

The Ruthins

Blood of Changes

By Tessa Stokes

The Ruthins

Blood of Changes

Third Edition of the stories now re-edited

Copyright 2013 Tessa Stokes

Published at Smashwords

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual people living or dead is purely coincidental.

All rights are reserved worldwide

ISBN 978-1-908210-74-6

****

Cover Copyright Tessa Stokes 2013

Editing Ella Graeme 2013

All rights are reserved worldwide 2013

License Statement

****

Smashwords License Statement

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The Ruthins

Blood of Changes

## Chapter One

Drew opened his eyes. He had a raging thirst, and he grasped the wrist held close to his mouth biting into it, sucking the blood frantically.

Greta tried to soothe him and take her wrist away.

"Drew, Drew, are you okay? You will be hungry. Let me get you blood. You need a good, long, drink." She watched him as he sat up disoriented and puzzled.

"Who are you? Where am I? What's going on?" Drew was struggling to stand, and he was unsteady on his feet at first.

Greta was worried, she wanted him fed right now or he might turn on her, and she took his hand.

"Come on, Drew, let's go get you some food. There will be plenty in your fridge."

Drew shrugged off her hand and repeated, "Who are you?"

He followed her down the stairs to the kitchen and watched her as she took out a carafe of blood. He desperately needed the blood and grabbed it, drinking from the carafe until it was empty. He felt better but still hungry. Passing the table to get to the fridge he put the empty carafe down and then took out more blood in blood bags. He drank two down and then sighed. Turning to Greta he suddenly smiled.

"Thank you for helping me, and I still don't know who you are." His manner was gentle and open. Greta was surprised. She stared at him dumbfounded for a few seconds. Drew pulled out a chair from the table and offered it to Greta to sit down. Drew sat next to her waiting for her to answer.

Greta took a deep breath. "My name is Greta, and we're old friends, very old. You live here. Something happened to you to make you die, before you did die, you called me and asked for help. When I got here, you were dying. Then you just died for a few moments, so I fed you my blood to bring you back again. This is your house, Drew. Do you remember anything now?" She tried a smile at him. He seemed solemn and intent on her as she spoke. She was waiting for the old Drew to show up, smart mouthed, arrogant, and selfish.

Drew looked about him at the big kitchen and then back at Greta.

"I don't remember a thing. Was I a vampire before? I don't feel shocked about it. In fact, it seems familiar. I feel comfortable with it as if I've always been one. I feel hungry again. Let's go hunting and thank you once more for saving me."

He touched the shirt he was wearing, and looked down at it.

"There will be a shower here. Show me around, Greta. I'll get changed and then we can go hunting." He smiled his lovely smile and she could tell he was different. He didn't know his smile was sexy and enticing, and he was being friendly and polite. He stood up and offered her his hand.

Greta showed him around the house. When she showed him the bathroom attached to his bedroom, the same one he'd lay dying in, he wrinkled his nose.

"It's horrible, look at the mess. I should get it cleaned up. Do I have helpers? This is a big house?" He was serious and worried as he asked her this.

Greta smiled broadly. "Not at the moment, but we can get you some later." She took him to the other bathroom down the hall and left him there.

Greta shook her head in disbelief. What had happened here? Where was that witch Elise? She cleaned up the bathroom attached to Drew's bedroom. It took seconds. There were cleaning materials in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. The bathroom had been kept clean by someone, and apart from the mess of blood vomit, nothing else needed doing.

She looked around the place. In the wardrobe, she noticed a couple of dresses that belonged to Pearl. Weird, she thought, but left them alone. There was no evidence of the witch Elise that she could see. She could smell her around the place. It was a vague smell, but she knew it was Elise because she'd met her. Drew seemed not to recall Elise. That's a blessing, Greta thought, and not just because she'd always had a romantic fantasy about herself and Drew.

Drew appeared in the doorway, a white towel around his waist, his hair wet. He looked gorgeous, and Greta feasted her eyes on this sight as he walked towards her.

"Are we only friends, Greta?" he asked, giving her a look loaded with sexual invitation.

Greta swallowed. This could be her chance, because she'd wanted Drew for years. Maybe she could just kiss him. Her heart yearned for it and then her head overruled the desire. What would happen if Drew got his memory back and she'd taken this advantage of him? It might not be pretty. She nodded at him. "Yes only friends."

Drew looked at her knowingly, as he approached her. "But you'd like more...I can see it...let me kiss you just to say thank you for rescuing me."

She stood very still as he came close. She was as tall as he was at around six feet, maybe just over. Their faces were level. Drew was gentle and caring as he took her face in his hands and kissed her. Greta kissed him back. She felt an overwhelming desire, but did nothing else except stand there, her hands by her sides.

Drew sighed as he pulled away. "That felt good. I think I need more than blood on my hunt." He smiled at Greta and she smiled too. Drew was nice like this, and she wanted him more than ever.

He wasn't concerned that he dressed in front of her and she watched him. It was very arousing. She thought she might find a man for herself on the hunt. They needed to get going as it was nearly midnight, time to prowl the nightclubs in the nearby town.

When Drew was dressed, he looked so good she was sorry she'd told him they were just friends. They went out together. Greta drove them, and as they reached the next town, they were partners in crime, talking about the hunt and what to do with the bodies they knew would accrue.

The nightclub was one Drew frequented with Maryanne recently and a few young women were pleased to see him back. They'd missed out on his attention before, and this time at least two of them decided they were out to get him that night.

Drew approached a dark haired, young, woman, wearing a red dress that showed off her cleavage. Her hair, whilst not long was pretty and soft as Drew ran his hands into it. He put his face close to hers. She was pleased he'd made a move on her. The last time she'd seen him there he'd passed by without even looking at her.

Drew whispered close to her lips, "You're very pretty. What's your name, and will you dance with me?" The girl had never been approached like this before, and was delighted.

They danced for a couple of songs. Drew held her close as they left the dance floor. "I feel a little warm," he told her. "Could we go outside for a few moments please?" He smiled. She was happy to go outside with this lovely man.

Outside Drew led her to the little park on the other side of the street. He didn't know how he knew it was there, he just did. He pressed the young woman up against a tree kissing her until he felt he couldn't stand much more. He lifted her to the grass, and whispering loving phrases, he at first gently, and then more urgently made love to her.

She responded and was welcoming, holding him to her body and kissing him between making little sounds of pleasure. Drew found himself making sure she enjoyed the sex, and then without warning he swooped on her throat and drank deeply. She was dead in seconds.

He put the body in the trunk of Greta's car. She said this was what they must do, so he did it at top speed, and no one saw him. He entered the nightclub again and looked around for Greta. He noticed she was at the bar with a man. He walked over to stand near her and cast a conspiring glance her way. She led the man away towards the door, no doubt about to have the same encounter as he'd just enjoyed. Drew grinned, he was having fun, and he noticed a girl in a short black dress flashing her eyes at him from the other end of the bar. Smiling he went elegantly to stand by her and introduced himself as Drew. The girl could hardly believe her luck.

****

Meanwhile Elise told the other Elders most of her story, perhaps she'd left out some of the more personal details, but they'd been satisfied Drew was no longer a threat. Seth told her he'd been willing to dispense with Drew if it had been necessary. The Elders were saddened about the whole situation. Despite Drew was a vampire and a threat, it was sad to have to kill again after so many centuries of peace.

Devon and Bliss had arrived after the initial talk, which meant it wasn't necessary to reveal how Elise killed Drew. They'd been pleased to see her and sorry about things. The Elders smoothed everything over, sending Bliss and Devon home before the group split up. It was late at night. They'd all gone home quietly after the meeting with Elise, as if still lost in their thoughts. At home, Elise wandered around her house listlessly. She felt sad, but relieved to be home. It had been a strange few weeks, and she wished things had been different.

The following morning as Devon and Bliss woke up holding each other, a hundred miles away Drew woke up in his living room. He'd been asleep since getting in just before dawn, so maybe a couple of hours had passed. Having been with Greta to the foundry and disposed of the bodies, she'd dropped him home, telling him to rest for a while and then call her. Drew stretched out on his sofa and looked at the swords on the wall.

He hadn't remembered anything else yet, but he liked the house and the cars in his garage. He liked his friend Greta, and the excitement of the night out hunting he'd just experienced. He stood up and stretched. There will be blood in the fridge he thought, and went off to get a glass.

He drank a little as he looked around the house again. Everything was old and expensive. Drew thought he must be rich. He needed someone to tell him all about himself, and that would have to be Greta he decided. He got out his cell phone, the one Greta had told him was his after picking it up from the main bedroom floor. He scrolled through the contacts list. Some of the names seemed familiar. He considered that they must be friends since they provoked a reaction in his memory. He was about to ring a contact called Annabelle, when the cell phone received a call. The musical ringtone was familiar, and he answered. It was Greta checking on him, and he asked if she could come over again and tell him things.

"I can spare an hour or so. I'll come over."

Drew gave up on the idea of calling someone in the contact list and went over to the window to look out for Greta's car.

## Chapter Two

Balthazar Crane was looking out of his window at exactly the same time, in the same town, only closer to the business heart of it. He was idly watching the beginnings of what passed for the rush hours in the part of the town where Greta had her restaurant.

He'd watched Greta for years. True, it wasn't often he saw her during real daylight coming or going from her restaurant. He knew, having tested out all scenarios, that she used her underground car park most of the time, but once or twice early, or late, or on a very overcast day, he'd seen her come out of the front door and go into one or another of the shops that were on her side of the street. He smiled as hoped that today he might see her. It was raining and her car was parked in the loading zone just a truck length down from her restaurant.

Balthazar had a number of offices. The one he was in right at that moment on the opposite side of the street from Greta's restaurant was upstairs in a listed, Tudor, building that he actually owned. He'd recently had support beams installed where the floor began to sag seriously. Balthazar was tall and the ceiling was a hair's breadth from the top of his head as he gazed out of the sympathetically glazed office window. He could only do this because in that part of the office the ceiling had been raised a little last century, before the listing system had decreed it couldn't be done again.

Rain splattered against the small diamond shaped panes of glass in the window as a sudden gust of wind tore along the street. People turned up their collars and held them closed in an attempt to fend off the large drops that were almost horizontal such was the force of the wind. Balthazar looked over at Greta's place of business and pushed a hand through his thick dark hair. He was expected at the office over in the next town at nine. He knew that at this time on a weekday morning it would take twice as long to get there as if he went mid-morning. He was about to turn away from the window with a sigh of disappointment when out she came.

Tall, striking, Greta, her long legs bared for seconds as the wind whipped her wrap around skirt up and back. Her long chestnut hair wrapped around her face and the inevitable dark glasses she wore. She was attractive and formidable at the same time. She was in her car so quickly that Balthazar found himself leaning forward, his nose to the glass trying to see her once more before she drove off.

He turned away from his window and heard the sounds of his office staff in the inner room. They were early and settling at their desks, talking about what they had been up to the night before. Balthazar stalked out of his private office. He was immaculately dressed as usual and had an air of calm strength. Rose and Imogen looked at him and their faces lit up with smiles. He was not only the dream boss, they had confided to each other, but so good-looking it was a complete pleasure to have him around. They greeted him with their cheerful voices.

"Good morning, Balthazar." Rose smiled at him and Imogen added her voice.

"Hello Balthazar, how are you? Did you see the sudden rain? I'm now wet through since I dashed over without a coat."

Balthazar smiled at them. "If you need to go home and change, Imogen, you know you can," he said, and then added, "I have to go out to see a client and will more than likely not be back today so have a good one."

He was gone out of the frosted glass door where the name of B. Crisp Pty. Ltd. Chartered Certified Accountants and a number of letters strung after it was embossed, before they looked at each other, and sighed in appreciation.

He ran down the old staircase and passed the entrance to the tiny coffee house that was on the ground floor of the building. The tempting smell of what was the best coffee in town drifted out of the old doorway, the restored oak door held open by a large stone dragon. Balthazar rented the ground floor to the proprietor of the coffee shop. Not that he collected any rent, he would say, 'just knowing you love the old place and take care of it is enough,' to Rita, and he didn't just say it, he'd it put in writing for her. Balthazar was kind hearted and generous, and he meant it. It would be hard to find anyone who loved that old building more than Rita, except for him, of course.

As he passed the dragon, Balthazar stroked its stone head and smiled.

He was parked, just as Imogen would have been parked, in the annoyingly small car parking lot at the end of this part of the high street, and he walked at a pace down there. He passed B. Clack Fine Antiques and Collectables the antique store, which he also owned. He let himself think about Greta, and the way her skirt had blown about giving him a glimpse of her shapely thighs. He knew what she was, and that knowledge was the only reason he'd never approached her because as soon as he'd laid eyes on her years ago, he'd liked what he'd seen. He knew it wasn't love. It was because she reminded him of someone he used to love very long ago.

He was grinning to himself as he got into his Chevrolet, and reversed out of the two car parking spaces that his truck took up. Its ice white exterior was streaked with mud, but inside it was pristine. Balthazar chose a music track he was fond of as he joined the traffic that was now bumper-to-bumper on the high street.

It was a long time ago that he'd loved and lost. It still hurt a little, but the real problem was his inability to love again. He looked at women and he sometimes wished there was someone. He would like to hold someone's hand and drift in the pleasure of long kisses, but he knew it wouldn't happen.

Years ago a friend told him that he was too picky, and he didn't doubt that was true now, but at the time he hadn't thought so. He only thought there was chemistry that needed to happen, that when he saw the right woman he would know, and that she would be somewhere in the world, and they would meet.

## Chapter Three

Balthazar was heading for the market town where Drew owned a café.

****

Not that Drew remembered this ownership right now. He was still new. He saw Greta pull up outside his front door, and was shocked to see her get out of her car, and bolt up the front steps to the front door bareheaded. At least the collar of her tailored shirt is up, and she's wearing sunglasses, he thought, as he milled around finding the right stairs and corridor to get to the front door of his house.

"Greta, what are you doing in daylight with no real coat or hat?" He greeted her and she smirked.

"It's raining, very cloudy, and it took me about a second to get to the front door, besides which my clothes are specially made. Oh, you might have forgotten that. We get special fabric from overseas and have lots of our clothes made for us. Although I don't have that much made for me, this shirt happens to be sun proof. Not that there is one in the sky right now." She grinned, as she looked Drew up and down.

"Not like you to be in last night's clothes, Drew," she commented.

He looked down at himself. He was rumpled. His shirt was out of his jeans and more than half open, his feet bare. His hair although uncombed was actually sexy and Greta sighed slightly, she quite liked Drew unkempt. It was appealing and in direct contrast to his former rigid dress code. Not exactly a dandy, but definitely a former show-off, Drew had always looked like a model on the cover of a high fashion magazine, known it, and flaunted it.

Drew shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere, and I might even sleep after we've talked, just to get through the day." He led the way into the kitchen and took glasses from a dresser to give Greta a drink. The blood supply in his fridge was depleted, and he poured the last of it into his glass after filling Greta's glass.

"Where do I usually get the extra blood from, the stuff stashed in the fridge? I don't seem to remember much," he asked, as he sat next to her, his lovely face a picture of contemplation.

Greta smiled. "You have a huge supply in a freezer in the garage, Drew. When that runs out we have contacts all over the country to get us blood bags. I'll show you your office and your files. Everything you want to know is on your computer."

Drew perked up and followed Greta to a room on the second floor that was his office. She set about showing him around, lifted the lid on his laptop, and pressed the enter key hoping it wouldn't need a password. It did. They spent a few minutes considering what the password might be, before Greta taking a punt, typed in Elise. As Drew rifled through a desk drawer in the hope he might have written it down somewhere, the computer sprang to life. Greta saw he was already logged into his email program.

"Drew, you need to put new passwords on everything because if you shut down the email you might never get back in. Drew grimaced and asked her to do it. They changed everything he might have a password for to Deverel424 his middle name and age, something they decided no one would guess, especially his age. Drew found that hugely funny and didn't believe Greta that he was so old, until she promised him faithfully that he was, and started to show him old manuscripts, and documents.

Drew wandered about in his office picking up the odd item, clearly valuable antiques and questioned Greta about himself. He liked his office. It made him feel safe because here was lots of information about his life he could go through. His attention was drawn to a whole folder of deeds in the file drawer of his desk. He lifted up the first one in the stack. It was for the café in the market town some miles away.

****

Balthazar was passing Drew's house on his way to that very market town when he saw Greta's car parked outside Drew's house. He decided on the spur of the moment to visit his other business nearby. Swinging right halfway down the street, he parked outside the business behind a low evergreen hedge. It served as a fence for the small group of offices on this side of the road, across the small square from Drew's house.

Balthazar closed his truck door and pushed his hair from his forehead. He knew from the other cars parked outside the office that his employees were in there. This office was in a row of Georgian houses that were converted into offices twenty or so years ago. Their former front gardens were converted into parking lots for the workers and client visits. It was frequently full up, so that people had to park up in the long stay tourist car park and walk down. This was a treat in fine weather because of the abundance of flowering trees, but a pest in the wet, as rain pooled easily by the side of the road. Often a vehicle would pass at speed and drench some unsuspecting pedestrian with a wall of water thrown up by the tires. Not good if you were in a business suit with a sheaf of documents.

Balthazar glanced at the gold colored plaque on the wall by the front door of this office. The sudden drenching this part of the country had undergone had left droplets of rain on the plaque. The wet front of the building was a dark honey color as opposed to its dry, pale, lemon. There was variegated ivy growing up the left hand side of the building and trailing over to cover some of the neighboring house, which was also a business, a dentist's premises.

Balthazar took off the dead heads of the petunias that were massed in a half barrel to the right of the front door. He went into the offices. After greeting the receptionist, he continued down the hall, saying hello as he passed anyone's door that was open signifying they weren't with a client. Then he loped up the stairs to the second floor where the kitchen and the small dining area where the staff of the chambers had their breaks were situated.

He ditched the dead flower heads in the small trash bin there and walked over to the balcony doors. They were closed against the earlier rain and wind. It had died down, so he opened them for the fresh and lovely atmosphere given off by all the trees in the back garden that this row of premises retained. Some had paved over the garden, but many in the row of Georgian houses kept the trees and shrubs growing, and in summer staff sat out there at tables and chairs for their lunch breaks. Balthazar kept the garden behind his property having been delighted there were so many trees in it.

There were around seven large birch trees, and a couple of Norway spruce that had been Christmas trees once upon a time. Balthazar refused to have a cut Christmas tree. He always had them with roots. He couldn't see why a tree had to die for a couple of weeks being the decoration in human festivities. It grieved him so much that for presents for anyone he knew at the time, he would give, well in advance of the date, a potted live tree with clear instructions on how to keep it alive and plant it.

Balthazar heard his lead associate in the chambers coming up the stairs talking with one of the new clerks. Rupert Hathaway was nearly thirty. He was clever, dynamic, gentle, and thoughtful. Balthazar liked him immensely, trusted him, and respected his skills and that was saying a lot because Balthazar wasn't easily impressed. He'd seen many lawyers come and go, and Rupert was one of the best.

Rupert's handsome face was wreathed in smiles the moment he realized Balthazar was in the kitchen.

"Balthazar, how good to see you. I didn't realize you were in today. Mary said you were in Dublin for a few weeks."

Balthazar grinned and stepped into the room from the balcony.

"I'm just on my way down to the coast. The Dublin business is finished. How are you going with everything, Rupert? Do we need to look around for another solicitor or are, Mary, and, Don, okay?"

Rupert whilst making coffee assured Balthazar that everything was great, and he was happy with the barrister they'd employed earlier in the year. Tamsin was new to the bar, but excellent. Rupert was expecting a client and so Balthazar went on up the last flight of stairs to the top floor where he had a small office.

It looked out onto the front where the market square was, and he stood by the window to look directly across at the corresponding Georgian houses that were still residential premises. He saw that Greta's car was still outside that abomination, Drew Ruthin's, home. He knew all about Drew, well as much as he wanted to.

He'd watched Drew for years. He'd noted with great interest the short interlude when the devil seemed to have netted himself a lovely companion, and slowed his murderous behavior somewhat. A tall redheaded girl, who was so incredibly graceful and pretty, that Balthazar had very nearly broken his pact with himself and warned her off Drew. Something about her was familiar to him, her movements, and the way she seemed to glow sometimes. It was reminiscent of the females in his extended family long ago.

Balthazar sighed as he looked over at Drew's house. The windows were heavily tinted and mirrored and he thought there was every chance the vampire was looking out at him as he stared across.

As it happened, Drew wasn't looking out. He was sitting opposite Greta totally enthralled by her description of him and his extensive property ownership and wealth. Greta faltered when she came to the part in her story about Devon. She didn't tell Drew about his brother. She found she just couldn't. It seemed to her that Drew might be so much happier if he didn't know. After all, as far as she could see, there was no mention of Devon in any of the paperwork in Drew's office, nor on his computer. She swallowed her anxiety and closed the option of telling Drew by starting to describe his group of friends.

It didn't take long for Drew to realize there was something wrong in his relationships with his friends. As he questioned Greta, he realized that he didn't so much have friends, as acquaintances who tolerated him for one reason or another. When Greta told him his best friend other than herself, who was called Nathan, had recently died, Drew felt alone. He glanced ruefully at Greta and asked, "Isn't it strange that as a vampire I can actually feel alone? Do you have strong feelings other than sexual or the thirst for blood, Greta?"

Greta was a little alarmed by this. She thought for a moment.

"Yes, all of us do. We have strong emotions. It's the lack of intensity in the actual experience, other than the taste of blood that's our problem. Let me explain it to you. I have a garden full of flowers. Some of them have strong perfume. I know it's there I can smell it, but it doesn't give me joy as it would have when I was human. Heightened senses are just our weapons they're not to bring us joy. I love sex you know that, but there's something missing in it especially without the taste of blood. We can love and hate, but there is shallowness about it if I'm honest. The desire for blood will overcome both. Nathan died in a frenzy of bloodlust. It can get you high enough to believe you're invincible, but you're not. We can be killed, never forget that."

Greta stopped talking. She wanted to leave and go back to her restaurant. She wanted to read the new book on her Kindle. She wanted to watch the customers in her restaurant and if the weather became fine again, since it was only July, she wanted to look at the girls in their skimpy tops and shorts passing on the street outside. Greta hoped she would find someone she wanted as much as Pearl. She'd promised herself that if she found a human she really wanted, she would turn them, that way she would be sure to keep her lover for longer.

She watched Drew as he thought about what she'd said. He was gorgeous, but he was using a lot of her time now. She felt as if she was babysitting, and surprisingly wanted the old arrogant, but charming and entertaining Drew back.

"Drew, I have to go back to my restaurant. I do need to do some business today. Maybe at twilight you can go over to your café and check on it. You have the address now and it's not far away. Put the address into your 'sat- nav' you'll be fine."

Drew went to the front door with her, careful to stand well back from the light as he opened it and Greta was in her car in seconds. She used her great speed as if she didn't care who saw, and the truth was she didn't expect anyone would see.

Drew drifted upstairs to his bedroom and wandered from window to window looking out. He felt as if something was missing and he wished for nightfall so that he could just go out and hunt. He stood at one window that faced out onto the market square.

There were a couple of girls down there sitting on a bench in the brightening day. They had dresses on that showed their shoulders and Drew imagined biting into them, and then licking the blood from their breasts as it ran down. He looked at their legs. The dresses were short, and one girl with a leg crossed over the other showed a long length of thigh. He wanted his hands on her thigh. He wanted to stroke up the inside of her thigh and hear the sigh he knew she would make as he followed his fingers with his lips, and his tongue.

The girls got up and threw sandwich wrappers in the litter bin situated in the middle of two benches. The breeze blew the paper up, and one of the girls leaned to catch it and press it back into the bin. Drew thought about the way she bent over and how her dress had clung to her. He was going hunting tonight for sure, he told himself, and watched the girls walk off down the street.

****

Balthazar had also seen the girls, but had paid scant attention to them. His mind was still on the fact that Greta had whirled out of Drew's house and into her car. He watched her car as she drove away, and then his eyes alighted on the girls, eating an early lunch no doubt, he thought. He turned away from his window thinking that the day was brightening up. He hoped the summer would go back to being warm and bright, because he felt his soul needed that right now.

Balthazar picked up the laptop that was on his desk and took it to sit with it at the window. He let it boot as he moved the chair a little closer to the window, which he opened. He sat down and looked at the emails that had been received between last night and that moment for this particular side of his business. It wasn't that he was no longer interested. It was just that he was presently tired. Fatigued might be a better word for it. He felt old and jaded. His office phone rang and he stood up to answer, leaving the laptop on the seat of the chair he'd been using.

"Mr. Clank sir, there's a gentleman on the phone who insists on speaking to you personally. I offered Mary or Rupert, but no..." The receptionist sounded apologetic. Balthazar smiled as he answered gently.

"It's okay put him through, Adele."

Balthazar took the call. It was a client who wanted to make sure he had the senior partner's attention to a matter of law. Balthazar re-assured him and told him all about Rupert. His smooth tones and eloquence gave the client the necessary confidence, and by the end of the call, everything was fine for Rupert to take the case.

Balthazar walked over to the laptop, closed the lid, and padded downstairs. He found Rupert who'd just finished talking with a paralegal about some research, and told him about the client he'd just talked with. The Balthazar made his apologies, and passing by reception, he told Adele he was visiting clients on the coast for a couple of days.

Balthazar made his escape and stood for a moment on the steps outside the front door. He considered the visit he'd planned to make in the next market town, before he'd obsessively stopped because of Greta's presence at Drew's place. He decided it could wait.

The sun glinted on the places in the path that still held a small puddle of rain and he noticed that the name plaque was still a little wet, 'B. Clank and Associates, Solicitors and Barristers'. He took out a pale blue, silk handkerchief that was folded into the breast pocket of his suit jacket, and wiped the dirty drop of water from the 'o' in Associates. He walked to his truck and having made sure the laptop was secure on the back seat, he dropped the handkerchief next to it.

Balthazar decided he would actually go down to the coast and using the proximity of the town to a major highway he headed there.

## Chapter Four

He stopped for coffee halfway to the coast. Leaving his jacket in his truck, he sauntered to the café he'd frequented before on his journeys.

Serena was always pleased to see Balthazar, she thought him beautiful, and he was. Naturally graceful, and yet radiating strength, he reminded her of a panther she'd once seen in a zoo. It was a shock to see the wonderful creature caged, and she'd never been to another zoo in her life thereafter. Balthazar with his almost black hair, green as grass eyes, and air of suppressed power was just like that panther. She felt he was caged somehow.

She smiled. "Balthazar, it's good to see you. It's been a few weeks, are you on the way down to the coast as usual?"

He smiled as he took the coffee she'd made for him. She knew his order and always looked after him. He knew she found him attractive, and he was kind to her without giving her hope. "I'm going down to the office on the coast for a few days. I've neglected some business. I must sort it out." He inquired about her business and they spent a few moments in conversation about the economy. When Balthazar left, he gave her an extra kind smile.

Balthazar was soon at the offices of 'Cronk, Crisp, Clank, Clack and Crane, Import and Export Ltd'. His primary goal of the visit was simply to show his face. He knew his staff did an excellent job, and although one or two had previously mentioned that they never saw sight or sound of the other partners in the business, they generally just got on with work happily.

Balthazar went into the big offices that spanned almost half the short street in the heart of the medieval seaside town. The wonderfully quaint building was a former coaching house and inn, but had been given extra space in the eighteenth century when the two houses alongside had been incorporated by way of the removal of the upstairs dividing walls. The resulting building was warren like with distinctive beams and fireplaces. It charmed all clients and authorities to the business especially since it was beautifully kept, and backed onto a long garden, which almost reached to the quayside. On a summer's day with the windows flying open, the smell of the sea and call of the seagulls was incredibly soothing.

Long ago, the town was a busy port. Now it was frequented by tourists drawn to it because of the tales of smugglers, the cobbled streets, and the castle on a high cliff nearby.

The reception desk in this office was an antique and solid oak. The woman behind it was seated in a modern ergonomic office chair. She looked up from her computer and saw Balthazar as he came through the door and immediately stood up to throw her arms around him in a hug.

They both laughed. "How is your family doing? Has your grandchild arrived yet?"

They spent a few minutes catching up and then she alerted other staff to his presence on the phones. "Mr. Crane has dropped by," she told them.

It was not in Balthazar's plans to stay overnight in the town, but he ended up doing that. After visiting the offices, he called into the house he owned along the cliff-top, and was lulled by the sea as he sat with a cup of tea in the garden. The sun had come out with a vengeance, but had also brought a sky so blue and bright that the ocean flattened and sparkled. The scent of the roses growing in rows all the way along the back of the house surrounded him, and he sat there for more than an hour simply staring at the sea.

When the sun was finally going down Balthazar decided to stay the night instead of driving back to his usual home. He didn't live in the same town as where Greta had her restaurant and where Drew lived. He didn't live in the market town, which he'd been heading for, and where Drew had his café. He lived in a village halfway between Greta's hometown and the town where Bliss and Devon, Drew's brother, lived.

Balthazar's home was a former stud farm on the outskirts of the village, and he had a couple of horses there. He thought about them now as he made himself an early dinner, so he called his groom to tell her that he wouldn't be home that night, and then his housekeeper to let her know.

He'd have to make an early start the next day and visit the business he'd neglected today, an art gallery a street away from Drew's café.

## Chapter Five

As soon as the sun was going down Drew covered himself up with a dark blue shirt. It had sleeves with ruffles on the cuffs that came down over the back of his hands. He changed into some black jeans he saw in the wardrobe, and ran his hands through his hair, before picking up some sunglasses and heading to the garage. He asked himself if he still knew how to drive as he started the opulent car Greta said was his. He put the address of the café into the navigation unit and sped off.

He did still know how to drive, and it was hardly any distance to the café. Drew was thankful for this, because the evening sun made a last blaze in the sky, and though his tinted windows were more than adequate to protect him, he felt uneasy.

He parked directly outside the café ignoring the traffic sign that meant he was not strictly allowed to park there until after nine at night. He got out of his car and ran using only half his supernatural speed to the front door of the café.

He noticed the dark blue Celtic designs on the window and the almost black glass of the front door and thought instantly that it wasn't very welcoming. It might have been okay for a nightclub, but for a café in a tourist town, it seemed to him to be wrong.

As soon as he'd pushed open the door, Drew was struck by the emptiness of the place. There was not one customer, and he walked at a normal pace down the café to where he assumed the kitchens and office must be. He was at the entrance to the kitchens, which was partially covered by a carved screen, when Samantha came out. She knew it was Drew who'd come into the café. She recognized his scent, and Jake hurriedly tidied the kitchen as they waited for him.

"Hi Drew, how are things?" Samantha asked warily. Jake was standing behind her by now and he added his greeting.

"Hey Drew, what's going on? Everything okay?" They stood there waiting for the onslaught that would usually come.

Drew had no idea who they were, and decided to be truthful because after all he owned the place.

"I was hoping you might tell me what's going on," he started to say, but he smiled as well, uncharacteristically sincerely, and that made the two staff suspicious.

Was he trying to trap them in some way?

Jake sighed, but spread his hands out in a gesture of openness. "No customers as usual Drew. Samantha and I are the only staff left. You don't need anyone else when we have no business to speak of."

Drew turned and found the nearest table where he sat down and stretched out his long legs. He crossed them at the ankles and folded his arms over his chest.

"No business, that's disappointing. How about we discuss what to do to get business?" He said pleasantly. Jake glanced at Samantha with a question in his eyes. What was Drew up to he thought, but he went to sit at the table with Drew, and Samantha came to stand nearby.

"We did once talk about brightening the place up, but since Nathan had his accident nothing got done about it. We said we might try a less dark tint on the window and maybe a pine door, better lighting and more plants or something. The thing is though Drew, if we did succeed in getting more business we would need a chef, a kitchen hand, and maybe a couple more wait staff. How do feel about that?"

Drew watched Jake's expressions as he talked, and knew that Jake was worried about telling him this. He shrugged and then he smiled at both of them.

"Do you know others in our community that could do the work, could make these changes, and come to work here?"

Samantha nodded and then Jake answered. "Well yes, the changes could be done easily, but as for employing staff that might be a little harder."

"Why's that?" Drew asked, and realized he was talking to him and yet he didn't know what to call the guy. Drew felt instinctively that he should avoid letting him know this.

Jake sighed again. "The fact is you've not exactly been great to work with in the past, people would need some assurances." He thought he might as well get it over with, and if Drew was nasty about it, then he too would leave the place.

Drew grimaced and then took a deep breath.

"You organize it, take it over, and manage it. I'll give you a raise and Samantha you too, both of you can take on managerial roles. Frankly I have a mind to do something different with myself."

"You know Annabelle would come back to work if you let her," Samantha told him and Drew nodded. He recognized the name from his cell phone contact list, but that was all.

"Okay that's great, see to it."

Samantha and Jake looked at each other, and their looks of incredulity were not missed by Drew.

"I'll get you a checkbook and credit card or whatever you need tomorrow. What do you get paid right now?" He asked, and when they told him, he couldn't believe how little they were paid.

"Right then," he said, and stood up adding, "I'll double that to start with and when business, or if business picks up, we can talk about it again. Samantha, tell Annabelle to come back to work at twice her last salary too."

Jake turned to face Samantha. "That's great isn't it, Sam? We'll start right away." She looked from his stunned expression to Drew's benevolent one and nodded.

"Sure Jake, I'll call Annabelle and Tony. He was going to do something about the windows before."

"I'm going out hunting now," Drew told them and he left the café.

Outside the night air was still warm from the late burst of sun, and he breathed in the scent of prey all around him. There was a bar not far down the street and that was the first place he decided to go in search of sex and a snack.

Drew walked into the bar through the front door, which was propped open by a cast iron weight. The place was half-full of people and Drew let the wave of odors flow over him. He liked this. He could pick out adrenalin, various perfumes, blood, toothpaste, and then he saw her, the first girl he would seduce.

She was at the bar and it looked as if she was alone. She had her back to the crowd and Drew could see her face in the mirrored glass behind the bar. She was pretty, her red hair in a braid down her back and her eyes enormous in a pale face. Drew could see a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

He walked over, unaware of the stares he was getting. He was tall and very attractive. His dark hair disheveled, and his shirt not quite done up. The overall impression he gave was of someone who either didn't know how great they looked, or didn't care. A group of women sitting by the jukebox watched him, and then turned to each other to giggle a little and make faces that were meant to convey their appreciation of Drew's looks.

Drew stood beside the girl he'd chosen and a barman came up to take his order. Drew ordered whisky straight with ice knowing he wouldn't drink it, but it was acceptable, and it made him look human.

He looked at the girl through the mirror and she looked back.

"Hello" he said, angling his body towards her, as he stood a little closer.

The girl sighed and turned to face Drew.

"Look buddy I'm not in the mood, no offense, or anything," she answered, and gave Drew a withering look.

Drew was astounded. His vampire charm was on full. It should have girls approaching him not the other way around.

He smiled slightly which softened his expression and lit his very lovely blue eyes.

The girl was charmed, but she was also strong, and having had a crumby boyfriend experience recently, she didn't want to meet anyone.

Drew raised his eyebrows just a little and picked up the glass he'd been given. He put it to his lips and then replaced the glass on the bar. The girl knew he hadn't taken a drink and despite what she'd said, she found herself intrigued when Drew said, "Maybe we could just stand here silently."

She sighed again. "What's your name then?"

Drew knew she was softening, and he smiled to himself. He could have simply whisked her away. He doubted anyone would notice anything at all if he used his top speed. Instead, he enjoyed the gradual acceptance she was giving him.

"My name's Drew and your name?" He asked in rather an old world way, which made the girl grin.

"Alice," she answered.

Drew heard the name Alice and it reminded him of something. What was it he thought? It was another name, one that sounded like Alice, but he couldn't remember it. He smiled softly. The promise that sometimes crept into his expression dazzled her.

"Hello Alice," he said his voice like black velvet.

She smiled and then suddenly she was off walking away.

"See you around, Drew," she called, and he watched her leave with surprise.

The night before, out with Greta, the girls had fallen at his feet.

Alice was replaced by another girl very soon. Not even a minute later a young woman from the table of women who'd watched Drew, appeared by his side. She smelled of desperation and floral perfume. Drew asked her if she would like to go somewhere as he hadn't yet eaten, and would like company. The young woman was happy to. She was called Caroline. She made a grab for his hand to announce her ownership as they passed the table she'd been sitting at, and glanced in triumph at the other women there.

The night had darkened and Drew led Caroline along the street as if to find a restaurant. She was chattering about something, but he didn't listen, he'd noticed an alley way up ahead and could detect its emptiness. He flew with her a short distance down there his fangs already in her neck. He couldn't be bothered with sex. The blood would stop his gnawing disappointment at having lost out on Alice. For some reason he wanted to know more about her.

The alley was obliging and had three trash skips side by side. He ditched Caroline's body in there and was on the main street again in seconds.

Knowing he couldn't go back into the bar he'd left, he went into the next one a short distance away next to an art gallery. 'Cronk and Co. Art for your Heart.' He noticed the sign as he passed. He smiled at the name Cronk. Who would want a name like Cronk, but he almost liked the slogan.

The pub he was going into was an old tavern type in a building that was clearly original to Drew at his age. The beams showing on the exterior of the building were bowed and the roof was thatched. The windows, although there were quite a few of them, were small and Drew enjoyed this antiquity as he went into the little porch and then the main pub. The art gallery seemed to share this porch entrance, but a closed sign was evident on the door to it.

Drew breathed in the scent of human blood, lust, a little love, hunger, pain. He stood for a moment at the back of the small crowd of people considering who might become his prey.

A young man caught his eye, and looked at him with blatant hunger. Drew knew it was sexual hunger. He realized he must have seen it before and used it to acquire a feed. Tonight he wanted sex and he let his gaze fall away from the young man in an almost kindly way. He'd lost his memory, but he knew he liked girls, and he wouldn't use that young man for a feed tonight.

Drew turned on his charm and it was like a beacon, so that within a very short time he had a girl in his arms in the darkest part of the back garden of the pub.

Reached through the back bar and with only the first few outside tables lit, Drew felt safe to strip the girl there in the grass amongst the geraniums. He kissed her lips until he knew she was under his spell, and then he removed her clothes, licking and kissing her everywhere he touched, until she was naked in the grass. She was moving against him and he knew she wanted him desperately. He smiled as he kissed her lips again and moved his hand to part her thighs. Softly, dangerously, he whispered to her. She didn't know what he was saying, but his whisper teased the sensitive parts of her ear, her throat, and then as he moved his fingers gently into her wet pussy, she wriggled to find his lips, and be kissed at the same time.

Drew took his time and thought about what he was feeling as he made love to this girl. She liked what he did, and he wanted more after the first time, and so he held her carefully, softly kissing her until he simply took her again and at the same time sank his fangs deep draining her life in a second the moment he was sexually satisfied. He left her body there for a moment clothing himself quickly, and quietly before he silently, and at top speed picked her up, leapt the bottom fence, and found he was in a private garden.

There were two sheds side by side, and lots of corrugated iron panels stashed against the back of one of them. Drew stuffed the girl's body under them and then for good measure picked up some lengths of old rotting wood and tossed them on there too. He thought about what Greta said to him the night before and knew he had to start putting the bodies in the trunk of his car. It was parked outside his café up the road and he sighed as he leapt the fence again to go back into the pub.

It had filled up a little more and there was music playing. Drew saw Alice as soon as he passed the first crowd of people. She was standing with a glass of juice in her hand looking out of the front windows as if deep in thought.

He headed for her. She wouldn't escape a second time.

He was next to her and smiling saying, "Hello again Alice," before she'd realized anyone was near her at all.

"Will you come back to my café with me and have a cup of coffee perhaps? It's so loud in here now, and it would be so nice to talk with you." Drew was at his most charming. Alice was beguiled. She walked with Drew out into the calm, warm, night and as he walked beside her, she decided he might be okay. He told her about his café and when they reached it, he opened the door for her, pleased it was still open for business because he knew he had no keys. He made a mental note to find out where they were, or if he had any.

Jake knew Drew was back and with a human woman. He went out to greet them, intrigued at what might happen next, and hoping Drew wouldn't land him with a body to dump.

Drew introduced Jake to Alice and told him they'd come in for a cup of coffee. Jake looked at him knowingly and then went back into the kitchen to make the coffee for Alice and pour blood into one of the tall, black, mugs they used for vampires.

Jake smirked as he effortlessly listened to the chat up Drew was doing to this young woman. Drew must have taken a fancy to her and perhaps intended to keep her around for a few days. He studied her as he took the coffee out to the table where she and Drew were sitting. She was pretty, definitely. It was her massive blue eyes, the rounded nose, and maybe even the freckles that did it. He put the coffee down and smiled at both her and then Drew.

"Sing out if you want anything else," he instructed, and Drew gave him a look, which told him that Drew knew very well Jake would listen in.

Alice was taking the braiding out of her hair and then pushed her fingers through it to untangle it. Drew watched this, fascinated as her long, red hair spilled about her shoulders. She reminded him of someone, but it wouldn't come to him. His memory was closed. He sighed, and leaned forward to take a handful of her hair, and move it between his fingers.

"Like silk," he murmured as he brought it to his lips. Alice widened her eyes in surprise at this gesture.

She moved back a little and looked slightly worried as she said, "The braid keeps my hair out of my face, but sometimes feels too heavy after a while."

Drew moved closer and trailed his fingertips across her forehead.

"Did it give you a headache?" He asked.

Alice was disarmed by this tenderness and so was Jake who was listening in wait for the killing he was sure was coming.

Drew was in some kind of memory dreamland. His eyes were on the long red hair and then fixed on Alice's blue eyes. He felt something, a strange lurch somewhere in the region of his cold heart. He tried to identify the feeling but couldn't. He tried to think about why this woman was having such an impact upon him, but he couldn't, and he decided then that she was a liability. She was hurting him somehow. He leaned forward again and this time he held her face and kissed her just to taste her lips. For some reason they tasted of honey. He knew the taste and this was the last straw for him. He was on her in a split second and she was drained. Her lifeless body slumped and then slid to the floor by the table they'd been sitting at. Drew stood up in disgust. He wished he'd taken her home to bed before he'd drained her blood.

Jake came out of the kitchen and took away the cups.

Drew put the body in the trunk of his car and drove away.

He stopped at the nightclub Greta and he was in the night before, and helped himself silently, and swiftly to two young women just to feel the rush of sex and blood. Then he dumped the bodies in the foundry where Greta was just by chance dumping a man she'd tempted, teased, and fed on.

They exchanged smiles, and then decided to go back to Drew's place and play a video game, something new that Greta had bought earlier.

They played the game until dawn.

## Chapter Six

Dawn was at once bright and blue as Balthazar opened his eyes. He'd slept for about five hours, which was good. He didn't need that much sleep, but sometimes he liked it to be a deep sleep, free of the dreams that sometimes woke him, and that he couldn't remember, but that left him with a feeling of loss and sadness.

He made coffee and went to drink it out on the terrace where he could see the ocean. Seagulls were wheeling out there in a large group, the sun glinting off a wing of each bird as they flew, so that it looked suddenly like a cloud of diamonds in the sky as they surged around.

Balthazar finished his coffee and went indoors to shower and dress. He had clothes here in this house. It was set up as was his other houses, ready for occupation at any time. His housekeepers would come along once a week and check if anywhere had been occupied. He employed one in every place he owned a dwelling, and they were paid whether he'd used the place or not. Balthazar was unthinkably wealthy. He talked with other business owners about the local flat economy, but it was only in friendship and courtesy. He'd set up his businesses long ago so as not to be bored, idle, or give in to melancholy.

He'd drop into the art gallery that morning just so it didn't look as if he wasn't interested, and then leave them to it again for another few weeks. Everyone who worked for Balthazar was well paid and had many perks, health insurance, long holiday entitlements amongst them.

He left the house on the cliff top dressed in jeans and a chambray shirt, his dark hair still wet from the shower, and climbed into his Chevrolet truck. He wasn't detained in any traffic so was outside the art gallery only two hours later.

As he went into the old, shared porch, and turned left into the gallery door, he was welcomed by Opal and Paul simultaneously. The couple managed and loved the little gallery as if it was their own. Balthazar had considered giving it to them on more than one occasion, but he didn't know how that would look, just giving a business away. He'd always tried so hard to blend in.

"Mr. Cronk, you look well. We have a new exhibition this week. Come and look at the wonderful colors this artist employs." Paul was almost ecstatic. The couple genuinely loved art. Opal his eyes shining, walked happily with Paul and Balthazar up to the back of the gallery where the new exhibition was. It was evident a launch party was planned there.

"Mr. Cronk, will you be coming to the opening this evening?" Opal asked, as he straightened the few chairs that were along the back wall of the gallery.

Balthazar grinned. "How many times have I said call me Balthazar, and I wish I could come, but I'm tied up, sorry, Opal."

Paul grinned wickedly. "Tied up, Mr. Cronk?" He implied something, which had the two of them smiling at Balthazar. He grinned back mischievously, but said nothing.

The artist was a woman and her paintings were gloriously colorful. Balthazar fell in love with a painting of a garden through a doorway. He stared at it. The flowers in the garden a riot of color, the door a sky blue, it was almost the most vibrant painting he'd ever seen.

"I'd like to buy that painting Paul, please offer the artist whatever she wants for it. Email me would you when it needs picking up?"

Balthazar took a deep breath and then asked how they were going, did they need anything, anything at all, and the couple smiled gently this time. Balthazar was so generous and they could think of nothing right then.

Balthazar knew about Drew's café nearby. He left the art gallery with his truck parked outside, and he walked up there. He was surprised to see work happening. The place was shrouded in scaffolding and canvas around the doorway and window. A sign was stapled to the canvas, 'Closed for renovations'.

Jake hadn't gone home after Drew had left. He'd called all the members of the vampire community who were available to make a start before dawn on the scaffolding. None of them could work in the day. The specially treated canvas covers allowed them to work in the early morning and late evening, as well as the night.

Balthazar turned around asking himself if maybe Drew had sold the café.

He was back in his truck and driving home listening to music, when he suddenly considered going to the artist's exhibition party. He knew he felt lonely sometimes, but he generally pushed it away. He'd been around a long time and for most of that time, alone.

The people he called friends or employees were never really very close to him by necessity. The people down on the coast in his oldest business the importers and exporters would be shocked to know he was not just Crane, but Cronk, Clank, Clack, and Crisp, names that picked out of the air when needing them.

Clack had been a misprint, it was to have been Black, but when it turned out as Clack, he thought it was great fun.

Clank had been a sound outside the office of the real estate agent. In fact, there'd been many clanks, which turned out to be some tool being used in the roadwork nearby.

He'd thought of the name Crisp because of the apple he'd just eaten. He couldn't remember how Cronk had entered his head and considered maybe he'd just done it because of the other names all beginning with 'C'.

Balthazar was, to the best of his knowledge, really called Crane, like the bird. It had been his totem long ago. The import export business had started out as just B. Crane, but as years went by, and in an effort to conceal his continued ownership, he'd added the other partners. No one knew they were all him.

He turned the thought of going to the art exhibition launch party over in his mind, and then decided against it as he passed through the town where Greta had her restaurant and Drew lived.

Balthazar reached home and parked outside his large old house. He went in, and saw that his housekeeper had left a fruit pie she'd made for him and a note on the kitchen table.

'There were so many ripe apricots I've made pies. This one is for your coffee break. The rest are in the freezer. Will be by tomorrow, everything is done, shopping and cleaning. Hope you've a good day. Chris xx'

Balthazar smiled because she always signed her name with two kisses no matter who the note was for. He sat down at the big oak table and put his keys down on there. Somehow, he felt worse today than usual. He always felt a little sadness. It was sometimes hardly noticeable and sometimes overwhelming, and it was about being alone. He knew it and he sighed.

He wandered down the hall into his library and stood looking out of the long window onto this side of the orchard.

When had this feeling of loneliness started to eat at him so badly? He couldn't remember, and he turned around to go and pick out the book that always made him feel a little less empty.

It was not really a book. It was a bound set of ancient texts, resplendently illustrated, and in an ancient language that Balthazar could read, but no longer speak fluently. He hadn't indulged in making a spell from it for thirty years at least. His book was precious. He'd always had it and taken the utmost care of it. For the first few centuries he'd cared for it with a spell, and then with special containers and a spell.

He was very old, ancient. He'd been old when he last saw any of his people, now he was ancient. He took a deep breath and read some of the words of a poem in his book. They seemed to soothe him for a time and then he closed his book, put it in the container, and hid it again.

His cell phone rang. Opal was calling him.

"Balthazar, I know you said email, but Paul called the artist and she said you may have the painting after the exhibition. That it will be her pleasure to give it to you. Paul told her how much you liked it, and would offer anything she wanted, but she said gift it. We didn't tell her anything about you at all to make her do this, Balthazar, such as you own this place, but isn't that lovely of her? I wanted to let you know because you might want to send her a thank you or something tonight."

Balthazar was immensely pleased Opal had called. "You're right, Opal. I must send flowers to the launch party for her. How very generous. The painting could have sold for a lot of money it's so beautiful. What's her name for the thank you card?"

Opal smiled as he said her name. "Angharad Strix, strange, but that's her name. She says call me Angharad all the time just as you say call me Balthazar."

When Balthazar heard this, he was intrigued. "Angharad Strix, that's an unusual name. Thank you, Opal, I'll send flowers and a card to Angharad." They ended the call. Balthazar immediately rang the florist he used to send some flowers and a thank you card. He considered the woman's name again as he wandered into the kitchen to make some coffee. Angharad, an old and beautiful name, and he wondered if she was as well.

## Chapter Seven

Angharad was also having coffee right at that moment and not really that far away. She was with Devon and Bliss in the kitchen of Devon's lovely old home. Ffion was there and the four of them were talking excitedly about the exhibition of Angharad's work. The only dampener on their spirits came when Devon reminded them that Drew had his café in that town, and on that very street. Of course, they thought him dead, and so it was only because of the memories the mention of his name brought back that they fell silent for a moment.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help but mention it," Devon said, and then added, "Angharad, don't let me spoil your day."

She smiled at Devon. "You haven't Devon, don't worry. You are all coming along tonight? I couldn't think of going alone. Someone already wanted to buy a painting. You know that one of the view through the door of Elise's cottage onto her garden. I gave it to them because they apparently loved it so much they said to name my price."

Bliss grinned. "Angharad, you'll never get rich. Artists are supposed to sell their work. You're so generous."

Angharad smiled. "I'm already rich. I work out of love."

Devon moved closer to Bliss and put his arm around her shoulders. He would never get used to the fact that she was there with him, living with him, loved him, and wanted him. He sighed happily and took her hand with his free one bringing it to his lips to kiss her fingertips. Bliss felt the kiss all over her body, and wished she could turn and kiss his lips, but it wasn't quite polite to do that when they were there with Ffion and Angharad.

Ffion knew how much Devon and Bliss loved each other, and she watched fascinated as Devon closed his eyes then opened them full of emotion when he kissed Bliss on the fingers. She smiled at Bliss and continued the conversation.

"Seth is coming too, but no one else. We thought that was enough of us. The gallery is quite small really. We don't want to overwhelm the party."

They finished their coffee and having arranged to come back to Devon's place at six thirty, they left.

Bliss turned to Devon as soon as they were in the hall after seeing the others off in Ffion's car. She put her arms up around his neck and kissed his throat, and as he bent his head to hers, she kissed his lips, softly and lovingly. Devon folded her in his arms and pulled her close against him. He kissed her and held her closer and tighter, until she smiled against his lips.

"Devon, I want to make love to you right now, right now," she whispered, and he smiled too.

"In the hall?" He asked, and kissed her.

"Anywhere. I need you. You do know I love you don't you?" Bliss said softly. Devon nodded, his eyes dark, and led her up the stairs to his room.

"The hall floor will hurt you," he told her, but he was unbuttoning her shirt with one hand, his other arm around her as they walked up the stairs. Bliss took a deep breath.

He picked her up and put her on the bed, taking her jeans off and kissing up the inside of her thighs. She pulled his head up to hers to kiss his mouth and started to undress him. They shed their clothes between kisses, caresses, and whispers. Bliss was breathless as she said his name softly.

He loved her so much. He lifted her hips slightly to his body and moved gently to make love to her, to let her know how precious she was to him. He leaned over and kissed her all the time, as he was moving inside her. She sighed with contentment and held him tight against her. Devon closed his eyes and gave in to the sheer sensation of her body and her lips. They were hungry for each other. Bliss called his name again softly as she felt the waves of pleasure suddenly roll over her. She held Devon even tighter into her. It took him with her into orgasm and they crashed against each other moaning a little, and then smiling, and kissing each other because it felt so good. They were wrapped in each other's arms their skin damp and their lips against each other's trying to catch their breath again after the intensity of it.

"I want you forever, Bliss," Devon told her, and she nodded slightly. She refused to think about forever. She loved Devon, and would stay with him for as long as she had that was all she could let herself think.

Devon on the other hand had already asked Tara how it would be possible to lengthen Bliss's life, telling Tara that he couldn't and wouldn't live without Bliss. Tara was kind and understanding. She promised to think and research amongst her people and their books to find out if a human had ever been able to live as long as one of them, and how. She already knew how to slow the aging process in Bliss, but not enough to give her the kind of life span Devon would have, and so she'd done nothing about that, and had begun work on a better solution.

Devon and Bliss kissed each other until they made love again and fell asleep tangled up together for a little while.

****

Away off in the other town Drew was also asleep. He'd closed his eyes and been asleep for about half an hour. Suddenly and for no reason, he snapped awake. He was in front of the TV, the game stopped, and a screen saver sailing across it. Greta had gone home at first light. She was skilled at moving to her car so fast that she was not even a blur. Years of blending into the human world had given her a hard edge, and she was used to chancing it. Drew had continued playing the game determined to finish it, but at almost noon, he'd closed his eyes.

Drew had been dreaming he knew it. He could feel the memory of the dream hovering just out of reach. Was it about his life before he lost his memory? He knew stuff now that should have given him his memory back in full, he told himself annoyed. He ran at speed up to his bedroom to take a shower. He didn't feel it exactly, but somehow it was good to be under the sprinkles of water.

Drew felt a little tired if he was honest. During the middle of the day he was tired, and he couldn't go anywhere because of the sun so he lay on his bed and thought about that girl Alice. She'd been in his dream he decided, she or someone similar with red hair and blue eyes. Why did he feel like the name Alice reminded him of something?

He reached for his cell phone, which was on the wooden chest by his bed. Scrolling through the contacts, he searched his memory for knowledge of each of them.

Greta had scrolled through them when they'd been sitting in his office as she told him things about himself and helped him. He wasn't to know she'd erased Devon and Elise. She thought it best. She'd told him about each contact and handed the phone to him as she did so.

Drew considered calling them all, but instead he called his banker, a vampire naturally, who dealt with most of the community in the two neighboring towns. Drew grinned as the vampire quizzed him on if he really wanted to give Jake a credit card and a checkbook. When he'd spoken with the banker, he called his accountant who dealt with just about everything including paying his employees, not that there seem to be many left, Drew thought wryly.

Drew got up from his bed and looked around his room. He wanted to know why he didn't have as many friends as Greta seemed to have. He didn't care for the town where the café was. He thought it was dull. He looked out of his window at the main street below. He didn't mind this town, but he was bored. He wanted something new to do, and it seemed from the paperwork in his office that he really didn't do much. He asked himself how he'd lived for so long with nothing to do. It was fun to hunt, but there had to be more to do.

Drew watched the people down below. The sun was high and they liked it. There they were strolling along in skimpy clothing smiling and happy. He was disgusted.

He went downstairs and into one of the reception rooms he hadn't yet explored. As he passed the door, the splintered hole where he'd speared Devon caught his eye. Drew didn't remember it, but as he paused to run his fingers over the broken wood, he had a flash of emotion. He could also smell blood, just the faintest trace, but it was there, and a thought came to him that someone had been staked to the door. It was not a vampire and not a human judging by the vague scent that was there. Drew was intrigued. This scent was another to add to the vague scent that lingered around the place. It was in his bedroom, on the stairs, and even in the kitchen there was a scent that was teasing him.

He realized that there'd been cleaning going on around the floor and door, and it occurred to him that maybe the scent belonged to his cleaner. Who was that he asked himself? His cell phone was in his pocket. He took it out and called Greta.

"Greta, sorry to disturb, but can you tell me who my cleaner is? My bedroom is a bit of a mess and I need to get them in."

Greta sighed, she'd just been reading a new book, a paranormal romance, and it was a corker. So much sex in it that she was definitely reading the rest of the series, and happy to find there were fourteen books available. The only disappointment was that the vampires were the ugly bad guys and some league of handsome humans were the sexy hunters, it kind of didn't ring true for her, after all vampires were so powerful.

"I know Maryanne was cleaning for you, but maybe she stopped when you dropped her. I have her new number, hang on I'll text it to you." She switched to text and sent him Maryanne's number thinking let her deal with Drew, because in her opinion it was mean to change numbers and not let Drew know. Greta was a soft touch when it came to Drew, but she wanted him gone right then to go back to her reading.

Drew called Maryanne.

Maryanne had purposely not given Drew her new number because she wanted rid of him and his demands, and she had a new lover who was a dream. They could even go hunting together without the games Drew would often play, and she found she liked that, liked that her new lover was genuinely in love with her.

When Drew rang her she didn't have his number stored, and so she answered the call not knowing who it was.

"Maryanne, hello it's Drew. Greta gave me your number, she said you used to do some cleaning for me and I need someone. It will be a real job. I will pay. Greta implied we parted under a cloud, and I think it's a pity if you would like work, and I can provide it. What do you think?"

She was silent. He was different, and how was it he didn't remember what had happened between them? Her next thought was if this call was a trick of some kind.

"Drew, if you have me clean house for you it will need to be on a very professional footing, there will be nothing else. I want a decent salary."

Drew walked around the room and into the next one looking at the expensive furniture.

"Naturally Maryanne, you'll find I've changed a little. Is there any chance you might come around later? When are you comfortable with travelling?"

Maryanne was shocked, but she was always looking for a way to get a little more money. Unless her prey was cashed up, she wasn't game to use their credit cards these days, it was too risky, and the vampire community had plenty of business opportunities to share around. They didn't want attention drawn to themselves for petty crime when they killed mercilessly undetected.

"I'll come over as soon as the sun is down."

Drew was pleased then because not only would he have cleaning done that evening, he would have someone to talk to as well.

## Chapter Eight

Someone to talk to was exactly what Balthazar was thinking he probably needed to lift his spirits a little. He was still feeling down, inexplicably so. He decided to check on the horses, and perhaps the groom would be there at the stables and they could chat.

Balthazar walked over to the stables, and somewhere along the way, he decided he would go to the artist exhibition launch that evening at the gallery. It didn't feel so bad that the gallery was on the same street as the café belonging to the diabolical Drew when the thing was covered up with scaffolding and canvas.

He'd known about the influx of vampires all those years ago and the growing community of them in the two towns they seemed to have favored. After watching them for about a month, he'd decided to deal with them. He would break centuries of peace and declare war on the horrors, but it would mean he'd lose his special powers, and although he rarely used them they were precious to him. Balthazar had planned it all, and he knew he could do it easily with a couple of spells from his beloved book. He watched for a while longer, and as he saw them in their strange pair bonds, and groups merging into the community, actually displaying a sort of love for each other, he felt his own loneliness even more keenly.

He'd been in Greta's restaurant and he'd felt her confusion and intelligence as he scanned her intentions. He'd thought it a pity a woman like her was a vampire. She was a loss to the human race. He'd seen her with Pearl. A vampire who intrigued him with her tough as steel thoughts as he read them when she and Greta spent time chatting with Lance. Oh yes Balthazar knew them all, and he knew where they burned the corpses of their prey, and he knew Drew was some kind of leader until recently. The lovely woman whose thoughts couldn't be scanned as she walked to the local store was the cause of Drew losing leadership it seemed.

At the stables, Balthazar found his horses gone and no one around. It was likely they'd been given run of the adjacent paddock and he sent his thoughts out to feel the horses. They were running and feeling free exactly where he expected. He turned back to the house and thought again about his decision not to kill. He was alone, so very alone, and if he gave up his powers to kill these vampires, what if others came in their place? What if worse was to happen? He had people who relied on him, whose livelihood was his responsibility. He would be in a precarious position as an ancient being without abilities, and one who might live on forever.

He considered alerting the authorities to the killers in their midst, but knew he would be treated with suspicion himself. In the end, his loneliness won out. He couldn't lose his ancient abilities when he was so alone. He made a pact with himself. If he grew to detest his lonely life, he would give away all he had to those people who relied on him, and to those people and animals in need around him. He would conjure a spell so powerful it would rid the continent of vampires and take him with it.

Now he looked at the time on his cell phone. The afternoon was slipping away. He would eat a little, and then ready himself and go to that launch at the gallery. He wouldn't look at Greta's restaurant or Drew's house as he passed, and for once, he wouldn't tell himself he was a coward for not killing them.

## Chapter Nine

Devon drove everyone to the gallery launch party except for Seth who said he'd try to get Elise to come and then drive her there. Elise had been especially solitary since she'd left Drew for dead with her ancient magical blood killing him. The whole community of beings had felt her ripple of sadness until finally Tara asked her if she would mask all her thoughts. Elise was surprised at how sorry she was in the aftermath of poisoning Drew. She tried her best to remember just how murderous and fickle he was, but a remnant of sadness at his loss, and yes a remnant of love for him, lodged in her heart. She kept to herself working at the local plant nursery she shared ownership of, and didn't resume her place on the council with the other elders. They talked about her and worried over her, but left her alone. So now, Devon agreed with Seth and left him to it.

Bliss put her hand onto Devon's thigh as they reached the town where both the art gallery and Drew's café were located. She meant it to give and receive comfort because of the awful time she'd endured with Drew before Devon, and the lovely ancient beings rescued her. Devon took a deep breath because her touch fragmented his concentration, and he felt desire spark in his body. He glanced at her as they passed the café. Bliss was looking at him. He smiled slightly and his gaze was flooded with love and comfort. Bliss took her hand from his leg recognizing lust in his eyes as well as the love. She smiled back at him playfully.

They passed the art gallery and turned into the back streets in order to find parking in a small lot designed to hold the overflow from the supermarket.

Angharad got down from Devon's big vehicle and waited for Ffion by the side of it. She felt nervous about the launch party. It was not often one of them allowed attention to be drawn to themselves, and Tara had been especially worried over that aspect. The thing was though, Angharad had explained, they looked human, although it was often commented upon how good-looking they were. They acted human to society in the outside world, and they lived within it. Their businesses were well known now in the town where they lived, and no one was suspicious.

After Bliss had successfully joined the community because of Devon, their rule about inviting guests to their learning circles had been maintained, but a kind of compromise had begun when it came to inviting human friends to their homes. Several of the beings had welcomed that, and had people around for coffee after years of knowing them. It was good and bad Tara said. She tried to explain that Devon was precious to them, and desperate for the love Bliss offered, saying that they couldn't have every Tom, Dick, and Harry finding out as much about them as Bliss knew. The elders laughed aloud at that, but then fell silent because that much was true. Bliss and Devon were a special case.

When Ffion and Angharad walked into the art gallery followed closely by Devon and Bliss their glow and beauty had people staring. Opal hurried forward to greet Angharad, and Paul followed clutching the thank you flowers that were sent by Balthazar.

Opal and Paul worked hard to help the local artists as well as one or two they had managed to lure from different parts of the country. The town was famous on the tourist map, and they sold paintings in surprising numbers. They were both art school graduates and Balthazar had given them a chance when nothing else had gone right for them.

Angharad was very impressed by the flowers chiefly because she hadn't received flowers for many years, not like this, a massive well-chosen and obviously expensive bouquet as if she was special. She beamed at Paul as he told her who'd sent them and that although the launch was only just underway, she'd sold two more paintings, and her work was a huge success.

She introduced Paul and Opal to Bliss, Ffion, and Devon. Opal's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Devon. He loved Paul, but there was no harm in looking at such an attractive man. He'd always thought it would be hard to beat Balthazar in the looks department, but here was a definite contender. Devon understood Opal's stare and was gentle in his returning look. He had impeccable manners and shook their hands after Ffion and Bliss, with not a sign of knowing he was being looked up and down.

Angharad was looking around at the gallery, which was now quite crowded with people. The night was warm, and the door to the back of the gallery as well as the front was propped open with a little ornate antique chair. Paul had urged them to take drinks as the waiter came over, his tray laden with glasses of champagne. Being polite, they took the glasses, and cradled them as they all tried to mingle a little. Devon and Bliss were interested to see all of Angharad's paintings because they hadn't previously. They went hand in hand to look at them displayed along the back walls.

Ffion took hold of Angharad's hand in support as Opal praised her paintings to various people that Paul brought to meet them. Angharad was just finished talking about the light and color in her work with a group of people, and Ffion had taken their glasses still full of champagne to the small staff kitchen. Angharad turned and came face to face with Balthazar who had silently entered the gallery, and been lurking on the fringe of the small group of people listening to her.

He looked into her eyes and his heart flipped over. He felt tongue-tied for the first time in years and stood there in front of her, feeling as if he would do something outlandish such as pull her into his arms and cover her face with kisses. He was rescued by Opal coming along to introduce them, but only for a moment because Opal then politely left them to talk.

Balthazar wanted someone to talk to, but now he found he had no voice. He watched Opal walk away and then looked again at Angharad. She was reading him as they shook hands, and now her stomach was full of butterflies because she'd discovered that this beautiful man before her was very attracted to her. It was welcome. She'd long since given up the thought of a life partner, but recently as she watched Bliss and Devon she wished there was someone to hold hands with, and to kiss. Only two days ago, she'd been in the local supermarket, and a woman called the man she was with 'sweetie'. It was a gentle endearment. It sounded as if he was sweet and Angharad had repeated 'sweetie' in her mind, and wished there was someone with her to call 'sweetie'.

She knew Balthazar was floundering around trying to think of something to say after their initial meeting. He'd told her how kind she was to give him such an incredibly lovely painting. She dismissed her kindness and thanked him for the flowers saying it was great that her work had given him pleasure.

Now they stared at each other and Balthazar wished he could think of something else other than pushing the bodice of her dress down, and trailing wet kisses all over her lovely skin.

Angharad took the thought from his mind because she could, and it made her want him. She knew he was special as soon as she opened her mind to his thoughts, and then as she carelessly left her mind open, she looked at his dark hair and wished she had her hands in it. She looked at his lovely mouth and wished she was kissing him. Then her gaze travelled to his body. Strong, elegant, and so sexy she thought, as she imagined what it might be like to run her hands over his skin.

Balthazar broke into a smile because her thoughts were all over his mind and they resonated with his, and now he knew she too had telepathic abilities. He was so happy she felt the way she did that he couldn't stop smiling, and it gave him his voice back.

"Angharad, would you like to have a drink, the night is warm, and you've probably been talking a lot?" His voice was gentle, low, and it flowed over her.

"As long as it's orange juice or water since I've secretly had to get rid of champagne, which was kindly meant, but that I'm unable to drink. Balthazar, that's an unusual name these days, lovely though," she added smiling, trying to seem at ease.

Balthazar melted under that smile and led the way to the small bar where drinks were dispensed either to the waiter with his tray, or guests as they passed by.

Ffion watched the exchange between Balthazar and Angharad from a safe distance. She had felt the slight surge of power as Angharad read this gorgeous guy's thoughts, and now she sought out Bliss and Devon.

"Bliss, Devon, check out Angharad, I think she's fallen in love," and she smiled at them as she said this, but they both knew from the look on her face that she meant it seriously.

Bliss turned because Devon had his arm around her waist. He'd been occasionally brushing his lips in her hair or against her ear as they had walked around the gallery. Bliss with similar inability to keep her hands off Devon had her arm around him, and leaned in to brush her cheek against his chest, or smooth along the side of his body with her free hand. Ffion watching this and now the display of mutual attraction between Angharad and the guy she was with, felt positively left out.

Both Bliss and Devon looked at the couple standing by the bar picking up glasses of what looked like water with ice and lemon.

Angharad saw them looking over, and confident that it would be okay, she moved around Balthazar to take his free hand, and lead him to her friends. Balthazar was elated. He could feel every cell in his body tingle at her touch. He clasped her hand gently, but possessively in his as they walked. He wasn't thinking about the people that she was leading him towards at all, even as he smiled at them. He was thinking about who Angharad really was because now she was holding his hand he could feel the nature of her telepathy and it felt like his own.

Angharad introduced them all to each other. She grinned mischievously at Ffion who sent her a thought, 'lucky you he's gorgeous'. Ffion saw Balthazar's eyes and knew he'd heard that thought too.

Ffion glanced at Devon trying to catch his eyes and signal her need to have a private word with him. She daren't send him a thought even though she was capable of it because she felt sure that Balthazar would know. Anyway, it might give Devon a shock as it had been ages since any of them had done it.

Devon just by chance glanced at Ffion as Bliss was talking with Balthazar about the flowers he'd sent to Angharad that she'd seen earlier. Devon knew right away that Ffion wanted to say something and her earnest expression made him smile. He announced to them all that he and Ffion would get everyone a cool drink because the place was very warm now, even though Balthazar and Angharad held drinks in their hands.

Balthazar talked about the florist he used.

"They have the best flower shop in the county in my opinion." Bliss smiled at this thinking he must love flowers.

Angharad hung on his every word because his voice was music to her and his hand around hers was exuding emotion. Stupid as it sounded even in her own mind, she felt loved just in the way he held her hand.

They talked about flowers and how Devon had planted huge amounts in his garden, which was the longest Bliss had ever seen. It seemed safe ground to Bliss. She could see the longing on Angharad's face, and noticed the way Balthazar was holding her hand. Not just holding it. Holding it to his body, as if she was already beloved.

Bliss made an excuse to follow Devon and help with the drinks.

She reached Devon and Ffion who were deep in some whispered conversation to one side of the bar. Ffion looked up solicitously at Bliss.

"Bliss, I've been telling Devon there's something odd about dishy Balthazar. I swear he was reading my mind and you know I can tell, of course you do. It worries me, but at the same time, it was a gentle sweep, and I could feel the goodness in him. I would really like Tara and Jon, or Erik to meet him. Look at them both now," and she nodded her head towards Balthazar and Angharad, who were so close their faces were nearly touching.

"They seem to be completely smitten with each other. I hope he's not a vampire. Devon you would have felt that wouldn't you? I'm still not that skilled at it for whatever reasons, fear probably." She talked quickly and almost breathlessly, first glancing at Devon, and then at Bliss, taking in that they'd resumed holding each other. Bliss with her hand along Devon's arm and he with his hand covering hers, holding her hand in place. Ffion grinned at them. "I have to say being around both you and Bliss, and now Balthazar and Angharad is entertaining. None of you can stop touching each other."

Devon smiled. "Sorry Ffion, I don't think about it. It's second nature to me. What you said about Balthazar though, now that is interesting, and no, he's not a vampire, but he's not human either. His scent, which I only caught when he gazed at Angharad for a few seconds in our conversation, is reminiscent of Erik, Jon, Seth, actually all of you really, Ffion," he said raising his eyebrows. "I would have told you as soon as we were alone, but you were there making eyes at me to talk, and you've not stopped talking since we got over here." Devon smiled at her and put his hand gently on her shoulder. He thought of her as a sister like Marguerite and she knew that.

It was only recently, since the Drew incident, that he'd even considered identifying the beings by scent. He sighed inwardly not sure of his abilities anymore and continued, "One thing though, he's masking his scent, and I think he let it slip when he looked at Angharad. He may even be masking his thoughts and appearance for all I know."

Devon, Bliss, and Ffion stood by the bar forgetting completely they were there to get cool drinks, and they looked at each other, and then at Balthazar and Angharad, not really knowing what to do next. They turned simultaneously and silently to face the bar.

The decision was taken from them when belatedly Seth arrived. He was alone and looking forlorn as he strode into the gallery. He saw them at the bar as the small crowd parted slightly to give this new arrival, a tall, handsome man space to walk. Seth sped to them without noticing. Seth was striking, and moved with grace, his faded blue jeans low on his hips, the cuffs of his white shirt rolled up once showing his lightly tanned skin. The shirt was embroidered in white thread along the back shoulders but was otherwise plain. It suited him and moved with his muscular frame. His hair was dark like Balthazar's, but his eyes were different. Instead of vivid green, Seth's eyes were pale green like the sea in tropical places. Places where you could see deep into the ocean the green of it was so pale and inviting.

Devon let go of Bliss and clasped Seth halfway along his arm I friendship.

"Hey Seth, I thought you'd decided against coming here. It's nearly over. Are you okay? You look a little down."

Seth let out a deep breath and then shrugged. "Sorry about being late. Elise just couldn't be persuaded to come over. I stayed too long attempting to reason with her, and in the end she became upset. I guess she still thinks of Drew. I don't know if it's regret at the way he died or that he died at all." He looked sad for a moment and then looked around him. "Where's Angharad? Hey, her paintings look great don't they? He was looking along the walls where he recognized her work.

They all four looked around for Angharad, but she was no longer in the gallery. She was with Balthazar, in the little walled garden at the back of the gallery, his arms around her, pressing her gently close to his body. They decided to get a little fresh air both knowing what it really meant, both knowing they were longing to touch each other more, and kiss each other.

They'd only walked a few steps into the garden where the smell of honeysuckle was strong and sultry, when Balthazar crushed her to him. He'd looked for a second into her eyes to make sure she was feeling the same as he was, and then he'd emptied his mind of all thought and kissed her. He moved a hand up from her waist to hold her face to his and kissed her hungrily, until she opened her lips and they slowly, tentatively, touched their tongues together. This slow caress was so erotic that it took their breath away, and they rested their foreheads together just for a few seconds before their lips met again, in what could only be described as the sexiest kiss Angharad had ever felt.

Balthazar felt like taking her home and making love to her for a week, but he couldn't risk losing her, and although he was certain without reading her mind again that she wanted him too, he was acutely aware that they'd only just met.

Angharad as old and wise as she was knew that Balthazar was not an ordinary man and she suspected he was one of her own ancient people. How could she broach this and what if she was wrong? What if in the thrall of his kisses, and the lure of his sexuality, she was mistaken? There were humans with agile and reaching minds, they were few, and far between, but they existed, and maybe she'd happened upon one. The only ancient people left as far as she knew were in her own small community, so how could there be one alone, and unknown to them?

He pressed against her. She felt his erection, hard and inviting. She wanted him so much she was shocked by it. He would think her depraved at this rate she considered, as she pressed back and put her hands around his hips to have him closer if it was possible. They started to smile as they kissed each other knowing they both wanted the same thing. Then as Balthazar trailed kisses across her throat, cheek, and up to her ear he whispered, "Let me drive you home tonight. Did you drive here or are you with friends?"

This was exactly what she wanted to hear. She sighed in pleasure at the kisses he placed down her neck to her shoulder and at the thought of his driving her home.

"It will be lovely if you drive me home, but I do live a couple of towns away. It's not a short drive, and yes I came over with friends."

He stopped kissing her and took her face in his hands.

"You're special, Angharad, and I feel such a powerful attraction to you that it takes my breath away. I hope you don't think I'm just some sexual predator out for a one night stand."

Angharad laughed at this. "I know you're not. I have some questions for you that I really need answered."

Balthazar raised his eyebrows and they reluctantly broke apart to re-enter the gallery. He held her hand and as they went in through the door, he brought it to his lips. Angharad felt a new wave of desire and swallowed thinking she would keep this man if she could, if possible, somehow.

Seth saw them and put out a hand to Ffion as he realized who Balthazar was. Ffion looked at Seth's face as his fingers tightened slightly on her arm. He looked shocked, and he bent his head to whisper to her. "He's one of us, older than me, but I remember him. Tara will know him, so will others." Seth shook his head in wonder at Ffion adding, "That's Balthazar. How incredible is this, did you meet him?"

Ffion shook her head her eyes widening. "Not before tonight and I don't know who you mean, Seth. I suspected him of being something. I didn't know what, because he blatantly read our minds as we met."

Seth gave a very low whistle. "Did he? That's unusual for someone like him. Maybe he was so bowled over by Angharad that he just lost it." Ffion giggled and gave him a little push.

"Lost it. Bowled over. Seth that's very funny. Just who is he? If he's one of us then why don't I know him?"

"Seriously Ffion, love can do that, drive you to your knees so that you can't think straight," Seth said in a low voice, his eyes still on Angharad. Ffion was surprised by his words.

"It seems as if you know first-hand," she said softly, looking at him with a question in her eyes.

"What? Oh just heard it," Seth dismissed the conversation, and he gave her a warning glance as Balthazar and Angharad reached them.

Angharad smiled at the four of them. "Balthazar will drive me home, Devon. That will be okay, Ffion?" She hadn't really asked it was more like a statement.

Balthazar was staring at Seth, and Seth sent him a warrior's greeting in his mind.

"My respects old one, do you remember me?"

Balthazar was stunned, firstly because he did recognize Seth, and secondly by the greeting. It was the first time in centuries he'd been greeted like this. It speared his heart with a mix of sadness and joy. He replied to Seth by thought, "Seth, high warrior, thank you for your courtesy. It's been a very long time since I was so greeted and met any of my race."

They were looking at each other intently and Devon cleared his throat.

"Angharad, if that's what you want, but I've got misgivings. Sorry I know that sounds paternal, but you know we've all been through a few things lately. I don't know what I would say to Tara if this should turn out badly." He grimaced slightly in apology whilst searching her face for understanding.

Angharad understood, but put her hand on Devon's arm sending him a soothing feeling.

"I know, but it will be okay, really. I'll call you later tonight. Thank you for your care." She smiled at everyone then and Balthazar sparkled at them all. He gave Seth the tiniest bow almost imperceptibly, but both Ffion and Devon saw it. Then they were going out of the front door of the gallery where Paul stood waving off other guests. They stopped for the briefest time and spoke to him, but then as Devon, Ffion, Seth, and Bliss watched, they left the gallery.

Ffion who actually was the youngest of the beings in the newly extended elders council, laughed happily. She thought it huge fun that Angharad had left with this hot guy.

Ffion was very skilled. She had extraordinary powers of mind manipulation. It was her skills used when Devon rescued Bliss after she'd been kidnapped by Pearl Pearson for Drew. Ffion suddenly grew serious. "Okay Seth, you need to tell me who he is, and if he's one of us as you said, why don't I know, and for that matter why doesn't Angharad know him?"

"It's simple, he's one of our ancients, what you might now call a warrior magician. Not rabbits out of hats, but ancient and real magic, healing and such, a bit like Tara, but if you can believe this, older and more powerful.

You don't know him. About a third of the general community amongst us including Angharad, Elise, and others will not know him by sight, because Ffion, you're all from a different part of the world.

Remember we met answering the ancient call to re-group. We were two sets of people then to travel north. Your group came up from ancient Tuscany, which you call Tyrsenoi. You joined with my people intending to travel north, but we never did because the other group expected from the Far East didn't arrive.

Centuries ago, Balthazar was known to my people as one of our ancients of Danu. When we travelled to meet your group, he and two others were travelling elsewhere. They sent word that they'd catch us up, but they never arrived. Eventually we came up to the seat of the high kings, realized that was a mistake, and after wandering about a bit just dropped anchor here." Seth smiled at everyone thrilled that Balthazar was alive.

Ffion thought for a moment. "I've heard of the ancients of Danu as the name of a sect of our really powerful people, but never their individual names. So he's one of them? He's gorgeous, but seems hardly skilled at all, could you be mistaken, Seth?"

"Not a chance, Ffion. I spoke to him telepathically and he responded. Let's go home and tell Tara." He looked hopefully with his beautiful, ocean green eyes at Devon, Bliss, and Ffion, and they looked back at him wide-eyed.

Seth was taking Ffion home. They set off to where his car was parked, and Devon with his arm around Bliss walked back to his vehicle in the overflow car park.

They were all to meet at Tara's as soon as they hit their hometown.

## Chapter Ten

Balthazar couldn't believe what had happened. He held Angharad's hand as they walked to his truck. He glanced at her smiling as they turned up the alleyway that would lead them to his personal parking space behind the garden of the art gallery. Angharad had closed her mind and was waiting to feel evidence of his attempts to read it again. She was determined to discover who he really was, and if he was ordinarily human. She expected he wasn't, but she knew now how to detect vampires, and he wasn't one. His mind seemed chaotic so maybe he wasn't one of her race, but he felt like one she thought in confusion. She smiled back at him.

They reached his Chevrolet truck. It was lit by the one old-fashioned street lamp, situated in the middle of the small pad of concrete at the back of the gallery garden wall. It wasn't possible to get to the car park through the garden as there was no gate, and the wall was more than seven feet high. Once upon a time Balthazar could have leapt it easily with his mind controlling a surge of kinetic energy, but he'd let most of his powers lie asleep for a long time, longer than he should have he knew that now, because here was at least three people who might belong to branches of his ancient race.

Balthazar opened the passenger side door. He was about to lift Angharad up into the truck, when as he put his hands on her waist, she put her arms up around his neck, and pulled his head down to kiss him. He let her kiss him for a second, to feel the press of her lips and the softness of her face against his. Then he moved a hand to hold her head to his and kissed her back until he heard her make a soft sound of pleasure. He stopped then and moved away slightly to look into her eyes.

"We need to leave before I stop breathing out of sheer longing to make love to you," he whispered, and yet he started to kiss her again. Balthazar felt so good he decided that nothing else mattered except her at that moment. He'd lived so long and recently felt excruciatingly alone, but now his hope was kindled. He knew his wits were a little scattered by meeting Angharad. The physical side of it was doing the scattering, because he hadn't felt sexually aroused in so long, he couldn't remember the last time. No one had touched his heart, his mind, or his body the way Angharad was doing. It screamed to him for truth and permanence. If she was playing with him it would break his heart, he just knew it.

She wasn't playing with him. As she kissed his delicious mouth, and then his cheek, and neck in the hollow where it met his chest, she pushed his shirt down further and decided she was going to make love to him that night no matter what. She sighed and gently pulled away from him.

"Come home with me. It's a distance, but you can stay as long as you want, the night, days, weeks, years..." She trailed off as he took a deep breath, and then letting it out in relief at her invitation, he smiled a devastatingly heart melting smile, and nodded.

"Yes to all of them." He lifted her up onto the seat of the truck, and closed the door with his heart beating fast and a smile on his lips that he couldn't stop.

He flew around to the other side of the truck and leapt into his driver's side. He leaned over the transmission and kissed Angharad. "Okay where do you live?" He asked.

The journey to Angharad's place would take them past Balthazar's home. He wondered if he should ask her if she'd like to see the place, when they neared it, but then he didn't know how that would sound. They were on the outskirts of town when Angharad saw Seth's red Jeep Wrangler pass them on the outside lane as they entered the main highway. She decided to ask Balthazar questions and instead of using her voice, she sent him a thought.

"You are like me aren't you, telepathic?"

She saw him hear her thought as she looked at him. In touching his mind fleetingly, she found it calm this time, and very strong. It was infinite as if there were no boundaries.

Balthazar spoke. "I can hear your thoughts and read your thoughts. I don't know if I am like you. We need to talk, but maybe not yet." He was reluctant to talk in the car because it was all so special and serious. He wanted no misunderstandings between them.

Angharad could see his discomfort, and she shuffled sideways in her seat belt and put her head against his arm where she could reach. He sighed in happiness when she did this.

"I hope we are alike. It's my dearest wish. I hope we're at the start of something wonderful. That's how it feels to me."

Angharad slipped her hand onto his leg about halfway down his thigh. It felt to Balthazar that she'd put her hand much higher up he had such a reaction to it. He was almost to the point where he could turn off the highway to his own home and he considered telling her.

Angharad had moved away from him, and was contemplating what he'd just said. It was in her opinion too good to be true, and yet he seemed to be being honest, and it was what she wanted too. As he passed the exit on the highway for his own home, she decided to call Tara. She got her cell phone out of her little, sparkly evening bag and told him.

"Balthazar, it may seem odd, but my people will worry over me and the way Seth drives he'll more than likely just be reaching the town where we all live. I feel I should call."

Balthazar nodded and then before she started keying in Tara's number he said,

"Do you know Seth well? Is he part of who you call your people?"

Angharad didn't key in the number instead she glanced at Balthazar questioningly and answered. "I do know him well. He's a trusted friend, and a valued member of the group I call my people why? I have to admit when you two saw each other it seemed to me that there was something between you. You know I read your thoughts just a little back at the gallery, but not much. Just enough to know I was safe with you because my people and I have had some difficulties recently and I didn't want a repeat. I try not to do too much of it, and I didn't do it when you met Seth at the bar." She stopped talking abruptly watching a big smile come onto Balthazar's lovely face.

She keyed in the number for Tara and when Tara picked up she said happily, "Hello Tara, it's me, Angharad," as if Tara wouldn't know her voice, or that her name and number wouldn't have come up on Tara's cell phone screen. Tara was smiling and Angharad could hear it in her voice.

"Both Ffion and Seth have called already. They are right now pulling into my driveway in Seth's car. I know who you're with. Seth has told me and I can't wait to meet him again, it's been centuries. Angharad you have found one of our ancients of Danu. We thought he'd passed long ago. It's incredible that he's here in this country alive. You won't have met him, or know his name, but you must have heard of the group called the ancients of Danu." Angharad let out a low breath.

"Yes I have. I never met any of them. I did once hear their names, but I'd forgotten them all. It would never have occurred to me that they were still around. Tara I'll call you tomorrow, or come and see you, yes come and see you. Goodnight." She pressed her hang up button and put her cell phone away.

Balthazar could have listened in, but he hadn't. He really didn't use his abilities much at all usually. It would have been rude to listen to her phone call anyway, and he fell back on that thought as he felt her stare. Something had been said and he knew it had to be Seth. He sighed.

"Is it okay? Are you in trouble with your people?"

Angharad was in awe of him now, and although she still found him outrageously sexy and gorgeous, she was suddenly aware of the difference in their status. She stared at him and he knew things had changed.

"Please don't, Angharad," he said softly. "Please don't tell me something has changed between us. I couldn't take it right now even though we've only just met I felt so happy. You've distanced yourself from me. I can feel it. I could look into your mind, but it would be wrong right now. Tell me what Tara said please?"

They were not so far from her hometown now and were passing the hotel on the outskirts, the road going around in a circle for people to take various exits or to remain on the highway. She told him which way to go and he took the exit to the town. They passed the abbey and went over the medieval bridge with the traffic lights in their favor, and Angharad directed him to her house.

She hadn't answered him. She put her hand back on his leg, and nudged her head against his upper arm in a comforting gesture. They drove up the long drive to her house hidden by two tall hedgerows from the road. As they parked outside her front door, sensor lights came on and lit the place up. She took off her seat belt as Balthazar stopped the engine, turned off his headlights, and turned to her.

"Please come inside. We'll talk," Angharad murmured.

He got out of the truck and walked around to help her down. His heart was heavy. Had she been warned off him somehow? As soon as he'd heard the name Tara, knowing who Seth was, he'd deduced correctly that Tara was one of the close relatives of the high kings and queens. Had to be a princess in fact, and she could tell her women who and when they were allowed to be with no matter who he was.

He opened the door wider and put up his hands to hold hers, but she took his hands and placed them on her waist. She leaned to reach his lips and kissed him to feel the magic of the way they responded to each other earlier.

Balthazar kissed her until they were both feeling almost dizzy with the same longing they'd felt for each other in the little, gallery garden. He pulled her down to him then, his arms around her making sure she was safely on the path. They smiled a little at each other. Angharad only knew she wanted him no matter who he was, and that it felt as if he wanted her. Balthazar closed the truck door and they walked to the front door of the house where Angharad took out her keys and let them in.

She held his hand and took him down the hall and into a room that had books lining the entire area of one wall. She switched on a lamp. Balthazar could see a large sofa covered in cream colored, cotton fabric, and a low pine table butted against one end, which held several books, some of them open as if Angharad was in the middle of reading them.

She turned to him and put her arms around his waist hugging him and she whispered.

"I know you are the same as me, Tara told me, but we need each other now right now, so let's not talk yet. Kiss me, Balthazar, please."

Balthazar closed his eyes as he rested his cheek against the top of her head, put his arms around her waist, and then lifted her slightly. He took her to sit close against him on the sofa.

They immediately began to kiss each other. Angharad moved to kneel alongside him in order to undo his shirt buttons and kiss his chest working her way up to his lips, and then down to his stomach muscles as he held her, his hands gently in her hair.

He unzipped the bodice she was wearing. He was breathless when he found that was it, the thing was underwear and outerwear, the velvet softly hiding the sewn in support that was now falling away from her breasts.

He brought her face up to his to kiss her, and felt her tongue gentle against his lips.

Angharad felt his hands exploring her breasts as he kissed her. It felt exotic and she wanted the rest of her clothes gone so that she could have his hands all over her.

Balthazar almost groaned with the need to feel more of her skin, and then he did what he had wanted to do the moment he saw her. He trailed wet kisses over her breasts until he realized she was beginning to move over him, straddle him. His heart was beating fast as he felt her trying to open his jeans and succeed. Angharad wanted him badly and she pulled his head up gently to kiss his lips and told him that. "Please Balthazar, I want you, need you now, take your clothes off."

Balthazar couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as he kissed her hard and pulled her to her feet with him to hold her hips against his. They moved against each other and he said softly, "Angharad, you take my clothes off."

His shirt was already on the floor. She kissed his body and his thighs as she purposely slowly worked his jeans and shorts down to his feet and found them bare. Balthazar had kicked off his loafers that he'd worn that night. As Angharad worked her way down his body, Balthazar unclipped her hair and now it fell all over his skin producing a shiver of desire in his stomach. He stepped out of his jeans and took hold of Angharad bringing her face to his and kissing her, the tip of his tongue circling hers.

Balthazar unzipped her jeans and pushed them down over her hips taking her underwear with them until he found he couldn't stand it any longer. He picked her up taking her to sit across his lap, pushing the jeans and underwear off her ankles, her shoes falling off as he lifted her. They sighed kissing as the feel of their skin against each other's teased their senses.

Angharad pressed against him, she wanted to be back straddling him now, and he helped her as she turned, and then with her lips against his, and one hand guiding she sank onto his erection. Slowly, gently, but right down until they both stopped kissing each other, and breathed against each other's lips to regain some kind of control over their emotions. Balthazar held her hips gently and started to rock her. He kissed her breasts as she nuzzled his neck, his ear, and their lips met again. It was so good for Angharad that she knew it would take seconds before his rocking movement brought the waves of pleasure that were threatening to engulf her. She told him against his lips just how lovely it all felt. Balthazar moved his hands to cup her bottom pulling her just that little more snugly onto him, and as he did that Angharad shuddered with pleasure, the waves of orgasm washing over her as she kept her lips against his, the tip of her tongue on his. She was breathless, and he lifted her still wrapped around him to lay her on the sofa and started to thrust into her pussy in long slow strokes that had her clinging to him. It took his breath away as they both felt the rush of intense pleasure again from their lovemaking. Balthazar left his lips against hers and then they smiled at each other.

"That felt like heaven to me," Angharad told him as he trailed his fingers over her face and down her neck to her breasts. His cock was still inside her and he moved his body slightly so that he wasn't crushing her. Now he kissed her softly on the side of her mouth and then on her lips before he answered.

"Me too. My heart hasn't stopped pounding out of my chest yet. I can't believe this has happened. I've been so lonely, so alone. I needed to meet you Angharad. I needed to have you make love to me, even if you'd stopped at kissing me it would have been my saving." Balthazar stopped talking and kissed Angharad for a long time. They slowly made love to each other again and this time Balthazar couldn't keep the words in.

"I love you already. I really do."

She sighed and held his head to her breasts, as they lay close against each other on the length of the sofa trying to breathe normally. She kissed his forehead and as he looked up at her, bent her head to reach his mouth. She kissed him tenderly.

"It might seem impossible to anyone else, but I feel the same. I love you too."

They held each other tenderly for a long time. It was growing very late and they decided to have some tea and then to go to bed, because Balthazar was staying for as long as she wanted him.

They pulled on their jeans and Balthazar put his shirt on Angharad. She grinned at him as he walked barefoot and in just his jeans with her to the kitchen. "Balthazar, I'm hardly going to be able to sit next to you and drink a cup of tea without desperately wanting to touch you. I could run upstairs and get myself a T-shirt so that you can have your shirt back."

Balthazar grinned. "I like your touch. I'd like your hands on me all the time."

She made tea as he wandered around the kitchen looking totally gorgeous, and picking up bunches of herbs, or a potted plant from the windowsill, and finally talking about who he was.

"I believe Tara will have told you we're of the same ancient race. I thought there was no one left. I arrived too late centuries ago at our meeting place, and everyone was gone. There was no trace. I expected as much of course because that had been the agreement, new spells cast to hide the trail, but I thought with all my skills I'd finally catch up with someone, sometime. I didn't, and I simply stopped searching."

Angharad went to him and held him tight.

"How awful to find them gone."

He took her hug of comfort and kissed her softly.

"That's all over now I've found you. I still can't believe you and the others are here so close to where I finally just stopped looking."

They talked then about the community in town, where everyone had come from, and who the elders were within the group. Balthazar was feeling blessed. Angharad and he took showers, and cuddled up in her bed together. He began to tell her a little more about himself. How he hardly used his ancient abilities. How he'd at first worked and then left it to others to continue his businesses whilst he simply started more. He told her about all his names. Angharad smiled, and kissed him often as she traced her fingers around his beloved face, and over the muscles in his arms, and down his chest and stomach. They had the window open and an owl hooted somewhere close by. Balthazar caught Angharad's hand and brought her knuckles to his lips.

"I forgot to get my flowers from the kitchen in the art gallery," Angharad said, as he began to kiss her face, lingering on the side of her mouth until she desperately wanted the kiss on her lips.

He kissed her eyelids as she closed her eyes, and he whispered, "I'll buy you more, as many as you want, hundreds of flowers."

## Chapter Eleven

As the launch party was going on in the art gallery, a little way up the same street, Jake and Bodie were surveying the changes already apparent on the inside of Drew's café. They stood talking to the vampire who was painting the last wall white, and all of them were of the same opinion.

"Something weird must have happened to Drew. This change in him is unbelievable, I almost expect him to announce he's giving up blood." Bodie laughed after he said this.

"No that's not going to happen I saw him finish off a pretty girl in here last night. What was odd was that he hadn't or wasn't going to take her home to bed first," Jake told him, and they gave each other a look of understanding.

"I can't stand him actually," the painter said, as he stood back to survey the last roll of his handiwork. Vincent let the paint roller plop into his paint tray, and walked over to where he'd left a drink on a nearby canvas covered table.

Sophie who had stripped the window of its Celtic design joined them, and the four vampires stood there looking at the blank pane of glass.

"It's not tinted enough for us to be near it during the day. Those of us who take a shift in the mid-afternoon will feel it. I've always said close for a siesta and open late at night, but Drew just hasn't wanted to spring for the paychecks, maybe now he will." Jake went up to the glass and felt along it with his fingertips. "You've done a great job there Sophie. I thought we'd have to get in new glass. You've saved us money we can use ourselves. What's your feeling about putting up a pale design, maybe green and wavy like plants or seaweed? Hey yeah seaweed. I'd like that. Pale green you know, but something extra to cut the sunlight. Do you think Jimbo might be up for putting us an awning on the outside? You know what? I'm getting a feel for this decoration stuff. I'd like a pale green and white striped awning. He could fit that in the night no trouble if he wants the job at all." Jake was nodding, pleased with everything, especially since the banker had called in with a credit card and checkbook for him that morning. He felt as if finally Drew was being decent.

Sophie had her hands on her hips looking at the big pane of glass.

"Jimbo will want the job and will fit an awning. I'll get onto it right away," she said. They lived together so Jake knew it would happen.

"I can do seaweed, Jake, you big softie." She nudged him with her elbow as he passed.

Vincent was packing up and still thinking about how much he disliked Drew.

"If Drew had asked for this rush job, Jake, I'd have said kiss my paint roller, but you're welcome. I'll do the gloss on the woodwork tomorrow night. You could be open this weekend if Sophie and Jimbo get it together. Has Annabelle said she will come back to work here?"

They all knew what had happened with Annabelle. As Jake answered that she'd decided to come and work for Drew again, he also expressed his surprise to them with his facial expression.

Bodie grinned. "At twice her normal salary," he said.

"I'm putting time sheets in at the accountant already at our new rates because seriously, I'm just waiting for Drew to show up back to his normal, arrogant, mean self. I'll be annoyed if I haven't even got my new salary before then." Jake smiled, but was serious. He couldn't fathom what was happening with Drew and had been thinking about it that afternoon as he sat with his glass of blood, his feet up on a chair at the back of the café. He was reading the news on his laptop, and an advertisement for paint in a pop-up window had reminded him of Drew. Jake was one of those vampires who needed next to no sleep, and as long as he was in semi-darkness or the night most of the time he was even tempered. Unlike the old Drew, who he'd considered capricious.

The vampires were all off hunting together that night a couple of towns away in a city that was flooded with tourists for the flower festival held there annually. It was promising to be rich pickings if the news reports about attendance at the nightspots, evening food, and music festivities, were anything to go by. No one had invited Drew.

Maryanne drove into Drew's garage in the space that her car would have occupied if they'd still been living together. She found the side entrance to the house unlocked having tried it before ringing the bell She started up the stairs to the main living areas and at the same time called out Drew's name.

Drew knew she was there, her car engine, her footsteps, the turn of the door handle, and he was waiting at the door to the living room when she appeared at the top of the stairs.

Maryanne had always found Drew attractive, and even though she'd left him, she found herself staring the way she always did at his lovely eyes and the dark hair falling over his forehead, at the way he moved as he turned, and asked her to come into the drawing room.

He sat down on an authentic regency chair, and indicated a chair for her opposite him at the small Georgian table in one corner.

His feet were bare, his jeans were loose on his lean frame and rumpled, his shirt undone. Maryanne could tell that although his hair was clean and glossy it was uncombed. He ran his hand through it to take it from his forehead and his blue eyes twinkled.

He was looking at her too, thinking how lovely she was with her hair piled on top of her head, and little wisps all falling out to frame her high cheekbones and sultry eyes. She was younger that he expected and he sighed wondering why he had no memory of her.

"I'll get straight to the point, Maryanne. I'll pay you whatever you ask and I'd like you to clean for me, the whole place. How long do you think that would take or would it need splitting into two or three visits a week?" He sounded sincere, and Maryanne began to laugh.

"Drew, I'm a vampire. I can clean the whole place from top to bottom very well in a short amount of time. Have you forgotten?" She watched his expression. He had forgotten, how bizarre.

"No of course...what was I thinking...can you start tonight? There's a particular scent around the place that I want gone. It disturbs me. Once a week for the clean after this one, anytime you like." He seemed so unlike his usual self that Maryanne was kinder to him than she expected herself to be. She hadn't planned on starting that night, but she could.

"I'll start tonight. I expect the scent is the one I detect. Your former ladylove no doubt, Drew. Right then, is the cleaning stuff still in the usual places?" She watched a frown appear between Drew's eyes and a slight hint of what could be pain flickered in his eyes. She waited for his reply.

Drew heard the word 'ladylove', and something flickered in his memory. He looked at Maryanne. "Sorry I'm not sure maybe you can check," he said, referring to the cleaning things.

Maryanne got up and was gone before he really pulled himself together. What was happening to him? He felt disoriented and annoyed with his memory. It was getting worse he thought. He had no memory of Maryanne, and looked a fool talking to her as if she was human. He got up from the chair and drifted into the kitchen where Maryanne had finished cleaning and was about to go into the dining room. He followed her and tried to converse with her even though she was moving very quickly.

"Maryanne, I don't remember what happened between us, but I'm sorry if it was unpleasant," he said, as she flashed past him and the place was free of the layer of dust he'd noticed. She stopped then and turned to face him.

"Forget it, Drew, it's over, we were just not suited, and anyway you seemed to be in love with that witch so it was best we split up." She was off then up to the library having surveyed the drawing room and decided to do it last.

Drew ran his hand through his hair as he followed her.

Funny how simply getting the house cleaned was bringing so much information to light for him he thought. The littlest things had the greatest impact sometimes.

"I don't actually remember her, the 'ladylove' you talked about, the witch."

Maryanne stopped and looked at him amusement and disbelief in her eyes.

"You're joshing me right?"

Drew wasn't and she could tell that by the almost sad look that crossed his face.

"No Maryanne, I've lost my memory truth be told. I don't know anything about myself other than what Greta's told me, and now you." He opened his eyes wide and shrugged. She knew then it was true.

Maryanne stifled a desire to use this against him somehow. She must be going soft she thought.

"Drew, that's horrible. What happened, hit on the head or something?" She was wondering what could possibly have done that because apart from appearing buck naked in the midday sun or a spear of some kind through the heart she thought they were relatively indestructible.

Drew shook his head. "Not got a clue, Maryanne, other than Greta said she found me dead and withering up. Then she fed me her blood, and I came around."

Maryanne stood still and looked at Drew with a serious expression on her face.

"You came back from dead? You were made a vampire a second time? That's odd, firstly that you were dead without being burned or speared, and secondly that you were re-vamped for want of a better term. The whole thing seems a little on the spooky side, Drew." Maryanne laughed a little nervously. The whole vampire stuff was weird enough. She remembered being turned, and knew it entailed death, but to do it over, how was that possible?

Drew saw the flicker of unease in her eyes and then he pressed her again.

"I apologize, Maryanne, but what do you mean by witch? He asked, and almost seemed to bow to her slightly before he continued, "Was the 'ladylove' a witch, or is that some derogatory term?"

Maryanne smiled at his cultured voice and formal speech. He sounded like the old aristocracy she knew him to be. The fifteenth century was stamped all over him at that moment despite the black jeans.

"She was a real witch. I'm surprised Greta hasn't filled you in on this stuff. Not to be too personal, but you were obsessed with her. Her name is Elise, yeah that's right Elise, and they say you killed your brother over her. Damn how could you forget that? I had to clear up the bloody mess in the drawing room including the sword you used to spear him through the door. I reckon, though I'm not sure, that you dumped his body in the foundry as usual. That's how it seemed." Maryanne was incredulous.

Drew sat down on the chaise longue that was alongside one of the walls of books. He put his hands down on the leather seat as if to hold himself up. He couldn't remember any of it and the idea was outrageous. I killed my own brother?

"Who are they that say this? Was he like us, Maryanne, a vampire?" Drew finally asked as Maryanne blurred around the place dusting.

She stopped and started up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Drew followed her.

She looked in each and then started to clean Drew's room up as she answered.

"He was."

She'd tidied up, wiped down the surface of his chests and table, made his bed, and now she stood in front of him ready to finish with his bathroom.

"I'm completely at a loss for words," Drew said, and sat down on the end of his bed.

Maryanne got through the bathroom quickly and stacked the cleaning materials inside the bucket that doubled as a container for them, so that she could carry them easily.

She glanced at Drew. He was noticeably shaken by her revelations.

They walked downstairs in human fashion, and she stopped at a big integral cupboard in the hall near the kitchen to put the cleaning things away.

"I might drop by tomorrow and vacuum clean the bedroom carpet, but other than that the place is fine really. You always did like it clean. I could come around every Tuesday night and clean for you." She followed him into the living room where the swords decorated the walls, and where the door still had the damage from what he'd done to Devon.

Drew touched the splintered hole and looked around at the swords on the wall.

"Which one was it?" he asked, and she knew he meant 'which sword had he killed Devon with.'

She walked over and took down the sword she'd cleaned up from its place alongside its twin.

"This is it, Drew," she informed him, as she handed it to him. As he took the thing from her hand, she stepped away knowing it was lethal.

Drew walked to the door with it and then lined it up against the hole on the door facing inwards. He could tell by the splintering that the sword had been pushed through the door from that side.

Something stirred in his memory, but it evaded him, and he took the tip of the sword back out of the door, and gave it back to Maryanne. She took the sword observing his preoccupation, and she put it back on the wall thankfully.

Drew walked to the little French desk in the corner and took money from the drawer there. He gave it to Maryanne.

"Thank you for your work and your conversation. I needed to know I didn't have to cope with his house alone, and you've given something to think about too. So I hope that's enough in wages for tonight."

Maryanne took the money he was holding out to her knowing it was a couple of hundred. She gave him a fifty bill back.

"That's too much for what I did tonight. This is fine, and it will cover the vacuuming tomorrow too. Are you okay? It's not like you to be so quiet."

Drew shrugged. "I'm a bit surprised about the brother stuff, and frankly about Greta not telling me. Plus I'd like to know where my 'ladylove' Elise got to." He said her name almost pitifully.

"I'll go now, Drew."

He walked at a normal pace with Maryanne to her car not knowing he'd given it to her, and he watched her reverse out of his big garage and drive off.

The night beckoned to him and he walked to the street.

Across the road was a group of young people. They were on their way somewhere talking and laughing. The air was warm and filled with summer promise.

Drew could scent blood on the breeze as a couple arm in arm passed him. He gained their attention as he stood there barefoot on the threshold of his garage with his shirt open, his hair unkempt, and his strange silver blue eyes lit by the streetlights and the garage light behind him. Those eyes gave the couple the shivers. They simultaneously, and with silent agreement quickened their pace to pass him.

Drew had enjoyed having company even if it had also brought him startling news.

He went back indoors and on his way down the hall, he stopped to stare at himself in the mirror. Was he there, he asked himself, and he pressed his nose against it. He turned and went into the kitchen and taking a black magic marker out of the drawer he went back to the mirror. He pressed his face a little onto the glass. He drew around his face shape as best he could. He stood back and saw the shape that was his face. He couldn't remember what he really looked like, and then returning to the kitchen he replaced the marker in the drawer next to the labels and string there. He paused and looked at them, why might he need string, he asked himself.

Drew decided he would go to see Greta. She'd told him exactly where her restaurant was, and it wasn't far.

He went to his bedroom and combed his hair. He took the shirt off that he was wearing and put a black T-shirt on. He stuffed his cell phone in his back pocket and some money, which was in one of the chests near the window. He grinned a little at that because he'd been pleasantly surprised just how much cash was stashed around the place. He was downstairs and picking up his car keys when he realized he had no shoes on. He looked around, there must be some somewhere down here, he thought, and he saw a pair of elastic sided boots neatly placed under the French desk. Drew sighed. What the hell was wrong with him that he'd forgotten where he put his boots? He pulled them on and went out the door.

He drove the short distance to Greta's restaurant without thinking and then he parked illegally in front of it and got out of his car. He entered the place by the front door and walked down to the back where he could see kitchens. Lance, who dreaded this moment as he always dreaded meeting up with Drew, stopped him before he got to the kitchens. Lance had his serving tray in front of him like a shield.

"Drew, are you looking for Greta? She's in her office." He moved sideways to reveal the mirrored door, which was almost concealed by its proximity to an enormous spiked plant. Drew just looked at Lance and then pushed at the door. He had pushed at the wrong side. Lance seeing this, hastened to help by pushing on the correct side for the door to swing inwards revealing Greta's large office.

Drew walked in and Greta walked towards him and embraced him. She'd seen him enter the restaurant via one of her closed circuit TV cameras, and through the one-way glass of her door.

"Drew, it's good to see you. Is everything okay?" She could sense it wasn't.

## Chapter Twelve

Things were going to get cleared up Drew decided as he faced Greta.

"Greta have you got time to talk to me? I feel there are some details of my life that need filling in and I really don't know who else to ask." Drew looked forlorn and Greta was shocked.

"I have time for you Drew," she answered. She ushered him to the back of her office away from the bank of screens and monitors she had for watching her restaurant, the car park and various stairs and alleyways. She almost pressed him onto a fine leather armchair and walked to the fridge bringing a glass of blood back to him.

"How is it possible, Greta, that you never mentioned I killed my brother? It's an important fact and even more important is that I killed him over a woman, Elise was it?"

Drew looked pained as he said the name and took a sip of the blood Greta gave him. It didn't console him, as it should have.

Greta sighed. "I thought it might be tough enough getting used to being without memories, so I left out bits of the story until you were stronger. Ask me now and I will answer. As for Devon, I knew him when he was the leader of our community before you took over and yes, I believe you killed him, but not over a woman. Elise seemed happy to live with you. You loved her. She's a witch. She seemed to love you, and then she disappeared and left you dying. That's about it Drew."

He looked at her in confusion. "Why did I kill Devon then?"

Greta didn't want to go into the whole sordid tale of sibling rivalry dating back to the fifteenth century. "You hated him Drew, always had as far as I can tell. The opportunity came up to kill him and you did."

Drew raised his eyebrows and then shook his head. "What about the witch, Elise, where did I meet her?"

Greta took a drink of her own glass of blood thinking, 'hell this is going to be harder than I thought'.

"Many years ago in a place we used to live as a vampire community you met her, fell in love, but parted company, and then recently re-discovered her."

Aware she still was not telling the whole truth and not even caring, she'd put it as best she could because what did it matter now?

Drew slumped back against the chair and put his glass down on the walnut coffee table nearby.

"It doesn't make sense any of it. Where did I re-discover her? If she loved me why leave me dying? If you know where she might have gone please, Greta, tell me."

She looked at him closely. He seemed paler than usual. What was that on the side of his face? She stared at it. Drew realized she was staring.

"What?" He asked.

Greta tried to dismiss it, but then reached out and traced a finger down his cheek.

"What's this stuff on your face Drew?" she asked, and smiled at him.

Drew couldn't think what it might be and then he asked, "What color is it?"

Greta at the same time as telling him it was black decided it could be ink and said so.

Drew smiled faintly. "Oh I was drawing around my face in the mirror." He left it at that and Greta said nothing, but she was thinking that maybe Drew had woken up a little mad as well as with memory loss.

"So do you know where Elise might have gone?" he asked again.

Greta went to her bureau and took out a sheet of paper. It was where Pearl had jotted down the address that she'd found Devon living in months ago. Greta had kept it because Pearl had written it. She still loved Pearl, and as she handed the paper to Drew she said, "Copy it into your phone. I want the note back."

Drew looked at the paper.

"Is this the address where she lives, Greta?" He hastily photographed the note storing the picture in the phone.

Greta took the paper. "Could be, but she was in that town last I knew of her."

Drew looked down at the phone in his hand.

"Why is there no number for her in my contacts? Surely she had a phone number."

Greta grimaced and lied. "No idea Drew, maybe you erased it when she came to live with you."

Drew picked up the glass of blood and drank it down. He used his thumb to scroll through the photographs on his phone, something he hadn't thought to do before. There in amongst a couple of photographs of big houses and cars was a photograph of a woman. She was beautiful and just entering a room from a balcony. Drew felt a weird lurch in his memory and in his stomach, and he knew this was Elise. He zoomed in and looked more closely at her. All he knew was that this was definitely her. His memory wasn't supplying anything else.

Greta leaned over to look at the photo on his phone and cursed inwardly for not thinking of erasing his pictures too when she'd erased the numbers.

"This is her isn't it?"

Greta nodded.

Drew stood up then and put the cell phone back in his pocket.

"Thanks Greta, I'll see you later then." He smiled at her and gave her the empty glass. Greta took it and watched as he left the office. She walked to her screens to watch him as he walked out of the restaurant door and got in his car. She saw him take the parking ticket from his windscreen and throw it on the sidewalk. He drove away and Greta had a horrible feeling she might not see him again.

Drew drove home on automatic pilot and as he drove into his garage, he realized he hadn't even thought about the way home. Perhaps he needed to do that 'just not think about things and his memory would come back' he said to himself.

He ran straight up to his office and started to search through everything. He hadn't thought it necessary to search the office nor had any real interest in what was there until then. Now he went through it looking for traces of his dead brother, his former life, and looking for himself.

The paperwork amounted to hardly anything of any use, even the deeds to properties were in his name alone with no reference to provenance. He was becoming annoyed with it all when right at the back of a file drawer filled with different kinds of paper including parchment, he found an oil skin package that had slid down under a wad of pale vanilla vellum. He grabbed it and sat down on the window seat next to his open window.

A street lamp shed light into the office, but he didn't need it to see. He took the wrapping from the package, throwing to one side the old leather thong that tied it up. He unfolded the oilskin, and then the waxed paper that was covering a circular object, and lastly a piece of what could have been calico to reveal a painting. It was of three young people in what he now considered old-fashioned clothing. There were two young men either side of a young woman. All the faces were similar and attractive by anyone's standard. One of the young men had dark hair and Drew pulled a little of his own around his face to check the color. The painting of the dark haired man had brown eyes and the man with blond hair had blue eyes, so did the woman. Only the top half of their body was visible as if they had been sitting down for the painting. Drew studied it for a moment and then turned it over and written on the back in a flowery hand were the names, Lord Devon Raphael Ruthin, Lady Marguerite Petronella Ruthin and Lord Drew Deverel Ruthin 1705. Drew stared at the names and he knew the one called Drew was him. It had to be. He had dark hair, so the blond man must be his brother and he had a sister by the looks of it, unless she'd been the wife of either his brother or his own. He instinctively felt she was his sister though. Drew turned the painting back over and looked again at the faces. He couldn't tell if it was a good likeness of him, but now at least he had some idea what he looked like again. Leaving the mess his office was in, he went downstairs taking the small painting with him.

In the kitchen, he put it on the table, picked up his phone and looked at the picture of the address he'd taken in Greta's office.

He would go there tomorrow night as soon as the sun was less fierce. Right now, he thought it would be good to grab a bite to eat.

Drew left the house on foot with his keys and cell phone in his pockets. He waited until there was no one on the late night street and then blurred into a breeze as he made for the hotel on the outskirts of town where he knew there was a nightclub. This was a favorite haunt of young people from the surrounding county who called themselves Goths, and who even pretended to be vampires. Greta had shown it to him.

On reaching the place, he leapt to the balcony and entered the first bar from there looking as if he'd just been out for air.

Drew's eyes became silver in the nightclub lights, and as he stalked through the people there, he breathed in the scent of prey. Little groups of people dressed in various ruffled and predominantly black clothes, rings in their ears, noses, lips and on their fingers, they squirmed to the music. Their eyes circled with black makeup, and their lips purple, they ruined any chance of being thought beautiful Drew decided.

He wasn't in the mood to charm and so he chose a young woman coming from the back bar and cornered her against the wall.

"Hello," he said, and he put his hand against the wall to lean over her. She gazed at his lovely face and smiled slightly.

"Hello yourself," she said.

Drew sighed. He was already bored. If it wasn't for his urgent need for sex, he would have a glass of blood from the fridge, he thought.

"I'm really tired of this place, but don't feel like going on to the next club alone. Do you want to come?"

The young woman raised her eyebrows. It was in her nature to be careful, but she'd been drinking, and was also bored.

"Okay," she said. Drew took her hand and led her across to the exit, down the stairs past the bottom hotel bar, and out onto the street.

They walked along the street. Drew knew from being with Greta that first night they had gone hunting, that there was another club on this street, but that they needed to cross a rectangle of grass and shrubbery to reach it on the other side of its parking lot.

Drew told the woman his name and asked hers. He might just as well know, he thought. Her name was Phoebe and she was studying computer science at the nearby university.

They reached the grass and Drew suddenly stopped walking. He pulled her to him and kissed her, breathing her in, and thinking he must have sex, he really must.

Phoebe responded. She'd been thinking how sexy Drew was and what it might be like to kiss him. She didn't put up a fight when he headed her towards the low stand of flowering bushes. When he took them both to the ground in an effortless, painless movement, she laughed in delight. "That was cool," she said, not considering how he could possibly have achieved it.

Drew smiled down at her. "You could lose the black eye makeup and be really pretty," he told her, knowing all the while she wouldn't live to do that.

He kissed her lips and then down her neck thinking of her blood, feeling it pulse in her veins. He pushed her little black dress up her thighs, up past her waist. He trailed his fingers over her stomach and then along her thighs kissing her all the time on the lips so that she felt completely overwhelmed by him. She liked his kisses and his touch.

Drew let his fingernails rake her underwear open so that he could peel it off her. He felt his fangs lengthen as his fingers explored her wet entrance, and he heard the girl say his name. His lips left her mouth. He began to kiss down her neck again. He sucked a little there until she moaned slightly, and pushed against his fingers with her hips raised slightly to him. Drew took her then expertly, and it seemed it was second nature to him. He felt the waves of release come from Phoebe, and then let himself go. He leaned back to look at her face and kissed her surprisingly tenderly before he bit down on her throat again, and took her blood at high speed so that she had no idea what had happened. When he lifted his head and licked a drop of her blood from his bottom lip, he looked at her face and it was peaceful. He had no remorse because she was his prey and he was a predator.

He pushed her under the hedgerow thinking he would have to come back for the body and dispose of it. Greta had said that was very important and he realized it was.

He wasn't satisfied and went into the nightclub they'd been heading for. He didn't mess around this time. He snatched a half-drunk man in the back corridor leading to the men's room. Moving so fast another drunk thought the weather had turned windy, he drained the guy's blood and leaned him against the back wall of the club, where he slit the cuts his fangs had made into one that looked like a knife wound.

Drew went back into the club and picked up another woman. She was harder to lure outside and he had to feed her double shots until she was pliant. She hadn't realized the drinks were so strong, and if Drew hadn't wanted more sex, he wouldn't have bothered with this subterfuge. Finally, she felt sleepy and he escorted her out of the club saying he would take her home...it was on his way. He took her over to the hedgerows and stripped her naked before he sated his appetites and before she fell asleep.

Drew covered the two bodies up with branches and leaves, and then he went home to pick up his car. On the way as he sped along, he smelt the night air and the promise of rain, and it seemed to him that he felt it more than usual. That it felt good, better than the first night he'd been hunting, and better than the last.

He would ask Greta where else it was good to hunt he thought, as he drove back to the bodies. He loaded them in his trunk and noticed the first girl's eyes staring up at him. He didn't care for it and he closed the trunk quickly.

At the foundry, the address for which Greta had programmed into his 'sat-nav', he found it hot and ready for use. He looked around at the deserted factory as he tossed the bodies in there and suddenly thought about the little painting again. Tomorrow evening as soon as possible I'm going to the town where Elise might still live.

He was about to get into his car when another car arrived. A woman got out and nodded at him in greeting as she walked around to the trunk of her car. Drew liked what he saw. She was tall, but not as tall as he was. She had long blond hair in two braids that were then clipped together on the top of her head with a hair ornament, which looked like it had real diamonds in it. Drew watched her drag out the body of a young man, and he instinctively went forward to help her.

She smiled at him. "No help needed sport," she said, and Drew was captivated by her lovely face and husky voice. He saw she had earrings that also looked like diamonds. As she dragged the body by the head, and then casually tossed it in the foundry, moving quickly back from the heat, he watched the movement of her shapely hips and legs.

He stood there interested. Who was she and did she know him he thought.

"So Drew, you're leaving it late to be out. It's nearly dawn in case you haven't noticed. The sun will be out to fry your hide any time now." Clearly, she did know him.

Drew grinned, surprised to find he was feeling happy.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you, but I sure would like to. Would you like to come back to my place and tell me how you know me? The truth is I've lost my memory." Drew was smiling and for once naturally charming.

She smiled at him, and began shaking her head as if to say no, but then she said,

"I'm intrigued. I'll follow your car."

Drew was elated. He flew into his car, waited until she was in hers, and then led the way back to his home.

As he drove into his garage, and the woman's sleek black car pulled in alongside his, the morning sun blazed in the sky. It was going to be a sunny day after all.

## Chapter Thirteen

Balthazar stirred as the sun came in through the picture windows in Angharad's bedroom. He moved his head towards her where the sun didn't reach and found his cheek lay across a length of her hair. Even though he was half-asleep, its soft touch and delicate perfume had him moving closer. He put his arm across her and nuzzled her neck. Angharad turned to him and put her arm around him. She rested her head on the pillow alongside his and found his lips, kissing him with her eyes still closed.

"Angharad," he whispered, and kissed her. "Today I must go and see the elders and anyone else who is part of the council. It's only polite, and I'm looking forward to it, although what they might make of me I don't know. I hope they don't count too much on me being the way I was long ago, because I fear that I'll be a disappointment to them if so."

The truth was Balthazar was nervous because meeting his people after all this time was exhilarating, but also worrying. What if they wanted him to be what he used to be? He had no idea how to do that. What if they spoke to him in the ancient language? He didn't think he could remember it, not to converse in.

Angharad sensed his nervousness and without thinking, she sent a wave of warmth and reassurance to his mind. She smiled gently. "They'll love you. It will be such a wonderful event, especially for Tara I suspect."

She began to kiss him again and they hugged in sheer joy at having found each other. "You are so very dear to me already," she told him.

Tara was up and in her garden with her dog. They were tidying the rows of flowers and Tara was humming a tune. She and Seth talked for a long time the night before and he was coming around for coffee as soon as he'd checked in on Elise that morning. This was a fantastic thing finding Balthazar, and the buzz had gone around the community causing excitement and wonder. By nine o'clock ten people were in Tara's large kitchen. Seth was amongst them, but Elise had stubbornly declined the invitation to coffee and gone to work.

Angharad took Balthazar's hand as they walked to Tara's front door and he glanced at her appreciatively. "Do they use telepathy to communicate mostly, or only on and off, like you do?" Balthazar whispered, because he could already feel a press of minds, and he wanted to do the right things.

She squeezed his hand. "We talk normally to each other mostly, but yes sometimes we just talk in our minds. You'll find you just fall into it."

Tara had answered the doorbell herself and was standing before them smiling and holding out her arms to Balthazar.

"Welcome brother, so long apart. This is such an honor and a joy to meet such a noble member of our people." She gave him a hug.

Balthazar felt a surge of power from her and grinned to himself. She was scanning him to make sure he was what he said he was. He sent her a special message telepathically.

"The honor is mine sister," he said aloud.

They entered the hall and both Angharad and Balthazar felt the excited surge of minds. Balthazar to his surprise began instinctively to fall back on his ancient skills. He knew who was masking their thoughts and who was open to him in seconds. Seth walked quickly up to him closely followed by Erik, Jon, and Saffron. He was embraced and made welcome, but all the same, they seemed to revere him, and that worried him. When he was introduced to those who didn't know him from ancient times, a hush fell on their minds, and Balthazar reached for Angharad's hand. He was being accepted, but he wanted to make sure they knew he'd fallen from that high place he used to inhabit, so that he could join their loving community. He finally sat with Angharad on one side of him, and Seth on the other at the big table, which easily seated the people in Tara's kitchen. They all looked at him.

He telepathically asked permission to speak from Tara, and then he started to tell his story to them. His story portrayed him as a being who had accepted the loss of his people, and who had grown to live simply without using the wealth of abilities he had so that attention wasn't drawn to him as he lived on down the ages, and assumed different identities.

No one at the table doubted his sincerity when he told them he was overjoyed to have found the community through meeting Angharad. As he showed his vulnerability, instead of the elders losing the awe they felt for him, it actually grew.

Towards the end of his speech, a phrase from the ancient language came into his mind. It meant 'my heart finds peace amongst you'. He sent it telepathically to them, not knowing that in his delight he'd sent it to everyone in the entire community, including Elise who looked up from re-potting a hydrangea as she felt it coat her mind with his happiness.

Devon was in what he called his workshop, and had just put the finishing touches to a design for an evening dress when he felt it. He didn't hear the words as the beings had, but he felt the sudden drenching of happiness in his mind. He put it down to having Bliss in his life and went off to find where she was. She was in the adjoining office doing some of the administration she'd taken on for one of his internet businesses, and looked away from the computer screen as he came into the room.

He walked quickly to her putting his arms around her shoulders and leaning into her, he kissed her cheek. Bliss turned to him and kissed his mouth.

"I was working, and suddenly I felt so happy I had to come to find you," he told her smiling.

Devon had to go for his medication to Tara the next day and to pick up his supply of liquid foodstuff that the beings made for him. He was curious to know how things were going with Angharad and Balthazar, but didn't want to intrude on the beings until they'd connected with this ancient. The night before Tara was overjoyed when Seth told her all about the meeting, and they'd talked about it for an hour before Bliss and Devon left them. Devon got the impression that such a man would be invaluable for his ancient knowledge of magic alone.

Since the incident with Drew, Devon and Bliss hadn't seen much of Elise and just like everyone else, they were thinking of ways to help her. Marguerite, Devon's sister, was arranging a small dinner party for the weekend and insisting that Elise go.

Bliss turned in her chair and held Devon's face as he kissed her. His cell phone rang. He knew from the ringtone that it was Marguerite. He took his phone out of his pocket and grinned at Bliss as he said, "Hi Marguerite. We are. That would be great. See you then." He smiled at Bliss and kissed her again before he told her what Marguerite said.

"Marguerite's heard from Ffion about Balthazar, and is now naturally inviting him along with Angharad to dinner on Saturday, but apparently Elise has sent word, also via Ffion, that she's not attending. Since she was almost the major reason it was happening at all Marguerite wants us to go and persuade Elise to change her mind. Then we'll meet Marguerite for coffee. That's okay isn't it, Bliss?"

Bliss stood up to put her arms around him. She loved the strange way his skin seemed to smell vaguely of mint these days, and nestled her head on his chest as she answered.

"We need to change her mind, Devon. Let's use Balthazar as bait or leverage."

Devon laughed and hugged her. "I think leverage might be more the word."

He moved slightly to hold Bliss by the chin and kiss her gently on the cheeks, and the tip of her nose, and then her lips. Devon thought how lucky he was to have found Bliss, how great it was to have her in his life, and how everything was better now he woke to her love. He stopped kissing her and just looked at her, and his heart felt full of love for her. Bliss smiled at him.

"What are you thinking? You've suddenly become very quiet."

Devon had suddenly thought that maybe ancient and magical Balthazar might know how to keep Bliss with him forever.

Balthazar was still at Tara's place, but all the others except Angharad had left. Tara brought them both fresh tea and then she sat opposite Balthazar.

"I can see that you're very taken with Angharad and that makes me happy, Balthazar. I hope you know that you're part of our little fused community now, and I would dearly love to see you often. I understand that you have businesses, and your home, which thankfully isn't that far away, but I would be honored and delighted to have you come to council and share your ancient knowledge with us. We have a variety of abilities across the community and many spells at our fingertips. I remember you as an extraordinary practitioner of high magic, and we need you, Balthazar. Some unpleasant things have happened in recent decades. Your skills will be so welcome."

She stopped talking then and put her hands out across the table to hold his. Balthazar was touched and he reached forward to take her hands. He felt the whole community through that touch and every single one of them welcomed him. He would never face centuries of loneliness again.

Angharad and he left shortly after, and drove back to her home. It was cool and quiet. She opened the big doors leading to her back garden and they stood with their arms around each other for a few moments breathing in the scent of the flowers and trees.

"Balthazar, it will be so hard to let you go home today, but I know you'll have things to do," Angharad said, and she turned her face up to him to be kissed.

Balthazar sighed and put a hand along her cheek. "I don't want to go. I want to be with you every minute." His soft kiss went on for a long time and Angharad felt herself clinging to him. He moved his hands over her hips and pulled her to him. They smiled at each other because they both knew Balthazar wouldn't be going home anytime soon.

Bliss and Devon had driven over to the plant nursery where they felt sure Elise would be hanging out. When they walked down to the tree section, they found her arranging big pots of standard roses around a small fountain as a display.

She looked up and smiled a little. "Ah, the delegation has arrived."

"Elise, everyone misses you and we really want you at the dinner party on Saturday," Bliss told her gently.

Devon looked at Elise with his dark gray eyes expressing care.

"It's going to seem strange that you don't want to meet Balthazar. He's a big deal apparently, but more than that, Elise, please come over. Bliss is right we all miss you."

He held his arms out to hug her thinking how forlorn she seemed beneath her calm expression. Elise stepped into his arms. She felt his concern for her and she let herself take the affection and sincerity of the hug into her heart.

"I will come to dinner on Saturday. I'll call into Marguerite's shop this afternoon and tell her. Thanks for coming over. I know I'm a bit weird right now, and I don't know why to be honest."

They walked with her to the little café area of the plant nursery, and got coffee. Bliss sat close to Devon, his leg pressed against hers. They started to tell Elise all about the gallery exhibition launch party, and about what Bliss called 'the very dishy Balthazar'.

Balthazar and Angharad were in her bed. It was nearly lunchtime, but the only thing he wanted on his lips was Angharad's, and he couldn't take his face away from hers as they lay still after making love. She was in his arms, and he felt her breasts against him as he kissed her again. She moved slightly so that her hip pressed against the top of his thighs. Balthazar smiled and rubbed his nose against hers.

"The only thing to do," he suggested softly, "is to live together because I find it impossible to go home. In fact, I find it impossible to stop kissing you. Angharad, I feel as if I have finally found home."

Angharad sighed. "I'd love to have you with me all the time, but we both work. My studio is here, and I love to paint. Perhaps we can come to a compromise until you're sure you really love me and forever is what you want."

Balthazar widened his green eyes and kissed her before he answered. "I know for sure I love you and I can't even think about not being with you forever. How about you come to live in my place for half the week and I come here for the other half. I'll put a studio in my house for you. It's very big and there would be great light for painting in one of the second story rooms. Please, Angharad, I really need you."

She kissed him and held his head gently to hers thinking that this was some kind of miracle. Thinking how lucky it had been when she'd found the website of the art gallery and approached them to show her work.

"Balthazar, that's perfect. I love you too."

Balthazar sighed inwardly in relief because he was certain this was it, she was his home and not only that he'd come home to his people. It was some kind of miracle.

As Balthazar was feeling as if he'd finally come home, Drew in the big Georgian house where he lived, was feeling exactly the opposite.

## Chapter Fourteen

Drew took the blond woman he'd met up to his favorite room the one where swords decorated the wall. He was courteous and offered her a drink.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours," he said, and he inclined his head giving her an unconsciously sexy look.

She smiled. "Drew, are you kidding? Okay, it's Rosalind, but I don't know if I believe this stuff about you losing your memory. It seems incredible."

Drew was nodding his head when he said, "Yes, I know, but I have. May I offer you a drink?"

Rosalind looked around her at the antique furniture and considered.

"Do you have vodka?"

Drew was a little surprised, he expected to just go and get blood from the fridge. He didn't know if he had vodka. He started to look in the couple of the cabinets there in the room. "Rosalind, I've not really bothered exploring the house that much, and I don't know if I do have vodka. Let's look around."

Rosalind burst into laughter. "That's the funniest thing I've heard all week, perhaps I do believe you have lost your memory." She got up and took Drew by the hand. "Let's check the place out then. To be truthful I've never been to this house."

Drew found to his surprise that he enjoyed her taking his hand. He actually felt a shiver of a different kind of desire as he followed her, his hand clasped in her cool fingers. It was something other than the stark urge for sex he'd felt over the last few days.

They wandered from room to room with Rosalind opening cupboard doors and drawers, and then in the library, she found an old oak cabinet that stood about a meter high. On opening it, she found alcohol. Whisky, vodka, cognac, and a very old bottle of champagne were arranged alongside glasses.

"Here we go," she said, and smiled at Drew.

He smiled back, but as she offered to pour him a drink too, he shook his head.

"No thanks, I don't think I can drink it."

Rosalind shrugged as she picked up her glass of vodka.

"Not many of us can," she informed him, and then she started to wander about the library looking at books.

Drew watched her thinking she was very lovely.

"Tell me how you know me. What am I like? What do I do?" Drew finally asked.

Rosalind walked over to him and sat down on the chaise longue.

"I know you from many years ago and I came with you amongst the others when you took over the leadership of our community. We were close once upon a time. You took me down to your place on the coast a couple of times when you first got it. Then you found someone else and our paths hardly crossed anymore. I missed you for years, and then I simply learned not to think about you." Rosalind was happy to give her side of the story because if Drew had lost his memory, then he wouldn't remember how in a fit of jealousy, she'd killed the next woman Drew had taken up with, and how he'd told her he never wanted to see her again and made her deal with the dead body.

She'd always wanted Drew, but he'd never really noticed her until about twelve years ago, and then she'd been his hunting and sex companion for about eighteen months. She'd never been to this house though. They went to her place and to his house on the coast, but never came here. Why was that she asked herself now, and answered the question too, thinking probably because he had a live-in companion at the time.

"What are you like, Drew? Well you are gorgeous, but spoilt rotten and selfish. You're very sexy and great at it, but also fickle. You can turn on your lovers easily, saying you're bored. You're rich and very old, older than I am. You're not to be trusted, and no one does trust you."

Drew put his hands up to stop her.

"I am? I'm really that bad?"

Rosalind had enjoyed saying it and she continued.

"You are, and what do you do was your last question wasn't it? Well not much is the answer. You expect everyone to do as you say, and 'lord it over them' I think the words are." She watched his face surprised to see what she said hurt him.

Drew wasn't what she said anymore, he knew that, and he didn't like what she'd said one bit, but it must be true he thought, and he looked down at the rug.

"Did you care for me when we were together?" he asked her, thinking that maybe he could re-kindle the relationship. He didn't like being alone, and she was good to look at.

Rosalind finished her vodka in one gulp and studied him. She saw a pale attractive young man, a vampire like herself. Blue eyes so pretty they were like the skies on a brilliant summer's day and thick dark hair, longer than she remembered he'd worn it when they were together. She still felt attracted to him after all these years, and she imagined him naked, calling on her memories of the times they'd shared in bed. Yes, she would like that again. Why not? Other vampires had long-term relationships. The urge to belong didn't go when you were turned. She'd actually tried to remain within her family unit for months before it became impossible when she'd killed an aunt.

The unfortunate relative had been visiting her parents and was alone in the conservatory when Rosalind, using that way out of the house as darkness fell, could contain her hunger no longer, and drained the blood from her aunt. Rosalind had ditched the body in a nearby, disused quarry where a lake had formed, and rid the house of her aunt's luggage. She took what money she could find in her father's study, a suitcase, and one of her mother's credit cards, and left home. Her Oldsmobile was her home for two years before she'd come across the community of vampires and stayed with them. It had been a relief.

Drew was watching her and suddenly he reached out and placed his hand along her cheek. It was cool and soft. Drew leaned in to kiss her lips softly. Gentle to begin with as he savored the touch, and then he deepened the kiss dragging her to him, and becoming passionate his tongue finding hers. Drew was sure he could feel this kiss intensely it was so good, and although he wanted more, he wanted Rosalind to like him. He felt confused and moved back from her, letting go of her, and waiting for her reaction.

Rosalind wanted Drew and she moved to him, pushed him back on the chaise longue, and began to kiss him. She tore his T-shirt right down the middle with ease and moved her hands over his chest and stomach remembering those hard muscles and smooth skin. Drew responded to her kisses thankfully, and held her around the waist. She was wearing what looked like a very expensive dress and although he wanted it off her, he wasn't prepared to tear it off as she'd done with his T-shirt. He pulled it up over her thighs and felt along her hips and down discovering she was only wearing stockings. Drew felt strange almost as if he was drugged as his desire for Rosalind actually left him feeling weak. He pushed his fingertips through the gap between her thighs as she kneeled over him. She sighed kissing him, and moving against his hand.

Drew knew what he was feeling was different from when he'd been with the women he'd preyed upon since being saved by Greta. He knew something was going on, and it was great. They undressed each other completely by which time Drew was nearly crazed with the need to have Rosalind under him moaning with pleasure. When they came together, Drew felt as if he had fragmented into a million dazzling pieces. Rosalind held him into her still moving slightly, her lips on his as she realized that this had been one of the best times she'd spent with Drew.

They didn't bother clearing up their clothes instead they went up to Drew's bedroom and started over because Drew couldn't believe what he was feeling, and Rosalind couldn't believe she was with Drew again.

They stayed in bed all day, and as night fell, Drew asked Rosalind if she would move in with him. Rosalind said she would need to think about it. She had a place, and she'd like to get to know him again before she made that kind of decision. Drew nodded not wanting to hassle her and then they got up to eat.

Drew put on another T-shirt and threw one to Rosalind as she sat watching him from the bed. He found another pair of black jeans and put them on, and then smiling at Rosalind who was pulling the T-shirt on, her breasts looking delicious as she raised her arms, he said, "Rosalind, I have boxers if you want something to wear with the T-shirt since you didn't seem to own underwear this morning." He threw her a blue striped pair of shorts, and disappeared downstairs to the kitchen.

Rosalind put the shorts on. Then followed him using her fingers to comb out her long hair, and feeling her ears to make sure Drew hadn't swallowed her diamond earrings as he'd sucked at her earlobes earlier.

She'd just walked into the kitchen when along the hallway came Maryanne calling out, "Drew, I found the side door open as usual. Where are you?"

Drew had heard Maryanne come in and was unconcerned because he knew she'd come to do the rest of the cleaning. He poured three glasses of blood then sat down with one feeling a strange and unfamiliar contentment.

Rosalind sat down as close to Drew as she could as he called, "Maryanne, in the kitchen can't you tell?"

Maryanne thought he sounded happy and then as she saw Rosalind jammed up against him she grinned, that must be why. She knew Rosalind, but hardly saw her because she didn't really care for the girl. Drew indicated the glass on the table opposite his own. "Maryanne sit down and have a drink before you go to work. Do you know Rosalind?" He introduced them to each other politely, which made Maryanne grin and Rosalind grimace.

When Maryanne had put the vacuum cleaner around the bedrooms, she'd gone into the library to do the huge Persian rug that covered the middle of the polished wooden floor. Seeing the clothes, she picked them up and dumped them on the chaise longue out of the way. She noticed Drew's torn T-shirt and the black stockings that must belong to Rosalind shredded and cast away with some five inch high-heeled, black patent shoes. She turned her nose up, Rosalind was a high-class hooker, and Maryanne found that unwholesome. She saw the diamond hair clip that she realized must belong to Rosalind and turned away. She thought, as she walked at a normal pace down the stairs to put the vacuum cleaner away. It seemed uncharitable to dislike Rosalind when they all used each other in some way, but she couldn't like her. There was something worse than straight out hunting in what Rosalind did, but as Maryanne affirmed that opinion in her own mind, strangely she also questioned what was worse about it. Maryanne very rarely used her prey sexually before she fed, she didn't like mixing the sensations, and anyway she usually had a vampire lover. It was better that way.

She walked in on Drew and Rosalind kissing. Rosalind had moved to sit astride Drew and they had their eyes closed. Drew was so into the kiss that he didn't know Maryanne was there, but Rosalind did. She prolonged the kiss to proclaim her new status as Drew's girl. She knew Maryanne had lived with him, and now here she was employed as a cleaner. Rosalind broke off the kiss. 'She would never allow that to happen to her, hell she wouldn't clean their place even if she lived with a guy.'

Drew realized Maryanne was there as he opened his eyes.

"Oh sorry Maryanne. Thank you for coming over and finishing the job. Are you sure I don't owe you more wages?" He gently put Rosalind off his knee onto the chair and followed Maryanne out of the kitchen all the way down to the side door, where he waved her off home as if she were a valued friend. Maryanne raised her eyebrows to herself as she drove away thinking 'what the hell was going on with Drew?' He seemed to have had a complete personality change.

Drew considered Rosalind and his response to her, thinking maybe this was what love felt like, since he'd lost his memory maybe he used to know, and now he didn't, but this was what it felt like.

Rosalind retrieved her belongings and threw her shredded stockings in the garbage. She clipped up her hair, but carried her shoes and dress. She met Drew in the drawing room.

"I need to go, Drew. I have a work meeting," she told him. She saw him look disappointed that she was leaving.

"I wish you didn't have to go. We could go out together, go to a club, maybe hunt together," but as he said it he knew he didn't want to hunt. He wanted to be with her in the night air, under the half-moon visible on the horizon, walking in a place full of trees.

Rosalind considered his expression. He looked dreamy.

"Sorry this is a long term arrangement. I can't let the client down."

He went with her to her car and grinned as she promised to get his clothes back to him.

"Rosalind, are you free tomorrow night?"

She shook her head she wasn't free. "I'll call by Monday night. Will you be at home?"

He nodded, disappointment flooding through him as he realized he had to spend the entire weekend on his own.

She drove away. Drew went back into the kitchen. He put the glasses in the dishwasher and looked at it. He'd nearly used up all his glasses and he needed to set this machine going. Drew fished around in the under sink cupboard where he'd seen Maryanne get some kind of cleaning sponge. He found dishwashing detergent. He got the block out of its pack and put it into the container just like the pictures showed him on the outside of the box. Then he pressed buttons. It whirred into life and Drew sighed happily. He walked down the hall and as he passed the big hall mirror, he glanced at the shape he'd drawn of his face. He turned around and went back to the kitchen for the magic marker he knew was in the drawer there. Returning to the shape on the mirror, he drew on a smile, and then he stepped back and reviewed the face. It needed eyes and so he put them on the face thinking they had to be black instead of brown like the ones he had in the painting, but too bad.

Drew left the magic marker on the hall table near the mirror.

Night had only just fallen, and Drew felt edgy. He thought maybe he needed to hunt and he stood in the shower. He ran his hands through his wet hair and pulled on a denim shirt and the black jeans he'd worn earlier. He went to the big wardrobe and looked at the shoes lined up in the bottom drawer there. He took a pair of navy canvas slip on shoes out and put them on. As he stood up, he looked down at himself. How did he look? He had no idea. He picked up money and his car keys looking around for his cell phone. It must be in the library he thought and went down there.

It was on the chaise longue with his clothes from that morning, his torn T-shirt, and other black jeans. He picked it up and put it in his pocket.

As he turned into the high street, he decided to drive around and try to get his bearings or recognize places. He thought about stopping off in Greta's restaurant and checking to see if she would like to come along, but then he drove past, and on into the countryside. He enjoyed the drive and he put the roof down on his car to feel the warm wind and hear the night sounds. Everything seemed wonderful to him, and he drove on into the night and the countryside.

## Chapter Fifteen

Balthazar was also driving that night, he was driving home to where he lived, and Angharad was with him. They would spend the night there and he wanted to show her around it. Show her his garden and horses, introduce her to his housekeeper and groom, and more importantly he thought, get her to choose a room or two to be made into a studio for her.

They'd visited Tara again that day and caught up with Devon and Bliss, who dropped in on Tara. It was what Balthazar later told Angharad, 'totally great', to sit there with people that knew who and what he was, and be not just accepted, but also loved. Angharad refused to believe he had no one amongst the people in his life who loved him. She said, "I can't believe anyone as lovely, kind and special as you isn't loved by someone."

Balthazar was worried that she thought he might have a woman tucked away somewhere. It scared him and he replied, "One or two of my employees seem to view me affectionately, but there's no one close, Angharad. You are my only love and always will be." They held each other tight then.

It was arranged that the next day they would meet at Marguerite's for dinner and Angharad told Balthazar about Elise as they drove home. She asked him not to look into Elise's mind at all. She was vulnerable, and still saddened by a love affair gone wrong. Balthazar promised he would do no such thing, and frowned saying he didn't just invade people's minds, well hardly ever. Angharad kissed him until he sighed with pleasure and they had drifted into making love to each other, which was why they were driving to Balthazar's place so late.

Angharad looked across at Balthazar as he drove thinking how gorgeous he was, and a little stirring of lust had her lick her bottom lip before she spoke.

"Balthazar, what did you think of Devon today when you met him properly? Did you look into his mind at all?

He glanced at her and then answered. "I like him. He seemed very much in love with Bliss. He seemed good hearted, kind, intelligent, and after he'd drunk some of that health shake Tara gave him, he looked into my mind." Balthazar laughed, and glanced at Angharad again. "He's not human, and yet what is he? I found a trace of what I think might have been some distant vampirism. Am I right?"

She pushed her hair behind her ears ready to defend Devon if she needed to.

"Yes, but he's long gone from that, he and his sister. They voluntarily sought help and we gave it. We've healed them as best we can. They have the food we make and the medication, which regenerated their organs as much as was possible to do, but we can't stop the food ever. We love them and they love us so that would never happen. Now Devon has Bliss and he shines with happiness it's so good to see. He doesn't know the full extent of his treatment, like what his food is made of, but I don't think that matters. He and his sister have been on the medication for twenty years, and Tara says they might be weaned off it after another twenty, but they will always need the food we make. If they stop that they will die."

Balthazar glanced at Angharad again as he turned onto the exit for his home. "The food has our blood in it?"

Angharad sighed. "Yes, it was the only way we knew how to feed them. I believe Devon thought if he didn't obey our rules set down about how he must live, we would withdraw our help, but in reality, we gave those rules to prevent his death. Marguerite discovered the truth a few years ago. I think Devon knows now that the rules were just to keep him safe, but I don't think he knows about dying without the food."

They were driving into the lane that led to Balthazar's home and he sighed.

"Bliss knows, she might have told him. Sorry I scanned her mind very quickly only to discover she seems completely human. She loves him. I can't imagine how that will work out. Angharad, was there no other way? You know about our blood, and what it can do. It's the blood of changes."

They came to a stop outside his front door.

"I know, and there was no other way. As for Devon and Bliss working out, we're trying to help because Devon is already worried about losing her, and so Tara is working on a way to lengthen her longevity."

He sighed and Angharad looked over at Balthazar's concerned expression, but then leaned over to hold his face. She kissed his cheek and he put up a hand to keep her head against his. He put the question of Devon and Bliss out of his mind and kissed Angharad longingly his hand straying down to her breast. He didn't want to let go but made himself do it, and as they got out of his car, they were both laughing because it was so hard to keep their hands off each other.

Tara was talking about longevity as she sat with Jon after the council members had left. A small gathering of the members had been held to talk about holding some kind of community event to celebrate Balthazar's arrival. They wanted the whole community to have the chance to mingle with him. It was especially important for those who belonged to her particular group of people because they'd mourned his loss when they thought something had happened to him long ago.

"I really would like to ask Balthazar for help on the issue of giving Bliss a longer life, but I also feel I need to wait for him to have settled down with us. It doesn't seem fair to rush at him with problems. What are your thoughts Jon?"

Jon smiled. "My guess is that he'll already know. I saw him looking with interest at Devon and Bliss. I didn't want to intrude upon his thoughts so I tuned out. It's hard to know if he would welcome the dual way we communicate with each other. We're so used to switching from speech to thought and back again. We've become relaxed in our little insular group, but he's been alone for so very long we could be intimidating."

"Well it won't last long. He already slipped back into an old way without knowing it. Did you feel that surge of happiness he broadcast? That was lovely."

They found each other's hand as they sat together, their dog Barnaby on the carpet at their feet, and Jon leaned over to kiss Tara. They loved each other dearly. Tara knew she couldn't imagine losing Jon. She resolved to give it a couple of weeks, and then ask Balthazar if he had any advice about extending human longevity.

A few streets away Devon and Bliss were holding hands and walking the length of the garden, which was lit by solar powered lights. They stopped now and again to kiss each other. Devon looked up at the moon and the stars that were on show in the dark blue sky.

"I'm happy for Angharad, but I feel so sad for Elise because now she will see someone else in love, and it's bound to hurt a little. I used to watch couples sometimes when I was around town. They would be hand in hand, or kissing and I would wish I had someone. It reminded me of my solitary state."

Bliss put her arms up around his neck and kissed along his neck and up to his lips. "Did you?" she said, not asking but empathizing, and thinking how lovely Devon was. She kissed him again holding him tight. "I am so glad we found each other. I love you so much."

Devon felt loved and he returned her kiss happily.

## Chapter Sixteen

Drew didn't feel loved. He was still driving through the countryside and although he was enjoying the night air, he stopped at a village pub, and casually wandered in looking for something. 'Prey probably' he thought to himself as he looked around at the surprisingly crowded bar. Drew hadn't expected much from a village pub, but it was full, and there seemed to be some kind of celebration going on. A number of people noticed him because he was outstandingly good-looking and a stranger. The celebration was about the local cricket team, one of them was getting engaged and the team had done exceptionally well in their matches so far that season.

A few people parted for him to get to the bar their eyes staying on him as he passed. Drew could hear everything that was being said and feel the stares. He heard the blood in their veins and their heartbeats. The different smells both pleasant and unpleasant assailed him. He knew what was horrible and what was not. He reached the bar and felt dizzy from it all. Drew held onto the bar and the man serving paused to assess if he was drunk and needed to be told he wouldn't be served.

Drew took a deep breath. He was shocked that all this sensory information was having an effect on him because in the first couple of days he'd been alive again he'd been aware of it, but it had been dull, and certainly not invasive. Drew asked for orange juice and it was served. He held the ice-cold glass for a few seconds fighting to control what was happening to him. Suddenly just by concentrating his thoughts he found he could control the volume, control the effects of smell, and sound upon him.

He picked up the glass and put it to his lips to look as if he was drinking. Then he held it to his forehead to feel the coldness against his head because he could feel it so very distinctly on his hand. He was concentrating hard to block out the more strident voices, and so he only just caught the question asked of him by someone to his right.

He made the half turn to look at the questioner and saw a woman there beside him.

"I'm sorry I didn't really hear you. It's a bit loud in here," he told her, taking in her fine skin, her dark brown eyes, and her long almost white blond hair simply tied in a ponytail.

She smiled. "I asked if you were hot. I saw you roll the glass against your forehead." She'd watched Drew arrive at the bar from her place alongside a table full of her celebrating friends. She was single and they were not, it was a relief to see a good-looking man arrive alone. She tried to guess at whose circle of friends he belonged to because it couldn't be her ex or she would have seen the guy before.

"Are you with Jeremy's crowd or Gemma's? She asked, before Drew had answered her first question.

Drew liked the way he could see right through her shirt to the highly decorative bra she was wearing. It's meant to be seen, he decided, and his eyes swept down to see her slim hips in her low rise Levis.

He smiled and the woman smiled back. She was thinking about his extraordinary eyes, such a gorgeous shade of blue and his body so sexy, all of him was, 'he's drop dead gorgeous is what he is,' she thought.

Drew spoke. "Hi, it's a little hot in here and no, I'm not with either crowd. I was passing by and came in for a drink." He gave her a look fit to melt the ice in his glass if only he knew it, because Drew the newly vamped and changed vampire didn't know.

"I'm Sandy," she said, and held out her hand in a formal handshake gesture.

Drew took her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles and looking into her eyes over them he said, "Drew, pleased to meet you."

Sandy was mesmerized. His kiss was electric. She could only imagine what it would feel like to kiss his lips. She stared at him and Drew saw desire in her eyes.

"You know, Sandy, the noise is starting to annoy, and it would be nice to talk with you. Does this place have a quieter bar or garden?" He was definitely not leaving without having sampled Sandy he decided, as he felt an answering desire flare.

Sandy picked up her own glass and then clasped Drew by the hand. "There's a garden," she said, and led him out.

Drew left his orange juice on the bar because after all he would have something better to drink for real shortly.

Sandy took Drew halfway down the garden. It was still very well lit with lots of colored lights and lanterns strung from tree to tree and wrapped around the two pergolas, one at each end of the garden. Wisteria and bright pink Bougainvillea wound around each pergola. Despite he had never found beauty in flowers in the last four hundred years, Drew found them beautiful. He looked at them closely as Sandy brought him to a stop under the second pergola.

Sandy let go of his hand and finished her drink propping the glass amongst the sturdy stems of the plants. Drew waited. She turned to him.

"You have the most incredible blue eyes. They are lovely," she told him.

Drew blinked. He thought they were brown because they were brown in the painting.

He wasn't going to say that so he said, "Thank you, your eyes are lovely too. Tell me about yourself." He would check that painting out again that night he decided to make sure he hadn't been mistaken.

Sandy wanted something else. She sighed. "Do I have to?" She moved close to Drew and put her arms around him.

Drew looked down at her pretty mouth and closed the gap between their faces to kiss her. He kissed her for a long time and felt her press against him. Her whole body was pressed against him. She made a little sound as he stopped kissing her to look around him. There were two couples in the front end of the garden talking earnestly their heads together, but other than that, everyone seemed to be in the pub making a huge racket, which Drew could still hear verbatim if he let himself. He shut it out.

"Sandy," he simply said her name. He kissed her again this time holding her and moving silently, with great speed to end up amongst the thicker trees where the pub had a wall around its perimeters.

He unzipped her jeans and pushed them down kissing her. She returned his kiss and began to undo her own shirt buttons. Drew kissed down her neck to feel her pulse thumping fast. He reached inside her shirt, undid her bra to cup her breasts in his hands, and kissed back up her neck to her mouth. He licked her lips until she opened them to his tongue as she undid his jeans and pushed at them.

Sandy didn't know how they got to the grass between the screen of trees and the garden wall, but she liked that they had. Drew pushed his erection into her already wet pussy because she'd pulled his hips between her legs. The resultant sex was terrific. They both had to kiss each other to stop from making sounds that might draw attention to them. Afterwards Drew moved away from her. They got dressed.

He watched her as she did up her shirt buttons. He gauged the right moment to grab her, his hand over her mouth ready to leap the wall, and take her blood along with her life.

Then when he saw the look in her eyes as she raised them to his face after zipping her jeans, he found he couldn't do it. She was looking at him with love. It was definitely affection anyway, he told himself.

"Drew, you are lovely," she told him. He found his arms reaching out not to clamp her to him for killing, but to hold her gently to him, and rock her slightly.

His confusion made him silent and she said.

"I'd like to go inside and wash up. Will you wait for me out here, there's a free table down the front now?" She inclined her head to the front of the garden, as she led him out of the trees, and towards the fragrant pergola.

Drew nodded. "Okay," he said. He watched her go into the pub, but a few seconds later he went in there himself, and straight through the place to the car park. He was in his car in seconds and reversed out of the parking space. As he did so glancing in the rear view mirror, he thought he saw the top of a head. He turned and looked behind him just to make sure no one had gotten in the back seat. It was empty and he decided he was just unnerved by his inability to feed from the woman Sandy.

He drove away and back the way he'd come, deciding that route would take him home.

As he drove Drew thought about what had happened and tried to reason it out, but he couldn't, all he knew was that he couldn't kill the woman.

He was speeding and found himself covering the miles back home quickly for which he was thankful. He might call in on Greta if her restaurant was still open when he passed. He took a deep breath comparing the sex he'd just experienced to the time with Rosalind and the girls he'd fed on from the clubs a night or two ago. His conclusion was that he felt more in this last couple of times, much more. He was astounded that he hadn't taken blood. It almost scared him. He passed an obviously male cyclist.

He stopped his car on the side of the road. With great speed and strength he grabbed the man, held him down for a second as he tore away the bizarre high-collared, Lycra, jacket, to expose the throat and drained the man's blood. Drew leaned away from the dead man and relieved, looked around him. The place was along a road lined with woodland and heavy fern undergrowth. Drew dragged the man along by his strange jacket and tossed him amongst the ferns and fallen branches. It startled some large birds that flew up and away protesting, losing a couple of their golden brown feathers as they went.

Drew looked at the bicycle and decided it was not a good idea to leave it on the side of the road, and so he picked it up and wedged it in the trunk of his car. It didn't quite fit and the light for open trunk was shining red on his dashboard as he drove the next few miles. He passed a side road that led to the edge of a river where a boating club had sheds and then a little further along the road, the river wound back. Drew stopped on the bridge and ditched the cycle in there. He watched it sink and disappear completely thinking the water was deeper than it looked from the top of the bridge.

A car passed him and had to go onto the wrong side of the road to do it, but Drew didn't care and was almost pleased that someone was on the same road as he was. The road was quiet and that had been the only vehicle he'd seen since earlier when he was heading out of town.

## Chapter Seventeen

On reaching the outskirts of town, Drew slowed down and cruised his luxurious car past Greta's restaurant. It was lit up and Drew decided to call in. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard, eleven forty, earlier than he'd thought. He parked in the loading zone and walked into the restaurant seeing only one table was occupied by a group of five people. He knew where Greta was likely to be now and grinned at Lance, who armed with his tray once more, came to greet Drew.

Greta knew Drew had arrived and put down her kindle. She turned the paperback book that she was also reading over to keep the place. The cover reminded her of Pearl and she had a wistful look on her face as she glanced over at Drew when he entered her office.

Drew went to her, held her by the shoulders, and kissed her cheek.

Greta raised her eyebrows at him as he moved away. She was surprised by this action and as she walked to the fridge for blood to offer him, she commented.

"That was a lovely greeting, Drew. Not like you at all. Is there anything wrong?"

Drew flopped down in the leather armchair.

"Other than I seem to have lost the will to kill?" He asked, and pushed his hair away from his eyes.

Greta was bringing him a drink in a cut crystal glass and she stopped about a meter away frowning.

"What?" she asked. This was an alien concept to her, how could a vampire not just kill? It was in their nature. She'd never had any trouble although she didn't do it often because it was time consuming to hassle around getting rid of bodies. True they could be picky about who they used for a feed or whatever, but lose the will to kill, now that was interesting.

Drew nodded looking sheepish. "I was with a woman, we had sex. I was going to feed on her after it, that was my intention, but she looked at me and I couldn't do it."

Greta sat opposite him and handed him the glass staring at him.

"Perplexing, so what did you do?"

"I ran away when she was in the ladies room and then grabbed a guy out cycling and drank his blood instead." Drew rushed to tell her leaning forward to emphasize his words.

"So you did kill the guy on the cycle then?" Greta smiled at him.

"Yes of course. He's in some forest somewhere out of town," Drew explained waving an elegant hand to express how anonymous the place was, and he drank the glass of blood in one go.

"There you are then you haven't lost the will to kill Drew. Maybe it was just this woman. In the past you've had human women stay with you for short periods of time because you liked the sex, and then killed them when you grew bored."

"You are kidding me?" Drew was sincerely shocked. He searched his memory. No, he couldn't remember it, but it seemed wrong somehow, like killing and eating your pet rabbit.

He sat back in the armchair.

"You're not kidding me. What a cruel thing to do. Maybe I did that with Elise. Maybe she didn't leave me dying and disappear. Maybe I fed from her, dumped her body then got home and died from some kind of virus."

He was serious and his blue eyes held sadness. Greta looked at him concerned and shook her head.

"No Drew, we can't get viruses and though we can be killed it's quite difficult. My opinion is she cast a spell on you and left you to die. She was strange and you were besotted."

Drew was quiet for a moment considering this idea.

"Did she seem to love me?"

Greta sighed she was bored with the subject. "I don't know, but the whole thing is suspicious if you ask me. Now do you want another drink?" She stood up intending to stop the line of conversation with movement.

"Greta, can I drink alcohol do you know like Rosalind can?" he asked. Greta stopped on the very short journey to the fridge and whirled around.

"Rosalind? When did you come across her?" Greta couldn't help but have an unpleasant tone to her voice because Rosalind had stolen a lover from her and she wasn't about to forget that.

"Yesterday I went to the foundry and met her there. We spent the day together, I kind of like her."

"You mean you kind of liked her screwing," Greta was harsh and Drew winced. He knew that was what it was, but he didn't like the word. It made what he'd felt with Rosalind tawdry.

"It was different Greta, nice, sort of like falling amongst the stars."

Greta poured blood in the glasses. She came back to sit opposite him.

"Falling amongst the stars? Poetic and odd words to use for a roll in the hay with Rosalind. You do know what she does for a living?" Greta was shocked and just a little bit jealous. Drew had looked dreamy when he said that phrase. Not even close to the absolute little shit he used to be. She liked him in both personas. Maybe she was in love with him she thought, and then Pearl's lovely face hovered before her mind's eye, and she knew it was just lust and friendship with Drew.

Drew waited, he expected Greta to spit out what Rosalind did for a living in a stream of dislike for the girl without him answering, and he was right.

"She's a hooker," Greta said simply, and pursed her lovely lips.

Drew was more interested than any other emotion.

"Maybe she's had to be. Does she get money from her punters and then kill them or what happens?"

Greta suddenly found it funny and laughed aloud.

"She actually has long term clients, humans who pay for her sexual services. I don't think they know what she is. I don't think she's ever killed one of them. The one time I've had a civil conversation with her she told me it was just business and as a business woman she kept it in a completely different compartment from her real life."

Drew sighed. "So do you know if I can drink alcohol or not then, Greta?"

She looked at him kindly. "I've never seen you drink it. I think you tasted it once and found it disgusting."

Drew grinned, he found that mildly funny, but he didn't know why.

They looked at each other for a moment or two.

"What color are my eyes?" Drew finally asked.

Greta felt on safe ground and answered softly with something that betrayed her own desire for Drew, "They are blue, very lovely, although I used to like your brown eyes. You've forgotten that too I guess."

Drew let that sink in.

"I suppose you don't know why they were brown and now they're blue?"

Greta shrugged, she had her suspicions, she was almost sure, but she didn't want to go there.

Drew stood up. He'd decided to leave.

Greta stood up too.

He embraced her again and put his glass on the table.

"Thanks Greta, it's been great seeing you."

Drew left and Greta watched him go thinking next time he came around she should let him know about the underground car park.

Drew drove into the gas station on his way home and filled up his car. The fumes made his eyes water and he coughed a little because now he could taste the nasty gasoline in the air. He had to pay inside a big brightly lit shop that sold all kinds of things and he picked up a bunch of local and national newspapers and went to the clerk at the desk.

As he handed over his credit card, he saw the flicker of interest in the eyes of a girl lounging by the glass case where sausage rolls, pies and pasties were being kept warm. She had a tattoo high up on her arm. It looked like a dragon to Drew and he flashed his eyes at her unconscious of the way they had turned to silver in the blue- white, fluorescent strip light above him.

Drew took his credit card and left the place thinking that he could definitely raise the interest of girls. He considered that as he drove home, knowing the way now from Greta's place without thinking about it. He wondered if all male vampires were like that, probably he decided. It would be some kind of special power to overwhelm prey just like speed and strength.

Drew drove into his garage and got out of his car.

He realized he hadn't locked the side door of his house when he'd left earlier as he turned the handle and walked in there. It didn't bother him at all.

Throwing his car keys on the little desk in the drawing room, he sat down and looked through the newspapers. He spent some time reading the nationals and then moved on to the local newspapers wanting to be doing something.

It was in the third local newspaper, on the social events pages that he saw a picture that really captured his attention.

It was of some female artist in a local gallery, but she was standing with a group and for some reason a man and woman in the group seemed very familiar. He scrutinized the picture. It was quite grainy but his eyesight was excellent and he concentrated on the man. What was it about this man that was familiar? Drew sat back becoming bored. He left the newspapers and wandered up to the library.

He looked along the shelves and took out one or two books here and there. Some were old books and some not so old and he liked the ones with lots of colored photographs of places and animals. He took one about the big cat family downstairs intending to get a glass of blood. As he passed the mirror in the hall, he glanced at the face he'd drawn, and there he was. Really. It was his reflection.

'It has to be me of course' he smiled to himself, 'there is no one else in the hall'.

The reflection was misty and he tried to match his face up with the one he'd drawn, but because he'd leaned in to draw around his face, it didn't quite match up. Drew was fascinated, why could he see himself? Had he been able to see himself before? Could Greta see herself? He felt like calling her to ask but then he decided against it. What if it was some aberration and she was horrified? No, he would keep this to himself for a while. He looked again at the misty image of himself and saw he did have blue eyes. He pushed his hands through his hair and pulled at his shirt noticing it had some kind of stain on the front at the bottom.

Turning away from the mirror, he pulled the shirt off and looked at the stain. It was greenish and then he realized it must be grass. Drew threw the shirt on the hall table and walked into the kitchen with the book he wanted to read. He took blood from the fridge, looked for a glass, and finding none he remembered the dishwasher and opened it to reveal arrays of clean dishes. It made him cheerful to see them and he took out a glass to use.

Drew sat at the kitchen table with his glass of blood and his book. He happily looked at the photographs of the lions and tigers, leopards and cheetahs. He loved the snow leopard pictures and looked at the creature's eyes, a pale green gray. He must have never known or lost the information in his memory because he didn't know animals had different colored eyes. Eyes seemed to be on his mind and he went back to the mirror and looked at his reflection again.

He smiled at himself finding it funny that he was there in the mirror looking back, vague and wispy like a wraith, but with those vivid colored eyes.

He went back up to the library and chose another book, this time about dogs. Time passed by and a hint of dawn was in the sky when Drew put down yet another book he'd brought down from the library and went to lie on his bed. He sighed happily. Something was different about the way he felt when he'd first woken up with Greta's wrist to his lips and the bathroom full of vomit. He felt different as if every night he changed somehow. It was good he didn't remember what he used to be like he decided, or the changes might be frightening, and that thought made him grin. He closed his eyes. He might sleep for an hour he thought.

As he slept behind his heavy drapes, the sun rose. It sent pale fingers of light through gray clouds that had formed whilst Drew had been reading his books. It was going to rain that day, and already the air felt damp, though no raindrops fell yet from the now overcast sky.

## Chapter Eighteen

Elise looked out of her bedroom window at the gray sky and stretched her arms over her head. Sometimes she simply wanted to stay in her bed these days, and yet today with the threat of rain, the sun having given up for the day Elise felt better. She showered, put on her jeans and T-shirt, and went downstairs for some coffee.

Tonight she had to make sure everyone at the dinner party thought she was fine and over Drew, although she knew deep down she wasn't. It had amazed her to find that despite everything, she still held a flicker of love for him in her heart. It was sheer idiocy, she told herself. He was a vampire, a killer, a spoilt brat, arrogant and deviant, and would eventually have tried to turn her that was obvious. He had to die and she'd killed him.

She drank her coffee staring out of the French windows in her dining room. There were two blackbirds sitting on the fence midway up the garden and then two jays came swooping down looking for the crusts she sometimes threw out from her toast. How was it everything was in pairs, Tara and Jon, Saffron and Erik, blackbirds, pigeons, jays, Bliss and Devon, and now Angharad and Balthazar. She turned away and went back into the kitchen for more coffee.

*

Balthazar had brought Angharad coffee and a spray of pale pink dog roses that he'd cut from the hedgerow outside his kitchen. He removed the spikes from it and laid it down between the two cups of coffee.

On his way back upstairs to his bedroom, he started to hum some tune. He had long ago forgotten the words. He pushed open the bedroom door with his foot and took the tray to the bedside table.

Angharad stirred sleepily because it was early, but more because they'd made love long into the night and she still wanted to sleep curled around Balthazar.

He got back into bed and as she moved to be held in his arms she whispered, "Why are we awake, Balthazar? It's too early. Let me close my eyes again for an hour, hold me."

Balthazar smiled and held her. "I'm sorry, I don't sleep that much and I was thinking maybe to make a start on sorting out rooms you'd like as your own here."

He shuffled down the bed a little to kiss her lips. Angharad kissed him back and moved a hand along his back as he lay on his side to kiss her. She followed the contour of his body down his slim hip to his muscled thigh, and then as she deepened the kiss they were sharing, she moved her hand along the top of his thighs to find his desire already evident in his erection.

Balthazar felt her hand on him and whispered against her lips. "You don't seem sleepy any more." The tip of his tongue touched hers and he moved his hips toward her as he felt her hand circle him. He reached his hand to lift her leg over his and open her to his gentle fingers. Angharad caught her breath. It was so delicious to be touched by Balthazar. His gentleness was so sexy, and it was always as if all he wanted was to show his love for her.

That was exactly what Balthazar wanted, and he moved his head to kiss her neck, her shoulder, and her breasts all the time pumping gently in her with his fingers. She brought his head up to kiss his lips and softly asked for him. Balthazar moved over her lovingly, his kiss never leaving her lips as they together, and drove each other to orgasm.

*

They weren't the only ones making love that morning. Bliss and Devon were just a little breathless and whispering how much they loved each other. The gray skies had brought Devon back to bed from the big open window in his bedroom, and Bliss had captured him sitting up resting against the wall by moving to straddle him. They were laughing together when she insisted on trying to get a pillow behind him and cursed that she didn't know why he had no bed headboard. Devon collapsed in laughter at the string of curses.

He kept her clasped against him as he told her that he'd hardly ever been in the bed before she came along, and didn't she remember that. The last few words were slightly muffled as Bliss kissed him and moved onto his erection, in a slow sliding way that had him gasping it felt so good.

With his hands in her hair he kissed her, as they moved towards the overwhelming sensation that always had them both clinging to each other afterwards for several minutes, just amazed at how good it felt to be with each other. They were meant to be together Devon told Bliss, and she agreed.

*

That exact same thought was in Marguerite's mind as she thought about the dinner party she'd arranged for that evening. She was thinking about the couples she'd invited and smiled to herself when she remembered how she'd tried to get Devon to forget Bliss as soon as he'd met her. Now Bliss was a friend and Marguerite was so glad Devon had met her because they were meant to be together in her opinion. She went on to think about Angharad and Balthazar the new couple, and smiled to herself.

She never expected to be part of a couple. She almost accepted that she would spend her life without love, almost, because sometimes she wished there was someone to talk to at the end of the busy day, or walk with on a sunny, Sunday afternoon. She stopped herself thinking those thoughts because she seriously believed there would be no one for her.

She was going to cook that afternoon, and intended closing her boutique early, until her faithful assistant Anita offered to close up. Now she would just leave that job in Anita's hands.

Ffion was coming around to help and would show up about lunchtime. Ffion thought it was hilarious that Marguerite would cook, but would only eat the soup. Then have to continue to have soup, or a glass of what she called her health shake, the special food made for Devon and Marguerite by her people. She'd laughed at Marguerite when they'd been shopping the night before, and said if it was her she would make everyone have just soup. Marguerite some time ago decided Ffion was huge fun to be with.

She set off for her boutique in a fine warm drizzle of rain, the sky gray, but Marguerite felt happy, she was looking forward to having people fill her dining room that evening.

*

Ffion made coffee and was looking out at the fine rain misting her rose garden. Her cat wanted to go out, and kept head butting the cup as Ffion had it to her mouth to drink. The cat was on her lap and demanding attention. When a drop of coffee finally flew up her nose Ffion laughed, put the cup on the little table next to her chair by the window, and stood up.

"Okay Midnight," she said, "I will let you out, but I know you, and you'll be back knocking on the door to get back in as soon as you find it's raining."

She opened the door that led to the rose garden and Midnight stalked out. He'd only gone as far as the first rose bush, when he felt a huge drop of rain on his head from the leaves grown heavy enough with fine rain, to drip just as he came along. Midnight jumped backwards and then made a run at the door he'd just come out of. Ffion hadn't even closed it and left it ajar knowing that the cat would come in soon. He had a game sometimes. Go out the back, and come in the front, or vice versa, and could actually make a noise on both doors that was suspiciously like knocking. Ffion wouldn't have cat flaps in the old oak doors and often left a window open for him.

She giggled as Midnight bolted back in the house and then she finished her coffee. Today was going to be a lovely day. She would shop, help Marguerite, and finally have dinner with lots of lovely people, including Seth. Ffion liked Seth, but she suspected he had a soft spot for Elise. He always seemed to be looking out for Elise and never seemed to indicate much interest in Ffion. True they hung out a bit now and then, but not once had he seemed to stray towards romantic behavior, unless you counted dancing with her at the town ball. Ffion sighed and went upstairs.

She was followed by Midnight who leapt up onto the windowsill of her bedroom and sat there washing his face. Ffion looked at her clothes and decided she would buy a new dress for the evening. She told Midnight who looked at her with his amber eyes knowledgeably. Ffion picked up her wallet and keys, ran down the stairs, and out the front door. It closed with a click behind her. She'd entirely forgotten the back door was ajar.

Midnight had finished washing his face and wandered downstairs. He could smell the wet air and scent of roses, and went to sit in the space on the back porch between the door and the doorframe. How very thoughtful of Ffion to have left the door ajar for him, and he settled down to sit with his front paws curled under him and sniff the interesting air. It seemed to have stopped raining, but it would be pleasant to sit there on the thick doormat and maybe snooze.

## Chapter Nineteen

It had stopped raining, so Seth decided to go and check on Elise just to make sure she wasn't thinking of reneging on her promise to go to Marguerite's dinner party. He wanted to walk to her place, and maybe it would clear his head because all he could think of was how to ask Ffion out on a real date. They never seemed to get past friendship, and he went to pieces every time he tried to hint at his love for her, because that's what it was, he was in love with her. He thought about her all the time. About her lovely eyes and smile, her long hair, always so soft and shiny, and even though she often seemed to make fun of him, Seth knew he loved that too. She was full of fun and happiness.

He'd thought of asking Elise how to approach Ffion, but he didn't want to bother her. He'd taken on a guardian type role because of his position on the council, but he felt that Elise might need this period of quietness to come to terms with what had happened. He was secretly relieved he hadn't had to kill Drew, not because it would mean he would lose his abilities, but because it was loathsome. He had to offer at the time. It was in his ancient warrior nature, and duty, but he'd hoped it wouldn't have to happen. Long ago, sick of war and conquest, he'd turned from the warrior life he had to lead, and he never wanted to go back to it.

Seth saw Elise in her front garden as he came up the street. She was cutting flowers, the long stemmed white daisy things she grew all around a birch tree. He called a hello as he opened her gate surprised to find it closed for once, and Elise turned around to smile at him.

Dear Seth, he was her guardian she knew that, knew that he'd been assigned by Erik, but at the same time he was so caring. He could have refused to do it, but he hadn't. He was like a brother, a real brother.

"Seth, it's good to see you, come in, and have some coffee."

Seth followed her into her cottage and they went down the hall to her kitchen. She had an armful of daisies, and they were wet so her T-shirt sleeve was damp. She dumped the daisies on the table and shook her arm.

"I'll make the coffee if you want to get dry," Seth offered. Elise nodded and took off up to her room to grab a dry sweater.

When she came down the stairs again, Seth turned to her. "Elise, please tell me honestly. Do you still love Drew?"

## Chapter Twenty

Drew had woken up and wandered about the house exploring. He'd found a couple of laptops in different drawers in the house and turned them on. They needed passwords so he left them where he found them. He found more money too. Lots of cash in drawers and in pockets, so he got it together, and put it in the chest in his bedroom where he'd found the first stash. He actually giggled as he put it in there thinking, 'where the hell did I get it or better still why?'

Drew sat on the end of the bed with his cell phone in his hand and looked at his contact list. There was no one on it he really wanted to call, not even to find out how that dull café was doing. He opened the photograph album and looked at the picture of the address for Elise. He was curious about why she'd left him to die, if that's what had happened. He looked at the photo of her coming from the balcony and thought 'where was that taken?'

Drew opened the drapes in his bedroom and stood staring out of the tinted window. He wondered how bad it would be if he stepped out for just a few seconds into the daylight. He felt the oddest compulsion to do it. A few large drops of rain fell from the almost uniformly gray sky. Drew watched them hit the sidewalk below and give the impression of a polka dot patterned paving.

He stood up and walked down the stairs all the time thinking about going outside.

When he got to the hall, he stopped in front of the mirror to check if he could still see himself. He could. He leaned forward and spoke to himself. "What are you thinking of?" he questioned softly.

Drew pushed his hair out of his eyes, and went into the kitchen where he poured a glass of blood from the carafe in there. He looked at it and a bizarre question popped into his mind.

Was it a man's or a woman's blood? How can I find out? Drew sipped it. He thought it might be a man's blood. He looked through the bags in the fridge for the one that the carafe had been filled from, and then remembered it had been thrown away.

He went to the small, garbage bin that was situated on a strange, little, swing out arm on the under sink cupboard door and searched in there. Maryanne had emptied the vacuum cleaner in it so when he fished the plastic blood bag out, there was dust and carpet fluff stuck to it. He didn't understand the label and he put the thing back in the bin.

He washed his hands deciding he would ask Greta about the labeling and the contact to get the stuff in the local hospital. He drank the remainder of the blood in his glass and rinsed it out.

The notion of stepping into the daylight was still with him and he shook his head. What's the matter with me, he thought. He went back up to his bedroom and stared out at the drab day.

He took a deep breath, got his cell phone from his pocket, and rang Greta.

"Greta, my car windows are a good strong tint aren't they?" he asked her as soon as she answered.

She laughed. "They're the strongest and your shirts are totally UV proof too. Why, what's the problem?"

Drew sighed. "Do I go out in daylight at all?" he asked her, and got another laugh from her.

"We can't take real sunlight. We cover up, and can go out in very overcast conditions with special clothes and tints on our cars. I chance it a little now and then, you used to, but don't go thinking you can sunbathe because you can't." She cracked up at her little joke and Drew tried to laugh a little with her.

"Thanks Greta, it's just that I was thinking of going out now and I wondered what might happen."

Greta frowned when she said, "Drew, get one of your special shirts on, and a coat and have a hat with you. Get in the car in the garage, and keep to the shade and covered places, you used to know this stuff. You need to wise up."

She rang off and Drew looked in his wardrobe. He put on a shirt with frilled cuffs that came down over his hands, and a black coat that came to his knees. He ran his hands through his hair and thought about hats. Where did he keep them? Then he didn't bother. He looked down at the black jeans he was wearing and thrust his bare feet in a pair of black leather boots. He laughed again at himself as he stood up. He picked up the sunglasses, which were on a table by the bed and put them on. Where was he going?

Drew knew very well where he was going. He was going to the address that Greta had given him to seek out the witch. He glanced at the time and was happy to find that it was mid-afternoon. He was desperate for the night, but it wouldn't come for at least four hours, and he picked up car keys and money on his way to the garage.

He put the address in his navigation unit and set off for where Elise was supposed to live.

On his way out of town, he thought about letting his window down a little, and then chickened out. He longed for the night. He drove for about an hour, and bored with it, pulled into a 'services' at one of the exits on the highway. He parked under the shadiest tree in a set of car parks where pedestrian walkways divided the car parking strips, and were lined with trees.

Drew got out of the car expecting to be incinerated on the spot.

It was a strange feeling exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

He walked quickly from tree to tree with his coat collar turned up and then very quickly into the building. As he went through the automatic double glass doors, he glanced back at the now steady rainfall and smiled. Nothing had happened to him.

His sunglasses lenses were dappled with raindrops, and he took them off, giving them a shake before putting them in the breast pocket of his black coat.

He looked around at the composite shops in the small mall he'd entered.

A bookshop caught his eye and he went in there. The place sold journals, magazines, newspapers and an array of candy in bright boxes and packets with colored ribbons on them. Drew picked up a couple of magazines that caught his eye, a Geography magazine with a picture of a whale on the front and an Archaeology magazine with the pyramids on the cover. He approached the biggest display of candy and looked at it. The witch might like candy he considered not really knowing why he was thinking like this, and then he picked up a big, round, striped box of the stuff with a matching blue ribbon stretched across the lid. Drew bought them and was on his way out when a woman bumped into him. She was quite young and made a big show of apologizing before darting away across the car park.

Drew walked at a reasonable pace and as he did so, he felt in his pocket for his car keys, they were there, but the roll of bank notes he'd had wasn't. Drew looked around him, that young woman must have taken the money. He shrugged. Maybe there was some in the glove compartment of the car if he needed any. He looked when he was in the car, nothing. 'Typical' he thought, 'there's money all over the house and none in here'. He hadn't brought a credit card and he smiled thinking it was as well he hadn't picked up his wallet, she would have stolen that too. He felt the smallest amount of annoyance because it would be a pain if he needed to fill up the car on the way back.

Drew put the things he bought on the back seat, and then drove away.

He was on the side road, which would lead to the entrance of the highway, when he saw her, the young woman. To his amazement, she was standing there holding out her hand at passing cars, trying to catch a lift. Drew slowed to a stop by her. He let down his electric window slightly and said, "Going east." He hadn't made it a question. Without answering, the girl got in, and Drew took off.

They were on the highway when she took out a packet of cigarettes.

"Do you mind if I smoke?" she asked.

Drew glanced at her.

"I do, so don't," he replied, and then looked back at the road.

He could smell her nervousness and hear her heart beating fast. He wondered if she recognized him as someone she'd stolen from now she was in the car. He put his foot down and glared ahead out of the windscreen. Something about her was pathetic. He should just end her misery he thought. Suddenly he pulled off the highway onto a circular exit. He drove a little way down a rural road, and then stopped in an opening clearly meant for farm vehicles to enter the nearby wheat fields.

The young woman tried the car door handle. Drew had them electronically locked. He turned to her. He watched as she dug in her shoulder bag, and brought out his roll of money.

"Sorry, I just get desperate sometimes, have it back, and let me out." She thrust the roll of notes towards him.

He was going to drain her, then toss her in the trunk of his car for the foundry later that night after he'd looked at the house the witch lived in. He reached for her not the money offered to him. He grasped her by the side of her head and neck, and then Drew saw the strange mix of fear and hope in her eyes. He could still hear her heartbeat pounding in his ears. He let go of her.

"You should be careful. I could be anybody," he told her, and he took the roll of notes. The girl sniffed. He could smell her tears. Drew peeled off two fifty notes, and then gave the roll back to her. "Take it. I don't need it all. You obviously do."

She grabbed the money and pushed it deep into her bag again.

Drew flicked the switch on his driver side consul and her door unlocked. She was getting out of the car, and rain came in to wet the seat before she could close the door.

Drew called "Wait." He leaned over and picked up the box of candy. "Have this you look hungry" he said, and pushed the box at her.

The young woman took it and smiled grimly. "So do you, but thanks," and she closed the door. Drew watched her in the rear view mirror as she hiked back up to the circular exits, the big, round, box of candy tucked under her arm. Then he started the car and drove off.

The navigation unit was telling him to do a U-turn. He ignored it, and drove on towards the sign posted village.

He was confused and scared. It wasn't what he'd expected, to start letting people off. Not feeding and killing them happily like in the first couple of days he'd been with Greta was odd. When had this weirdness started he asked himself. He pinpointed it to having sex with Rosalind, or maybe when he'd met Maryanne the cleaner, but he knew those were just the possible times, and not the cause. Something else was going on he thought. The rain was beating down now and running in wide rivulets down the sides of the roads where the drains couldn't cope with the sudden onslaught.

He stopped at the village when his navigation unit decided he could turn right onto a road and still get to his destination. The afternoon was so drab it seemed to be bringing twilight early. He'd stopped outside a small shop. He watched the few customers come and go, running from their own cars to the door, and then back to avoid getting too wet.

He decided to go on with his journey and glanced in the rear view mirror before he pulled out onto the road. The mirror gave him a partial view of his own face as he sat upright and turned slightly. It gave Drew a shock. It was clear, not misty like the hall mirror, and he saw himself, pale, very pale with very strange blue eyes. He guessed too that he was attractive. He was pleased with the darkness of his hair and ran his hand through it to check that the refection really was him.

Drew opened the car window slightly and listened. He could hear the conversations in the shop and houses, cars on the highway, birds and a cat meowing somewhere, there was a child crying in the distance too. Drew sniffed the air, rain, grass, trees, carbon monoxide, humans, he thought. He was testing to make sure his senses were still intact and they were, definitely. He had to shut out the din he'd tuned into because it hurt. That was weird too. When he first woke up with Greta, he'd heard the din of humans, but it hadn't hurt. He closed the window and drove on.

He reached the town where Devon and Bliss lived amongst the special and magical beings that saved Devon from vampirism. He was feeling a little hungry, mostly because he'd been worrying all the way along the remainder of the journey. The hotel at the end of the highway beckoned to him, and he parked there at the end of the gravel drive. It was still only late afternoon and he needed to feed. He waited until a solitary man came out of the hotel. The man started to rearrange his luggage in the trunk of his small, hatchback car, parked conveniently by a stand of trees and row of trash skips.

Drew was out of his car, and had grabbed and drained the man in seconds. His extraordinary speed seemed even better today Drew thought, and as he reviewed the trash skips to throw the man in one, he decided against it, and tossed the body in the trunk of his own car.

He drove on through the town and found himself in a short queue of vehicles waiting to go over an old bridge. Drew looked around as he waited and saw to his surprise the witch Elise walking across the road between the traffic at the bottom of the bridge. He was certain it was her. He got out his cell phone with the photo on it to check, and a strange flutter happened in the region of his heart. He had to drive on. He passed her as she walked on the left hand side of the road where rows of shops lined it. He saw a car parking space ahead of him and swung in. He left the engine running and watched the witch through the rear view mirror. He angled it to see her better.

Elise was bareheaded in the rain, which had calmed once more to a few drops. She wore jeans and a sweater. He noticed she was carrying something. It looked as if it could be bottles in the dark brown, paper bag with a circular motif on the front. He saw her go into a shop and he sat there waiting for her to come back out.

She was in there what felt like a long time to Drew and he turned off his engine.

He knew he hadn't missed her and at the risk of hearing every bit of racket in the vicinity, he tuned in to what was being said in the shop. He discovered no conversation. Concentrating he could only hear breathing and one heartbeat. He knew he hadn't missed Elise coming out of the shop. Cursing slightly he got out of his car and walked quickly to the shop.

Drew looked in the window. It was impossible to see down through the shop as the window had a scenic backdrop right then, and Drew sighed. He would have to go in. He closed off the din of the town that was starting to annoy him, and entered the shop. A little tinkling bell announced him. He cast a glance back at the top of the door as he heard it.

Anita looked up from her fashion magazine at the counter island down the shop, and saw one of the most attractive men she'd ever laid eyes on. She gazed at him as he walked towards her. He had to be a model or something exotic. A rock musician she decided with his head to foot chic, black clothes and sunglasses. His unkempt hair just added to how hot he looked. Drew came to a stop in front of Anita. He decided she was obviously a little dim. She was frozen, staring at him, and he took off his sunglasses as he reached her.

Anita couldn't help feeling some kind of nervousness as his incredible blue eyes met her own hazel eyes. She'd always thought Devon was about as good-looking a guy outside of the community as you could get, but this man was his equal she thought, as she pulled herself together and asked if she might help him.

Drew looked around.

"Are you the only person here in the shop?" he asked, at the same time knowing very well that she was.

Anita felt vulnerable and tried to scan his mind, something she was not skilled at, and hardly ever did, since she was determined to be as human as possible. She found she couldn't read him at all. All that appeared to her was blackness.

Drew sensed something, but didn't know what, and put it down to the girl being nervous about being alone.

"I was hoping Elise was still here," he said, thinking he might just as well say so. What harm could it do? The girl had no idea who or what he was.

Anita was surprised. Elise and Marguerite had gone out of the back door to the shop car park, and off home to meet with Ffion and sort out the dinner party. She told Drew that Elise had left with Marguerite, and lifted her hand to indicate the back of the shop.

Drew walked down there and into the little office and then out again, saw a door in the back wall of what appeared to be a storeroom, and made for that.

He opened it to find a strip of paved ground with a small car parked on it, and an empty space where another car might fit. He sniffed and caught the scent that had been in his own home as well as another vague scent.

Purposely filtering out the smell of cardboard, cleaning fluid, gasoline, and rain wet concrete, he stored the two scents away in his memory. The one that had been in his home was vaguely familiar in other ways. It seemed sweet and he licked his lips quickly, almost unconsciously.

Anita had followed him.

"Sir, there is really no one here," she said a little anxiously.

Drew turned around. He smiled.

"Sorry, I don't mean to alarm you. I was hoping to catch her. You see I've lost her phone number and when I saw her as I was passing by I..." but he didn't finish, instead he walked out of the shop and to his car. He got into it and sat there for a full minute thinking about the other name that the girl had mentioned, Marguerite. Lady Marguerite Petronella Ruthin, he thought, could it be? Perhaps not, lots of women are probably called Marguerite. I'm being strange again is all, he thought.

Drew touched the screen on his navigation unit to get it to take him to the address again as his final destination. He sighed. It wasn't far by the looks of the map on the screen.

He drove off as he was told by the female voice of the 'sat-nav'.

## Chapter Twenty-One

As Drew was driving to Devon's home, which was situated at the address he'd acquired from Greta, Bliss and Devon were getting into one of Devon's vehicles to go over to Marguerite's place.

Devon took his food, and tossed the container on the back seat of the car. He took advantage of being a little closer to Bliss having leaned in to do that, and kissed her cheek. Bliss moved her face to be kissed again on the lips. It was hard not to because she loved Devon so much, and Devon smiled at her as he took his lips from hers. She was his heart and soul, and he knew he couldn't live without her now.

They were halfway to Marguerite's place when Drew arrived at the house they'd left. Drew stopped on the road when told to by the 'sat-nav'. He grinned to himself at the phrase it used, and then looked down the driveway of the house he was stopped by.

There were two vehicles down the side driveway. Drew tuned into the sounds inside the house. He could hear the hum of the refrigerators, but no sounds of life. They must be out on foot Drew thought. He looked at the sky. It was becoming dark prematurely because of the weather. He hadn't felt a thing when he'd braved the outside to go into the shop to find Elise, despite there had been no trees like there were in the car park earlier that day.

Drew got out of his car and went at speed down the side of the house, passed the two vehicles parked there under the carport roof, and came to a halt at the side door of the house. He had a sudden flash of emotion. It felt so familiar to be standing there, almost as if he'd been there before. Drew didn't know if he should go in. He could easily just break down the door, but what would that do to further his quest for the witch. She wasn't in the place, and if she'd come out of this door then there was no scent of her around at all. Drew walked quickly to the front door. Her scent was not there either. Could there be a mistake about the address, he questioned. He went to sit in his car and called Greta.

Greta saw it was Drew calling on her cell phone screen and grinned to herself.

"Yes Drew?"

Drew looked out of the window at the house as he spoke. "Hi Greta, are we sure that the witch lives at that address Pearl gave you? I'm here, and honestly there's no sign she does live here."

Greta felt a pang of concern at Drew's tone of voice. Something was different about Drew. He was just not as arrogant any more.

"I have to admit to not being sure now. I was thinking about what happened when you found Elise, and the whole kidnapping business to get her, and I reckon, now I come to think about it that she was staying with someone else."

Drew felt exasperated. "What? Greta, how is it you've kept things from me? It seems at every turn there's information you could have told me. What kidnapping, and who was she staying with?"

Greta knew who and what. She'd purposely omitted stuff because it seemed best for her and for Drew. She was also a vampire, an old hand, had seen a lot, and done more. She was not to be trusted.

"Drew, you had Pearl kidnap a girl that Devon seemed to have stolen from you. Then you traded her for Elise and killed Devon is the story. The address you have is where the girl lived I think, and maybe even Devon." She knew very well it was, but she wanted Drew to think of her fondly.

Drew did think of her fondly because in his mind apart from the cleaning girl Maryanne, who'd been a little kind, Greta was kind to him, and he didn't forget she'd saved his life. He couldn't count Rosalind.

"Okay Greta, thank you for that. Possibly no one lives there now. There are two cars parked up and no signs of life. The scents are all unknown to me, but then they would be. I'll cruise around a little and drive home. Maybe I'll see you later." Drew pocketed his cell phone. He sighed, not knowing if he believed Greta had told him everything, or if she just didn't know for sure who lived there.

He sat there in his car for a few minutes just watching the sway of branches in a tree on the house drive. He thought about his own home. He couldn't face going back yet, so he started the car engine, and drove around the loop of the road until he discovered it took him back to the main street.

Drew drove down it and passed the shop, which Elise had visited. He glanced at it and kept driving. He would have to come back to the town or he thought, perhaps I could just wait outside that address. Whoever lives there will go home sometime tonight. With that thought in mind, he drove into a big tourist car park, used it as a place to turn around, and went back to sit outside the house parked on the opposite side of the road. He could wait there all night, almost, he decided.

## Chapter Twenty-Two

His quarry Elise was at Marguerite's house, and nearly everyone invited had shown up a little early so that they started to help with table setting and finding glasses, talking happily about what they were all up to.

The only people not already there were Angharad and Balthazar. They were on their way, and as they drove Angharad told Balthazar a little more about Elise. About how she'd been forced to kill the lover Angharad previously told him about.

Balthazar was shocked and he raised his eyebrows, but avoided glancing at Angharad.

"Really, but how, and it's extreme, well murder. What the hell happened?"

Angharad put her hand on his arm gently.

"Please don't judge her too harshly. He was a vampire. He said he loved her, but he wanted to turn her, not just to keep her with him, but also to take her powers. Balthazar, it was the only way."

He had his eyes on the road and he suddenly sighed.

"I understand. Has she lost her powers because of it?"

Angharad was surprised by his question but answered, "She doesn't seem to have. I thought we had to kill with a weapon, or you know push off a cliff, hold them in water until they drown, that sort of thing, to lose our powers."

Balthazar frowned. "So what did she do? To kill him I mean, oh she used her blood," he finished as he slowly realized.

"She slowly weaned him on for the required amount of time, and then abruptly ended, and so he died. She left him dying for sure." Angharad looked out of the window at the towers of the abbey as they passed, and cruised over the medieval bridge, the traffic lights in their favor.

Balthazar didn't say anything at all he was thinking that meeting Elise was going to be interesting.

Angharad directed him to Marguerite's house and they parked a couple of doors down. When they arrived hand in hand and rang the bell, Devon opened the door, and broke into a big smile as he said hello.

Elise was the only member of the group that hadn't met Balthazar. As he was introduced to her, he felt her scan his mind gently and expertly. He refrained from doing the same to her because he'd told Angharad he wouldn't.

"Naturally I've heard the legends and stories about you and the other high wizards, but I never thought I'd meet one. I feel honored to," she told him, smiling.

Balthazar had let her see his mind without scanning hers, and she was impressed by that courtesy. He smiled back. "The honor is mine Elise. I'm so happy to find you all. I can't express how much." Angharad held his arm, and leaned into him.

Elise saw the look of love he gave to Angharad, and a little spear of sorrow for her own lack of love pierced her heart. It was unguarded and Balthazar felt it. He looked Elise in the eyes.

"You have many dear friends here, Elise. Maybe we can talk again later," he said softly, and in that phrase was a hidden message. Elise could feel a wave of support from him and was grateful. They were joined by Seth who desperately wanted to talk to Balthazar about the old days. Angharad took Elise by the hand and they went off to talk with Ffion.

Balthazar had known instantly that this lovely woman, Elise, was the one he'd seen with Drew the vampire, and yet Drew was still alive. She hadn't killed Drew. He decided it must have been one of the other vampires who was her lover, but all the same, he would find out for sure. He would talk to her again.

Seth was enchanted by the presence of the high warrior wizard, and Balthazar had to remind Seth that it was many centuries since he'd actually practiced much of his skill set. Seth smiled and his pale green eyes filled with amusement at the term. He agreed with Balthazar telling him that the members of the community hardly used any of their abilities. They had simply tried to dissolve into the human community and become invisible.

When everyone sat around the table for dinner Balthazar found Elise on one side of him and Angharad on the other. He loaded his look with love as he whispered to Angharad that it was such a privilege to be there. When he glanced at Elise, he smiled companionably, and then glanced around at everyone there. He felt peace.

As the evening wore on and many stories were exchanged, finally amongst them Balthazar discovered that Devon was called Ruthin, that his name and Marguerite's was Ruthin. Balthazar took in the information, knowing they had to be family to Drew. He sighed because in his heart he knew it had to have been Drew that Elise thought she killed. He wanted to ask her and he wanted other pieces of the story now, because previously, so caught up in the new love he felt and received, he hadn't questioned Angharad much, but now he felt he must.

The evening became warm again and the doors to Marguerite's dining room were opened.

Seth and Elise stood outside with their coffee looking up at the newly clear sky full of stars.

Ffion watched from the dining table thinking that Seth must have feelings for Elise and that he was lost to her except as a friend.

Balthazar sat closer to Angharad at the end of the table where they were no longer near the others and suddenly asked her.

"Is the name of the vampire Elise was in love with Drew? Is he Drew Ruthin?"

Angharad nodded and glanced around knowing Elise was outside, she wanted to check where Devon and Marguerite were.

She whispered, "Yes Balthazar, why?"

Balthazar took her hand in his and told her. "He's still alive, if you can call it living."

Angharad felt a ripple of fear go through her, and it must have transmitted to Elise because she looked around and straight at Angharad questioningly. Angharad feigned happiness and smiled at Elise.

"Please say nothing until we are alone," Balthazar cautioned. He leaned forward to kiss her softly and quickly.

When they were all leaving later that night, Angharad hugged Elise extra hard, but kept her mind closed. Elise noticed, but said nothing.

As soon as Angharad was next to Balthazar in his truck she said, "How do you know, and what do you know?"

He sighed as he turned into the street that would lead them to the high street and to the highway home. "Angharad, I saw Drew not many days ago. His wretched café is on the same street as the art gallery where we met. His home is opposite my law firm," and then Balthazar stopped to recall. Had he seen Drew or just Greta coming and going from Drew's place? Why would she visit if not to see Drew? He must be alive Balthazar concluded. "Tell me the entire story," he said, as they joined the highway for his home.

Angharad began to fill in all the details of the story she'd left out in regard for Elise and her plight. She could hardly believe Drew was alive, but if Balthazar said he was, then he must be.

Meanwhile Drew sat in his car outside Devon's house. He'd studied the photograph of the witch on his cell phone. He'd rung Jake and asked about the café, pleasantly surprised to find Jake was happier and re-opening the café the next afternoon. He'd rung Maryanne who had been cross at first, since she was in bed with her lover, but then talked with him for a couple of minutes, as he seemed so forlorn. He'd rung Greta and asked for Pearl's number as the one he had didn't answer. Greta told him that was what happened to her too, and that Pearl would either, suddenly show up, call them, or never be seen again. Drew caught the note of regret in Greta's voice and told her he was sorry, although he had no idea for what. He'd read one of his magazines from cover to cover.

Finally, Drew was tired of the wait and drove away just as Bliss and Devon came along the road in the opposite direction ready to turn into their driveway. Bliss glimpsed his car in the darkness and a spark of recognition flared in her mind.

She put her hand on Devon's arm saying, "Devon, I think that was Drew's car," and she turned to look again, but the car had gone. Devon shook his head.

"It could just be one like his. There have to be lots of them around, well a few anyway," he said, and he grinned.

They were at the side door having parked under the length of carport available at the back of the other vehicles and Devon felt it. He felt and scented Drew just slightly, just a trace, and then he unlocked the door, and held Bliss by the hand to go in. The car Bliss had mentioned must have triggered his imagination he thought because Drew was dead.

## Chapter Twenty-Three

Drew was driving home annoyed with his fruitless journey and suddenly hungry for blood and sex. He watched for a way of gaining both as he drove along, and at the bus stop on the way out of the next town before the highway, he saw a girl alone.

He pulled up alongside her and let his window down. He gave her a look that was an invitation to something wonderful. His voice was soft and kind. He exuded charm.

"Do you want a lift somewhere? I think you may have a long wait there."

The girl was about twenty and not prone to getting in cars with strangers male or female. She shook her head.

"No thanks I'm fine," and she looked away from Drew wishing he wasn't a stranger. Wishing she'd met him down the basketball club or something, he was so drop dead gorgeous.

Drew didn't leave.

"I'm harmless," he lied, and smiled a smile so sweet it was like rain to a flower.

The girl had pepper spray in her bag. Her mom had some too. Their neighbors had acquired it after a break-in just in case the suckers came back when they were actually at home and not at the gym. They'd insisted on giving her and her mom a can each. She thought about the fact that she could spray him if he turned out to be a monster and accepted the lift after all. She was going to the hotel just before the highway to meet with her friends, there was, she told Drew, a bit of a dance on that night.

Drew found himself interested. "A dance?" he said in a questioning tone. "Is it open to anyone?"

The girl considered his obvious interest. It would be a real win to walk in with this gorgeous guy to the dance. Her friends would fall dead with envy.

"It is of course. You pay at the door and that's it...stay all night if you want to. The DJ very often plays until dawn." She glanced at Drew to gauge his reaction to this information.

Drew was thinking about sex. He really needed to feel that fragmenting into bits of light feeling he had the other night. He wanted kisses and a woman's soft skin under his fingertips. He swallowed and blinked. It seemed he wanted sex more than blood, he thought.

"I'd like to come too if that would be acceptable. I have nowhere to go now, and it's only midnight," and he slowed down the car as they were nearly there.

The girl grinned. "Why not come along? It just gets going at midnight. It'll be fun."

Drew swung over the carriageway to the hotel entrance and parked on the gravel car park.

He got out of the car and went around to let the girl out, but she was already almost out of the car and smiling.

"My name's Leah," she told him as they walked side by side to the door of the hotel bar and club.

"I'm Drew," he told her.

Leah sighed thinking his sexy name suited him.

Drew had looked closely at the girl as they entered the hotel. She was small and had a sharp nose. Her skin was slightly tanned, and her hair, although long down her back, seemed a strange texture. He smiled at her as he produced one of his fifty notes to pay the two ten dollar charges. Leah let him pay. It wasn't every day she got the offer.

As they walked into the main part of the club, where the DJ was already chanting and spinning along with a dance track, Drew thought nothing of taking Leah's hand.

She thought it was great and steered them towards the table where she'd seen her friends gathered. Right away, she could see the envy and astonishment on their faces. Her particular nemesis Nicole was green with it Leah thought happily, as she introduced Drew as a friend giving him a conspiratorial look.

Drew smiled his charming, disarming, sex laden smile and they were lost.

Nicole was the first to try to take him from Leah. She waited until he'd gone to the bar for drinks. Then excusing herself from the table where Leah was being quizzed by the others as to how she'd met such a hot guy, she followed him, and stood very close. The bar was crowded and Drew let her press against him as she said, "Hi Drew, thought I would come and help."

He leveled his gaze on her as she pressed her hip further against his thigh.

"I'm already somewhat warm," he said, as his eyes burned into hers. "Is there one of those garden things here to cool off in?"

Nicole licked her lips before she answered. "There's a patio and a pool out the side. I could show you."

Drew flashed his eyes and whispered, "Lead the way."

Nicole looked around to check if Leah and the rest could see them, satisfied they couldn't, she grabbed Drew by the hand. She pulled him through the crowd around the side of the packed dance floor, and out of the sliding glass doors, which were already open to the patio and pool.

Drew wasn't in the mood to beat about the bush, he pulled her to one side where a huge potted palm obscured the view, and kissed her.

He started to pull her short dress up and kissed down her neck, and then back to her lips. His kisses were intoxicating, and he whispered to her as he pulled her underwear away. "I need you."

Nicole unzipped his jeans and pushed her tongue into his mouth. He felt the warmth of her pussy with his fingers gently, and then took her to the ground.

Nicole was very willing and they had finished quickly. Drew was disappointed. The experience hadn't satisfied him. He would take her back and get another from the group, he thought.

They stopped at the bar and bought the drinks. On reaching the table, Drew saw that Leah looked a little hurt.

"You've been gone a long time," she said.

Drew gave her a sweet look. "It was crowded." He sat next to her and ignored Nicole who nudged the next girl along and pouted.

Drew noticed the girl sitting quietly opposite him. She had short dark hair and her eyelashes were heavily laden with black mascara. She eyed him speculatively and Drew felt the challenge. When Leah suggested dancing, he stayed at the table as most of the girls went to dance in a circle leaving him to guard their belongings. The mascara girl stayed behind.

She leaned across the table and as the music was extremely loud shouted, "Hello, where did you meet Leah then?" Drew didn't need her to shout, but moved across to sit by her side as if he would like to hear her better.

"Just around," he informed the girl, and noticed that she had dark blue eyes behind the black fringes, and that her face was a pretty heart shape.

He let his eyes linger on her lips and then looked straight at her breasts pushed up to show the cleavage in her dark blue, velvet dress. Drew smiled at her and sighed.

The mascara girl sighed too. She liked his looks. He was delicious she thought, pity Leah had met him first.

Drew rested his face on his hand and leaned on the table so that he was close to her. He looked longingly at her lips and then he put all his vampire charm to work.

"I don't know your name, but I'd like to. Shall we go outside for a few minutes just to talk?"

Mascara girl looked over at the group of friends. They seemed to have gathered a couple of boys who were showing off with some street dance moves.

"Okay, but not for long," she said, just giving in to the temptation before her.

Drew swept her along out to the front of the hotel and around to the semi-circular garden of daisies and clipped hedge.

He really needed sex right away and he pulled her to him kissing her as if his life depended on it. Mascara girl responded. She put her arms up around his neck and pressed her whole body against his with a need that might have matched his. This was different Drew thought. Nicole had screwed him to get at Leah this girl wanted sex.

He unzipped her dress and pulled it down her shoulders to reveal her dark blue, lace underwear, and he undid the clasp at the front to cup her breasts as he continued to kiss her. He licked her nipples one by one. She undid his shirt and trailed her fingers over his chest and down the sides of his body until he found himself sighing slightly. He pushed down her underwear and ran his hand over her lower stomach kissing her deeply. Drew put his fingers into her wet pussy, and she made a little sound into his mouth as she arched against his hand wanting more. Drew shivered with pleasure when she wrapped her hand around his erection, having unzipped his jeans freeing him up to the night air. He took his fingers away and gliding down to the daisies and grass between the hedges, he pulled her on top of him bringing her face to his. He kissed her lips as she started to rock her hips and then slide along his cock.

Drew held her hips and helped her until he knew she was satisfied, and then he rolled her over and took his own orgasm as his lips moved against her throat, and he started to suck just a little. He didn't pierce her skin just tasted her blood as it rushed to the surface of her skin under his lips. She groaned with pleasure.

He sat up with her and they arranged their clothes. He cast a glance at her, she'd been good he thought, passionate, and he felt better than he had when with the girl called Nicole.

"We should go back," she said, and he nodded at her.

Inside they found that the circle of friends were still on the dance floor and were flirting heavily with the boys who had joined them. Leah too Drew noticed.

Mascara girl felt guilty when she looked at Leah and went to join them.

Drew watched for a moment. He knew he wouldn't take their blood, knew he wouldn't kill any of them. Suddenly he realized he just wasn't going to kill women any more. He wanted them for sex, and he wanted lots of sex, but he couldn't kill, or take their blood anymore.

He looked around at the male populace of the club. He could use his supernatural speed to get one, feed, and dump the body with the one already in his trunk. It seemed the best thing to do because he was hungry, but he wasn't killing those girls, no way, it suddenly seemed so wrong. They were soft and made him feel good. He would just take male blood from now on he told himself and he would have lots of girls for sex.

He watched a young man weave his way to the corridor where the restrooms were and followed. It was easy to grab the man, feed, and be out of the place in seconds. He wasn't even a blur he was so fast, although the people at the desk taking the entry fee thought they heard something strange as the door opened and swung shut. One of them got up and checked the weather outside.

Drew was already in his car, the body in his trunk, and driving out of the car park with a smile. He'd driven halfway home before he thought of Elise and then he put her out of his mind and finished the journey. It was three thirty in the morning and when he got home, he wanted to read the other magazine.

Drew drove to the foundry first and found it wasn't ready for bodies as no other vampires had been there that night. Drew looked at it. He had no idea what to do to get it to work, and so he tossed the bodies in there anyway, and left a message on Greta's voice mail to say the foundry needed lighting and he didn't know how.

As dawn approached, Drew read his archaeology magazine, and then looked out of his bedroom window. He let himself think about Elise again. Had she left him to die and why? He must try to find her again, or it would just continue to haunt him he decided. Then because he could smell the girls he'd been with, and the man he'd fed on all over himself, he went to take a shower.

He wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror afterwards and looked at himself. It was just a little scary to see his eyes staring back at him. He decided to lie on his bed and think, but after a few minutes, his eyes closed, and although he didn't know it, he fell asleep.

## Chapter Twenty-Four

Balthazar had slept a little, but now he was awake and lying quietly by the side of Angharad. He watched the dawn creep in as he considered what impact it might have on Elise if she discovered Drew Ruthin still existed. He also considered the aspect that her blood hadn't killed the vampire, and how could that be was his question. He needed to find out because if the creature had been dosed and still lived after the dose was withdrawn, then that meant Elise had lost some strength and magic from her ancient blood. Balthazar in his goodness didn't yet consider that some other vampire might have come along and saved Drew.

The vampire who'd saved Drew was sitting in her library at home with her paperback. She'd re-read the same page three times because her mind kept straying to the phone conversation she had earlier with Drew. He couldn't get through to Pearl and neither could she. She knew what she'd said to Drew was bravado on her part. She felt the loss of Pearl so keenly it felt like a wound that wouldn't heal.

Pearl had been a lover, but it was the companionship that Greta missed most. Pearl had been around to share opinions on books and movies. They'd discussed news, clothes, and business. They were friends. It was as if a gaping hole had opened up in Greta's life with Pearl's loss, and what hurt most was that Greta really didn't understand why it had happened. It had been sudden, and, thought Greta sadly, uncalled for. She wondered where Pearl was right then.

Pearl that sharp as a knife, cool as an iced coffee vampire, was lying next to Miriam, the human who'd taken her away from Greta. Not that Miriam knew this, she only knew she was in love with Pearl, and Pearl loved her in return. Earlier, before midnight, Pearl had ignored her phone again. It made Miriam suspicious enough to ask Pearl this time who it was that she was avoiding.

Pearl smiled and kissed Miriam on the nose, and then her lips, taking her time to give Miriam a loving and sexy kiss.

"I know you think I'm avoiding a lover. Truthfully, one or two calls these last few weeks were from a woman I used to hang out with sometimes, but she's nothing to me. As you've seen, I can't be bothered to answer. The other call, now that was a different person. That's a guy I owe money. Not that he can't afford to go without it, but it's a bit of a blot on my business character, and I should call him. I did some work for him and didn't quite finish the job. I think I'll call him and sort it out. You're a good influence on me Miriam."

Pearl adored Miriam so much that she was considering asking Miriam if she'd like to be turned, and stay with her forever. Something stopped Pearl from going that far and she knew it was her distrust of the world. You couldn't trust anybody she told herself, and since she was one of the most untrustworthy people she knew, then that bore that theory out didn't it?

Miriam was asleep having been thoroughly made love to by Pearl. Pearl licked her lips and tasted Miriam on them. It gave her a shiver low in her stomach. She glanced at Miriam thinking about waking her up, but then she moved swiftly and silently, picking her cell phone up as she went.

When she was in the living room, she rang Drew.

Drew sprang awake when his cell phone rang. He hardly ever got a call and it shocked him.

When it was Pearl, he started to smile and he started to talk right away.

"Pearl, it's so great that you've called me. I have some questions for you."

Pearl grimaced to herself.

"I bet you have, and I can guess what they are. If it's about the money I can transfer it back right away, and if it's about not killing Devon, I just found myself no longer interested. You can understand that Drew, someone like you?" She made the last a little flattering question.

Drew sighed. He had no idea what she was talking about, couldn't care about the money, and just wanted information.

"Pearl keep the money, it doesn't matter. I just need to know about the address you gave to Greta. Who did you find at that address Pearl?" Drew knew it sounded odd having to ask that, and yet for some reason he didn't want to go into the story of how he'd lost his memory. He didn't think that was even the right term for what had happened anymore.

Pearl was glad to hear about the money, but didn't understand the rest.

"Drew, I gave that address to you as well as Greta. It was where Devon lived. If he had Elise there too is debatable, but he had the other one you wanted. What was her name? Something stupid like a new variety of ice-cream, Bliss, that was it."

Drew raised his eyebrows and sat up further onto the edge of his bed.

"That was where Devon lived," he said softly, and there was a question in his tone.

Pearl was bored with the conversation.

"Yeah, now everything is okay, Drew, we are even?"

Drew nodded even though she couldn't see him. "Sure Pearl, hey thanks for ringing I didn't expect it not when Greta said you never answered her calls."

Pearl was on the alert.

"Don't go telling her I called you. I have someone new and basically it's not on my agenda to catch up with Greta anytime soon and maybe never." She sounded crisp and business like as if Greta had been merely a business acquaintance.

Drew heard it.

"Sure Pearl, she does miss you though. Thanks."

Pearl didn't know what he was thanking her for, and yet was impressed he'd said it. Drew never really thanked anyone for anything as far as she knew. Pearl wasn't to know the extent of the differences between the old and the new Drew. They ended the call.

Drew went downstairs for a drink and stood in the kitchen looking at the magazine he'd left there earlier. It was the one with the photographs of whales on the cover. He sighed. They were fabulous creatures he thought.

By midday, he'd decided to go back to the address where Devon had lived. His plan was to watch the house for as long as it took to find the witch. He felt obsessed for a moment and asked himself why. Then dismissing it, he sat at the table with his glass of blood and considered his plan.

He would leave at dusk for the house and sit there until he saw people go in and out of it. If he didn't see the witch then he would follow one of them until they led him to her. He would take blood with him because the thought of having to find humans to feed from and then deal with their bodies was annoying. He started to look around for a suitable container in which to put ice and blood bags. He found a reasonable sized plastic lidded box and checked to see if his icebox dispenser held ice-cubes. It seemed there was a never-ending supply of the things and he wandered off to his office.

Drew saw the mess he'd previously left and started to tidy the paperwork and drawers. Then he opened the lid of the laptop and looked at all the bookmarks and history to check what he used to do on the internet. He read a few blog posts and news sites until he was tired of it. It was mid-afternoon. The day seemed to drag for him and his mind wandered to what was happening over in the town where Elise was supposed to live.

## Chapter Twenty-Five

Elise was with Bliss and Devon. They had gone to the café for coffee, and were watching the tourists coming and going from the abbey.

Bliss smiled as she remembered how she'd met Devon right here in this café and then thinking about how much she loved him she studied Elise. There was a sadness about Elise behind the façade of being happy in the sun with her friends. Elise had a downcast look when she was not engaged in conversation, her gaze suddenly acquiring that faraway look of someone experiencing loss and grief.

Bliss took a deep breath. She knew it might be too personal a question to ask, but she asked it all the same.

"Elise, do you miss Drew? I know what he was and yet you loved him once."

For just a few seconds Elise felt tears behind her eyes and then she sighed.

"It was all so wrong. The love that could have been, is what I miss. I miss the potential of that love. It's almost as if it was the only chance I had, and it was tainted, but will never come again."

Devon felt heartbroken for Elise as he heard her answer Bliss's question. His natural kindness bubbled over.

"Elise, it can't be so. I hope with all my heart that you have love in your life again. If there is anything we can do, anything, you know we will. Please don't ever sit alone and forlorn, call and we'll be there." Bliss nodded to show her agreement.

Elise smiled at Devon, his eyes, dark blue today, were full of concern.

"Thank you Devon, Bliss, I'll be okay," she said, but they all knew it might take a very long time.

The sun was warm making up for the day before when it had hidden away behind the banks of gray clouds. People were clustering under the stripped umbrellas and awning of the café. The stream running by was dappled with glittering shapes as the sunlight hit it, and the high street became busier as tourists streamed into the town hoping to catch the abbey opening hours.

The three friends were going over to Erik's place to help him transfer a load of restored antique furniture from his workshop to his shop at the end of the high street, and they gathered their things to leave the café.

Marguerite, who could see them from over the road in her boutique, rang Elise and asked her if she would like to come around that evening to watch a movie. Elise accepted thinking it might be better to start seeing everyone again. It might ease their worries and keep them off her back.

The off-white truck that Devon owned was parked at the back of the supermarket and they walked down there. Bliss climbed in and crammed up against Devon on the old bench seat leaving Elise the space by the window. Devon grinned at Bliss as she pressed her thigh along his and his eyes reflected the sudden spike of desire she had in hers. They looked at each other's lips. Had they been alone, they would have kissed each other, but after the sadness expressed by Elise, they both knew it would be mean to do that. So when Devon ran his tongue just slightly between his lips thinking of kissing Bliss, Bliss did the same. It was an unconscious action, but a measure of the fact that sometimes Bliss could almost feel Devon kiss her just from his look.

They drove off with the sun behind them in the west glancing off the metal floor of the truck tray, and flashing spears of heat up, so that there was a slight waver in the air above it.

Drew was over there to the west in his house where the sun was only slightly dipping in the sky. As Devon and Erik loaded an antique table onto the canvas placed in the truck to provide protection, Drew was sitting at a very similar table with the little painting he'd found in front of him.

He decided to take it with him and put it in the pocket of an overcoat he'd noticed in the hall cloakroom. He had everything he wanted to take except for the blood and ice because he would do that last.

Drew wandered up to the library thinking he might risk leaving on his journey about six because surely the sun would have lost its sting by then. He noticed the library steps at one end of the room and climbed them to see rows of very old books. Some were quite big and some were huge. He was intrigued and annoyed at the same time because he was just not remembering things. If anything his memory of what he used to be, own, and do, was getting worse. Drew picked up a big book that looked as if it might have plenty of pictures in it. He leapt down from the steps with it easily and took it over to the chaise longue to look at.

It was a book with lots of pictures of places, buildings, churches, and old street views. This is cool he thought to himself as he turned the old pages. Photographs with special crackly almost transparent pages in front of them were what the book was made up of mostly, and Drew turned the pages slowly as he became interested in the photographs.

He came to one and as he turned the page a scent wafted up to him, not just the scent of old paper and age as before but an extra scent. Human, Drew thought, the scent of a human and slightly familiar. He searched his memory for where he'd come across that scent recently and it occurred to him that it was at the house he'd staked out last night for no good result. He closed the book. He couldn't answer why the scent was there, and he sauntered downstairs to waste some time. He could hardly wait for the sun to sink a little.

He went to look at the street from his garage entrance and decided to get his things and leave for the town where he hoped Elise lived. He couldn't wait any longer.

Drew was pleasantly surprised by how little effect the sun had on him as he drove quickly out of town, with his window just a little down. There was a lot of traffic getting out of town, but once he hit the highway, Drew put his foot down and sped along thinking about what he was actually going to say when he found Elise. He couldn't think of anything other than asking why she'd left him to die when Greta told him that Elise had loved him.

He tried to analyze why it was so important to him and then he realized it was because it hurt. Somewhere in the recesses of his heart or mind, he felt pain to think that Elise would leave him to die. He didn't know why, but it was important to find her.

He passed all the gas stations and coffee bars without a glance. His foot down he was speeding towards Elise.

Elise meanwhile was still with Bliss and Devon. They had just finished helping Erik, and were now at his place having a cup of tea together. Erik was pleased to see Elise finally looking as if she was over the horrible business of having to kill that dreadful Drew creature. He didn't touch her mind to check, he just accepted this from the way she was talking and laughing with Bliss and Devon. He sighed with relief as he poured more tea for her and gave her a big smile.

They were going back to Devon's house where Devon had some cuttings from some of his plants to give her and where she'd left her own car.

It was just after seven when they drove over to Devon's place and the sun was just losing its warmth. Elise had left her car on the street opposite Devon's place and they walked over to it at the same time as Drew came along in his distinctive vehicle.

As Elise was just getting into her car and Devon was standing looking at her they didn't notice Drew, but he noticed them. He saw Elise more than Devon, and in fact he didn't recognize Devon. Drew passed them and quickly turned into a driveway. Someone in the house looked through the window at him as if expecting a visitor. Drew used the driveway to change direction and as Elise drove off, and Devon was walking down his own driveway to his front door, Drew followed her car. Devon caught that slight trace of vampire scent again that he'd noticed a day or so ago, and then dismissed it because it was so faint, unusual and then gone.

Elise was going to Marguerite's place and Drew followed. He made sure that he waited for two cars to pass before he joined the main street to be behind Elise's car. He found himself nervous as he followed her and shook himself. What was wrong with him he thought?

Elise stopped out the front of a big house, which was painted entirely white. The walls were white, the paintwork was white, and the planters by the side of the white front door were white. Huge blue flowering plants were in the planters and Drew couldn't help thinking this blue and white was pretty. He watched Elise get out of her car and walk up the short driveway. At the door she stopped. Drew thought she must be going to unlock it, but instead she reached forward and used the bell in the middle of the white door. He knew it was a bell because it was the same as on his front door. A circular rose surround of brass with a button in the middle to push for the bell.

She must be visiting someone he thought.

The door opened. Drew, who was parked just that little further back from Elise, could just see it was a woman who opened the door. Elise went inside.

## Chapter Twenty-Six

Drew settled down to wait. He watched people pass by. He was there for about an hour when he took out his cell phone and checked out all the applications on it. It amused him for a while and then he was bored with it, and put it back into his pocket.

It was dark, and Drew was tired of waiting. He reached over to his belongings and drank some of the blood he'd brought with him. It didn't help him feel any better, and he decided to snoop around the house.

Silently Drew left his car. Using his incredible speed, he reached the front of the house with no one seeing him even though an old man was out on the other side of the road walking his dog. The dog sensed something and stopped to stare across at Drew's car. The dog's lead was on a harness around his chest and he thrust forward to try to sniff more of the strange scent, but the old man called him. The dog was obedient, and trotted on behind instead.

Drew moved swiftly and silently around the side of the house. The outside lights came on at his presence. He grinned, funny how technology was about to see him when humans couldn't unless he wanted them to. He stopped at a side window to look in and saw it was the kitchen. He was careful to stay very close to the walls of the house as he went around the back and found a tall wooden gate stopped him from reaching the very back of the house. He leapt it and a light came on in the garden. Drew flattened himself against the house wall.

Nothing happened, no one came out of the house, and he inched along to peer through the back windows. Heavy drapes were hung, He couldn't see through as they were closed up and not a chink of light came through them. Drew listened and heard voices and heartbeats, three of them, each different from the other. None of them were like those he'd heard before so who or what was in the house? He listened to the voices, some were male, and then he realized the occupants of the house were watching a movie. He sorted through the sounds and realized one of the heartbeats was now joined by purring, it must be a cat, he said to himself. He listened to the other heartbeats, one was distant, and one was stronger and slower than he'd noticed with humans.

Drew was intrigued. One of the heartbeats belonged to Elise and it must be different because she was a witch he thought. Perhaps the woman she was with was wearing something that interfered with his hearing her heartbeat. He shrugged to himself. He only cared about Elise. When was she coming out of there? It was late and he was desperate now to talk to her.

He turned and leapt the gate walking back to his car with his hands in his pockets and head down, feeling as if something weird was happening to him.

It was an hour later when Elise came back to her car. The woman with her was somehow familiar Drew thought, as he slid down in his seat to make his car look empty. The window tint was dark anyway, but better not to risk it.

Elise drove off and the woman waved and went into her house. Drew started his engine and sped off to catch Elise up. He followed, but not too closely because there was little traffic as she neared a rural side of town and then continued down a lane to a row of large cottages. They were each surrounded by big gardens and had thatched roofs. The whole lane of cottages looked like something from out of the book he'd been looking at in his library. Drew liked it.

Elise drove into a driveway that was covered with white pebbles and left her car outside the front of her cottage. Drew left his car on the lane, pulling it up high onto the actual grassy sidewalk, and turning his lights off immediately in case they gave away his presence.

He was silent and behind Elise in a flash, but Elise knew he was there. She felt a presence and turned. Faced with Drew, she let out a gasp, and put a hand up against the wall of her porch. Drew spoke. "Please Elise. I just want to talk to you. I mean you no harm. Please may I talk to you?"

Elise stared at him and then she tried to cast a thought into his mind to go away.

It didn't work. She could feel a difference in his mind as she swept it briefly, although she hadn't really expected her direction to work she put her hand on her forehead and rubbed it in distress.

"Drew, how are you here?" she asked sadly. It was hard to take in. He should have been dead she was certain of it.

Drew heard the sadness in her tone and as he studied her, he thought how very beautiful she was, and how her hair shone gold in the porch light.

"Please talk with me. We can go somewhere else if you want to, if anything is open that would be quiet enough," he added, thinking of the bars and clubs where people couldn't hear each other. Even as a witch, she might not be able to hear what he had to say.

Elise jumped because her cell phone rang out suddenly in her coat pocket, and she grasped it to her looking at the screen. It was Marguerite and she answered. Hello? I'm fine. What? Really? But you can see nothing and it was just faint? Okay let's leave it and maybe tell the others tomorrow. Are you okay, perhaps give him a call? Call me if you're worried at all. See you tomorrow."

She put the cell phone in her pocket.

Marguerite had caught the faintest scent of a vampire, not strong, nor even like a normal vampire smell in reality, but was worried for Elise just in case any of Drew's friends had come to even the score.

Drew was standing looking pale and dejected in her doorway. Elise realized that if he had come to harm her, he could have done so already. She sighed.

"Come in, Drew. We'll talk here."

## Chapter Twenty-Seven

She unlocked her door and went in. Drew followed her down her hall to a sitting room where she put on some lights, and tossed her jacket over the back of a chair.

"Please sit down," she said, and indicated armchairs surrounding a wood burning stove. A big fern was placed in front of the fire, as it was unlit for the summer.

Drew sat in one and stared at her.

Elise sat opposite him and put her hand to her mouth. She shook her head.

"Drew, I thought you were dead," she said, and her voice and hand shook a little.

He looked sad and then he said, "I was saved by a friend, somehow. I don't know what truly happened, but I came to see you because the friend said you and I were in love once upon a time. It would seem from what she said that you left me dying and disappeared. I haven't been able to remember what happened. I lost my memory, but I've been unable to stop thinking how if I was loved, why my beloved would leave me dying."

Elise was incredibly touched by his use of the word beloved. She looked at his blue eyes and his lovely face. His hair was all over the place and he ran a hand through it. She saw how different he was just in the way he sat and talked. Even in the way he was dressed. She could feel a completely different aura about him. What had happened she asked herself, and she began to ask Drew.

A long time later, she had the full story from him. He'd told her everything. About girls and how he couldn't drink their blood any more. He told her about the candy he'd gotten for her and given away and even about drawing around his face in the mirror. She reached out to hold his hand when he said that. Somehow, here was a Drew she'd only glimpsed before, a Drew she could completely love, and found she wanted.

"So this is it? You woke up with no memory, different but still a vampire, and little by little you've found yourself changing even from the way you were when you first woke up as Greta fed you?" Elise wanted it straight in her mind. It was unsettling and enticing. She needed him to hear his story so that she'd know if he'd lied, and she would see it in his eyes.

Drew looked at her innocently and plaintively, didn't she believe him?

"I don't remember you really, Elise, just a vague feeling of recognition, but I can see why I loved you. You're beautiful. Did you love me and why did you leave me to die?" He got around to his question once more. Elise did not know what to say. She kept hold of his cool hand and now she looked down at her hand holding his.

"I did love you. I left you because I thought it was the best thing to do," she said as simply as she could. How could she tell him what really happened?

Drew sat back in the chair so that she had to let go of his hand. He pushed at his hair again.

He could hear her heartbeat and it was faster than before. He could smell her blood, but he didn't want it, instead he wanted to make love to her. He wanted to feel that soft skin and that copper hair. He wanted to kiss her lovely face and lips. He was so pleased he knew what color his eyes were because she had that color too, and he liked it that they shared this. He knew she hadn't told him the whole truth about leaving him dying, but he felt she'd loved him, and then it came to him, maybe she still did.

Elise watched the emotions go over his face and waited knowing her answer was inadequate.

He sighed and leaned forward to her. "I could fall in love with you again, Elise," he said, and reached out to touch her hair.

Elise closed her eyes and let him stroke her hair and then her cheek.

He moved closer. Elise waited until he kissed her, and then she put her arms around his neck and held him to her kissing him back. They stayed like that for a few moments, kissing each other, and then Drew whispered.

"You still love me I can feel it."

Elise was shocked at it all. Here was the Drew she'd always wanted and yet he was still a vampire. She made a decision thinking if Drew had always been like this she wouldn't have had to kill him. She answered.

"I do still love you, Drew, although I have to say I like you better now than before."

She watched as Drew smiled happily and his eyes sparkled. "I don't know what I was before, except from some hints others have given me that I wasn't very well liked in the community. I'm still a vampire, but as I've said, I seem to have become queasy about killing, and I seem to have become kinder than they say I was. You're a witch, Elise, and so it might not matter to you that I'm a vampire." He looked hopeful and Elise smiled a little.

"Did you bring blood to drink?"

Drew nodded.

"Go and get it so that I know you won't decide to feed on me in the night," she told him.

Drew realized he was staying with her and he grinned as he stood up and went out to his car.

Elise didn't ask herself what she was doing. She knew she was taking some risks, but all the same, she couldn't help it. It was possible this Drew would let her help him stop being a vampire as Devon had been helped. It was worth a try because she knew as soon as she'd seen him in her porch that she still loved him.

He came back with the container and she locked the door behind him.

"I would never have fed on you, Elise," Drew told her as he followed her to her room.

Meanwhile Marguerite hadn't called Devon because it was late. Instead, she'd gone around the outside of her house checking the scents. Her sense of smell was still very good, even though with each passing year, her vampire senses diminished or changed somewhat. She decided this scent was not really vampire. It had some notes of vampire in it, but it could just be some passing animal, or scent on the wind from the forest she told herself because vampire was generally very distinctive.

She didn't let her cat go far though as he followed her around the garden. They were alike right then, both doing a round of their territory. She picked him up and took him back inside with her. "Nothing to be seen Demon, but that doesn't mean anything as we both know, so no wandering beneath the gentians for you tonight."

Demon had run upstairs with her and was now sitting on her bedroom windowsill watching the night as she showered.

## Chapter Twenty-Eight

The morning came too soon for Drew, not that he was going anywhere, but Elise was. They'd talked lots and made love more. Elise was convinced that Drew had woken up from death as a different character altogether from the way he used to be. More like Devon in fact, she thought as she showered.

She thought about Devon and Marguerite, and the fact that if their food was withdrawn now they would die just as Drew had, and if they were fed blood from another vampire the way Drew had been, they would be vampires once more. She shivered because if this had happened to Drew what might happen to them? It didn't follow that the effects would be good. If you could call still being a vampire good. Then she decided it wasn't a question she needed to worry about. Devon and Marguerite would never leave the community of beings as they called her people, and so would never have to go without the food and the medications.

Drew came into the bathroom and opened the shower door. He was looking at her lovingly just the way she'd always wanted him to, and as he reached to hold her face and kiss her, he got wet from the shower and grinned.

"I might as well get in there with you now," he said, and Elise smiled, she could be late for work it wouldn't matter.

****

Two other people were using a shower, in a house closer to the town where Drew lived. Balthazar and Angharad were holding each other close under the warm water spray and kissing. "I think I must go home and sort things out today," Angharad told him and he held her tighter.

"Okay but only if I come and stay with you for the next few days as we agreed. I'll need to sort a few things out too. I've decided to open a branch of the law firm in your hometown. I noticed a lovely old place just off the high street which has been converted into offices and so I'm going to buy the place."

Angharad was kissing the drops of water from his face and shoulders, and she looked into his eyes.

"That's good. I think I know where you mean. The place has been for sale for a while. It's expensive, Balthazar."

"Then they'll get the paperwork done quicker," he told her, and kissed her lips until she pulled away.

"I love you dearly, but we must get going this time," and she smiled as she said it because it was hard to leave him, but they couldn't always be glued together, she had work to do.

Balthazar grinned.

Later that morning he was in his accountancy office and looking out at the view of Greta's restaurant. He thought how bizarre it was that he'd found his people and there was a connection to Greta, through Drew of course, but then that was also weird.

He thought back to having seen Elise with Drew and shrugged. He couldn't have known what was going on, but now he did he must make sure to protect them all from Drew and his like. He and Angharad had decided against telling anyone Drew still existed for the time being, because Angharad thought Elise still loved the creature.

Balthazar said goodbye to his employees in that office and drove along to his law firm. He stood on the steps before going in the door and stared across at Drew's house. It was imperative he find out for sure if Drew did still exist. He walked down the steps and crossed the wide street to ring the doorbell of Drew's house.

A young woman opened the door, but stood well back from the threshold.

"Yes," she said.

Balthazar could tell she was a vampire and stopped himself from having a look of distaste on his face. Instead, he smiled asking, "Is Drew Ruthin at home by any chance?"

Maryanne had come to clean the house. She had the time and was used to covering herself well to avoid the sunlight. She thought this was some kind of human, and it was on her mind to grab him and take his succulent blood. A man like him would be a treat she thought.

Balthazar watched her intently, scanned her mind, and quickly left it. She was dangerous and he moved down a step.

Maryanne dismissed feeding on him because he could be someone Drew needed, a business acquaintance or something.

"He's not at home, try ringing him, or more than likely he will be here tonight."

She closed the door and Balthazar took a deep breath as he walked away.

He might not have been able to stop her if she'd decided to use him for a feed. His mental powers might have slowed her down, but he knew physically she would be more than capable of killing him.

Drew was definitely still in existence then, Balthazar thought, and he took out his cell phone and called Tara. They had to meet and talk properly about this, because he didn't know what was going on.

Inside his law firm, he set the wheels in motion for the purchase of the offices over in Angharad's hometown and asked for a quick resolution. He told Rupert about the new offices he planned and they had coffee together.

Balthazar drove over to see Tara shortly after.

Tara welcomed him greeting him mentally and taking his arm to walk to her big kitchen because she was so pleased to see him.

"Finding you is the best thing to happen in so long. I can't express my happiness adequately."

Balthazar knew how she felt from her touch it radiated so much love, and he smiled.

"Thank you, Tara, I must tell you that it's been my saving, meeting Angharad, and finding you all. I was on the edge of despair, but let's not talk about that. I must talk with you about the Ruthins."

Tara knew it and as she made tea and sat beside him to drink it, she told him the story of Devon and Marguerite. Balthazar realized then that Drew must have been brought back from death by another vampire if Elise had dosed him with her blood. Greta more than likely, he thought, as he recalled just how many times she seemed to be around at Drew's home.

"You must be questioning why I am so interested, after all Devon and Marguerite seem to be such an accepted, trusted, valued part of our community. It's because of Drew. He's still alive. He was saved by another vampire, or Elise didn't tell the truth to you about his death." Balthazar winced inside as he said this knowing it would hurt Tara to have Elise fall under suspicion, but he had to ask her.

Tara looked pained and answered quickly. "She thought she'd left him dead for sure. We shared minds I know that when she came back to us from Drew's home he was dead, or so close that it would been seconds later. I could see his face in her mind and I know for sure that what must have happened was a vampire friend of his fed him blood, their own blood moreover, or it wouldn't have worked."

Balthazar was nodding and he took Tara's hand.

"I'm so sorry to have questioned Elise's integrity, but the fact he lives is a worry. If Drew decided to come after her, or sent his minions, she may be in great danger. The question is how can we protect her without alerting her to the fact that he is alive? There's also the chance that he's gained some degree of her powers. You know that don't you Tara, and from my meetings with Devon and Marguerite it's obvious that they've gained some, even though not at full strength."

Balthazar continued to tell Tara about some of the mistakes made eons earlier when their people had conducted experiments with humans to try to change humans for the better. "A diabolical business," he told her. "What did we think we were doing?"

Tara though not involved had known some of what he told her, and added that the intent had been good hearted. They had been trying to eradicate some diseases, and it hadn't occurred to them what else might happen.

"Let's think about, Drew," Balthazar said softly.

"We can't kill or re-kill it would be too much, Balthazar. I can't be party to it. We could re-do the spells and safeguard everyone's home again or," and she stopped talking to take a deep breath. "We could capture him and incarcerate him for life. Forever."

Balthazar looked at her for a few moments.

"I have my ancient spell book. We can immobilize him and then suspend his life force indefinitely. The trick will be in capturing the evil thing."

Tara sighed. "I know that, but maybe Ffion can help again. She could convince him once more that he sees Elise and slip a potion into his food."

Balthazar nodded. "We'll plan it. The whole thing must be faultless or we might be back where we started. I'll bring my spell book to you tomorrow. We can work together."

Tara smiled. "I've been meaning to ask for your help with lengthening the life of dear Bliss. It would break my heart for Devon to ever lose her."

Balthazar looked at her kindly. "I already know, and I already know the spell to use, but it will have to be cast in stages, and the herbs we need for both potions are hard to find now."

Tara grinned. "You don't know it yet, but we've become the world's best gardeners, and there are probably the very herbs we need right now out there," and she waved her hand towards her garden.

They smiled at each other.

That afternoon when Balthazar had left, Tara contacted Erik and Saffron to tell them the plan. They agreed to wait until Tara had seen the spell book and ascertained that they had the herbs they needed to overpower Drew, before they would talk with Ffion, but they all thought she would do it when they asked her.

Balthazar went straight to see Angharad in her studio and swept her up in his arms to kiss her.

He told her about the talk with Tara and Angharad looked worried.

"So in the meantime Drew may come after Elise?" she questioned. "And then he might find out about Devon still being alive. It's a mess, Balthazar. I hope we can deal quickly with him."

Balthazar hugged her to his chest.

"Don't worry we will, but it's been a few weeks hasn't it? Who knows he may be alive, but not remember Elise? Our blood does tend to change things."

Angharad looked up at his dear face. "Four weeks I think counting this one."

Balthazar held her face and kissed her. He was so in love with her and he moved his hands to hold her around the waist. Angharad pressed against him. She loved him and wanted to take every opportunity to let him know because life had a funny habit of dealing out surprises, and some of them were unpleasant.

"I do love you so, Balthazar," she whispered, and he whispered back.

"I love you too."

## Chapter Twenty-Nine

A day later Balthazar brought his beloved spell book over to Tara and showed her the spell they would need to suspend Drew's life force. They already knew how to immobilize him. They both checked Tara's herb garden to find there was one herb missing. They sat in the late afternoon sun after Balthazar had closed his book and wrapped it in its velvet cover. The book was now in the cool of Tara's study in its container and they faced each other across an outdoor table with glasses of lemonade.

"You know Elise part owns and runs a plant nursery. We may be able to obtain the herb through her. Without her knowing of course that would be awful. I'll phone Arthur and ask him to check on her stock." Tara looked at him for agreement and Balthazar sighed as he considered this.

Elise was not at her work again so they wouldn't have encountered her on the phone, she was with Drew, and they were preparing to go over to his home and collect blood for him.

He'd finished his supply that morning and told Elise that he wouldn't hunt. He just couldn't face it. He would drink from the supply he had at his house he told her.

Elise frowned as he said this. It seemed so strange because a vampire's instinct was to hunt and kill. Over the last two days they'd shared so much information. Drew knew she wasn't a witch, and she'd filled him in about what had really happened to him although curiously not about Devon.

Drew had gone quiet whilst he processed the knowledge that Elise had deliberately fed him her blood, but then he'd smiled and said, "So I owe you for the fact that now I like myself. The 'me' other vampires told me about I didn't like. I can't imagine why, when I have so many abilities, I would want more and take them by hurting you."

It had been a risk she knew, but Drew was so changed she felt safe with him as he held her hand, or cuddled her close when they talked.

The night before, they'd gone for a walk. It had been early, but the moon was out there and the night was fine. They walked hand in hand through the long grass heading down to the stream that ran by the side of a field opposite the lane of cottages. Drew had picked her up, and jumped over a small, gated fence there. He'd laughed, spun her around, and kissed her. When he'd put her down on her feet, he held her close. He told her he already loved her again so much if he'd loved her before, and if he hadn't, then he loved her now immeasurably.

Elise held him close, told him she loved him, and how it was extraordinary that only last week she'd been sad, and thinking of him dead.

Drew explained to her about the hunting as they gathered a couple of things before they left for his house, a jacket for Elise, and their cell phones, which lay together on the bedside table.

"I know it will be hard to believe, but you mean so much to me that I can't face the aversion in your eyes when I return to you, and you know I've hunted. I feel loved and I want that. I never want it to end. I like it here with you. I wish I could stay forever and not go back to that big house which feels strange and lonely."

Elise stopped rinsing out the dishes that she was going to put in the dishwasher before they left and looked at him. Her hands dripping water and the tap still running gently into the white sink, she swallowed down a wave of sadness. She put the glass into the dishwasher, and faced him as he stood nearby leaning against the table watching her.

"Drew, I wish you could, but someone will see you eventually and the gods only know what would happen then. It's too risky. I've begun to love you too much to lose that a third time. We may have to be content with visiting each other, a couple of weeks at a time."

Then Elise saw something she had never in a million years expected to see.

Drew's blue eyes, the mirror of her own blue, filled with tears.

"Couldn't you explain about me to them, your people, and say I've changed, that dying changed me?"

Elise went to him and held him close.

"They would find it hard to believe, Drew, you were such a killer, so untrustworthy, a truly evil vampire. They may not listen and might immediately do something horrible. I can't risk that."

Elise couldn't yet even risk asking Tara hypothetically, if Drew could be helped, the way Devon had been. She felt instinctively that he would be shunned and possibly hunted.

She reached her hand up to hold his face and she kissed him lovingly.

"I'll feel the way by asking some vague questions about things without giving it away that you're alive. That's the best way to go right now and really we have to be so careful. I've been expecting Seth to drop around any minute because he's been keeping an eye on me to check if I'm over you. I wonder where he is in fact?"

Drew kissed her and frowned a little.

"Seth doesn't mean anything to you does he?"

Elise laughed. "Other than being like a brother to me? No Drew. What did I tell you earlier? I never loved anyone after you twenty years ago, and I never expected to love again when I thought you were dead a few weeks ago."

"I know, I do, but I felt jealous, sorry." He kissed her, and held her tight.

Drew had changed, he knew it, and he was scared of it.

He didn't want to die, but he knew he could no longer kill. He needed blood to live and once the supply in his freezer was finished, he would need to get more. Greta might help him with that he decided. He'd done a lot of thinking when Elise had gone to work that first day, and concluded that he wanted to be with her, and so he would become what she wanted. He'd realized he was halfway there to being what she wanted him to be, and then over the last two days without even trying he'd changed again. He wondered what was happening to him when he felt tears in his eyes, and held onto Elise breathing in her scent, and listening to her strong slow heartbeat.

They left the house and each drove away in their own cars. They were going to leave Elise's car in the hotel car park just outside town. You had to be checked in there and so Drew booked a room for two days just so they could leave the car.

Elise's car couldn't be left at her home, or people would wonder where she was, and it couldn't go to Drew's because other vampires might recognize it. Unknown to them so would Balthazar if he saw it parked on the Georgian street again.

Elise rang Ffion from the hotel, and told her she'd gone away for a day just to catch her breath, not far, as she knew they must be careful. Ffion insisted that she call later that day and the next because she was worried about Elise.

Elise called Arthur at work and told him the same thing. Arthur had been contacted by Tara about the herbs and thought it was a bit of luck that Elise was going off for a day or so and he told her to have a great time. Elise assured him she would.

Drew handed Elise the hotel room key and they got into his car. It brought back memories for her that weren't pleasant and she told Drew.

He didn't start the engine, which is what he was about to do, instead he leaned over and held her hand.

"Things are different now, but I can get a new car, Elise, because it will be horrible to think that you sit there beside me feeling overcome by memories of me being cruel."

Elise nodded. "Maybe this journey with you will wipe out those memories," she said, and Drew kissed her.

"Well it might also be a good idea if I did get a new car, so that your people wouldn't know when it was near your house. Someone must remember this one."

They set off for his home and someone who did remember it called at Elise's house so it was just as well they'd left early and not waited for the sun to drop down on the horizon.

Devon had brought a plant to Elise because they often swapped cuttings and plants. This amused Bliss until she understood just how it was for Devon when he first started to feel properly again after four hundred years of muted sensation.

Then she'd joined in and often brought him plants when she'd been shopping, when previously she'd brought him food.

Devon saw Elise's car wasn't in her driveway, and took the plant around the back of the house. He watered it from the standpipe in the garden and was leaving when he caught the vague scent again, sort of vampire, but not. He was curious and slightly alarmed. The scent was too complex to understand fully, and he called Marguerite to ask her if she knew where Elise was.

He stood on the driveway and traced patterns in the pebbles with the toe of his boot as he heard Marguerite answer.

"You sound worried, Devon, is anything wrong? I don't know where Elise is today. How about work? Have you called there?"

Devon sighed and told Marguerite that he might be mistaken, but had twice caught the faintest scent of vampire, one at home, and now one here at Elise's house."

Marguerite told him about the scent at her own house and they decided to ring around people to make sure someone knew where Elise was. Then they would get together and talk over what might be going on.

Devon called Seth and he passed the phone to Ffion who just happened to be with him.

"She just called me. She's fine and is calling me again later. She's just taking a day's break that's all," Ffion assured Devon.

"What, but we aren't allowed to just go off into the sunset. Where's she gone?" Devon asked, scandalized.

Ffion laughed. "I know, and she hasn't gone far, just out of town, she said. We need to keep it in perspective. I'll call you later after she calls me again, okay?"

Devon sighed and said okay. He drove to his sister's shop. She'd told him she was working late. Devon strode into the shop after parking almost directly outside it in a free space.

Marguerite looked up from the display she was arranging and grinned at him.

"Devon, you look like thunder what's wrong? I called Arthur and Elise is just taking a day off, she called him, everything's okay."

Devon stopped smoldering and sighed. "It's just this weird scent, Marguerite. What if it belongs to one of Drew's pals and they're out for vengeance?"

Marguerite had him hold the hem of a dress she was arranging as if someone was twirling in it, and got some more pearl-headed pins to secure it to the display boards. She took the hem from him and smiled.

"There's just not enough to go on. Sure, we both detected a strange scent, but we don't know for sure we detected the same scent. Is it possible we're overreacting? Maybe an old dog strolled by."

Devon cracked up at that. "Are you saying we used to smell like old dogs when we were vampires?"

She giggled, but the allusion had dispelled their worries, and Devon left happier.

When he got home, he found Bliss was working at the computer. She'd secured some freelance editing work. Happy now she had work of her own as well as helping Devon with his businesses. Devon told her about the Elise situation, and she grinned.

She stood up and put her arms around Devon.

"Devon, you are so kind and caring. We'll wait for Ffion to call again tonight before we send out a search party shall we?" She kissed him and they got lost in the kiss, holding each other close.

## Chapter Thirty

In her house at the other end of town, Ffion was being kissed. Seth had finally confessed his love for her the night of the dinner party at Marguerite's house, and they'd been inseparable since then.

When it happened, it had been a surprise because Seth was so attentive to Elise at the dinner that Ffion felt dejected, and finally sat alone at the end of the table with a cup of coffee.

Seth had come inside and seen her there. He'd noticed her lovely dress and the way it suited her skin and eyes. He'd wanted to sit next to her at dinner, but the seating was already arranged. He'd looked at her with her head slightly bowed, and her lovely shining hair around her shoulders. Seth decided in that second he had to tell her and take what happened on the chin.

"Ffion, what are doing here alone, everyone else seems to be happily mingling? You look beautiful. Is that a new dress? It suits you," he'd said, and sat down as close as he could.

Ffion looked up in surprise and felt a rush of pleasure that he'd come to sit with her. She smiled and said, "It is new. I've been looking at it for some time now in Marguerite's shop and finally decided I could let myself have it."

Seth had taken her hand and told her, "Ffion, it's lovely like you, and of course you should have it. If I'd known about it, I might have got it for you because just to see you in it takes my breath away. You take my breath away, and please don't laugh or try to joke with me. I love you Ffion, and I have for a long time, but it's never seemed the right moment to tell you. I get bowled over by you and lose it. Please, if you don't think of me like that, or couldn't ever, just say so, and we can go back to being friends. I'd still value that."

For an answer, she leaned over and kissed him, his cheek, the corner of his lips, and then his lips. After that she'd whispered, "Seth, 'bowled over and lose it'?" Then she smiled. Seth had smiled too, but insisted.

"Tell me how you feel about me because I can't stand it any longer. I need you to say it."

Ffion looked into his beautiful eyes, the color of the ocean near a coral reef, and nodded. "I love you too, Seth. I have for a long time, but I thought you loved Elise. I really did."

Seth held her face and he kissed her for a long time.

It was naturally noticed by others, but no one said anything. What was there to say? It was obvious something was going on with the two of them, and about time they gave in, and admitted it.

Now as Ffion spoke to Devon on the phone, Seth had his arms around her, his head on her shoulder. She put her cell phone back in her pocket, and turned her attention back to him.

"Are you concerned about Elise, Seth? Did she still seem distressed to you? You haven't seen her for the last two days I know, but the last time. I thought she was so much better."

Seth lifted his head, and looked at Ffion, his eyes full of love for her, but also thinking about Elise.

"She told me the night of the dinner party that she was fine and wished people would stop fussing over her that it made her feel worse. I genuinely thought she was much better, and she was out with Devon and Bliss the other day at Erik's place. So what can we do, Ffion?"

Ffion smiled at him. "She's calling me again tonight. Let's not worry yet."

They held each other closer. Seth was so happy he'd finally told Ffion how he felt because right now he could be somewhere else alone, instead of with his face against Ffion's, his arms around her, and the promise of her love as she whispered against his lips.

## Chapter Thirty-One

Elise and Drew were almost in what was ostensibly Drew's hometown. He'd surprised Elise by humming along to some songs on the radio saying he didn't know how he knew them, but he liked them. Elise had never known Drew to hum, and she liked it. She let her window down a little and as they passed the edge of town, someone was mowing their grass. Drew asked what the lovely smell was. Elise told him and then smiled saying he hadn't gained pleasure from such things before. Drew said, "It must be something to do with the change in me."

They exited the highway and began the slower drive into the outskirts of town. There was quite a lot of traffic and Drew kept glancing over at Elise and grinning.

Finally, she asked him. "What's funny Drew?"

He grinned again. "I just feel happy to be with you. It's not like the last time I came home after not finding you when I was alone and strange."

Elise reached over and gently rubbed his arm and shoulder. She loved him like this, gentle and honest.

Drew drove into his garage and sped around the car to open the door for Elise. He grinned as he did it, his happiness at her being with him spilling over. Inside the house, Drew found a note on the top of the desk as they passed through the drawing room. It was from Maryanne and surprisingly eloquent.

'Cleaned and took payment from the money in the desk drawer. Someone came looking for you, a human I think, delicious looking man, dark hair, and very green eyes, very tall and scrumptious. Nearly ate him, but refrained in case he is your business associate. See you later, Maryanne'

Drew read it aloud and Elise took it from his hand and held his arm.

"Drew, it's a close description of Balthazar. Do you know of him?"

He shook his head. "No I don't think so. The name doesn't appear on my cell phone contacts. Then again, Greta had erased your number as she thought it best."

Elise gave him the note back and he stuffed it in the desk drawer, and then turned to Elise smiling. "You know I thought I'd cleaned out this drawer of money, but there must have been more somewhere in it," and he pushed some papers around, and found another roll of fifties.

He held it up. "Check this out. There's money everywhere. How did I get it I wonder?" Then he put the roll of money in Elise's jacket pocket and closed the drawer up.

"You took it from your victims. You have property, and business, though I am not sure what."

He stopped smiling. "How horrible a thief as well as killer."

Elise put her arms around him saying, "You were what you were, but now things are different. Let's check out this supply of blood."

Drew hugged her. "Thank you for trying to comfort me," he told her and kissed her.

Elise held him to her and kissed him back. His cool lips were soft, and he lingered over the kiss until he put his arms around her waist, and pressed her hips to his. He whispered her name and kissed down her neck and around to the hollow of her shoulder.

Elise held him close and waited because a little part of her wondered if now he had her home with him, he would revert, the façade would drop, and he would be the old arrogant, demanding, selfish killer he used to be.

Drew felt it and raised his head to look into her eyes.

"Don't be afraid. I'll never hurt you again. I love you. I need you, and I'm not that Drew you knew when you were here before."

He kissed her again and traced his fingers down her face and onto her neck.

"Elise, do you believe me?"

Elise had been quiet but returned his kiss because he lit a fire of need in her whenever he kissed her. She craved his cool skin against hers and his body moving against hers.

"Yes Drew, I do believe you. It's just that the last time I was here with you was grim, and the memory lingers on. Let's deal with things and drive those memories away," she said. Drew kissed her again slowly and softly.

He sighed and took her hand to lead her around the place. He showed her the mirror in the hall. Elise was touched by the magic marker tracing there of his face shape. He took her to his room, and showed the money stashed about. He led her to his office, and showed her how he had found the painting of himself and his siblings. Until then Drew hadn't mentioned the little round artwork, and now he took it from the pocket of the coat he wore and showed it to Elise.

"Drew, this is you, Devon, and Marguerite," she said, and looked up at him.

"I know, and I wish I'd met Devon as this Drew. Isn't it disgusting that I killed him, my own brother, and according to Greta, I'd always hated him. Unthinkable."

Elise stared at Drew's saddened expression.

Her thoughts were in turmoil and she asked herself if she should tell him about Devon. It seemed so dishonest and wrong to keep it a secret that Devon was alive. She fought the urge to tell him by promising herself she would tell him soon, when they were gone from here again, from this house where so many unpleasant memories were.

She put her arms around him and hugged him tight.

"Drew, don't think about it right now."

He smiled a little smile with sadness in his lovely blue eyes.

He turned to his wardrobe and looked back at Elise.

Then he grinned. "I don't think I'm very good at being chic like the Drew I used to be," he told her, as he dragged out a bunch of clothes from his wardrobe and tossed them on his bed.

Elise rested her eyes on his attractive form. He was dressed in the black jeans and blue shirt he'd come to her in. His overcoat hanging open and with his hair beautifully disheveled he looked gorgeous. He was pale, but it suited him. She knew he had no socks, or shorts on under those clothes. The old Drew would have been aghast. This Drew threw on the clothes to cover his body and it made him sexier than ever. He was a very attractive man, and he didn't know it now, not like the old Drew who flaunted and used it.

She moved to him and put her arms up around his neck to kiss him.

Drew smiled and held her. He closed his eyes in pleasure both at the sensation of the kiss, which made him tingle all over, and at the gesture, because it showed him she loved him.

They folded some more jeans and T-shirts, a couple of the long sleeved shirts Drew knew were sun proof now Greta had told him. There was quite a stack on the bed and Drew added another black jacket, and then Elise added some shorts and grinned at him.

"Drew, it just might be more comfortable now you have true sensations to wear something under your jeans."

As they were standing next to each other, he took her hand and placed it on the growing bulge in his jeans. She looked at his face and watched his eyes fill with desire.

"Make love to me now, Elise," he whispered, and he pressed her hand harder against him.

Elise had a smile in her eyes as she unzipped his jeans, which fell to the floor. He pulled her T-shirt up over her head dropping it onto the stack of his clothes in front of them on the bed. She unzipped her own jeans as he kissed her, and they edged towards one of the wooden chests Drew had by the window. Drew pushed her jeans down and kissed up her legs, and thighs, as he got her to step out of them. He'd already shed his coat and his own T-shirt in a split second, and then he sat down on the wooden chest bringing Elise onto his lap to straddle him. Drew sighed as she moved to sheath his erection, and he pulled her close to be deep inside her. His kiss was gentle and loving as he moved her in a rocking motion. They were both so turned on by each other that it wasn't going to last very long, and when Elise began to make little circular orbits with her hips, he groaned a little, and kept his lips against hers as he shuddered into her. Elise was there herself. She held his head to hers putting little kisses all over his mouth as she felt the waves of pleasure course through her. Drew was smiling and then held her face still to kiss her deeply.

"I've never felt anything like I feel when we make love, Elise. I want you to know that. It's like I'm thrown amongst a thousand stars and the burst of pleasure makes me shake," Drew told her. They stayed against each other for a few minutes kissing each other. Drew knew that this was so much better than the starburst he had the time with Rosalind. He was silent against her face so grateful he had Elise, and Elise too was quiet, amazed she had him.

They caught their breath and then looked about themselves.

They were giggling when they put their clothes back on, which was a further amazement to Elise because she'd never known Drew to giggle.

They added a couple more things to the stack of clothes that Drew wanted and then he took a few rolls of notes from a chest and put them on top of the stack. It didn't occur to him to get a hairbrush or comb, but he got a packet of toothbrushes out of the bathroom cabinet grinning at Elise. "I like the lime green color best," he told her, and threw the pack on the stack with the money.

"I need some of my books. I have some lovely books," he told her, and held her hand to walk up to the library.

Elise took a deep breath as she entered the library knowing there was a secret room in there. Drew let go of her hand and went around picking up huge books until he had about eight of them in his arms. Then he kissed her over the top of the stack in his arms and they went down to the kitchen where Drew put them on the table. He disappeared for a few seconds and came back with a laptop, the one he knew he had the password for, and put that by the books.

"I was just thinking what if I called Greta and found out where I could get a different car? The vampire community seems to have all kinds of facilities, and I bet I could get a car tonight."

Elise nodded. "Go ahead, Drew. It might be better to have an unknown car to go back to my place."

Drew smiled and took out his cell phone. He wandered about the kitchen as he talked and took out a couple of big black plastic bags. They had 'garden toughies' written down the sides of them as he shook them out with one hand, and held his cell with the other. He rang off and turned to Elise.

"Naturally, she knows someone with a car showroom, and we can go around there and get a car tonight. It's amazing huh? I better find my wallet. I have credit cards in there," Drew told her and then sped off upstairs and was down again with a black 'garden toughie' full of his clothes from the stack on his bed in a flash.

"We should go and get the car and then pack that one. What do you think?" he asked Elise.

She smiled. "Okay, but what do you think of Greta knowing about me?"

"Oh, she doesn't. We'll go straight to the showroom. The vampire who owns the place is waiting for us. He lives on the premises at the back in a bungalow. Hilarious huh? She told me the address. You have to hand it to them they have everything sewn up." He spoke as if he wasn't one of them. He took Elise by the hand, kissed it, and then led her out to the car they'd arrived in.

Elise closed the house door behind her and tried it to check if it was then locked.

Drew watched.

"I don't know if I actually have the key to that door, maybe it's on here but I usually haven't locked the door," he said, as he held up the key ring with his car key on it. Elise looked over and saw a silver key, which probably fit the deadlock.

"That silver key might be it, but you can get in anyway, you know that. I've seen you tear a door off before now," she told him, and got in the car where he'd left the door open for her.

Drew put an address into his navigation unit and chuckled.

"I have no idea where I'm going half the time," he said, and then proceeded out and turned left as he was told by the automated female voice.

They reached a brightly lit forecourt with various vehicles displayed either flat on the ground, or driven up on a ramp, some of which were sloping to better show off the glistening paintwork of the cars. Drew smiled at Elise.

"I think you should stay here. Let's not put you in harm's way. Who knows what might be in the place." He reached over, kissed her, and then said, "Keep your doors locked."

Elise watched him walk up the forecourt and disappear around the back.

It was twenty minutes later. Elise was feeling edgy when a Range Rover driven by Drew came down a side road at the far end of the car sales showroom, and pulled up alongside her. Drew put down the electronic window and Elise did the same.

"How do you like it Elise? I tried to get the same blue as your eyes, but had to make do with this light navy because it already has our special tinted windows. I think it will be better for moving my stuff around."

Elise smiled at him. "It's great, Drew. I'll follow you home."

Drew grinned. "No, I have to follow you home, just touch the home icon on the screen there, and drive. I have no idea where we are. I just did as I was told by the thing," he said, meaning the navigation unit, and he laughed aloud happily.

Elise got out of her passenger side and ran around to drive the car. Drew watched smiling and then as Elise drove away he followed.

At his house, Elise parked outside of the garage, and Drew parked within so that he could pack the car.

Elise walked around the new car.

"I do like it, Drew. It's much more useful than that fabulous sporty thing," and she waved her hand back at the opulent model on the roadside.

Drew was in and out with his garden toughie, books, and laptop swiftly, and then he showed Elise the freezer of blood bags.

"I know it's probably horrible for you, but it's going to feed me so I have to pack it in ice cubes and hope it will fit in your freezer compartment. There's so much more than I thought," Drew told Elise as she shivered when she saw just how much blood was in the chest freezer.

"How long do you think that will last?" she asked him, as they went together to the kitchen, and Drew started emptying the entire ice cube stock into a garden toughie. Elise realized he seemed to be packing for a longer stay than they had first talked about and a wave of worry for him made her shake.

"A long time, months maybe, but don't worry apparently Greta put the name of the supplier in my cell phone contact list. I'll never kill again, Elise, unless it's to protect you."

She looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. This was extraordinary. What kind of vampire had she created with her ancient magical blood? Then she thought, none without another vampire's blood as well.

It took two garden toughies and the entire ice cube stock in the icemaker part of the fridge, plus Drew had whisked down to the local late night store for two large bags of ice. They were ready and Drew cuddled Elise to him.

"I'll leave the house door, but lock the garage with the other car in it. I have a feeling Maryanne has a garage key from the things she's said, but if not who cares, I am not there so the place doesn't need cleaning. I can't wait to be home with you, Elise. Drew kissed her and then lifted her into the passenger side of the Range Rover.

Elise was laughing as he did this and gasped as he used his supernatural speed to run around and jump into the driver side.

"Drew, be careful someone might see," she said, but he grinned.

"I don't think so."

They drove out of town as the hour grew late and made good time until Drew suddenly told Elise he wanted to get a few things and exited the highway at the gas station and refreshment areas where he'd run into the young woman thief.

As Drew walked into the place, the fluorescent lights right away produced a silvery glint to his eyes. One or two people openly stared at the attractive couple hand in hand walking through to the composite shops in the short mall.

Drew took Elise to the store where he'd bought candy for her and picked up two big round boxes without comment. He paid and then back in the main thoroughfare asked if she would like coffee. Elise smiled as she nodded and they queued for a few minutes to get it for her.

Back at the car when she'd put her coffee in the cup holder, Drew presented the candy to her.

She'd guessed he'd replaced the candy he'd given away, and took the pretty, striped boxes from him.

"Drew, sweetheart, thank you," she said, and leaned over to kiss him.

After the kiss, he smiled. "Did you just call me sweetheart?"

Elise grinned. "I did, and I don't know how that happened."

"What I'm not a sweetheart?" he countered, and looked as appealing as he could.

"You are actually," Elise said, and in her tone was some kind of thoughtfulness as if she couldn't quite believe just what a sweetheart he'd become.

She put the candy boxes safely on the back seat and took a sip of her coffee as they carried on with their journey back to her home.

Elise wanted Drew there, but she was also afraid he would be discovered.

All the beings lived in substantial houses and hers was no different. There was space for him to hide if anyone dropped around unexpectedly, and she grew less worried as she remembered that at top speed he wouldn't even be a blur on the stairs up to the spare rooms.

When they reached the outskirts of her hometown, Elise remembered to call Ffion.

It was late and she realized Ffion was in bed.

"Sorry Ffion, I just remembered to call you. Yes, I was having coffee. I'm fine and on my way home in fact. Sorry to wake you. You weren't asleep. Okay. I'll call tomorrow. Give Seth my love." She rang off and grinned at Drew as he stopped outside the hotel where her car was.

"I think she was in bed with Seth, how cool."

Drew smiled. "Great that means I don't have to worry about him."

He kissed Elise as she was about to say something back, and then they went into the hotel and ditched the room key at the desk saying they were checking out early.

Elise drove home singing to the CD she had in her car, and Drew followed her. She occasionally looked in the rear view mirror at him and even though it was very dark through the window tint that added to the night's darkness, she thought she saw him smile.

## Chapter Thirty-Two

Drew unpacked the new car at top speed. He looked inside Elise's freezer and found it empty.

"Elise, there's nothing in here. What do you eat?" he called over his shoulder, as she was making coffee.

She laughed. "Fresh food. It's a good thing because you'll get all your food in there." She watched him pack the blood bags in tightly until about ten remained. He put those in the refrigerator part.

"They can defrost slowly, except for this one as I am starving." He got one out and put it near the warm exterior of the electric kettle Elise had used.

Elise looked at him. "Will you be okay until its defrosted enough to drink?" She asked a little warily.

Drew was about to cuddle her and stopped.

"You sound worried. Please don't be. You're safe with me, truly."

Elise nodded and put her arms around him.

"Sorry Drew, it's just so weird that you could be like this."

He kissed her and kissed down her shoulder stopping to nuzzle the soft part on purpose.

"Mmm I can't say you don't smell delicious, strangely like honey, Elise," he told her and kissed her lips again.

Elise smiled. "I eat honey," she said simply, not wanting to explain the special relationship she had with honey, and Drew wrinkled his nose.

"Ugh, it looks horrid all sticky and gooey."

Elise laughed. "I could say the same thing about your food."

As the night wore on Elise showed Drew where he should keep his clothes and the best room to run and hide should any of her friends turn up unexpectedly.

Drew cringed when she said that and Elise hugged him.

"Drew, you can't be seen by them, all hell would break loose."

Drew looked serious for a time and then cheered up as he and Elise sat together looking out at the summer night through her open French windows.

He fed whilst she took a shower and was careful to put the empty blood bag in some paper towel before he put it in her garbage bin.

They made love later when Drew had used one of his lime green toothbrushes to clean his teeth, suddenly not wanting to kiss her with blood on his teeth.

Elise couldn't stay awake all night and Drew held her close as she fell asleep.

He looked around him at the pretty room he was in and smiled. He really liked being with Elise and after about an hour when he knew she was deep asleep he got one of his books and sat beside her to read it.

It was mid-morning before she woke up and Drew had gone to sleep just after dawn alongside her. He felt her stirring and put an arm around her to pull her close, and they slept for another half hour.

Suddenly Drew was awake.

"Elise, someone is at your door," he said, and began to sit up.

He'd only just finished his sentence when the doorbell rang.

They both looked at each other with widened eyes. Elise jumped out of bed and ran to her window. She flung it open and called down a hello.

Devon stepped back out of her porch and grinned up at her.

"Hey there Elise, I was passing and called to check if you're doing okay."

Elise was mortified but she called, "I'm fine, stay there, I'll come and let you in, let's have a cup of coffee." She closed the window. Drew was on the end of the bed looking at her intently.

"I'll stay here. He'll not come up to your room since it's a man. Is it Seth?" he asked looking for reassurance.

Elise threw on her jeans and a T-shirt. She was clipping her hair up and turned to Drew.

"Stay here Drew. He'll not stay long," and she kissed him.

Drew watched her go out of her bedroom door closing it softly behind her and lay back down with his hands clasped behind his head and his ankles crossed listening to her footsteps on the stairs.

Elise opened the front door and let Devon in. She was careful not to say his name. She smiled. "Hi, come in. I'll make coffee. What brings you here because no one is just passing by this area," and she smiled again.

Devon was looking at her slight dishevelment.

"Elise, I'm sorry did I get you up? I was worried about you. Well we all are really, so I came over just to see how things were. I'll not stay long."

Elise grinned. "You did get me up, but it's fine really. I got back so late last night and then I stayed up a little while just sorting myself out. I really am fine, happy I think you might say. The day away did me good."

She made coffee and Devon watched her. She did look happy he thought. He took out his cell phone and pressed send on the message that was ready to go to everyone saying Elise was home and fine. With her back to him, she didn't see it, which was just as well.

Upstairs Drew was listening and answering the questions himself.

"You got her up just as I was going to make love to her. Don't stay long because she is happy, and loved, and doesn't need you any more fussing around Seth."

He heard the coffee being made and could smell it. He twitched his nose. It smelt interesting now. He listened as they took their coffee outside onto the patio and resisted the temptation to look out of the back window at them since Elise's bedroom ran the whole length of this side of the floor. Instead, he quickly took a shower and tidied the bedroom and the bed up. Elise would want to be up now and even go to work the way she had that first day. He sighed as he thought about the day ahead without her. He looked longingly at the window. Would the sun burn him if he stole a glance at her? Maybe it would since there were no tints on these windows. He sat down on the end of the bed.

Elise and Devon chatted about nothing until suddenly, Devon, who had detected the scent, which had so concerned him previously at her front porch, and now in her house said outright. "Elise, there's a strange scent keeps cropping up that both Marguerite and I have worried over, because it's close to vampire scent. It's around your house. You haven't seen anything strange have you?" He looked a little pained as he asked.

Drew heard it, and froze as he waited for Elise to answer.

"I've seen nothing strange. There's been a weird smell coming down from the big farm up the road, maybe it's that. Certainly I have no concerns about vampires..." and she nearly said Devon's name but swallowed it down.

Devon nodded and smiled slightly. "Okay Elise, that's perhaps what it is. Marguerite said it might be animals. We are very rural after all." He wanted to be convinced, but he just couldn't, and the more he sat there the more he felt a presence other than Elise. He decided to tell Tara and Jon about his worries.

Drew had been pleased with the response Elise had given her visitor, but his instinct was that it didn't really allay the man's fears, and he started to think about how he could mask his scent. He thought Elise would help him.

Devon left Elise after about half an hour and as soon as she'd watched him drive away, she ran back inside and upstairs to Drew.

"Drew, I guess you heard everything? What can we do about the scent?"

Drew stood up. "Can he smell it because he's like you Elise, a special being? He's spoken to Marguerite about it so it's something we must deal with don't you agree?"

Elise sighed. She hated not letting Drew know about Devon, but something told her not to tell him yet, for his own sake. She didn't know why, she just felt that strongly, but if he heard all the conversations of her visitors, sooner or later he might just put two and two together, and then what would he feel like when he knew she'd lied to him?

She bowed her head. "Seth is like me, as I explained we are ancient beings he has special abilities as do all my people."

Drew thought she was worried by the scent problem and put his hand under her chin to lift her face to his.

"What can we do Elise? I love you now. I can't lose you. I can't go away because I leave a scent about the place. Did you notice how Seth said it was close to vampire? He doesn't know for sure it is. That's odd don't you think?"

Elise put her arms up around his neck and pressed against him for comfort.

"Yes it is odd and gives me hope that we can cover it. Drew do you think that it's only close to vampire because you're changed and not really like the other vampires. Imagine Greta or Pearl, or the old Drew behaving the way you are, it's unimaginable isn't it?"

They hugged each other and Elise decided to search in her ancient notes, and scrolls for potions to mask Drew from Devon and Marguerite, because it wasn't true, she and her people couldn't detect vampire scent. They had to pick it out of the vampire's mind and often it just appeared as an unreachable blackness to them unless they trained themselves purposely. She had to help him because she loved him and wanted him in her life.

## Chapter Thirty-Three

Devon on the other hand was considering the fact that he'd picked up the vague vampire scent about Elise's place and if he was not mistaken, about her person too. It was alarming. He was driving to Tara's house and he wasn't the only one, Balthazar was on his way as well.

They arrived at the same time and greeted each other as they got out of their cars on the driveway outside Tara's house.

She wasn't going to her jewelry making business that week having decided to work at home on the spells and potions she and Balthazar agreed to put together for the longevity of Bliss, and the demise of Drew.

The previous night there'd been a specially called elders meeting at her house and Jon had commented that they'd been lax to let the spells lapse in the last couple of weeks. Tara thought of the meeting as she heard the cars arrive.

They'd decided Friday at dawn other elders would go out and once again spell the perimeters of all the houses and businesses to keep vampires away.

Saffron had drooped when she said, "Really? We thought we could go back to life before Drew cropped up, and not be worrying about dawn trips casting spells. If Drew is still alive, as Balthazar has told us, then why not fashion a repulse bracelet, or necklace for Elise, and something for Devon because we all think they would be his targets. Bliss still wears hers."

Not all the elders were present at the meeting, and Devon hadn't stayed long either, but the ones present decided to get the potions ready. The one for Bliss Tara said would be ready soon and was not a concern. The one for Drew she and Balthazar would work on for the next couple of days, and then they would approach Ffion with the plan to try to trick Drew. Erik had sighed at this and Arthur had shrugged. "We have no choice but to put him into hibernation, Erik. Ffion can make him believe he sees Elise."

Now Tara greeted Devon and Balthazar as she came from her house and met them on the driveway. Devon told them both about the strange scent and presence he felt in Elise's home. They went into the kitchen and sat down at the big table.

"I just wonder if he does come creeping about in the night and is biding his time to suddenly unleash carnage," Devon said with concern.

Tara tried to calm him.

"Devon, I appreciate your concern, but there really is nothing to say it is Drew you scent. You and Marguerite have both commented how vague the smell is. Elise is not without abilities. She would detect a presence. Perhaps you're simply, and in concern of course, overreacting now Balthazar has told us Drew still exists."

Devon shrugged. "I might be."

The night before when he'd found out Drew still existed, he'd gone home to Bliss and told her. It had taken her a couple of hours to settle his concern then. The fact that Ffion hadn't phoned and told them Elise had contacted her until early that morning had prompted Devon's visit to Elise's house.

He sighed and Balthazar spoke.

"Devon, don't worry we will overcome him. Elise did it on her own last time. Admittedly the community seems to have been more, shall we say 'laid back' about her going off to be with him than I would have expected, but she perhaps had her plan in mind all along, and didn't want to upset everyone's lives. It's so hard to know what to do. I've known about the creature for years. Known about the vampire community and stayed away from the problem. I don't have to do that now because I've found all of you and things are different since I'm no longer alone."

Tara put tea in front of them and sighed.

"Happy things first and then we'll think about Drew. Devon, the potion for Bliss can be started in a day. Thanks to Balthazar we have a potion she can drink once every five days for the next hundred days, and then it will give her a hundred years, during which she won't age. After that, she'll need it again and the process will repeat. She can live as long as you Devon, the only issue being that you both need to live with us pretty much forever."

Devon smiled. "I sometimes rail against some restrictions, but I love you all. It will be no hardship for me and I'm sure not for Bliss either."

Balthazar had drunk some tea and now spoke again.

Devon we'll make the potion to immobilize Drew. Ffion will go to visit him, convince him with her mind powers that he sees Elise, put the potion in his blood feed, and then when he is unable to move or do anything, we'll bring him back to my place and administer the potion to suspend his life force. We can then deposit him in the cellars beneath my utility rooms in a special container. He seems to be the ringleader for trouble and so we can leave the others alone. I hate that, but the fact is we don't want to kill. We still don't want to kill. Perhaps if another ringleader emerges we will have to do the same with them and so it may continue until I have the entire vampire community in my cellars."

Devon looked from Tara to Balthazar and back.

"What if it doesn't work? What if Ffion is killed before she can drug Drew? What about I kill him for you?" he asked in a voice that displayed his concern.

Tara looked at him kindly. "No Devon, we can't allow you to kill. It would be soul destroying for you. Remember you see Drew and he is your brother, whereas he sees you and you are his nemesis. You might think this a circular route to dispensing with Drew, and you might wonder why we don't kill the whole vampire community, but the fact is how would we do that? It would be an all-out war. It might drive the vampires into a frenzy of killing humans even more than they do now. It might be the worst thing to do. We have to be discreet. We need to try to solve this without involving Elise and as quietly as possible. I hope you understand."

Devon nodded, he understood and yet a part of him thought maybe he should just stop being squeamish, and see Drew as the killer he was, and burn his hide. Devon decided to leave it until the methods that the beings used failed, and if they didn't fail then excellent. He took the potions Tara gave him for Bliss, and left her and Balthazar to their plans for Drew.

At home once more he found Seth and Ffion had come over to see Bliss. They were all in his garden in the sun unaware that things were once again about to become unpleasant. He kissed Bliss on the cheek and flopped down in a chair next to her. He looked at Ffion with Seth holding her hand across his lap as they happily sat side by side.

Bliss knew he was unhappy, she was so in tune with him, and she cast a glance his way.

"Everything okay, Devon?" she asked, and they all three looked at him for an answer.

## Chapter Thirty-Four

When Devon had left, Balthazar sighed and expressed his concern.

"Tara, I haven't involved myself with the eradication of Drew and his kind, and in truth they must kill frequently, but at the same time the town is relatively quiet. It's not in the news as the town where hundreds go missing and die."

As pure hearted as he was it didn't occur to Balthazar that maybe there were vampires in authority that prevented this news from being public.

He continued talking. "Perhaps, though they are diabolical, we would be stirring up a hornets nest should we do anything other than spirit Drew away quietly, then leave them alone again. How susceptible do you think Drew will be to welcoming Elise? What if the vampire that saved Drew told him Elise tried to kill him? It may not be safe for Ffion, and I couldn't ask her to put herself in danger. I think that I should be the one to slip him the potion. I should be the one to deal with him, Tara."

Tara sighed. "How would you get close enough, Balthazar?"

He finished his tea and sat thinking for a few moments.

"In my spell book there's an immobilizing spell which can work independently of a potion. It's not as strong, but it would suffice to down the creature, and then we could administer the suspending potion on the spot and get him to my place. A couple of us would need to watch him for a few days and take the chance to capture him, as and when, we found it.

Who do think would be up to doing that? It would need to be a member of the warrior class you know just in case there was trouble and we did have to kill. It's ingrained in a warrior to kill despite the potential loss of their abilities. I myself have a streak of it though mine is tempered strongly with my healer duties."

His green eyes were filled with sincerity. Tara looked at his lovely face thinking that she would like to suggest their whole community pack up and leave. Leave and find another place to live, somewhere deeper into the countryside, maybe even in another land. She wanted peace and tranquility for her people, and for them to be able to live with the ones they loved apart from violence and unpleasantness. She wanted it so badly that she inadvertently sent her thought to Balthazar and he smiled.

"It is very tempting, Tara. Should we call a community meeting and discuss it?"

Tara took a deep breath. "I fear there would be a lot of resistance, people have settled and the process would still take time. We would have to go in waves again, over a hundred people cannot move en masse into a place as we did in ancient times. It's no longer possible for most of us to use our totem creatures as a disguise. Let's make the suspending potion and then watch for a few days. Who knows if Devon is correct and Drew is snooping around, we may find he comes to us. Other than that, I suggest Seth as your companion to face Drew and spell him." In her heart, she felt a deep sadness, which she masked from Balthazar, because this plan might mean both Angharad and Ffion lost their loved ones. It was all so hard she thought.

They set to work, had the potion for suspending Drew's life force ready by mid-afternoon, and then stored it in Tara's fridge.

For the rest of that day and evening everyone fell to doing their own thing.

Seth and Ffion went to Seth's place to talk about setting up home together and about what Devon had told them.

Balthazar discovered the sale had gone through for his new law offices in the town so he and Angharad collected the keys, and went down there to check out what renovations might need doing.

Erik and Saffron began work on a new garden bed because they wanted to plant more herbs.

Arthur had been at the plant nursery all day anyway and he rang Elise to find out, as he told her laughingly, if she was ever coming back.

Marguerite, who had perhaps been the most tranquil of them all, had finished all her new shop displays and was in her office in the back of the shop at her design desk. She and Anita had decided to design some beachwear, swimwear to be exact, and were getting excited over a pink and white, spotted fabric they discovered in a new swatch.

When Seth and Ffion had left, Bliss kissed Devon until he stopped frowning and they made love to each other.

Elise and Drew, the couple at the center of the growing storm, had spent the day so far thinking about how to deal with the scent Drew was leaving about the place. Then making love, and then thinking about the issue again.

It was during the last period of thinking that Elise brought her notes from many years ago down to the dining room table and spread them out on there. Drew followed her up to the attic room where a few crates stored her ancient scrolls, books and notes all wrapped in linen and oil cloth. He followed her down to the dining room and stood watching as she spread out the notes, all on parchment in some language he'd never seen before, although as he told her, his memory was not to be relied upon.

Elise grinned and kissed him quickly.

"Drew, you won't have seen it. Few have. There are a few stone carvings around the world with some of our language in evidence, but mostly we're hidden. No one can translate it you see. There's no Rosetta stone for us fortunately."

Elise picked up one of the leaves of parchment and studied it. She leaned against Drew as he came to stand behind her and put his arms around her bringing her close. She looked up at him turning her head to be kissed.

"I have an idea, Drew, but it could be dangerous for you. It's all I can think to do to cover your scent, which as you overheard, isn't entirely vampire-like anymore.

We'll wait for a few days, before we do it because who knows your changes may in a few days dispel your scent completely without our help, especially as you won't have killed for about a week then." Her idea would involve feeding Drew a drop of her blood, initially anyway. She turned in Drew's arms and looked into his eyes. He looked at her lovingly.

"I'll do what you think is best, Elise," he said, and as she kissed him he took the parchment from her hand and dropped it gently to the table.

Elise let herself get lost in the kiss and held him close. She loved him and would protect him. She smiled inwardly thinking of the time when she had believed the opposite.

Elise and Drew went for a walk in the night air. Drew zoomed up and down the lane for the fun of it and then slowed down and walked with Elise hand in hand right to the end of the lane and across, then back, looking up at the stars or picking a leaf from a tree. "I enjoy everything Elise, and I have a feeling I never used to," he told her.

## Chapter Thirty-Five

Over the next two days, Devon stalked about. The scent that had bothered him was completely gone from around his home and he wanted to test out Elise's place. He asked Bliss to come around with him to check how Elise was and Bliss called ahead.

When Devon and she arrived, Elise had filled the house with the perfume of baking. She'd thrown a cookie recipe together adding extra lemon and orange zest. The remains of the fruit were left on the side of the work surface. The cookies were baking in the oven and Drew had flown up to the spare room with a book.

Devon was soothed by the aroma and although he'd detected the faintest suspect scent in the driveway, he couldn't find it in the house, and he began to think it was the field of sheep and the farm up the lane.

He and Bliss didn't stay long and Elise walked to the end of the drive with them and waved them off. She was thankful Bliss hadn't called Devon by his name during the visit.

Drew came slowly down the stairs with his book in his hand.

She went to him and hugged him. "Sorry Drew."

He bent his head to hers and kissed her. "I know, but it must be hard for you too."

Elise needed to go to work that afternoon and she turned the baking off and threw the cookies in the bin.

Drew watched and smiled. "They smell good, pity I couldn't try one. Leave the clearing away. I'll do it as I wait for you, mournfully."

Elise went to work and Drew checked his emails, half of which he didn't understand, since it was business he knew nothing about. Then he called the café and spoke with Jake who seemed happy just to run the place for Drew. Drew put all the baking dishes, and pans in the dishwasher, set it going, and then put the lemon and orange pieces in the bin. He sat down, stared out at the afternoon sun, and wished it was night.

At six o'clock Elise came home and as she did Ffion arrived and parked on the drive behind her.

Elise turned to Ffion and gave her a hug because it was good to see her, and yet it meant Drew would have to hide once more.

Elise unlocked her door and Ffion followed her in chattering about how great it was to be with Seth and what a darling he was, and then as they reached the kitchen she started to apologize. "Sorry Elise, for going on. It was insensitive of me. You look good though, very well."

Elise was filling the electric kettle for tea and getting cups when Ffion said, "Do you have milk, I'll get it," and she opened the fridge door.

There on the first shelf were three blood bags and there was no milk.

Ffion turned around to Elise. "Elise, what's this?" she asked, and pointed at them.

Elise sighed and sat down at her table. She saw that Drew had left his laptop there to one side of the big bowl of roses in the middle.

"Ffion, you love Seth don't you?" she asked, and Ffion closed the fridge door and sat down by the side of Elise.

"I do, Elise, but..." and she got no further because Elise continued to talk.

"I love Drew. I left him for dead, but another vampire came along and saved him. He's not dead and he sought me out. He's changed. He loves me."

Ffion stared at Elise. "He's not here with you?" It was a question almost gasped out and Elise saw the horror on Ffion's face, and so she lied.

"No he visits and when he does he would need food that's why there's blood in the fridge."

Upstairs Drew was answering again softly.

"She does love me. I have changed. I do love her, and I am here, where else would I be when I love Elise?"

Elise took Ffion's hand. "I love him, Ffion. Think about how you love Seth and what it might feel like to lose him."

Ffion shook her head. "But that's different Seth isn't a vampire."

Elise shook her head. "Drew has stopped killing. I promise you he is so different, not like a vampire at all."

Ffion looked up at the ceiling.

"He's up there isn't he in your room right now listening?"

Drew smiled and answered softly, "Yes I am."

Elise still denied it. "No please Ffion, is there any chance you can understand? He came to me and he loves me. He brought me candy," and she got up, walked to the larder and took out the boxes of candy to show Ffion. "Vampires don't do things like that."

She put the candy on the table and Ffion picked up one of the big round striped boxes and turned it over in her hands.

"Mmm it's a nice brand, expensive. I guess vampires don't do things like that, but Elise it doesn't really prove anything, and what are you going to do? Seth tells me Balthazar and Tara have a plan to dispense with Drew for good. Not to mention tomorrow all our houses and businesses will be spelled at dawn to repel vampires."

She put the candy down.

Drew up the stairs in the bedroom stood up and paced about a little thinking about what she had just said.

Elise paled. "Really Ffion, what did Seth say about dispensing with Drew? How are they going to do it?" Elise dismissed the worry over the repel spell because she could counteract it.

Ffion sighed. "Seth had a phone call from Balthazar to ask if he would go with him to spy on Drew and catch him with a spell. Seth said yes, as he has to answer a call to help an ancient such as Balthazar. There was a meeting, which I was not at, and Balthazar admitted to knowing Drew is alive." She faltered seeing Elise grow paler and agitated.

"Ffion, I can't let this happen. Drew is no longer a threat. It's horrible. I don't understand why they are so focused on Drew." Elise had tears in her eyes, and upstairs Drew could hear the distress in her voice and desperately wanted to go to comfort her.

Ffion slumped a little at the obvious pain this was causing Elise, and then she sighed.

"If you love him, and he really has changed, maybe I can convince Seth not to do this thing. After all, they are doing it for you. They think you are in danger from Drew. If Seth knew, he might be able to calm it all down. He's so great, Elise, such a sweet, caring soul."

Elise shook her head. "No, no one can know. I know how good-hearted Seth is, but he wouldn't understand this. Please don't tell him, Ffion, if you care for me keep this a secret."

Upstairs Drew pushed his hair back and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked back pale and sad faced. These people hated him and he could hardly blame them, but Elise loved him and that's what mattered. He listened to them downstairs, the two friends one of whom was his beloved defending him, a vampire, because he still was even if he'd lost the will to hunt.

Ffion didn't answer for a long time and then she nodded.

"I will for you, Elise, and because I know what it feels like to love and be loved, but you must take care and let me know if anything changes. If there is the slightest sign Drew is relapsing you must tell me. Promise?"

Elise nodded and smiled. "I promise, thanks Ffion."

She made tea and they drank it black, which was how Elise generally drank it anyway. They talked about Seth then with Ffion disclosing just how great a kisser he was and Elise giggled.

Drew listened to this and was happier that Elise had lost the distress in her voice and then he heard her say.

"Drew's kisses make me melt," and he could hear the smile in her voice, which made him melt and long to kiss her.

Ffion frowned very slightly and then accepted what Elise had said

They parted as the sun began to sink and Drew raced downstairs to hold Elise tight the moment the front door had closed. He kissed her and whisked her up to the bedroom.

"I heard what you both said. I'm so touched that you defended me and told her my kisses make you melt. Do you think it will be okay and that she'll not tell anyone about me?"

Elise was pulling his T-shirt up to take it off him and kissed down his chest to his stomach. "I hope so, Drew. I think so." She unzipped his jeans and put her hand down into his shorts. He was already hard and thick with desire.

Drew gasped as she trailed her tongue up his neck to his lips and he held her face to kiss her deeply. He was so in love with her it almost hurt he thought.

## Chapter Thirty-Six

Balthazar, Seth, and Devon were asking each other if they needed to do anything about Drew after all, because Devon had decided he'd overreacted. He'd rung Tara and told her, and then, because Balthazar was staying at Angharad's place, it was easy for all three to get together and talk about things again.

"He's alive, but it doesn't seem like he's hanging around here after all. I might have just been jumpy," Devon told them, and Seth nodded.

Balthazar was thoughtful. "All the same, we should have a firm plan, and if he does show up, then action it immediately."

Tara stood by her window looking out at the evening, and turned.

"Should we just go over there to where he lives and do what we planned. He would be out of the way then. We wouldn't have to be looking over our shoulder. Just drive over, knock on the door, throw a spell on him to immobilize him, and then pour the potion down the wretch's throat. No one else need know." The three men turned and looked at her framed in the pink glow of the evening sun through her wide kitchen window.

"We should think about it, Tara." Seth had gotten used to peace and thought this an aggressive stance. Balthazar was wondering if he should leave well alone, after all there was no sign of Drew. Devon was confused by it all. He wished it had been true that his brother was killed after Elise left him for dead because now he had to face the hateful idea of doing something equally as horrible.

No one spoke for a couple of minutes and in the silence a thought settled in Devon's mind. He should go and confront Drew, and perhaps even Marguerite should go too. They were siblings and perhaps it was time to set some parameters rather than go about trying to destroy each other.

Tara sighed and looked at Balthazar. "We'll go with your plan Balthazar, until there is a real problem we'll leave well alone. Agreed?"

All nodded, but Devon had other plans.

When they left Tara's house Devon went to see Marguerite. He sat with her in her garden with Demon weaving between his ankles, and the late sun glinting on his own and Marguerite's blonde hair, and he told her everything. Tara's plan, the plan they had agreed upon, and his own idea.

Marguerite sat for a few moments considering what Devon had said. She trailed her hand along the cat's back, as Demon passed close to the seat of her chair on his way to play in the long stems of the foxgloves and hollyhocks at the side of the house wall. "I don't honestly know what would come of it. What if he was violent, could we outdo him physically the both of us together? A true vampire of his age now, would be incredibly strong, Devon. Are you sure he will come after Elise because wouldn't he have done so already?"

Devon sighed. "Hell Marguerite I don't know what to think any more. Maybe you're right and maybe Tara decided on the best plan to leave it all alone until something forces our hand. What a mess though huh?"

Marguerite sighed. "Yes and no. I just wonder why we don't tell Elise he's alive? I mean to say she's the target here in reality, she's the one in danger, and yet everyone is tiptoeing around her. Could it be they don't trust that she won't run back to him? I think it's an insult that she isn't told. I'd be furious if it was me."

Devon considered this and then nodded. "I think perhaps you're right, but I don't want to be the one to tell her." They looked at each other and Devon raised his eyebrows slightly as Marguerite smiled.

"I'll tell her," she said.

Devon went home. It had grown dark and Marguerite put Demon inside, locked up, and got in her car to drive over to Elise's place. She was doing it now she thought.

Elise and Drew had been waiting for darkness to go for a walk. Their walks had become a nightly occurrence that Drew really looked forward to. Right then they had gone hand in hand up the lane heading for the stream where Drew liked to jump across carrying Elise, and sometimes to walk amongst the stones and weeds in the stream. The water came up to his thighs in one spot. He laughed as he lifted Elise higher in his arms because she didn't want to get wet.

They had just reached the end of the lane when Marguerite came rocketing along in her car from the opposite direction and lit them up in her headlights. She screeched to a halt and Elise, who knew it was Marguerite's car, turned to Drew in panic.

"Drew, run darling, that's Marguerite she might have seen you. I'll try to convince her otherwise, but hide somewhere until you see her car gone from my house."

She hurried to speak and Drew was gone in a flash, the only evidence of his flight a flattened patch of wild flowers where he'd skidded in turning around at speed to jump the hedge and run.

Marguerite stopped her car, the headlights sending a long beam of light at Elise, and left the door wide open in her hurry to get out and across the road to Elise.

"Elise, I saw you with someone. I thought there was someone with you," she said looking around and shaking her head.

"No I'm alone" Elise replied thinking that was true now.

Marguerite wasn't fooled. There again was that vague trace of vampire smell around Elise, and she knew what she'd seen.

"Drew was with you and if he wasn't then I'm seeing things, and also I smell him, Elise. Are you okay? Was he taking you away, forcing you?"

Elise stuck to her story.

"I'm alone, Marguerite."

Marguerite sighed in resignation. "You are now, but you weren't. Don't insult me by lying. I only want to help. In fact, I came here to tell you about Drew."

Elise pushed her hands through her hair that was loose down her back the way Drew liked it. "Come back to the house then," she said simply, and Marguerite linked her arm through Elise's and walked with her to the car.

They parked in the driveway before anything else was said.

"I know I saw Drew," Marguerite said, and Elise just nodded as they got out of the car and went into her house.

Elise was thinking about Drew out there on his own, and if he would simply melt away into the night the way he had appeared at her door days ago.

Elise started to make coffee knowing that Marguerite could drink it and as she did, Marguerite told her. "I came to tell you Drew is alive. It seems whatever you did wasn't enough to kill him after all, although the other idea is that another vampire saved him with their blood. What's going on Elise? No one else wanted to tell you and yet they're there plotting to be rid of Drew in case he comes after you. It's a mess and Devon is considering confronting Drew alone or with me."

Elise brought the coffee to the table and sat down. Marguerite, who had been standing by the table, her hands on the back of a chair, pulled it out and sat down too.

Sighing Elise told Marguerite what had happened and how Drew was changed, and loved her. Marguerite stared at her.

"What, he's still a vampire, but he's more like us, Devon and I, not a killer? What does he eat?" She was incredulous, and saw the answer to that question as proof he was still the same old Drew.

"Well...blood, Marguerite, but out of the blood bank, he doesn't hunt it or kill. He's so different. My blood must have done it."

Marguerite raised her eyebrows. "Really? Your blood?" It seemed she hadn't heard or understood the full story of what had happened to Drew back a few weeks ago, and Elise filled her in.

They sat in silence for a few moments afterwards. Marguerite was thinking and about to speak when Drew appeared silently and like magic before them.

He'd come through the front door and silently down the hall because this was his sister with his beloved Elise, and if he could just talk to her, show her he was changed, then things might be okay.

"Drew," Elise jumped up and hugged him. He held her close, her head to his chest, and his hand in her hair.

It was obvious to Marguerite that he genuinely cared for Elise just by his gentleness and the expression on his face.

She waited and drank some coffee.

Elise brought Drew to sit next to her and opposite Marguerite.

"I was told not to come back until you had left, but I stood there on the bank of the stream and listened to it running over the stones. I breathed in the night air and it was beautiful, but without Elise there's an emptiness I can't cope with. I've come to talk to you, Marguerite. Please believe me when I say I'm not the Drew you knew. I don't know how long ago it was that we even talked. My memory of myself before I died, and then was saved by Greta, has gone. I changed gradually after I was woken by her into what you see now. I can't kill, hunt, be evil in fact, and I love Elise. No one likes me so I must have been horrible, but I'm not any more." He looked anxiously at her face for approval and then to the lovely face of Elise who leaned over and kissed his lips. He couldn't have wished for a greater show of her support and Marguerite watched. She decided either he was the best actor ever, or he meant it all.

"Drew, I hope this is true because I really can't have you lying. I'll kill you myself if this is a lie and a charade you are playing for the gods only know what reason." Marguerite's voice held a fierceness that even surprised Elise.

"I promise you it's the truth. Why would I be doing this?" Drew genuinely didn't know why it would be a charade.

"It would be typical of the old Drew," she answered simply, and Drew sighed.

He got up and disappeared for a moment. Elise looked at Marguerite.

"Do you believe him?" she asked, and Marguerite nodded a little reluctantly.

Drew was back and he held out the little painting of himself with Devon and Marguerite.

"This is for you Marguerite, the only present I have for you right now. I'd like you to have it. Do you recognize it? I found it in a drawer in the office at the house I lived in."

Marguerite took the painting and looked at it.

"I remember when we sat for this, Drew," she said, and actually smiled at him.

"I'm so sorry I killed Devon. I would undo it if I could, Marguerite. I'd like to have met him now I am not how I was." Drew sounded contrite.

Marguerite looked at Elise and in her eyes was a question. Elise didn't quite know why she hadn't told Drew about Devon being alive. Now she sighed, and looked back at Marguerite sadly.

"He also is not dead, Drew. You didn't quite kill him, you thought you had and left him for dead, but we got there in time and saved him." Marguerite didn't include the information she later discovered that Elise had in fact prevented Devon dying with her ancient magical blood. Blood it seemed now to Marguerite that could be used in many different ways.

Drew was silent and Elise took his hand in hers.

"I didn't tell you because I thought I'd tell you later when things had settled a little. Drew, he still believes you're a danger. I thought you might try to seek him out and be in danger yourself if you knew he was alive." She realized as she said this that it was true, but there had been something else too, and that was fear that Drew was just acting and would suddenly prove to be his old self.

Drew looked sad.

Marguerite watched as he sat silently with a sad expression and then she said, "I honestly don't know right now if it's wise to tell him anything about you and Elise. To my amazement, I think you two need to keep this a secret." She waved her hand about encompassing them, and the air in general, but Elise knew she meant them being together.

Drew smiled at this a little and looked at Elise.

"Ffion knows doesn't she Elise?" he said mildly.

Marguerite firstly looked surprised and then started to laugh. "Ffion knows," she repeated and Elise smiled before telling her what had happened.

Elise got up and made more coffee as Marguerite continued.

"I don't know how this will work. The others are bound to discover you and I don't know what will happen then. I really don't. Perhaps you should think about going away together."

Elise paled. "No they will follow. It would be suspicious. Drew and I will hide for a little longer, and then when they have calmed down and this plot they have has receded, I'll tell them about Drew and how he's changed."

Drew smiled. "I'd like them to accept me," he said innocently.

Marguerite looked at them both with a frown.

"I don't know," she said.

"What about this scent that Devon keeps on about? Is there any way you can do anything about that, Elise, with the spells and potions your people have at your disposal?"

Marguerite heard herself plotting to help them, and was a little astonished, but then she saw the way they looked at each other. If that wasn't real love, then she hadn't lived for more than four hundred years, and she knew that was true so...

Elise sighed. "The only thing that would get rid of it properly is if Drew could consume some of the food substance that you and Devon live off. Only I don't want to risk it yet because of the ingredients, one of which may harm Drew right now."

She didn't want to say it was a drop of her blood as that was a secret Devon and Marguerite didn't know. They didn't realize that they still had to live off blood like vampires even though their consumption was tiny it was still blood, the beings' blood.

Marguerite felt the pieces of information slot into place in her mind. She looked down at her hands holding the painting Drew had given her and she felt an overwhelming sadness.

Drew sensed it at the same time as Elise and he stood up, walked quickly to her, and bending, put an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't be sad, Marguerite. It will be okay eventually." Drew watched as a tear slid down Marguerite's face, and he looked at Elise for help to deal with it, before he wiped it away with the hem of his T-shirt.

They sat together until Marguerite had drunk her coffee, and told them she was okay. Elise stealthily looked into her mind, and knew that Marguerite had guessed she and Devon still ate blood.

When Marguerite was in her car ready to leave Elise leaned through the open window. "Marguerite, you're not a vampire. The blood is so tiny it's a molecule in your food." Marguerite smiled wanly.

"Thanks Elise," she said, and drove away.

Drew naturally had heard and he put his arm around Elise.

"That's why she cried isn't it? She thought she no longer fed on blood." Elise nodded as they went into the house together.

When Marguerite got home, she put the little painting on the hall table and wandered down to the living room where she could go out into her garden through the French doors.

She opened them and her cat followed her onto the patio where Marguerite stood and stared at the darkness. She could still see very well in the dark and she now realized why many of her vampire abilities were still present though some were no longer as strong as they were. As she thought about this, she also realized that the strange, extra abilities that came and went sometimes after eating her special food were because of the blood in it. She sighed and looked up at the sky. In keeping with her mood, it had clouded over and the moon was hardly visible. She stood there and watched Demon chase a moth that flew up from a flower head as he brushed by with his tail. There was a hint of rain in the air and Marguerite stayed there outside thinking about everything until it actually started to rain. She felt it, but didn't move until Demon, who wanted his usual tuna snack and hadn't had it yet that night, wove his wet, furry back around her legs, and wet her ankles in her cropped jeans.

Inside she gave the cat his meal and sat down with a glass of her own food.

She looked at it for a few moments. An overwhelming urge to pour it down the drain and pour all the containers of her food from the fridge down the drain came upon her and then she heard Elise in her mind saying you are not a vampire the blood is so tiny it's a molecule. Marguerite looked at the lemon colored frothy liquid that sustained her and tasted it. It actually tasted like lemons tonight she thought and she drank some.

Drew had said it would be okay eventually and perhaps it would she thought as she put her glass down and went to get the little painting he'd given her from the hall table. She sat down and looked at it as she drank the rest of her food.

## Chapter Thirty-Seven

Calm settled on everything during the next two days.

Angharad set up another studio in Balthazar's home and he set up a little office in hers.

The new law firm offices were ready, having only needed fresh paint, the floors polished, and furniture bought in.

Tara was quietly working away at new spells and potions, thinking constantly about her people.

Devon was working on new designs and the finished dresses had arrived from the dressmaker who was helping Marguerite, who was busy with her swimwear collection. He and Bliss had taken the dresses down to the boutique and put the special labels on them.

Seth and Ffion were happily setting up home together, although Ffion phoned Elise each day.

Drew and Elise hadn't seen anyone and when Elise went into work, Arthur was his usual self. There seemed to be no plot afoot thought Elise, at least not one he was involved in. He'd actually mentioned to her that Erik took herbs for potions and she smiled saying that was fine.

She came in late and left early and told Arthur it was summer and she needed some time off.

No one mentioned Drew and it seemed as if the problem had disappeared.

Drew and Elise still went for their nightly walk.

They talked at length about the fact that Elise hadn't told him Devon was alive. She admitted her fears and Drew understood saying he more than likely would have felt the same if it had been him. He was a little quiet for a couple of hours and then Elise made love to him. Afterwards he told her that he really did understand, but he wanted to meet Devon. They knew they had to wait. Elise privately thought it might never happen along with her people never accepting Drew.

She cuddled Drew to her and he told her that he might go back to his house to get some more books the next night. Elise said she would go with him, but it was not to be because there was a phone call that morning from Balthazar asking her to dinner at Angharad's place. All the usual people were going to meet Rupert Hathaway, his principal associate in the law firm, who was going to run the new office for the first six months.

Elise tried to say she was already doing something, but then she knew it would never be believed. They all knew she only had friends amongst the community, and so she said she would go. Drew listened and was already fretting, his arm around her shoulders.

"Will you be okay? Will Ffion let it out that you have me here?"

Elise shook her head.

"No, Ffion has been fine on the phone, and I'll be okay. You can go off to your house and get more of your books, Drew, and I'll go to the dinner, meet this guy for Balthazar, and come home."

Drew kissed her lips and then down the side of her neck. He lingered near her pulse and trailed his tongue over it. He lifted his head and smiled. "I would never do it, but you smell good, and I hear your blood in your veins until I turn it off. I love you and you're safe with me. You do know that?"

Elise sighed. "I do feel that you love me. Go get a drink of the blood in the fridge. I think you don't feed often enough. You seem skinnier. Is it because you think I loathe the fact your food is blood?"

Drew nodded. "I feel that way yes, yes it's true," he admitted, a little relieved she'd noticed.

"Then don't, because you must eat. It would be dreadful if you starved yourself to the point where you went out hunting again because you couldn't help it, Drew."

She kissed him and then pushed him along a little to go into the kitchen and Drew waited until she left him alone. He wouldn't drink blood in front of her and Elise worried about that.

The next night as soon as the sun had lost its sting, Drew put on his overcoat and sunglasses, and went off to his house a hundred miles away. Elise dressed and did her hair to go to dinner at Angharad's place.

## Chapter Thirty-Eight

As he drove along Drew thought about how he could stop somewhere and test out if he could hunt because what was he really now? Was he a vampire? Was he some variant of a vampire? He felt like testing himself out. He stopped at the hotel before he'd even been gone from Elise for more than fifteen minutes.

He wandered into the bar there and looked around. There was a single woman at the bar and a few of the tables were occupied by small groups of people. Drew went to stand next to her and ordered vodka and ice. The woman was older than the females he would usually go for and he welcomed that as a test because it would be all about feeding. She ignored him completely and he tried to converse with her saying, "Hello, the bar is very empty today."

She glanced at him and nodded, but said nothing.

He waited until she collected her bag and walked off, when he followed her as she exited the hotel. He knew that if he wanted to he could grab her, speed to a less visible location, and feed.

He passed her by and went to his car. He just couldn't do it.

He drove into his hometown some time later and went straight to see Greta.

She was pleased to see him and gave him a thump on the arm.

"Where have you been, Drew?" she asked, and grinned at him.

"Just around," he said, trying to be the vampire he was in those first few heady days with her when they went hunting.

It was exactly the right thing to say as the old Drew would have said something similar, and Greta pursed her lips slightly.

"Okay. Have a drink, Drew?" She was already walking to the fridge and getting out the carafe of blood she usually had in there.

Drew nodded, but then qualified his affirmative with, "Is it a guy's blood do you know?"

Greta looked mystified and shrugged. "Who knows? Why, Drew? Don't tell me your highness now has to have all male blood?"

Drew cringed a little at the tag your highness as it was obviously an allusion to his former highhanded ways.

"Just wondering if you knew, Greta." He tried to be nonchalant, but at the same time, he asked himself if he hadn't fed on the human at the hotel because she was a woman. He decided to try a man next for his test.

"So did you bother going after the witch then, Drew, or have you been too busy 'tomcatting' around town? Maryanne says Rosalind was asking after you."

Drew sat down in the leather armchair and Greta leaned over him now to give him his drink. Drew could see right down her low-necked blouse to her very attractive breasts in a push-up bra. He took the glass from her and averted his eyes. She was lovely, but Elise was lovelier.

"Drew, are you wearing perfume?" Greta asked, pulling a face of distaste.

Drew didn't know what she meant for a moment, and then he realized.

"Oh, I was trying out a new soap made from witch hazel and tea tree oil," he told her and grinned.

Greta shrugged, but informed him, "You smell like a bloody forest not a vampire. I don't think Rosalind will be impressed by that when she catches up with you."

Drew didn't intend that happening and told Greta so. She smiled. She was glad, serve the little schemer right, she thought. Greta simply never let a grudge go.

Drew drank the blood and it was fine. He felt a little of the hunger he'd felt constantly in the last few days go away. Elise was right, he should eat more, he thought, and he drank the glass down and then held it out to Greta for a refill.

Drew noticed her book open at a page on her desk and reached to check the title.

"Is it good?" he asked. Greta, who missed the talks about books with Pearl so much launched into a description of the plot and her favorite bits so far.

Drew smiled. "I've recently taken up reading," he told her, as he sipped the new glass of blood she'd given him.

"Drew, that's great, but unusual. You once said that you only kept the library because it looked good, and also has that secret room."

Drew looked surprised. "Secret room?" he echoed.

Greta shook her head and laughed aloud. "Don't tell me you've forgotten that as well. Take a look around the house, Drew. What have been doing with your time?" she asked, but it was not a question. It was a reprimand.

Drew shrugged and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I'll look in the library actually since I came back for some books." As soon as he'd said it, he regretted it. Greta fell on the words 'came back'.

"Oh so you have been somewhere then?"

Drew said the only thing he knew about. "Down to my coastal estate."

Greta was even more curious. "The estate, not the apartment? How curious, Drew. What are you up to?" She smiled because recently Greta had been a little bored and wondered if this was something she could get in on.

Drew was confused. Why would the estate raise her eyebrows and not the apartment? "Why not the estate Greta?" he asked, risking sounding stupid.

"You always say it's too much work down there as it's so big, and you being the jealous and mean type never got in any staff to live there and get the place ready for you. Has that changed Drew?"

Drew shook his head, but said nothing. He drank down the blood and sighed.

"Thanks Greta, I was actually hungrier than I thought." He stood up to go.

Greta watched him with fascination in her eyes. If he'd been hungry, why hadn't he just hunted? Then she dropped the question. Who cares, she thought?

When he left, she saw him on her CCTV monitors take the parking ticket off the windscreen of his new car and toss it into the nearby litter bin. Nothing changed there then except that he used the bin and not the ground.

Drew went home and let himself in via the garage having parked outside it on the road. He walked through to the kitchen where he found a note from Maryanne, who as he suspected, could still get into his house. It made him smile that they were all so crooked. As he walked down the hall, he noticed that she'd cleaned the face off his mirror and only a sort of dark smudge remained. He rather wished she'd just left the face on the mirror.

He ran up to the library, and went around it feeling the shelves until he came to a set which he hadn't yet explored and found they were false books. It took fifteen minutes for him to find the lever disguised as a book that opened the door to his secret room.

Drew could smell Elise as soon as he opened the door and he walked into the long thin room. There was a sofa in there and stacks of old books. He checked them out. Some were very old, and had drawings and maps in them. Drew left them and ran his hand along the back of the sofa. Elise must have sat here, he thought, deciding to ask her about it, and then he turned and left the place closing the door with the lever book. The door closed up and looked as if it was simply a shelf again.

Drew sighed. Why was there a secret room? He asked himself.

He wandered around the real bookshelves and picked out about twenty books he wanted to take back to Elise's house. They were, as usual, large books, and he ran downstairs with them to put them on the kitchen table before he ran back up to his office and started looking for the file of deeds he'd once seen there when he and Greta were trying to boot one of his laptops.

He found it and took it out of the hanger. When the file was on the desk, he could see a bulge in it. He traced the bulge to an envelope with some keys in it sticky-taped to the middle of the file back. Drew looked at them. Three ordinary looking keys just like the keys to this place he decided, and he put them in his pocket. He picked up the file and took it downstairs to the book stack. Then Drew decided to get a couple of pairs of his boots, since he now had a fondness for wading in the stream, and another T-shirt, so he went upstairs to his bedroom and found the stuff he wanted.

Down in the kitchen again, he looked for a garden toughie, but found they had all gone. Unknown to him Maryanne had taken the last two for the trunk of her car when she was going hunting and didn't want the bodies making too much of a stink.

Drew just took his stuff and put it on the back seats of his car.

He wandered around the house just looking at it and picking things up then putting them down. He picked up a lovely glass dish and turned it over, Lalique, he read. It was pretty and he decided to take it home for Elise. He looked around for something to give Marguerite and he saw a Chinese figure, it was white and of a serene looking person sitting on a big flower. Drew liked it, and he thought that Marguerite would too. He took the dish and the statue upstairs and wrapped them in a couple of the frilled cuff blue shirts still hanging in the wardrobe. Be a shame to bust them on the way home, he thought and as he did, he wondered what Elise was doing and how the dinner was going at Angharad's home.

## Chapter Thirty-Nine

Elise, unhappily, was seated next to Rupert Hathaway. He was very nice, and intelligent, but he was clearly romantically interested in her. Angharad sent her a thought about him. He's lovely get to know him. You deserve to be loved.

Elise knew then that they'd seated her next to him on purpose. She glanced at Ffion who knew about it and grimaced slightly in commiseration.

Elise tried to be pleasant without giving Rupert any kind of encouragement and as they drifted into the sitting room for coffee, she made her escape and began a conversation with Marguerite.

"Do you know whose idea it was to try and fix me up with Rupert?" she asked her, and Marguerite smiled.

"Angharad's after she'd met Rupert and seen how gorgeous he is. Then Tara got in on the act, and finally Balthazar, who it has to be said wasn't keen to do it in the first place. He said if you and Rupert liked each other you'd get together by yourselves when the opportunity arose. He's nice though isn't he Elise?" she finished, and Elise detected a little note of longing in Marguerite's voice.

She sighed. How awful it would be if because they'd been seated together, he became stuck on her, when he could have met, and liked Marguerite, who was very pretty, as well as clever, and deserved someone to love her too.

They took their coffee out onto the patio and were soon joined by Devon.

"Everything okay?" he asked, meaning Marguerite have you told Elise Drew is alive, and they both looked at him as if he should say what he meant.

"I'm fine. I know and it's okay," Elise said quickly, and smiled to emphasize that it really was okay. Devon smiled too and he left them to go back to Bliss who was talking with Rupert.

They both knew better than to speak any more about Drew just in case Tara was scanning conversations, if not minds. They talked instead about Marguerite's new swimwear collection. Marguerite laughed and said, "I wish I had it ready for this summer because now it's halfway through, and autumn fashion will be on the agenda before I know it."

Suddenly they were joined by Rupert, and although Elise tried hard to get him to converse with both her and Marguerite, he seemed hell bent on excluding Marguerite clearly wanting Elise to know he was interested in her. It became difficult and Marguerite excused herself and went back inside.

Rupert was determined. He was very attracted to Elise. She told him it was growing cool and she would go inside. He put his arm around her gently and as casually as possible to guide her. Elise felt her heart sink. He was going to have to be firmly rebuffed she thought.

Inside everyone was chatting happily and Elise felt out of place. She wanted Drew. She wanted him so badly, Tara felt the forlorn longing from her, and walked over to talk with Elise.

"I hope you're feeling okay, Elise. I sense things are not quite right with you after all," she said, as if Rupert was not there. He stood back as Tara took Elise by the arm and walked her off to a corner where they could talk.

"It's Rupert he's very taken with me, but I really don't want to get into a relationship right now, it's too soon. I'm just regaining my equilibrium."

She'd never lied to her people and especially Tara so very blatantly, and she hoped Tara would take this excuse without further comment, or try to read her thoughts.

Elise masked her mind as quickly as possible.

Tara who was trying not to be intrusive didn't read her thoughts taking the excuse from Elise at face value. She smiled, turned, and walked back to Rupert where she took his arm and engaged him in conversation. She would keep him away from Elise for a while at least.

Elise talked with everyone else until people started to leave, when Rupert came to her and asked if she needed a lift home. She did not, she had her own car, but Rupert walked her out to it and leaned on the door so that she had to listen to what he wanted to say.

"Elise, I really like you, and I would very much like to see you again. Could we perhaps meet for coffee tomorrow or the next day?" He smiled, and he was very attractive, and appealing, but Elise loved Drew, and she shook her head.

"Thank you Rupert, but I'm so busy, how about I call you after I've got through the massive amount of work I have on at the moment?"

Instead of realizing it was a rejection, Rupert, who was very often very busy himself, believed it, and took out his cell phone. "Let me send you my number," he said cleverly, because that way he would have her number too.

Elise could do no other than exchange numbers with him, and then because she'd unlocked her car door with her electronic keypad he opened it and helped her in, even giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Elise was trying to be polite, but he was chancing it she thought, and she pulled her door closed and drove off without a backwards glance.

Rupert went back to his hosts and said, "Thanks for seating me next to the lovely Elise. I think she likes me." Balthazar took a deep breath, he didn't think so, but Angharad smiled.

"I hope so Rupert," she said, and she meant it because she was so happy with Balthazar that she couldn't imagine anyone not wanting the same kind of love with someone.

Elise drove home and she wiped the kiss from her cheek with the back of her hand. It was unfortunate because Rupert was nice, and if she'd met him a year ago, things might have been different.

She thought about Drew and if he'd set off home yet, meaning her home.

Drew was on the road, but he'd decided to test out his hunting instinct again, and he pulled his Range Rover into the service area where he'd bought candy on two occasions. He parked right at the back where the truck drivers parked, and watched until one of them came back to their cab after a meal break. Drew got out of the car and was next to the man in a twinkling. He could feed right now and no one would know. He could dump the body in the river that ran at the bottom of the field backing onto the service area. He grabbed the man who tried to push Drew away and step back. Drew let him.

He couldn't feed. Drew simply ran so fast the truck driver was unsure what had happened. He stumbled slightly against his truck and looked around in amazement. He could have sworn there was a guy there. He'd dropped the few things that he'd bought for the next leg of his journey, now he picked them up. As he climbed into his truck, he wondered if he'd seen a ghost, considering that would make a good story to tell his mates at the next truck stop. He took the wrapper off a mint and popped it in his mouth. Yes, he'd seen a ghost he thought, as he started the engine and maneuvered the massive truck out of the parking lot.

Drew expected to feel bleak when he discovered he couldn't even feed off a man, but instead he was relieved. As he got into his car and sat there looking out at the night he actually felt elated. Now he could be with Elise knowing it was totally true when he said he could no longer hunt, because he couldn't have her look at him in disgust. He'd wanted to be completely changed from the old Drew that no one really cared for, and it seemed he was.

He still had no real memory of that time when he was the old Drew, and as he started the car and set off for what he now called home, he was glad he didn't.

## Chapter Forty

It was one in the morning and Elise had showered. She put her dress in the laundry hamper and noticed a T-shirt in there belonging to Drew. It made her smile and she wondered if he would be home soon.

As she thought this, Drew arrived. He parked on the grassy sidewalk down from her driveway as some small kind of subterfuge for her friends.

He gathered up most of his stuff and ran to the front door where balancing on one leg he rang the bell with his foot. Elise opened her door to see him smiling at her over a stack of books and clothes. She took the clothes as they were spilling off the stack and they both went down to the sitting room with his things. Drew dumped the books on the table and turned to Elise to fold her in his arms clothes and all. He kissed her.

"Elise, it's so good to be home and see your lovely face," he said as he let her go. He took the clothes from her dumping them, and then cuddled her again, putting kisses all over her face. He wound her damp hair around his hand and kissed it as he held her, so happy to be with her again.

"Drew, have you finished unpacking the car I left the front door open?" Elise asked smiling and returning his kisses.

"Not yet." They went back to get the boots Drew had thrown on the back floor of the car, and the shirt wrapped presents. He locked the car and they took the things inside.

"I brought you something pretty I noticed in the house," he told her. He presented Elise with the glass dish. It was very pretty with shell and wave designs around it. Elise smiled.

"It's gorgeous, thank you." She put it down on the table near the window where it would catch the light and glisten.

He smiled and unwrapped the statue from the other shirt.

"Look what I brought back for Marguerite," he said, and held it up for Elise to see.

"The Buddha," Elise stated as if she knew the statue, and in fact, she did. It was something she'd often looked upon when she'd spent time with the old Drew in his house.

Drew didn't press the point. He put it down on the coffee table and took her in his arms.

"I'll put everything away so that if a friend of yours rocks up tomorrow they won't see the stuff and ask questions, and then I want to hold you tight for ten minutes before we talk," he said, and he sped away with his clothes and boots, but left the books stacked on the coffee table.

Elise noticed the folder of deeds amongst them and as Drew appeared back by her side, she pointed at it.

"What's the folder, Drew?"

Drew grinned. "Deeds because I just have to know what property I own. What if we suddenly need to make a run for it somewhere? We can go to a place I own if so."

He tidied the stack, putting the file at the bottom to secure it. He looked around. As far as he was concerned, everything was okay, as surely her friends would expect her to have books. He pulled her into his arms to kiss her lovingly.

He picked her up and carried her up to bed where they made love for a long time before Elise fell asleep in his arms.

Drew lay beside her for a time listening to her breathe and thinking about the way she had been so pleased to see him.

Then he got up carefully and went downstairs. He was hungry and took some blood from the fridge to feed. He replaced it with a couple of bags from the freezer and sat down with the blood in a glass. He didn't spend long downstairs and went to clean his teeth quietly before he lay back down beside Elise. He took his T-shirt off, and was about to throw it in the laundry hamper, when a scent hit him coming from the items in there. It was a foreign scent, not Elise, or her friends he'd come across so far, and it was strong.

He picked up the things in the hamper and knew it was the dress. He put the clothes in the hamper. Something about the scent told him it was male because not only did it reek of adrenalin, there was a top note of some disgusting after shave modern, human men often wore. So a man had touched his dear Elise at the dinner party had he? Who and why? Drew thought.

He took a quick shower after that with the soap Elise had given him, and went to bed with damp hair.

Elise although asleep, felt his renewed presence and reached out to hold him.

Drew was instantly turned on by her, and longed to kiss her, but he didn't want to wake her. He lay there with her arm over his waist, and imagined making love to her when she woke up.

Elise actually woke before he did since he fell asleep just as dawn came. That was usual for Drew now, and he might sleep for a few hours then. She found she was draped over him, her leg over his and her arm around his chest. She snuggled up to him and kissed up his shoulder to his chin, and then up his cheek closing her eyes with her face against his. Drew's eyes flew open and he turned his face to hers.

"Elise," he whispered her name, and began to kiss her. He nuzzled down her neck to kiss her breasts and trail his fingers over her stomach. He felt her little intake of breath as he did this and lifted his head to kiss her lips. He murmured how much he loved her against her lips as he felt her already damp and needing him when his fingers brushed between her legs.

Elise clung to him and kissed him deeply, she moved against his hand craving him. He put his fingers into her wet pussy gently and let her clench her muscles on them. She moaned as Drew smiled against her lips and then moved to lie between her legs. She wrapped them around his waist and held him to her as he eased his erection into her with a sigh of pleasure.

"I wanted you all night," he whispered, as he began to move inside her, and she thrust her hips up to him in answer.

"Wake me up next time," she whispered, and they kissed each other as Drew lifted her hips a little and heard her gasp as he pushed deeper into her.

"Drew," she whispered. "That's delicious."

Later as they were lying still in each other's arms Drew asked Elise about the dinner party.

He lifted a strand of her hair from her cheek and kissed where it had been, then asked,

"Elise what was the dinner like with Balthazar and the others?"

Elise held his face to hers and kissed his mouth before she answered.

"Pretty grim. They'd arranged for me to sit next to some poor guy in the hopes we would hit it off, but then they don't know I'm in love with you do they?" She kissed him again and Drew sighed.

"Ah, so that's why your dress reeks. Did he touch you?"

Elise was stroking his body up the side, and then along his chest and down to his stomach as she looked into his eyes and answered.

"He put an arm around me to lead me into the house, you know courtesy stuff, and he kissed my cheek goodbye." She pulled Drew closer, her arm around his waist. She kissed his mouth, her tongue tracing along the seam of his lips so that he opened his mouth and touched his tongue to hers, before he shivered in pleasure and kissed her more deeply.

"I'm so in love with you I don't think I can stand that," he told her when he moved his face away from hers a little.

"He means nothing to me," she said, but Drew looked pained.

"I know but he kissed you. Which cheek was it?"

Elise had to think. "My right one," she finally answered and Drew kissed her there a few times.

"There that's got rid of it now."

Elise smiled. "What about his arm around my shoulders?"

Drew's eyes sparkled and he turned her over. He kissed and licked all the way along her shoulders, and along her backbone as he put his hand down, and under between her thighs to find her wet, needing him again. He gently pulled her onto her side to face him and kissed her lips.

"Shall I make love to you again, Elise, because I think I'm going to die unless I do?" It was a strange phrase to use considering that Drew had died, more than once, but Elise knew what he meant because she wanted him desperately again too. She moved her hands down his stomach to hold his hard length as she found his lips again with her tongue.

When they finally got up Elise took the laundry hamper down to the utility room and put everything in the wash.

Drew made her some coffee and then he poured himself a glass of blood and sat beside her.

Elise was surprised and waited for him to speak because she knew he was going to.

"Last night I tested myself to check if I would hunt and I didn't hunt, Elise. I'm totally changed and because this is the food I have to eat, then I think I should sit beside you and not hide away as I was doing."

Elise looked at him and saw sincerity, and hope in those blue eyes, the same color as her own. She looked back at him with love and kindness.

"I think that's a good idea," she said, not wanting to question him about his tests. She watched him take a sip of the blood and she drank some of her coffee.

## Chapter Forty-One

Across town, Devon and Bliss had convinced Marguerite to take a coffee break and they were in the local café.

They sat quietly for a few moments as the place filled up around them and then Devon said. "So what did you think of Rupert then, Marguerite? He seemed very interested in Elise."

Bliss grinned and in agreement with what Devon said she added, "He did, and I thought he actually chased her."

They all three smiled at that and then Marguerite answered. "I think he likes her very much, but she's not interested she told me."

Devon sighed. "Just what did she say when you told her Drew was still alive?" He'd finally gotten around to asking the question he'd wanted to ask for a couple of days.

"She didn't say much actually, but I have a question for you, Devon. Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if Drew hadn't been such an unpleasant character?"

Devon looked surprised. "But he is, Marguerite. He's evil and he's a real vampire, a killer."

Marguerite shrugged and said nothing. They fell into talking about the business and the designs Devon had planned for autumn.

Marguerite asked Devon to come over to the shop and pick up some fabric swatches to guide him a little in his designs because she really wanted to do a couple of winter evening dresses with little jackets to match. They wandered companionably over to her shop. Bliss and Devon holding hands, and Marguerite with her arm linked in her brother's arm, as they crossed the road.

In the shop, Anita was serving a customer and they went straight down to the little office. Marguerite was busy taking the new fabric swatches from the side of her angled drawing desk when she heard Devon's gasp. She spun around already knowing what he'd found. She'd brought the little painting down to her office because she thought it would be safer in her desk drawer there rather than hanging about her house. She'd propped it at the back of the desk and looked at it that morning when she'd arrived, become busy, and then forgotten to hide it in her drawer amongst the boxes of paper clips, pins, crayons, pencils and such. In fact, amongst stuff no one but herself would look at.

"Marguerite, this painting, the last I knew of it Drew had it years ago. Where did you get it?" Devon's voice was low.

She looked at his questioning face and then looked at Bliss who stood next to him.

"No I had it all along. I was clearing up a little in the attic and found it." Her lie died on her lips as she saw Devon frown and look accusingly at her.

"You've seen him haven't you? What's going on, Marguerite? Is that what the question was about in the café?" Devon's voice was quiet, but he looked very upset.

Marguerite's shoulders drooped and she shook her head.

"Devon, how could I have seen him?" She felt so bad saying this that it came out as a whisper.

Then she crossed to her desk, took the painting from Devon's hand, and put it in the drawer where she'd meant to hide it that morning.

Bliss looked from one to the other and her eyes showed her concern. She loved them both, and to see them looking at each other this way was distressing, but she knew she couldn't say anything.

Devon couldn't let it rest. "Marguerite, if he's been snooping about and you ran into him you must tell me. You know what he's like. Marguerite he kills, he feeds on blood. It's disgusting. Remember how that drove you to starve yourself. He's ruthless, evil, and deviant."

Marguerite looked at Devon with such pain in her eyes.

"We feed on blood. Our food is distilled not just from herbs, and fruit or whatever the beings use each time, but also from their blood. Their blood Devon, and no doubt that drink Bliss has been given by Tara has some in it too. That's the secret ingredient in all their magic, their blood," she was shaking as she said it. Devon already pale skinned, went a shade paler, and sat down on the edge of the computer desk.

"My god," he said, and then looked at Bliss and put a hand out to her to draw her near and hold her, his head on her breasts. Bliss took his head in her hands and bent to kiss the top of his hair, his lovely, blond, shiny hair that smelt vaguely of mint.

"Darling," she said softly, "you and Marguerite are not vampires any longer. The food can't have much blood in it, if it has any, it looks nothing like blood."

She looked over at Marguerite her eyes wide and care written all over her face.

"Marguerite, don't do this to yourself and Devon. The beings saved you. Their magic is ancient and they love you. How can it be wrong?"

"Elise told me the food had their blood in it. Go ask her if you don't believe me. But Bliss, you're right we aren't vampires. We changed. Devon, doesn't that mean that maybe Drew could too, might have too?" Marguerite said softly, and she got up to go to Devon. Bliss put her arm around Marguerite and the three held each other for a moment or two.

"You have seen him haven't you?" Devon finally asked, and Marguerite nodded.

"Yes he gave me the painting as a present. He's different, Devon He was brought back by another vampire, but it changed him. He could be nothing other than a vampire, but he's not like he was, he's more like you as it happens."

Devon sat back a little. "Where is he Marguerite?"

She wasn't about to reveal he was with Elise. She'd said enough. "I don't know. Maybe he's gone back to the town he lives in. I don't think anyone is in danger from him, Devon. Please leave well alone. Don't tell Tara."

She went back to the desk drawer and took out her little painting. She put it in her bag, which was slung over her desk-chair back. It could go home again now and sit on the dresser where she'd wanted it to go, except she was afraid Devon would visit, and see it. That wasn't going to be a concern any more.

## Chapter Forty-Two

When Devon and Bliss got home, Devon started pacing the floor of the kitchen as Bliss made coffee.

"I should go and see him, Drew I mean. I should go and find out for myself what he's like. Perhaps if I ask him outright if he has any intentions of harming Elise, or causing trouble then if he is as different as Marguerite says he is, he'll talk to me openly and honestly."

He turned to Bliss as she approached him and held her tightly.

Bliss sighed against his chest.

"Marguerite said she didn't know where he'd gone. I don't want you going off up to that house and town where I found you dying. Please don't go, especially alone. Perhaps now is the time for Balthazar and Seth to go with you. All of you go just to satisfy everyone Drew isn't going to cause trouble. You go and speak to him, then that's it, everyone leaves everyone else alone." She moved to put her arms up around Devon's neck and kissed him. "Devon, please don't go alone. I know he's your brother, but it still might not be safe. I love you too much to let anything happen to you. I'll come too," she finished, and kissed him again.

Devon returned her kisses and started to smile.

"I love you too, Bliss, and I won't go alone. As it happens, I may not go at all. I think I'll call him. I have his cell number stored in my phone you know, from the, 'I have Bliss, ring me when you are bringing Elise' stunt he pulled. Perhaps that's the way to go. I call and say I've found the painting he gave Marguerite, and does he want to talk. He's still a vampire though, Bliss, and so he can't be trusted. Not at all."

Devon and Bliss hugged each other as they stood together thinking about Drew.

Drew and Elise were similarly occupied, hugging each other, only they weren't thinking about Devon, but about Rupert. He'd rung Elise and asked her out for coffee that afternoon if she was free. Elise told him she was working, and Rupert, not to be put off, said maybe a drink later then after work. Elise raised her eyebrows at Drew who knew exactly what was going on, and said to Rupert that she'd call him.

Drew took the cell phone from Elise's hand and put it on the table and then he hugged her.

"He's very persistent isn't he? Maybe he needs you to say outright that you're simply not interested. Trying to be kind and polite might not work with this guy," Drew said softly as he held her. Drew was scared right then that Elise might see this Rupert character as a better option than a vampire such as him. He was jealous, but more afraid than anything. He loved Elise so much right then, he couldn't imagine having to do anything other than walk away if she chose someone else. He could wreak no revenge on the man nor blame her. He would silently leave.

Elise felt the sadness in Drew.

"Drew, I love you. You know that don't you?"

He nodded, but when her cell rang at that very moment, he reached out at great speed and picked it up. "She's unavailable, she has someone in her life, so please go away," he said assuming it was Rupert and just acting out his fears.

Elise grabbed the phone. "Hello," she said to find out who it was.

It was Devon.

"Elise, who was that? It was Drew wasn't it? He's with you. Where are you? Are you okay? Has he got to you?" Devon was already grabbing his car keys from the table and then Bliss and he were running down their hall. They leapt into the vehicle that was most easy to get out of the drive, and Bliss took the keys from Devon, and started the engine.

Elise sighed. "Devon, everything is fine. I'm at home. That was Rupert."

She'd no sooner said that she was at home, than Devon repeated it, and Bliss drove off in the direction they needed to go.

Elise kept up her lie. "Rupert popped around to see me. We're going out for coffee."

It was Devon's turn to sigh. He knew Drew's voice even if he hadn't heard much of it in the last twenty years.

"Elise, I know it's Drew. How could I not? I was about to call him because I've spoken with Marguerite and she tells me he's changed. I rang you to find out how you were really feeling about him being alive and to tell you I was going to ring Drew."

Elise looked at Drew as she spoke.

"I have a feeling you're coming over is that right?" Devon told her he was.

She put her cell phone down again and turned to Drew.

"Drew, really that was a little childish, and it wasn't Rupert it was Devon."

Drew looked at her his blue eyes wide and a worried look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Elise. It was just spur of the moment. I really thought Rupert was calling again and if he heard a male voice he might stop chasing you."

Elise started to giggle then she hugged Drew. He smiled a little tentatively.

"Is it okay?" he asked, and smiled more as Elise broke into more laughter.

"I've never had anyone do that kind of thing. It's almost cute that you tried to fend Rupert off. I guess I love you more than I thought because ordinarily I would be furious at that kind of behavior."

Drew pulled her against him and kissed her until they heard the doorbell.

"That will be Devon," Elise said. Drew stood back to let her go and open the front door. He walked to the far end of the kitchen and then to the electric kettle. I'll make coffee that will be a good thing to do, he thought, as he heard Elise greet Devon and Bliss.

They came down the hall and into the kitchen behind Elise and stood there by the table as Drew turned and faced them.

"So Drew, you are here," Devon said casting a glance around the room as he checked that there were no extra vampires in attendance. He hadn't smelt any, nor detected any, and he waited for Drew to speak.

Drew smiled a little nervously and Elise went to him and took his hand.

Bliss watched and gasped because all she remembered was the horrible, devious Drew, and she didn't trust that he was still not that.

Drew saw the distrust on the girl's face. He didn't know who she was and she wasn't even vaguely familiar, although he recognized her scent from the book in his library. He sighed and addressed Devon.

"I was going to make some coffee if you'd like some. I am here. I'm here because I love Elise. I lost my memory so if you're expecting me to know you totally, I don't. I know you from a painting and because I've been told who you are. Not much of my memory about my life before I died has come back." He stopped then and turned to the cupboard where he knew Elise kept her cups and mugs. He gestured at it with his free hand as Elise clung tightly to the other.

Devon shook his head in surprise. "I might have to sit down, Elise, if that's okay?" he said softly. He could see from Drew's demeanor that this was a different character altogether from the Drew he'd last encountered.

When Elise nodded and said, "Of course, both of you sit down. Will you have coffee?" Devon nodded at the question as he pulled two chairs together and taking Bliss by the hand he sat down in one and she sat in the other. He held her hand across onto his leg and she glanced at him and then at Drew.

"I'm Bliss. Devon and I are together. I met you when you were the Drew no one trusted. Perhaps you should tell us why we should trust you now."

Elise was a little hurt by the harsh tone of voice Bliss used. Drew was pouring water in the mugs where he'd put spoons of coffee granules. He put down the kettle and looked directly at Bliss.

"I only know I'm different. I was a bit crazy when I woke up, and I did hunt and kill with Greta for a few days. Then suddenly I began to change, so that now I can't hunt or kill, and I just want to be with Elise. I read my books, and I watch the sun go down so that I can walk with her in the lovely night, but I have no evil intent I promise you. I'm sorry to say that I don't remember you, although Elise has told me a short version of what happened to you. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I tried to kill you, Devon. Before I knew you were alive I told Marguerite that I would undo it if I could."

He'd put mugs of coffee in front of everyone including himself. Elise glanced at him her eyes full of love thinking, had he done that so he'd fit in?

They sat together one couple at one end of the table and one couple at the other.

"Drew, what do you ultimately propose to do because our people won't accept you, not as a vampire." Devon referred to the beings, and included himself as one of them. Drew looked quickly at Elise, and then shrugged.

"I don't know. I know they changed you and Marguerite into something other than vampires. I just hoped to be accepted, and left alone I suppose."

He had a look of hope on his face and Devon responded to it.

"It might take considerable time, but they might accept you eventually, if they find you are no longer a killer, and live in peace here. Right now, I think the memory of what you were like is too fresh in our minds to accept you right away. Drew, you must understand you were a consummate liar, and killer. I was shocked when you went ahead and killed me, well thought you had. I thought we were still playing our boyhood games with you being jealous and nasty." Devon broke off and looked at the ceiling as if he couldn't go on talking.

Bliss shuffled a little closer to Devon so that their hips and shoulders touched.

Elise looked down at her coffee and Drew sighed.

"I'm so sorry, but I don't remember, and it sounds horrendous, but it was someone else not me."

Devon looked across at him and saw a Drew he could like. His kind heart wanted to like this Drew, and he felt himself start to accept that Drew was telling the truth. He picked up the coffee with his free hand hanging onto Bliss with the other. She was his anchor, his life. He drank a little of the coffee and smiled as he put it down.

"We must keep you a secret Drew, for the time being. I hope you understand."

Elise sighed in relief. She could see the emotions going across Devon's handsome face and the change of thoughts in his dark blue eyes. Devon had started to believe Drew.

"We know that, and yet now you and Bliss know, and Marguerite."

"And Ffion too," Drew joined in.

Bliss sat forward a little in surprise. "Ffion too?"

Elise nodded glancing at Drew with a little smile because that was the second time he'd added Ffion into the mix.

"But no one else yet?" Devon questioned, continuing with, "And what did Ffion say when she found out?"

"She was nice about it after the initial shock wasn't she, Elise?" Drew answered, and they all just looked at one another with slightly raised eyebrows.

"She never gave a hint," Devon said, and he shook his head again.

Elise smiled. "So, Devon, now you know about Drew will you try to put Tara and Balthazar off hunting him down?" She was quite blunt about it and Devon looked sad.

"I'm coming to terms with the fact that I still need blood to live, Elise, and because of that I'm keeping away from Tara for a couple of days, but if the question of going through with the plan they had comes up again, I will do my best to put them off. I hope I'm not being too trusting, Drew. I really hope I don't have occasion to wish you dead, nor to join the elders in their quest to put you to sleep forever."

They fell silent for a moment and everyone except Drew drank some coffee.

It was late afternoon and the sun seemed too strong for Drew to come to the door when Bliss and Devon left, but Elise walked out onto the driveway with them to their car.

"Can you still smell vampire about the place, Devon?" Elise asked, and he shook his head.

"You know, not so much. Drew must be changed and still changing."

Elise smiled. "That and the plant based soap I've given him."

Devon ran his hand through his hair and the sunlight glinted on the extra blonde strands in there. "I trust there is none of your blood in it?" It was a dig at the beings and as soon as he'd said it, Devon felt it was churlish. "Sorry," he added.

Elise took his arm. "No Devon, I understand. The fact is we had no other way of feeding you and Marguerite. Our magic is so closely linked to our blood that it was inevitable you consumed it in some way. Devon the secrecy was for Marguerite initially, and then because we do keep our methods secret, and more recently because you were so happy with the changes we'd wrought, add to that the unpleasant business with Drew..." She stopped speaking and looked into his eyes for validation and understanding.

Devon took a deep breath. "When you put it that way I get it. Although it was a shock, I think it upset Marguerite more than me. Is it true that it's a tiny droplet, a molecule in the food?"

Elise nodded. "Yes Devon, truly, and I wouldn't lie to you again not after the way you've just accepted Drew and I back there." She nodded towards her house where Drew was listening to every word.

Bliss and Devon arrived home and immediately began to talk about everything they'd just experienced. Devon finally fell silent and Bliss went to sit next to him on the sofa by the big window. She cuddled up to him. He bent his head and kissed her forehead.

"Thank everything and anything holy I have you Bliss," he said.

## Chapter Forty-Three

That evening Elise asked Drew if he'd like to go over to Marguerite's place and give her the statue he'd brought over from the Georgian house for her. Drew smiled. "I'd love to go. It's a great idea."

They happily got in Elise's car and drove over to Marguerite's house. Elise had decided it was still better not to let anyone know the Range Rover belonged to Drew.

Marguerite was drawing in her back room and grinned at them as she opened her front door still carrying a watercolor pencil.

"What are you two doing, other than taking a big risk," she said, as she closed the door and led them down to the room she was using.

Elise smiled. "Drew brought back something from the Georgian house for you so we came over with it."

Drew had the statue still wrapped in one of his shirts and he gave it to Marguerite.

She unwrapped the statue, and looked at it, handing the shirt back to Drew.

"Drew, it's lovely, but why are you doing this, giving your things away? I understand the painting but this..." and she trailed off looking at him.

Drew shrugged. "Why not, Marguerite? I seem to have so much and it's just there in that house. I saw pretty things and brought them over for you and Elise."

"He brought me a glass dish. A very pretty glass dish," Elise added.

Marguerite placed the statue next to a big plant. It looked good, and she smiled at Drew. "It looks great there, Drew, thank you."

They sat down to talk, and naturally, the main topic of conversation was Devon and how he'd found out about Drew. Marguerite told them about him finding the painting and they fell silent for a moment.

The cat appeared from wherever he'd been sleeping, and to Marguerite's surprise sniffed at Drew, and then butted his head against Drew's leg in a gesture of friendship. She knew for sure then that Drew was not the killer he used to be. Drew liked it and stroked the cat, and though he couldn't remember it, this was the first time he'd stroked a cat in more than four hundred years.

Although it was late when they left Marguerite's house and arrived home, Drew and Elise parked the car in the drive, and went for their usual walk. Drew looked around him and smiled at Elise.

"Everything is so great, Elise. I've met Devon. Marguerite likes me I can tell, and so does the cat. The night air is so great and walking with you is the best thing in the world."

She grinned at him. "The best thing, Drew? I'd choose something else we do together that's the best thing in the world."

Drew stopped and gathered her in his arms. He kissed her softly.

"I might have to re-think my choice," he said, and kissed her again.

The moon was out and the breeze warm and gentle. It seemed even the elements liked Drew right then.

## Chapter Forty-Four

The morning arrived with a smattering of rain, a few clouds having crept up from the west to drop their moisture before the sun came out and started to dry it all back up again. Drew was asleep as that was the part of the day he felt most tired now. Elise crept out of bed to let him sleep a little more as he looked so gorgeous there.

She left a note for him and went over to her garden equipment and plant nursery greeting Arthur and the other two helpers there happily. Arthur grinned. "Hey Elise, you seem extra happy, the little holidays you've been taking are doing you good. Take more."

Elise smiled as she checked the inventory of a new delivery.

"Arthur, are you trying to get rid of me?" she joked. They got on with work happily until midday, when to her shock, Elise looked up from a shelf of new ceramic pots she'd arranged to find not a customer standing there, but Rupert.

"Hi Elise, I thought you might be able to grab a bite to eat with me."

She couldn't smile, and then tried to. It must have been obvious that she wasn't pleased to see Rupert as he looked about him for a moment trying to think what to say next.

"Come on Elise, just a sandwich. Everyone takes a little break now and then."

She relented because Rupert was so nice. He was polite, very good-looking, and in reality was unusual in that he didn't mind letting her know he was very interested in her. She sighed. "Okay but just a sandwich Rupert I have heaps to do this afternoon."

He was clearly very happy about her saying yes, and Elise told Arthur she was popping out for lunch, but wouldn't be too long. Arthur who'd met Rupert at Angharad's dinner party decided Rupert must be the reason for Elise being so happy these days. He smiled thinking love was just so good to look at.

Elise got in Rupert's car and they drove down to the edge of town where a smaller restaurant served bistro type lunches. Sitting there in the shaded area out at the front of the restaurant where tables were set up, Elise asked Rupert about the new legal offices and if he was settling down there. He'd rented a small cottage on the outskirts of town for six months so that he didn't need to commute for an hour and a half each way, and was happily telling Elise about it when Balthazar and Angharad came into the restaurant.

Elise saw them first and immediately thought it had been arranged. Rupert must have brought her here for them to see he'd succeeded in getting her to come out with him, if only for a quick lunch. They came over all smiles and sat down at the table after asking if they could, which made Elise even more suspicious. They were implying that Rupert and she wanted to be alone in the romantic sense. Elise was courteous, but determined to give them the right impression. After ten minutes of chatting, she said she really had to get back to work and then remembered Rupert was the one driving. Rupert was eager to please her and he made their apologies for running off and drove her back to work. On the way, he asked her out for dinner the next night.

Elise felt bad about going for lunch, she felt bad about everything, but she needed to stop this right now.

"Rupert, I'm busy, really. Sorry." She heard herself say and thought why can't I just tell him I'm not interested. It's his hopeful look, his sweet try again attitude.

Rupert glanced at her as he drove into the business gateway.

"Elise, I can wait. How about this weekend? We could take a picnic out somewhere? I guess you know living around here, but there's some beautiful countryside nearby."

This was too much, and Elise was sorry, but she turned to him.

"Rupert, you're a lovely man and ordinarily I would have been so pleased to meet you, but I'm getting over someone, and I just can't become involved with someone right now. Thanks for lunch it was a pleasant change." She got out of the car and walked into work quickly. Dispirited, Rupert watched her go.

Later in the office when Balthazar came in to discuss a case with him, he asked about Elise.

"Balthazar, I really like Elise and I thought today maybe she was warming to me, but she just rejected me and told me she's getting over a failed relationship. I can't help but think there's someone else though because she has a glow about her, which isn't usual for a broken heart. Believe me I know first-hand."

Balthazar was thoughtful and then shrugged. "I have no idea really, Rupert. I know there was someone, but I thought he was long gone." He decided as he said this to talk to Angharad that night about it. He knew all her friends in the community hoped that Elise would move on from Drew, and Rupert had seemed like a perfect way to do that.

Rupert went back to talking about the case. Balthazar felt sorry that they'd been so keen to match him up with Elise because now he was disappointed.

At home that evening Balthazar told Angharad all about it and they decided that she would visit Elise, although Balthazar, after consideration worried that it might just be better to leave her alone. He kissed Angharad and held her close.

"I'm so glad I found you and you wanted me. I can't imagine how I would have felt if you had given me the flick that night at the art gallery." He kissed down her neck and then back to her lips as Angharad smiled.

"Balthazar," she said between kisses, "we were meant to be, and perhaps I was wrong to try to force something between Elise and anyone." Balthazar nodded and then went back to kissing her.

Rupert had stayed behind at the office and was just locking up as the last of the light faded and night was upon everyone. He walked along the side street to get to the main street. He was heading for the café, which opened late in tourist season, when he noticed that Marguerite's shop was still lit up. He'd met her at the dinner party and had been into the shop too with Balthazar when he was showing Rupert around a little.

Rupert walked quickly down to the shop and peered through the door. He could see Marguerite down at the counter and he tried the door to find it locked.

Marguerite looked up and saw him. She smiled and hurried down to open the door.

"Hi Rupert," she said happily because she liked him.

Rupert smiled. "Hey, I was working late and about to go and grab a bite to eat, saw your lights still on, and thought maybe you'd like to join me."

Marguerite was delighted.

"I'd love to Rupert, hang on I'll just finish up. She put the labels she was threading on ribbons to one side of the counter. She checked that the back door was locked, and then closed the front door as she and Rupert went out onto the street.

"It's a lovely night, let's sit outside," Rupert said, as they walked over the little footbridge and onto the paved outdoor area of the café. Marguerite smiled and they found a table close to the stream that ran by.

Chris was on duty and came out to take their order.

Marguerite knew she had to be careful and smiled at Chris. "Do you still have that lovely tomato soup on the menu, I'd love some if so and tea too."

Chris grinned. "We do and you shall have some, Marguerite."

Rupert ordered a burger and shrugged.

"I love the burgers here," he said with a smile.

Chris who had served Rupert a burger on a few occasions grinned as he went off to the kitchens.

Marguerite and Rupert talked for an hour and ate their food in turns. Rupert watched the way Marguerite's eyes lit up as she talked about her business and she saw how dedicated he was when he talked about being a lawyer. When they finally went their separate ways Marguerite was smiling happily, and Rupert was thinking what a lovely woman and why hadn't he noticed how cool she was before.

It was late when Marguerite got home and she was still smiling. Even if Rupert and she only became friends, she thought that would be very nice.

Marguerite went to look at the drawings she'd been doing the night before and saw the statue that Drew had given her. She gazed at it for a long time thinking about how changed he was. It was quite remarkable she decided, as she picked up a book she was reading and went up to bed.

Drew was reading too as he was waiting for Elise to come out of the shower and sighed as he put his book down. Elise had told Drew about Rupert, and how she'd finally told him she wasn't interested. Drew hoped Rupert would take the hint because he couldn't bear to think about losing her.

He went to the open window and looked down on the garden. It was not far for him to jump. He opened the window and leapt out. He raced around the garden a couple of times and grinned to himself. He felt happy and alive. He leapt back up to the open window and gave Elise a scare as she was standing at her mirror brushing her hair. Drew grabbed her and squeezed her laughing. They both began to laugh until they started to kiss each other and then they got serious.

## Chapter Forty-Five

The next morning Angharad called Ffion quite early and asked her to pop around to Elise's place with her. Ffion was sleepy and snuggled up to Seth, and so she agreed without any questions. Since she was awake, she kissed Seth and he pulled her closer kissing her back. They had only just got up when Angharad arrived.

"I just want to make sure everything is okay with Elise. I feel miserable now I tried to foist Rupert on her and she's been quiet again the last few days. I just want to make sure she's not seething. I brought her a new plant. It's in the back of the car. Come on Ffion, you don't need to get yourself decked out for Elise." She tried to hurry Ffion along.

They drove over to Elise's place and Angharad parked up behind Elise's car.

She went around to the trunk to get the plant out that she'd brought whilst Ffion rang the doorbell. Elise opened the door and grinned. She called over her shoulder.

"Drew, its okay its Ffion come down," and he did.

Ffion tried to stop it from happening, but it was too late, Drew was in the hall. Angharad appeared with the plant as Ffion stepped into the hall trying to stop it all. Angharad saw him and dropped the plant to the floor.

"Elise," she called out.

Drew disappeared out the back door and Elise stood there helplessly watching the plant shatter onto the tiles.

"I'll get the dustpan and brush," Ffion said, and went down to the hall cupboard where she knew they were stashed.

Elise sank down on the bottom step of her stairs and Angharad seemed to tower over her.

"What's going on Elise? How long was he here before we arrived? Has he done you any harm?" Her questions poured like ice-cold water over Elise as she sat in a huddle on the bottom of the stairs.

Angharad mistook the scene. In her mind, they'd just saved Elise from Drew by arriving as he was about to do some harm. It didn't occur to her that if Drew had meant harm all three of them could have been dead in seconds.

Ffion quietly cleared up the plant and she took the remains around the side of the house to the wheelie bin. She looked around as she opened the lid and dropped the soil and broken pot in there. She had the plant in her other hand, it can be re-potted, she thought, and then she whispered.

"Drew, are you there? Take care, Drew. I'll try to calm everything down."

Drew was a way off, but he could hear all the same, and he smiled sadly at Ffion's words.

"Angharad, I'm fine. It's all over," Elise blurted out.

Ffion had come back and they closed the front door to go down the hall to the kitchen.

Elise began to make coffee as Angharad tried to hug her.

Ffion put the plant in a glass of water and set it on the sink. She sat down at the table and watched.

Angharad finally left off trying to comfort Elise and sat down too.

"Well Elise, what was going on? Did he say anything to you?" She was beginning to lose patience. "Come on, we probably saved your life."

Elise put coffee in front of both Ffion and Angharad, and then burst into tears.

Ffion stood up and then sat down again as Elise put up her hands in a gesture that meant don't do it, and so Ffion said, "It's the shock probably Elise, would you rather be alone?"

Angharad was incensed. "What are you talking about she can't be alone. What if he comes back? When we have all calmed down I'm taking her home with me. Balthazar, Seth, and Devon will have to action the plan they made to capture Drew."

She got out her cell phone and called Tara. As she was filling Tara in on the foiled invasion by Drew, Ffion was giving Elise compassionate looks.

"Tara is alerting them and you're coming with me," she said to Elise.

Elise paled. "No I'm not. I have things to do here. Drew has apparently run off. He won't come back right now. He'll know that everyone will be out to get him so he'll probably leave and try when we least expect it."

Ffion backed her up. "She's right he'll not try right away. It would be madness."

Drew who was over the back wall and behind the neighboring farmer's cherry picker shed heard it all and sat down on the grass surrounding the building. They hated him truly, he thought, and they would never accept him. Then he smiled a little as he heard Ffion try again to support Elise.

"What if we call Devon and ask him to come over to be with Elise until she comes either to you or me Angharad? If it was me I couldn't just drop everything and leave, she'll need stuff."

Elise looked thankfully at Ffion.

Angharad called Devon and found he'd already been approached by Tara to meet with Seth and Balthazar to action their plan. They would be going over to Drew's home that very evening to try to capture him. That's where he would probably head back to Tara reasoned. He had friends in the town, and anyway he would never expect them to show up at his house. He would assume the beings were afraid to do such a thing.

Devon told Angharad he'd be happy to come over and be with Elise if that's what she wanted.

Angharad asked Elise and she nodded. Ffion and she exchanged looks. Here was the opportunity for Drew to escape.

Devon told Bliss about 'the whole sorry business', as he called it, quickly, and told her she must stay home even though he would love her to go with him because the fewer lies that needed to be told by the fewer liars was the best plan, and Bliss kissed him.

Devon stormed over to Elise's place and cast his senses around to try and locate Drew as he walked quickly around the house. The fact was he could neither scent nor sense Drew. Maybe the poor devil had run off Devon thought. Ffion let him in the house and stared at him her eyes wide. Devon felt the thought she put into his mind like a surge of power and was shocked by her strength. "Help Drew and Elise as quickly as possible when we are gone."

He thought, "I will" and nodded to reinforce it, and then the mental connection was gone and he followed Ffion down to the kitchen.

Angharad was so pleased to see him and Elise sat quietly whilst she told Devon everything. He kept nodding and saying yes until finally he said. "I can stay as long as Elise needs to get herself ready and then bring her to one of you, or she could come home with me. Bliss will be alone when I go with Seth and Balthazar this evening to capture Drew."

Elise spoke up. "I'd like to stay with Devon and Bliss," she said, and Ffion smiled.

"That's great."

Angharad sighed. "Yes that's great."

They took another ten minutes waffling about safety, with Devon telling Angharad that Drew wouldn't be likely to try to get at Elise again soon. "He'll leave it for a few days." Devon finally waved Ffion and Angharad off and then he followed Elise back to the kitchen.

"You and Drew need to leave town and hide up somewhere. Where is he now?" Devon asked in exasperation. Drew came in through the back door.

"I'm here and I heard everything. Thanks for coming over, Devon. Elise, my love." He went to her and held her close. He spoke to Devon over her head as she snuggled into his chest.

Devon ran his hand through his hair.

"It's imperative you get your stuff together and leave. Drew, you have an estate down in Devon the county. It borders mine. It was the big family estate, and we split the thing after decades of unpleasantness. You never seemed to care for it after I gave it to you. It was almost as if just that win was enough, but that doesn't matter, what I'm saying is go down there, it's got ocean frontage. I don't know if you took care of it, or what it will be like, but I can send word to my friends and employees down there on my estates to help you. I'll know where you are and can make sure everything is kept secret. Are you listening, Drew?" he finished as Drew was kissing the top of Elise's head and rocking her a little.

They both looked at Devon then and together said, "Thanks Devon." Drew continued with, "I don't know where it is so you'll have to give me the address," and smiled whimsically.

Devon sighed. "Right then," he said.

Elise drove the Range Rover up to the front door and they loaded a couple of bags in there, making sure they took everything that was Drew's. Elise found the big plastic bags they'd brought the blood bags in from Drew's house, and he started piling them in there. Then Elise looked at Drew's books and asked Devon to carry out the last stack that Drew had brought over from his house to the car, she wanted Drew to have them, and that's when she remembered the file of deeds.

She showed Devon whilst Drew dashed around making sure all evidence had gone other than a few books, which he hid under the coffee table.

Devon called Drew over to the table where he had the file open.

"This is the address Drew," he told him pointing, and then added, "Have you still got keys, mind you that won't matter you can tear the door off if needs be."

Drew nodded. "They're in my overcoat pocket. It's in the car."

Elise looked at Drew and then at Devon. Her face held a puzzled expression.

"Drew, did you put it in there?"

"Yes just now with the blood and ice..." he trailed off, and sat down on a nearby chair.

"Drew, you went out in sunlight...its midday...it's warm. Where did you go to hide when Angharad saw you?" She was inspecting his face and hands for evidence of burning.

Drew raised his eyebrows. "I ran over the garden and leapt the fence. I was in the orchard." He looked at his hands and pushed his sleeves up a little to look at his arms.

"You aren't burnt, Drew," Devon said, and Elise smiled.

They didn't stop to discuss it, but they all three knew something significant had happened.

"Devon, what will you say to everyone, about where I've disappeared to?" Elise asked as she picked up the plant in the glass on the side of the sink thinking what a shame it was. Devon sighed, and then smiled.

"I'm going to say that you insisted on putting that plant in soil, and went out the back with it. You were ahead of me for a few seconds as I was still inside and talking, and then you were gone, and I searched, but there was no trace. I'll leave it up to them to say Drew must have snatched you. I'm sorry, but it's no good telling the truth, they simply won't accept it Elise."

Drew took a deep breath. "Do you have my cell phone number, Devon?"

Devon took out his phone to call the number he thought was Drew's. It rang in Drew's pocket and they grinned. Drew looked at it. The Smartphone had found the number wasn't a new caller and displayed 'add back to contacts' so Drew touched the screen for 'yes.' Greta hadn't thought about deleting the call logs.

Devon glanced at Elise's cell phone.

"Elise, I know you won't want to, but you need to leave your phone on the table, it will look better as that's the last place Angharad saw it."

Drew put on his sunglasses, pulled his cuffs over his hands, and moved very swiftly into the car. He wasn't risking it too much, he thought. Elise kissed Devon on the cheek before she got in the passenger seat. Devon watched them drive away.

He wandered around and checked that it looked like Elise had just been whisked away mid task. He dropped the plant on the garden path saying sorry to it as he did so.

He checked that her wardrobe didn't look too depleted and finding it looked full to his eyes, wondered what she'd actually taken with her. He noticed her purse on the floor by the bed. She'd realized it would be better to leave that too. Devon looked inside. Elise's wallet was there and he felt a pang that she had no money or cards with her. He flipped it open and there was one slide-in compartment empty so maybe she'd taken a credit card with her. He hoped so and decided to get some money to her as soon as he could.

Finally, he sat down with a cup of coffee and rehearsed what he would say to Tara.

When Devon called Tara, Drew and Elise were already well out of town in their anonymous car and Elise had put the address of the estate by the sea into the satellite navigation unit. They smiled at each other and at the first set of lights leading into the ring roads for the highway they needed. Drew leaned over to Elise and they kissed each other.

## Chapter Forty-Six

Tara's voice broke as she asked Devon was he sure Elise was nowhere to be found. Devon felt wretched as he lied.

"I'm sorry Tara, she was just ahead of me, and then the door swung closed as I was still talking to her, but she didn't answer, and then when I quickly followed she'd gone. She's gone. Her phone is here, her car..." He stopped talking to give Tara the chance.

"Don't blame yourself Devon. I spoke with Angharad and Ffion earlier, and they said how determined Elise was to deal with a few things. They both agreed Drew would be unlikely to grab her so soon. I suppose that's the issue Devon, we just can't predict him. Do you think he will kill her?" She sounded so dejected that Devon felt a huge weight of sadness descend upon him.

"Not a chance Tara, he wants her. I think he might still love her. He could have killed her, and left her dead on the path, but he didn't, and that means he still wants her. Tara, if he was out to kill he could have killed, Angharad, Ffion, and Elise in seconds. An old vampire such as he is would have tremendous strength. She's alive, we just need to wait and see if he calls as he did last time."

Devon tried to get Tara to see that Drew hadn't turned to killing, but he felt so bad about the lies he fell silent.

Tara was comforted. "You're right of course. Could you just lock her house and come over, Devon. Seth is leaving his office to come over and Balthazar will be here soon. We're planning to go over to Drew's place tonight."

Devon sighed. "Yes I'll come over."

Devon locked up and put Elise's keys in his pocket with a big sigh.

He drove over to Tara's place thinking about how he could possibly stop her plan from going ahead.

He looked at the time on his 'dash', where would Drew and Elise have got to by now he thought, and then he sighed as he hoped they'd gone straight down the coast and not stopped off at Drew's house for anything. He decided to call them and pulled over onto the side of the road. There were horses in the field alongside him and two of them came to put their heads over the hedgerow and check him out.

Drew was driving so when the phone rang Elise took it out of his jacket pocket as he smiled at her and she answered.

"Devon, hello, is anything wrong?" His number was displayed on Drew's phone as 'the prince of darkness' and she grinned.

"Not so far, but Tara is going ahead with the plan to go to Drew's place in the hope they can rescue you. Now they have Balthazar it seems more magic can be found than previously when you went to him. I so hope you've gone straight down the coast and not headed to get anything from his house."

Elise looked across at Drew as she answered Devon.

"No we are well on the way to the estate by the sea. It seemed foolish to go back to Drew's place right now. We have some cash on us that Drew brought from the Georgian house, and we'll use credit cards." Drew glanced at Elise and smiled again.

Devon was relieved. "That's good. I have to go to Tara's place now. She's very upset understandably, and so don't be tempted to call me, let me call you."

Devon hung up and looked at the horses who still waited by the hedge to check him out.

"Sorry guys I have nothing for you," he said, thinking maybe they were used to a visitor with apples or carrots. He found the number for his offices on the coastal estates and asked his manager to help Drew and Elise out by dropping around with some basic shopping that evening. His manager was shocked as he knew all about Drew, but Devon assured him it was fine, things had changed, and that he would never send him into danger. He arranged for his manager to call him later after he'd seen Drew and Elise to let Devon know how they were.

Devon started his engine and drove off home. He needed to see Bliss before he did anything else.

As she sat at the computer in the front workshops of Devon's home, Bliss heard the car engine on the driveway and went out to meet him. He hugged her and then they walked inside with their arms around each other.

Devon quickly told Bliss what had happened and they both stared at each other for a few seconds. Devon looking crestfallen and Bliss with her eyes wide.

"You had to help, Devon. Tara is determined only to think of Drew as an enemy. It would have been no use trying to get her to see him any other way. She would think Drew was influencing Elise somehow to love him. He isn't is he?" Bliss finished, suddenly doubting Drew herself.

"No I'm sure Elise loves him truly, and he's changed. Today, if you can you believe, it seems he can stand a certain amount of real daylight. He ran away in the sun," Devon told her incredulously. Bliss shook her head.

"Wow," she said.

They hugged each other again before Devon went off to see Tara in the hopes he could convince them not to go to Drew's house.

Tara greeted Devon with a hug and he felt a wave of worry pass through him. What if she read his thoughts? He might give away all kinds of things.

He shifted in her arms and she led him down the hall. In fact, she had read him and found an overwhelming depth of stress and worry. It blanketed his deeper informative thoughts and she concluded he was very upset about Elise being stolen.

Seth was already there and so was Ffion. Devon was thankful because she might help him firstly with his attempt to stop the visit to Drew's house, and secondly to mask his thoughts. He looked plaintively at her, and it was as if she knew what he was thinking.

Ffion knew and was strongly guarding both her own and Devon's thoughts. Tara was powerful, but so was Ffion.

Devon accepted the cup of tea Tara offered and sat down near Seth.

"I need to ask Tara, this immobilizing spell, will it immobilize any vampire or just Drew?"

Tara swallowed and looked around the faces at her table.

"It will freeze any vampire, but only a certain number at once, you have to remember, Devon, we usually tailor spells and such to individuals. Since Balthazar brought his ancient spell book we have more magic to call on, but the ingredients are not quite as accessible as they were."

Devon found the thought except your blood coming into his mind and tried to stop it.

Tara began to talk again.

"We can immobilize three at once, then get Drew back to a car, and pour the potion to suspend his life force down his throat. We need somewhere cold to store him after that, and Balthazar says he has a decent cellar space where we can dump him if he's in a reasonable container. He will appear as dead. It's a coward's way out because he won't be dead and so we won't have broken any of our pacts, nor will anyone lose their abilities, but we must do this."

The doorbell rang and Ffion went to open it passing Devon and giving him a conspiring look. She brought Balthazar back with her and he greeted everyone and sat down. Tara busied herself getting him tea. He sighed and apologized for the mess that faced them.

"If I'd eradicated Drew years ago none of this would have happened. I've watched him and his friends for years. I have premises opposite all his hang outs, even his house." Balthazar sighed at this and then continued, "I'm so sorry. I feel very much at fault here. I lived for so long alone that it almost kept me going watching them, even though I knew what they were. Not much of a warrior wizard during those times, but I'll try to make up for it now." Balthazar genuinely felt responsible and Devon heard the sincerity in his voice and responded.

"Balthazar, you couldn't have known and we still don't know what's really going on. I was saying to Tara that if Drew had wanted to, he could have killed all three women today and left them for us to find. Truth is, if he wanted to, he could pick us off one by one, or two by two, and we could hardly do anything about it without pre-arranged magic. He hasn't shown any intentions of doing anything except obtain and keep Elise. I think he loves her. Let's be honest, he may not even have known how he died, or why, just that she'd disappeared again. What if we go tonight and there are several vampires in his house. It's not out of the question. He has heaps of friends according to Marguerite and Elise. We might need to wait and see if he calls as he did last time."

Seth and Ffion nodded, but Balthazar was uncertain and Tara pushed him over the edge. "I think we should at least go over and cast our minds around to see if we can detect Elise. Ffion will help with that."

Balthazar nodded. "Let's go over there and watch the house for a little while. The fact is that we could grab another vampire, and use them to negotiate for Elise's freedom. There's one that visits him often, a woman. Greta is her name. She has a restaurant opposite my accountancy company. We could wait by her car, immobilize her, and take her instead of Drew. I think he would negotiate for her release."

Devon's heart sank. The whole thing was going to get nasty and who knew how many vampires might come to Greta's aid.

"Balthazar, that's a bit radical. We could start a vampire war. She might be more popular than Drew. Also, it's not guaranteed that he'd bother to get her released. It's such a risk. We need to focus on Drew. I have another question, is the suspend life spell reversible?"

Tara nodded. "Only with the reversing spell from Balthazar. It takes one of his kind, warrior, or warrior-wizard clan, to wield that spell."

Devon drank some of his tea, cold by now, but it was to cover his growing horror.

"It will need to be undone because they won't trade Elise for a frozen Greta." Devon wanted them to realize the enormity of what they were thinking of. It was one thing having dealt with Drew in the past because he was Devon's brother, and despite their feud, somehow Drew hadn't come after anyone else, but now they were going to deal with dangerous and unknown vampires. It didn't bear thinking of and he tried again.

"You know I have many of my vampire abilities and they are reasonable, but my strength is the attribute most reduced. I couldn't stop a few real vampires attacking any more, not like twenty years ago, or even ten."

Everyone fell silent. Tara was confident in the magic and was the first to speak.

"I think we should try our plan tonight. He might kill Elise at any time."

Devon's shoulders sagged in resignation, and so it was Ffion who kept up the objections to the plan.

"I think we must take notice of Devon. They don't know Devon isn't a vampire. True they think him dead, but they all know that if he'd pulled out the sword and fed, he would have rejuvenated. Maybe he can just wander into town and ask some questions. This Greta might know about Drew and Elise."

Devon realized that Ffion was simply trying to give him power over the situation, but he didn't like that plan any more than he liked the others.

Tara wouldn't have it anyway.

"No, we go this evening. He'll more than likely want to be alone with Elise after stealing her. Let's risk that he has no more than two friends with him. We have to act fast and be brave. Elise is dear to us. We cannot let her go this time." She'd felt guilty about her inaction last time and now wanted to redress that.

Balthazar nodded and looked at Seth who finally spoke. "I can do no other than answer the call of a high wizard and high princess," he said, but Devon noticed he took Ffion's hand as he said this.

It was decided then and Devon apologized for leaving, but told them he wanted to spend a little time with Bliss.

He drove home cursing and once there, with one arm around Bliss as they walked to the end of their garden he called Drew.

Elise answered again.

"Hello 'prince of darkness' we're a few miles away from our destination if that's why you're calling"

Devon smiled at her greeting. "Elise, I hope I am no longer that person you addressed me as. I have to get you to ask Drew if he's ever told any of his vampire friends about his other properties."

Devon heard Elise ask and Drew answer. "Yes Greta knows about them all, but not many others know about anything much as far as I can tell. Well they know I have places, but not so much the addresses, but remember I'm not clear on what I might have told them in the past."

Devon sighed and told Elise what was going to happen and then at the end of the conversation he said. "Tell Drew under no circumstances to phone any of his vampire friends not even about business. No one must have an inkling of where you are, not until things have somehow settled down a bit."

They ended the call and Devon turned to Bliss.

"Bliss, this is such a mess, such a mess. I can only hope that there's just an empty house tonight and Tara will re-think everything."

Bliss put her arms up around his neck and pressed against him. She kissed him for a long time, and Devon relaxed as he returned her kisses and felt her love for him.

Elise told Drew what Devon had said and he thought about it.

"When I went for my books Greta asked me where I was the last few days and I said around so as not to let her know I was with you, but somehow she got the impression I was at the coast estate, or was it the apartment? She doesn't know for sure and why would she tell anyone? She wouldn't," Drew told Elise believing this.

Elise felt a little tug of fear at his words, but then she agreed. Why would Greta tell and certainly, she wouldn't tell her people. They wouldn't go near Greta would they? She decided they wouldn't.

She turned to Drew and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Nearly there. I can smell the sea," she said happily. Drew, who'd remembered that Rosalind told him she'd been to the coast apartment, said nothing more, after all they were heading for the estate. He heard the happiness in Elise's voice, and felt love for her well up in his heart as she kissed him. He couldn't tell her yet more vampires knew about his hidey-holes, and anyway why would they tell anyone? They were after all vampires, and they thought he was too.

*****

Find Book 3, The Ruthin Pact

****

Visit the Blog: http://the-ruthin-trilogy.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ruthin-Trilogy/160213177399394

The Ruthins (1)

A Vampire in Love available worldwide

The Ruthins (3)

The Ruthin Pact, available worldwide

