I already have." I said. "But no, I didn't add her to my circle, I gave her to Billy."

"Yeah." Kilestra said after a moment. "What could go wrong there?"

"Was there something else, Kilestra?" I said as I looked over at Katie. She was tapping her wrist to indicate that my time was running out for the night. "I need to move a silver chain someone left in my crypt."

"Just one more thing." Kilestra said. "I need you to head back to Azle and see if you can find out why Victoria is living in a mine shaft."

"Not a problem." I said, "I need to see an armadillo about something anyway."

"Be careful, Wil." Kilestra said. "These are dangerous times."

Kilestra broke the connection. She left me wondering just how dangerous the times really were. I went down the long cement path with Katie close at my heels. I've always had a weak spot for women who follow in my wake as if I were powerful and scary. I gave my Photo Studio a long, sad look as I walked past it. I haven't had the chance to so much as power up the lights in days. I looked up at the sky and could see the stars were already fading.

I quickly went into my quarters. I used a broom handle to drag the silver chain into the common room. I send a mental message to Mother to put it somewhere safe. Katie was already curled up in the corner, her head slowly moving to her music. I crawled into my coffin and closed the lid.

I CAME BACK to life with the sounds of a battle raging. I could hear at least three people yelling. Things were breaking, not good news in a place where there was little to be broken. My coffin was jostled. I could hear the wood straining under some kind of immense pressure. A moment later the lid flew open and Katie glared down at me.

"We could use a little help here, Boss." Katie said and was instantly snatched away from my view.

I hopped out of the coffin. I had to duck as a pewter teapot whizzed past my head and banged off the wall behind me. I darted out of the small room where I kept the coffin and into the common room. Victoria and Fedor were busy trying to kill each other. Katie, Andy, and Gravel were doing their best to keep the two Ancients apart. It was a job well above their pay grades. Especially, since none of them were being paid.

"You didn't fill out your Visitor Request Form." Fedor said as he pointed a bony finger at Victoria. "And you haven't registered at the Vampire Consulate at all. These are serious offenses."

"Don't make me laugh." Victoria said with a hiss. "Petty bureaucrats like you are why Vampires are no longer feared. I would slay all your kind to make the world a better place."

Fedor roared and charged at Victoria. Gravel tried to trip Fedor, but he was an old vampire and flew by him with ease. Victoria tossed Katie aside with equal ease. Andy was firing off random rounds from his Desert Eagle. The noise only served to further piss off Fedor and Victoria.

"What the hell is going on?" I said to no one in particular. "And why is it going on here?"

"Wilhem." Fedor and Victoria said at once. They stopped trying to kill each other as they both rushed toward me. Andy, Katie, and Gravel started to head my way. None of them were going to reach me in time to be of any help.

Andy stopped and took a standing firing stance. He panned the long barrel of his automatic in an arc that matched Victoria's speed. He fired and Victoria twisted just enough for the shot to miss. It crashed into the cement wall, throwing chips and dust everywhere.

I pulled air into my lungs and fell into a fighting stance. If I had only moments to live, I might as well look good for the few remaining seconds.

Fedor and Victoria both fell to one knee before me and bowed their heads. The Old Queen spoke first.

"Hear my case, Master." She said and placed her palms on the floor. "Fedor is not in his right mind."

"And how would a psychopathic rogue like you know what a right mind looks like?" Fedor said with a growl. "Hear me, Master, this will not take long."

Gravel and Katie skidded to a halt on either side of me. They were breathing hard and each was injured and bleeding. They stared at Fedor and Victoria with looks of grim determination. Andy walked up behind the two kneeling vampires. He pulled a second gun out of a holster around his ankle. He put the barrels of both guns close to their skulls. Neither vampire seemed to notice Andy, now that they had my attention.

"Katie." I said while I let my gaze flit between Fedor and Victoria. "Why are these two here?"

"My Master." Katie said and gave me a small curtsy. "The Vampires Fedor and Victoria have come seeking the council of the Master of The City of Fort Worth."

"They arrived moments after the sun set." Gravel said as if he was my butler. "I found places for them so that they could speak to you at once when you awoke."

I stared over at Andy, who looked at me. "I just came over to see if you knew where Fedor was, and see if maybe Katie wanted to have some coffee."

Katie cut her eyes to Andy and gave him a whatever look.

I rubbed my hands together and stared off into the middle distance. I relaxed, as best as I could, with a couple of Ancient vampires keeling in front of me. I wasn't big on the whole subservient thing when it was make believe. I absolutely hate it when it's for real. I reached out and touched my personal power base. Katie and Gravel were shielding for all they were worth. Andy was wondering how long he could hold his guns up. Mother and Father were nearby, both nervous and alarmed. Kilestra was across town and I touched her mind easily enough. She gave me a wave of shock when she realized what was going on.

"Shit." Kilestra said in my mind. "Let me think."

Great. I moved on to Sally, who was doing some kind of paperwork for the Vampire Commission. She looked up in surprise at the empty room around her and the crowded room around me. I didn't like to do this kind of vampire tricks with my humans. Most of them thought I was weird enough to start with. But Sally took it in stride and held a hand up into the empty air of her room. I waited as she flipped through pages in front of her. She pulled out a long piece of parchment with the Vampire Commission's Great Seal at the bottom.

### Chapter Fourteen

"Tell them you didn't invite them." Sally said both aloud in her room and in my mind. "As Master of the City they can only seek your personal council after they have petitioned you and been Invited. The Commission makes a big deal of the Invitation."

I smiled and lowered my hands. I cleared my throat. Both Fedor and Victoria raised their heads, bumping them against Andy's automatics. They continued to ignore Andy and his guns and met my eyes. Neither vampire was showing me any power. They were both vulnerable. Amazing.

"You didn't follow Protocol." I said with an air of disdain. "I haven't read a petition for an audience. You have not been invited to visit me at my home. You have not been invited to see me at all."

Victoria let a little fire flare in her eyes for a moment. She elbowed Fedor in the ribs hard enough to make him grunt.

"We beg your pardon, Master." Victoria said. Her accent was thick and could have been anything from Russian to Icelandic. She waved a hand at Fedor and I saw a black metal band on one finger. "The Vampire Fedor Chetwoode seemed to think he had a special relationship with you. He thought we would be allowed to waive all such formalities."

In my mind, someone was tapping to get my attention. It was Ravenhawk, my favorite witch. I blinked as if the two vampires were beneath my attention as I let Ravenhawk speak to me.

"Fedor is still suffering from the aftereffects of The Little Death. He's gone a bit mad." Ravenhawk said as she peered through my eyes in a completely creepy way. "Victoria also seems a bit mad. She might be under the same spell as your muscle Gravel. You're not doing so great yourself. You need more rest."

"Thanks." I thought in Ravenhawk's general direction.

"Now tell them to leave and you'll see if you can clear a spot for them in your schedule." Kilestra said from another corner of my mind. "The Invitation bit was pretty good, but you need to get them out of there. And tell them not to kill each other until you've had time to hear their Petitions."

"I was about to say that." Sally said in a clear pout, which was not at all like her. Then, I seldom spend much time in her unguarded thoughts. Closer by I heard Gravel thinking about the past few days. He was trying to figure out what spell he was under. He didn't remember why he had decided to come over here in the first place. This meant he wasn't really paying attention to what was going on in front of him anymore.

"Do take care of this quickly, Wil." Ravenhawk murmured as if trying not to be heard by the others. "Quickly."

I refocused my eyes in time to see Fedor and Victoria call up their power again. They bared their fangs and claws. Andy was suddenly lying on his back several feet away. Katie was reaching for a longbow, a weapon I hadn't seen before. Gravel looked around for something he could hit. Several voices in my head were yelling at once, I shut them all down and stepped forward. I put a hand on each Ancient and got their attention.

"I will hear your grievances. " I said in what I hoped was a powerful and scary voice. "But not tonight. You will follow protocol and I will issue an Invitation. Until such time, you will not harm each other. Each other's Chosen or each other's property. And don't do anything else to piss me off."

They both dropped their energy and flowed themselves back into passable human forms. I pointed toward the door with a straight arm. They both walked out without a word.

"Who was that witch?" Katie said once the Ancients had left. "And why was she poking around in my brain?"

"And why does she think I'm under some kind of spell?" Gravel said and turned his gaze in my direction. "Or did I tell you that already? My mind seems a little fuzzy on some details since I came to work for you."

"Do I need to remind the two of you who the Boss around here is?" I said. I let my own power flare in my eyes in a manner that caused them to lower their eyes and take a step back.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. The small tingling of an open communication was waiting patiently in a corner of my mind. I let some of my attention flow that way and found Ravenhawk. I could see her clearly. She seemed to be floating in a dark cloud in a space of her own making.

"You need to feed." Ravenhawk said. "I merely wanted to ask you a question: why am I still a part of your people?"

"You'll always be a part of my people." I said before I could think better of it. "I mean, it's not like I can add your name to a do not call list. We have a history."

"I'm willing to be of help if I can be, Wil." Ravenhawk said as she paced in my vision. "But I do have a life of my own. I don't like the idea that you can just take over whenever you feel like it."

"This was an unusual circumstance." I said and let my mental touch brush her arm and stop her pacing. "I will try to leave you out of the next emergency."

"If I'm needed." Ravenhawk said and rubbed her arm where I had touched her. "I'm willing to help."

Then she was gone and my eyes saw only the room before me. I pushed out the breath I had been holding and motioned for Gravel and Katie to come closer.

After a quick feeding on my two supernatural servants, I felt a good deal better. Katie and Gravel looked a good deal worse. That couldn't be helped. The night was young and I was sure there were things I should be doing. I didn't really feel like doing anything.

I held Katie in my arms. I ran my hands over her body a little longer than the feeding strictly required. She leaned into me and let me take most of her weight, not that she had much weight to start with. I took a deep breath of her hair. Her fragrance was just as enticing as it had been the first time I had encountered it. Sally didn't want me to take anything from Katie except blood, so for now I didn't. Sally was a human, but she was a human not to be taken lightly. I pushed Katie away and rubbed my eyes as I tried to think.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Andy said as he climbed to his feet. "No need to worry about the only human here. The only one being tossed around like a rag doll by a couple of Ancients."

"I'm sorry, Andy." I said and looked at him closely. He seemed well enough, if a bit battered. "Can you drive or do you need one of us to take you somewhere?"

"I'll be alright." Andy said and leaned against the wall. "In a few minutes."

"I'll be back later." I said and walked past my three bodyguards. None of them tried to come with me.

I walked down the cement tunnel and stepped into the warm Texas night. The pavement was still warm from the hot Texas sun. Cicadas buzzed in the trees, mosquitoes buzzed closer by. I could smell the dryness of the leaves and the brown grass.

I could still feel the Ancients somewhere nearby. I beeped the Dodge open and quickly slid behind the wheel. A flash of movement beside me transformed itself into Victoria. I put the Dodge into gear and headed down the long driveway before Fedor decided to hop in as well.

"I was hoping to get a ride home." Victoria said as if she had been hitchhiking and I had pulled over to give her a lift. "It's not that far away."

"I have a few things to do first." I said as I steered the Dodge through the usual traffic of Hulen Street. "I hope you're not in a big hurry."

"I await your pleasure." Victoria said with a bow of her head. "Master."

"So." I said as I relaxed back into the driver's seat. "How do you like Azle?"

"I'm living in gravel pit." Victoria said with some bitterness. "I haven't seen much of Azle above ground."

"Are you here because of Fredric?" I said as I continued my feeble attempt at small talk.

"Carlo knows how to pick them, does he not?" Victoria said and twisted her head in a sudden jerk. I could feel her stare at me. Feel the intensity of her gaze as her power flared. I heard a plea coming from her. For just a moment, some kind of cry for help. Then it was gone and she was staring out the window as if nothing had happened. She held up her hand and I caught a glimpse of a thin metal band that appeared to be made of Damascus steel.

"You and your kind are a disgrace to all vampires." Victoria said absently. "You follow the rules when it suits your purposes and you keep people like pets. They are food, nothing more."

I pulled onto I-30 and darted in and out of traffic. My exit wasn't that far down the road. I chanced a few quick looks at Victoria. Something was wrong with her, but then, there was something wrong with me as well.

"Vampires have always kept people for food." I said and loosened the death grip I had on the steering wheel. "What's wrong with sharing some power with them as well?"

"We are damned." Victoria said in an icy voice. "It is not a gift to share with Chosen. It is a curse. We are denied the sun and we are forced to drink human blood to survive. But you, you have decided to keep the rose, but remove the thorns."

"So you don't have any Chosen." I said as I drove down the freeway on autopilot. "You just attack random strangers and steal their lives from them?"

"They are prey." Victoria said, but the force was gone from her voice. "But the world is not as it was. Is it so wrong that I do not want to be domesticated like you?"

"It's not so bad." I said and fought a twitch in my cheek. "Most of the time."

"Take me to Fredric's club." Victoria said in a drowsy voice. "I understand there are humans there that don't object to being fed upon."

"It's a little out of the way." I said and ran through the list of places I knew in the area where a vampire could find a quick bite. "There's a place in Azle, not too far from the gravel pits."

"Fine." Victoria said with a dismissive wave of her hand. A glint of light shown from the black metal ring on her index finger. "Whatever you like."

"We need to stop by the Consulate first." I said and stepped on the accelerator. "You can wait in the car."

JACKIE WASN'T BEHIND her desk. I paused for a moment to sniff the air. She had been here not that long ago. The desire to find her was strong. It was why I had stopped here. Fedor cleared his throat and my thoughts of Jackie shifted back to another part of my mind.

I found Fedor in his office smoking a large hookah. I had always assumed it was strictly ornamental. The smoke was thick in the air and had the taste of Mediterranean spices. The hookah was surrounded with paraphernalia that showed using it was a complicated business. Fedor looked up at me and there was a faraway look in his eyes. I wasn't sure if he was seeing me or viewing something at a distance. I was mildly surprised to see that he had beaten me here. He blew out a cloud of smoke and blinked a couple of times in my direction. There was no sign that he had been at my house, not that long ago, trying to kill Victoria.

"Kilestra's not the only one that can travel quickly." Fedor said as he took another puff. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought I might check in on Jackie." I said and let my fingers get lost in my beard. "Maybe see if there's anyone new to hunt down. You know, the usual."

"Help like yours, I can live without." Fedor said and shook his head. "How's that Elf doing?"

"Fine." I said. "Why do you ask?"

"James did a little digging in the Consulate Achieves." Fedor said and blew out more smoke. "Desiara was a Goddess, but one that was still bound by laws and rules. Katie's parents sold her body. For the greater good of all Elvenkind. A group of Magicians bound Desiara with a complex spell.

"The details are beyond me. She can only be controlled while imprisoned in the body of an Elf. As part of her punishment, that Elf was sold into bondage. So she is a slave, as she would have enslaved everyone on earth. The records of her whereabouts ended a little over two hundred years ago. Though her name does make mysterious appearances now and then."

"So how would such a being end up with me?" I said.

"I hear there's an interesting painting down at the Nightshade Gallery." Fedor said and stared at me. "Someone put her with you. Someone who wants you dead. Who may want all of us dead."

I let the short list of my enemies flow through my mind. None of them were exactly world class powers. Who would want to risk the destruction of the world to strike at my heart? Someone whose life I had saved?

Fedor waved the smoke away from his face and squinted at me with his usual disdain. He shook his head. He tapped the papers on his desk, indicating our discussion about Katie had ended.

"You have better things to do with your time, Master." Fedor said and picked up another sheet of paper. "Such as issuing Invitations. And tracking down Vladlena."

"I'm working on it." I said.

"Work harder." Fedor said and let his power flash in his eyes. "And you might tell Gerald where he can find Kilestra."

WHEN I GOT back to the car, I found Victoria gone and Katie sitting in the passenger seat. I saw Gravel astride his massive motorcycle not too far away. He nodded when he caught my eye. I looked around but didn't find any hint of the Ancient. I took a moment to ponder if I was better off with a mad Ancient or an Elf possessed by a mad Goddess. I got in the Dodge.

"Victoria said she needed to fill out some forms." Katie said without looking up from her phone. "She said not to wait for her."

"That so?" I said. "She was starting to bother me anyway."

"Raoul and Izumi filed a formal complaint with The Vampire Commission." Katie said. "They claim you're preventing them from preforming their lawfully sanctioned duties."

"Did Fedor tell them that isn't my problem?" I said as I drove off.

"They bypassed Fedor and went straight to the source." Katie said and blew out a breath. "Not that going over Fedor's head did them any good."

"Guess I can expect a lecture from Sally." I said. "If I ever see her again."

I reached out with my mind and looked for Sally. I got her mental answering machine. Which meant she was either asleep or still busy ignoring me. I shifted my thoughts toward Kilestra. She had wanted to talk to me. Or I had wanted to talk to her, before Fedor and Victoria started acting more eccentric than usual. I found nothing but silence there as well.

Katie reached over and put her hand on mine. Physical contact has always been a stronger bond for me than a metaphysical one.Her thoughts spoke to me clearly. Kilestra had spoken to her earlier and told her that we could meet at a Vampire Club in Azle. I sent Katie a mental thank you and she took her hand away.

A dark sedan with a large grille pulled in behind us as we got on Jacksboro Highway. The Chrysler 300 had the kind of lines that screamed Enforcer and Mafia. A definite step up from the Suburban, which had a Secret Service feel to it. I didn't need Vampire skills to figure out that this was Raoul and Izumi's new ride. The Bucking Cowgirl wasn't that far away. I would have to think of something to do with these two quickly.

"Feel like a burger?" I said and took an exit that lead to a Whataburger. The Buick followed close on my tail.

"Your concern for my well-being is... unusual." Katie said and twisted in her seat to peer out the back window. "Hmm, you have to give them a high grade for persistence."

I parked the Dodge under a tall lamp pole and waited as Raoul and Izumi rolled to a stop beside me. No sign of Gravel, so he either kept an eye from a distance or was busy with something else. Funny how quickly I had gotten used to him. This mindless servant thing could go to a vampire's head.

Katie and I exited the Dodge and started walking toward the restaurant. Raoul and Izumi followed close behind. Raoul was using a pair of aluminum crutches that detracted a bit from his macho man aura. They rushed to catch up with us and then fell into step.

"I didn't think your kind liked solid food." Raoul said and then leaned in as if Katie were hard for him to see. "I got no fucking idea what that thing eats."

"She's like a Wood Elf, right?" Izumi said and nodded. "Maybe she eats grubs and moss and things like that."

"Damn." Raoul said and looked up at the restaurant. "Whataburger has expanded their menu since the last time I was here."

We went into the dining room. Katie ordered a chicken sandwich combo, and I ordered a coffee. Raoul and Izumi studied the menu while Katie and I took our drinks and moved to one of the booths. The other patrons gave us open stares as they chewed their burgers. The crowd was mostly rednecks. Country folks wearing faded jeans and baseball caps that advertised chewing tobacco and tractors. Raoul and Izumi sat at a table near our booth and watched us as well.

"Towing the Suburban wasn't cool." Raoul said and shook the ice in his large Styrofoam cup. "I had a fondness for that car."

"I haven't heard." I said and warmed my hands around my coffee. "Did they put it in the crusher or just impound it?"

"They trumped up something about emissions." Izumi said and looked at her sweet tea with distaste. "So The Boss loaned us one of his cars."

Katie got her food and ate it faster than any human could have. Raoul and Izumi were still waiting for their orders when we got up to leave. We nodded at them as we walked past, but they got up and followed.

"You don't seriously think we're gonna lose you over ten bucks worth of fast food?" Raoul said. "Do you?"

"Have a seat and enjoy your food." I said and looked out the large plate glass window. "It might take the Sheriff a while to get here."

"The Sheriff?" Izumi said and blocked our path.

"Well, a Deputy Sheriff." I said and pushed Izumi aside. "The Sheriff doesn't usually care about minor stuff like a stolen car."

Raoul and Izumi both darted for the door and pushed out into the night. A large motorcycle was sitting in the spot where their Chrysler 300 had been. They both looked around. The car was gone and the night was dark beyond the parking lot lights. I walked to the Dodge and beeped the alarm off.

"A security system really pays for itself." I said as I opened the door for Katie. "You might look into one the next time you get a car."

I walked over to Izumi and smiled at her. She didn't look as friendly as she did the last time I talked to her, but she nodded at me. I reached out and wrapped my fingers in her shroud and pulled her toward me. She let herself glide up to me, her spectral face curious. I looked into her eyes and froze time for the two of us.

Her black eyebrows rose a bit in surprise and then she smiled. She let her hand find my face and her cool fingers felt nice on my cool skin. I moved her hand away.

"This isn't playtime, Wraith." I said and looked into the death Goddess's body. "You're not much of a Goddess, are you?"

"I am a reincarnation." Izumi said and bowed her head. "But I am still a death Goddess."

"Tell me about Desiara." I said and held her at arm's length. "And this mysterious Boss of yours."

"Once you hand over Kilestra." Izumi said and smiled as she gave her shoulders a little shrug. "We can talk about anything you like."

"You feed on death, right?" I said and let my lips curl into my killer vampire smile. "So I'm guessing you haven't been hungry in a while?"

"Everything dies a little bit at a time." Izumi said and made a tug at her shroud where I held onto it. "So I am always getting a little meal."

"What about now?" I said and pulled her a little closer. "What about right now?"

Izumi was dead already, so I couldn't really kill her, but I could make her hungry. I kept her in a little bubble of time that blocked her from the rest of the world. A little flicker of panic caused Izumi to press her lips together. Her eyes darted from side to side.

"Vladlena is a master of playing with time." I said and licked my teeth. "She used it to learn things, to exist outside of the real world. She was turned in the 1300s. But now she's older than anyone sitting on the Vampire Commission's High Council. I was able to steal a bit of her power. I know enough to stretch time a little."

"What are you doing to me?" Izumi said and fought to break free from me. "Let go of me, you monster."

"I can see you, little reaper." I said and let my breath wash over Izumi's pure white face. "I can see how hungry this is making you. Imagine how you'll feel in a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks."

"I will fade into nothing." Izumi said and stretched her face into a skull filled with dark teeth. "Release me."

Her voice dropped a few octaves and its power rattled around in my chest. But I maintained my grip. She was already growing weaker, and I had only sped up time for her a little bit.

"Stop." Izumi said and her voice grew smaller and more human. "Please."

Izumi transformed into a small Japanese woman wearing a flowing white robe. I found myself gripping her arm and a moment later, holding her up. She was beautiful and slim, though nowhere near as thin as her Death Goddess body. She smelled of jasmine and sandalwood. I cradled her in my arms and held her to my chest. I wonder if Fedor would be impressed if I told him I killed a Goddess?

"I'm not dead yet." Izumi said against my chest in her crisp Japanese accent. "What do you want to know?"

"Who hired you?" I said and looked down at her. She was light as a feather, even in her human form. "And why?"

"A minor God living in Mexico." Izumi said in a whisper. "I cannot tell you his name."

"Mexico?" I said. "Someone whose life I saved not too long ago?"

"If you know that much." Izumi said and looked up at me with tears forming in her dark eyes. "You know that you should cooperate with us."

Izumi cried out and I watched as an almost invisible hand struck her across the face. I pulled her close to me and turned my back to her unseen attacker. The hand landed on my shoulder, heavy and powerful. I shifted through time just a little bit and the hand was gone. An ancient and a very powerful one. On the other hand, could it be a minor God?

"Ok." I said and looked back at Izumi. "I guess he doesn't want us talking about him. What about Desiara?"

"She is a prisoner." Izumi said and curled her lip back. "Like all prisoners, she seeks freedom."

"What does that have to do with Kilestra?" I said and let time slip forward a little bit. Just enough for Izumi to feed on Raoul and Katie.

"Every cell has a lock." Izumi said and I felt her body shudder as she took a bit of death to feed her life. "Kilestra has a key."

I released my hold on Izumi and on time. She flowed back into her wraith form and growled at me as she moved back by Raoul. He looked at her and at the spot where she had been standing only a moment ago from his point of view.

I joined Katie in the Dodge and fired up the engine.

Raoul and Izumi stared at me, clenched, and unclenched their fists. They didn't make any move to try to stop us as we left. Izumi crossed her arms. She floated a few inches in the air with her white robe billowing out around her. She gave me a look that said she wouldn't soon forgive me for what I had done to her. Raoul made a show of pulling out his phone and making a call as I drove past. I had no doubt they would have another car soon, but not soon enough.

### Chapter Fifteen

THE BUCKING COWGIRL was mostly empty. Loud music bounced around the dark room. A bartender watched me walk by and the DJ nodded to himself. Kilestra was in a dark corner farthest from the front door. I've never seen a vampire who could turn into mist. Kilestra came as close to that trick as anyone I've ever known. Katie took a seat by the front door, just out of the entranceway's light. She was joined by two blood Donors who leaned in toward her. Katie ignored them.

"I need you to find out what Carlo is doing." Kilestra said with a ghost like voice that matched her almost presence. "If you can find a place for me in your busy schedule. What with being Master of Fort Worth and fighting to the death with Fedor over his Chosen."

"I'm doing the best I can." I said and rubbed the back of my neck. "Things keep happening."

"Put that on my tombstone." Kilestra said in her spectral voice.

"I always planned on using some Robert Burns poem." I said and tried to make eye contact with the mist. "In the off chance that I outlive you."

"The chances of that happening go up with each passing night." Kilestra said, shifted, and blurred in my sight. "Just do a little snooping,"

"Can it wait till tomorrow night?" I said and looked at my phone to check the time. "It's getting late."

"Do what you think best." Kilestra said and a phantom kiss brushed my cheek. "I'll be in touch."

Then she was gone, if she had ever been there in the first place.

I gathered Katie and tossed a few bills on the table by way of thanks to the owner. Katie wrapped her arms around me and let herself be led into the night. Gravel was standing next to the Dodge and doing his best to appear casual. I beeped the alarm off and he opened the door and crawled into the back seat. We left the Chrysler 300 on the lot behind us.

We drove back to the Mansion in silence. I didn't ask about Raoul and Izumi's car and Gravel didn't volunteer any information. I relaxed and drove on autopilot. Katie had to shake my shoulder to get my attention after I had parked the Dodge. I continued to stare into the glare cast by the headlights.

"You ok, Boss?" Gravel said and leaned forward. "You need some sleep?"

"Vampires don't sleep." Katie said as she climbed out of the Dodge. "It's why so many of them are a little bit crazy."

"So what do they do in their coffins all day?" Gravel said as we all headed into the Mansion.

"We return to death." I said in a tired voice. "Vampires are dead and we are reminded of the fact each time the sun rises."

I looked into the big man's eyes and he stiffened a bit when I put my hands on his shoulders. I smiled and pulled him toward me. He turned his head and left his hairy neck exposed. He tasted of sweat and road grime. I punctured his flesh and drank his powerful blood. I stopped before I did any serious damage and pushed him away. Katie took his place without comment. I repeated the feeding ritual with her. I didn't risk sharing any power with them. They were my only source of food and I didn't want to poison the well.

I walked to my coffin without looking around and lay down as if I were merely going to sleep. I took a few minutes to relax. I let the night's stresses go. I closed my eyes and waited for the world to disappear.

I OPENED MY eyes and pushed open the coffin. The room was dim. The only light was the yellow glow from the next room. It peeked around the partly closed door. I went through the rituals of bathing, changing into fresh clothes, and brushing my teeth. Neither Katie nor Gravel was around. My parents were busy watching something on TV. No notes or no warnings going off in my head. For the first time in many nights, I felt perfectly normal. The calm wouldn't last long, it never did.

I went to Mother and Father and they looked older than they had the night before. I found gray in Mother's hair and Father's scalp was now visible through his own thinning hair. They looked up and smiled weakly at me.

"I'm not sure what we did to upset you, my dear." Mother said and held a wrinkled hand toward me. "But we are so glad to see you now."

The sight of them in this state caused a twinge in my stomach. They saw the look on my face and turned away.

"Is this because of the way we treated your Elf?" Father said weakly. "We're really quite fond of her now."

"You know anyone dear to you is dear to us." Mother said with just a hint of displeasure. "Even Katie."

"It's not that." I said and turned away from them. "It has to do with the attack at the Consulate. I'm not well, so you're not well. I'm working on finding a solution."

"Work a little harder, son." Father said as I left the room.

I went and looked in Grandfather's room. He was lying on his bed and turned his head toward me. The effort seemed to cost him, but he smiled.

"Thought you forgot about us." Grandfather said as I sat on the bed beside him. "Thought maybe you were going to go for an all Elf motif. Just let us die without even saying goodbye."

"Katie's a randy little minx." I said and smiled at Grandfather through a sudden moisture in my eye. "I need your help keeping her happy."

"Oh, well then." He said and smiled as he stirred in his bed. "I'd better stick around then."

"Get some rest." I said and smiled at him. "I'll see you later."

I was feeling pretty weak and tired as I left his room and headed for the garage. Where was a subservient Elf or Werearmadillo when you needed one?

I DROVE INTO downtown Fort Worth. I pulled into one of the parking lots around Carlo's gothic residence. It still looked like a church, but it wasn't exactly a holy place any longer. I doubted that Carlo considered it his home. Older vampires tended to think of 'home' as the last place they had been alive. This was just the place where their body rested now.

I had a clear line of sight to the building across the street that had been converted to a garage. Large roll up doors and a bank of small paned windows above them. Lots of pipes and exhaust vents of some kind. The odds were good Carlo had a private fuel station inside. He was showing the unusual courtesy of maintaining a clean air supply.

I drove slowly around the building. I counted two doors in the rear and several windows high up on the walls. Either the main entrance was on the side where the cars came and went. Or it was underground and would require a bit more legwork to find. I pulled back into the lot and pondered my next move. A tap on the window made me jump. I looked over and saw Gravel standing beside the Dodge.

"Hey Boss." Gravel said and looked over at Carlo's compound. "Nothing going on here at the moment."

"Good to know." I said and looked at Gravel. "What are you doing here?"

"You told me to keep an eye on the place." Gravel said and shrugged his massive shoulders. "So I'm watching."

"I don't remember doing that." I said and rubbed my eyes. I looked up at Gravel and smiled. "As long as we're both here."

Gravel got in the Dodge and leaned over toward me. I put my mouth to his neck and found that he had shaved it and it had a light dusting of baby powder. I nodded my approval and sank my fangs into his flesh. He made some kind of noise that might have been pleasure or pain as I poured just a bit of power back into him.

"Let me know if anything happens around here." I said and left Gravel hiding in the shadows. He was a lot better at it than I was.

"AH, THERE YOU are." Grandfather said as he let me into his apartment.

"You're looking better." I said and walked into the apartment. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Grandfather said and still looked a bit older than he should have. "Katie here has a few skills that are helping your parents and me cope with your little problem."

"Really?" I said and looked at Katie. "So why aren't you helping me?"

"You've made it pretty clear you don't want my help." Katie said and leaned back on a plush red sofa that I didn't recall having seen before. "I just couldn't stand listening to them whine any more."

"Why weren't you affected by The Little Death?" I said and took a moment to notice the Elf's health and vitality.

"I'm not a vampire." She said and smiled at me. "And I'm not a blood slave to a vampire, like Jackie or James here. Our relationship is more pure. I'm a different kind of slave. I don't need your bite to keep me alive and make me do whatever you want."

"I could fix that." I said and let my power flash in my eyes.

"Wait until you're cured, ok?" Katie said and smiled at me. Her eyes took on that deep green of the Goddess and a flash of power washed over me. I felt better, but still not perfect.

"Thanks." I said and looked from Katie to Grandfather. "What are you doing here?"

"You said you needed my help." Grandfather said and smiled. "So I'm helping."

"How exactly?" I said.

"Like you care." Katie said and rolled her eyes. "I'm translating for him. He's got one of Fredric's books and I'm helping him with a few of the passages."

"I thought that book was locked." I said and looked at Grandfather. "And it was in Kilestra's possession."

"Different book." Grandfather said and shook a finger at me. "This is another one from Fredric's Private Collection. Kilestra is loaning it to us."

"How did she get it?" I said and let a little power flash in my eyes.

"Kilestra doesn't want us to tell you." Katie said. "You suck at shielding."

"Fine." I said and sat in a red chair that matched the sofa. "It's only the fate of the universe you two are playing with. Feel free to keep it to yourselves."

"See, Katie? He does care." Grandfather said and rubbed his hands together. "People aren't meant to live forever, but I've decided it's better than the alternative."

"You make it sound like there's just one." I said and rubbed my eyes. "Our world has never been that simple."

"I was just about to fix my guest a little breakfast." Grandfather said and moved toward the kitchen at the room's other end. "It will only take a few minutes to fry up some bacon and eggs."

"He's fixing me bacon." Katie said as she came over and sat on my lap. "Not Quinoa and Apple cereal."

She put her arms around my neck and laid her head on my chest. She shivered a bit and settled into the coolness of my embrace. I took in the smell of her hair, the weight of her body, the warmth of her blood.

"I just want you to be well." I said and looked over at Grandfather. "A normal person would have had a heart attack decades ago."

"I think he knows that." She said without raising her head. "I missed you."

"I'm sure you did." I said and let my arms rest around her. "I needed you earlier."

"I was busy here." Katie said and looked guilty. "I didn't think you'd mind."

The smell of bacon wafted through the apartment. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift back. There was a time when I had been human and eaten and enjoyed bacon. It had been more like salt pork, rough-cut and beautifully marbled, and tasted amazing. I shared the memory with Katie and risked pouring some power into her. I took a little blood and tickled her pleasure center enough to make her squirm. It was all I dared to do with her now. She got up and went into the kitchen to eat her early breakfast.

"I've never been that fond of Elves." Grandfather said as he took Katie's spot on the sofa. "But I like this one. She's a healer and she has the power to destroy reality within her. I kind of like that in a woman."

"I always value your opinion, Grandfather." I said. "Are you sure it's a good idea to let her read that book?"

"Katie is on our side, Sonny." Grandfather said and looked at me seriously. "She's pointed out a couple of things I would have missed. She's proven herself pretty useful."

"I'm not sure I'd get too attached if I were you." I said. "People never seem to remain a part of our lives for long."

"Good thing I'm not 'people' then." Katie said around a mouthful of bacon and eggs. "Isn't it?"

I CLOSED MY eyes. My mind was filled with Katie and Gravel, my family, Sally and Kilestra. And the random necks and bodies that always seem to be just a smile away. And now I had Jackie to add to my list. Though I never fed on Andy, he was important to the work that needed doing. He was there during the day to do things I couldn't do myself. Compared to some vampires it was a small, almost tiny, entourage. For me it was getting to be more than I wanted to think about.

"Oh come on." Grandfather said and patted my knee as he caught bits of my thoughts. "You only spend a couple of hours a week meeting our needs. So far as I can tell, you don't do a damned thing as Master of Fort Worth. Hell, you don't even cut ribbons at openings or go to Conventions in the Carpathian Mountains. Not that I can blame you much on that one."

"I did have an exhibit at the Nightshade Gallery that took a lot of my time." I said and marveled at how so much time slipped by while getting so little done. "I do have things to do."

I waved goodbye to Grandfather and I walked out to the Dodge. Katie walked beside me and it felt natural, as if she had always been there. I reached out and took her hand in mine. Her eyes flashed a darker green for a second and a soft warmth flowed over me. The mood was broken when my phone started blaring the opening bars of I Fought the Law. Sally was calling.

"Sally." I said and got into the Dodge. "I was just thinking about you."

"Yeah." Sally said. "I'll bet it was while you had an Elf curled up on your lap."

"I seriously need to start shielding better." I said without thinking.

"Did you talk to Victoria and Fedor yet?" Sally said coolly.

"I don't think that's a problem anymore." I said and leaned back into the leather car seat.

"Think again." Sally said. "I got calls from both of them."

"Ok, I'll deal with them tomorrow night." I said

"Sure you will." Sally said. "Any chance I can see you tomorrow night?"

"How about first thing?" I said. "I can always have Katie make room for you."

"Yeah, funny." Sally said with a bit of a pout in her voice. "I'll be there when you wake up."

KATIE GOT INTO the Dodge as soon as I lowered the phone. She held up her wrist in the familiar gesture that meant I was running the risk of becoming a pile of ash. Not too much of a risk, I could see the Mansion from here. Grandfather might be spreading his wings, but he wasn't spreading them too far.

I was heading up the hill that the Mansion sat on when the Dodge stopped moving. It wasn't as if we had hit something; it was as if we had never been moving in the first place. I looked through the windshield and saw Vladlena. She was standing in front of the Dodge in the pool of the headlights. She was moving her hands in the kind of complex gestures really old vampires used when they were fucking with reality. Then the lights went off and the engine died.

"How long till the sun comes?" I said in a flat voice.

"About fifteen minutes." Katie said and pointed to the brightening sky in the east. "Is there some reason Vladlena isn't worried about it?"

Katie vanished from her seat and was replaced by Vladlena. She was holding a long silver sword that barely fit in the front seat. She drove the blade expertly into my right bicep. A fine gray smoke rose from the wound and a single note of extreme pain rang in my head.

"You're coming with me, Wilhem." Vladlena said and placed her hand on my shoulder. We didn't fly or vanish in a puff of smoke, we just moved faster than I knew any vampire could move. Vladlena led the way and dragged me behind her like a small child that was dawdling at the market.

We ended up in a storm drain a mile or so from the Mansion. The tunnel was long and had many branching sections. It was far enough underground that we would be safe from the light of day. It was also wet and cold and the air was filled with all kinds of decay and mold and insect life. Vladlena threw me into a shallow stream that was slowly trickling down the tunnel's center.

"I was thinking that if I could just put a little scare into you." Vladlena said and her voice echoed all around me. "That you would see the wisdom in leaving me alone. Maybe you could tell Fedor to leave me alone. And maybe Fedor could put out one of his famous reports. He could send it along the line to other Consulates and even the Commission. Then they would all leave me alone."

"Why would I want to help you?" I said and clamped my hand over the seeping wound in my arm. I stood up and stared through the darkness at Vladlena. She was standing in the middle of the tunnel with her hands resting on the hilt of the sword. Her feet were spread like a comic book superhero.

"I'm going to tell them you forced me to kill those other vampires." Vladlena said and nodded at her own cleverness. "You are a powerful vampire and I had no choice but to do your bidding."

"My Servant saw you." I said and moved away from the little stream. "You're forcing me, I'm not forcing you."

"Oh, but you are." Vladlena said as she warmed to her subject. "I know about that little spat you had with Fedor and Victoria. They both have their doubts about you anyway. Everyone has their doubts about you. I'll tell the Commission you ordered me to kill Fedor and when I refused, you attacked me. I had no choice but to defend myself."

Vladlena reached up and wrapped her hand around a chain that was hanging from the ceiling. She gave it a yank. The sound of metal scraping against concrete reverberated down the cement tube. I looked up in spite of myself. I saw a sliver of paling night sky through an open manhole cover far above. At a guess, I would say I had less than five minutes before I was dead for the day. Sometime around noon the sun would fill the hole overhead and I'd be dead for now and forever.

"I know what you're thinking." Vladlena said and was instantly beside me, holding me in place. "You're thinking you can move to a far corner of the tunnel and be safe. You're thinking I will also be killed. You're thinking one of your mindless servants will rush in at the last moment to save you. But I think you are wrong on all counts."

I struggled to free myself from Vladlena's grip. She had a couple of centuries on me and had skills I didn't to boot. I also had the small matter of my left arm not working as it should with a wound that didn't want to heal. I tried to reach out to someone, anyone. Vladlena was doing a good job of blocking my ability to call for help. She punched me in my wounded arm and my attention snapped into place.

"I don't want to kill you, Wilhem." Vladlena said softly next to my ear. "I just want to scorch you a little. Make it look like you were trying to execute me and I was able to turn the tables at the last moment. Then Fedor will lock you in the Vampire Consulate's basement. And I will be given counseling and all will be forgiven."

My thinking is often just a little too slow, but this time I didn't have time to think. Vladlena was holding me in place, waiting those last few seconds for me to be dead for the day. She would have a few more seconds, long enough to flash away from the light. Her face was close to mine. Her arms were wrapped around me.

I twisted around to face her. Vladlena still held me, but I wasn't trying to escape now. I wrapped my arms around her and held tight. I pushed a thought at her that the sun had risen. Vladlena looked up toward a now blue sky visible through the manhole. When she did, she exposed her neck to me. She shifted her feet to support my weight. My face fell onto her neck and I sank my fangs as deep into her ancient flesh as I could.

An ancient's blood is one of the rarest on earth. Out of a population of seven billion people and 70 million vampires, there are only a few hundred truly old vampires. The fact that I've known several of them is interesting, but not impossible. The flow of Vladlena's blood into my body had the effect of changing my view of the universe. Time dilated, slowed, and then stopped. One of the reasons there aren't as many Ancients as there could be is that they tend to go a bit mad. Some of Vladlena's madness flowed into me with the blood. Her view that she was a God and could do whatever she wanted had some basis in fact. She was a Rogue and an Ancient, so living without rules or reason made her a dangerous thing.

I pulled more of Vladlena's power into me. The sun was close to rising for real, but to my heightened senses it was still a long ways off. I pushed Vladlena down the drain pipe until we reached a branching tunnel. Then I pulled her into it with me. She was the one struggling now. I pushed a thought into her mind that she didn't want to kill me. That she was happy to be in my arms. I poured a bit of fear into her and she stiffened and dug her heels into the cement floor. This is what I wanted. We were well away from the manhole and the coming light now.

"You are a fool." Vladlena thought in a burst, but I couldn't tell if she was talking to me or herself. One of the few weaknesses the old ones have is that they tend to rely on main strength. They have so much of it. They have all kinds of vampire power, but they seldom put it all to use. In my current state, I had forever to flip through Vladlena's memories and emotions. To pull out her traumas and ecstasies. She knew what I was doing and she tried to push me away. It had been too long since she last fed. I had taken enough of her blood that the fight had literally run out of her.

Her powers were a constellation of white lights in my mind. She had skills she hadn't used in a very long time. One power glowed more than the others. This one she had used until it was more powerful than all the others. I reached out to it and wrapped my hand around it. It was the power to control the flow of Time. I took the power like plucking a grape and made it my own. Vladlena mourned its loss for a moment. But she had lived long enough for loss to be a constant companion.

I had to guess she wouldn't miss it much seeing as she possessed other time related Powers. I left her other Powers untouched. In my experience taking more than one at a time leads to problems. Killing her would make them forever beyond my reach. Some of them looked pretty interesting. I didn't want to kill her anyway.

A thought of Katie and Gravel flashed through my mind. I was able to reach out to them now and I sent them an image of where I was. My mouth was still on Vladlena's neck and my body pressed down on her. She was as helpless as she had been since that night long ago when she had been brought over. I pulled away from her and she stared at me. The fire in her eyes a mere shadow of what it had been. Then her features relaxed, the light went out, and she was dead to the world. I had taken enough of her power that I could stay awake a few more seconds.

Distant sounds of water splashing and conversations echoed along the storm drains. Katie and Gravel were approaching from different directions, trying to find me by triangulating my position. I looked down at Vladlena. Without the force that animated her, she was just another corpse. Cold and soft and empty. It occurred to me that this is what I looked like during the day. It was a thought that had never struck me before. I lay down beside Vladlena and let my body relax. I released my hold on time and the world ceased to be.

I OPENED MY eyes to darkness. It was a familiar darkness. I pushed up on the lid of my coffin and found Sally reading a thick book. She put a marker in place and closed it without reading to the page's end. She smiled at me and gave me a hug the moment I was standing.

"Why do you do this stuff?" Sally said and pushed away from me. "Vladlena nearly killed you. For real."

"But she didn't." I said and pulled Sally gently toward me again. "Let me show you something."

"I've seen it before." Sally said and smirked at me. "But I don't mind seeing it again."

I put my hands on her shoulder and let some of my energy flow into her. It seemed safe so long as I didn't feed on her. I closed my eyes and merged with Sally's body and mind. She squirmed in my grasp and let out a moan of pleasure. I held us in that state for several moments, stretching time for her. Making her orgasm last until the pleasure threatened to eclipse her reality. She protested weakly, her fist tapping my chest. I released her and sat her back in the chair.

"You learned that from Vladlena?" Sally said once she had recovered enough for rational thought. "You stole some of her power while you mind raped her. I can't approve of that."

"Well." I said and smiled at her. "She was trying to kill me at the time."

"Hmm." Sally said and closed her eyes. "No, she wasn't. But I guess maiming has the same general self-defense rules."

"I can't help but overshare with you, Sally." I said, "Did you get a chance to do a little more research on Desiara?"

"I found a lot of dead ends and sealed archives." Sally said and narrowed her eyes at me. "What I was able to learn was that she was an Elven Goddess Not a nice one either. Her father was able to gain her trust long enough to put some kind of a powerful spell on her. The spell is the stuff of legends having been worked on by dozens of Elven Mages. And that's it. Rumors and fairy tales."

"Godhood, eh?" I said and nodded. "Ever think about the patience of Gods."

"You don't seriously think Katie is this Goddess Desiara?" Sally said.

"Yeah, I do." I said and held my hand toward her. I led her to the bedroom.

### Chapter Sixteen

I WALKED OUT to the Dodge and found Kilestra leaning against the driver's door. For someone in hiding, she seemed to spend a lot of time standing out in the open. She was dressed all in black and her long leather coat seemed to melt into the car's darkness. The hilt of a sword showed over one shoulder. I took her in with my improved vision and found her to be as beautiful as ever. Her flowing black hair and dark eyes were the perfect complement to her dark red lips. I walked up to her and she looked into my eyes approvingly.

"That Ancient's blood looks good in you." Kilestra said and licked her lips. "We could have a lot more fun together now."

"I'm sure we could." I said and resisted the urge to take her in my arms. "I'm not sure I can trust myself just now."

"You never could." Kilestra said and pulled me toward her. "You're doing this. You know you are."

Kilestra's cool skin was smooth and silky as my lips brushed her neck. The tickle of power I got from her own lips on my neck made me feel warm. My hands slid inside her coat and I squeezed her firm curves. I took a nip at her flesh and a few drops of red appeared. She did the same with me. We slowly licked the blood, sharing each other as only vampires can. It was a good feeling. Very good.

"The term 'get a room' comes to mind." Katie said from behind me. "If you're really planning on bending her over the hood, you should at least move the car out from under the parking lot lights."

"What have you got Grandfather working on?" I said and moved away from Kilestra. She hopped from shadow to shadow as I watched.

"Something that will save us all." Kilestra said and tilted her head at me. "But if I tell you, you'll tell Katie and that's as good as telling Desiara. That would be bad."

"Katie's translating for Grandfather." I said and had sudden visions of Desiara going all death Goddess on him.

"He's being careful." Kilestra said and brushed away my fears with a wave of her hand. "He's a lot smarter than you give him credit for. And Katie has surprised me once or twice."

Kilestra leaned back on the Dodge. She crossed her legs in a way that showed off her thigh high leather boots. She looked into my eyes. Her thoughts mingled easily with mine. She was thinking about the people in my life.

'When they are all dust, I will still be here.' She thought to me. Then she appeared to burst into a cloud of smoke and disappeared into the darkness.

"Yeah." I said softly. "But will I?"

"TAKE CARE OF my parents." I said and saw the usual look of concern flow over Katie's face. I reached out and took her hand. It was warmer than human and filled with thinner bones. After a moment, she pulled herself free and walked back toward the house.

I got in the Dodge and drove downtown to the Vampire Consulate. A hummer fell in behind me, it's headlights about level with my rear view mirror. I could feel Raoul and Izumi. How close had they been when I was talking to Kilestra? I guess not close enough.

I parked in the lot behind the Consulate and the Hummer stayed down the block a bit. I waved at the Hunters but got no response. I went into the building and was surprised to see Jackie sitting behind her desk. She was dressed in her usual business casual and was working a file over her nails. She looked up when I entered and her face twitched just a little.

"Hey, Wilhem." She said and swallowed slowly. "Fedor was hoping you'd stop by."

A twinge of desire in my gut made me bend over, it passed in a moment. Andy was by my side, a look of concern on his face and a strong hand on my arm. Of course, I could have easily enough have tossed him aside, but his touch was enough to ground me.

"Sure.' I said to Jackie and nodded to Andy to show that I was ok. "I'll head right in."

Jackie looked like she was fighting to keep some expression off her face as I walked past. I managed to get by without either of us ripping the others clothes off. I pushed into Fedor's office before that had a chance to change.

I closed the heavy door behind me and that seemed to be enough to break the spell.

"You too, eh?" Fedor said from behind his desk. "Do you have another one of those potions by any chance?"

"Ravenhawk only gave me the two." I said and blew out a breath. "I'm afraid we're going to have to pay Raoul and Izumi for their Cure."

"I've got bad news as well." Fedor said and leaned back into the green leather of his chair. "Vladlena escaped. Again."

"Again?" I said. "How did that happen?"

"She used some power we weren't prepared for." Fedor said and tapped a fist into a palm. "She was in custody one moment and out of her cell the next. We caught her before she could get out of the building. But then she enthralled one of the guards and he took her to the surface. Then she was gone for real."

"Did she kill anyone?" I said and let my senses flow down to the people I cared about who worked in the Dungeons. "Do I need a stake or an axe or maybe a hand grenade?"

"She didn't kill anyone." Fedor said and closed his eyes. "But she did say she was going to find you. And kill you."

"So I can have an execution order on this one?" I said and looked at Fedor with a flicker of power in my eyes.

"Try using these first." Fedor said and tossed a pair of silver plated handcuffs onto his desk. "And tell Beth to give you something to sooth the insane Ancient. She's working for me now."

I went to the lobby and walked by Jackie without giving her a second glance. Andy was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine. There was a forced perspective photo of a large black revolver on the cover. The muzzle opening looked like a manhole cover. He licked his thumb and turned the page. Then rotated the magazine and a centerfold fell open. He raised his eyebrows in appreciation.

"Do you have anything that could knock out an Ancient?" I said as I walked up to Andy. "Or maybe kill one?"

"Phosphorus is the go to method for taking out an Ancient." Andy said and ran a finger over the photo of a long barreled automatic. "Knocking them out usually just takes a lot of ammo and a lot more luck."

"You have any phosphorus?" I said and Andy looked at me in surprise.

"Fedor usually prefers that we bring in corpses that can talk." Andy said and looked towards Fedor's office. "Ashes don't share information. And the Commission has rules about killing Ancients. Fedor is supposed to turn Rogue Ancients over to The Captain and let his people do the interrogating."

"Since when are you are a walking rule book?" I said and crossed my arms. "You shot Vladlena with a shotgun last we fought her."

"Yeah, I shot her." Andy said and stood up. "I didn't stake her to a tree and make her watch the sunrise. And I'm willing to shoot her again."

"But you do have phosphorus?" I said as we walked out the back door.

"I have a small box of grenades." Andy said and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Strictly for emergencies."

THE HUMMER FOLLOWED us to Poly and rolled easily over the dips and potholes. The Dodge had to slow down or risk serious injury. I pulled to a stop in front of Billy's house and told Andy I'd be back in a few minutes. Raoul and Izumi kept their engine idling a half a block away. Parking has always been a challenge around here. I walked up the steps to the house and knocked. No one answered so I opened the door and went in.

Beth was on the sofa. She was putting in some quality time with an electric wand that sounded like a blender. She had on a set of headphones and her eyes were closed in concentration. I kicked the sofa's end to get her attention. She squinted at me and bit her lower lip. She closed her eyes again and turned her head. She tensed before releasing.

"If I knew you liked to watch I would have called you." Beth said as she shrugged into a see through bathrobe. "If I had your number."

"It's not like I haven't seen it before." I said and sat in the old swivel rocker. "Not like everyone in town hasn't seen it before."

"Fuck you." Beth said and flicked a small lighter to life. She put the flame to a stick of incense with gold coloring and waved it in front of her face. Beth took a deep breath of the sweet and airy smoke and her body sagged in relaxation. After being undead for a couple of centuries there were still things I didn't know about Weres.

"Would that stuff work on an Ancient?" I said without getting close enough to get more than a sniff of the smoke. "Could it sedate a really powerful vampire?"

Beth looked at me through tiny pupils and a haze of intoxication. She blew the smoke out of her lungs in a thoughtful cloud. She reached up, rubbed the side of her face, and then let her hand slide up to the top of her head. She let the spiky points of her hair tickle her palm for a moment. Then she seemed to remember I was still standing there.

"Yeah. So long as they haven't already been exposed to it." Beth said and reached for a small wooden box on the coffee table. "Vampires build an almost instant tolerance to drugs."

She opened the box and fumbled around for another clear plastic baggy. This one had several pieces of cone incense that were also gold in color. She tossed the baggie to me. A piece of tape had two hand written words on it: Copal Death.

I left a hundred dollars on the table and went back outside. Raoul and Izumi only looked a bit out of place in their oversized SUV. The night was starting to look up. Or maybe that was just an effect of getting a little hit of copal smoke.

I drove back to the abandoned house in Dallas. I told Andy about the incense and my plans. We pulled up to the boxy McMansion's driveway and I kept going until we were at the front door. The place looked as empty and unused as it had the last time we were here. The Hummer stopped at the bottom of the small hill that lead up to the house. It looked like their plan was to block us in. Raoul and Izumi got out of the Hummer and watched to see what would happen.

"What makes you think Vladlena will be here again?" Andy said and peered into the darkened house. "I didn't see a lot of signs that she was making herself all that much at home."

"Vampires are creatures of habit." I said and stared up at the house. "And I'm pretty sure Vladlena is in there. Her kind of power isn't easy to hide."

"Then she knows you're here, too." Andy said and opened the small wooden crate he had in the back of the Dodge. "So she won't be too surprised when we walk in. Best to be prepared."

"Let me take one of those." I said and took the all too harmless looking grenade and slide it into my coat pocket. "Leave the rest."

Andy closed the lid and pushed the box toward the front of the cargo area. He pulled out his Desert Eagle 44 and checked that the clip was full and the safety was off. He loosened the holsters on his backups and nodded, he was good to go.

"I'm going to try and get her into the main hallway." I said and handed Andy the baggie of incense. "I want you to light all of these and stay by the door. We're going to need a quick getaway if I have to use the phosphorus."

"I can do that." Andy said and took the baggie. "You want me to burn all of these? Won't the smoke affect you?"

"I don't plan on being in the room that long." I said and headed for the door.

"SHOULD WE GO in the front door?" Andy said and headed in that direction.

"Why not?" I said and sped up a bit to take the lead.

I found the front door unlocked and we went inside. A few random candles sat in puddles of wax here and there. Vladlena having a sentimental moment. She didn't need the light from a candle any more than I did. We can see well enough in the dark. Also, It was easy enough for a vampire to get electricity to a place like this. Maybe Vladlena wasn't into the modern comforts.

I left Andy using one of the candles to light cones of incense. I went up the winding staircase. I followed the main hall down to the master bedroom with its view of the lake. I could feel Vladlena inside. She was waiting for me.

I opened the door and found Vladlena standing by the window, her back to me. She was wearing the same clothes she had worn the last time I saw her. They were stained and wrinkled and the first few hints of mold were starting to show.

"Maybe if you had a couple of Chosen." I said into the darkness. "You wouldn't have to live like this."

Vladlena turned her head in my direction and I saw a black glow in her eyes. She raised her hand and I caught my first glimpse of a glowing short sword. It was made of silver, just like the blade she had used in the storm drain. But this blade was thicker and the edge looked sharper. A complex intaglio was on the blade's flat surface. The pattern glowed a bit as I looked at it. Some kind of magic, doubtless proof against vampires. I felt in my pocket for the grenade, my own proof against our kind.

"I took this blade off the body of a Hunter." Vladlena said as she ran her thumb along the razor sharp edge. "He was a big man. Strong and powerful and had a reputation for slaying the undead."

I watched as Vladlena opened a cut in her thumb and then brought the wound to her mouth. She sucked at her own blood. She spat a bit of red onto the side of the blade and it hissed and sizzled like a steak on a barbecue. The pattern of intaglio flared and the blood was gone. She caught my eye.

"The Hunter thought this weapon made him invincible." Vladlena said as she hefted the blade in her hand, turning it this way and that in the dim light. "Do you think your weapon makes you invincible?"

"We can talk to Fedor." I said and kept my back to the open door. "He can talk to the Commission. Maybe they can send you back to Russia. I hear they have a few wilderness spots set aside where vampires like you can live the way you want."

"Hmm." Vladlena said and gave the blade a few lighting quick thrusts. "Put me in a zoo with the other misfits?"

"Better a zoo than a Hunting reserve." I said and let my thoughts reach out to Andy. He had all of the cones lit and the smoke was drifting around the hall. "I've heard of places where people pay big money to kill vampires. Even bigger money to kill an Ancient."

"I know." Vladlena said. "And the Vampire Commission sanctions them as a warning to the rest of us."

"I guess that didn't work with you." I said and Vladlena narrowed her eyes at me.

"An Alchemist made this blade." Vladlena said and stared down at it appreciatively. "Once the blade entered the body of a vampire, it set the blood on fire. The Hunter told me that the Alchemist had used some kind of meteorite. Something that had come close to the sun before falling to earth. The blade is like a little bit of the day and that is why it kills us."

"A phosphorus grenade melts our bones." I said and pulled out the grenade for Vladlena to see. "That's why it kills us."

"Bah." Vladlena said in disgust. "Technology."

I backed out the door and ran for the entranceway. I got to the bottom of the stairs in the hallway before Vladlena fell on me like a cat on a mouse. I was able to use a bit of momentum to roll into the smoke filled room. Vladlena was in no hurry. She sat on my chest and held the deadly blade balanced over my heart. I didn't want to die, but if I was going to die anyway, I'd take Vladlena with me. I pulled the pin on the grenade as Vladlena began the swords' down stroke.

Then something funny happened. I didn't want to hurt Vladlena anymore and she didn't seem to want to hurt me either. Vladlena hadn't paid any attention to the smoke in the room. She was like me, she didn't know about this offshoot world of vampire narcotics. Vladlena tossed the sword on the floor and stepped away from me. I let the grenade slip from my hand, no longer aware of its existence. It rolled across the floor a few feet and came to a stop. My breathing slowed and my mind fell into a hypnogogic state. Vladlena was fascinated by the way the flames on the candles moved. The grenade rolled in slow motion as time expanded for me and Vladlena.

I watched without interest as Andy ran in freeze frames and picked up the grenade. It seemed to take him a long time to do it. It took even longer for him to throw it out the front door in an exaggerated Haymaker pitch. The distant sounds of the metal cylinder bouncing off the front porch and rolling into the driveway felt like they should have been important. Andy grabbed me by the heels and pulled me across the floor away from the open door. My heightened sense could follow the grenade as it hit the end of the driveway. Then began to clatter down the hill.

"Incoming!" Said a man's voice that sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. A moment later, there was an explosion and a blinding white light. Vampires don't sleep, but we have been known to lose consciousness occasionally.

"GODDAMNIT THAT CAR belonged to Carlo." Raoul said from somewhere nearby. "You're a menace to society. You can't just throw those things around as if they are beads at a Mardi Gras parade. You could have killed us."

I opened my eyes and found I was still feeling good, but that I was also back to real time. I was lying on the ground, staring up at Raoul, who looked unusually tall from this angel. Next to him was Izumi, who was frowning down at me.

"Where's Kilestra?" Izumi said in a soft voice and I found the flow of her robes unusually fascinating. "I know you want to tell us."

"She might be back at the Mansion." I said without thinking. "She stops by once in a while."

"That's enough of that, Boss." Andy said and pulled me to a sitting position. "Time for us to go now."

Raoul and Izumi were pulling out their guns.

"We're gonna need your car." Raoul said and held his hand out for the keys.

"Just a minute." Andy said and pulled a handcuffed and smiling Vladlena out of the Dodge's back seat. Then he tossed the keys to Raoul. "Here."

Raoul and Izumi hopped in and peeled off in the direction of Fort Worth. I closed my eyes and ground my teeth for a moment. I couldn't really be upset at the moment though. Vladlena was lying on the ground next to me. I didn't remember laying back down. Vladlena began singing some song in Russian. I badly wanted to join in, but I didn't know any Russian. I hummed along instead.

"I forgot to get the rest of the grenades." Andy said. I should have been worried about that. A moment later, all I could think about was what a nice singing voice Vladlena had.

FEDOR'S SILVER CLOUD was parked behind the police lines. He walked over to where we were being watched by a couple of Dallas's Finest. We were handed over without question and Fedor signed some kind of release form. My head was still cloudy, but I was becoming a little less euphoric. Vladlena had tried to break free. She stopped when she noticed Andy holding the magical silver sword. Fedor's driver, a man I had never seen before or even heard mentioned, opened the back door and we all crawled in. The back compartment was large enough to hold at least a dozen people.

"Thank you for apprehending Vladlena, Wilhem." Fedor said as the Rolls smoothly accelerated away from the disaster area. "It's good to see that you can still think on your feet."

Andy and I exchanged glances but chose to say nothing.

"Thank you, Vladlena, for adding such an interesting blade to my collection." Fedor said. He leaned in toward the shackled vampire with the blade glinting in his hand. "So good of you to rejoin our happy family of law abiding vampires."

"And Andy." Fedor said in an overly friendly voice as he turned to stare at Andy. "Good of you to show that the illegal stockpile of military grade weaponry at our disposal works as advertised. It would have been embarrassing to need a weapon like that and find that it didn't function."

"On the less positive side." Fedor said and let his voice take on a cold tone. "The Dallas Police have issued several citations. Something about explosives, danger to public safety, criminal trespassing, and destruction of private and public property. Their colleagues in the Fort Worth Police Department are going through our storerooms. They are confiscating any number of items as we speak. They assure me that I will have a detailed inventory. There is a possibility that some of the items may be returned. Once they have been given a sufficient reason for their being in our possession to start with."

"But we're a Consulate." I said and tried to think. "They can't just come and search a Consulate. Don't we have Diplomatic Immunity for all this stuff?"

"Yes, we do have Immunity. But they can search the grounds..." Fedor said and leaned in close to me. "If they have a letter from the Vampire Commission giving them permission to do so."

Fedor let the silence grow for a few more seconds. He then turned back to me. The light in his eyes was a bright blue. He showed his power more than he normally did, even when he was displeased.

"Your mother called and said that those Hunters stopped by looking for Kilestra." Fedor said and stared at me. "Odd that they thought she would be there. We 'found' your car not too far from here. It seems Raoul was unwise enough to call for help from a group of Werearmadillos he had an arrangement with. They seem to have a new arrangement with you, Wilhem."

I started to speak and Fedor raised a hand to stop me. I couldn't help but notice the Damascus steel ring on his wedding finger. It wasn't nearly as pretty as mine.

"No need to thank me, Wilhem." Fedor said. He rested his hands on the sword's hilt while the blade's point rested on the compartment's floor. "These things happen."

The Rolls Royce glided to a stop. The driver hopped out and opened the door. Fedor nodded at Andy and me and pointed at the exit with the palm of his hand. We got out. The driver closed the door and dashed back to the driver's door. A moment later the Rolls was just a pair of fading taillights.

"Well." Andy said and pressed a hand to his stomach. "That was close."

I spotted the Dodge on the side of the road and started toward it. Gravel was standing next to the car looking intimidating in the low light. When he saw us, he nodded his head and walked over to his chopper. In moments, he was riding off in a tooth-rattling roar.

### Chapter Seventeen

NEXT SUNDOWN I went about my usual rituals to start the night. Washed, changed, and left before I was tempted to feed on Mother and Father, and possibly kill them. There was a 1963 Chevy Corvette sitting in the middle of the driveway. Gerald was leaning against the side of his car, looking like an out of place extra from Rebel Without A Cause. He pushed off the car when he saw me and walked over.

"You've been talking to Kilestra." Gerald said. He looked around as if he expected to see Kilestra peeking out from behind a tree. "She's wanted by The Commission and there's a Private Bounty on her head as well. She's never been a friend of mine and it would look good on my resume to bring her in."

"Planning on leaving Fedor's employ?" I said and jiggled my keys on my finger. "I'm sure he'd hate to see you go. I know I would."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight." Gerald said and pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at me. "I'm watching you."

I got in the Dodge and headed down the drive away from the Mansion. What looked a lot like a 1979 Gremlin was waiting at the driveway's end. Raoul and Izumi were crammed into the front seats. I pulled up beside them and powered down the window. I had to wait a minute as Izumi hand cranked the window slowly down. They both looked at me with grim determination.

"A step down from the Hummer, eh?" I said and gave the beat up Gremlin a long look. "Did this pass the emissions test?"

"We tacked on the cost of the Hummer to Kilestra's tab." Raoul said and tapped his left leg to show he was healed. "Plus medical expenses."

"Yeah, good luck with that." I said and pointed to Gerald's two-toned Chevy as it rolled down the drive behind me. "Just pull in behind that guy, he wants Kilestra too."

"Are you kidding me?" Izumi said and glared at Gerald. "He can get behind us."

"Take it up with him." I said and put the Dodge in Park. "I've got all night."

Raoul hopped out the Gremlin's passenger side and walked over to Gerarld's car. Gerald had the top down and raised his hands in a what-do-you-want gesture. Raoul put both hands on the driver's side door and leaned in.

"Hey." Gerald said and rapped Raoul's knuckle with his class ring. "Hands off the car."

"Oh, you're worried about your car?" Raoul said and pulled back his leg for a kick.

"Don't even think about it." Gerald said and pushed the button on the '63 Vetter's dash that put it in park. He pushed open the door and knocked Raoul over. "Nobody threatens Lady Blue."

Watching a Were transform from human to something else was always a fascinating bit of business. Raoul took a moment to take his shirt and pants off. His hair grew thicker and his bones made unpleasant sounds as they elongated and shifted. In a few short moments, a seven foot tall Mexican Grizzly bear was bellowing at Gerald. I remember that Raoul had threatened to kill me a number of times. Would his tiny bear brain register the notion if he happened to look my way? I decided not to wait and find out. I put the pedal down and laid a strip of rubber as I accelerated away from Raoul and Gerald.

A few minutes later, a bear bellowed into the Texas night. Then Gerald's Vette was speeding past me doing about 90. On the plus side, it would take Raoul awhile to settle down and become human again. I hoped he didn't eat any of the neighbor's pets. They're always so bitchy about things like that.

I WENT TO Grandfather's new apartment. He let me in and I watched as he finished making some kind of bright red drink in his blender. It smelled of fruit and milk. He sat in a chair across from me on his small sofa. I told him about Katie and Carlo and he looked thoughtful as he drank his smoothie. After a minute or two, he got up and left the room. He returned with a manila folder. It looked suspiciously like the ones used in Fedor's office.

"Katie." Grandfather said and opened the folder. "Not much about her besides the fact that her father lost her to Carlo in a poker game. My guess is he thought Carlo was the Master of Fort Worth. Or would be soon."

"What about the painting?" I said and fell into the nearest chair.

"The painting is a lock." Grandfather said and pushed a couple of pieces of paper my way. "It took a conclave of Elven sorcerers to whip the spell up. The key is hidden in some book, which itself is locked with magical bonds."

"Seems kind of dangerous to just leave these things sitting around." I said and looked over the papers.

"Right you are." Grandfather said and nodded. "Which is why they were both locked away in the Shadow Realm. About a thousand years ago, where no one could get at them."

"You mean the Shadow Realm." I said and rubbed the sudden pain in my neck. "Where Carlo has set up a number of high end night clubs?"

"The very one." Grandfather said and held up a sheet, which listed the Shadow Clubs owned by Carlo. "Odd things have been happening since he took an interest in interdimensional entertainment. Mainly he has developed a passion for ancient Elven artifacts. A passion shared by Tyler and Fredric."

"What does Katie have to do with all this?" I said and thought about the woman in the painting. She looked a lot like Katie, but didn't actually appear to be Katie.

"Oh, that's the best part." Grandfather said and showed me one last document. It was an engraving of a ceremony in some kind of a temple. Katie was laid out on an altar and looked like a sacrifice waiting for the knife. "Katie is the prison cell where Desiara, the Elven Goddess of the World's End, is being held."

"What happens to Katie if the Goddess tries to break out?" I said.

"As near as I can tell." Grandfather said. "Katie would move into the cell and Desiara would take control of her body. She can do that already, in certain circumstances. The Mages left a loophole for Desiara, she can have conjugal visits."

"But not if she's a slave." I said and recalled the times that Katie had sworn her faithfulness to me. "Making Katie a slave closed the loophole."

"Until her new Master falls in love with her." Grandfather said and looked at me with a frown. "Falling in love with Katie opens the door for falling in love with Desiara. You really shouldn't do that."

"Like all great advice I think it might have come a little too late." I said.

I SLIPPED AWAY into another vision of the Goddess of the World's End. Desiara was waving her hands as bits and pieces of planetary rubble drifted by us in the vacuum of space. She was glowing with vitality and power. My head grew light as the power flowed my way. She looked at me and her eyes shone.

"I'd like to show you something special." She said and took my hand. Her power hurt, but I was getting used to it. We shifted into some dark and empty place that made my head buzz. The Shadow Realm.

There were odds and ends of alternate realities. Hidden treasures and missing persons. Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa and the like. It was a dark place that didn't seem to have much reality of its own. Desiara smiled and spread her arms. She pulled the walls of the Realm toward us. She compressed the whole place into a ball of matter and energy. We popped out of the bubble of the former Realm. We were back in the general area where Earth, my Earth, had once been.

She pulled this Universe toward us as well. I had the feeling that this was happening on a time scale I couldn't comprehend. That billions of years flashed by as Desiara destroyed reality. Subjectively, it took no more than a few minutes. She had three small balls of compressed matter now, one must be from the Elven universe. She forced them together and made them smaller and smaller and smaller.

"This is what so many scientists have wanted to see." She said as she compressed the glowing dot of power ever smaller. "The moment before the Universe was born. They all sought some nice rational, scientific answer. They would be so disappointed to see a God here flipping the switch."

I watched in some pocket of reality with Desiara. She compressed the singularity. It went past some point of no return and ruptured into a new Universe.

"It's not all about destruction, Wil." Desiara said and gave me a dazzling smile. "It's also about rebirth."

A moment later the expanding energies blew threw us. Our particles mixed with the new reality. On this scale, I no longer missed my friends and family and a good blowjob. The creation of the universe was amazing. I loved Desiara and feared her. It was an unusual feeling for me. I had a moment to ponder being part of all creation before that final death claimed me.

I OPENED MY eyes and took my first breath of the day. I could hear one heartbeat in the room with me. I pushed open the coffin's lid and saw the arched roof of The Consulate's Guest Room. I sat up and looked around. It was an old world crypt, someone's mausoleum. It was moved stone by stone, and rebuilt here. I stepped out of the coffin. I found Jackie making up the beds where a visiting vampire's Chosen would sleep.

I could see after images of the newly formed Universe. Still felt myself drifting into my subatomic components. But that was a fading vision and Jackie was right here, right now.

"Hey, Lover." Jackie said and she grinned a private smile at me. "You like a little something first thing when you wake up, don't you?"

"You know I do." I said without thinking and stepped toward her. We embraced as if we had been doing it since time began. She fit so natural against my body and her hair smelled so good. She flipped her slightly gray hair out of the way and I pressed my lips to her neck. Her skin tingled and my lips made her squirm. I bit her deeply and her blood pumped strongly into my mouth. It tasted rich and powerful and good. I drank quickly and didn't spill a drop. I sealed the wound and caught her as her knees gave out. I picked her up easily and laid her on the bed she had been making.

"Oh yes." She said and looked up at me with a distant gaze. "You know I want you to take all of me."

And, with my head spinning, I did.

"WOW." JACKIE SAID as she snuggled into me. "I wish someone had thrown a spell on us before."

"Yeah." I said as moments from the past hour replayed in my mind. "I feel like we've let the past few years go to waste."

"Whoa." Jackie said and her eyebrows rose. "I don't feel so good."

"Me neither." I said and a blankness opened in my skull. "Do you suppose there was some reason that Fedor and Katie didn't want us to be alone together?"

"I thought they were just being possessive." Jackie said and went limp in my arms. "Guess I was wrong."

"I think I'm dying." I said as I fell out of the bed and onto the floor. "But you were so worth it."

"Aren't you sweet?" Jackie said as she fell across me on the floor. "You, too."

Jackie leaned close to me and I breathed in her wonderful odor one more time.

"What the hell?" Katie said as she walked in the room with a carrier of coffee cups. "Didn't Ravenhawk tell you Jackie was cursed? And Jackie, didn't Fedor tell you not to shag Wil that it could kill you?"

"He might have mentioned it." Jackie said in a dreamy voice that was barely a whisper. "But I wasn't thinking too clearly at the time. I guess I wasn't supposed to shag Fedor, either?"

The smell of Jackie's blood was a distraction I couldn't put to one side. I pulled her hand up to my mouth and took a nip out of her wrist. Jackie cooed and rubbed her free hand against my face.

"Damn it." Katie said and pulled Jackie's wrist away from me. "Stop that."

I reached for Jackie but she wasn't there. I opened my eyes and saw Jackie on the room's other side. In my fading vision, she looked ten miles away. I closed my eyes. The world drifted away and I did nothing to try and stop it.

"Master." Katie said close to my face and I pried my eyes open. "Feed."

"Jackie?" I said and tried to look past Katie.

"No." Katie said with a growl and slapped me. "Feed on me."

"Oh." I said and licked my lips. I formed a seal on Katie's neck and bit down. I focused on making the experience pleasurable, since I was dying and all. Katie's blood was good. Different from Jackie's. More potent, older, filled with subtle woody overtones having to do with her being an Elf. I drew strength from her and poured pleasure back in exchange. Katie pounded her fist against my chest, but the blows didn't have any force. My head cleared. I was going to live after all.

"Enough" Katie said and flopped around like a dying fish. "Please. No more."

I stopped feeding and closed the wound. Katie's eyes were rolled up in her head and her back was arched. Body heat was rolling off her in waves. I felt echoing warmth in my own body and it was a sensation that I found satisfying.

I pulled a deep, shaking breath into my body and my surroundings seemed to pop into place. The Guest Room had been slowly spinning and I hadn't noticed until it had stopped. I sat up and looked around. Katie was moving slowly, but the smile on her face and the buzzing in her head told me she was going to be fine. Jackie had found her way to one of the beds and was softly snoring. I peered into her and she looked better. Maybe she and I were more closely connected than I thought. I reached out and found Fedor. He didn't appear to be in any immediate danger either.

"In case you were wondering where I've been." Katie said as she crawled to her feet and rubbed her neck. "I was busy with Ravenhawk looking for a solution to your problem, since her potion didn't seem to do the trick. They decided something a little more persistent can block the effects. Well, the more serious effects anyway."

Katie opened her messenger bag and took out three bracelets made out of braided metal. She uncoiled one and wrapped it around my wrist. It was a snug fit, but not as snug as the black metal ring on my finger. Katie took the second bracelet over to Jackie and wrapped it around her wrist. The third bracelet was a bit larger and thicker than these two. I guessed Fedor needed a little more help than we did.

Jackie sat up and grabbed Katie by the wrist. Her eyes showed she was having a Vision. She looked at the Elf with rage and a light dancing in her eyes. Jackie made a sign in the air and Katie cried out as she fell to her knees.

"I know I can't kill you." Jackie said and put her face close to Katie's. "But I can make you suffer."

"Wilhem." Katie said and I saw that flash of green light in her eyes that shows Desiara was there as well. Whatever Jackie was doing was somehow hurting the Goddess as well. I felt my eyebrows rise in surprise.

"You dare to call to him for help?" Jackie said and pulled Katie's head back by her hair. Jackie reached to a belt she wasn't wearing and looked down in surprise. "Where's my blade?"

"Jackie." I said as I flashed to her side. "It's alright Jackie. What's going on?"

"Oh my Dearest." Jackie said and pushed Katie to the floor as she threw her arms around me. "I was so worried about you."

Jackie leaned her head against me. She tensed and then looked up at me with the Seer gaze gone from her face. She turned and looked at Katie. She breathed hard and I had to hold her back.

"That had better be only one possible future Desiara." Jackie said with a hiss. "If the future I just saw comes to pass, I won't be the only one looking for your head."

"Desiara?" I said and looked at Katie where she still lay sprawled on the floor.

"You know who this Elf really is, Wil, stop pretending that you don't." Jackie said and gathered up her clothes. "I need a shower."

"What did she do to you?" I said as I sat on the bed near Katie. "What are you going to do to make her want to hurt you?"

"She shouldn't have been able to do that." Katie said and I saw tears rolling down her face. "She used my name in a punishment spell."

"Jackie doesn't use magic." I said. "At least, not yet. The last time this happened, she mentioned my scars. Vampires don't usually have scars."

"Don't you care that she hurt me?" Katie said and shook her head. "How many times do I have to save your life?"

"Of course I care." I said and looked into her eyes. "I love you."

"What?" Katie said and there was a flash of green in her eyes as Desiara peeked out at me. "So glad to hear that."

I stumbled back and the light faded from her eyes. She shook her head and looked at me with fresh tears running down her face. Her shoulders sagged and conflicting emotions fought for control. A moment later, she was just Katie again.

I was still naked and covered with blood and other bodily fluids. I didn't see my clothes at first, then found them scattered to the room's corners. I decided to take a shower as well.

"Get that bracelet to Fedor." I said and headed out the door.

When I returned I found a fresh set of clothes waiting for me along with a cup of coffee. I dressed quickly and checked the time on my phone. It was a little past 2 A.M. and the night was still young. I drank the lukewarm coffee.

I left the Guest Room and headed to the main office. I used my vampire power to burn a notch in the door frame as I walked out. If Jackie was right, as she often was, this was just the first Guest Room we would share. If I lived that long.

Fedor was sitting behind Jackie's desk, sorting through a few papers and looking completely overwhelmed. He looked up when I entered the room. He didn't smile.

"Ah, I see you've recovered." Fedor said and tossed the papers he was looking at back onto the desk. "Did you enjoy your morning romp with my secretary?"

"Yeah, I did." I said without thinking and a smile spread on my face. I felt a pain in my shoulder and looked over to see Katie punching me.

"What he meant to say." Katie said and bowed her head toward Fedor. "Was that he regrets any actions taken while he was under a spell he was helpless to resist."

"Yes." Fedor said and squinted at me as he held up his wrist to show the magical bracelet. "I do understand."

I left the Consulate with Katie in tow. Her presence was a good feeling. Was Katie just one more blind spot for me? I felt an undertow of reserve, a feeling of holding something back. I shrugged it aside without a second thought. I know what it's like to want a few private thoughts.

"I have no secrets from you, Master." Katie said in crisp, imploring tones. "I am yours and yours alone."

"Is that a bad thing?" I said as we got into the Dodge. "I have to be better than Carlo, right?"

"You are my world." Katie said with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. "What more could a poor Elf girl ask of life?"

I drove across town to the general neighborhood of Carlo's rambling residence. I parked a block or so away, where I could see the former church. The vampire Carlo and the Elf that he had put into my life were a conundrum. I wasn't having any deep insights. Cars went past occasionally, but this part of downtown was mostly empty at this time of night. Katie sat beside me with her hoodie pulled up and her phone player glowing blue.

I was halfheartedly watching the old church when I saw a shape move across the parking lot. I looked more closely and saw an open window on the second story that hadn't been opened before. I spotted the shape again as it darted from one shadow to another. I only knew one person that was so good at blending into the darkness. Kilestra looked my way when she felt my presence, but then she was gone again and I didn't catch any more hints that she had been here. That was odd.

The Dodge shook and I found Raoul crawling into the passenger's seat. I turned to look at Katie and found Izumi was holding a gun on her. When I looked back at Raoul, he was holding a gun of his own.

"What's up, Raoul?" I said and laid my hands on the steering wheel.

"Carlo wants a little more face time with you." Raoul said. "And he'd like me to make sure you come along."

"He could have just asked." I said and fired up the Dodge. Izumi took Katie and followed us.

We had only driven a few blocks when Raoul told me to pull to a stop near an alleyway wedged between two parking garages. The way down the alley was blocked by a black iron gate with a lion on top of it. It's the kind of stylistic tick you find in all large cities. It's one that I had never noticed before. Raoul caught me looking at the symbol.

"It's the symbol of Carlo's family." Raoul said. "Or some such bullshit. He's waiting for you inside."

A large man wearing a black suit and a red tie appeared out of the shadows to pull the gate open for us. He was a vampire I didn't know, something that was happening more and more often. I really needed to go to more mixers.

When the gate clanged shut behind us, the alleyway disappeared. A replica of Ancient Rome at its most over the top replaced it. A buzzing filled my head for a moment and then faded to a background hum. Everything was both old and new.

"I thought you were afraid of me." I said and found that I couldn't find the door I had walked through to get here. Or any door for that matter. "Aren't you worried I might take offense?"

"Not here." Carlo said and narrowed his eyes at me. "I have a bit more freedom in the Shadow Realm."

I followed Carlo and looked around. The rugs and curtains were blood red. It was a long, narrow room, but it was a richly appointed long and narrow room. A handful of vampires and humans were scattered around. Carlo led me to a long bar. We were greeted coolly by a woman wearing a red dress with an excessive amount of jewels and gold beadwork embroidered into it.

"The usual." Carlo said and turned his back on the woman. He nodded to vampires seated around the room's edge and put his elbows on the bar. Two identical women who looked to be about sixteen years old walked up to us and curtseyed. They were as thin as ballerinas and they both glowed with vitality.

"A little young, don't you think?" I said in Carlo's direction. This earned me stares from several of the vampires in the club and smiles from both of the girls.

"They aren't as young as they look, Wilhem." Carlo said and slapped me on the back. "Besides, who are you to judge? I happen to know firsthand about your latest conquest. I was right about that Elf, wasn't I? She is something special."

"How is it that I've never seen this place before?" I said by way of changing the subject.

"Little Rome is what you call a private establishment." Carlo said and smiled. He seemed much more his old self here. "Admittance is by invitation only."

"It's a bit different from Fredric's place." I said and took in Little Rome with a wave of my hand. "For one thing, this is all magical bullshit, isn't it? I've seen this kind of sleight of hand before. It's all about the use of color, isn't it?"

"Some people have no sense of wonder. But even you... have heard of Shadow Clubs, yes?" Carlo said and nodded to take in the room around us. "These are little pockets of the Shadow Realm, bound by magic, but governed by their own laws. The things we have stumbled upon while building these places would amaze you. Kilestra well, she knows more about it than she lets on."

"What does Kilestra have to do with you?" I said and looked at Carlo. "Or this little slice of ancient Rome?"

"Oh, we added all of this." Carlo said and nodded. "Except for a few odd items here and there. Items I would like to talk to Kilestra about. Things she carelessly left lying about. Things I feel sure she never thought to hear mentioned again."

"Aren't you a bit worried?" I said and narrowed my eyes. "That Kilestra might react to your threats? Maybe Fredric threatened her, and you saw what happened to him."

"I have reason to believe that wasn't really Kilestra's work." Carlo said and wrapped his arm around the waist of one of the girls. He pushed the other one in my direction. "How about a little pleasure before business? These girls are special. I don't share my private stock with just anyone."

He pulled the girl close and put his face to her neck. She squirmed just a little as he ran his hands up and down her. She looked at me, and then closed her eyes as Carlo poured his power into her. They both giggled with an elation that seemed to be the norm for Little Rome.

The other girl laid a hand on my chest and made eye contact with me. That was something most humans tried to avoid. Her hand pulsed with power over my heart. I felt warmth and happiness. A rustling sound was tickling the tiny hairs in my ears. I pulled her into me and decided to take a little sip. See if she tasted as good as she looked. She did and more. Then I seemed to lose track of time for a bit.

### Chapter Eighteen

"Do stop by again some night." Carlo said as he walked me to the door. "I think we could become friends. And please mention to Kilestra that I would like to see her. One of those life or death kind of things."

I turned and went back outside. The night air seemed a bit cooler than it had a few moments earlier. I had been standing still for several seconds and forced myself into motion.

I fired up the Dodge and headed back to the Mansion. A VW Microbus I didn't recognize was in one of the parking spaces. Judging from the paint job's soft glow, I could hazard a guess that it belonged to Billy. That and the hippie style paint job. Katie looked up when we came to a stop and peered suspiciously at the van.

"Vampires don't usually do magic." Katie said as we walked toward the house. She narrowed her eyes at me. "They usually get someone else to do it for them."

"You mean the way I have you do a bit of healing now and then?" I said and looked her way.

"Yeah." Katie said and looked me in the eye. "Or how you use Jackie to predict the future."

"Sometimes things just fall into place." I said and looked into Katie's soft green eyes. Fire flared there for a moment and the Goddess peered out at me. She curled back Katie's lips in a snarl. Then Katie was standing before me again. I was never going to get used to that.

We went into the house and found Billy and Shirley sorting several cartons of cigarettes. The packs were black with green lettering and a bright red seal across the top. The name in a stylized script was Whammy. A powerful and vaguely familiar odor was mixed with the smell of tobacco. Katie was shaking with rage next to me.

"Seriously?" Katie said in a voice that might have cracked glass. "You bring this shit in here?"

"Chill out, little sister." Billy said and waved a hand over the cartons. "They're harmless unless they're burning. And these are seriously diluted. No chance of anything really bad happening."

A pleasant mixture of joy and confusion filled my brain. I had to put a hand on Katie's shoulder to combat the sudden weakness in my knees. It was The Little Death. My head began to throb at the mere thought of that much The Little Death, even if it was diluted.

"Get it out of here." I said and stared at Billy until he saw the power in my eyes. "Now."

Billy and Shirley packed the cartons into boxes. They were the usual cigarette suspects. Short and long, and filtered and unfiltered, and various flavors made to mimic popular brands. They took just enough time to sort them into larger groups. They had them stacked on a small hand truck in a few minutes. Billy motioned for Shirley to take them out to the Microbus. She pushed the loaded cart quickly past me.

"Times are kind of tough." Billy said and scratched an itch behind his ear. "You know, since you basically sold my soul to Fedor and all."

"Et tu, Brute?" I said and sat down on the sofa facing the one Billy sat on.

"What's with the smokes?" Katie said and glared at Billy as she crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Not everyone has your charms, little Elf." Billy said staring at her. "With a pack of these, and there are only three cigarettes in a pack, anyone can become interesting to a vampire."

"You're planning on selling these cancer sticks to Chosen?" Katie said and shook her head. "How's that going to work?"

"Well, maybe not the already Chosen." Billy said and rubbed his palms together. "But maybe for a few of those people who hang out in the Donor Bars and Galleries and want to become Chosen. Some of those people will buy, like, anything."

"I've seen charms and talismans." I said and shook my head. "But none of that stuff is real. The Little Death is different. Take my word for it."

"This is just a touch of The Little Death." Billy said and rubbed his fingers together. "A little smoke in the air, a bit of The Little Death in their blood. Just enough to get someone noticed. Not enough to turn a vampire into a drooling, mindless..."

Billy stopped talking and took a sudden interest in his fingernails. Shirley came back in and sat down next to him on the floor. She leaned her head on his shoulder and ran her hand up and down his sleeve. Billy tilted his head toward her. It occurred to me that maybe Billy knew firsthand about the effects of The Little Death.

"The cigarettes are just one possibility." Shirley said and sat up excitedly. "I was thinking of a whole line of similar products. Snuff, dip, chewing tobacco, cigars, the whole nine yards. Carlo owns clubs all over the world and with his recent interest in Shadow Clubs, who knows?. This could be a big deal."

"You know that it's against the law to roofie a vampire." I said and let out a sigh. "Just as it's against the law for a vampire to use vampire powers to seduce a human."

"I didn't say we were going to sell them at the corner drugstore." Billy said and winked. "These are more custom products for the discerning client. Part of our job was going to be to refill the machines."

"You really liked it down in Fedor's dungeon, eh?" Katie said as she picked up a broken The Little Death cigarette and tossed it in the trash.

"So your advice would be to stay out of the Whammy business?" Billy said and looked at Katie with a bit of disappointment on his face. "That's a bummer. Because I got these cigarettes on consignment from Fredric. And what with him being dead and all, it looks like I would get, like, 100 percent of the profits."

"Fredric was selling these cigarettes?" I said. The Jangling Spurs was a mixture of bad smells and dark corners. Then there were all those old vending machines I'd seen outside his office.

"Not personally." Billy said with a well duh look. "He was going to sell Distributorships."

"And let me guess." I said and looked at the stoner vampire and his stripper Chosen. "He let you in on the ground floor."

"Yeah, man. Vampires and Supers are pretty much the last of the big markets for these things." Billy said and nodded to give his statement more authority. "Smoking like kills humans. For a vampire, it's nothing. They're already dead, man. Fredric said he got ahold of a lot of old Vending Machines. He was going to distribute these particular smokes to all the places vampires and wanna be Chosen might hang out. He was going to put the machines in the bathrooms, where the Vamps wouldn't see them. These little beauties, as you well know, make a vampire... a little more devoted."

"You've sold these before?" I said and let my opinion about Billy sink even lower.

"Not these." Billy said. "These are new. I just sold stuff like charms before. You know, like your ring, Dude."

"What do you know about this ring?" I said and held up my hand.

"Not much. I got a box full of them," Billy said and rubbed the perpetual three day beard on his chin. "They're one of those things I kind of found one day. After I came to without really remembering much. Must have picked them up while I was in Mexico breaking Beth out of jail. I don't remember much about that trip at all."

"And when did you get these cigarettes?" Katie said as she stared at Billy. But he wasn't easy to intimidate, he wasn't that in touch with reality.

"There's a drop off in the alley behind Carlo's garage." Billy said and closed his eyes to think. "It's across from his main palace. There are always boxes full of trash sitting around waiting to be collected. One more box doesn't look out of place. That was the last time I saw Fredric, too, now that I think about it."

"You spoke to Fredric?" I said and perked up a bit.

"Nah." Billy said and waved his hand as he blew air out of his lips. "Fredric didn't know me from Adam. He worked through what he called 'intermediaries.' I got my orders from some striper. No offense, Shirley."

"Yeah." Shirley said and sneered at Billy. "Why would that offend me?"

"I was in the alley, looking for the right box." Billy said and made a show of looking this way and that. "When the back door opened and an old panel truck rolls out. Not exactly Carlo's kind of ride, but it was cherry. Must have been about a 1963 or so."

"Did it have any writing on it?" I said.

"Well, yeah." Billy said and waved his hands. "It said The Vending Authority in big block letters on the door."

"What makes you think Fredric was driving it?" Katie said and adjusted her hoodie so she could see Billy.

"Fredric got out and put a padlock on the door." Billy said and nodded in thought. "He looked a little nervous to me. You know, like maybe he had tried one of the Whammy's but then remembered he was alone. A Whammy totally sucks when your alone dude. Totally."

"Then what happened?" I said and looked at Billy, who seemed to be studying the cracks in the stonework of the walls. He blinked and turned his attention back to me.

"He drove off." Billy said. "I found the box with the stash of cigarettes and hauled them back to my bus."

Sally walked in with a little cup carrier that held three cups from the Coffee Spot. She looked at Billy and Shirley and then at Katie and me. Billy focused on Sally and stood up. He lost his balance and tipped back into the wall behind him. He reached out to steady himself on Katie's shoulder, but she brushed his hand away. Shirley got up and helped Billy to stand up.

"Hey." Sally said and gave Billy and Shirley the once over.

"This is Sally." Billy said and pointed Sally out to Shirley, who was standing three feet away from her. "She's a human liaison for the Vampire Commission."

"So she enforces laws and stuff." Shirley said and squinted at Sally. "Master Walengrave has a really nice place, doesn't he?"

"Yeah." Sally said as she handed me and Katie a cup and kept the last one for herself. She looked at Billy and raised her eyebrows in a way that clearly said-why are you still here? Billy grabbed Shirley by the hand and headed for the door. He nodded his goodbye to Katie and me and then he was gone.

"So the fire didn't destroy the espresso machine?" Katie said and she sniffed her coffee.

"Stay away from the Coffee Spot." Sally said and gave Katie her thousand yard stare. Katie rolled her eyes and looked away.

Sally pushed Katie over and sat on the sofa next to me. Katie sipped her coffee and nodded her approval. Mine smelled good and had just a touch of Sally in it. I took a sip. Sally warmed her hands around her cup.

"What was Billy doing here?" Sally said.

"I think his Mom was nervous about his latest business venture." I said and followed Sally's lead by placing my fingers tightly around the paper cup. "So he came here to sort out his inventory."

"He did a bit of gossiping, too." Katie said and slurped her coffee loudly.

"Gossiping about what?" Sally said and cut her eyes to me.

We told Sally about The Little Death cigarette business and Fredric driving off in The Vending Authority truck. She looked from one of us to the other and shook her head.

"And you thought it was a good idea to let Billy leave with a trunk load of drugged cigarettes?" Sally said. "I'd think the two of you would know how bad this stuff is."

"He said it's a pretty mild dose." I said and Katie nodded in agreement.

"Let me make a call to The Captain and Fedor." Sally said and took out her phone. "Before that idiot gets somebody killed."

"You have The Captain on speed dial?" I said and let my eyebrows rise a bit.

"Yeah." Sally said as she stepped away. "I'm special."

"Yeah." Katie said and leaned in toward me. "Special needs."

Sally gave Katie a slap to the back of her head and Katie scrunched down into the sofa. When Sally finished her calls, she walked back and sat down beside me.

"The Captain has video of Kilestra leaving The Jangling Spur with a tote bag and a large book." Sally said and blew out a breath. "But this whole mess gets more complicated the more we learn."

"You think that's why Carlo wants to talk to Kilestra?" Katie said and fiddled with her headphone cord. "He thinks she took some of his toys?"

"I've seen more than one Supernatural who can't let things go." Sally said and let her eyes roll toward me. "Kilestra was carrying an old army duffle bag, could have been anything in there."

"An army duffle bag you say?" I said and told Sally the tale of Billy and the vanishing money.

"Fredric was selling drugs to humans that want to be Chosen." I said and let the sweet aroma of coffee fill my face. "The problem with drugging a monster is you end up with a stoned monster that can't be controlled. Maybe Carlo had second thoughts about that."

"Billy's Whammy cigarettes don't make vampires crazy." Katie said as she sat her empty cup down and looked at her phone. "So that whole uncontrolled monster thing isn't what they're looking for."

"So maybe people who suddenly have a new vampire in their life?" Sally said "I haven't paid that much attention."

"Maybe Fredric was thinking about using this stuff in a more targeted way." I said. "Maybe he wanted to assassinate someone and make it look like a vampire power struggle. Most people think we're all crazy anyway, so they wouldn't even notice the difference in a really mad vampire."

"They might notice one that ripped everyone it met to pieces." Sally said.

"You think?" I said. "Unless a couple of Hunters were always nearby, just in case."

"Did they want to kill you?" Katie said and squinted at me in an appraising way. "You keep telling everyone you're not really the Master of the City. What if someone else just stood up and said they were? Would there be some big battle to settle the score?"

"Once you're Master of the City it's pretty much a lifetime gig." Sally said. "Real Masters like the power and glamour. Few Masters are as laid back about the title as Wil."

"But it would be easier to kill him than to challenge him, right?" Katie said and tapped on her phone. "What would have happened if, say, Wil and Fedor had both died during the battle over Jackie?"

"Well, I'd have tracked you down and killed you for starters." Sally said and looked at Katie. "That was your work, right, little Elf?"

"I was just a courier." Katie said and slunk deeper into her hoodie. "I didn't know it was going to be used on the Consulate."

"Of course not." Sally said and pursed her lips. "All your motives are pure and innocent."

"It's getting late." I said and held up a hand.

"Why don't you go for a walk, Katie?" Sally said as she slipped her shoes off. "I think we can handle the rest of the evening without you."

"Maybe you can take the day off." I said in Katie's direction. "Go shopping or something."

Katie got up and walked out. She pressed her lips together. She gave me an angry look that had a flicker of green in it as she passed. Sally put her arms around me and I pulled her into me. We kissed, and kissing lead to other things. And the last hour or so before dawn was put to good use.

THE NEXT NIGHT I swung by the Consulate and picked up Andy. He settled into the seat next to me and stared out the window. I could tell he had something to say and told him to spit it out.

"Well." Andy said in his East Texas drawl. "It's considered polite to call a lady the next night after you rock her world."

"Rock her world?" I said and took my eyes off the road for a second to stare at him. "Do the rules still apply when you're under a magic spell?"

"Just saying." Andy said and raised his hands in surrender. "Jackie thinks you might be avoiding her."

"I'll talk to her later." I said. "Jackie will have to wait."

"I told her you wouldn't forget about her." Andy said and slumped back into his seat. "So where are we heading?"

"Thought we might look around Carlo's place a bit." I said and headed across town.

"Is Carlo going to be there?" Andy said.

"Pretty sure he's spending all his time in Azle these days." I said and drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. "Or in the Shadow Realm. The place felt pretty empty last time I looked in."

"Breaking into the house of a powerful vampire and going through his sock drawer." Andy said and nodded sagely. "I regret that I have but one life to give."

"You can wait outside." I said as I pulled into a parking spot not too far from Carlo's castle.

"That's a good plan." Andy said. "But I'm not sure what the growing number of women in your life would do to me if I let you go in alone."

We walked toward Carlo's place and we weren't even alone on the street. It was still early and there seemed to be many people wandering around. I went to the small courtyard off to the building's side. A low wall and a lot of trees and plants blocked the view from the street. We were invisible after we walked five feet. A small hallway was visible through the lead glass door. I tried the handle and the outer door was open. Well, who would be dumb enough to try to rob a vampire?

Somewhere inside a loud buzzer sounded. Carlo didn't like surprises. We froze, but no one appeared in answer to the buzz. I put a hand on the inner door. It was locked. Andy rapped on the door with his knuckle.

"This is an old door." Andy said and looked at it appraisingly. "Solid construction and those locks look new."

"What are you doing here?" Katie said from behind us and we both jumped. "You could have told me you were stopping by."

"I thought this was your night off." I said and looked at Katie. "You don't spend all your days off here, do you?"

"Yeah." Katie said and tilted her head at me. "All one of them, I've spent here."

Katie pushed past us to the door. She reached into her messenger's bag and took out a large ring of keys. She quickly worked the locks and pushed the door open. She walked to the alarm, but just flipped the open lid back and forth. The alarm wasn't set. She turned and bowed with a wave of her arm.

"Thanks." I said and looked around the vast hallway.

### Chapter Nineteen

"SO YOU STILL got the keys to this place?" Andy said and looked around. "Wil here give you the keys to his place?"

"No." Katie said and looked at me with anger and then resignation. "I'm clearly less to him than I was to Carlo."

"Ouch." Andy said. "I think I'll look around upstairs."

I looked around the main floor with Katie following close behind. She knew where the hidden rooms were and where someone might be hiding. We didn't find anything. Just kinds of odds and ends that a vampire tends to collect over the years. Most of the stuff wasn't priceless artifacts, but more like personal mementoes. Old magazines, newspaper clippings, and a small collection of street photos featuring people walking on a downtown sidewalk.

"Carlo didn't have a lot of guests." Katie said as she tossed a book back onto a table. "But it looks like someone's been here. A couple of the coffins are open that are usually closed. A few things have been moved here and there. I'm going to get some clothes from my old room. If Carlo didn't throw them all away."

Katie darted off into the dark building.

"What are you doing here?" Beth said from the doorway behind me. She was wearing some kind of leather outfit that showed off more skin than it hid. For Beth, this was like wearing a Nun's Habit.

"What are you doing here?" I said as if she had no right to question anything I did.

"Carlo asked me to water the plants." Beth said and looked around for a plant. "Not that it's any of your business."

"So Fredric had a thing for Werecoyotes, eh?" I said and squinted at Beth. "I don't remember him mentioning you."

"Yeah, funny thing." Beth said and crossed her arms as she shook her head. "For a vampire that had his own personal Elf, Carlo didn't think a Werecoyote was good enough for his little prodigy Fredric. So I didn't come around when Carlo was in residence."

"You know who might have wanted Fredric dead?" I said and gave the low rent Werecoyote a long look. Maybe it was just this one particular Were he didn't think was good enough.

"Everyone that ever met him would be a good start." Beth said and made a sour face. "He had kind of a way with people."

A thud from behind Beth caused her to turn quickly. Andy was standing next to a large bag with silverware spilling out of it. Beth looked at the bag and then at Andy and let her shoulders sag.

"So not here to water plants then?" I said and gave her a flash of power in my eyes.

"Fredric owed me." Beth said and looked around. "He stole my entire stock of The Little Death, so I figure Carlo can spare a few things to help pay off Fredric's debts. My time has value you know."

"Uh, yeah." I said.

"He told me there were big things coming." Beth said and put the silver back in the bag. "He said I would be in a power position. Then the bastard just up and got himself killed."

"You know that you damn near killed Fedor and Wil." Andy said and put his hand on his Desert Eagle. "And Jackie hasn't exactly been the same, either."

"He didn't tell me he was planning some big power play with you guys." Beth said and looked around. "You can't trust anyone connected to Carlo."

"Yeah, kind of figured that out." I said and looked at Beth's bag of loot. "I don't have a problem with you taking a few of Carlo's things.

"Need any help with that stuff?" Andy said. "I saw a couple of nice guns upstairs."

"Sure, see anything else?" Beth said and handed the bag to Andy as they both left the room. "I bet he's got a jewelry box somewhere as well."

I looked around Carlo's office for a few minutes. Moved around the wooden pieces on his desk. Opened a few drawers. He was involved in many nightclubs that catered to the vampire trade. Fredric had done a lot of traveling to those clubs on Carlo's behalf. I found an itinerary with stops all over the country, and one out of the country. In Monterey, Mexico. I left the office and went back to the main hall to wait for the others to return.

I walked over to an ornate gothic chair with a lot of scrollwork on the back and sat down. The main hallway had a nice feel to it. The handful of ghosts in residence seemed pleased by my presence. I felt a few echoes of holiness floating around the place. A bit of the Faithful's beliefs had soaked into the walls. I was relaxing a bit too much, as seemed to be my habit of late.

"Can I get you anything, Master Walengrave?" The Butler, Henry said in an icy voice that caused me to jump out of my seat. "I believe the Werecoyote left a few items of silver in the pantry. She missed Carlo's stamp collection entirely."

"Ah." I said and sent out a silent call to Andy and Katie. "I didn't know you were here."

"I am at your service, Sir." Henry said and added a touch of butlerly sting to the word 'sir.' "Would you like some blood? Alternatively, perhaps I can show you to the Master Bedroom and open Carlo's sock drawer for you? Oh, no need, I see Andrew has already done that."

Andy, Katie and Beth came into the room at the same time. They all skidded to a stop on the slick marble floor and looked properly abashed at seeing the Butler. He gave them a perfect look of disdain and turned his attention back to me.

"Tyler has a delivery van in the driveway." Henry said while he maintained a strict posture and stared straight ahead. "It is a smallish van. You won't be able to take, say, the Bösendorfer piano or the Koons 'Balloon Dog.' But Carlo has a number of exotic items. He paid quite a lot for his carbon fiber toilet seat and his signed copy of The Butcher Cover version of Yesterday and Today."

I glance over at the giant balloon dog sitting in the middle of what had once been the sanctuary. Its lovely dark blue-mirrored finish would look perfect in my Courtyard.

"I'm pretty sure he's not seriously suggesting we take that thing with us." Katie said and crossed her arms. "Carlo told me they had to take a wall out to get it in here."

"I think I'm good with what I have." Beth said and looked around one last time. "But a van would be nice."

"This way." Henry said and slowly marched off down one of the long hallways. "Do be careful, I was in the process of waxing the floors while Carlo was away. Now there is so much more cleaning to do."

"Uh, sorry about that." Andy said and gave me a look. "We could stay and clean up a bit if you want some help."

"Very kind of you Andrew." Henry said without turning to look at Andy. "But I think I can manage without you."

We shuffled along behind the Butler like students on a field trip. I half expected Henry to start pointing out interesting features and regaling us with their history.

"I am sorry." Henry stopped and looked at Katie apologetically. "Carlo demanded all your possessions be destroyed once you had left. He didn't want reminders of you cluttering up the place."

"Should have known he would do that." Katie said.

"I took the liberty of setting these aside." Henry said and pulled a pair of headphones out of an oversized pocket. "On the off chance I would see you again."

Katie took the headphones and gave Henry a hug. The Butler smiled fractionally and led us to the building's driveway entrance. We stepped outside and found a bright red panel truck with The Vending Authority in white letters on the door.

"Have a good evening." Henry said and closed the door behind us. This was followed by the sound of many locks being slid home.

"This belongs to your buddies, Andy?" I said and pointed at the panel van.

"Not anymore." Andy said. "It was something they used in parades and at store openings. They sold this one to Carlo a couple of years back. The Vending Authority doesn't really need to advertise that much."

Andy stepped forward and opened one the van's back doors. Still a few random boxes and what looked like sample cases. No vending machines, though a large toolbox looked like it might contain tools for repairing machines. A blue mover's blanket was over a load that took up about half the van's cargo area.

Beth tossed her bags of stolen goods into the van and helped Andy load up the ones he had helped her fill. Andy tugged on the mover's blanket and we saw a stack of paintings leaning against the van's side. Beth pushed Andy back and slammed the door. She ran around to the driver's side and banged on the glass. The Vampire Tyler was sitting behind the wheel. Beth growled at him in an impressive manner. He rolled the window down.

"I told you to wait for me across the street." Beth said and then dashed around the van and climbed in the passenger side. The old van coughed a cloud of white smoke. It rattled down the driveway and out onto the road. We watched it make its slow getaway for a couple of minutes.

"I wonder if there was a Gauguin in there." I said.

"Didn't get a chance to see." Andy said. "Of course, my taste runs toward Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Carlo doesn't seem like the cowboy type."

"I really think that Koons sculpture would look good in my Courtyard. A couple of small spotlights. Maybe some Moby playing on an endless loop." I said and looked at Katie. "You need a ride?"

"Nope." Katie said and pulled her hood up. "I'm good. You did say I had the night off. I just happen to be in the neighborhood and thought I would help out."

"What did you steal?" I said as she started to walk off. Katie turned and pushed up her sleeve to show me an armful of watches. I recognized a Maîtres du Temps, Patek Philippe, and Piaget Emperador. She quickly pulled her hoodie sleeve back down and sprinted off into the night.

We headed back to the Consulate. Andy didn't have much to say and I was lost in thought myself. I let Andy out near his pickup truck. I noticed the pockets of his denim jacket seemed to be a good deal fatter than they normally were. Maybe I could order Carlo to give me the Koons as Tribute. Otherwise, the whole trip had been kind of a bust.

I FELT KILESTRA before I saw the shadowy shape appear by The Mansion. I followed her into a slightly thicker part of the woods. She turned and looked at me expectantly.

"Have fun looting Carlo's house?" Kilestra said and leaned against a tree. "Get me anything?"

"Let's see." I said and pulled a small dagger out of my coat pocket. "It was on his desk. Maybe it's got some magical power or its proof against werewolves or something."

"It says Souvenir of Six Flags Over Texas on the blade." Kilestra said and rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't have."

"I thought you'd like it." I said. "So any news I should know about?"

"For Master of the City you don't seem to know much about what's going on." Kilestra said and looked at me the way she used to. "Better for you that way. Plausible deniability."

"How about meeting with random fugitives on a regular basis?" I said. "How does that look?"

"Well, you do have that side job as a Vampire Code Enforcer." Kilestra said. "You always keep rather bad company."

"Should I do anything about Beth and Tyler?" I said and stepped closer to Kilestra.

"Tell the human authorities if you want to be drug in for hours of questioning." Kilestra said, walking up to me and laid a hand on my chest. "Tell your human if you got her something better than a letter opener. And be careful about being followed."

I sensed Gerald before the sound of breaking twigs and skidding rocks reached my ears. Which meant he would be aware of me, and possibly Kilestra, as well. I turned my attention back to Kilestra, but, no surprise, she was gone. Gerald came running up beside me with a set of silver reinforced handcuffs swinging in his grasp. He looked around but didn't have any more luck finding Kilestra than I had.

"She was here." Gerald said and peered into the surrounding darkness. "Wasn't she? I caught a whiff of another vampire that felt like Kilestra."

"You're starting to imagine things." I said and pushed past him to head back toward the Mansion.

Gerald followed me as I headed across town to the Coffee Spot. For all her big time connections in the vampire and the human world, Sally still worked a few shifts slinging coffee and stale donuts. She liked to call it mindless work that kept her hands busy and her mind free. I found a spot in what was left of the parking lot and went inside. There were still plenty of signs of the recent fire. A lot of yellow tape blocking off the deeper holes in the parking lot. But the building itself had suffered only cosmetic damage. It didn't appear to be in any danger of collapsing soon. Gerald sat where he had a good view of the Dodge and stared at me as I walked by.

"Hey, You." Sally said and gave me a hug. "Stop by to finish destroying my place of work? Or do you want something? We got a new espresso maker, the day before the parking lot was melted. I'm test driving it and it should only take us about three years to pay for."

"Sure." I said and gave her my most innocent smile. "An espresso would be great."

"What happened?" She said and stopped in mid-motion.

"I was over at Carlos." I said. "Found a Were there."

"You run over another armadillo?" Sally said and went back to prepping the espresso machine.

"That was Gerald, who ran over the armadillo." I said and waited for Sally to finish the alchemy of pulling a shot of espresso. "I kind of helped Beth the Werecoyote and Tyler the Vampire rob Carlo's house and steal a panel van."

"Not a fan of Carlo." Sally said. "Did you get me anything?"

"Hmm, let's see." I said and reached into my pocket. "I only got to look around his office."

I handed her a box with a fancy looking pen inside. It was absolutely the kind of pen that Carlo would use. The name in the top of the box was Montegrappa. Sally, who thought of herself as a writer, nodded her approval.

"Do you think Carlo will say anything?" Sally said and set the espresso in front of me.

"His Butler was there and all but helped us load up the van." I said.

"You just can't get good help anymore." Sally said and leaned over and gave me a kiss. "If I didn't love the new car you sent over, I'd still be mad at you."

I sipped my espresso and enjoyed the intense flavor and the warm feeling. Sally remained leaning on the counter in front of me. I let my eyes meet hers and she smiled. I poured some vampire power into her and our thoughts mingled. I helped her to feel good and she helped me to think. I could control Sally just as I could control any human. I tried not to whammy her too often, as that kind of thing tended to put a kink in a relationship. This was just one of our small pleasures, the least conspicuous one suitable for use in public.

Sally's phone rang and I lost my concentration. Sally answered the phone. She listened and cut her eyes to me. A moment later, she ended the call and unfastening her apron.

"The Captain says that I need to go down to Carlo's place." She said as she clocked out. "I have to follow that ghoul of a butler around. Make a detailed inventory of the stolen items. Part of my duties as a Liaison."

"Did he say if they had any suspects?" I said. Sally raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together.

"He said I was taking the Inventory so it could be applied to your Tribute for the coming years." Sally said. "The Captain said he didn't really expect this kind of abuse of power from you. He said it was good to see you taking some initiative."

"High praise from The Captain." I said and nodded my head in thought. "I've always been a bit afraid of him."

"You and everyone he's ever met." Sally said. She looked around the Coffee Spot and leaned in close to me. "He also told me to tell you something. He'll be getting his own past due Tribute up to date. No need to go to his house. He said all his people downstairs at the Consulate would do likewise. They all think you might be stopping by to collect something in person."

"You burgle one house. . ." I said and smiled at Sally. She didn't smile back.

"I'd better get going." Sally said.

"Won't the Coffee Spot miss you?" I said and followed her out.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll miss having my insane vampire lover stop by to set fire to the place. They know better than to count on me for a full shift." Sally said and hid the pen in her purse. "It's not really a job much anymore. More like a moving meditation. Where I get tips and free coffee."

Gerald was parked on a side street. He had 1950s rock and roll pouring out of his speakers. Several people stood around talking about what a nice car he had. Sally looked at him with her hands on her hips, but he just smiled at her. She shook her head and got into her new VW bug.

"I'll see you later." Sally said and drove off in the direction of downtown.

I got in the Dodge and cruised around to think. Gerald followed close enough that I could easily make out Johnny and the Hurricanes' Red River Rock drifting from the '63 Corvette. It was a fun song and I tapped my finger on the steering wheel to keep time. I took the long way home.

Gerald parked at the bottom of the drive. From there he could keep an eye on the Dodge and not run the risk of being blocked in again. Either Fedor had raised the Finder's Fee on Kilestra or Gerald just didn't have anything better to do. I decided it was a bit of both.

I went into my Studio and kept my mind occupied by doing a few still lives. I photographed tangerines and pomegranates Mother had found on sale. I never knew what I would find waiting to be photographed. Usually it was food. Sometimes it was flowers. On rare occasions objects d'art dropped off by one of my handful of paying clients. On really good nights, I might have Ravenhawk pose for me. Much like Sally's job at the Coffee Spot, photography wasn't so much a job as a way to keep my hands busy.

After a while, Katie wandered in. She looked at the arrangement of tangerines. They rested on a couple of yards of red and gold cloth.

"It doesn't look like much from that angle." I said. "And I'll be doing a bit of post-processing to the image once I have a few captures to work with."

"It'll still be a picture of a bunch of tangerines." Katie said and sat down on one of the posing stools. "Big market for stuff like that?"

"Is there something I can do for you?" I said as I made a few small adjustments to the composition. "I'm trying to concentrate here."

"I thought you were trying to relax." Katie said and spun around on the stool. "We're connected. Your thoughts kind of pop into my head. I don't really mind. Not really. I've had worse owners over the years, with a lot worse things on their minds."

"Even if we are connected." I said and stood up from behind the camera to look at her. "I don't own you. You're not my pet."

"So what am I then?" Katie said and took a deep breath. "You push me away anytime I get near you. You only feed on me because you can't feed on your Chosen. I do get this feeling you want more from me than just body guard duty."

"He just wants you to be available." Sally said from the doorway. "One more person that he can call on in a crisis. One more person he can keep close at hand. Just in case he does decide to take you to bed. Or take your blood. Or use you in some other way."

"So I guess you finished the inventory?" I said as I adjusted the image crop and snapped the shutter.

"Yeah." Sally said and stood between the camera and the table with the still life arrangement. "Henry had already done all the work. He just wanted me to see what a mess you made. You and your little band of merry men stole a half a million dollars' worth of stuff. Carlo said he was happy to be of service."

"Carlo is starting to weird me out a little." I said and rested my hands on the tripod. "I wonder if there's a limit to his tolerance."

"Henry said a few of the stolen items were his." Sally said and looked at me. "He said to please apply their value to his Tribute."

I felt a sudden rush upon hearing this. As Master of The City, money was only part of what was being offered. I felt a tingle of new energy. It felt good. I could get used to this kind of thing. Now I wondered if Kilestra and Fedor had been getting this power. They might have told me. Katie and Sally looked at me.

"What was that?" Sally said and let out a breath. "And can I have some more please?"

"The Gods call that kind of thing Favor." Katie said and breathed it in deeply. "It's the shared power of your worshipers."

"Not exactly sure 'worshipers' is the correct term." I said as the power ebbed away a bit. "But yeah. Like that."

"So you get power from stealing crap from Carlo." Sally said and then looked at Katie. "I guess you helped yourself to a few knick knacks as well?"

"Anything I own belongs to Wil." Katie said and pulled the handle on the posing stool and let it slowly sink. "I'm just using it."

"Was that the way it worked for Carlo as well?" Sally said and crossed her arms. "I guess he was more demanding than Wil."

"Carlo wasn't always bad." Katie said and closed her eyes in thought. "He could be fun."

"Forget I asked." Sally said and turned her attention back to me. "I've got an appointment. I need to know that you'll stay out of my head and keep your distance."

"And what if I don't?" I said more out of habit than a desire to argue.

"Then I don't think Fedor will need too much convincing to lock you in a cell for a few nights." Sally said and sounded serious. "I've always thought of Jackie as a friend. I think I can deal with your new playmates, so long as you keep out of my head when you're with them. And no threesomes."

"Ever know a boy that could only play with one of his toys?" Katie said and smiled at Sally.

"You stay out of my head, too." Sally said and stared at Katie a little longer than she needed to. She shook her head and looked away.

"Sure." I said and raised a hand. "We'll leave you alone. Say hi to Kilestra for me."

"Keep out." Sally said and punched me in the shoulder.

Katie watched Sally leave and gave me an appraising look.

"For a Master you sure put up with a lot of shit." Katie said and adjusted the song on her iPod. "I've never known a vampire like you before."

"I'm a rare breed." I said.

"Can I take a photo of you?" Katie said and hopped off the posing stool. "I couldn't find any recent pictures and I'd like something to remember you by."

"Not sure I like the sound of that." I said, but walked over and sat on the posing stool anyway. Katie kicked a posing block over to the tripod. She climbed up to look through the camera's eyepiece. She reached out and adjusted the lens. She picked up the shutter release and made a few more adjustments.

"Sit up straight." Katie said and smiled at me. Before I could smile back, she flashed the lights at me. She spent a few minutes telling me to turn this way and that. Then she nodded to herself as she scrolled through the images on the camera's back. When I tried to look, she shooed me away. She took the card out of the camera and slid it into her pocket.

"Isn't it time you were in your coffin?" Katie said and crossed her arms.

"Yeah." I said and gave her a curious nod. "You know your way around my camera pretty well."

"A girl has to do something when the sun shines." Katie said and winked at me. "Idle hands and all that."

I looked at Katie and watched as her eyes changed and took on a deeper green. Her posture changed and she looked more powerful. I looked into her face and saw Desiara. She smiled at me and warmth flowed over me. The love of a Goddess was hard to resist. She allowed me to take her hand and lead her back to the guest bedroom.

I took Sally's comments to mean that she accepted Katie into our little family. I used my power to slow time and made love to Desiara, or maybe to Katie, or maybe to both. I wasn't exactly sure. Either way it felt right. My control of time wasn't as good as Vladlena's, so I couldn't make time stand still, but I made it slow down long enough.

I went to my crypt and let the night's cares disappear as the sun rose.

### Chapter Twenty

THE NEXT NIGHT when I woke up, I found Grandfather reading something on his tablet. He seemed to be absorbed so I went about my morning routine without disturbing him. He was still sitting there when I returned. He looked up this time.

"Katie had a glow today." Grandfather said as he looked me up and down. "Kind of like the glow you have. You know, that magic spell that keeps the Goddess a prisoner has a loophole in it. She can have conjugal visits. I'm not at all sure that's a good idea."

"So you found out a bit more about Desiara?" I said.

"I have found jack shit about Desiara, Sonny." Grandfather said and shook his head. "The scraps in that book you found and a few rumors online. Someone seems to have put the wraps on everything ever written or told about her."

"You think the Goddess herself did this?" I said and couldn't help remembering a few of the more exotic positions she had used with me. I let my thoughts wander until Grandfather hit me with a wadded up piece of paper. I smiled at him.

"You know I've been doing a little bit of Intelligence work for Fedor." Grandfather said and tapped a finger to his nose. "People working for vampires have a lot of free time during the day. Most spend all their free time using social media of one sort or another. This is an untapped resource. Gossiping with Chosen and Servants could be a gold mine. I think Fedor should make me his internet guru."

"Well." I said and looked at Grandfather for a moment. "If anyone would know about wasting all his time online I guess that would be you. But don't you think that would be a little irresponsible."

"Yeah." Grandfather said and stared at me. "Said the role model for responsible behavior."

"What's with you today?" I said.

"So how about giving me a ride down to the Consulate?" Grandfather said. "You can drop me off on your way to doing whatever it is you do every night."

"Sure." I said and slipped on my jacket. "Why not?"

Raoul and Izumi were sitting in the Gremlin parked next to the Dodge. They didn't look any the worse for wear. Grandfather looked at them and then walked over to the driver's side where Raoul was looking out the open window.

"I have some information for you, Sonny." Grandfather said and leaned on the car like a dealer selling a dime bag. "For the right price I can tell you what your wife does every afternoon around three."

"Unless she's playing Bingo." Raoul said and leaned toward Grandfather. "How would you know?"

"I got sources." Grandfather said and tapped the side of his head. "I know things."

"You know nothing." Raoul said, but he looked like he was thinking about where his wife might be every afternoon.

"And Izumi." Grandfather said across Raoul. "You need to renew your Hunter's Permit. You need more time at the range. Your last score was terrible."

"Aren't you gonna tell her what her husband's doing at three in the afternoon?" Raoul said and squinted at Grandfather. "Why are you smiling?"

"For the right price I'll fill in the gaps for you." Grandfather said and winked. "Just put in a request at The Consulate."

Grandfather turned and opened the door to the Dodge. Raoul and Izumi were eyeing each other with new suspicions. I got behind the wheel and we were soon heading for Downtown.

The area around The Mansion had once been open fields and small clumps of woods. I had a few acres that still had a slightly natural feel to them. The rest of the area was filled with newer construction. Apartment buildings, upscale businesses, and way too many restaurants. Tonight the roads were full of people drifting from one to the other without any apparent purpose.

"People like being around other people." Katie said from the back seat. "Well, some people anyway."

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Katie. Her face was illuminated by the small display from whatever electronic device she was using. She took a second to look up and meet my eye. She smiled for a second and winked at me, then went back to whatever app she was using. I felt a bit of guilt over falling in love with Katie or Desiara or whatever. Sally seemed to understand the changing dynamics of our relationship. Well, it was good that one of us did.

I STILL WASN'T sure that Grandfather working for Fedor was a great idea, but he did seem to have a natural gift for the work. Data mining required focus and Grandfather could go to a Zen like state when he put his mind to it. I let my mind fiddle with the possibilities for Raoul's wife for a few minutes.

"So what is Raoul's wife doing at three in the afternoon?" I said.

"How would I know?" Grandfather said. "Think I got nothing better to do?"

I stopped outside the Vampire Consulate and let Grandfather get out. He went in to talk to Fedor about whatever juicy info he had found online. I decided not to go inside. Just in case Jackie might be there and I got an overwhelming urge to do something I would regret. Again.

"You think too much." Katie said in a matter of fact voice. "Sally knows you're a vampire. And knows that vampires can't even spell monogamy. If she really had a problem with that she wouldn't still be coming around to see you."

"You don't have too high of an opinion of vampires." I said. "We're not all obsessed with sex and blood. Some are just obsessed with the blood."

"Yeah." Katie said. "And some rock bands are only interested in making music. Not the money or the groupies."

"Have a bad experience with the Beatles?" I said. I had no idea what Katie spent all her time listening to. It might be the Beatles.

"Paul wrote a song about me." Katie said in a faraway voice. "But Ringo was my favorite."

"I saw them in the Cavern." I said, nodding at the memory. "Kilestra found them one night and told me I had to hear them. They weren't really my kind of music at the time, but the energy in the Cavern was amazing."

"You saw the Beatles at the Cavern?" Katie said and let her eyebrows rise. "Color me jealous."

"Hey." I said. "I just saw them. They didn't write songs about me. Now Kilestra, who knows? Have you listened to Revolver? That whole album is basically about Vampires. And Kilestra was spending a lot of nights with John at the time."

Grandfather got back in the car and slammed the door. He shifted his jaw around and stared out the window for several seconds.

"Fedor says he likes the idea." Grandfather said as he snapped his seatbelt into place. "But he doesn't want to give me a title or a raise. At least not yet. I have to prove that I can get more than a few random bits of info first. He said he wasn't going to pay me to surf porn sites all day."

"Sounds like he knows you pretty well." Katie said from the back seat.

I drove Grandfather back to his apartment with Raoul and Izumi following. Grandfather went inside quickly so he could use his aging tower PC. I wouldn't be surprised if I found charges for a lot of new computer equipment on my next bank statement. I could imagine Grandfather sitting in the dark surrounded by computer monitors and techno music filling the air.

I got a small ping on my vampire radar. Kilestra was in the woods again or somewhere near the woods. Katie and I got out of the car and looked down the hill. Raoul and Izumi were parked near the bottom of the drive where Gerald had been last night. Maybe they were taking turns.

I walked toward the house's back where a lot of trees and bushes hid the entrance to the storm drains. Katie wrinkled her nose and gave me a look.

"Do we have to go back in there?" Katie said and peered into the gloom. "I had to wash my hair three times to get the smell out last time."

"You won't have to roll around in the muck." I said and pushed aside a few branches. "At least, I don't think you'll be rolling around in the muck."

"Great." Katie said and followed me inside.

Fort Worth had many oversized storm drains and this particular section wasn't very large. A few hundred yards in either direction and a couple of four way connectors leading off the streams that the cement tubes dumped into. Rogue vampires liked these tunnels and I'm sure there was a website somewhere that told people like Vladlena which one was the best. Like most underground tunnels, it was pitch black and there were no lights, as it was not designed to be visited on a regular basis. A small flashlight came on off to our right. The light bounced around the tunnel and illuminated Kilestra.

"Hey, Katie." Kilestra said. "I see you haven't run off into the woods yet."

"Kilestra." Katie said and bowed her head. I was never sure what would set off one of Katie's formal moments, but Kilestra smirked her approval.

"Wil." Kilestra said. "You've been a bit reckless lately. Maybe you should stick to your work at The Consulate for now."

"I know this may come as a shock to you and Sally." I said and crossed my arms. "But I don't take orders from you."

"Oh of course not." Kilestra said, nodding at me. The dim light threw ominous shadows on her face and the flick of power from her eyes had the intended effect of making me nervous. "Merely a suggestion, Master Walengrave."

Having Kilestra call me Master was like a mother using all three names when she scolded a child. Katie felt the insult and stepped slightly between us. I put a hand on her shoulder, I had no interest in seeing Katie and Kilestra test each other. I have even less interest in seeing the Goddess manifest in such tight quarters.

"Sally thinks I'm in danger?" I said and pushed Katie back beside me.

"You've been hanging out with Carlo." Kilestra said and squinted at me. "Carlo and Victoria both think they would make better Masters of Fort Worth than you. And everyone that cares knows you and your little posse helped yourself to everything not nailed down at Carlo's compound. You have every vampire in the Metroplex worried that you'll be stopping by their house next."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." I said. "Did you find anything interesting?"

"Nothing I felt like stealing." Kilestra said and looked at Katie. "I found Katie's stuff burned in the furnace. Why do all adolescents write bad poetry?"

"How did you get around the security system?" I said. "What about Henry the butler?"

"The system was off while Henry cleaned." Kilestra said and looked at Katie again. "And Henry, in case you didn't notice, doesn't care much about intruders."

"Watch yourself leaving the tunnels." I said to Kilestra as I turned to go. "Raoul and Izumi are parked outside the main gate and Gerald is still creeping around somewhere. It would be bad for your Rep if Gerald caught you."

"Take care of yourself, Wil." Kilestra said and turned to Katie. "You take care of him as well."

"I have something for you, Kilestra." Katie said and pulled something out of her satchel. "I took it myself and used Wil's computer to tweak the image."

Kilestra reached out and took the small oval framed portrait. It was a good likeness of me. I had a serious expression and Katie had Photoshopped an old style suit onto me. It took me a moment to recognize the portrait. It was the one that Desiara was holding in that enchanted painting. I felt a tingle in my mind as another bit of the forecasted future snapped into place.

"Thank you, Katie." Kilestra said in as soft a tone as I had ever heard her use. "This means a lot to me."

"I have this one as well." Katie said and handed Kilestra an unframed 8x10. "In case you wanted to get a frame of your own or something."

"You two better get going." Kilestra said and hid the photos away. Then she was gone.

BY THE TIME I got behind the Dodge's wheel the next night and started the engine, Raoul and Izumi were already waiting for me in the Gremlin. Gerald was parked near them blasting Buddy Holly for the neighborhood's enjoyment.

I put the car into gear and rolled down the hill. I was getting tired of the threats and the constant presence of these insignificant Hunters. I felt around for my old friend Jake. I found him easily enough. Jake never seemed to be hiding from anyone.

'Wilhem.' He spoke in my mind. 'You don't call, you don't write.'

'I was wondering if maybe you could do something for me.' I said and looked in the rearview mirror. 'Gerald is following me around.'

'Gerald.' Jake thought in pure hatred. 'I hate Gerald.'

'A couple of Hunters are on my tail as well.' I thought to Jake. 'I'd like to distract them for a while.'

'I could kill all of them.' Jake thought and let a series of images that backed up this idea flow through my head. 'That would discourage them.'

"Let's put that idea on the back burner for now.' I said and let a few thoughts of my own flow toward Jake. 'I have a couple of ideas.'

THE METROPLEX IS full of cul de sacs. Endless planned neighborhoods that could have used a little more planning. Some of these dead end streets were only a couple of blocks long, some were a lot longer. Most had little signs that said Dead End, but no one ever reads them, so people were constantly looking for a shortcut that turned into a long cut. I knew where a few of these streets were, and so did Jake.

I took a turn that led down one of the long dead ends and nodded at Jake as I passed him sitting at a stop sign. I went to the end of the road and made a standard U-turn, passing my pursuers heading the other way. Once I cleared the end of the road, Jake neatly blocked the road with his oversized late 70s Cadillac, another one of those things he loved that the rest of us could live without. Jake and a small group of liked minded vampires hopped out of the Caddy and headed for Gerald. I left before I could see what they had in mind.

"I like Jake's original plan." Katie said as we headed out of the neighborhood. "There is a simple elegance in just killing them all."

"And that's why we can't have nice things." I said as I headed toward Azle. "Killing people, destroying worlds, always looking for a permanent solution to a temporary problem."

"Temporary for you." Katie said and growled in her throat. I waited for the Goddess to speak, but it was just Katie and she had nothing more to add.

I drove around the outskirts of the gravel pits hoping to catch a glimmer of Kilestra. I knew she was splitting her time between Carlo's compound and Victoria's secret lair. Well, maybe not so secret, what with a small army of Werearmadillos on the prowl.

I felt a tingle of power that turned into a clamor, as it grew closer. The rear passenger door opened and Victoria slid onto the back seat. She sat in the middle and spread her arms. Her power filled the car with a bitter taste and a dark cloud floated around her.

"I've been waiting for that Invitation." Victoria said and leaned forward so that her mouth was near my ear. "You shouldn't play power games with people more powerful than yourself."

"I've been a bit busy." I said and shifted in my seat so I could face her. "Things keep cropping up that need my attention."

"Oh." Victoria said and looked at Katie. "Maybe I should just keep your latest toy until you can find time for me in your busy schedule."

"I'm here now." I said and laid a hand on Katie's knee. "Tell me what you want to talk about."

"The Master of Fort Worth does business in a car?" Victoria said and leaned back. "It was my understanding that you wanted me to follow the rules. So I've been patient. I will continue to be patient. I await your pleasure, Master Walengrave."

"Thank you." I said and relaxed as much as I could with an Ancient sitting in my back seat.

"Carlo's not really himself when he's in Little Rome." Victoria said and gave me a small smile. "I trust he didn't offend you."

"No." I said and saw a flash of power in Victoria's eyes. "No offense at all."

"Then you must be here to make sure that Carlo knows you burgled his house." Victoria said and narrowed her eyes. "I understand the desire to demonstrate that you're more powerful than he is. I told him not to drag you off to that damned Shadow Club of his. He will, of course, beg your pardon himself if that is your desire."

"He's not going to give me another Elf, is he?" I said before I could think better of it.

"Has Desiara displeased you?" Victoria said in a voice that filled the car with an icy wind and made Katie shrink in her seat. "She can be willful, but I assure you that a firm hand is all that is needed. Leave her with me for a few days and she will know better how to please you."

Victoria's coercion was heavy in the air and I was about to give my consent. I turned and saw the look of terror and pleading on Katie's face. She was cowering as if she knew all too well what Victoria would do to her. I held a hand up and Victoria let her power go.

"Have it your way, Master." Victoria said and looked out the window at the bleak landscape. "I spend a lot of my time traveling, did you know that? I speak at Embassies, sharing my wisdom and selling the information that I have gained from so many years of existence. Yet here I am. Cooling my heels in a gravel pit and awaiting a formal invitation to discuss my small problems. I would only charge you a small fee to discipline this Elf and you would both be so much happier."

"I'll see that the formal invitation is sent out, Victoria." I said. "I don't want to inconvenience you any further."

"Thank you." Victoria said. "That will take care of one problem and I have plans of putting another one on a train to Mexico. The Master of Monterey owes me a favor."

"Raoul was bragging about killing someone important in Monterey." I said and looked at Victoria. "Have you talked to this Master recently?"

"Those two know nothing." Victoria leaned forward and ran her hand over Katie's scalp. Katie tried to suppress the shudder, but didn't really succeed. Victoria smiled in my direction.

"You feel the fear roiling off her, Wilhem?" Victoria said and took a deep breath. "Isn't it delicious? You can make her do anything once she is properly motivated. Anything."

A tap at the window brought my attention to Justin, the head of the Werearmadillos, where he was standing with Gravel and a few others behind him. I powered down the window and he leaned on the door.

"We need you to head back to the mine, Mistress." Justin said with a surprising amount of authority. "Carlo is having trouble getting that package ready for the train and needs your help."

"I'm busy." Victoria said and leaned toward me. "There was a time when an Ancient got some respect."

"With all respect." Justin said. "You can talk to Master Walengrave another night. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. And I don't think Katie wants to play right now."

"Duty calls." Victoria said and leaned close and kissed me lightly on the cheek. Then she turned to Katie and pulled her forward. She kissed her on the mouth and then pushed her away. "I will be expecting that invitation."

She exited the car and walked off surrounded by the Werearmadillos. Gravel remained behind and took Justin's place at the window.

"Carlo is still worried you're going to have him killed." Gravel said and then caught sight of Katie trying to shake off the effects of Victoria's touch. "Did she hurt you?"

"What do you think?" Katie said in a shaky voice. "I'll be fine."

"Call me if you need me." Gravel said, turned, and walked away.

I felt Mosaic, Kilestra's second in command, touch my mind. She was powerful for a Chosen, and her blood had an interesting quality due to her slightly excessive use of steroids. Mosaic was the one watching the gravel pits; she told me it wasn't a good idea to hang around here. Other vampires were nearby and they could hear our communication. I gave Mosaic a curt command to keep up the good work and broke the connection. Let them think I had armies watching them, even if they weren't exactly my armies.

"You were going to hand me over to that monster." Katie said and caught a sob in her throat. "You let her touch me. Kiss me. She wants to torture me. I was forced to watch her torture one of the Armadillos that displeased Carlo. She broke him like a bread stick. Then forced me to heal him so she could start over again."

"You're safe now." I said and concentrated on driving back to Fort Worth. "I wouldn't let that happen to you."

"Yeah." Katie said. "I feel totally safe now."

My phone rang and it was Kilestra.

"Victoria is listening." I said as I answered the phone.

"I know." Kilestra said. "Why are you talking to Victoria? She's dangerous."

"I was looking for you." I said. "Victoria just showed up."

"We'll talk later." Kilestra said and hung up.

We drove back to the Mansion and found Raoul and Izumi sitting in the parking area. They had their game faces on and Izumi was holding her Katana in plain sight. Victoria and Carlo might be worried I was going to take their heads, but these two didn't seem to share that fear.

Katie was still a bit upset about Victoria. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been. When a strange energy swelled up and surrounded Katie, I was caught completely off guard. Katie got out of the Dodge and walked away. I flashed to her and blocked her path. Her head didn't move, but her eyes turned to me and I saw a look of betrayal. A green light flashed behind her eyes for a moment. She closed her eyes and clamped her teeth.

"What is it?" I said. Before Katie could answer Izumi's Katana flashed in front of my face and got my attention. I may have mentioned one of the favored methods of killing a vampire is to take its head with a sword. Raoul held his fist toward Katie and some power surrounded his hand like an aura. I watched as Katie slowly walked toward him.

"We tried to do it the nice way." Raoul said and gave his fist a shake that made Katie stumble. "Now we have to teach you a lesson."

Raoul opened the door and Katie got into the Gremlin as if she were working on autopilot. Katie looked a bit more green than usual, clearly the idea of torture at the hands of yet another lunatic did not appeal to her. Izumi held her Katana ready to strike as Raoul crawled into the car next to Katie. A moment later Izumi hopped into the car and they drove down the drive.

Before I could decide what to do, a green light filled the small car. It flowed out into the night. Izumi and Raoul screamed loud enough to be heard blocks away. I watched the Gremlin rock back and forth on its shocks. A deep voice filled with power rumbled in outrage, though I couldn't make out the words. A wave of magic roiled off the car and washed over me. It was a power I knew well. Desiara was in the car with Raoul and Izumi.

The Gremlin came to a sudden stop and the door popped open. Raoul stumbled out with his clothes burning. He cursed in Spanish and slapped at the green unearthly flames. Katie moved out of the car and kicked Raoul hard in the nuts. He crumpled over with his eyes bugging out. He roared and I watched him shift into his bear form. He growled and charged Katie.

Whatever power he was using was amplified by his transformation. Katie stiffened and froze where she stood. But just for a moment. Then Raoul slashed her with his claws and sent her flying. She landed on the ground about ten feet away. She was still glowing green and didn't seem to be injured.

Izumi bailed out of the car with her tattered robe burning like a torch. She ignored the flames and swiped at Katie with her Katana. Katie was already moving in a supernatural blur. Izumi floated into the air and matched Katie's speed as she swept her blade in a graceful arc.

Katie grabbed Izumi's Katana and held it still. She pulled Izumi down and drove her into the cement of the driveway. Izumi kept her grip on her Katana, but she had no chance to use it. Katie gathered handfuls of Izumi's burning shroud and gripped her skeletal body. Power flashed in Katie's hands and Izumi took on human form. She was a slim Japanese woman who now felt pain and suffered injury as Katie pummeled her with flashing fists. Izumi screamed as the flames that burnt her vulnerable human flesh.

Raoul lumbered toward Katie with his massive claws clicking on the pavement. He swiped at her and raked his claws across her back. He tore her hoodie and sliced her flesh. Katie screamed as she whipped around and floated into the air. I watched as her back healed and she brought her hands together. I had seen her do that kind of thing before. I braced my feet.

Raoul was thrown back as the earth shook. He was pushed back by powers even his massive form couldn't cope with. Katie made a noise like boulders being crushed. Raoul climbed to all fours and lumbered forward again. He raised his massive paw into the air and tried once more to take control of Katie. I watched as some unseen power forced Katie to drop her power and she fell back to earth. Raoul growled and moved forward.

Raoul didn't notice that Katie still held Izumi's Katana. She gripped the handle and I could hear the blade singing from where I stood. It was a song of death and triumph that rattled my bones and made Raoul pause as he advanced. Katie used that moment to cut off the paw that was holding something between its clawed fingers. Raoul roared in rage as Katie bent over and plucked something from the severed paw that had transformed back into a human hand. Raoul stumbled backwards and fled. Katie turned and stared down at Izumi, who laid very still and whimpered in pain. Katie threw the Katana on the ground and stepped on its blade with a blast of green power. It snapped in two and it's song died in mid chorus.

Katie flashed up the drive to me and knelt at my feet. The green light faded from her eye. She held her palm out to me. A square coin sat in her hand. I took it without thinking and Katie bowed her head and sat on the ground. I felt a burning connection between Katie and the coin. Magic that was beyond my understanding.

### Chapter Twenty-One

"I'd be careful with that." Grandfather said and looked down at Katie. "I don't think she likes being controlled."

"I'm listening." I said. I watched as Raoul flowed back into human form. He picked up his severed hand and held it to his chest. Izumi crawled over and picked up the pieces of her sword. Raoul slowly moved around the car and crawled into the passenger side. Izumi hobbled around and got behind the wheel. The car sputtered and coughed as they drove away.

"As her owner, that medallion rightfully belongs to you." Grandfather said and pointed at the square Elven token in my hand. "I'm guessing Carlo had it and gave it to Raoul. He couldn't fully control Katie because he's not her owner. Elves like having total control over their slaves. They call this coin a form of discipline."

"In case she isn't obsequious enough already?" I said and stared down at the top of Katie's head.

"Elves are big into ritual." Grandfather said and squinted down at Katie. "Technically, you owe me for that information, but I'll let it slide seeing as you let me hang around and all."

"What do I do now?" I said more to myself than Grandfather, but he answered anyway.

"I can think of a few things." Grandfather said and watched as Katie stiffened in her pose. "You have to keep your concentration when you use it. That's what happened to Raoul down there. Once he let his thoughts drift to driving or the song on the radio, Katie was free for a moment. And it looks like a moment was all she needed. Of course, a skilled user could control her without having to think about it. I'd suggest you take that medallion and put it somewhere safe. You don't want someone telling her to chop you up and turn you into charcoal while you sleep."

I looked at the talisman. One side had an Elf's face in profile and the other side had a number of triangles and circles. I slid the coin into my pocket.

"May I stand?" Katie said without raising her head.

"Stockholm syndrome, anyone?" Grandfather said and walked around Katie. "You need to give her enough freedom to do whatever routine tasks she normally does, but still make sure she knows her place."

"Could you please stop talking about me like that?" Katie said and raised her head enough to look at Grandfather. "I know my place."

"How are you feeling?" I said and felt an echo of her terror in my chest. "Desiara?"

"She's gone." Katie said and wiped at the corner of her mouth. "I'll live. Thanks for the help."

"You didn't seem to need it." I said and touched her neck. "You seem fine now."

Katie hesitated for a moment, then walked toward the house. Grandfather watched her go and clapped me on the shoulder.

"I like a good old fashioned woman." Grandfather said. "If you're thinking about what to get me for my birthday, an Elven slave would certainly do the trick."

"Now I see why we never got along." Sally said from the house's direction. "What did you do to that poor Elf girl this time? I'm sure there are rules somewhere about the proper treatment of personal slaves."

"There's a surprising amount of flexibility in the interpretation of the rules." I said and rubbed my fingers over the coin in my pocket. "And Elves have rules all their own."

"Your mother's fixed us all some pasta." Sally said and shook her head to clear away the thoughts of Katie. "You can tell us all about it while we eat."

"How would you feel about taking care of Katie for a day or two?" I said as we walked up to the house. "Bad things seem to happen to her when she's around me."

"She's not really a child, Wil." Sally said and shook her head. "No matter what she looks like or how protective she makes you feel. Besides, why would she do anything I said?"

"You'll be holding this." I said and put the coin in Sally's hand. She turned it over and raised her eyebrows. "It has some magical power over Katie. It's a last resort kind of thing."

"No, Wil." Sally said and shook her head. "I'm not a vampire. I don't want to become like you and relish the power of controlling another person."

I took the coin back. It felt warm and good in my pocket. Sally was right, one of my favorite powers was my ability to command those that loved me. It was one of my original powers, was this really all that different? I wasn't sure if it made Katie love me though, so it was always good to have a backup just in case.

I sat at the table and listened to my family eat and talk and after a short time we were joined by Katie. She had her hair down and flowing around her head. She was wearing a light colored gossamer dress and seemed to be in much better spirits. She looked so beautiful when she wasn't hiding in a hoodie. With Katie's help I was able to do a bit of power sharing, but I still had The Little Death in my system and had to be careful.

My phone rang and it was Andy on the other end.

"I've got some news." Andy said. "The cops found Tyler sitting in that panel van. He's dead and going to stay that way from the looks of it."

"Do they think Beth did it?" I said and looked at Sally. She looked away. "Karma's a bitch."

"Yeah. I knew you'd be broken up about it." Andy said and cleared his throat to change the subject. "Fedor has a Rogue he wants you to bring in tonight."

"Can't Gerald handle this one?" I said and thought about the other Code Enforcers. "Or maybe Sandi?"

"Gerald is missing in action." Andy said. "And Sandi broke her foot bowling."

"Of course she did." I said. "How much is the reward?"

"What do you do with your money, Wil?" Andy said and I could almost hear him shaking his head. "This one traded his art collection for some information. Now he regrets that decision. Rumor is he has plans on leaving the country and taking his art with him. You know Fedor's weakness for fine art. So the reward will be twenty grand, more or less, once you factor in my cut."

"Why didn't Fedor get the art to start with?" I said.

"He thought he did." Andy said and there was a short silence. "But most of it seems to have disappeared."

"There's been a lot of that going around." I said and scratched an itch on my chest. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Katie stood up as I headed for the door and I held up my hand to stop her.

"Why don't you stay with Sally tonight?" I said. "I'll swing by and pick you up later."

"I can't protect you if I'm with Sally." Katie said while keeping her eyes lowered and her hands behind her back. "You might need me."

"I'm working." I said and turned for the door. "I'll be fine."

I DROVE BY the Vampire Consulate and picked up Andy. He made a show of checking that his Desert Eagle was loaded and that he had two spare clips tucked away.

"Where are we going?" I said.

"It's an address in Poly." Andy said and looked at his notebook. "Some place on Ave L."

"This wouldn't happen to be Billy's house, would it?" I said as I set the car in motion.

"Well, he did say he was moving last report I heard." Andy said and snapped his little black book closed. "So it might not be Billy. Might be someone new."

"Yeah." I said. "I guess it might be."

Billy's neighborhood was crowded with cars, as usual, and there was a lot of loud music pouring out of his house. I parked around the corner and we walked back. The street was deserted, the usual crowd sitting on their porches not in evidence. I wasn't sure what to make of that. We walked up the cracked and broken sidewalk and stepped onto the cement porch. A tall man in a black suit barred our way.

"This is invitation only." He said in an accent with just a hint of mob to it. "Unless your name is on the guest list, I can't let you in."

"Wilhem and Andy." I said and let a little bit of power flash in my eyes. The door attendant wasn't impressed. He held up a clipboard and slowly ran his finger down the page. He nodded and gave us the once over. He stepped aside and opened the door.

We squeezed into the living room, which looked much the same as it had the last time I was here, except for the addition of a couple of hundred people. The floor sagged noticeably and the mob shifted constantly. I spotted Billy sitting on a tall stool near the foot of the stairs and made my way toward him. He was dressed all in black and wore an aura of sadness.

"Wil!" Billy said and clapped me on the shoulders. "So glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't have missed it." I said and looked around again. "What's going on?"

"I'm having a wake for Tyler." Billy said and swallowed hard. "He was killed, man. Who would do a thing like that?"

"I'm looking for a vampire named Curtis." I said over the noise. "Have you seen him?"

"Yeah." Billy said and pointed at the stairs. "He's up in Beth's room with Beth. People mourn in different ways."

"I think I'll go commiserate with him." I said and headed past Billy up the stairs.

I FELT THE tingle of magic about halfway up the stairs. I opened the door to Beth's room and walked in. All the herbs and incense and cooking gear was gone. The bed was still there. The two people using the bed shook the walls and the bedside table. I spotted a small pewter figure of a kneeling woman with very large breasts. The sight of it made my skin crawl and my mouth go dry. I needed someone to drink. Then Andy pushed by me and looked around the room. He held up a painting that looked like an Old Master and pointed to several more that were leaning against the wall. He seemed completely unaffected by the sight of the Werecoyote and vampire humping their brains out. He also didn't seem to be aware of the magic wafting in the air that made me want to join them.

Andy stepped close to the bed and slapped the vampire Curtis on the ass hard enough to get his attention. He turned on Andy with his fangs bared and blood in his eyes. Andy put the Desert Eagle's barrel under the vampire's chin and met his eyes. This skill made Andy a great Code Enforcer. Vampires couldn't get into his head. Andy had a lot of training for this kind of thing and the vampire hesitated, both because of the gun and because Andy wasn't falling under his spell. He turned his eyes to me.

"Curtis?" I said and nodded. "You need to come with us."

"You can get dressed first." Andy said and nodded to the pile of clothes on the floor. "Please."

"It's all her fault." Curtis said and pointed at the bed. "Damned Werecoyote said she was trying to get her mind off of Tyler. And well, one thing led to another."

I looked at Beth and let my eyebrows rise. I had seen her naked at least two times too many recently. Then my throat went dry as my thirst increased to emergency levels. Beth smiled at me and licked her lips. She put a green-papered cigarette to her lips and pulled in a lungful of smoke. She blew some of the Whammy smoke my way. She ran a finger between her breasts and down her muscular abs. This got Andy's attention just long enough for Curtis to dart between us and thunder down the stairs.

"Damn it." Andy said and holstered the gun. "Should we do something with Beth?"

I was at a loss for words for a moment while I mulled over a few things to do with Beth. Andy slapped me across the face and that wiped away the smile. He turned me neatly and pushed me out the door. His training had been a lot more thorough than I thought. He pulled the door closed and we headed downstairs after Curtis.

We found the vampire slipping on clothes from a man he had enthralled. The man was standing in his underwear and didn't seem to be aware of it. Curtis looked at us in surprise. He clearly expected us to be spending a bit more time upstairs. He shoved his way toward the door and out onto the porch. He might have flashed away, but he tripped over the Were that was acting as a doorman. We fought our way out and yelled at the door man to hold Curtis. He ignored us.

Andy made a flying tackle and caught Curtis around the ankles. This gave me just enough time to grab Curtis's hand. I slapped on one of the silver cuffs I carried for just such an occasion. He yelped at the pain and I was able to wrestle his other wrist around and get it cuffed as well. After that, the fight went out of him. I put him in the back seat and told Andy to see about grabbing the paintings.

"Those are family heirlooms." Curtis said and hung his head. "They shouldn't end up in the hands of someone like Fedor."

In a surprisingly short time, Andy had all the artwork sitting around the back of the Dodge, waiting for me to load it all. There was something odd about these things, something that tickled the inside of my ear and brought to mind... The Shadow Realm.

"Are you sure these are family heirlooms?" I said as I held up one of the paintings and turned it in the moonlight. "Is it possible that you got these from the back of a van that Tyler stole?"

"Family heirlooms." Curtis said and snarled at me. "These were stolen by the Nazis."

"Were they?" I said and set the painting back down. "I'm betting the Nazis never got a chance to take them."

"You don't think these are my family's paintings?" Curtis said as he continued to struggle in his bonds. "I've got records. They don't seem to match exactly, but they're close enough."

"Maybe if you'd had better fakes you'd have had more time to whip up better provenances." I said and nodded. "Did Billy whip up the phonies for you?"

"Yeah." Curtis said. "I think there's something wrong with Billy."

I opened the hatchback and watched Andy load the paintings, etchings, prints, and two small sculptures with a surprising amount of care. I couldn't help but notice one of the paintings looked a lot like a Gauguin. Andy told me the Werecoyote was gone when he got back to the room, and likely a painting or two had left with her.

I drove back to The Consulate and Andy helped me drag the much-subdued Vampire Curtis down to a holding cell in Fedor's dungeon. I retrieved my handcuffs and Curtis cursed my parentage. We logged in a number of paintings, etchings, prints, and a sculpture into the Consulate's vaults. These were things Curtis owed Fedor, I mean, the Consulate.

I saw Jackie and smiled at her. She looked into my eyes and winked. She gave me my Reward Money and we didn't tear each other's clothes off. We still wanted to, and likely would later, but we didn't have sex right there on her desk in front of the new plate glass window. And that was a vast improvement. I gave Andy his half of the money for his part in the capture. We went our separate ways for the night.

I drove back to the Mansion and tried not to think about Jackie. Or magically sexy Werecoyotes. Or Raoul's attempted murder of my pet Elf. Who wasn't really a pet and was a good deal more than just an Elf. I sat in the car outside the Mansion for a few minutes. I tried to clear my mind and wondered if a long shower would wash off some of the Whammy smoke that lingered on my body.

I got out and walked toward the house, only to find Kilestra leaning against a tree by the path.

"These are perilous times." Kilestra said and walked up to me. "What if I wasn't around to keep you safe?"

"I can keep myself safe." I said and looked into her deep blue eyes. "Even if no one I care about believes it."

"Learn anything from Victoria?" Kilestra said and walked slowly around me, letting her hand trace a path.

"She said she had problems." I said and watched the way Kilestra flowed around me. "She said she had solutions, but her pet were-armadillos seemed to think there might be more trouble. You knew about all this already?"

"Some." Kilestra said and looked at me. "If I knew everything, I wouldn't need your help."

"What are you doing here?" I said.

"I was thinking you could go on a little trip." Kilestra said and ran her hand across my chest. "Somewhere safe. Like maybe a cell in my basement. Or a cell at the Consulate. Or maybe just sealed in a coffin in an undisclosed location."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of any of those options." I said and pushed Kilestra's hands away. "Maybe you can think of something that doesn't involve me being imprisoned."

"Suit yourself." Kilestra said and tilted her head as she smiled at me. "It's not like I was planning on letting you go hungry or anything."

Billy's VW Microbus with its glowing blue paint made its way up the drive. It rattled to a stop next to the Dodge. Kilestra shielded her eyes as she watched Billy swing open the door and amble over toward us. His clothes were covered in dust and he smelled like something left in an attic for a long time. Shirley got out of the car and looked much the same.

"Hey." Billy said. "Nice night, huh?"

"I was at Billy's picking up a Rogue not too long ago." I said to Kilestra. "He was having a wake for Tyler."

"Sorry for your loss." Kilestra said as she backed further into the shadows. "Watch your back, Wil."

In a moment, Kilestra was gone. I'm guessing she didn't see any great danger in the vampire William.

"That's a neat trick." Billy said as he looked at the spot where Kilestra had been. "I've never been good at that kind of thing. But then, I'm not a Navy SEAL black ops kind of guy."

"What happened?" I said and led Billy and Shirley back into the house. "Something go wrong with the wake?"

"No, the wake was fine." Billy said and brushed dirt off his shirt. "Tyler was well loved and will be missed by the many people whose life he brought joy to."

"You mean the many people he sold drugs to." I said.

"Yeah." Billy said and took a seat on the sofa in the common room near my crypt. Shirley sat next to Billy and looked around the basement. "But a lot of Tyler's mourners are a little shady, a little desperate, if you know what I mean. So once they, like, saw Andy with a couple of those paintings, it got pretty nasty. When you guys took off they started tearing the place apart, looking for like, you know, the Lost Ark of the Covenant or something."

"Let me guess." I said and took a seat opposite Billy on the matching sofa. "They found the stash in your Mother's closet?"

"Good thing Mom's visiting my sister in California." Billy said and scratched the back of his head. "They made a real mess of the place. And they didn't want to share, so they were all, like, hitting and punching each other to get to the duffle bags."

"Sorry to hear about that." I said and closed my eyes, remembering how the money in the duffle bags had disappeared before I could spend it. "And you're worried they might be unhappy in a couple of hours and come back."

"Tyler had some wicked mean friends." Billy said. "So I was wondering if I could use one of your spare death boxes. I figure an important vamp like yourself has to have a couple of guest rooms tucked away somewhere in this big old house. My place is trashed."

"I can't help but notice you live in a Mansion, Wil." Shirley said and pulled a bit of trash out of her dirty hair and dropped it on the floor. "A nice, clean, mansion."

"Yeah, it's not really that big." I said and pointed down a narrow passageway. "But I have a couple of guest rooms down there."

"Thanks, man." Billy said and looked around. "Where's that Elf of yours? I was thinking maybe I could have a little sip of that before I hit the box. You know, if you don't like, mind or anything?"

"Katie's not here." I said and stood up. "And I prefer to keep her a private stock."

"Well." Billy said and came over to me to lean in close. "You might want to tell her that. Part of the payment for that The Little Death she bought was a little nip of her blood. Damned good stuff."

"You've got me." Shirley said and slapped Billy in the back of the head.

"Go get in a coffin, Billy" I said and pushed him away. "There are beds there as well, Shirley."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Shirley said and looked at me. "I hear you make Katie sleep on the floor."

"Did you know anything about the Elf painting?" I said as they wandered off.

"What Elf painting?" Billy said and kept going.

I watched them head off down the hall and was about to head to my own coffin when my phone rang. It was Sally.

"Hey." I said and noticed it was getting close to dawn. "What's up?"

"Your buddy Jake is back on the Flat Iron Building rooftop." Sally said sounding tired. "He's worried that Fedor is going to lock him in the basement of the Consulate and throw away the key. Seems he and some of his friends bound Gerald in chains and dropped him in a lake. Raoul and Izumi say they did something to a car they were driving as well. Remind me never to hitch a ride with those two."

"I'll be sure to do that." I said. "But it's not like they killed him or anything, right?"

"No." Sally said. "They did worse. They stole his car and won't tell him where it is."

"Ouch." I said. "So Gerald wants Fedor to lock Jake up until he talks?"

"Gerald's being all forgiving at the moment." Sally said. "He won't do anything to Jake as long as he gets his car back. But if Jake is a pile of ash he can't tell Gerald where to look."

"Alright." I said. "I'll head over there."

Traffic was light, despite the fact that it was an early morning and not a late night, and downtown wasn't that far away. I parked around the corner from the Flatiron building and flashed up the black iron fire escape.

I had to jump the last gap between the seventh floor and the rooftop, but it wasn't all that far. Jake had tied himself to the flagpole and was holding his head up high. Yeah, rooftops. I liked them a lot more before I had seen the world destroyed from this one.

"Thanks for distracting Gerald for me." I said as I walked around where he could see me. "Dropping him in Lake Worth was a nice touch."

"Gerald and his love of the bland and boring 1950s." Jake said and ground his teeth. "I could have left him sitting in that mass of steel and leather and dumped them both in the lake. But the Stingray wasn't really a bad looking car, so I couldn't do it."

"What did you do to Raoul and Izumi?" I said and felt a small warning about the coming dawn.

"The Werebear and the Death Goddess?" Jake said and shook his head. "We just slashed their tires and took the Gremlin apart. It wasn't that hard. We left them staring at it like a giant jigsaw puzzle. They did seem a bit ticked about it though."

"Yeah, they tried to kidnap Katie in retaliation." I said and looked toward the East, where the sky was starting to lighten. "Gerald says he just wants his car back. I'm pretty sure Fedor won't put you in his dungeons."

"You know I'd rather die than be locked up forever." Jake said and squared his shoulders. "But if you say Fedor isn't going to lock me up, then I guess we'd better get off this roof."

I untied Jake, who wasn't tied up all that tightly anyway. I thought about the Goddess Desiara's desire to destroy everything. I waited for something to happen, but nothing did. We went down to the basement again.

A couple of coffins were now in the maintenance room and a number of art prints of an abstract nature hung on the utilitarian walls. Jake opened a coffin and hopped in, closing it quickly behind him. I did the same and a few minutes later, the world faded to black.

WAKING UP IN a strange place is something you get used to. I felt around the room and found Jake waking up in his coffin. There were a number of mechanical noises emanating from a room down the hall. No immediate feelings of anyone waiting to kill me, which is always good to know. I pushed the coffin's lid open and got out. Jake did the same and made a show of stretching his muscles and popping his joints.

"Did I tell you I bought this place?" Jake said and waved a hand to encompass the Flatiron Building. "It was just sitting here being totally underutilized. I'm going to turn the first few floors into an art gallery. Kind of a sister to the Nightshade Gallery. And I might rent out the upper floors to bohemian types. Get a few starving artists in to give the place some character."

"Sounds great." I said and headed for the exit. "I've got a few things in the back of the Dodge I'd like you to look at."

"Oh goodie." Jake said when he looked inside. "Stolen art from the trunk of a car."

"I'm not entirely sure it's stolen. I got this stuff from a vampire who owes the Consulate." I said and pulled a couple of the canvases into the light of a street lamp for him to see. "I took a couple pieces as Tribute before turning the rest over to Fedor. He never actually saw them, so he didn't have an inventory."

"Tribute, huh?" Jake said and squinted at me. "Warming up to the idea of being the Master of Fort Worth?"

"It has its perks." I said and pointed at the Gauguin. "I like this one. What's it called, Woman in front of a Pool Table?"

"It's Paul Gauguin's Night Café at Arles." Jake said and donned a pair of white gloves before picking it up. "It's supposed to be in a museum in Russia. Oh, and thanks for tossing it in the back of your car like a portrait of Elvis on black velvet."

"I thought you could give that one to Fedor. Make you both happy." I said and then pointed at the other artwork. "And maybe sell the rest on consignment?"

"This isn't exactly Night Café at Arles." Jake said as he examined the painting. "That bottle is supposed to be blue, not green. And I think there's supposed to be a cat in there somewhere."

"Maybe he did this one as a warm up." I said and looked at it. "Or maybe a different Gauguin painted this one."

"Carlo and Fredric gave me a few paintings that weren't in any of the catalogs." Jake said and looked at the paintings again. "I didn't have any trouble selling them."

"Do you think the market will be ruined?" I said and looked in the back of the Dodge. "Beth likely has a few works as well."

"You have two Old Masters and three Impressionist Masters in here. And that sculpture looks like the work of Constantin Brancusi. And you say the Consulate has some?" Jake said and carefully sorted through the items. "If a truckload happens to show up, we can always say we found them in a mine shaft in Germany."

"Or maybe a mine shaft in Azle." I said and warmed up to the idea. "Booty taken by some now dead hero from World War II. Things he stashed away and forgot."

"Sounds almost plausible." Jake said and I could see him making calculations over the Masterpieces. "You know, I usually sell the work of local artists. Like you. These belong on the walls of The Kimbell."

"Can you sell the lot to them?" I said and rubbed my beard in thought. "Or maybe give a nice start to your new Gallery."

### Chapter Twenty-Two

I HEADED TO the Vampire Consulate and parked in the back. Andy and Jackie both looked up when I walked in. Jackie shuffled paperwork. Andy took the last bite of some fast-food breakfast sandwich that featured a lot of sausage and cholesterol.

"Nothing new today, Sweetie." Jackie said and took a deep breath as she looked at me in a way that made me miss a step. "Of course, it's always good to see you."

"Yeah." I said in a huskier voice than I had intended. "It's good to see you, too."

"No time for that." Andy said and bounced the wadded up paper from his breakfast off my head. "Fedor and Victoria are waiting for you."

"They are?" I said and closed my eyes. "Did I invite them here?"

"Victoria wanted some place neutral to meet." Jackie said. "But Fedor insisted that the Vampire Consulate was neutral, being an official Vampire Commission representative and all. They're in the conference room. And yes, technically you did invite them. I acted on your behalf since you seem so easily distracted these days."

Jackie picked up a notepad and a pen and followed me out of the front office and into the rarely used conference room. Jackie took a seat off to one side of a large wooden table where Victoria sat at one end and Fedor sat at the other. There was a third chair in the table's center where I sat down.

There was supposed to be a formal introduction of parties and a ritual naming of official titles and declarations of this and that. I sat with a stone face and waited for them to begin.

"We have already performed the required ceremonies." Victoria said in my direction. "We know you are not interested in the niceties, but we know you still want all formalities followed."

"Oh." I said and let out a breath. "So what can I do for you two?"

"I would like your advice on the best place to build my residence in the city." Victoria said. "I have found that I have a fondness for your little community and I need your permission before I can start looking for a home."

I nodded and turned my head toward Fedor, who bowed his head for a moment and then met my eyes.

"I would like to make a formal petition to make Jackie my primary and exclusive Chosen." Fedor said and squinted at me. "And I do mean exclusive."

Jackie stopped writing and looked up at me. She frowned.

"You were willing to kill each other over this?" I said and laid my hands on the smooth wooden tabletop. "Because you want to go house hunting and you want to go steady?"

"Rules are rules." Fedor said and spread his hands in a placating gesture. "As Master of the City you are free to add Jackie to your stable of Chosen, you have the right to do so. But I would remind you she was mine first."

"I don't want to steal Jackie from you." I said and looked over at Jackie. Our eyes met for a moment and my mouth went dry with a thirst that could only be remedied by her blood. The bracelet wasn't doing much good. I licked my lips and swallowed before I could go on. "I'm not sure I can grant you exclusivity, but I see no reason why she can't be your primary Chosen and be granted all the rights and privileges that go with a position of such honor."

"I would like to put my stamp of ownership on her." Fedor said and leaned forward with power flashing in his eyes. "And I would like you to stop fucking her."

"Of course." I said and nodded at Fedor. "Does that conclude our business?"

"Yes." Fedor said and busied himself with a bit of paperwork that he pushed toward me. It was filled with vampire legalese and doublespeak, but seemed to say that I agreed not to have intercourse with Jackie and not to take excessive amounts of blood from her. Fedor in turn agreed not to have me killed in my sleep or locked in the lower levels of the Consulate's dungeon, unless I flagrantly broke the terms of the agreement. For a contract drawn up by a vampire like Fedor it was unusually loose and stopped well short of forbidding me any contact with Jackie. "Sign here, here, and here. Initial here and here."

I did as Fedor wanted and he strode out the door with an air of relief that I would not have expected. I resisted the urge to look at Jackie again. Maybe Sally would like this latest development. I think she was getting used to the idea of sharing me, but I doubt she would ever like it

"I trust you will not force me to share a home with you." Victoria said once Fedor had left the room. She tapped her long black fingernails on the table. "While I fully honor your authority, and my property will always welcome you, it will be my property and not our property."

"I understand your concern." I said and tried to focus my mind on Victoria's request. "Are there any reasons why I might refuse your request to look for a residence in my territory?"

"Carlo already has substantial holdings here." Victoria said. "I don't want you to feel like we are trying to move in on you and vie for control of your territory. And of course, there is the recent unpleasantness, which might give you pause."

"Yes, there are a few issues that need to be resolved before I can give you my approval." I said and tapped my own fingers on the table. "I assume this isn't a time sensitive issue?"

"Of course not." Victoria said with a bow of her head. "I merely wanted to get the ball rolling, as they say, so I will not have to go through endless hoops. I'm only seeking permission to look. I would never make a purchase without your consent."

"I'll give it due consideration." I said and gave my best powerful vampire face. "Are we done?"

"Of course." Victoria said and stood up. She made a graceful bow. "Thank you for your time. Master."

Victoria swept out of the room with a swish of her long coat and I felt her as she moved out of the building and got into her limo. I looked over at Jackie, who was finishing her note taking. She peeked up and nodded at me.

"You might get this whole Master of The City thing down one of these days." Jackie said as she gathered her papers. "But there's a lot more paperwork to do, a lot more people want to have meetings. Fedor does a lot of the work you should be doing, but then, he lives for that kind of stuff."

We walked back to the front office together and we did a good job of keeping our minds on our work. I felt a bit of hot vampire energy and looked up to see Gerald walking in the door. He had a kind of faded and washed out look. He smelled of catfish and his clothes dripped brown water into the marble floor. His shoes made a soft squishing sound instead of the angry stomp he was going for.

"You can attack me if you want." Gerald said and glared at me with power flashing in his eyes. "But nobody steals my car. Lady Blue has won trophies and ribbons all over the country."

"Jake tells me the car is fine." I said. "Don't worry."

"Oh, I'm not worried." Gerald said and took a deep shaking breath. "But you need to worry. In addition to Lady Blue, I want you to give me Kilestra. Or I tell Fedor I want Jake locked up. For a long, long time. In a cell with OD green walls."

"No need to go over the top." Andy said and shook his head. "Locking Jake up would be bad enough. Surrounding him with Army olive drab would just kill him."

"That's the idea." Gerald said and turned for the door. "You've got till dawn tomorrow night."

"Another day in Paradise." Andy said to no one in particular.

"Oh Wil." Jackie said in a soft coo that sent tingles down my spine. "I had a couple of visitors."

"Yes?" I said and looked at her the way a starving man might look at a steak. "Anyone I know?"

"Yeah." She said and tilted her head at me. "It was Raoul and Izumi. They said they had a cure for me. All I had to do was help them find Kilestra. Only I don't know where she is. Do you?"

"I might have an idea." I said as her voice did things to me that didn't involve conscious thought. "I heard there isn't a cure for humans affected by The Little Death."

"They said it was a charm or something." Jackie said as she unbuttoned her blouse. "I forget exactly why I wanted it now."

I had my shirt off and was rushing toward Jackie when Fedor stepped in front of me. He stopped me with a powerful hand to the center of my chest. He held up the Contract I had signed all of ten minutes ago and held it before my eyes. There was a small clause near the bottom that said he had the right to torture me to death if I had intimate contact with Jackie again. I looked over his shoulder as Jackie bit her lip and fondled her breasts. I weighed my options.

Andy grabbed me and tossed me out the door. I was really not in top form at that moment. He tossed my shirt into my face and went back inside. The night air did a wonderful job of clearing my head, as long as I didn't look through the window. When I did look, I saw Fedor lead Jackie into his office and close the door. She was smiling at him and squeezing his arm. That hurt. It hurt a lot.

I DROVE BACK toward the Mansion with my mind in a fog. I wasn't leader material, most of the time I wasn't follower material either. I'm more of a solitary type who likes being with others on my own terms. I parked in my usual spot and sat in thought.

Kilestra and Jake were both important in my life, though clearly Kilestra was occasionally more important than Jake. Still, Kilestra was remarkably resilient and could easily enough take care of herself, whereas Jake tended to view suicide as the logical solution to all of his problems. So if I could hand Kilestra over to Gerald I could keep Jake around long enough for me to figure out some way of rescuing Kilestra. All I had to do was send out a call to Kilestra and wait for her to answer by stepping out of a convenient shadow.

That's when I noticed Raoul and Izumi. Raoul was decked out in full Hunter gear with body armor, holy objects, and a gun aimed at my heart. His hand appeared to be attached to his arm again. It's the kind of thing I would need a couple of nights to fix. Izumi didn't appear any the worse for wear, though I did notice she wasn't carrying a Katana at the moment.

"You need to come with us." Raoul said and walked around behind me. "Play time is over."

"So what time is it?" I said as I followed Izumi around the house and found the Gremlin parked on the grass.

"Time for you to shut up." Izumi said as she opened the door and pulled the seat forward. "After you, Master Walengrave."

I crawled into the car and found silver crosses hanging here and there. Izumi had a spray bottle in her hand once she sat down next to me. The liquid in the bottle had that sanctimonious smell of Holy Water. Raoul got in behind the wheel and we headed off into the night. I reached out with my mind and found nothing there. A soft glow rose from a small figurine I hadn't noticed before. It looked like a lead wizard figurine from a comic book store. It stopped glowing when I stopped trying to reach out.

"Nifty, no?" Izumi said and pointed at the statue. "It has a fairly short range, but you won't be moving too far from it."

I looked out the window and watched as we headed south and ended up in an older neighborhood. Run down houses turned into run down businesses, which turned into abandoned industrial sites, which turned into vacant lots. We pulled up to a large building with a bunch of cement barriers around its perimeter. Raoul parked the Gremlin and we all got out and hopped over the short barrier.

"It's an old incinerator." Izumi said and pointed up at the building with its two tall smoke stacks and red brick facade. "They used to burn garbage here, can you believe that?"

"Times change." I said and tried to keep the quiver out of my voice. "Is it really better to bury all the trash instead of burning it?"

The walls around the building were blank and the only entrance appeared to be a rectangular hole in an overhang. Izumi led me over to the pile of cement that used to be a stairway. She kept the little wizard statue with her. She motioned for me to follow her and I did. Raoul was busy unfolding a long aluminum ladder.

Izumi stood close to me with the point of her Wakizashi pressed into my ribs. Once the ladder was in position, Raoul climbed up in a noisy rush. Izumi gave me a nudge with the Wakizashi and I put my foot on the shaky ladder. Izumi floated up beside me as I climbed. I reached the top quickly and Raoul held a gun on me.

I looked around. The graffiti covered space was illuminated by a scattering of candles. A rusty metal table was here. I saw a lot of shiny medical tools whose normal use I could only guess at and whose intended use here I could imagine all too well. Everything else showed signs of decay, from the rusty locks and doorknobs to the peeling paint. I had no good feelings about this.

"Normally." Izumi said and waved a hand toward the table. "With a vampire or a Were or the like we would just kill them and take their head as proof of the kill."

"Being a Hunter is a good job." Raoul said and nodded. "We get a name and we track that name down and we kill them. Simple. But you, people think you are important. You're just another name to me and I would rather just kill you and have done with it."

"But you don't want me." I said and looked from Izumi to Raoul. "You want Kilestra."

"Killing Kilestra would be good for us." Raoul said. "We would get a reward from both the Vampire Commission and our private client. And it would be a mark of honor, having her head on our wall, so to speak, would allow us to raise our rates a good deal."

"Here's what we were thinking for you." Izumi said and floated her way forward, pushing me toward the table. "We set up a direct video connection and maybe have you hold up a newspaper with today's date on it. That whole proof of life thing. Then we tie you to that chair over there and start to whittle away at you."

"You know." Raoul said and raised his reattached but immobile hand. "Kind of like what your little Elf did to me."

"But we don't have a direct line to Kilestra." Izumi said and floated in a way that made her white robe undulate. "We are going to have to go a little more old school with you."

"Old school?" I said and took a deep breath and tried to look a little less frightened than I was. "How old school?"

"Well." Izumi said. "You are the Master of the City. Killing you might be a bad thing. But then, I seem to recall you telling us it was more an honorary title. So maybe no big thing."

"Fedor said it would be a great tragedy." Raoul said and pressed the barrel of his gun against my chest. "If something were to happen to you. Something permanent. But you know, I got the feeling he wouldn't be broken up about it."

"Yes." Izumi said and drifted around in my field of vision. "Rumor is you've been parking your car in his garage and he's not the kind of vampire who likes to share."

"You talked to Fedor about me?" I said and felt my stomach drop. "And he was OK with your kidnapping me and torturing me?"

"My feeling was that Fedor has not adjusted well to your relationship with Jackie." Izumi said and nodded. "She is an intelligent woman, I was hoping we could do business with her. She appears to be a bit conflicted about her feelings toward you. Fedor has no confusion at all."

"You know it didn't have to be like this." Raoul said and reached into his jacket's inside pocket. "You could have helped Fedor and yourself out, but you didn't want to."

Raoul held three small glass vials in the palm of his hands. He picked one up and held it to the light. I could see a pearl colored liquid swirling around inside. There were small flashes of magic like glitter in a girl's nail polish. He dropped the vial and it shattered with a small puff of pink smoke.

"I think that was the one for poor Jackie." Izumi said and hovered near me. "She doesn't like you much when she isn't looking right at you. It's only when she sees you that she loses all control and becomes nothing but one of your little fuck bunnies. If she had been able to tell us where Kilestra was, we could have cured her. Oh well."

I swallowed the dryness in my throat as I watched the magic potion evaporate into nothing. Raoul took the two remaining vials and sat them down on the table with the torture implements. They rolled a bit on the uneven surface, but stopped before reaching the edge.

"I could still be persuaded to hand these over." Raoul said and tapped one of the bottles. "After we've warmed you up a bit."

"So we'll start off with a finger." Izumi said and made a professional slashing motion with the Wakizashi. "Or maybe an ear. Then we'll move on to something a little more intimate. That would keep you out of trouble. Then we might bring in Jackie and see how she likes you after you've been neutered."

"My dog was a lot happier after he had his operation." Raoul said and frowned as he nodded. "But then, he didn't have some sex spell cast on him. You'll have to tell us how that feels."

Raoul tapped me between the legs with the barrel of his gun and winked at me. I took a deep breath and held it. The tales of a vampire's ability to regenerate were, like most tales, exaggerations. In order to recover from the kinds of injuries these two had in mind, I would need a lot of blood. I looked around the room again, but didn't see anyone else.

"Yes." Izumi said and leaned in close to me. "We weren't really planning on allowing you to heal from these wounds right away. And we don't want to let you feed on us. We have heard of your talent for stealing powers."

"I can call Kilestra." I said and stepped back from the table. "Just get me out of range of your little statue. I'll call her and she'll walk right into your hands."

"Hmm." Izumi said and floated close to my face as she squinted at me. "I don't think so. We can't trust you just at the moment. You might call that little Elf Goddess of yours, and we really don't want to see her again."

"I'm going to need someone to feed on." I said, trying to think of some way to postpone the inevitable. "If you let too much blood escape, I might die on you. Then Kilestra would just be pissed off."

"Kilestra is always pissed off." Raoul said and sorted a few of the items on the table, causing them to roll around a bit. I kept an eye on the two vials, but they seemed safe for the moment. "He might be right, Izumi. I told you we should have picked someone up. Maybe his Mother, so we could torture her in between feedings."

"Fine. Just not the old man. I like talking to him." Izumi said in a voice that said she was tired of this argument. "Let's get our friend into his new accommodations first."

"I want you to think about us while we're gone." Raoul said and smiled at me. "Think real hard about what you've put us through."

Raoul pointed the gun at me and pulled the trigger. Even without my powers, time seemed to slow down. The bullet slammed into me and burned as it went into my lung and then out my back. I fell onto the floor and screamed. There was nothing but pain.

They drug me to a small storage room and dropped me inside. The door was heavy and made a loud clang that echoed off the walls. They slid some kind of bolt home and their footsteps receded into the distance. A loud rattle told me the ladder had fallen to the ground below the building's entrance. I took a breath that only made things worse. For several minutes I couldn't think.

Still no outside contact. The talisman was somewhere close to the cell, letting its power wash over me. The door was thick and impossible for me to get past without my vampire strength. In my current state it might as well have been the Great Wall of China.

No candles in here, but I could see enough of the closet to tell that it had a flimsy shelf and a couple of empty bottles of some kind of cleaning fluid. No windows and the walls seemed solid enough. I patted one of the walls. Cold war era construction designed to withstand a nuclear attack. I wondered what would happen to me once I bled out.

The shelves fell apart when I touched them and added a nice bit of metal dust to the air. I coughed and almost passed out. There was a scratching sound from overhead. I looked up. The dark shape of a bird flapped around for a moment and then disappeared. I could see through the ceiling into the room above me and possibly the room above that as well.

A few bits of rusty old steel rebar clung to a few fragments of cement in the ceiling. I leapt up and grabbed a couple of the bars, they held my weight, but didn't hold their shape once I started to push them apart. I lost my grip and fell back onto the floor. It hurt and now my hands were bloody. I lay on the floor, staring up. It seemed a very long ways off.

I had no choice. I fell twice more before opening a gap large enough to get through. I pulled myself up and flopped on the floor. I was a bloody mess. The pain caused me to clamp my teeth together. I pressed my hand at the hole in my chest. Blood slowly seeped into my clothes. This kind of injury couldn't kill me. The pain just made me wish I was dead.

After a few minutes, I was able to get up and look around. I had no idea how long I had before Raoul and Izumi returned. I was guessing not long. They wouldn't really take the time to go and kidnap my Mother, would they?

This room looked exactly like the room below with one major exception; it didn't have a door. I moved out into the room and found that either graffiti or a poster for some band I had never heard of covered every available surface. The usual mixture of empty bottles and trash you find in abandoned buildings was scattered around. I found the stairs and headed down.

My power was still being damped by the statue, its range much greater than I thought. I took the risk of heading back to the torture room. It was still empty and the two vials were still on the table. I picked them up and slide them into my coat pocket. I left the room and was out of breath before I found a staircase leading down. But the idea of death and dismemberment kept me moving.

I found an exit on the ground floor and stumbled out into the night. The place was surrounded by overgrown fields. Dried out plants that sprouted spiky seed pods snatched at me as I moved among them. A railroad track ran not too far away. I looked back at the building with its twin smoke stacks and red bricks. How many other vampires had been held here against their will? Then I moved as fast as I could toward the sounds of people and a busy road beyond them.

### Chapter Twenty-Three

I WAS WELL out of the range of the vampire power-blocking idol, but I wasn't sure I should be contacting anyone. Raoul and Izumi might well be able to pick up my calls for help and I didn't want to risk it. The neighborhood near the Incinerator was not the best in the world so I kept moving past it. The area beyond was filled with cheap motels and liquor stores and pawn shops. Izumi had taken my phone and money. I had torn the skin on both hands pulling the rusty bars apart. The wound in my chest continued to burn. The bits of clothing that weren't torn and bloody were covered with burrs and strains from the wild plants of the field. I could have just grabbed the first human I saw and drank my fill, but I wasn't that desperate. Yet.

I didn't spend a lot of time in this part of town, and didn't know where the vampires that lived here went for a quick hit.

I let my senses spread out and I found an old building on Berry Street with at least two vampires inside. As I got closer to the building, I could read the hand painted signs that said Auto Detail and Wash. It had started out life as a gas station and it looked as if its days as a detail shop were behind it as well. I moved up to the door and pushed it open. The room was smoky and dimly lit. I saw two vampires sitting in the corner playing dominoes, a man and a woman. They didn't even look my way.

I came in and closed the door behind me. A tall black woman walked up to me and her face wasn't exactly friendly. She crinkled her nose as she looked me over.

"You looking for blood?" She said and crossed her arms. "You look like shit."

"He's looking for Tribute." One of the vampires playing dominos said without looking up. "I hear he's stealing everything not nailed down."

"Looks like someone didn't want to contribute." The other vampire said and looked my way. "That what happen to you, Master Walengrave?"

"Not exactly." I said and slumped to the floor. I noticed he gave the word Master a little twist in his mouth like it tasted bad. "Do you have a donor I could borrow?"

"Oh, I don't run this little shop." The vampire said and turned back to his game with a rising of his hands. "I just come here for the sport."

"We're not exactly big on the donor part." The woman said. "We're more a cash and carry kind of establishment. But I guess it would be bad karma to let you die in here."

"He just wants your blood, Honey." The first domino player said. "He's not that close to death."

Honey sat on the floor next to me. If my battered and torn body disturbed her, she didn't show it. I had to wonder if a lot of nearly dead vampires stopped by. Honey looked me over and a shook her head. She put her arms around my neck. She looked into my eyes and showed no fear.

"Don't kill me now." She said and smiled. "Or those two in the corner will finish what someone else started."

She leaned in. She smelled of sweat and some kind of chemical she used in her hair. It wasn't an unpleasant odor, just one I wasn't used to. I brushed my lips across her neck and took a quick bite. I took her blood and gave her pleasure, so she might think kindly of other vampires in need. Her blood was more potent than I would have believed. She was someone's Chosen and she was older than she looked.

I broke the contact and leaned back against the wall. My many small wounds healed and strength flowed back into my muscles. The hole in my chest was slower to heal. Honey rested her head on my shoulder. I held her in my arms with the familiarity born of the intimate act of feeding. She rubbed her hand on my chest as the wound closed. Her face had that soft afterglow look to it and her mouth formed an o of surprise.

"You can stop by anytime, Master Walengrave." Honey said and looked me in the eye. "Anytime at all."

"Just call me Wil." I said and sat still for a few more moments. "Would one of you have a phone I can use?"

Once I had a phone, I had to think about who to call. Fedor was off the table for obvious reasons. Kilestra would find some hidden crypt and hide me away. Sally would call in the police and the Enforcement arm of the Commission and possibly start a war. Katie might destroy the world. That left me with Andy.

Honey sat beside me and sipped an orange juice while I waited for Andy. She was warm and soft and I found myself enjoying her fragrances a lot more than I had a few minutes earlier. I ran my hand up and down her bare arm and felt the energy flow between us. I was a bit worried that I seemed to be forming these connections with everyone I met. Could be just the stress of a near death experience.

Andy walked in a few minutes later and looked around the room. He didn't fit in too well with blue jeans and western cut shirt and cowboy hat. He looked at the two vampires playing dominos and took in the woman sitting on my lap. He gave me an impatient look and put his thumbs in his pockets. I sat Honey on her feet and headed for the door. She pulled on my arm and gave me a deep kiss when I turned to look at her. She raised her eyebrows at me.

"Don't be a stranger now." One of the vampires said and raised a hand in farewell.

"Thanks for everything." I said and patted Honey's bottom by way of saying goodbye.

"Consider it part of our Tribute." The man said and twirled a domino in his fingers.

ONCE WE WERE in the pickup Andy handed me an oversized revolver with an extra-long barrel. A Smith & Wesson 500 with a bright metallic finish that felt like a full-fledged cannon in my hand. I checked the cylinder and found it only had five rounds, but that was fine as I wasn't even sure a Werebear could survive more than one shot from this gun. I nodded my thanks to Andy.

"What's the plan, Boss?" Andy said as we rolled down Berry Street and headed for the freeway.

"Let's head to Billy's." I said and rubbed at the dried blood on my shirt.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Andy said and tilted his head toward me. "Billy hasn't been all that reliable lately."

"Billy's place is off the beaten path." I said and shifted in my seat. "And I need some time to think about how I'm going to give Kilestra to Gerald."

"Yeah." Andy said and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "What could go wrong there?"

Billy's house wasn't far away and we were bumping up and down the ruts and dips that made up the streets of Poly in no time. The neighborhood was quiet, except for the occasional car with a built in boom box that slowly crawled by.

The house didn't look any worse than it did the last time I saw it. Lights were on in Billy's windows and I felt his presence. I got out and walked up to the door with the gun pointed at the ground. Billy opened the door a crack and looked at me, then pushed it open. I waved at Andy and he waved back before heading off down the street.

Entering Billy's house was not a pleasant experience at the best of times, but tonight it was like walking into a Dumpster. Trash and broken furniture and random items of every sort littered the floor. I pushed my way in and was forced to stumble as I kept my balance on the shifting layers of junk.

Billy closed the door, stopping once to kick some random bit of debris out of the way. He turned a deadbolt and latched a thick chain. I looked around the room and found Shirley perched on the sofa's arm doing something to her toenails. She looked up at me and frowned. I didn't need to read her thoughts to know she wasn't exactly happy about being Billy's Chosen. Can't say as I really blamed her.

"I thought those people were my friends." Billy said as he took a seat next to Shirley. "But they turned into a mob and made a real mess of things."

"Yeah." I said. I pushed a stack of old newspapers off a chair and sat down. "Have you thought about maybe cleaning up a bit?"

"I can't seem to find a place to start." Billy said and looked me over. "Having a rough night?"

"You could say that." I said and laid the gun on the chair's arm. "You have a clean shirt I can borrow?"

"Cleaner than the one you're wearing." Billy said and pointed upstairs. "Help yourself."

I went upstairs and found a chest of drawers filled with black T-shirts from an impressive list of rock concerts. I found one that said Wendy O Williams and another for Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols. I felt sure if I dug deep enough I would find shirts for the Beatles and Elvis. I settled on one from a concert that featured Men at Work and Fleetwood Mac. It had a picture of a penguin holding a baseball bat on the chest. All the shirts were extra-large and the fit was a bit baggy, but it wasn't covered in grime and blood so that was a plus.

This room was oddly orderly and looked like a time capsule from the 1950s. A small blonde wooden desk sat in one corner with a Big Chief notebook and a collection of comic books sitting on it. A bookcase with small glass panes, but it didn't house books, it held a collection of plastic horses and riders from popular TV shows like The Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers. A set of bunk beds filled the opposite wall and the blankets continued the cowboy theme. A pennant on the wall said Fort Worth Fat Stock Show 1956. How had the looters missed this room? The longer I stood here, the creepier I felt. I left the room and headed downstairs, leaving that particular mystery for some other day.

I used Billy's phone to call Sally. She answered on the first ring.

"Your mother called me." Sally said and sounded both angry and relieved. "She said you went off with Raoul and Izumi. Then we all lost touch with you. Katie's been pacing around like a caged tiger."

"I'm alright." I said and closed my eyes to send a bit of reassurance out. "I'm just trying to keep a low profile at the moment. I wanted to let you know I'm alright and check in on you."

"Nice to know I rate a phone call." Sally said. "Do I need to come and get you? Your mother said the Dodge is still at the Mansion."

"If you could keep an eye on the family." I said. "I'd appreciate it."

"I think Katie has that covered." Sally said with a quiver of anger in her voice. "You know I love you."

"I love you, too." I said and hung up.

I waited a few minutes and then dialed Kilestra. I felt her tingle in my mind for a second as she identified who was calling and then the phone connected with a click.

"Why are you using a phone?" Kilestra said in her business voice.

"I'm worried that I might be on someone's radar." I said. "Better safe than sorry."

"Hmm, the story of your life." Kilestra said. "What's up?"

"We need to meet." I said, trying to keep things simple. "How about meeting me outside the Nightshade Gallery at about 4:30?"

"It's a date." Kilestra said smugly and hung up.

Now all I needed were some silver plated handcuffs and some way to get them over Kilestra's wrists. I could always ask her to turn herself in, I hadn't actually tried that yet. I could practically see Kilestra laughing in my mind.

"How would you go about catching a powerful vampire?" I said to Billy and Shirley. Billy looked up from his laptop and took a moment to focus his eyes on me.

"I've always found drugs to be the solution to almost every problem." Billy said in all seriousness. "But I no longer have any drugs. And the person who made my drugs might be gone for a while."

"Right." I said to myself. "I should have thought to look around for that little wizard statue."

"You mean the ones that zap a vampire's power?" Shirley said and looked up. "I have one of those. Carlo liked being submissive occasionally and by using the statue, I could completely dominate him. He was practically a normal human under its influence."

"You're like a dominatrix?" Billy said and looked at Shirley with newfound respect and a touch of fear. "You never told me that."

"I want our relationship to be about more than sex and blood." Shirley said and smiled at Billy. She ran her fingers down the side of his face and tilted her head. "I want us to be more spiritual."

"Oh." Billy said and didn't do a good job of hiding his disappointment. "But you still have, like, outfits and whips and stuff?"

"Yeah." Shirley said with a sigh. "I've got outfits and whips and stuff."

"What about the game piece?" I said and tried to put pictures of Shirley dressed as a dominatrix out of my mind.

Shirley got up and went into the next room. She shifted more junk around and there was the sound of metal bouncing on a hard surface. Shirley seemed to be tossing things around in a way that could only contribute to the clutter and disorder. When she reappeared, she was carrying a brightly painted metal box. She handed it to me and sat down next to Billy.

"Here." Shirley said and handed me an antique candy tin with a floral motif. "I think any metal will block the effect. The statue will work as soon as you open the box. Fredric said some shaman in China made ten of these. He didn't say how he got his hands on one."

"So, you want Shirley to tie you up?" Billy said and looked at the box in my hands. "That doesn't seem fair. I mean, you gave her to me, after all."

"Yeah." Shirley said and gave me a meaningful look. "I can't thank you enough for that."

"That's not what I want it for." I said and opened the box. That odd feeling of solitude flowed over me from the little statue resting in a bed of crushed velvet inside the box. This statue looked less like a wizard and more like a chess piece, maybe a bishop, or a king. This one was more powerful than the one Raoul and Izumi had, it sapped my strength as well as cutting off my powers. Shirley reached over and pushed the lid shut. It took a few moments for me to return to normal.

"Can I borrow your car?" I said to Shirley. She found her keys and handed them over. When I left, Billy was talking about boots with stiletto heels and long black gloves.

I drove Shirley's Neon down the back streets that lead downtown. I made my way to the Nightshade Gallery, being careful not to attract too much attention. I parked in the small lot behind the building. I was the only one there. The Gallery was opened all hours, but didn't show any signs of activity now.

The gun and the metal box were sitting on the seat next to me. I knew I wasn't going to shoot Kilestra and she knew it as well. I wasn't sure how she would react to the idol or its strange power sapping abilities. I wasn't even sure I could do anything once I opened the box. I was losing confidence in the plan the longer I sat here.

Kilestra opened the door and sat on the seat next to me. She took the gun and the box and sat them on the floor by her feet, well out of my reach. She looked at me with power flashing in her eyes and I felt her mind trying to work its way into mine. I pushed her out and held up a hand. Her eyes widened in surprise and then she looked away from me.

"You have a knack for getting yourself into trouble." Kilestra said and cut her eyes back to me. "But you also take up a lot of my time."

"Am I keeping you away from Victoria?" I said. "Or maybe I interrupted you binge watching Breaking Bad?"

"Damned good show." Kilestra said and nodded. "And Mosaic can keep an eye on Victoria for a little while longer."

"Good to know." I said and slid toward her on the front seat. "I miss spending time with you."

"I'm sure you do." Kilestra said and put her hand across my thigh. "But you know I've never been one of those women that likes it in the back seat of a car."

"We don't have to move to the back seat." I said and eased my arm around her shoulder.

"I've seen a box like that before." Kilestra said and gave the metal box a little tap with the toe of her boot. "They have nasty little things inside them."

"Not all magic is evil." I said and pulled Kilestra closer. "Where did you see one?"

"Oh, not just any one." Kilestra said and put her mouth close to my ear. "That one. It was one of Fredric's prized possessions."

"I was thinking maybe we could use it." I said in a husky whisper. "If you were willing."

"I could lock you in a cell right now." Kilestra said and moved away from me. "And leave you there for a few days. You might be safe for a change and I wouldn't have to worry about you."

"That's not exactly what I had in mind." I said and saw that flash of power in her eyes again.

"Oh, I know what you had in mind." Kilestra said and crossed her arms. "You're not going to get to trade me in for Jake. And be careful with that stuff."

"Doesn't look like that's going to be a problem." I said and leaned back into my seat.

"Tell me about your time at the Incinerator." Kilestra said and laid a hand on my chest. "I lost contact with you and I was worried. I've come to rely too much on my vampire prowess. I couldn't track you down at all once you left the Mansion."

I told her about the little wizard idol and crumbling cement and how Carlo wanted to chop off bits of me and express mail them to her. She shook her head and narrowed her eyes.

"Carlo and Fredric were a match made in heaven." Kilestra said and ground her teeth.

"Why?" I said and looked her way. "What was going on?"

"Carlo was dealing in cigarettes laced with The Little Death." Kilestra said and spread her hands. "Fredric was selling them in Carlo's clubs and looking for wider distribution. Then Carlo started finding things while he was building his Shadow clubs. He just wanted to make more money. Fredric wanted something else. He wanted Power with a capitol P. That put him into conflict with Carlo. There was some saber rattling that was moving toward war."

"Where do you fit into the picture?" I said.

"Fedor hired me to be a Peace Broker." Kilestra said. "No one wants an open war between vampires, lots of collateral damage, the inevitable involvement of outside human authorities. Just a big mess."

"Fedor?" I said and rubbed a sudden pain in my neck.

"Yeah, Fedor." Kilestra said and punched me in the shoulder. "He tends to focus on Commission business when people aren't banging his secretary right under his nose."

"I think that's been settled." I said and felt the two vials in my pocket. "At least partially."

"Good." Kilestra said and leaned over and gave me a kiss. "Stay out of trouble."

A bit of wind from the door opening and closing told me Kilestra was gone. I'd seen her driving a car once or twice, but I think it was just for show, she didn't need mere mortal forms of transportation.

I got out and walked the short distance to the Vampire Consulate. It was getting late, but I could feel Fedor from here. I got a ping of surprise that I was walking around in one piece. I didn't get any vibes from Jackie or from a certain Death Goddess and Werebear. I went in the back door and called to Fedor from the back storage room.

"What's with the cloak and dagger, Wilhem?" Fedor said as he walked into the shadowy room. "You can't still be worried about Raoul and Izumi. You did kill them, didn't you? I think I would have."

"I keep telling you, Fedor." I said as I placed one of the vials in his hand. "I'm a new kind of vampire. I don't get off on killing the way you Ancients do."

"What's this?" Fedor said as he held the magic elixir in front of his face. "Trying to poison me again? If you'd wanted Jackie, you could have tried asking."

"Jackie's cure got broken." I said and took out my own vial. "But I managed to get the two for us."

"So you turned Kilestra over to the bounty hunters?" Fedor said and gave the small bottle a shake. "She won't soon forgive you for that."

"I didn't have to turn her over." I said and opened my vial. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Fedor said and we drank down the potion together. "Of course, they might have only told you this was a cure to trick you into drinking it."

"You always look on the bright side." I said and saw the same familiar warmth that Ravenhawk's potions had given me. But there was something more, something like a bell ringing in the next room, Fedor and I both reached out and leaned against a wall. My mind cleared for the first time in weeks.

"Is Jackie around?" I said and reached out for her with my mind.

"We have some time before the sun rises." Fedor said and got that distant look on his face of seeing another place. "She'll be here soon."

Fedor got us a couple of folding chairs and we sat in the companionship of the dark room. I felt like I had won a bit of Fedor's trust back, but I still wasn't sure how much of mine I could give him. If he had called Raoul and Izumi instead of Jackie, I would find myself in one of the dungeons under the Consulate and no one would ever know what happened to me. I looked up in surprise when the door opened. It was Jackie.

"Hello, boys." Jackie said in her sultry magically controlled voice. "Couldn't stand to go another minute without me?"

I experienced only a small echo of the desire I had felt before. I looked at Fedor and saw that he was the same. We both let out a sigh and Jackie looked at us with confusion written on her face. I left Fedor to tell Jackie what had happened.

I drove back to Billy's and parked in the narrow driveway where I had found the Neon to start with. I knocked on the door and waited for Shirley to peek out a window before she let me in. A path was cleared through the trash, but it had the look of a parting and not a lessening. Shirley smiled at me as I returned the metal box. Half the Smith and Wesson 500 was sticking out of my belt, but I didn't know what else to do with it.

"I guess you'll be wanting a coffin?" Shirley said and kicked more trash to one side as she led me into the next room. "The guest room is down there."

Shirley pointed at a short wooden door that opened with a thumb latch. I pulled the three-foot tall door open and saw the top of a run of stairs. Shirley pulled a string and a yellow light bulb revealed a set of steps leading down.

"Thanks." I said and crawled down the little passage into a low room that stretched the length of the house. A few small bulbs in the unfinished ceiling illuminated a dirt floor and about ten coffins scattered about in a random fashion. A musty smell and many cobwebs filled the space. Old houses sometimes had crawl spaces like this to get at the plumbing and maybe check for termites. It had been enlarged just enough to put in some light blocking walls and make enough room to open a coffin. I went to the nearest coffin and pulled the lid up. It was empty and reasonably clean. I crawled inside and waited for the sun to rise.

WHEN I CAME to the next sunset, I wasn't alone in the coffin. Katie was snuggled up to me like a kitten with her head resting on my chest and her arms wrapped around me. I pulled a slow breath into my lungs and Katie stirred beside me. She pushed the coffin lid up and let some of the faint light in.

"Hey." She said and kissed my neck. "Miss me?"

"Of course." I said and gave her a little squeeze. "But I thought I made it clear that you'd be safer at Sally's for a couple of days."

"Yeah." Katie said and growled at me. "How safe will I be when your head's mounted on some hunter's wall?"

"It never got that bad." I said and pulled her close to me. "But it is nice to know you care."

"You make it sound like I have a choice." Katie said and pulled her hair away from her neck. "Have a little sip."

I bit Katie hard enough to make her twitch and then poured power into her as she let me drink in her life. She always made me feel a bit guilty, so I always let that first contact hurt just a bit. Then I gave as much pleasure as she could take. Katie's blood was rich and powerful and I had to stop myself from taking too much and leaving her weak and drained.

"That was nice." Katie said and patted my chest. "You don't always have to punish me for wanting to serve you."

"I know." I said and gave her a gentle hug. "Did you bring the Dodge?"

"Yes." Katie said with a sigh. "All gassed up and ready to take us wherever you need to go."

"I think Andy's at the top of the list." I said. We crawled out of the coffin and made our way to the small staircase and up into Billy's house. Billy and Shirley were busy playing video games and didn't even look up as we walked by. Maybe this hadn't been the safest place in the world to crash after all.

### Chapter Twenty-Four

I called Andy and he said that he was home, since it was early and he didn't plan any serious hanging out at the Vampire Consulate until around midnight.

Andy lived in a trailer park and had a nice double wide with a small covered porch off to one side. A large lantern shaped bug zapper was doing its noisy work at the trailer's end. We could hear Hank Williams, Jr through the thin walls as we walked up to the door and knocked on the glass.

Andy invited us in, we sat on the western style couch with its oversized wooden arms and wagon wheel patterned fabric. Katie looked around the place with her mouth open and her eyes wide. Andy's home was a bit different from the Mansion and of course, I had no idea what her real home had been like. Clearly, it didn't have the same Roy Rogers flare of Andy's place..

"Can I get you a soda, Katie?" Andy said from the kitchen, which was a few feet away behind a counter. "Or some ice cream?"

"You can't seduce me with ice cream." Katie said in a grumpy voice and crossed her arms. "What kind of ice cream?"

I watched as Andy and Katie ate small bowls of Cookies and Cream ice cream and discussed their favorite flavors. It gave me enough time to think about what I needed to do, but not enough time to actually come up with any solutions.

"So, no luck in corralling Kilestra?" Andy said as he set aside his empty bowl. "No big surprise there."

"I still need to figure out some way to keep Gerald from turning in Jake." I said and ran my fingers over my beard.

"Kilestra and Gerald don't exactly run in the same circles, do they?" Andy said and pressed his lips together.

"They've met once or twice." I said. "But they're not fast friends as far as I know."

"Then all we need is a vampire that sort of looks like Kilestra." Andy said. "I have someone in mind."

"You know a vampire that looks like Kilestra?" I said and tried to think of who it might be.

"The woman vampire at the Detail Shop was about the right size and build." Andy said and nodded. "Dress her in black and have her fluff her hair out a bit and she could pass for Kilestra."

"Kilestra isn't black." I said, but the more I thought about it, the more I could see the woman hidden in the shadows passing as Kilestra. "But maybe Gerald never looked at her that closely."

"You think Gerald wouldn't notice someone's race?" Katie said and let her eyebrows shoot up. "Didn't he fight on the Confederate side?"

"He was on the right side in the War of Northern Aggression." Andy said and placed a hand over his heart as he looked at a small scale Bars and Stars mounted on the wall. Katie and I both stared at him and he scratched an itch on his chest.

"I guess if Andy thinks this vampire looks like Kilestra." Katie said. "Gerald will too."

Andy had Honey's number stored on his phone and I called her and asked if I could talk to the woman vampire that had been playing dominoes.

"Oh, that's how it is, huh?" Honey said in her best offended voice. "I keep you alive, but all you care about is Dishamar."

"You know I enjoyed our time together, Honey." I said and poured a tiny amount of power through the connection. "And I look forward to our next time, but right now I need to talk to Dishamar."

"Well, alright." Honey said and handed the phone off.

"Yeah?" Dishamar said and I could tell she was still concentrating on her game.

"Hey, this is Wil." I said and tried for casual. "I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor."

"Hmm, there's a shock." Dishamar said and twisted her lips. "That psycho Kilestra finally turn you out?"

"Funny you should mention her." I said and laid out the basics of the plan.

"Kilestra and I happen to have the same tailor." Dishamar said in a tone that dared me to not believe her. "You can pick me up in an hour and you're gonna owe me for this."

After I hung up, I called Gerald and told him to meet me at the Mansion so I could turn Kilestra over to him.

"This better not be some kind of trick." Gerald said and hung up.

We took the Dodge and headed for the Detail Shop. I stopped under the awning and went inside. Honey was doing her nails, but stopped when she saw me. She walked over with a maximum amount of swing in her hip and twinkle in her eye. I couldn't help but smile at her. She gave me a hug and I returned her embrace. She turned her head and brought her neck toward me. I kissed her, took just a little sip, and shared just a little power. After feeding on Katie, I really wasn't up for much more. Honey rubbed her neck and smiled at me.

"You can take more than that if you like." Honey said and wiggled in a way I found very interesting. "You know where to find me."

"Now you went and turned Honey into a blood slut." The male vampire said as he walked over to me. "How am I supposed to keep her happy now?"

"Hush, Bruce." Honey said and slapped Bruce on the chest. "You know he's not about to take me home with him. We're just playing around a little."

"Uh-huh." Bruce said and looked me in the eye. "When can I expect you to return Dishamar? We're in the middle of a game, you know."

"All goes well in an hour or so." I said.

"I've heard tales about you, Master Walengrave." Bruce said and shook his head. "When does anything go well for you?"

"I'll be fine." Dishamar said as she walked out of a back room. "Stop your fretting."

I nodded my approval and had to admit Dishamar made a damned fine Kilestra. Her hair was a little too puffy and her hips were a tad wide, but she could have fooled me in the right light and I knew Kilestra a lot better than Gerald did.

"I didn't know this was going to be a party." Dishamar said as she slid into the front seat and looked at Katie and Andy in the back. "An Elf and a redneck, perfect backup."

"They'll do." I said and handed her my silver plated handcuffs. She slid them onto her wrists and then did a slight of hand trick that made them fall into her lap. "I'm guessing you already have a key, then?"

We made it across town and to the bottom of my driveway without incident. Gerald was sitting behind the wheel of his '63 Corvette. He got out to meet us, but didn't move too far from his beloved car.

Katie pulled her hoodie off and showed that she was wearing a 1950s poodle skirt and a white sweater. She had her hair in a ponytail and was carrying a Big Chief tablet held to her chest. She swayed her hips as she walked up to Gerald and looked at him with a sly smile. I felt that little wave of lust flow out of her. Gerald stared at her and then looked my way.

"What the hell is this?" Gerald said and pointed at Katie. "You seriously think your little Elf can distract me?"

"Oh." Katie said and rubbed Gerald's letter jacket. "What position do you play?"

"Quarterback, of course." Gerald said and puffed out his chest as he struck a throwing pose. "You like football?"

"I like football players." Katie said and watched as Andy snuck around the other side of the '63 Corvette. Gerald began to regale Katie with the tale of the State Championship game where it came down to the final two minutes and it was up to him to throw the winning touchdown. Andy crouched by the rear wheel well and placed a small metallic object inside with a loud magnetic click. But Gerald was at the crucial part of the story where he lobbed the game winner and didn't hear it. Andy snuck back to the Dodge unnoticed.

"Oh." Katie said and jumped up and down. "That must have been so exciting."

"What to hear another one?" Gerald said and pointed to the many Texas shaped patches on the sleeves of his letter jacket.

"I don't want to get over excited." Katie said and headed back toward me. "Maybe later."

"Hey." Gerald said and raised his hands in confusion. "Where are you going?"

"I thought you were here for a prisoner pickup." I said and got Gerald's attention. "Not an Elf pickup."

"Yeah, that's right. Is that Kilestra?" Gerald said and looked at the dark figure sitting in the Dodge's front seat. "I'm not getting a lot of energy from her."

"I gave her some copal." I said with a shrug. "She's not feeling all that energetic."

"Huh." Gerald said and nodded. "I knew you were going to use some trick on her."

I motioned for Katie and Andy to bring her over. Dishamar held her head down and shuffled her feet as if she couldn't hold her own weight. Andy opened the door and put her in the Vette's passenger seat. Gerald was radiating so much happiness it almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost.

"Put your thumbprint on this." I said and held my tablet out toward Gerald.

"For what?" Gerald said and squinted at the small print on the display.

"It says that you swear you put yourself at the bottom of Lake Worth and that you hold no one else responsible." I said and held it toward him again.

"Fine." Gerald said and pressed his thumb to the digital document. "I got what I wanted."

Gerald hopped into his car and started around the loop that would lead him back to the main road. We got in the Dodge and followed. Andy took a military looking Remote Detonator out of the pocket of his denim jacket. He flipped up a large cover plate that allowed him access to an oversized black button.

"This should slow him down." Andy said and pressed the button with a solid click. "I only used a small charge."

We were following a few cars back when what looked like a supernova erupted in the back of Gerald's pristine 1963 Corvette Stingray. It spun around in a circle like a pinwheel firework and came to a stop when it crashed into a light pole. Gerald stumbled away from the flaming wreck with a look of horror on his face. Dishamar ran from the wreckage and stopped near Gerald. She also stood watching the burning car with a stunned look on her face.

A small yellow car streaked by us and screeched to a stop next to Dishamar. Izumi got out and held a small shiny object I recognized as one of her vampire power zappers. She slapped it against Dishamar's chest. The vampire sagged and Izumi pushed her into the Gremlin's back seat. A moment later the door slammed shut and the small car sped away from the flaming remains into the night. Gerald had a shell-shocked look on his face. A moment later, his shoulders started to shake as he began to cry.

"Well, damn." Andy said. "I guess I used a little too much C4."

"You think?" Katie said and looked over at Andy. "That was a nice car."

"Well." I said and shook my head. "It's not a nice car now."

I made a turn at the next corner and headed back toward Andy's place. I dropped him off and thought about where to go next.

"Raoul and Izumi stopped by the Mansion last night." Katie said and took her headphones off. "They wanted to take your Mom with them, but I convinced them to leave her alone."

"And you didn't think to mention this earlier?" I said. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, they're fine." Katie said and fiddled with her cell phone. "Your Mom convinced your Grandfather to stay at the Mansion for a few nights. Your Father didn't look up from the book he was reading."

"Good to know." I said. "Now all I have to worry about is what they'll do to Dishamar."

"She can take care of herself." Katie said and rolled a shoulder. "Besides, they'll see she's not Kilestra soon enough."

I DROVE BACK to the Mansion and sat in the Dodge for a few minutes. I sent out a few feelers to see if anyone was lurking in the woods and didn't find anything. Not that I was good at that kind of thing, but it made me feel better.

Katie and I walked into the lower rooms I called my own and found things had been rearranged. The sofas were pushed away from the wall, the end tables were turned over, the drawers on the one dresser were pulled out and the contents spilled on the floor. I didn't have a lot of furniture, so there was not a lot to mess up.

"So Raoul and Izumi were looking for something?" I said and looked at Katie.

"I don't think it was them." Katie said. "They never got this far."

I moved from the kitchen to the bathroom to the crypt where my coffin took up most of the floor space. These were not large rooms, but then, I didn't need a lot of open space. I looked at Katie and her Woodland Elf grace and beauty. How did she feel about living in a basement? Of course, she had her days to herself and could run around in the sun all she wanted.

"Your Mother is fixing me a space near the pool." Katie said and looked at something on her phone. "Just some place where I can keep my clothes and gather the odds and ends a person likes to collect. A computer, a few books, maybe a stereo."

"No TV?" I said and noticed for the first time how there wasn't much in the way of entertainment in my space. "Do you want me to help you pick out a bed?"

"I'm not sure I want one of those gothic four poster jobs like your Mother has." Katie said and went around straightening the items that had been disturbed. "But it would be nice to have something to lie down on. You know, besides the cold, hard floor.""

Mother entered the room and looked around at the mess; she instantly went to work straightening the opposite side of the room Katie was working on. They had it back to normal in short order, as I said, there wasn't that much to disturb. Mother dusted her hands and looked at me seriously.

"Your Grandfather is out on a date with that vampire." Mother said and crossed her arms. "I'm worried that they are up to no good."

"WELL, I DON'T think they're robbing banks." I said as I followed Mother up to the living room. "And they are both well past the age of consent."

"She's not that far past the age of consent." Mother said and took a seat where she could see the front door. "She's just a child. She was twenty when she was turned and she's only been a vampire for ten years. What could she possibly see in your Grandfather?"

"He gives good back rubs." Katie said.

"I see I'm going to have to keep an eye on you as well." Mother said and narrowed her eyes at Katie. "I thought you belonged to Wil."

"He just gave me a back rub." Katie said and shook her head. "And I do belong to Wil, but it's not like I want to do nothing but stand over his coffin all day. He told me to do what I want during the day."

"Well." Mother said and frowned. "I don't want you doing my father."

Katie looked at me and rolled her eyes. I shrugged. Katie put her headphones on and wandered out of the room.

"I was thinking about letting her have the Study." Mother said and looked in the direction that Katie had gone. "The poor thing didn't even have a bag when she moved in. Not even a change of clothes. I had to take her shopping and get her everything from underwear to shoes. You know what she wanted to buy? New headphones."

"Buy her whatever she wants." I said and considered the Study. It was a narrow room with built-in bookcases and a fireplace at one end. The floor to ceiling windows looked out on the courtyard. "Isn't Father using the Study as his office?"

"Not really." Mother said and moved her hair behind her ear. "We have offices at the University, he mainly uses the Study when he wants to show off for some big wig on the Faculty, I don't think he'll miss it. Besides, he's as smitten with that Elf as every man who meets her. He'd let her have the Master Bedroom if she asked for it."

"I think she might be a little homesick." I said and reached over and patted Mother's knee. "Fix the room up for her, try and make it feel like a place where an Elf would feel at home."

"Of course, Dear." Mother said and laid her hand on top of mine. "I'll take care of it."

I leaned forward and put my mouth to her neck. She smelled good and tasted even better. The cure I'd gotten during my escape from Raoul and Izumi had worked. I fed on Mother and poured my power into her. It was good for both of us.

It was getting close to sunrise when the front door opened and Grandfather walked in. He had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He saw us and walked over.

"What have you been doing?" Mother said as she stood up and looked Grandfather in the eye. "No, don't answer that."

"Tiffany is a sweet girl." Grandfather said and stumbled a bit. "But she has a lot to learn. She never even listened to the Beatles. What kind of person doesn't listen to the Beatles?"

"Are you drunk?" Mother said and leaned in close to smell his breath. "This is Tiffany's doing, isn't it?"

"She's never been with someone like me before." Grandfather said and smiled. "My blood made her happy and in return she made me happy."

"I think you should go to bed now." Mother said and took his arm to help steer him.

"I was in bed earlier." Grandfather said and laughed softly. "That's how I got this way."

"Oh, hush." Mother said and waved Goodnight to me as they walked off.

"He did more than give you a back rub." I said to Katie as she snuck back into the living room. "Didn't he?"

"He's sweet." Katie said and pulled her hoodie down so I couldn't see her face. "And he certainly wanted to do more, but I would never betray you, not even with the people I share you with."

"It's almost sunrise." I said and headed down to the basement. Katie followed me and took a seat in her corner. She put on her headphones and nodded her head. I got into my coffin and waited for death to arrive.

Katie's phone rang. I heard Jake's voice. She opened the coffin and handed me her phone.

"If you're waiting for me to rescue you from the sun." I said and checked the Sunrise app on Katie's phone. "You've cut it too close for me to help you this time."

"I think I'm going to be ok." Jake said and sounded a bit upset. "But I have some bad news for you. Someone came in and took that painting of your little Elf Goddess."

"Someone broke in and stole it?" I said and thought about the security at the Nightshade. "You don't have any security, do you?"

"Never needed it." Jake said and could hear him grinding his teeth. "Someone just walked in and walked out with it. I didn't even notice it was missing until I was running the end of night numbers. I looked up and it was gone."

Before I could form a list of suspects, the sun rose and all my problems were over for another day.

I CAME TO life and heard voices in the next room. It was Grandfather and Katie. I went out to see what they were talking about.

"That Tiffany could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch." Grandfather said and whistled appreciatively. "A useful skill for a vampire and one that I was greatly impressed by."

"You've moved over to the realm of Too Much Information." Katie said and wrinkled her nose. "Hey, Master, your Grandfather was just telling me about his date with Tiffany."

"Chrome off a trailer hitch, huh?" I said and nodded. "Sounds like my kind of girl."

"Pa-lease." Katie said and rolled her eyes.

"Don't you feel like you're taking advantage of Tiffany?" I said to Grandfather.

"Nah." He said and laughed. "I'm kind of training her in the ways of the vampire. She's still young enough to think she's gonna rule the world one of these days."

"Stranger things have happened." Katie said in a world-weary voice that didn't fit her youthful appearance.

"Yeah." Grandfather said and looked my way. "Tiffany's swinging by to pick me up. I'll try not to be so late tonight."

Katie and I watched him head up the stairs. I tried not to think about the things that Grandfather might think it's important for a young vampire to know.

Katie handed me a phone to replace the one I'd lost to Raoul and Izumi. It was thin and shiny and looked expensive. My old phone had been a flip phone without any bells or whistles. I would need to read a book to learn how to use this one. Maybe two.

"I already transferred all your contacts in." Katie said and fiddled with the phone in a confusing combination of slides and pans and scrolls. She showed a screen with a list of names. I pressed Sally's name and the phone placed the call for me.

"Yes?" Sally said in her business voice.

"Hey." I said and cleared my throat, which was amplified in a most unpleasant way by the phone. "Sorry. Are you going to be at the Coffee Spot later?"

"Yeah." Sally said. "I'll be there. It's closed while they finish resurfacing the parking lot, but I'll be doing some book keeping. Come by whenever you want and I can take a break for a few."

I fiddled with the phone but couldn't figure out how to do anything other than make the screen light up. Katie went through the process of reaching the list of names again, being careful to go slowly and let me see what she was doing. It still left my head spinning. I pressed Andy's number and waited for him to answer.

"I was just thinking about you." Andy said. "I just got a call from Honey. She said Dishamar came in late last night."

"Was she alright?" I said and listened to the sounds of a Western playing in the background.

"Yeah, she's fine." Andy said in a dismissive tone. "Honey said something about adding this to your tab and I said I'd pass along the message."

I managed to get almost all the way through to the list of names before I found myself playing some kind of game that involved connecting dots. Katie took the phone from my hand and quickly got me back to the contact list. I pressed the button for Billy and wasn't too surprised to get a message that said the number I was trying to reach was temporarily unavailable. Well, I'd just have to stop by later and see how they were doing.

Katie came over and hugged me. Once again, I had to remind myself she was as old as I was and not some child that needed protecting. Of course, there was nothing wrong with wanting to protect her. I held her for a few seconds and then moved away. She brushed her hair to one side and offered me her neck. I gave her a kiss just below her ear and then smiled at her.

"I fed on you last night." I said and slapped her ass. "I need to attend to Mother and Father tonight."

Katie let her hair fall back into place. She slid her headphones up and tugged at the strings of her hood until it tightened around her face. She sat on the sofa and bobbed her head to the music. I smiled down at her for a moment and then went looking for my parents.

I fed on Mother and Father and gave them a bit of my attention for an hour or so. They were now fully restored to their normal selves, as was Grandfather. I listened to their stories about the dim students that made it into college these days and how Father was having a hard time finding a publisher for his latest book on the War of 1812. Mother's latest collection of short stories was selling well on Amazon and iTunes. Mother said she would find suitable furniture for Katie's room.

"I don't think I should have to give up my Study." Father said and busied himself filling a Briarwood pipe. "Are you even sure she's staying? There's something odd about that girl."

"At first I thought she was going to be a lot of fun to have around." Mother said and lowered her head to peek at me from under her eyebrows. She twisted her mouth into a sexy pout. "But now I'm not so sure. If anything she seems to have turned you into a monk."

"I'm not a monk." I said and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "I just didn't want to kill you. I'm also a bit busy at the moment."

"You've never been this 'busy' before." Father said and blew out a puff of vanilla scented smoke. "And now you have us shopping for her. You haven't finished restoring the Mansion yet, but you can afford to buy this stranger new clothes and furniture."

"She not a stranger." I said and headed for the bedroom door. "Not anymore."

"Now you've upset him." Mother said and reached over and pushed Father in the shoulder. "It's so nice to have you with us, we've missed you."

"No offense, Son." Father said and brushed off a few ashes that had fallen when Mother hit him. "If you love her, we love her as well."

"I have to meet Sally." I said and pulled my shirt on. "Don't wait up."

### Chapter Twenty-Five

KATIE WENT WITH me to the Coffee Spot. She took a seat near the door where she could watch a crew of Weres in Day-Glo yellow spread asphalt around. She laid herself across the chair in a slouch that defied gravity. She showed a lot of interest in a very tall Were that looked a lot like Gravel.

"Did you have to bring her?" Sally said as I joined her at a table covered with paperwork. "I tried to keep her at my place, but she insisted you needed her. I didn't want to order her to stay like a dog."

"I had a run in with Raoul and Izumi." I said and leaned forward on the table. "I think I understand what's going on."

"Oh yeah?" Sally said. "So lay it on me."

"I think the Vampire Fredric didn't lose his head that night." I said and saw the nod of agreement from Sally. "Carlo is a cold blooded bastard, but even the hardest Sires feel something when a Fledgling dies."

"The rumor is Fredric started acting odd a couple of weeks before the body was found in his office." Sally said and shuffled a few bits of paper around. "About the time a group of locals made a trip to Mexico. Not that anyone keeps detailed records of vampires, if you need to know who they are, you know. Vampires, fucking with law enforcement for a thousand years."

"Maybe longer." I said and leaned back in the chair. "What do you think was in the bag Kilestra took from the club?"

"I'm not ruling out Fredric head." Sally said and looked over at Katie. "Someone robbed an Ancient living in Monterrey, Mexico a few weeks back. The report says they took an ancient vase of some kind and a number of magical items. And a box of rings made by some alchemist out of Damascus steel. "

Sally reached over, took my left hand and looked at the ring on my finger.

"You know." Sally said and narrowed her eyes. "Kind of like this."

"You think Fredric was dealing in talismans?" I said and recalled Billy's sudden wealth and just as sudden poverty.

"I'm no expert." Sally said and let go of my hand. "Maybe."

"And Kilestra?" I said. "What was she doing there?"

"Fedor hired her to get the magical goodies. He also wanted that Book. I think he knows more than he was saying there." Sally said and signed a couple of the pieces of paper and reached for more. "Only it was a bag full of trinkets with no magic and no value. Carlo was none too happy about being robbed. I guess he thinks Kilestra might have switched the bags and kept the real goodies for herself. Just as well as far as I'm concerned. Why give either vampire any more power?"

"I think I can add an old oil painting to the list of missing magical items." I said, letting my thoughts roll over the facts. "And I have a good idea where the Book is. I think it all goes beyond money. We're dealing with something larger here. Like end of the world larger."

"You know that for sure?" Sally said and looked up at me. "Jake showed me that painting. Of course, he's perfectly happy to see the world end."

"Maybe it is all about drugs?" I said without much hope.

"Sure." Sally said and ticked off some boxes on her paperwork. "It's not like a death Goddess is sleeping under your roof."

I told her the story of Beth and Tyler and Curtis. Sally stopped doing paperwork and looked at me. She leaned back in her chair and tossed her pen down.

"The van was empty when we found it." Sally said and shook her head. "Well, except for a dead vampire. You think Curtis or Beth had something to do with his death?"

"Curtis claimed the stolen paintings were his." I said and nodded slowly. "But I think they belonged to someone else. Like maybe Carlo or Fredric."

"Were they worth killing for?" Sally said and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not really up on the prices of old masters."

"I think I'll be going now." I said and stood up.

"Did Victoria really ask for permission to look at property?" Sally said and turned her attention back to her papers.

"Yeah, it was kind of odd." I said.

"Really odd." Sally said. "Word is she's heading back East tomorrow, which means Carlo is likely leaving about the same time. He doesn't seem all that happy to be here anymore."

"I'll miss those two." I said and headed for the door. "Be careful."

"Yeah. Try not to blow anything up." Sally said and yelled at Katie. "Keep him safe, Elf."

MY NEW PHONE buzzed. It displayed a text message from Mother. It said: Come Home Now. I drove as fast as I could.

Katie went in first and looked around the basement's main room. She nodded that it was safe to come in and I followed her with Andy's Smith and Wesson 500 in my hand.

The first thing I saw upon entering the Common Room was the painting of Desiara. It stood on a large ornate easel and dominated one end of the room. In the relative dimness, the golden filigree shone with its magical aura. The power seemed to have grown since the last time I saw it. Maybe it was exerting its exquisite beauty more because Katie was nearby. The eyes seemed to be glowing more and I could swear I saw a smile form on the ruby red lips as I watched.

Something else was here. I could just feel a hint of their presence, they were good at shielding, but not quite good enough. I turned and found Katie with her arms around the waist of someone I didn't really recognize. He was short and muscular and had Carlo's energy about him.

"Fredric, I assume?" I said and leveled the gun at his head. I looked at Katie, who was smiling at me as she rested her head against the man's chest. A flash of green light was in her eyes.

"Fredric's dead." The man said. "I thought you'd heard. But you can call me Fredric if you like."

The man's eyes twinkled in a way that showed his mind had taken a trip and might not be making the return journey. He was heavy for a vampire and looked like he needed a shave. There was something off about him. My head hurt just looking at him. He caught my look at Katie.

"Yeah, Desiara here has always been mine." Fredric reached out and stroked Katie's shoulder, she leaned into him as if she lived to be touched by him. "Your witch is good, but she wasn't really trying to keep you two apart."

"Step away from her." I said and pulled back the hammer on the large gun.

"You were right about him." Katie said in that cold voice of the Goddess. "He's so just a man."

Katie stepped away from Fredric and walked toward me. She raised an eyebrow. She bit her lower lip and gave me one of her sexy looks. Then she sucker punched me in the solar plexus and yanked the gun out of my hand. I doubled over in pain and when I looked up at Katie, she was holding a small silver game piece as well as the gun.

"We thought Carlo was the big boss around here." Desiara said and licked her lips. "That's why I was with him. Then we thought maybe it was Fedor."

"That's why I sent that package to the Consulate." Fredric said and shrugged his hands. "Before I realized your importance."

"We were afraid of you." Desiara said as she sat the figurine on the coffee table and considered the handgun. "He thought you would see him for what he really was. You're the Master of Fort Worth, a vampire to be reckoned with. And you're standing in our way. He had some vision about what a big power you are. I'm not seeing it."

Desiara held the Smith & Wesson 500 in both hands. Her eyes flashed an emerald green as she bent the metal with the strength of a Goddess. She tossed the twisted weapon away and looked at me coldly.

"He put me in your life." Desiara said and looked me up and down. "After he lost me in a card game to Carlo."

I looked at the man and could see something like an Elven God shimmer behind the man that looked like Fredric. I was sure I had seen his picture in that book on Elven Gods. Or maybe not. A moment later, the air returned to normal and there was a just a man standing before me.

"Your father lost you in a card game." I said and swallowed at a dryness in my throat. "Desiara's father."

"That's the one." Desiara said and smiled. "He told me to listen to your plans."

"What plans?" I said and looked at Fredric, who stared at me as if he wasn't sure what he was seeing.

"Yeah." Desiara said and rolled her eyes. "What plans?"

Fredric pulled out a silver dagger. He walked over and held the blade in front of my face. He turned it so the light reflected off its flat surface.

"You didn't know it." Fredric said and a light flashed in his eyes. "But you saved my life, not too long ago."

"Oh?" I said and heard a sound like a distant bell in my head. "Someone mentioned it to me. How did I do it?"

"Indirectly, of course." The man who wasn't Fredric said. "Like you do everything else."

"I was going to kill him." Desiara said and smiled with a twinkle in her eye. "Kind of takes a God to a kill a God. But then I saw that painting. The one you didn't want me to see. The one with your photo in my hand."

"I should have thought it through a bit more." Fredric said and waved the silver dagger in front of me. "Once she saw you... well, she got distracted."

"Isn't she a prisoner?" I said and stared at Desiara. "Bound in Katie's body?"

"Desiara is allowed visitors." Fredric said and smiled. "From people she loves. At those times, the Goddess can exercise a bit of her power. Remember a bit of who she is. She knew what the painting was when she saw it."

"There's only one reason I would be holding that portrait." Desiara said and laid a small hand on my chest. "Beloved."

"There is something about you." Fredric said and licked his lips. "Even while you wear one of my rings, you still manage to baffle me."

"Maybe you just have too many of them." I said and looked at the ring. "Even Gods must have limits."

"That's why I wanted the painting." Desiara said and pushed away from me. "To be free. To do what I was born to do. But I needed the vampire in that painting as well."

"That's a shame." Fredric said and pulled Katie back by his side. He passed his hand in front of her face and she went still. "You know that Katie the Elf is just a shell. One that can be replaced, if need be."

"Why did you want her to kill you?" I said and thought about my odds in a battle with two Gods.

"I've been a bit depressed." Fredric said. "You have no idea how tedious life can get when it is never ending. You might have lived long enough to find out. I'm thinking you won't live much longer now."

Fredric smiled as he pulled the dagger back and then drove it into Desiara's shoulder. She shuddered with pain and her eyes flashed, but she didn't cry out. I cried out instead and gripped my shoulder. The pain made me stumble and I saw white spots before my eyes. Desiara looked at me and her lips curled back in a smile.

"It's all those bonds we share." Desiara said through clenched teeth. "He's using them."

Fredric slapped Katie and she went quiet as the pain went through my skull.

"She's a tough little thing." Fredric said and winked at me. "I think I could stab her over and over again before it killed her. I wonder if you've picked up any of her healing skills from feeding on her? Let's say we find out, eh?"

Fredric held up a hand and rubbed his thumb across a Damascus steel ring that was a twin to the one I wore. I felt a twinge in my finger and an electric shock ran up my arm. Desiara stared at me as a look of pain rippled across her face. She raised her chin and clamped her teeth as blood flowed freely from her arm. Fredric smiled at me and nodded.

"It's kind of a two way street." Fredric said into my frozen face. "I mean the connection between you and Desiara. She's disappointed me as well."

I was trembling with rage. I couldn't move. Fredric walked up to me. When he was close enough, he slashed the blade across my chest leaving a deep gash. Fredric roared and drove the blade at my arm. I wanted to dodge out of the way and held perfectly still instead. The blade drove into muscles and membrane. It burned as he pulled it back out. I screamed in my head, but made no outward sound. I saw a mirror of pain ripple across Desiara's face.

I struggled to get free, to move, to do anything. Fredric was inside my head, looking through my eyes, moving my limbs. He handed the knife over to me and I took it with the hand that still worked.

Desiara stood before me and looked into my face. She blinked her eyes and she was my Katie again, a look of pain and fear fighting for control. A tear formed in the corner of her eye and then rolled down her cheek. She pulled her hair out of the way and offered me her throat as she had so many times before. I raised the silver blade and put the edge to her neck.

"Too bad you don't have what it takes to save the world." Katie said and closed her eyes. "Master."

"She is something." Fredric said and stood next to me and whispered in my ear. "Isn't she? I can only imagine the bond the two of you had. Past tense. I think I prefer her as a God, how about you?"

"You can't do this." I said and looked at the knife that was oh so close to Katie's neck and yet I was unable to strike. And unable to pull back.

"I'd like to give you something." Katie said and took off her headphones. She hung them on my arm. "As Tribute. The only thing that's mine."

Fredric moved behind Katie and smiled at me. He made me hand the knife over to Katie. Her eyes flashed green and she took the dagger. Fredric rested his hand on Desiara's shoulder and shared power with her. Her wounded arm healed before my eyes. She looked at me and raised the knife for a killing blow knowing that our connection wasn't going to hurt her now. They were standing with their backs to the shadowy entrance to my crypt room. Over Desiara's head, I saw a shadow shifting into a solid shape. Kilestra materialized out of nowhere with a long sword in her hand.

"I'll see you in hell." I said and felt the blade touch my throat and slide into my skin. Desiara pulled the blade deeper, dragging it across my neck. The pain was shocking. Blood spilled down across my chest.

"Who should be next?" Fredric said and laughed. "Mother? Father?"

Kilestra's eyes flashed cobalt blue as she laid her hand on the back of Fredric's neck. A crackle of power filled the air and Fredric's limbs went limp. Desiara dropped the knife and cried out as Kilestra kicked her from behind. Kilestra tightened her fist and Fredric's head fell back, his mouth a silent scream of agony. Fredric lost his hold over me. I put my hand over my neck and felt the last of my life seep away. Both Desiara and I were covered in my blood. Kilestra's sword drove into Fredric's chest and he cried out as he slid off the blade and fell.

"Say the word, Wil." Kilestra breathed in an icy whisper. "I will take his head and then hers."

'No.' I said in her mind since I could no longer talk. 'I don't think you can.'

Kilestra snorted and looked at Desiara where she lay with her hands over her head. "I'm not sure you're thinking clearly about Katie."

'I could use some help here.' I thought to her and fell to my knees.

Kilestra flashed to me and put her mouth to my neck. She poured her power into me and my head filled with light as she knitted my flesh back together. She pulled back and spit some blood out.

"That's the best I can do for now." Kilestra said and laid her hand on my neck. "Silver wounds are a bitch."

I watched as Kilestra flashed back to Fredric. She ripped off Fredric's finger and took the Damascus steel ring. Katie tightened her jaw as she watched Kilestra toss the bloody finger aside. She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a few silver items of her own. Kilestra put silver plated shackles on Fredric's hands and feet and finished binding him with a length of silver chain around his chest. Fredric gritted his teeth and tried to say something, but Kilestra laid a hand on his forehead and he cried out in pain before his eyes fluttered shut.

Kilestra looked at the magic statue and knocked it away with a throwing star from her belt. I felt better with the talisman on the far side of the room, but I was still weak.

Kilestra gave Katie a kick that made her cry out as she walked by. She bit her wrist and took the blood into her mouth. She pressed her mouth over the wound on my shoulder and smeared her blood across my chest. There was a lot of pain as the blood worked its way into me and Kilestra used her power to heal me.

"Are you yourself, Wilhem?" Kilestra said and held me down as she stared into my eyes.

"Fredric could speak through the people he controlled." I said and a crowd of faces he had possessed floated before my eyes. "But I think I'm myself."

Kilestra nodded and helped me up. I ran my hand over the wound in my arm. It hurt a lot. I looked at the wound. I could see a thin white scar weaving its way over my formerly perfect skin. I ran a finger along the similar scars on my neck and chest. It was surprisingly disturbing to have my two-century-old flesh marred like this. I ground my teeth and stared down at Fredric.

"It's not too late to change your mind." Kilestra said and walked around Fredric's still form. "About both of them."

"They aren't what they appear to be." I said and didn't bother trying to stand up. "You can't kill them with a sword."

Desiara, formerly known as Katie, stood up and faced us. Green fire was in her eyes and a whirlwind of magic flew around her. Her hair floated up and electricity crackled in green lightning bolts. She looked exactly like the painting. She raised a hand and pushed it through the air at Kilestra. A bolt of emerald lighting an inch thick smashed into Kilestra and she flew into the bare stone wall behind me. She crashed to the floor and stopped moving.

Desiara rose a few inches into the air and floated toward me. She showed me her too wide grin with it's too many sharp and pointed teeth. She raised a graceful hand and I found myself rising in the air. A green band formed around me and held my arms pinned to my sides. I looked at Desiara as she closed her lips and gave me one of her shy little smiles. She closed her fist and the power around me began to compress. In a moment I was frozen. In another, I was being crushed like a beer can in a drunken jock's fist.

'Please stop.' I pushed a thought at Desiara. 'You don't have to do this.'

"Of course I don't have to do this." Desiara said and released the pressure on my body just a bit. "Just as you didn't have to make me sleep on the floor. Or threaten to hand me to mad vampires for use as a plaything. Or stand by and watch as that Werebear drug me away. But you still did those things. Didn't you?"

"What are your plans now?" I said and tried to push against my prison. "Are you really going to destroy the world?"

"It's kind of my destiny." Desiara said and took a deep breath. "Kind of like our meeting was my destiny."

"So." I said and looked toward Fredric. "I guess he's not hurt, then?"

"No." She said and turned around in time to see Fredric stand up and shake the silver chains off like morning dew. "Not so much."

Fredric took a few steps closer and looked at Kilestra sprawled on the floor and nodded. Then he looked up at me. He picked up the silver blade and brought it to my face. I could see the madness in him, written so clearly I don't know how he kept it hidden before.

"The great Wilhem Walengrave." Fredric said and squinted at me as if I were too small to see. He laid the tip of the silver knife against my skin. "The face the ladies find so appealing. I don't think we need this face any more."

Fredric moved the blade until it was under my right eye and drew the point down. Steam, blood, and pain became one for me as the flesh opened up. He sliced my skin down to my jaw and let the blade slip off the bone with a metallic ping.

"We were going to kill you sooner or later." Fredric said and stepped forward. "We need the blood of a Master Vampire. One in love with her to break Desiara's binding spell. That's the kind of touch Elves like to put in their magic. A little bit dramatic. A little bit enigmatic. I wouldn't have known what to do without that book."

"There are other things in there as well. Spells of power and destruction." Desiara said in a sweet voice that drew my attention. "Where is my Book?"

She poured power into me. I've enthralled people for centuries, but I've never gotten used to being enthralled myself. My thoughts were no longer my own and they soon enough found out that I had last seen the book in Kilestra's hands. I was pushed to one side.

Desiara moved her hand in Kilestra's direction and pulled her to her feet. Fredric used his magic to wrap her in the silver chains that held no power over him. The metal brought a fine smoke from her skin and her eyes flew open as she struggled against her bonds. She looked at Fredric and Desiara. Fredric twisted a hand and tightened the rope until Kilestra winced in pain.

### Chapter Twenty-Six

"You stole my Grimoire." Desiara said as she floated toward Kilestra. "I think you know I would like you to return it."

"Let Wil go and I'll tell you where it is." Kilestra said and her eyes flashed blue. "You know I won't be as easy to enthrall as he was. He never puts in enough practice."

Fredric tightened the chains once more and blood oozed out of countless gouges. He released the pressure enough for her to push the pain away. My own bonds loosed slightly as the Wizard and the Goddess focused their attention on Kilestra. Fredric turned his face to me.

"Wilhem." Fredric said as if he had lost my attention and was trying to regain it. "Being a wizard is a lot like being a Chef. If you know what you're doing, you can whip something up without a recipe or great ingredients or ideal tools. But if you want to create something specific, well, you do it by the rules."

"Why are you telling me?" I said and closed my eyes against the pain. "I don't cook or do magic."

"Yeah." Desiara said as she held Kilestra. "Then why did you steal my painting and my spell book."

"You've studied this painting." Fredric said and pointed at Desiara's Hope. "I'm sure you noticed a few things. The skyline from current day Fort Worth. Your portrait in the Goddess's hand. That odd pattern of gold covering the whole thing like a Christmas present just waiting to be unwrapped."

"I noticed she's bound in chains." I said and fell over as my strength began to fade. "I'm sure I could help you out with that."

"Funny you should mention it." Fredric said and made an esoteric gesture toward Desiara. The air around Desiara shimmered and fetters came into view. They weren't made of silver, but of magic. The glowing links of a chain trailed across the floor from the Elf to me. This was an order of magical manipulation beyond anything I had seen before. As powerful as she was, these shackles still held her, still constrained her true might.

"About that book, Wilhem?" Desiara said and looked at me with pity. "If you tell me where it is, I'll let you die."

Kilestra pushed a thought at me, just a flash of an image mingled in with a pain-filled cry for help. Her captors smiled at the idea that I could rescue her. Kilestra screamed as Desiara added her power to Fredric's efforts to break into her mind.

Then Kilestra was silent and both Fredric and Desiara looked at her with surprise and bemusement. Fredric walked over to one of the sofas and moved a cushion. The large leather bound book was there. Fredric picked the book up and it took on a soft glow as his magic touched it. He sat it on the coffee table and knelt down beside it. He spoke some spell that caused the locks across it's binding to spring open. He flipped the book open and ran a finger down the words of one page.

Fredric spoke in a lilting singsong voice that I took to be some Elvish dialect. The power of the words filled the air and made small spangles of gold float between Katie and the painting and me. I stood and walked forward, not from Fredric's control of me, but from the power of the magic in the painting. Fredric's words throbbed like a heartbeat.

"One of those little things I needed to break this enchantment." Fredric said and looked at me with madness in his eyes. "That's where you come in. We didn't know you were going to take that side trip to see your human. The plan was for you to be exposed to The Little Death and see Desiara first. She tried to get your attention, but the timing is tricky on these things. But all is well, you fell in love with Desiara anyway, even without The Little Death's magic. And now here you are. A Master Vampire in love with the Goddess of the World's End."

Fredric stood and walked to the life size painting of the Elven Goddess that bore a striking resemblance to Katie. He pulled my arm up and slashed across my wrist. He pulled the knife's blade and let it go. He splattered my blood across the canvas. The blood from my wrist flew through the air and dotted the painting, covering it in a fine red mist. The painting sucked at my blood like a starving vampire, drawing it out of my body.

A pattern of bloody runes appeared in the gold filigree covering the painting. They danced in the air and reached out to Desiara. Those invisible lines binding her sizzled in the air and flared like sparklers on a summer night. As I stood there bleeding out, the restraints from those golden lines that held Desiara melted and dripped out of existence. The magic in the painting faded away and Desiara was free from her prison. The magical chains and shackles melted and ran like heated snow. Her face took on an exalted glow and her eyes shone with power.

"You had me worried at times. Master." Desiara said and gave the word an ironic twist. She stepped forward and relief poured from her. "You kept telling everyone you weren't really a Master. I had my doubts. You had to make everything so complicated."

Fredric looked at the painting and drove the silver knife into the canvas. He sawed at the fabric and a few remaining bits of power crackled in the air. Desiara turned her attention to it for a moment and sent a bolt of power into it. Shreds of the painting burst into flames and curled away to ash.

"That reminds me." Desiara said and looked into my eyes. "I was thinking maybe I would take you to that rooftop. I could wait until the sun rises and watch you burst into flames. Then destroy the world. How does that sound?"

"The rooftop was in the painting." Fredric said and laughed in a demented way. "Here is the fruition of all our plans. The end of this world is at hand."

Desiara floated higher into the air. She absorbed every bit of light and breath and power in the room. The green light in her eyes expanded until her entire form was cocooned in her power. Then the light started to flow outward. Desiara's power grew before me. Fredric watched her with unbridled joy on his face.

She waved a hand and the walls behind her dissolved. The roof of the Flat Iron Building came into view. The world shook a bit, and somewhere a couple of windows broke. Desiara pointed to the east and twisted her hand. She turned the world with a jolt to hasten the coming of the sun. Her power was staggering. If I hadn't been moments away from death, I would have been impressed.

Kilestra and I were all but forgotten. Kilestra turned her face to me and shouted NOW in my mind.

In the moments before the world ended, I was able to reach into my pocket. I found the item Kilestra had sent me an image of: a square Elven coin. It was foolish to think that a coin could control a God. But then, this God was wearing the body of an Elf.

"No." Desiara said and closed her fist. Her power flared around Kilestra and me and crushed the air out of our lungs. But it was a moment too late. A moment I was able to hold onto because of the power I had stolen from Vladlena. Power flowed around my hand and found a path to Desiara. It struck her like a slap across the face and she moved back a bit. But she was still a Goddess. Still powerful.

"I'd like to give you something as Tribute." Kilestra said to me when she saw my hand break free of its restraints. "My power to move through Shadows. It's all I have at the moment."

"I can't take it." I managed to say. "It's who you are. But I accept your offer of Tribute."

Fredric shook his head and laughed. "Kill them, kill them all."

I felt the power of everyone who offered me Tribute flow into me. New strength and power made me glow. Maybe being Master of the City wasn't so bad after all. The Goddess screamed as I held the Elf's body in my command.

Desiara dropped her power and floated back to the floor. Kilestra and I fell as our prisons collapsed. I landed on my feet and held onto the coin. Kilestra fell onto the floor and struggled to move away. Desiara turned and faced Fredric. He looked at her in confusion and then understanding. He looked at me and called up his power, but the realization came too late. Desiara struck him a thunderous blow that stretched him on the floor. He lay as if dead.

"I'm sorry." Desiara said to Fredric and started to cry. "I'm so sorry."

I fell to my knees and sent out a call for help to anyone who could hear. I maintained my hold on Desiara, but allowed her some movement. She stared at me and small flickers of her power sparked. She took a slow breath and looked around the room. She stood and walked over to the coffee table and picked up the Book. She hugged it to her chest and fresh tears streamed down her face. She turned and walked over to me. She looked at me coldly and laid the book at my feet. She moved to Fredric and sat on the floor beside him. She laid a hand on his still form.

"You stopped me from killing him. Again." Desiara said with her head bowed. "Master."

I watched her work some magic on her father that healed the body he was using. Then I made her move away from him to Kilestra. She poured some power into Kilestra and healed her more thoroughly. Kilestra blinked her eyes and moved away from Desiara. I could see a fine network of thin white scars through the cuts in her clothes. Desiara made another gesture and the scars disappeared. I knew she wasn't going to heal my scars. I touched a hand to my face and felt the last few trickles of blood. Desiara healed the wound and restored my blood without moving from where she knelt. I could feel the smoothness of the new scar under my eye.

ABOUT TEN MINUTES later, Sally stormed into the room with a crossbow in her hands. She was followed closely by Andy holding his Desert Eagle. Ravenhawk rushed in with magic all around her. The Captain brought up the rear. He was with a small group of uniformed vampires. They all rushed forward and surrounded Desiara and Fredric. General confusion reigned.

Kilestra ask Ravenhawk and me to join her in my crypt with Desiara. I still held control of Desiara, but it was a strain I wasn't going to be able to maintain forever. I hoped Kilestra had some plan up her sleeve. Once we were all inside the small crypt I saw Desiara's book resting on top of my coffin.

"I had a talk with your parents a while back, Desiara." Kilestra said and leaned into Desiara's line of sight. "Well, I guess they're Katie's parents, technically. I think you know that they put you in this prison to start with. I was looking for some way to keep you under control. They made a suggestion. Did you know that Ravenhawk here is a Priestess?"

Katie's face contorted and she shook her head. Her eyes flashed that dark green power and she fought to free herself. But I still held her by whatever Elven spell was contained in the coin.

"Are you sure about this?" Ravenhawk said and Kilestra nodded down at Katie.

"Will you take this Elf as a Bride." Ravenhawk said to me.

Some coercion from Kilestra that made my mind blur just a bit. I ran my hand over the scar on my neck. It was odd she would choose the old-fashioned term Bride instead of Chosen. I looked at Desiara the Goddess bound by my will and decided to trust Kilestra.

"Yes." I said and saw another flash of green fire in Desiara's eyes.

"Do you accept this vampire?" Ravenhawk said and looked at Desiara.

"Yes." Desiara said and her shoulders sagged. "To taste freedom so briefly. It isn't just."

"Yeah, sorry about killing your buzz." Kilestra said. "Not letting you destroy the world and all."

Kilestra walked over to the Book. She flipped open the thick pages until she found the one she was looking for. She turned the book to Ravenhawk. Ravenhawk read a few words and magic flowed in the air. Kilestra reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. When she unfolded it, I could see the portrait that Katie had taken of me. I had seen the same image in Desiara's hand in the painting. She placed the page in the book and it was pulled from her fingers and snapped into place. I felt the sudden surge of some shadowy forces. I looked at Desiara as she let out a sigh and melted back into Katie.

"Magic and God damned Gods." Kilestra said and shook her head. "Just give me a simple monster to Hunt down any day."

Ravenhawk preformed more arcane arts and poured her power into Katie and me. New invisible bonds glowed and took on life. I felt a tingle in my chest. A tickle of magic washed over my mind. Only, it wasn't my mind that was being bewitched, it was Desiara's. I looked into her face and saw one last flash of anger. Then the Elf I had known for the past few days looked out at me.

Kilestra closed the Book and put it in my hands. It felt like a lot more responsibility than I should have been trusted with. But then, the book was locked again. Kilestra turned to Katie and took out the small cameo portrait in its oval frame. She handed it to the Elf.

"I think this is yours." Kilestra said and Katie looked at her with a mixture of sorrow and gratitude. She took the cameo and looked at it seriously. She smiled for a second and then slid it into her messenger bag. She slumped to the floor and looked completely beaten.

I GAVE SALLY my assurance I would be all right. She looked at my wounds and my scars and then cut her eyes to Jackie. I could hear her thinking, 'She could have given us a little more warning.' I gave her a hug and shared some of my relief with her. She pushed away from me after a moment.

"As the newly appointed Liaison to The Bureau of Vampire Affairs." Sally said and looked around the room. "It's part of my job to make sure prisoners don't mysteriously disappear. As they have been known to in the past."

We all looked away and tried to appear innocent. Sally crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at us. The Vampire Commission's Special Forces held Fredric. He was bound with a heavy chain. He looked bored with it all.

Fredric made a loud noise and we all tensed and drew whatever weapons we had handy. Once we were all looking at him, a shadowy form seeped out of his body. For a moment it held a shape like a man as it floated into the air. Then it was gone.

I felt something from Fredric that I hadn't before. I felt vampire energy. He glared at Katie and me and shook his head. He was no longer a little fat. No longer had a beard. And no longer possessed any otherworldly powers. He was just a vampire again.

"What am I doing here?" Fredric said and snarled at me. "You'll be sorry once I tell Carlo about this."

'What's the last thing you remember?' I said into Fredric's mind and tried, for once, to shield the conversation.

'I was opening an Amphora.' Fredric thought to me. He looked around with sudden fear on his face. 'It was a complicated spell.'

I watched as Sally took Fredric and led him from the room. I took a deep breath and looked at the ring on my finger. The metal was cold and loose fitting. I slipped it off and put it in my pocket.

Jackie rushed up and put her arms around me. She cried into my chest and I held her tightly for a few minutes. Whatever power connected us wasn't severed and maybe it never would be. I gave her my attention and bathed in the glory of her presence. I took blood from her and it tasted just as sweet and potent as before. I felt renewed and poured that feeling back into her. I stepped away from Jackie and turned to Ravenhawk.

"Katie told me that vampires don't usually do magic themselves." I said and looked at Ravenhawk. "You helped Fredric open that amphora, didn't you?"

"He paid me in advance." Ravenhawk said and leaned in close to me. "Channeling Pre-Columbian farmers doesn't pay as well as you might think."

"So why did you lie to me about it?" I said and let a little power flash in my eyes.

"I set free a God that went right to work killing people." Ravenhawk said and frowned. "A God that wanted to destroy the world, and almost succeeded. Not something I'm proud of."

"What did you think he was going to do?" I said.

"I thought he was going to grant me new powers." Ravenhawk said and smiled. "Make me rich. You know, like that."

"Why did he kill the Master of Monterey?" I said and wondered how many others were dead because of him.

"Oh, I thought you knew." Ravenhawk said and licked her lips. "He owned Katie. He didn't want to give her up."

I took Ravenhawk into my arms, she didn't resist. She was still my witch and she had still served me when called to do so. I put my mouth to her neck and shared my strength with her the only way I could. I took a little of her blood and poured my energy into her She stopped me after she was refreshed. She waved goodbye and left, leaving a message in my mind that she was sorry.

"Andy will take you back to the Consulate." I said and gave Jackie another hug. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

"I don't want to make a habit of it." Jackie said and reached out to caress my damaged skin. "But I'll come whenever you need me. I like your scars. They make you look dashing."

I nodded. That was her way of telling me the scars were here to stay. Well, it could have been worse.

"Are you going to be alright alone?" Andy said and nodded in the direction of Katie. "I've got silver bullets in a spare clip. Just saying. She did ruin a damned fine gun, not to mention trying to kill you and Kilestra. Oh, and that whole trying to destroy the world thing."

"And all that makes you think I can kill her with a handgun? I'll be fine." I said and patted Andy on the shoulder. "Just keep an eye on Jackie."

Andy and Jackie left. Mother and Father came down from the main house. They looked at the broken furniture and the pools of blood and Katie kneeling on the floor. Father gave me his I Told You So look and Mother poked him in the ribs. When they saw there was no longer any danger, they turned and went back upstairs. They were used to the occasional battle in the basement.

"Guess I'll be leaving, too." Kilestra said as she moved up behind me and slid her arms around my waist. "I think it's safe to give this to you."

Kilestra handed me Fredric's Damascus steel ring. I turned so I could look into Kilestra's eyes. She nodded and smiled.

"I think you'll find that your coin doesn't work now." Kilestra said, looking down at the dejected Elf. "Katie isn't your slave anymore."

I squeezed the coin, but no power answered my call. I opened my palm and found the coin was just a coin. I slipped it into my pocket with the two rings.

"You always think two moves ahead." I said.

"Only two?" Kilestra said and kissed me with the intensity only an Ancient can deliver. "I did have a little help from your Seer and your Grandfather. Best you don't know too much."

"Plausible deniability?"

"Something like that."

"So what was in the bag you took that night at the Jangling Spur?" I said and looked into her eyes. She smiled.

"An odd bit of old pottery." Kilestra said and looked down at Katie where she still sat on the floor. "It might come in handy someday."

When I leaned in to return her kiss, there was only a dark mist in my arms.

### Chapter Twenty-Seven

I LOOKED AROUND the common room and found everything back to normal. The walls were solid again. The Earth was turning, if a little bit ahead of schedule, and most important of all, it was still here. Dawn was still hours way.

I decided to take a drive to clear my head and Katie followed along behind me. She moved like a leaf pulled in my wake. She wouldn't meet my eyes. I now knew she was a Goddess with a few odd weaknesses, but had no idea what that meant. She was still wearing her hoodie and fuzzy pajama bottoms. She looked just like the Elf I had come to know. She stopped to pick up her headphones where I had dropped them. I drove to Billy's house. I need to get a few things.

I knocked and Billy yelled to come in. The living room was a good deal cleaner than it had been before. Black plastic trash bags were sitting in random spots, half filled with who knew what. Shirley was rubbing Billy's neck as he worked the game controller. Billy paused the game and looked at me with surprise.

"Dude." Billy said and shook his head. "The Captain and his goon squad took all our Whammy cigarettes. Thanks for like, totally, ratting us out."

"I'm sure something else will come along." I said and decided to skip breathing while I was there. "It always does."

"Yeah, well, whatever. In related news, I decided not to move after all." Billy said and waved a hand. "I think this place is a lucky charm for me."

I sat down in the swivel rocker by the door and Katie sat on the floor at my feet and stared down at her hands. Billy and Shirley looked at her and then looked at me.

"Man, what did you do to her?" Billy said and made a face. "She looks totally bummed."

"Can I get you a drink, sweetie?" Shirley said to Katie but Katie only looked up at me as if she needed my permission to speak. Before I could give it, Shirley noticed my scars. "Damn, Wil, what happened to you?"

"Katie tried to kill me." I said and looked down at my little Elf. "Actually came pretty close."

"Then, uh, why is she here?" Billy said and looked at Katie with an appraising eye. "I kind of make it a rule to break up with a woman once she starts trying to kill me."

"Oh is that what it takes?" Shirley said and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Kilestra helped me with her." I said. I twisted the longer hairs of my beard as I thought about what Kilestra had done and then shook my head. "And now we're back to this."

"Aren't there rules about this kind of thing?" Shirley said and stared at me. "I mean at least a Chosen is tied to a vampire by choice. Usually. This is a little creepy."

"Would you like to be free Katie?" I said and looked down at her.

"My parents chose you for me." Katie said and a flash of green light lit her eyes, then she spoke in a deep powerful voice. "It is my pleasure to serve."

"Yeah" Shirley said and nodded with a frown. "That's not creepy at all."

"It was either this or let her destroy the world." I said and let my hand stroke Katie's head. "Seemed like the right choice at the time. I've become a bit attached to her. And the world."

"So she really can't do anything without your permission?" Billy said and ignored the whole destroying the world comment. "That's really Old School vampire shit. Do you make her sleep on the floor, too?"

"I used to." I said and looked at Katie. "You may speak freely, Katie."

"Thank you, Master." Katie said softly and gave me her sad eyes. "My headphones are broken."

Katie held up her headphones and I could see the cord was broken and one of the earpieces was dangling by a thin wire. I shook my head.

"Why do you think this place is good luck?" I said and returned my attention to Billy.

"Beth came by the other night." Billy said and tried to sound sad. "After Tyler's unfortunate demise. She packed up her stuff in many fancy suitcases. She had a small bag that didn't match the others. She told me I could have it. So I put it back in Mom's closet with my few remaining valuables."

"Beth is in California with his Mom, by the way." Shirley said and rolled her eyes. "I hope she stays there. That skank Werecoyote walked around naked half the time."

"Anyway." Billy said and shook his head. "While we were cleaning up I found the bag."

"And it had diamonds and a bunch of little statues in it." I said.

"Yeah." Billy said and showed me his impressed face. "I can't hide anything from you."

"Mind if I take a look at the statues?" I said.

"Sure, dude, you're like Master of Fort Worth and shit." Billy said and scratched at his scruffy beard. "Those little statues kind of freaked me out anyway. I'll be back."

Billy went through the door leading to his Mom's bedroom and disappeared. I looked at Shirley.

"The money he paid for the new place kind of, you know, disappeared." Shirley said and blew a breath out. "At least no one's come for the TV and the game system. Yet."

"Fredric was pretending to be Billy." I said and flashed power in my eyes. I didn't think she knew about Desiara's father. It was best to leave it that way. "Wasn't he?"

"Yeah." Shirley said and pulled a beat up designer bag off the floor. "I guess you want his rings as well?"

"Yes, I do. Why did he use magic on my car?" I said as I took the Damascus steel rings and rattled them around in my palm. "Why did he make fake money?"

"He thought it was funny." Shirley said. "You and Fedor never looked twice at him as Billy. You both thought the real Fredric was dead. He knew how to do this temporary magic and he loved the look on your face when he gave you sack loads of cash. Fredric's kind of an asshole."

"So that last bit of Info you didn't want to share." I said and stared at Shirley. "You knew he was possessed."

"Selling information to you hasn't worked out for me." Shirley said and rolled her eyes. "You didn't want me, then you gave me to Billy, and I'm kind of afraid of what you'll do to me next. I thought an ace in the hole might come in handy, but I guess not."

I closed my hand over the rings and I saw through several sets of eyes at once. Victoria, Fedor, Carlo, Katie, and Gravel all stopped what they were doing and became my puppets. Fredric wanted Victoria to buy land and challenge me once she had a home here. Gravel had memories of orders to kill me if the need arose. Carlo felt rage at the many times he had been forced to kowtow to me. Fedor had all the paperwork lined up to make Fredric Master of Fort Worth. He also had a petition for a seat on the Commission's Ruling Assembly. And Katie was filled with destruction and suppressed outrage. I sent them all one final instruction. Send the rings they wore and any of the little idols to The Mansion and forget they ever saw them.

I sent Fedor one more small command. He was to tear up our contract and to find himself some new Chosen to occupy his time. I was able to force Jackie to the back of his mind, even if I couldn't get her completely out of mine. It was so nice of Jackie to come rushing to my side. I smiled to myself and released my hold on them all.

"Fredric used to smile like that." Katie said in that cold and distant voice so unlike the Katie I knew. Her eyes flashed a bright green for just a second. "He said he liked the taste of power."

I looked up as Billy came back in with an aluminum suitcase. He dropped it at my feet. I opened it up and dropped the rings inside with a metallic clatter. Two small black jewelry pouches were inside the case along with five little metal figurines in a foam cut out made for ten figures. Each figure was about three inches tall and looked like a game piece of some kind. A wave of disorientation washed over me. I grabbed the pouches and closed the lid quickly.

"See what I mean?" Billy said and pointed at the case. "Those things are gnarly bad."

"You can count this as your Tribute for the coming year. You can keep the diamonds." I said and tossed Shirley the black pouches. "You buy yourselves something nice."

"Thanks, man." Billy said and gave Shirley a quick little hug. "And thanks for giving me Shirley. You know she's the best Chosen I've ever had."

Shirley rolled her eyes at me. She returned Billy's hug. For every lock, there's a key.

I TOOK KATIE to a Wal-Mart. I bought us some new clothes and got Katie a new set of headphones. Headphones cost a lot more than I think they should. We spent some time wandering around the store. We looked at odds and ends. We made fun of how some people dress. The fact that they all thought I was a pervert kind of evened things out.

"Hey, Sonny. I hear we almost lost you again tonight." Grandfather said and stared at Katie. "You'll have to start picking a better class of people to hang out with."

Grandfather was standing next to Tiffany the vampire. She was fully decked out for a Goth Rave. Black lipstick and eyeshadow and enough tattoos and piercings on display to make Mother faint. She looked younger than 21. But then, Grandfather looked a lot younger than 260. If I'd ever wondered what Clint Eastwood and Amy Winehouse would have looked like on a date, I had my answer here. If people thought I was a pervert, what did they make of Grandfather and Tiffany? Tiffany turned her powder white face to me and then looked at Katie.

"Tiffany, this is my Grandson Wil and his pet Elf Katie." Grandfather said and stared into us as if he were looking for something. He nodded when he found it. "The happy couple."

"Hey." Tiffany said to Katie in an unemotional grunt.

"Hey." Katie said and fiddled with her headphones.

"Nice headphones." Tiffany said in a dismissive tone. "If you don't care what you're listening to. I can hook you up with some Grado's. For about a grand."

Katie looked at me with lust in her eyes. I looked at Tiffany with mild contempt.

"Or you can just use those." Tiffany said and looked away. "Whatever."

"Hey." Grandfather said and hit my chest with the back of his fingers. "Quit vamping my girl."

"Sorry." I said and nodded to Tiffany and Grandfather as I pulled Katie away.

"She seems nice." Katie said, sounding almost like her old self.

I DROVE TO Sally's and parked in front of her apartment. They were all ground floor units and Sally's had a two-bedroom layout. One bedroom had a coffin and blackout shades on the one window for those times I stayed over. I went up to the door and Sally answered moments after I knocked. She gave Katie a cold look, but turned and let us in. I sat on the sofa and Katie sat on the floor beside me.

"You are not going back to that, are you?" Sally said and looked at Katie. "Sit on the sofa like a normal person."

"Yes, Mistress." Katie said obediently and sat on the sofa.

"I suppose you had to bring her along?" Sally said and crossed her arms. "I guess you think it's odd that I don't really want the woman who tried to kill you, and destroy the world, in my home?"

"It wasn't really Katie, you know." I said and pressed my lips together.

"Yeah." Sally said and sat on a chair where she could face me.

"How did it go with Fredric?" I said.

"The Captain used his vampire powers on him." Sally said and leaned back into her chair. "He appears to be nothing but a vampire. He says he doesn't know anything about any of it."

"What about the body in his office?" I said and looked at Sally.

"It seems to have disappeared. Like a lot of things lately. Maybe it was just a bit of magic." Sally said and tilted her head to one side. "Fredric doesn't remember anything from the last few weeks."

"Possession sucks." Katie said and crossed her arms. She stared off for a moment. "It's not really his fault."

"That's what I hear." Sally said and looked at Katie where she sat beside me. "Anyway. The Captain is keeping him for a while."

"Good." Katie said and relaxed. She stared down at her hands as if she could see the new chains around her wrists. "He should be safe there."

"I could still arrange for you to spend some time with The Captain." Sally said to Katie. "He might not be able to kill you, but I'm sure he'd have fun trying."

"I don't think that will be necessary." I said and laid a hand on Katie's knee.

"Of course you don't." Sally said and shook her head. "I can't help but notice your new scars, Wilhem. Should I expect Jackie to stop by later, or will the two of us be enough to satisfy you tonight?"

"So." I said to get Sally's attention away from Jackie's visions of threesomes. "Fredric was possessed?"

"Seems so." Sally said and took a sip of her iced tea.

"What's going to happen to Carlo and Victoria?" I said.

"They were violating all kinds of Commission Laws." Sally continued. "And a few human laws on the side, not all of which could be laid at Fredric's feet. We rounded up Raoul and Izumi, some vampire named Dishamar had them cornered in a game room on Berry Street. They said they were working for someone in Mexico. The contract on Kilestra seems to have been cancelled."

"So you have Carlo and Victoria in custody?" I said and rubbed my hand on Katie's thigh.

"No." Sally said and narrowed her eyes. "They seem to have disappeared and no one knows where. You know the kind of thing that often happens to people who get on Kilestra's bad side."

"Not sure Kilestra had anything to do with this one." I said and absent-mindedly put an arm around Katie as she leaned into me. I blew into her ear and watched her hair scatter just a bit. Katie looked at me and batted her eyes.

"Maybe not." Sally said and gave me a hard look. "Do you have to do that in front of me?"

I pushed Katie away and put both hands on my knees. I smiled apologetically.

"Henry said he was getting that van ready for Fredric to load up with Whammies." Sally said. "He said Tyler stole a bunch of art as well and a couple of bags full of loose diamonds."

"Lot of stuff in that van." I said and nodded. "Any idea what happened to it?"

"Beth the Werecoyote is a likely suspect." Sally said and glared at Katie when she slipped her hand onto my leg. Sally looked into my eyes. "Along with you. I heard Jake is opening a new Gallery with a nice selection of previously unknown art. Don't suppose you would know anything about that? Or the other things that went missing?"

"No." I said and tried to look innocent. "Why would I?"

"I've always thought that wall could use a little something." Sally said and leaned into me. "Like a Van Gogh or a Monet."

"You might be right." I said as she stood up and pulled me to my feet.

Sally led me toward the bedroom. I looked back at Katie, who was busy unwrapping the cord to her new headphones. She looked at me for a second and then put the headphones on and closed her eyes.

I fed on Sally and poured my power into her. We made love and I fed on her again. Katie entered my mind, I entered Sally's mind, and then Katie entered the bed with us. We worked our way through the possibilities of three bodies pleasuring each other. I fed on Katie and she fed on my love for her. When we were done, I lay in-between them and felt warm and happy.

"I don't think I should tell my Readers about this. And don't expect it to be a regular thing." Sally said and pulled the sheet up over us. "I have to sleep sometime."

### Epilogue

"No one ever listens to me." Sammy the Cincinnati Seer said to the mostly empty room. "I'm only trying to warn people. They need to know. Sinner repeat, for the end is nigh."

The group leader looked around and found most of the members of the group nodding off or staring into space in thought. All but one. A tall bald man wearing a white robe that looked like some kind of formal ceremonial garb. The rules of the Meetings stated that everyone was anonymous, and there were spells in place to ensure that no one who attended was ever recognized. Still, the man looked familiar. He must have been on TV a lot and his fame was making the spell work overtime. A moment later, the group leader found that he didn't know why he was staring at the bald man. He smiled in his embarrassment and looked back toward Sammy.

"The danger has only passed for the moment." Sammy said and spread his arms wide to try and gain the attention of the group. He turned and pointed at the bald man. "You know what I'm talking about."

The bald man in the white robes didn't speak. He did give Sammy a small smile of encouragement. A moment later, the eyes of the Cincinnati Seer went wide, well, wider than they normally were. He looked around the room and fled. His sandaled feet made slapping noises as he ran. The group leader sighed and shook his head. He was about to made some comment of regret to the new member, but when he looked toward the big bald man, he was gone.

"The coffee was much better this time." The group leader said and smiled at no one in particular.

Sammy ran down an alley. The night was dark, the tall building blocking out what little illumination found its way from street lights and the occasional light over a business's back door. He stopped beside a Dumpster and gasped for breath. He was an old man and running had never been something he enjoyed. His eyes darted around, but he didn't see anything. If only what he was running from could be seen, he thought.

"Sammy." The bald man said when the Cincinnati Seer turned around and found his path blocked. "It's time you stopped making your predictions."

Before Sammy could say anything, a large knife was plunged into his chest. He looked at it with confusing on his face. He hadn't seen that coming. He couldn't even remember the last time something had happened that he hadn't seen. He put his hand to the wound and looked at the blood. He blinked in pain and confusion. Then his eyes narrowed and his upper lip curled.

"You." Sammy shouted with his last breath and fell over. He was dead before he hit the ground.

The Queen's Oracle pulled the knife from Sammy's body and looked up and down the alley. He cleaned the blade on the madman's brown robes and replaced it on his belt. He turned and walked calmly away.

The End

### About the Author

Jon Herrera is a professional portrait photographer and blogger living in Grand Prairie, TX. He has been writing for several years. The Goddess and The Vampire is Book 1 in the Wilhem Walengrave Vampire Series. If you like The Goddess and The Vampire, look for other titles in the Wilhem Walengrave Vampire series.

Find out more about the Author at ifyouwriteit.com. Or follow him on Twitter at Descartes1.

