 
The Bellwether Blood Witches: Part II

Thursday's Child

S E Collins

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Copyright 2013 by S E Collins

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Thursday's child has far to go . . .

Chapter 1: The Wife

' _Y_ our wife is here! Your wife is here.' The words regurgitate over and over in my mind like a hiccupping record whilst Jamie whirls around the room, sifting through scraps of material that a few hours ago were our clothes. Well, they were our clothes, until we finally gave into our surging desires and tore them off each other's bodies in scorching frenzy.

Wow, just how precarious can life be? One moment the stars are within my grasp and in the next, darkness tumbles down on me once more. I sit here in his elaborately designed wrought iron bed with my naked body wrapped in his crisp white cotton sheet, hugging my knees numbed by this humiliation and I am waiting. I am waiting and hoping to hear him challenge those four painful words; 'Your wife is here' and yet the seconds tick over and he hasn't fought to deny or defend them.

Still stood blocking the doorway my brother, the messenger, also stares incomprehensibly at Jamie.

"Daze, Daze?" Jamie's voice calls from somewhere in the distance behind the chaos in my mind. My eyes shift from David and settle on him, watching him tug on the fresh pair of jeans he has found amongst the heap of clothes dumped out of his bag. My voice is lost.

Jamie grabs the tops of my arms. His large hands easily wrap around them and he shakes me hard in the hope of awaking me from my stupor. "Listen Daze, listen to me. I can explain all of this. It's not what it seems. I just need to find out what she's doing here and then you and I'll talk. Don't doubt me. Don't doubt us. I am crazy in love with you, remember? Just wait here, okay? Give me ten minutes?" His bewitching blue eyes plead with mine as panic oozes from every perfect ivory pore. "Dave, c'mon tell her." He calls to my brother \- his best friend, for reinforcements.

"Tell her what exactly?" David plants his hands on his hips, plainly furious with Jamie. "You didn't tell me you had a wife either. Trust me, if you had, I wouldn't 'ave let you anywhere near my sister." His hushed anger seeps out through his gritted teeth, adding to the already suffocating atmosphere.

"Tell her, that I love her and that I've never wanted anything more than to be with her."

My brother glares at him and shakes his head with disapproval.

Jamie's presence is beginning to irritate me. Magic is bubbles beneath my fingertips ready to lash out and hurt him to repay him for making me feel like this and yet my heart adores him and calls for me to curl up in his arms and allow him to charm me into a safe place. I cannot let him do that. I need the truth first. "For god's sake just go and see your wife will you." I fire at him sharply.

The muscles in Jamie's jaw clench and twitch. "Okay. Fine. But I'll be back to sort this out with you afterwards." He pushes past David. "You know how much she means to me." He growls, but David ignores him and closes the door behind him.

"You okay sis? . . . Here." My brother removes his T-shirt and tosses it at me.

"His wife?" I groan still trying to figure out how this can be true. "Not once has he mentioned a wife or anyone that-that significant." I mumble to myself as I pull on David's oversized t-shirt. "Are you honestly telling me that you didn't know about this? And Elizabeth didn't say anything to you, because I don't for one minute believe she didn't know?"

David frowns and shakes his head. "Of course I didn't know. He may be my best friend, but you're my sister. I couldn't keep something from you that I know would hurt you. Honestly, I knew nothing about this, not until she walked in ten minutes ago declaring she was Jamie Cromwell's wife." He sighs and drops on to the bed next to me with his head in his hands and drags them down his face. "But . . . as much as it pains me to defend him right at this moment, he does love you. Deeply. I know that much."

"Well, one thing's for sure; I am not going to hide here like some dirty little secret." The reflection of me in David's oversized T-shirt glares back at me in the enormous floor to ceiling mirror opposite Jamie's bed. I look a mess. "I should get some proper clothes on. . . Damn! I didn't pack before we left. We just took off. Oh god David, I don't even think straight when he's around. I am such an idiot." I whine, furious with myself.

"No, no you're not . . . well, okay perhaps sometimes you are." David grins. "Elizabeth bought you a ton of stuff before you arrived. Knowing you, you probably left anything that wasn't a T-shirt or a pair of jeans here before we moved south to start the attacks."

"Yeah, you're probably right." I leave the comfort of the bed to pace the room as I try to work out the best way to deal with Jamie and his so-called wife.

"Stay calm. You'll think clearer. I'll go check what clothes you left here and I'll be straight back."

As David leaves the room, I catch the sound of voices drifting up from downstairs. I cannot help myself I have to listen. I go over to the door and inch it open to hear more clearly.

"You are still delightfully handsome James. Were you resting? You appear to have forgotten to dress?" A deep feminine voice purrs. "Or is that your intention, huh? Not that I am complaining . . ."

The thought of her ogling him boils my blood. Despite my indignation, it didn't escape my notice that before he left, he dressed in just a pair of jeans that hung off his hips showcasing his ripped torso, and his usually immaculate hair was dishevelled in that delicious after sex way. He looked too good. Too good for a reunion with an apparently long lost wife.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you wanted to remain inconspicuous. Why didn't you me call first?"

Oh my god, they have been in contact. This isn't unexpected. My stomach clenches and tears pools in my eyes.

"Are you not pleased to see me?" The woman chuckles, as if she is enjoying his unease.

"Mary!" He snaps, not amused by her teasing.

"Now, now my darling. All in good time. Tell me, who was that divine specimen who greeted me at the door?"

"Lizzy's bloke-Dave." Jamie mutters sounding irritated. Perhaps he is jealous of her assessment of my brother. My stomach knots up tighter and tears fall from eyes.

"Ah-ha, so he is one half of the legendary Bellwether twins is he? When do I get a formal introduction?"

Their conversation pauses, just long enough for my own jealousy to circulate and conjure up images of Jamie clutching his long lost wife and forcing an angry kiss against her wanting lips to silence her teasing. Is that crazy? Perhaps.

"Hey, what are you doing down there?" David asks when he finds me on the floor just inside the door and ushers me backwards into Jamie's bedroom and closes it behind him, shutting out the rest of their conversation.

"I need to know the truth. I can't cope with these furious feelings of insane jealousy." I whisper, although really I want to scream, so I fold my arms across my chest in the hope of containing the explosion that wants to burst out of me.

"Here," David holds out a sleeveless wine coloured mini-dress, "if you feel that strongly get dressed and we'll go down there and meet her. Introduce yourself. Force Jamie to come clean and get to the bottom of this sorry situation eh?"

"She has the hots for you too." I sniff and mop up my tears with the sleeve of David's T-shirt.

"What?"

"A divine specimen daaarling." I mimic in a deep voice. "No jeans?"

"Nope. You took them all with you. Be strong sis. I'm on your side no matter what happens, okay?"

I nod and pull the dress up under his T-shirt. "Here." I throw his T-Shirt back to him.

"Very apt." David assesses me with a wry smile.

"The scarlet woman?" I grin smoothing the dress out in the mirror. "He told me to wait here. I don't think he's going to be pleased with me for interrupting their cosy reunion."

"Since when did you do anything you were told?"

* * * *

From the top of the staircase I catch sight of a woman perched on the sofa wearing a large rimmed black hat that flanks her face. A knee-length pencil dress in a dark shade of grey accentuates her slim hourglass figure and her elegantly crossed legs end in lethal scarlet Louboutin stilettos. Behind her, a young man in a tailored charcoal suit with a black woollen scarf stares into thin air pretending to be oblivious to the conversation between husband and wife. Hmm at least they weren't alone . . . and oh my god he discharges a dangerously delicious scent. Overtly human. Very unusual.

"C'mon Daisy. Don't be afraid, remember who you are." David whispers in encouragement.

"I am not afraid. I am just sussing out the enemy." I dismiss and proceed to glide down the stairs with my back arched, chest out and chin high.

The wife turns her head, but not enough to unveil her face. Quickly, I survey the room to find Jamie. He is sitting on the oak dining table on the opposite side of the room with his head drooped below his shoulders and his legs swinging freely like an errant child. Guilt?

"Jay, are you going to introduce us properly?" David prompts when nobody moves to speak.

Jamie pushes himself off the table and stands to attention, with his arms crossed against that divine ivory chest of his. His hard gaze however, remains on his wife, without so much as a flicker to me. Tears threaten to appear in my eyes again. Unconsciously, my arms fold tightly across my chest I dig my nails into my arms to stop the tears from brimming over. Meanwhile, the wife cranes her neck to gaze upon my brother. Her gloved fingers play with her chestnut brown hair and after a brief examination, her shockingly red lips bleed into a slice of an approving smile.

Jamie lifts his gaze from his wife and lands it on my brother, skipping me. Is it me or is it getting frosty in here? "I thought you were going to give me some privacy to sort this out?" He glowers at David.

"James, dar-ling, where are your manners?" The wife admonishes him and rises to her feet. "Tut, Tut James." Her long satin-gloved hand extends towards my brother. "I am Mary Worth or should that be Cromwell?" She grins casting her eyes back to Jamie awaiting his reaction.

"Worth." Jamie confirms.

David gallantly bows to kiss her hand. "Apologies for the curt greeting I gave you when you arrived. I did not properly introduce myself. I am David Love and this is my sister Daisy." He nudges me forward presenting me to her in a ridiculously formal manner.

"I understand and it is wonderful to meet you both." Mary leans into me and kisses the air either side of my cheeks. "I've heard so much about you."

I swallow hard and divert my attention to the man who stands behind her. "And who is your companion?" With the need to hide my emotions, my question comes out in an overly posh accent, which gives Jamie reason to smirk and contradict his sulky body language.

"Nahrung." Mary Worth dismisses and links her arm around my brother's elbow to lead him to the sofa with her. "I was devastated to hear about dear, dear Elizabeth." She pouts, accentuating her lips at my brother. "We were like sisters once."

"So Miss Worth, what brings your delightful presence to our door?" My brother adeptly changes the subject using his charm offensive. I can't help but roll my eyes to the ceiling.

"Please, call my Mary. From the look of surprise on your face when I told you I am James's wife, I guess he has kept me a secret." She purrs stroking David's forearm whilst also slipping coquettish glances at Jamie.

"Yes I'm afraid he has, but it is an intriguing surprise and we are delighted to meet you." David shoots Jamie with a disdainful glare.

Jamie throws his arms up into the air. "We have been separated for one hundred and twenty five years. We are as estranged as you can get." He sighs. "We were not even married by Vampire Lore, it was bloody human law, so I'm pretty sure it's expired."

"Till death do us part, was that not included in the solemn vows we made to each other?" Mary smirks. "Now, now let's not have a domestic James, not in front of friends. Remember, I am here to help you my darling husband." Her tone sharpens. "But it is getting late and I'm exhausted from the travelling. We will talk after I have rested. James, show me to my room."

"Fine, but as soon as you have rested Mary, we will talk. This way." He sighs, barely pausing for her to follow.

"My bags? James?"

"Can't your Nahrung get them?" He grumbles, already half way up the stairs.

"Now come on Jay, we treat our guests with more courtesy than that." My brother smiles at Mary. "Let me. I'll follow you up." He offers.

"At least someone has decent manners around here." She purrs. "Wonderful to meet you Daisy. I am sure we too will have much to talk about."

Whilst David and Mary engage with each other, Jamie glances over to me, shakes his head, and rolls his eyes whilst aiming his knee-buckling grin at me. I return his glance feigning immunity to his charms. If I break my facade now, I will collapse into an emotional mess and until I understand what is exactly going on here, I refuse to expose my vulnerability to him.

My non-reaction makes him frown, but he follows Mary and David upstairs anyway.

* * * *

OUTSIDE away from the suffocating house, the late night air caresses my skin with its cool touch relieving some of the hot tension spreading through me. Mindlessly, I twirl a cluster of pebbles around a nearby tree whilst I decide what I should do about Jamie and me.

"Weren't so long ago that you couldn't even raise a feather." Jamie whispers against my ear, resisting placing even the lightest of touches on me so that only his breath caresses my skin, which is even more tantalising.

"Seems like a different time now." I take a step forward to create a safer distance between us but Jamie reaches out and pulls me back against his bare chest. "Don't." My voice waivers and the pebbles scatter to the ground.

"Red is most definitely your colour." He purrs.

The sensation of his breath skimming lightly along my neck stirs delicious memories stimulating my insides to clench hungrily for him. No surrender. Not yet. "You owe me an explanation." I prompt icily.

His lips slide to my bare shoulder. "It's always explanations first, with you." He teases in his seductive husky voice. "I've explained. She's my wife by human law, not by Vampire Lore. There's nothing left between us. She doesn't love me and I don't love her. We are both in love with other people."

"That's not the explanation I want."

"So Titch, what do you want?" He enquires, mocking me as he lazily unzips my dress. Despite my best efforts to fight it, my skin quivers beneath his touch as his finger lightly trace spirals down my spine to the base of my lower back.

"Was it just lust?"

"What me and Mary—"

"—No me-and-you. Was the real reason you held back from us because you are a married man? Was last night the result of pent up lust?"

"No! Absolutely not." Jamie spins me around. "I am crazy in love with you. Every word I said to you was the truth. You have got to start having more faith in me and what is between us. Look I told you that I'd gone to hell and back before, well that was down to her. Our marriage was a dark time in my life. A time I am not proud of and try to forget. That is why I don't talk about it with anyone and not because I'm harbouring any kind of feeling for her."

I look up at his face. His ice blue eyes are incandescent in the dark, reminiscent of the first night David introduced us. Truly spellbinding. "If that is the truth, why have you been seeing her?" My eyes must be glistening as I can sense the tears threatening to resurface.

He studies them for a moment, shakes his head, and folds his arms across his puffed out chest. "No, no, no." He says as if he is wrestling with himself. "We have been together-together less than twelve hours. I am not going to let you do this. When I met with Mary it was strictly business, a means to an end. You need to settle down and rein in that green-eyed monster Titch. It isn't attractive. It's not even as if I am the one who has a history of betraying the people they love."

That was below the belt. It sends me into defensive mode. "Betrayal comes in many forms Jamie Cromwell. You left David and me without any explanation at a time when we all needed each other. I am not jealous of your stupid wife. I am angry that you lied to me and that you left me in your bed to sort things out with her. If I was more important to you, you would have made her wait."

"Here we go again, little miss uppity. I didn't lie to you, I told you I had been in love before and went to hell and back. I just didn't tell you that I was married."

"Fine. Have it your way." I shove him in the abs and storm past him pass into the house. I am tired of the games and lies. I just want a simple life. Is that too much to ask?

"Daze. Wait." Jamie leaps in front of me just before I reach the door. I scowl at him. "Alright-alright, perhaps I should have mentioned it, maybe I would have eventually, you know, once we were on an even keel. I promise you I have only been meeting with her to trade information about Acheron and that is all."

"Why? What does she have to do with this? Why has she suddenly arrived or was that the plan?"

"She has friends in high places and I don't yet know why she is here. I was not expecting her, and that is the truth." He gives me his cute crooked smile but I am not quite ready to let him win me over. "If you and Dave hadn't interrupted us and stayed upstairs like you were told, I may have gotten a few more answers."

"Don't you dare put this on me Jamie Cromwell? You are the one who has a long lost wife and didn't bother to mention it to anyone."

"For god's sake, she is not my wife, we are ESTRANGED!" Jamie bellows theatrically, throwing his arms up in the air baring his frustration. "In fact, I left her over one hundred and twenty five years ago. I don't see how you can stand there and berate me for this. I have to compete with your ex's on a day to day basis."

"Low blow, Jamie, low. I never hid them from you. They didn't just turn up on the doorstep and surprise you."

"Well, they did sort of." Jamie shakes out his shoulders as if he is physically trying to rein in his escalating temper. "Listen to me. Mary means nothing to me. I have no idea why she has suddenly plonked herself on my doorstep. It has nothing to do with us and it changes nothing between us, unless you let it. You are the one trying to make a bigger deal out of this. What's up? Got cold feet already?"

"You are un-bel-ievable." I vent as I charge past him into the house and up the stairs into David's room, locking the door behind me.

Chapter 2: Dieter

**J** amie slumbers quietly in his room. Sleep did not find me so easily. After our argument, I retreated to David's room to find space to think about everything without him blurring the facts for me. David thinks I should put our relationship on hold for a while. He thinks that Jamie distorts my focus when right now I have more important things to deal with. He probably has a point.

I contemplate all of this as I potter about in the kitchen and pour myself a cup of fresh coffee. After spending many hours in cafes and late night coffee shops as a Talent Scout observing humans for my assignments, I have grown fond of the taste. It feels particularly good this evening to have these moments alone to think, sip a cup of coffee, and soak up the peace whilst the rest of the house sleeps. In front of me, through the protective window wall, I can also safely admire the glorious peach sunset as it dips into the horizon giving way to the crescent moon.

So much has changed in such a short space of time, but then again for the past year, change has been a continuous theme in my life. Around this time twelve months ago, Adam had sent me out to find an infamous EC for Acheron's Elite squad and my brother deserted the FVoL to start a revolution. From then on in, the life I had known for the last century changed dramatically and it appears there is little prospect of stability any time soon.

The clumsy patter of bare feet accompanied by an overwhelming sweet human scent drifts into the kitchen area. "Any more in the pot?" Mary's companion asks, scratching his head and yawning as he turns the corner into the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of navy boxers showing off a slender but toned tanned physique.

"Um, yeah should be plenty. I am the only one who likes it." His unfrozen presence takes me by surprise - not to mention his pre-shower scent, which is alarmingly distracting. "I'm Daisy; I don't think we were properly introduced when you arrived with Mary earlier. Nahrung is it?"

He laughs. "Nahrung? That's what Mary calls me _._ My name is Dieter."

"Oh." I pass him a cup of black coffee. "Hi Dieter, welcome to our world, I guess."

"Cheers."

"So you are Mary's . . . companion?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

Dieter shrugs. "Y'know."

"Oh are you and her . . . _together-together?"_

"Not in the traditional sense . . . I'm her . . .er . . .blood slave. Nahrung is her pet name for me."

"Oh I see. You're . . . um . . . very open about that? How exactly does a boy like you become a blood slave for a mythical vampire like her?"

Dieter grins and nods but avoids the question. Instead, he raises his cup towards the window. "Beautiful sunset." He notes and pauses to watch as the sun disappears behind the fields, bringing the world under a cloak of darkness once again. "I like to think of us as star crossed lovers; two people from opposing worlds overcoming their prejudices and falling in love."

"But you said you were her blood slave?"

"Yeah, it keeps me safe."

"Why doesn't she make you her progeny then?"

"Are you interrogating me?" Dieter chuckles.

"Yeah, sorry. Ignore me."

"It's okay, I'm just teasing. I'm in your home, you have every right to understand who I am, especially considering what you are. First thing you need to know is that Mary Worth is a wonderfully complex lady." He smiles and stares into his coffee cup. "You see, I cannot become like you, so making me her blood slave protects me."

"I'm surprised you wouldn't want to become a vampire. You could be together for eternity." As I say the words, I realise that Jamie and I already have that opportunity but we are in the process of blowing any chance of it.

"I didn't say I didn't want to be like her, I said I couldn't. Haven't you noticed my scent?" He raises his eyebrow inferring that he doubts I could miss it.

"I guess it is stronger than most."

"Because . . . ?"

"Because . . . ?" I repeat, not understanding where he's going with this.

"Because . . . I am a descendant of a long line of Vechi Venators. Demon hunters. This means that my blood is what you could describe as a superior blend. It has an intoxicating aroma specifically tailored to lure vampires to me."

"Sounds dangerous."

"For a vampire, yes. You see, once a vampire tastes it, they slip into a relaxed almost sedated state oblivious and defenceless to the imminent threat from the hunter who is about to drive the deadly dagger into their core. Vampires cannot turn us because Vechi blood will not mutate with vampire venom. It sort of conquers it."

"Like a cure?"

"No it doesn't infiltrate it; it swallows it up and disintegrates it and then attacks like a poison. If I were to pump my blood into you, it wouldn't cure you, it would eventually kill you, slowly and towards the end very painfully."

"Is that why you're here, to kill all of us?" Behind him, a knife hovers in mid air powered by my magic.

Dieter chuckles. "No, no. I love Mary. I renounced my birthright. I fought my brothers to protect Mary. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I was unable to fulfil my duty. We've been together for several years now. Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out."

The knife quietly returns to its rightful place. "Wow, that is kind of Romeo and Juliet-ish."

"Perhaps."

"Will your blood work on Acheron?"

"No, Elders are too strong and too old. That's why you need the vines, the elixir and the strength of your power. Trust me if the Vechi could have killed the Elders that easily, there would be none left and you would have died as a human a long time ago."

"Oh I see. So even though your technically her _Nahrung_ Mary doesn't drink from you?"

"Now and again she will. She uses my blood like a recreational drug, not for food. Like I said too much of it and it will kill her, but in small doses, now and again is safe enough."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"No why should it? She gives me so much, and this is something I can give her that no one else can. Look, if you like . . . you could sample it for yourself? It's safe honestly, you won't be able to consume much before its effect takes over. Go-on, experience its sedative power. Think of it as a class-A drug vampires can get high on with minimal risk. I don't mind."

"I don't know, it sounds risky to me?"

"Humans take all sorts of drug that over time get into their system and destroy them, but a one off or now and again and they're fine. The purpose of Vechi blood is to sedate a vampire so that we can kill them with a dagger. I would have to pump pints and pints into your system before the Vechi blood would kill you on its own."

"But why would you offer me to drink from you?"

"Why not? We've just landed on you, it is obvious our presence has caused you some er . . . _issues_? So, let me give you this small gift. Think of it as bringing a bottle to a party."

I frown, confused but incredibly tempted. His scent seems so much stronger than earlier. "Are you sure you're not luring me in so that you can kill me?" I laugh, even though my concern is real.

"If that was my real intent I would just cut myself, expose my blood and you wouldn't be able to resist it."

"Pied Piper of Vampires eh?"

Dieter chuckles again. "Yeah something like that. This is a once in a lifetime offer to taste Vechi blood without risk so you can experience the high." He shrugs giving me a nonchalant look of _your loss_.

I am so tempted. "No, you're Mary's. It would be wrong. I'm sure there's some sort of etiquette to this kind of thing."

Dieter brushes his chocolate brown hair to the side exposing his smooth tanned neck. His extraordinary scent wafts around me in overwhelming waves determined to infiltrate my senses and overpower my restraint. My heart thuds a hungry beat. My taste buds tingle with salivation. My animalistic craving clouds my head. It's been more than two centuries since I've experienced such an innate desire to satisfy my thirst. Living with Conlan was a tough challenge but I managed it, I learned to control the bloodlust and be close to him, yet I don't think I can control this. I don't think I can stop myself.

Dieter takes my hand and pulls me into him. "It's okay Daisy. Experience my gift. I am offering this to you. It is my blood, not Mary's." He whispers.

His scent is unbelievable. I feel trapped by it, as if it is pulling me towards him. His hand reaches up and cups the back of my head, applying gentle pressure to spur me against his neck. When my lips press against him, his skin quivers and for a brief moment, because that's all I can manage, I pause and savour his delicious scent and the biting anticipation before I succumb. My fangs extend and pierce smoothly through his skin. Glorious blood spills into my mouth until it flows like a river of euphoria through my body. A quiet gratified moan sounds from Dieter's throat as his gentle grip on my head tightens with his rising excitement pressing against my hip. The sweet liquid is like nothing I've enjoyed before. The taste is indescribable, incredible even. Every muscle on my body relaxes into a euphoric high until I don't even have the strength to suckle his blood anymore.

Dieter's arms wrap tightly around me and he helps me over to the sofa. "Wow, it's never felt quite like that before." He whispers in a faraway voice, but I am too relaxed to respond.

Vaguely, Jamie's scent registers with me as it drifts into the room along with the sound of his hurried footsteps padding down the stairs. Even the thought of whispering his name, seems like too much effort at this moment.

" _Hey!_ What the hell's going on?" His voice echoes loudly in my head. "Christ. Daze, what's the matter?" His words fall softer this time so I turn to smile at him but he starts yelling again. "What have you done to her?"

"N-n-nothing." Fear resonates in Dieter's voice.

"Don't lie to me _Nahrung_. I could snap your neck before you could even scream Mary's name"

"She drank from me okay?" Dieter blurts out, wisely backing away from Jamie.

"What? Why?"

Whilst Jamie and Dieter yell at each other, the relaxing sensation dissipates and my head clears with renewed sharpness. I rise to my feet to put an end to their pointless squabble. "Stop this! Listen to me!" They both pause and turn to me. "His scent," I stab my finger in Dieter's direction, "He offered me his blood, I tried to resist but it-it compelled me. Oh Jamie, it is like nothing I have ever tasted before. It's like-like liquid heaven." I swoon as the taste lingers on my tongue.

Jamie's furious eyes burn into mine, and then they close in on Dieter. "Back off Nahrung. You belong to Mary, which is the only reason why I haven't ripped your throat out. Stay away from her."

Although Dieter narrows his eyes at Jamie as if retaliate, he turns and retreats up stairs.

"Are you trying to get back at me?" Jamie barks at me as soon as Dieter disappears from view.

"Grow up. Of course not. I couldn't sleep. I came down here, made myself a coffee and watched the sunset. Dieter, came down and—"

"—Nahrung. You refer to him as Nahrung."

" _D_ _ieter!_ Came down and we chatted and-and . . . Do you know who he is?"

"Yes, he is a blood slave. _Mary's_ blood slave. Keep your fangs out of him in future or I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Don't tell me what to do." I glare at him with thunder pulsing through my veins.

Jamie glares back at me. "I am protecting you."

"Bullshit. You are jealous. It's not attractive." I mimic and take a step to the right, preparing to storm off. "Oh and by the way, he is madly in love with your wife and I am perfectly capable of protecting myself. I do not need you or anyone else!"

Jamie clutches my arm and drags me back to him. He smothers my lips with his kiss, invading my mouth with his tongue, declaring me his in a primal way. I meekly resist, allowing him to conquer me. His kiss grows angrier and more demanding. Everything else disappears; the hurt; the jealousy; the anger; and all I want is for him to devour me, and for me to devour him.

"You drive me insane." He pants staring down at me with hooded lustful eyes.

' _Good_ ' I mouth and wrap my legs around his waist, desperate for him to soothe the pulsing ache between my thighs.

* * * *

WE LAY ENTWINED on the zebra rug on the living room floor in blissful silence until David disturbs us, "Eh-hm," he coughs to not-so subtly announce his arrival. "I see you two have made up. You do have your own room you know. It is bad enough the whole house has to hear you both, we don't need the visual." He shields his eyes with his arms as he continues through into the kitchen.

"It's my house." Jamie whispers into my hair, nuzzling my cheek with the tip of his nose.

I grin up at him, glowing with echoing pleasure. "I love you Jamie Cromwell, more than I can bear."

"So am I forgiven?"

"I suppose. For now."

"A lot of bad stuff went down when I was with her, but we were done a long time ago."

"Since she arrived you've not been the same. She's built up a distance between us it's driving me mad."

"I know, we both can't let her do that, just let me get to the bottom of why she's here and then hopefully I can get her to leave so that we can get on with you and me and getting rid of Acheron."

"Er, will you two please go and get dressed. Your wife will be down soon." David uses his arm to cover his eyes again. "I am going hunting for a couple of hours. The human is making me hungry. I'll catch y' later."

I roll my eyes, Jamie might be naked as the day he was born, but at least the oversized T-shirt I am wearing covers my modesty.

"I wish everyone would stop referring to her as _my_ wife." Jamie mutters.

"We should get dressed." I sigh.

Jamie nods, and leaps to his feet before extending his hand to me. "Still such a prude." He chuckles and pulls me into his arms, just as Mary reappears.

"James, my darling, do you ever where any clothes these days?" She purrs examining his naked body. "You are stirring all sorts of delicious and exciting memories." She arches her eyebrow cajoling him to remember.

"What can I say; Daze won't leave me alone long enough to keep my clothes on."

"Hmm, so you two _are_ together?" Mary's lips purse. "Well, if Daisy can manage to control herself for a couple of hours, you and I need to talk about more important matters, James." Her condescending manner makes me feel like a silly schoolgirl with a crush on the head boy.

" _Be-have_." He cautions her. "Me and Daze are gonna take a shower- _together_. We'll be down in a bit and then we'll talk. Feel free to make yourself at home in the meantime."

Her mouth gapes open and I cannot help the giggle that slips out.

* * * *

THE SHOWER FELT GOOD and Jamie felt even better.

As I towel dry my hair whilst watching Jamie sort through his heap of clothes, questions about Mary fill my head. "She's a psychic isn't she?"

"Mary?"

"I can sense it."

"Yeah." He rolls his eyes. "But she ain't that great at it. You see, with Mary's particular strain of psychic ability she has to touch you to see the future. This is why she wears those horrible gloves." Jamie screws up his nose. "They stop her from having to see what doesn't interest her."

"So how come she isn't very good at it?" I ask with a hint of smug self-satisfaction.

Jamie bounces onto the bed next to me and runs his fingers through my damp hair. "Mary can predict the immediate future with a fairly decent level of accuracy. So like, what's gonna happen within the next twenty four hours say and the reason for that is because the decisions and actions that create that future are already made or are in place. Her mid-term predictions are less reliable because there is a lot more variability. And as for long term, well in my experience with her, that is definitely hit and miss. All depends on whether it is fated or that all decisions will inevitably lead to a certain path."

"Has she touched you since she's been here?"

"No and she hasn't asked to and besides I wouldn't let her."

"She was jealous when she found that we were together. She hadn't predicted that."

"Daze, let it go. Mary and I were over a long, long time ago. You have no reason to let her presence intimidate you. You beat her on every count; power, looks and you've won the grand prize 'cause you've got me." Jamie plants three delicate kisses along my neck before he stops and sighs. "Aw, I really don't want to tear myself away from you, but I've gotta sort out why she's here and then I can get rid of her . . . And whilst I do that, you, Titch, need to fill up on some blood. Drinking that Nahrung's blood will have done you no good."

* * * *

UPON OUR RETURN TO the living room, we find David sat next to Mary on the sofa. They're chatting and politely laughing along with each other. It could seem as if they were old friends, but tension hovers in the air with hints of pretence on both their sides. Dieter stands close to Mary dressed in his suit like yesterday, although tonight he gives me a sly smirk as soon as we catch each other's glances.

"Ah, and here they are. Sis, we need to talk." My brother directs me to the door. "If you'll excuse us Mary." He bows his head to her whilst I fight the urge to roll my eyes at his over-the-top behaviour.

I hate the fact that I let her unsettle me and despite my curious preoccupation with why she is here, escaping with my brother instead of lurking around the house listening to their discussions is the more attractive option.

"Of course, David. James and I need some time _a-lone,"_ Mary rolls her tongue seductively managing to glance at both David and Jamie before her over accentuated word ends in a pout. " . . .to catch up properly, don't we darling?"

"Yes Mary." He replies robotically and lifts my hand to his lips and winks. "Don't forget to feed, you'll be needing your stamina levels at full capacity later."

"C'mon Sis, time to go." David hurries me clutching my other hand and pulling me out the door after him.

"What's up? You didn't hunt for very long."

"Came across some campers. C'mon, in the car." David ushers and scans the shadows around us.

"So?" I press once we are on our way to wherever it is we're going.

"I don't trust her. We need to get rid of her and get out of here. Beaumont's found a safe place for the Alliance up in the North on the coastline and we need to get started with our shopping list. George has sorted passports for the three of us and we're on our way to collect them. George has also sorted clothes and essentials. We need to look like we're normal holiday makers when we pass through the airport."

"I thought you were taken with her?" I tease.

"What do you take me for?"

"A man, with needs. She's very desirable."

"Not to me." David pauses. "I'm just trying to figure her out. I've not had a chance to chat to Jay about any of this. Has he said anything to you?"

"Not much. He says he doesn't know why she is here and that there's nothing left between them. I want to believe him." I sigh.

"Last night you agreed to hold off getting involved with him for a bit and then I find you two at it?"

I frown at my brother's annoyance before deciding whether to answer back or not. "Well, I considered it, but I can't just turn off what I feel, he's my addiction. I love him. I need him."

"No, he needs you." David challenges firmly but pauses for a second and turns to me. "Just don't let you and him interfere with what we need to do." He adds gently.

"I know, I know. . . Oh I did find out that Mary is a psychic, although according to Jamie she is not that accurate."

"A psychic hmm. Well I've never met one that can predict anything with any proven success either."

"Why was Jay concerned with making sure you fed before we left? Have you been having more nosebleeds?"

"Oh that. No, no nosebleeds. It's just that well . . . I guess I did kinda found something else out?"

"Go on." David eyes me suspiciously.

"The Nahrung that she's brought with her, his name is Dieter and he's a Vechi Venator descendant."

David thrusts his foot against the break and the car screeches to a halt, catapulting me forward against the strained seatbelt. " _What?"_

"Apparently he's a willing Nahrung and he, er, renounced his birthright."

"What-how the hell do you know that? They've been here less than fourteen hours and what has that got to do with _you_ feeding?"

I sigh. I am starting to get fed up with having to justify myself to the men in my life. "With Jamie and everything I couldn't settle, so after you fell asleep I went downstairs, made a coffee and later Dieter came down and we got chatting and—"

"—And what he just immediately spilled his guts?"

"Well no . . . okay sort of. And I-also-fed-from-Dieter." I hurry the words out and cringe, bracing for my brother's impetuous anger

" _You what_ _?_ "

"It was his scent David, the lust for his blood overwhelmed me and when I tasted it . . . _Wow_. It was unbelievable. My whole body slipped into this euphoric floaty state."

"Stupid! Naive! That is how they capture vampires Daisy; they lure them in with their blood and then stab them through the heart."

"Okay, okay no need to be so snarky. He told me all about that. Dieter has no intention of hurting me, he just wanted me to, well I'm not really sure what, but Jamie walked in on us and—"

"Jay walked in on you? I bet that didn't end well." David chuckles to himself.

"Actually it ended very well, especially the encore in the shower." I retaliate, but fail to hide my grin as the memory physically echoes inside me. "And Dieter is madly in love with Mary. She doesn't use him as a Nahrung, obviously. He says she uses his blood more as a recreational high."

"Yeah because its poisonous that's why. I guess that explains the hideous woollen scarf he's always wearing and why I've not been able to satisfy my hunger since he arrived." David sighs and releases the break returning the car returns to its high speed. "Do you know, this is all starting to make me feel very uneasy. Jay suddenly has a wife, who he hasn't mentioned to either of us. She turns up unannounced with a Vechi Venator as a blood slave in tow, who gets you to taste him at his first opportunity. It all seems a little odd to me."

Chapter 3: Three's company, five's a crowd

**F** rom inside the car I am watching my brother pace back and forth whilst he waits for George to arrive. I do not remember who George is exactly. Owing to the Brotherhood Alliance's cold attitude towards me, I have had very little to do with most of them. Although to be fair, they did thaw towards me post Elizabeth's party. However, very soon after that - after she was murdered - we dispersed into the units my brother organised so that we could begin attacks on the FVoL. Apart from those who were assigned to go with David and I, I haven't seen any of the others for quite some time and I am certain I don't remember a _George._

I am bored sat here. I have changed my mind; I would rather be with Jamie finding out what his wife is doing here. I doubt he will tell me the whole truth when he finds out either. As I flip my phone over in my hands, toying with whether to text Adam and tell him the latest news, my phone vibrates.

' _Where R U? x x x'_ It is a text from Jamie.

I text back. ' _With D. Running errand. B back soon x x x What does M want?'_

It turns out that whilst I was distracted George has arrived. George is a girl; average height, mousy brown-cropped hair with glasses. She's wearing a tan coloured mac that makes her look like a secret agent from a movie and she gazes at my brother as if he's a god whilst he checks the documents he's asked her to bring. He smiles and pats her on the shoulder directing her to the car parked behind us. She opens the boot and he pulls out three suitcases and carries them to the rear of the Land Rover.

" _So, er, David. When will you be back? I mean what should I do now_?" I hear her ask.

" _I'll text you the address where Beaumont is hiding out. You'll be safest there."_

" _Oh . . . okay_." I can see the disappointment on her face in the rear view mirror.

" _Thanks again George, these are fantastic. I'll text you the address later. You've got my number so if you need me just give me a bell yeah?"_ He kisses her cheek and heads back to the driver's side. George pauses to watch him jump into the driver's seat next to me and then she shuffles despondently back to her car.

"She likes you a lot." I tease as the engine purrs to life.

"What is it with you today? Are you intent on pairing me off?"

"No, but, well I'm just saying. It's obvious."

"She's sweet. Excellent with sorting documents out. She is no Elizabeth"

"So what next?"

"Next? We need to evict Mary and get to the airport by dawn."

"That'll be easy then."

Jamie is yet to reply to my text so whilst David drives us back I text him again. ' _On way back. Any news on Y M's here or what she wants? x x'_

It prompts Jamie to reply almost instantly. ' _Not gd. TTYL. x x x.'_

"Ahh, are you two sending lovey dovey messages now? Can't bear to be apart for even a couple of hours?" My brother teases in a babyish voice and glances at my phone. "It's one extreme of the other with you two." He adds with a sigh.

"No. _Actually,"_ I give my brother a sarcastic smile to emphasise his teasing is fruitless. "I was trying to find out whether she's told him why she's here, but apparently it's not good and he wants to talk when we get back."

"Right, Well, we'll stop off on the way and get you a snack. I still can't believe you fed on her blood slave. Do you know sometimes, I really don't understand how you can be so stupid."

* * * *

As soon as we pull up outside the house, Jamie rushes out to us and yanks the rear door open. "Hey you two." He greets as he jumps into the back seat. "Drive will y'?"

David nods and turns the car around to head back down the country road.

"Just pull over down there." Jamie instructs.

"What's going on?" My brother presses and turns off the engine.

"Mary's gone hunting, but I want to be sure we can talk in private. Right, well I need to come clean about something first." Jamie rests his elbows on our seats and hangs between them. He takes a deep breath and glances at David and then me before he continues. ". . . I've told Daze this already, but Mary is my source. She's the one who has been helping us." He pauses

"Yes Jay, Daisy did mention that. Why didn't you just tell me? What's with all the cloak and dagger stuff?"

"She has friends in high places who don't want their involvement known at this point. By knowing that she was the one I was talking with, it wouldn't take a genius to work out who her friends are."

"So why now, why let the cat out the bag?"

"I thought she was getting her info from the Elder she is close to - _who_ by the way _Daze,_ is who Mary is in love with and has always been in love with." Jamie pokes me in the shoulder. "But, it turns out most of her information has come out from that Nahrung of hers. For reasons I don't understand, her Elder privately supports our little venture, which leads me to the reason why Mary is here. She is apparently his envoy."

I shake my head unable to comprehend it. "I still don't understand why she would suddenly reveal herself now?"

"According to Mary, the Elder wants to ensure there are no more delays and because Mary's Nahrung's information is vital to us succeeding, he thought it best that she bring him to us to assist us in finishing this."

"So why can't she go back to where she came from and leave Dieter with us?"

"He's hers Daze. They come as a package."

"So—?" I press, knowing what he is going to say.

"Basically three just became five." Jamie shrugs his shoulders, powerless to do anything to make this dire situation better because we need Dieter and with Dieter comes Mary.

"But David's sorted everything. We fly to Brazil tomorrow morning. We can't just rearrange everything for her." I protest, aware I am clutching at straws.

"Mary has travel documents. All she has to do is book on the flight. Worst case scenario is they meet us there." He sighs.

"Great, this is going to be just great." I mutter folding my arms in a huff.

* * * *

Mary managed to secure seats on the same flight as us; I can only hope we're at opposite ends of the plane. However, first we need to navigate our way through the airport without a member of the FVoL clocking us. Acheron strictly forbids leaving his territory and it is not as if Jamie and David are the most inconspicuous pair so we have split up in a bid to avoid attention. Mary and David have gone through first. I will go through with Dieter, his human scent should be enough to shield me, and Jamie will go through on his own, heavily disguised to match his photo. He looks like a grubby French farmer, flat cap, and brown wig with full beard to match.

The anticipated text from my brother buzzes in my pocket giving us our cue to proceed. "Our turn." I sigh and glance at Dieter and then at Jamie.

"Just act normal. Two _friends_ –" Jamie accentuates. "Going on holiday." And then he grabs me and smothers me with his kiss sending my head spinning.

I pull away. "Dieter's blood is not the only high." I giggle and blow a kiss at Jamie.

Dieter and I enter through the revolving doors into the airport. It is bright and vast with humans scattered everywhere. A strong fragrance of citrus disinfectant and hot food surrounds us. Dieter has wrapped a thick woollen scarf around his neck, to mute his scent, but he will take it off as we near the security area and I will have to focus hard on these other scents to control myself.

Dieter points up to a sign. "Check in Desk 23 is down there and up the escalator." He smiles and then whispers. "Be calm, just act normal."

"It's difficult. I've never been inside one of these before."

At the check-in desk, an overly tanned glamorous woman behind the desk briefly checks our documents. She glances up at me and asks me to remove my oversized floppy straw hat. It is a perfectly reasonable request but it unnerves me a little. Dressed in a long floral maxi dress with a cropped pale denim jacket, and my hair tied tightly back at the nape of my neck to highlight my unusually heavily made up face, I could not look less like me, but hopefully, I match the passport photo in her hand. Her glance is brief and she continues unenthusiastically through her repetitive script. Within a few seconds, we are on our way to the security checkpoint.

"Are you ready Miss D? I'm going to take this off," Dieter tugs at his scarf, "just before we go through the metal detectors. I don't need to tell you that there will be FVoL hidden around this area, so keep calm and act human. Okay?"

Dieter steps in front of me ready to empty his belongings into the tray. He takes off his jacket, his belt, and his shoes and places them carefully into the tray. Finally, he unwraps the scarf, places it on top of the tray and pushes it on to the rollers before he walks through the gate. A human male security officer pats him down and directs him to pass through to Departures. Meanwhile, out of the corner of my eye, another security officer with a clipboard leaning against the wall, scrutinises each person who passes through the checkpoint. The moment Dieter's potent scent captures him, his nose twitches and flares. Having tasted Dieter's scent I understand how distracting and intoxicating it is and it takes all my willpower to close my eyes and force my focus on to the hideous overpowering perfume the woman behind me is wearing. As if under a trance, the Security Officer's eyes fixate on Dieter providing me my chance to pass through unnoticed. A human female security officer steps forward to greet me on the other side of the metal detector and pats me down. Although she barely takes any notice of me and ushers me through, her podgy male counterpart has the arrogance to believe that his lecherous stare will win me over. Yuck.

Dieter meanders; lazily retying his shoes, then his belt and jacket, so that he can keep the security officer hooked on him in the crowded security area. As soon as Dieter notices I am safely through, he picks up his scarf and heads over to the shops in departures as planned. The hooked security officer leaves his post to stalk him, desperate to taste what he thinks is his prey. Clouded by his lust, the security office bumps into an old woman and nearly knocks her over. She shouts at him and hits him with her handbag. The kerfuffle distracts him long enough for Dieter to wrap his thick woollen scarf around his neck to mute his scent and disappear into the shops.

Meanwhile, after watching the commotion from a far, I pause at a sunglasses stall positioned at the entrance to our Departure gate and sift through their selections until Dieter reappears.

Whilst I am in the middle of checking out how good a pair of Aviators looks on me, he appears at my side. "See? All okay. Just gotta watch the bar staff in the first class lounge, but I'm sure your brother and Mary have sussed them out by now. And those shades look pretty cool on you, you should get 'em."

* * * *

Twenty minutes later, Jamie arrives safely and I can finally breathe again.

During the hour before we can board the plane, Jamie leaves me to my fascination with watching the aeroplanes take off and land so that he and David can talk through their strategies. In the window's reflection, I notice two pretty waitresses whispering and giggling nearby to Jamie and my brother, hoping to catch their attention. Good luck with that. When David and Jamie lock themselves into strategy discussions, no one gets a look in. On the other side of the first class lounge, Dieter gets quietly drunk on the free champagne whilst he watches Mary flirt with a blonde barman. She pretends to read the barman's palm, but probably uses her psychic ability. Poor Dieter has given up everything to be with her and yet she barely acknowledges him.

Apprehension creeps over me the closer our boarding time looms. The prospect of being locked into a confined space packed with humans and their tempting scents for up to twelve hours with no escape horrifies me. It could end in a sky-high massacre.

" _Flight BA0247 to Sao Paulo Guarulhos is now boarding First Class passengers."_ The Airport tannoy announces.

"This is it Daze. You ready?" Jamie takes my hand and leads me away from the window.

"I guess."

Jamie waves goodbye to his admirers, leaving them with his charming smile that makes every female swoon and leads me through the aircraft tunnel after David and Mary.

At the entrance to the plane a steward and stewardess wait to greet us, The steward however, lacks a human scent. My heart thuds in my chest. My power tingles in my fingertips and my mind races through the best way to protect us without drawing attention from the humans inside the plane and any first class stragglers.

"David wait." I whisper as he strides ahead.

"Daze, trust him." Jamie whispers against my ear.

The stewardess checks the boarding card, but barely looks at it because my brother captures her lustful attention with his enticing smile.

The vampire steward interrupts their flirting. "Sir, let me direct you to your seat." He smiles. Once out of earshot of the stewardess, who is now distracted with checking Mary's boarding card followed by Dieter's, the steward whispers to David. "Good luck. My cousin is fighting with you in the Alliance. You have more allies than you know. They grow day by day."

My brother pats his shoulder gratefully and disappears into the plane

"Sir, are you ready to board?" The stewardess prompts Jamie and flutters her false lashes at him.

"Yes, thank you." He replies ushering me on to the plane after him.

We appear to be only people in first class. I'm not sure whether that is down to luck or not. Business class looks slightly busier, but thankfully, they are in a different section to us, although, I still fear the scent of human blood will drift through and make us ravenous, especially with Dieter in here too.

Within first class, the cabins are set two together. Jamie takes the one next to me and my brother slides into the one in front of us and presses all the buttons around him like a small child. On the other side of the aisle, Mary and Dieter settle into cabins side by side. It is not too long before the slim blonde stewardess, who checked our boarding cards, appears carrying champagne cocktails. Dieter grabs two and knocks them back one after the other, prompting a flicker of annoyance across her mask of servitude. However, this disappears under her flushed cheeks as soon as she lays eyes on my brother again.

"Sir, is there anything I can get you before we take off?" She offers, batting her false eyelashes whilst her heartbeat accelerates beneath her uniform.

"Thank you, but I'm perfectly comfortable for now. . . . Although," he eyes her up and down encouraging her. "I am sure I'll think of something for later."

"Yes sir," She smiles, holding his gaze for a second longer than necessary.

Jamie leans over to me. "What are you chuckling at?"

"That stewardess and my brother."

"Typical Dave."

"Typical you. I've seen you in action, don't forget."

"What? Never. I've only got eyes for you."

"The night of Elizabeth's party? You charmed every female in the room." I tease.

"To get your attention."

"You had my attention and made it clear you didn't want it."

Jamie reaches over and puts his hands on my cheeks, holding them there as his eyes burn into mine oozing fire. "You know that's not true. I wanted it. I wanted you. I wanted to rip that silk dress from your body and have you on that damn dance floor." His low growl rumbles through me. Every inch of me quivers craving him.

He pushes his delicious lips against mine. "I'm still crazy in love with you Daze."

' _Good.'_ I mouth.

Jamie raises an eyebrow playfully suggesting he expected more of a reciprocal response. "And I will prove it to you so that you never doubt it again. For now though, sweet dreams Daisy Love, Sao Paulo is a long way from where we're headed and I doubt our little excursion is going to run smoothly."

I smile at him, wishing we were alone in this confined space.

"Sod it, come here." Jamie grabs me and steals my breath with an erupting kiss.

"Isn't there something called a mile high club when flying?" I purr desperate to soothe the need thrumming inside me.

"No, there most definitely is not." My brother peers around his cabin to glare at us. "It's bad enough in the house. I'm not putting up with it for the next twelve hours in this small confined space."

Jamie rolls his eyes and presses his lips against my temple. "Later."

The engines roar and the plane shifts with a jolt before steadily picking up speed until it ascends into the sky. Thoughts of Jamie are keeping me from sleep, even though I am staring blankly at the divider hoping that boredom will bring sleep to me. It is not working, so I roll over. Mary is still awake reading the latest edition of Vogue, but Dieter is sleeping soundly in the cabin next to her. I secretly watch her, fascinated by who she really is and the life she and Jamie led together. His reluctance to divulge anything about their past is fuelling my curiosity even though I know that I'm not going to like anything I do find out and yet I cannot leave it alone either.

Mary glances at her watch, stands up and wanders over to the stewardess who is folding spare blankets at the front of the plane. They exchange some words before the stewardess nods robotically and leaves the First Class section. Mary returns to Dieter and rocks his shoulder to rouse him. He wakes up in a confused muddle, perhaps still feeling the effects of the champagne he drank earlier and pulls himself up. Mary reaches across him, unties his scarf a little to give her access to his neck. His scent hits me and I cup my hand over my nose. Jamie and David both stir but they don't wake. Her lack of care and tenderness shocks me. How can he love her? Thankfully, it lasts for only a matter of seconds before Mary slumps across him sedated by his extraordinary blood. Dieter ties up his scarf and shuffles off the bed to pull her into the cabin properly so that she can sleep. He kisses her gently on her forehead, and drapes a blanket over her before he stumbles around into her cabin, and collapses himself.

Sleep must have got to me soon after because the Stewardess's gentle tap on my shoulder as she passes through wakes me up. "One hour till we land in Sao Paulo. Can I bring you anything to eat or drink?" She sings to each of us.

"Er can I get something off the menu." Dieter pipes up and orders a stack of pancakes with fruit and syrup.

"Can I get a coffee?" I add, as she drifts past me.

At the sound of my voice, Jamie reaches across and kisses my hand. "Evening Daze."

"And what about you sir, can I get you anything else?" She beams at David and leans over to his ear. "Thank you for earlier, perhaps we could have a repeat at a few thousand feet lower?" She whispers to him.

"Maybe. Leave me your number and I'll call you." David encourages.

After the stewardess disappears to fetch our orders, I lean forward. "One rule for you and one rule for me?"

"What can I say, it was there on a very tasty plate." David smirks as he stands up and blocks the aisle. "Right everyone, listen up. There is a private plane waiting to take us down to Bahia, so no lingering in the airport for a quick snack." David insists transforming into Mr Serious.

"Oh and Nomios messaged me before we boarded to say that Diablo welcomes our arrival and we are free to proceed." Mary adds as she slips on white cotton gloves.

"Diablo?" Who else is going to get involved in our quest? Hey why not invite every vampire in existence along!

"Yes my dear, Diablo is the elder reigning over the territory we are entering. In fact, he is the eldest son of Lilith. Entering to do what we intend to do without his blessing would not be smart." Mary sighs and feigns irritation with my lack of understanding but I know she secretly enjoys lording it over me. I can see it in her eyes.

* * * *

THE AIR IN Bahia breathes warmly against my cool skin and spicy notes tickle my senses. In the background, I can hear the feint beats of samba and the night ahead promises dancing, laughter and a million new experiences of every kind. That would be true if we had arrived to explore and holiday, instead we are here to fulfil a quest and leave as quickly as possible.

As soon as we left the airport we dived into two waiting taxis, Mary and Dieter in one and Jamie, David and me in the other.

"Nomios is Vampire Ruler of Europe." Jamie confirms quietly beneath the backdrop of the wheezing taxi and whistling driver.

"And Diablo is?" I probe further.

"Diablo is the eldest son. He is arguably the most powerful of the seven. Acheron is the runt of the litter and by all accounts of little interest to Diablo."

"How can you be sure this is not a trap?"

"There are rumours that Acheron is only a half blood and that the brothers don't accept him as an equal amongst them. The Sanguine Decsange Fraternity Council rules over the entire vampire race. It consists of the seven brothers plus three chosen vampires. However, Acheron has no allies on the council and has suffered at their hands for centuries. Diablo is head of this Council and also sits on the Praetor Orbis Senate, which is the congregation of representatives from all the different supernatural species still in existence."

"Wow. I guess I really am out of the loop on all this stuff."

"This is not the time for a lesson in paranormal politics; we need to focus on the task at hand." My brother cuts in still wearing his Mr Serious face. Perhaps I should call that Stewardess for him. "Tonight we need to prepare ourselves. Tomorrow day time we will rest and then when evening arrives we will get the vines from Little Hell and with any luck be back by dawn."

"Little hell?" Another thing I am obviously have no clue about.

"Yeah it's in Chapada Diamantina through the back of Fumacinha Falls. Once this is over you need to read up on our race's history, instead of messing around all the time."

My heckles rise up. "Messing around? Messing around? How dare you? As I remember it, you and mother kept me trapped on our farm. The only book I ever read was mother's Grimoire. I couldn't even leave the perimeter of our farm to go shopping in the village. I have gone from one cage to another to another all my life." Sudden and overwhelming anger fills me.

David raises his eyebrow and checks on the driver who is still whistling along to songs on the radio. "Hmm. . ." He hums, considering his response and by the look on his face, he is resisting his desire to throttle me. He leans across Jamie and glares at me. "Memories still coming back thick and fast I see. Well, listen to me, _baby_ sister. Everything I have ever done for you has been to protect you. Do not forget that."

"I am five minutes younger than you." I mumble.

* * * *

FOur contemporary tree house style villas wait for us on a deserted soft sandy beach whilst a gentle lullaby of crashing waves plays soothingly in the background. Crafted wooden steps twist around each of the luxury villas and stretch out into intricately carved bridges. Exotic brightly coloured flowers decorate the handrails and emphasise the idea that this is the perfect secluded getaway for honeymoon couples.

"It's a bit much considering we will be here for such a short time." I suggest.

"Daarling, we're vampires. We are afforded the best of everything. Why should we stay in a hovel no matter how little time it is required? Well Done David. This is perfect." Mary continues with her patronising tone.

"I chose it because it is secluded. It gives us privacy. No nosey onlookers. All four are ours so just pick one."

I tug on Jamie's arm. "Hey, let's go into the town and explore for a couple of hours."

" _Daisy_! This isn't a holiday. We are here for a purpose. I told you, tonight we _prepare_. Stop thinking about selfish frivolities." David folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head.

Mary stifles a giggle with her hand whilst humiliation stuns me.

Jamie steps in. "Dave, c'mon. It's the first time she's been out of the country. A couple of hours in town isn't gonna hurt anyone and it isn't gonna delay anything either. You said yourself we weren't going into Little Hell until tomorrow night."

"No Jay. We stick together. If we get what we've come for, I'll consider allowing the pair of you a night off before we fly back. She needs to sort her priorities. I've made my decision."

"Whoa, I thought we were partners in this!" Jamie spits, annoyed that my brother is dictating to him.

"You left." David snipes moving up into Jamie's face.

The two of them look like clashing bulls ready to tear each other apart. David's pulsating anger echoes inside me. I guess he's yet to fully forgive Jamie for deserting him so soon after Elizabeth died.

"Okay boys, calm down. Let's all just cool off. It was just an idea."

Both glare at me but reluctantly nod in unison knowing that the two of them going at it, is not going to help our situation.

"Mmm Testosterone, nothing quite like it." Mary coos revelling in the tension.

My grumpy brother backs off first. He snatches his bag off the sand and makes his way to a villa without another word to anyone.

. "Come Dieter, bring the bags, I want to change out of these filthy clothes." Mary's big fat grin and the loaded sway of her hips flaunts her satisfaction with our display of disconnect as she saunters up the steps.

Ignoring her and the urge to smooth things over with David, I slip my arms through Jamie's elbows and rest my cheek against his chest. Every muscle in his body is tensed to snapping point. "She must be in a good mood, that's the first time I've heard her refer to him by his name." I joke, trying to make light of things as we listen to their footsteps slap across the wooden bridges. Jamie doesn't move or speak. "Hey c'mon, Jamie, David's just hurt. He lost you and Elizabeth in one night. He will get over it – _eventually."_

"Maybe." Jamie mumbles

"Look at this place, it couldn't be a _more_ romantic setting. Let's enjoy it while we can. Okay so I'm not allowed to go into town and under normal circumstances I'd disobey him and go anyway, but we've got the beach . . . and the ocean . . . and a villa all to ourselves for a few hours at least." I purr and softly kiss the exposed centre of his chest. "We've still got a lot of making up to do."

Jamie relaxes enough to wrap his arms around me and rests his chin on the top of my head. "He's a control freak, Daze. I want to show you the world, everything you've missed. I want you to experience all that life has to offer. I know how much you hate being ' _caged up'_ , but I can't seem to help you get off this continuous cycle where you replace one cage with another. Dave, as much as he loves you, is to blame for much of it, whether he realises it or not. You need to break free. _We_ need to break free."

"He's my protector; it's his duty to keep me safe. After all that is his purpose on this earth. You have reminded me of that fact several times over. He's just very fastidious."

"There are ways of going about it." Jamie grumbles.

"I promise you, once this is over, we will travel the world together and David will have to deal with it."

"Okay, okay you've won me round Titch." Jamie lifts my chin up with his thumb. In the moonlight his smile looks positively devilish. He raises his eyebrow, "So, what do you want to do? . . . Swim? . . . _Bed?"_

I step back and pull off my T-shirt. "Mm . . . a midnight dip is tempting." I whisper and slip out of my dress. "I'll race y'." I blow him a kiss and run for the sea.

"Hey!" Jamie yells, his laughter running after me. "Release me now. We agreed no magic on each other."

* * * *

Lying here in our villa's oak four-poster bed with its fine white cotton voiles cascading down around us, it almost fools me into thinking I have found peace at last. The gentle lull of the sea is serenading us and Jamie is stroking my hair whilst I snuggle into his chest, both of us bathing in the afterglow of our lovemaking.

"You're very quiet Daze." Jamie notes tracing shapes along my shoulder.

"Just . . . happy, I s'pose." I moon content with his summer scent wrapped around me.

"Good. Me too."

" _But_ David will be waiting for us." I groan.

"He can wait till we're ready. Despite what he thinks, he is not the ruler of me. I don't want to think about anything but you until the next sunset."

"Jamie?"

"Mmm?"

"You know when we were on the plane?" I rise up on to my elbows and trace the outline of the curves of his abs.

"Mmm?"

"Well . . . I watched Mary feed off Dieter and—"

"—and what? He's her Nahrung, her blood slave." He shrugs me off and sits on the edge of the bed.

"I know, but she hurt him, she was really rough."

"Daze, what exactly are you trying to get at here? He's food to her, like a-a-a cow is to a human." Jamie's eyes are alight with his anger. "What the hell has it got to do with you anyway?"

"I just don't understand it. He loves her. He gave up who he is to be with her and she treats him like that."

"Who the fuck cares? It's not for you _to_ understand. It's their business. He's with her out of choice. Stay out of it and stay away from him for all our sakes." Jamie tugs a pair of khaki shorts up his legs.

"I'm sorry, it just doesn't seem right."

"Jesus Daze. You really know how to ruin the moment."

"Jamie I was just—"

"— _Leave it!_ " He growls and slams the wooden door of our villa so hard that the walls shake with fear around me.

I am shell shocked, but as I replay the conversation over and over in my head, my anger swells. He is jealous. Jealous of Dieter being with his wife.

I drag on my denim shorts and a pale pink cotton blouse that is at the top of my suitcase and fifteen minutes after Jamie stormed out, I march over to my brother's villa to vent my frustration to David.

I don't bother to knock and storm straight in. "Dav—" My breath catches in my throat. Mary and Jamie, who are sat together on David's sofa, both stop their cosy conversation and stare at me. Jamie's arm rests along the back of the sofa behind Mary, as if they are the perfect couple and Dieter is nowhere to be seen.

"Ah Daisy, I was just gonna come get you." David senses my unease and walks over to meet me. "We're gonna go through the plan."

"Dieter is preparing the map. He knows how to reach the tree." Mary adds as she examines the blood red polish on her nails and then runs her hand along Jamie's knee.

I swallow down my jealousy and ignore it. "So, what preparations do we need for this little excursion?" I prompt my brother, hoping to send a message to Jamie that I am not here to run after him. He is the one who blew up for no reason and if he is going to run to wifey he can forget it anyway.

David ushers me to a barstool, away from where Jamie and Mary, and whispers too low for them to hear. "Are you okay, you look upset?"

I nod, but he knows I am lying.

"We're just waiting for Dieter to finish up. He'll explain. Shouldn't be long." He adds a little louder.

"I'll go and check on him if you'd prefer. Sooner we go over the plan, the sooner we can attend to our needs." Mary winks seductively at Jamie, subtly parting her glossy red lips. He glances at me and then smiles back at her.

"If you wouldn't mind, Mary?" David agrees. "The sooner the better."

"Not at all, my pleasure." She sings and slides her hand along Jamie's thigh as she rises to her feet.

"You're very quiet Jay." David suggests after Mary saunters out.

Jamie shrugs.

"Oh I get it; you two have had a row. Again. Am I right? . . . . Silence eh? Shall I bang your heads together?"

" _She's_ obsessed with that fucking Nahrung." Jamie snaps.

" _She_ is not!" I holler back jumping to my feet. "S _he_ is fed up with the fucking man of mystery act. The Jamie I know could never be with a woman like her, one that treats people with such little compassion and respect. You are the one who is obsessed. Your jealousy is eating you up inside. Why don't you admit it you want _her._ "

"What? Don't be so ridiculous. You couldn't be further from the truth." Jamie leaps to his feet, towering over me.

"So why do you flare up whenever Dieter is mentioned."

"Because you drank from him. _You_ had your lips pressed to another man's neck." His hands gesticulate furiously around me.

"Yes because I fed from hi . . ." Oh. It is suddenly dawning on me.

"But he wasn't a meal, you didn't need to drink from him for your survival. You were alone with him, practically naked, your bodies pressed against each other. He offered himself to you. It was intimate. As intimate as a kiss. Do you have any idea how crazy that makes me?"

"Jay, to be fair, she had no choice – you know what the scent is like. Christ, I've been fighting the urge to bite him."

"Don't Dave. Don't jump in and defend her. This is between me and her. Let her fight her own battles."

David holds his hands up walks into the bedroom to give us some space.

"So yeah I am jealous - jealous that you were intimate with another man who you now feel very protective towards." Jamie's voice lowers and his gaze drops to the floor.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think of it in that way. It's not that I am protective of him, I just don't like her. I can't see why you would love someone like her. I hate the fact that you shared a life with her that I know nothing about. I hate the fact that a piece of you belongs to her."

"None of me belongs to her. You have my heart Daze, all of it. I was naive and a baby vamp when I fell in love with her. It wasn't real. It certainly wasn't pure."

"But you spent over one hundred and thirty years with her."

"She was an infatuation, a drug I couldn't give up. Like a drug she destroyed me, lead me to dark depraved places. When I finally escaped her, I realised just how bad she had been. I conquered my addiction. We haven't been together in over one hundred and twenty years, but I admit we have been in contact on and off for the best part of the last century, but that was business, nothing more, absolutely nothing more." Jamie holds my hands against his chest. "I do not love her, I do not want her. She toys with people. She doesn't love me. She loves Nomios, always has done. Dieter is just her current plaything." He pulls my hands up to his lips and kisses the back of my hands. "Trust me. I am crazy in love with you, like never before."

"And I am insanely in love with you, but all the mystery is sending me mad. I don't want to be humiliated, not by you. It would kill me if all this were some sort of sick trick."

"Trust me Daze, just trust me and we'll get through this and out the other end where we can build a life together. I want you to be mine, forever."

Chapter 4: Trek to Little Hell

" **E** veryone got their essentials packed for the trip?" David checks, slipping easily back into his leader persona.

"Jamie's got mine." I reply.

"And Dieter will be along in a moment." Mary adds.

"Right, I'll chase 'em up and we can start heading over to Little Hell. We want to be back before dawn."

Whilst I lean lazily against the smooth twisted mahogany rail on the bridge joining out villas, waiting for David to round up the others, I sneak a sideways glance at Mary who is slowly pacing up and down. She looks just as uncomfortable as I feel being left alone together. I cannot believe she is wearing cream linen trousers with a navy halter neck top and cream cotton gloves and with her hair piled up into a chic chignon and her signature pouty red lips, she looks like she would be more at home on a yacht than traipsing through the rainforest.

Her eyes meet mine, "Is something the matter dear?"

"Er no, just admiring your outfit, it is very . . . chic. Not sure it will survive a trek through the rainforest though."

Mary glares at my dark denim shorts and red vest and then lifts her eyes to my hair, which I have scraped back into a messy ponytail. "One should always make an effort wherever they are. Practicality is not for women. Perhaps you should think about that _Dai-sy_." Mary makes my name sound like an insult and her disapproving expression reminds me of the one Marianne gave me when I first met her.

"Mmm-Mmm you look super cute this evening, Titch." Jamie calls out as he walks towards us both. "Gorgeous." He croons, dropping our rucksack on the floor and pushes me back against the bridge trapping me in his arms so that he can kiss me. "Mmm, cherry lip balm. Nice." He grins and licks his lips.

From behind him, Mary's voice hollers for Dieter. " _Nahrung_! Hurry up."

* * * *

I am certain the beauty of this vast abundant landscape would steal my breath in the dappled daylight. Tonight though, it is darker than hell with the soaring canopies shielding us from the moonlight and the twinkling stars. Only vampire eyes could find their way through here without light. Although the forest is alive with the chattering and whistling from its inhabitants, the cool air is perfectly still and thick with moisture, yet the clean oxygen filled air energises me and I feel calm and rejuvenated at the same time.

We have been trekking deeper into Chapada Diamantina for a couple of hours now and midnight is behind us. Dieter is lagging, slowing us down to his very human pace. Albeit at a much more measured pace, David, Jamie and Mary's lead is growing and they barely appear to notice the gulf between us whilst they debate the map and what we are going to find. Me on the other hand, has dropped back to bridge the gap and keep an eye on Dieter, but he is getting slower by the minute and it will not be long before the others disappear out of sight altogether.

" _David!"_ I yell out just before they disappear from my view.

"Daisy? Where are you? What's up? Why are so far away?" His voice echoes off the skyscraper trees looming over us.

I am in a tricky situation, I can't draw attention to my concern for Dieter as Jamie is likely to boil over again and another argument is the last thing I want right now, but I have got to get them to take a break or we will never make it to the Kapok tree. "I er . . .need a break."

Jamie sprints over to me and cups my face with his hands to study me. "I don't understand. You fed less than six hours ago; you've not used your power. Why are you feeling weak?" He frowns.

"I think you tired me out." I whisper, which makes him smile and hopefully distracts his train of thought.

"Daisy are you okay? Are you bleeding?" David's concern, however, makes me feel a little guilty for fibbing.

"No, no. I just need a few minutes." I stumble back on to a rock and rest against it.

Mary pitches up behind David. "Why are we stopping?" She doesn't bother to hide the irritation in her tone. "For god sake we have only been going a couple of hours. We should have been at Fumacinha Falls by now."

"She's feeling weak. She just needs a couple of minutes, that's all." Jamie defends as he strokes my hair.

Mary rolls her eyes and plants her hands on her hips to emphasise her impatience. "Where is the Nahrung." She grumbles just as he finally catches up and collapses on to the rock where I am perched and pants like a hot dog.

"He looks a little worse for wear too." My brother assesses. "I think we can spare a few minutes." He pulls out a plastic bottle filled with blood. "Here Daisy, drink this." He also pulls out a bottle of water and an energy bar from his rucksack and hands it to Dieter.

"Cheers." Dieter swiftly downs the bottle of water and rips open the energy bar. "I've. . . .Already . . . Eaten . . .My supplies." He says in between mouthfuls of energy bar.

"You have a duty to take care of yourself. We cannot complete the task without you." Mary hisses.

"I am human; I don't have the stamina you have. The atmosphere in here is sapping my energy. Every other step, I trip over rocks and roots and debris because I can hardly see." Dieter argues back to all our surprise. "I cannot travel anywhere near the speed that you can."

"You're an above average human thanks to your lineage, which is the only reason you're still alive and I told you to pack a flash light." She shrieks in retaliation, overtly embarrassed by his challenge.

To break up the lovers tiff before it gets out of hand my brother intervenes. "Alright, alright. He's right. Vechi or not, he is not immortal. Come here Dieter, I'll give you a fireman's lift for a bit, otherwise this is going to take us too long."

"What about you Titch, need me to carry you?" Jamie eyes me with a hint of suspicion.

"No, thank you, I think I'll be able to manage now." I smile sweetly at him but I think the game is up.

* * *

We forge on ahead covering more ground than we did in the previous two hours. With David, Dieter and Mary a safe distance in front, I take the opportunity to quiz Jamie about his mysterious past.

"I know whatever happened between you two has hurt you deeply, but not knowing anything about your life back then is difficult for me. It makes me feel vulnerable with her around."

"Well, you don't need to." Jamie sweeps my admission aside with the same ease and attention he applies to scatter the various plants blocking our path with his magic.

"Don't I?" I grab his elbow. "I don't even know how you two met and yet she probably knows everything about me and you."

"Okay, okay. I suppose that is harmless enough." He agrees with a resigned sigh. "I met Mary Worth when she was assisting Acheron in his search for the Bellwether Twins. Instead of you and Dave they stumbled on me and Lizzy."

His explanation stops me dead in my tracks. "What? _She_ was helping Acheron? So why the hell are we trusting her now?"

"That was before they fell out. Mary's forte is revenge. Trust me she wants him dead and buried more than any of us."

"So what happened?"

Jamie takes a moment to check Mary is far enough away before he lowers his voice. "You remember how I told you her gift is a bit hit and miss, yeah? Well, for a time around the period we became vampires, she and Acheron were lovers. Acheron had grown nervous about the Circle of Seven taking decisive action once you turned eighteen to alter the prophecy. He had people looking for you since your birth but none of them had been able to locate you and as the years ticked away, his obsession grew to the point where he no longer had faith in tasking his most trusted advisors or warriors to find you and insisted on hunting you himself. Mary, a lady who needs to be the centre of a man's attention decided the only way to get his mind off you and back on to fulfilling her every whim was to help him by using her seeing ability. She saw in his future that he would find you on a farm in the south of England. So, Mary, Acheron and a handful of henchman set out on their hunt for the Bellwether Twins. They found me and Lizzy on a farm in the South of England. Acheron turned us and quickly discovered we weren't you. He was furious, beyond furious and Mary bore the brunt of it. Before he left, he ordered one of his henchman to end us. Mary stepped in and saved us."

"Why would she do that?"

"Fell for my charms, _obviously."_ Jamie teases and pulls me into him so he can kiss the top of my head. "At the time I thought she was this kind dark angel who wanted to protect us, but later I realised she had her own hidden agenda. Mary Worth always has a hidden agenda. And you, Titch, don't need to make up fibs about feeling weak."

"I thought if I told you Dieter needed a rest, you would read more into it and we'd ending up fighting again. I didn't want that."

"We sorted that out. I trust you. He is human after all, he's gonna tire and get slower a lot quicker than us lot. We were too preoccupied and we should have noticed."

" _Jay? Daisy?_ Quick come here." My brother's voice rips through the dark. "We're here. Look. Fumacinha Falls. It's incredible."

The sound of falling water rises in the air above the wildlife as we enter Fumacinha Falls. Words cannot describe it. It is awesome - and I don't mean in a teenage American slang way - but awesome in the true sense. Its enormity swamps the five us. Intimidating rugged walls loom over us, stretching far up into the night sky, and the water . . .wow. . . the water falls in slow motion from the moon itself, crushing the pool in its belly and baptising us with its spray.

"We need to climb around and up to the ledge behind the waterfall." Dieter shouts above the thundering falls. "There is a hidden passage that will lead us into Little Hell."

I glance at Mary. Her chic chignon is more of a birds nest and her cream trousers are grubby from the damp and foliage. "Do you want to change first?" I shout over to her, stifling a giggle.

Jamie nudges me in the ribs. "Don't poke a sleeping bear." He teases.

Mary declines her shot to rise to my bitchy taunt. Instead, she undoes her trousers and pushes them to the floor revealing that her halter neck top is actually a sexy swimsuit, expertly cut to highlight her devastatingly perfect long lithe legs. She dives gracefully into the pool and returns to the surface with her long hair smoothed out by the water, looking every inch a siren as she rises out of the pool. Dieter and David gawp like hormonal schoolboys. One-up to Mary. Probably serves me right.

"Don't you want to get an eyeful too?" I snipe at Jamie, even though he doesn't deserve it. He isn't drooling over her like the others.

"Nah. Nothing I haven't seen before." I must look as upset as I feel because he grabs me and pulls me into him. "And I have got the most beautiful sorceress in the world to play with." He kisses me so fast and urgently that he leaves me in a spin.

"You are just too charming for your own good Jamie Cromwell."

"We could catch them up?" Jamie cocks his eyebrow suggesting that we stay behind and take advantage of the romantic setting.

"NO!" David hollers. "She is not leaving my sight."

"Killjoy." Jamie whispers and kisses the tip of my nose.

The climb around to the back of the waterfall is precarious, not least because it is dark, slippery with little to hold on to, but also because we need to clamber high up the rock face. Dieter has lost his footing several times, but luckily, David has caught him each time. As we approach the waterfall, the ledge grows wider, but the water batters us when we push through to the entrance of the hidden passageway. Everyone is soaked to the skin.

"Excuse me guys, I need to swap clothes. I'm not immune from hypothermia. So, just hold your noses for a few seconds." Dieter smiles and pulls out a plastic bag from his rucksack that has kept his spare clothes dry.

David squeezes my shoulder and whispers into my ear. "Listen, this place is called Little Hell, because there is more than just wildlife lurking in the shadows. We need to stick together. It's three thirty and we're a good hour later than I hoped, so we need to make some of that time up if we're gonna get back by dawn. Are you feeling strong enough to move at pace?"

I wince. I shouldn't have lied earlier. "Yes, I'm absolutely fine now."

"C'mon then." Dieter beckons, after changing into his dry clothes.

The hidden passageway is a strange optical illusion. To the untrained eye, it looks like a crack in the rock, barely wide enough to squeeze a hand inside. It is tight, but big enough for David and Jamie to squeeze through. For once, I am glad I am petite. Dieter leads the way followed by Mary with me and Jamie behind David.

Jamie keeps grabbing my bottom. "Ja-mie." I giggle, swiping at him playfully behind me.

"What? It's there in my face, tempting me." He laughs.

The awkward and uneven passageway scrapes our legs and arms and loose bits of rock dislodge as we manoeuvre through sending dust into lungs leaving a dry sandy taste on our tongues. Several minutes pass before we finally come out the other end.

I expected something different. I expected it to be obvious that we had entered _Little Hell_ , yet it resembles the same rainforest, with the same nocturnal chorus. Canopies still shield us and the air is cool and wet.

"We need to find the Blood Rock. The Kapok tree guards the rock. Legends say that Lilith is buried beneath it and it is her blood that soaks the rock to give it the rich red velvety appearance." Dieter explains. "David, you'll have to carry me again, we need to get a move on and there is no way I can keep up with your pace. We don't want Miss D caught out in the sun, we may need her."

"How do you know about that?" I snap, rattled that he knows about my secret sun allergy.

Dieter shrugs his shoulders. "It's written in the legend."

"I must say it is a pathetic disability for a vampire. No wonder humans have such ludicrous legends." Mary chimes in.

"The moon energises her. The sun is her opposite. You are weaker in the day too, all of you are. It's just worse for her." Dieter's defence stuns me. Perhaps he is growing a backbone after all. "Miss D, the Vechi fear you and your brother. Ever since it became known that vampirism cursed you, they have been preparing for the day you rise up and embrace your power. After the Vampire Blood Wars there were rumours that you had perished, compounded by the fact that here had been no news of either of you for over a century."

Mary's laugh bursts out of her. "Well if the Vechi are afraid of _her_ then they are cowards." She scoffs.

"Don't underestimate her Mary," Jamie cautions, "I've witnessed her power."

"From what I've seen they have far more to fear from you James. Do you remember the fun _we_ got up to, the mischief you could create?"

I catch Jamie's cautionary scowl at her, but Mary beams at him satisfied with dripping another piece of poisonous innuendo into the conversation that she knows will fester with me.

Meanwhile my brother's attentions have returned to the map. Without taking his eyes off the antique shabby looking piece of paper in his hand, he waves his other hand in the air gesturing for Jamie to join him. "Jay, Jay come here, look at this map with me."

Mary sways her barely covered behind from side to side as she struts over to David. I am certain it is for Jamie's benefit.

"Don't listen to her. She loves to stir and create chaos." Jamie whispers quietly, pointing out the obvious, before he joins the pair of them.

I watch as they crowd around the map, stabbing and drawing lines on it with their fingers. Instead of joining them, I plonk down onto the ground and absently tear up leaves and long grass whilst I observe them from afar.

Dieter accompanies me on the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Mmhmm."

"Have I done something to upset you? You seem sorta off?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you, really?"

"It's just what you said about me being someone to be afraid of."

"The legend is what it is. No one knew whether your power would be a good thing or a bad thing. The Vechi tend to fear the worst when it involves you lot."

"Do you . . . think . . . I'm . . . you know, evil?"

"No. No way Miss D. I do not think you're evil."

"Thanks." I nudge him with my elbow. "Sometimes I feel like I have no idea who I really am or who I am supposed to be."

"Is that why you always stay out of any planning or decisions? Are you afraid to assume your power and lead?"

"I dunno. Maybe. I'm not sure I that I want to."

"If the legend is true, and it's been fairly reliable so far, you're gonna have to man-up soon. It's your destiny."

"Destiny huh? So why are you avoiding yours by being her slave?"

"I've told you we are in love. My status as her blood slave protects me."

"She treats you like shit. She barely speaks to you. She flirts more with Jamie and David than you and when I saw her feed from you on the plane - there wasn't an ounce or tenderness or care for you."

"It's just her way and not unusual for a vampire. You were exceptionally gentle. You are exceptional in most ways." He grins, looking down at the ground as he pushes debris around with his foot.

"Well I'm sorry, I don't buy that. If I can be gentle with you, then surely someone who apparently loves you, can too."

Dieter shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders.

"So is this is it for the rest of your life? Dieter the Blood Slave."

Dieter turns and looks me. "Perhaps. Mary may grow tired of me. I will age. She will remain as beautiful as the day I met her." The thought of that loss burns in his eyes as he considers it.

"So how does she know you aren't a Vechi Spy then?" I tease nudging his arm with my elbow to lighten things up.

"Mary reads the future. She checks me on a daily basis to ensure my intentions remain pure."

"Really? After all this time with her?"

"Irks me a bit, I s'pose. But she's experienced a lot of betrayal in her long life, so I guess I accept it as a part of who she is."

"What about her history with Jamie? Does she talk about him at all?"

Dieter cocks his eyebrow to me. "Jamie not very forthcoming? Is that what you two keep falling out over?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"Look she doesn't say much, but I knew they were married. There are rumours about them; after all he is a big part of her notorious legend as Bloody Mary—"

"—Daze?" Jamie interrupts - his timing is too good. He was listening to us. "C'mon, we think we've got a faster route."

"Jay, wait hold-on. Give me a couple of minutes, I'm just gonna take a quick sprint to check we can get across, if not we'll have to go the slower route." David yells out.

"Oh J-ames?" Mary sings summoning him to her and like an obedient husband he goes.

Dieter nudges me. "I can here you grinding your fangs, you know."

I don't answer him, I am too busy eyeing their seemingly intense conversation. Jamie's hand clutches the top of Mary's arm, holding her in place, as he mutters something next to her ear. Stood in a dominating stance, his muscles swell with tension underneath his t-shirt,. His body is poised ready to crush her yet there is no sign of a struggle or resistance from her. In fact, she appears very calm and lost in his words.

"Can you hear what they're talking about?" Dieter whispers to me.

I shake my head. "No, they're purposely keeping their voices at a level no one but them can hear."

"Kind of pisses you off, doesn't it?"

"Of course it bloody does. My boyfriend is having hushed conversations with his not so estranged wife. Doesn't it get to you?"

At that same moment, Jamie's twists his head in our direction. A wry smile spreads across his lips. We may not be able to hear him, but he can certainly hear us.

"Mary is always hiding in corners having hushed conversations. I've gotten used to it. We could continue with our history lesson if you want?" Dieter offers referring to Jamie and Mary's past.

I give him a slight shake of my head and gesture with my eyes towards Jamie and discreetly tap my ear.

Akin to a flash of white lightening, Jamie appears in front of us. "What history lesson is this?" The frosty edge to his tone betrays his escalating angst about exposing his past with that woman.

"Vechi Venator history." Dieter answers quickly and pulls himself up off the ground.

I gaze up at Jamie, not bothering to move. "So what were you and Mary whispering about over there then?"

"This and that. Nothing important."

"Why whisper then?"

Jamie smiles but narrows his eyes as he offers his hand to assist me to my feet.

I spring to my feet without accepting it. "Let's go. David's almost back." I suggest, brushing my backside with my hands to shake off any loose dirt and debris.

Jamie swiftly refocuses the conversation as I walk away. "So Nahr- _Dieter_ , what exactly happens when we find this Kapok tree? Do we slash the vines down or is there some hoodoo we need to do first?"

* * * *

The faster route checked out okay, so we all followed David's route through Little Hell, covering around another twenty five miles in less than half an hour.

With Little Hell being significantly wilder than the rainforest, we have to cut our way through the untamed frondescence. Decay infects this side of the falls and although the air is clean, the feint scent of death circulates in the breeze. The nocturnal chorus has transformed into a cacophony of painful squawks and eerie blood curdling howls and these horrifying sounds are making me rather skittish.

"You okay Titch?" Jamie asks in his soothing velvety voice. "You've not said anything for a while, which isn't like you." He adds to tease out a reaction.

Whilst he speaks, my anxious eyes dart from shadow to shadow. "I'm sensing something. We're being watched." I whisper in a hurry, grabbing his arm to get his attention.

"It's just this place. It's what Little Hell does." He dismisses and curls his arm around me, drawing me up close to his side.

I welcome the comfort of being close to him, but I know I am right. "Something is definitely circling us, something that doesn't want us here—"

"— _RRRROOOOAAARRR!_ " A deep guttural sound bellows from behind us.

Chapter 5: _Vasitri_

**D** angerous red eyes bleed through the dark as the ground beneath us shudders under heavy footsteps.

"It's a Vasitri." Dieter whispers. He sounds in awe yet terror rolls off him.

"We mean you no harm. We just wish to pass." David yells out as he lowers Dieter to the ground behind him.

A fathomless roar rumbles through the darkness as a monstrous eight foot tall ape-like creature covered head to toe with black matted hair emerges under the moonlight and stops a few meters in front of us. Its oversized red bug-like eyes glare at each one of us in turn, while it hisses and snarls brandishing several sets of razor sharp pointed teeth, drenched in dripping drool that reeks of rotting flesh.

"Roubou . . . Humana." The Vasitri growls.

"You are mistaken. We have stolen nothing from you." My brother yells back.

"The slobbering Vasitri clods closer to me, hissing and grunting as it moves. Fear grips my whole body. The sense to get out of its way deserts me, but inside my power buzzes, alert and ready to protect me. The vile creature sniffs the air like a bloodhound and starts to circle me. Jamie lunges forward, but David holds him back, fearing his action will force the monster into attack.

"Não . . . humana." It grunts and spits shrouding me in its putrid vapour.

Hoping to free my voice from the terror that now grips it, I swallow hard trying to bury it. "No, we are vampiros." I manage feebly.

"Humana." The beast stabs its finger in Dieter's direction.

"Yes. Yes, but the human is hers." Jerkily I twist and point to Mary.

"Dáme. . . give."

"No. I can't do that. He's hers." Courage rises up inside me.

"RRRRROOOOOAAAAHHH!" The Vasitri launches at me.

" _DAISY!"_ My brother leaps forward to defend me, but my power has already fired into action and suspends the creature in the air above us.

Both of us stare up at the matted creature taking a moment to marvel at its monstrosity. An acute whistling sound suddenly flies past my ear, a nanosecond before a shower of blood rains down on top of us. The shock distracts me, my power fades, sending the Vasitri to the ground with a loud thump, and bizarrely a dagger protrudes out of its chest. _How did that get there?_ David and I twist around to work out who could have thrown it. Both Mary and Jamie stare aghast in Dieter's direction.

"What the—?" David begins unsure of what to make of it.

"It's a reflex, he kills humans." Dieter shrugs, looking a little sheepish.

"Where did you get that from?" Mary screeches charging towards him. "You have betrayed my trust and I should end you for that."

"No you won't!" I shout, wiping the sticky blood from my eyes and direct my magic at her to stop her from getting close to Dieter.

"Why? What concern is it of yours?" She screams. She has clearly lost it.

"I thought the whole point of you and him being here was because of who he is and what he knows. Do you think I am going to let you kill him? Do you think Nomios would be pleased to hear that you killed the only Vechi Venator loyal to vampires? Huh?"

Mary brushes stray hairs from her face and smoothes out her bathing suit as she glares at me, but she slowly shakes her head in acknowledgement. She cannot argue with me this time, she knows I am right. I release her.

I glance back to David knelt over the creature's corpse. He has pulled the dagger from its heart and wipes the blade on his knee.

"So this is a Vasitri?" I confirm.

"Mmhm. A cursed creature who feeds on humans, but not like us - on flesh and bone. Its strength would match ours, if not exceed it. I am afraid it won't be the only one. They live in packs." David rises to his feet. "We should get moving and quickly."

* * * *

To my relief we crossed paths with a shallow stream so I was able to rinse some of the icky Vasitri blood off me. Since then we have maintained a fast running pace and the shadowy figure of the Kapok is now visible. It is a beast of a tree, as tall as a skyscraper and as a wide as a house. It's roots stretch out like elephant trunks from above our head digging into the ground and Dragon spikes jut out covering the body of the tree. It is both grotesque and beautiful at the same time. Blood Rock looms behind it in an unnatural shade of fiery red that completes the foreboding angry scene in front of us.

"So then my treacherous Nahrung what do we need to do now?" Mary snarls.

"I am not treacherous; I killed a monster, not one of you. If anything I protected you." He barks back and slides down off David's back.

"You hid your dagger from me. You lead me to believe that the one you handed over was the only one."

"It is to protect myself Mary. I love you. I would never do anything to harm you. But there are others who would attack me and I've got little means of defence on my own in your world."

"I have risked everything to keep you safe. No one has touched you despite there being many that would see one less Vechi warrior in this world as a victory. I guaranteed that you had renounced your birthright and that you had handed over your weapon. You have made me look a fool."

"— _Hey_! You two can settle your differences once we're done. We've got to get a move on and get these vines and get the hell out of here." I intervene; sick of listening to her berate him.

"And who do you think you are to order me around?" Mary cackles, affronted by my interruption.

"Now, now ladies, play nice." Jamie interjects, "So c'mon Dieter, what's next?"

"We need to cut the vines down with the Vechi dagger. That is why I brought it with me. Not to double cross you." He shouts for Mary's benefit.

"Give it here then and I'll go up the tree." Jamie offers.

"No. The dagger is mine. I have to do it. The tree guards the mother of vampires. Another vampire cannot mark the tree in any way. Otherwise your kind would chop it down and resurrect her."

Jamie sighs and throws his hands in the air. "Okay then, you shimmy up."

"There's er just one problem . . ."

"What?" David asks cautiously.

"I . . .I'm erm . . .Kinda . . Sorta . . . terrified of heights." Dieter blushes.

"Oh puh-lease. Vechi Venators are warriors and here you are a pathetic Nahrung who's afraid of heights. You are an embarrassment to your clan." Mary continues to belittle the poor guy.

"It's gotta be at least 300 foot tall." Dieter protests.

"James, piggy-back him up there." Mary orders.

Who does she think she is? I should snap her stupid neck. "No, it's too dangerous; Dieter's blood will send him ravenous." I challenge.

Mary throws her arms up into the air theatrically, slapping them down on her naked thighs and sighs heavily. "So what do you suggest, dear?"

David tries to read me. "Go on then, what's your plan Sis?" He asks.

"It's quite simple, I'll levitate him up there."

David nods, accepting the idea. "You feel strong enough to do that?"

"Yes I'm fine, David. Honestly."

"Okay, let's try it. Dieter, don't look so worried, you can trust her. She won't let you fall. Daisy, I'm here if you need me yeah?"

After a brief demonstration, Dieter agrees. Slowly, he lifts off the ground. As he reaches above head height, he gives me the thumbs up to lift him higher up into the dizzy heights of the gargantuan tree.

"So what's in this for you, Mary?" My brother probes with a hint of suspicion in his tone.

"Power, my dear boy Power." She answers staring up the tree after Dieter.

"And how will _us_ ending Acheron's immortal life give _you_ power?" He explores some more.

"Nomios has little interest in Acheron or his little territory. Therefore If Acheron is removed from power, and because Nomios's territory borders Acheron's, he will take control and he'll appoint a president and that president will become a council member taking up Acheron's seat."

"And?" David presses.

Mary sighs and glares at him. "And? And Nomios has promised me the position as long as we deal with Acheron swiftly and quietly with absolute success. He does not want this to be messy and alert the Praeter Orbis Senate."

"A woman on the great Vampire Council?" My brother chuckles in disbelief.

"This is the twenty first century. I am sure they can handle it." Mary retorts.

The sound of rustling leaves rains down on us shortly followed by the tumble of a long hefty ashen vine that thuds onto the forest floor interrupting their conversation.

"How many do you reckon we'll need." Jamie directs his question at no one in particular, whilst he picks up the vine to weigh and examine it more closely in his hands. He then attempts to take a bite using his fangs. "Shit. Not even a pin prick. That's unbelievable."

Another rustling sound and a second drops to the left of Jamie.

"Daisy? Move me to the right." Dieter yells down.

Jamie glances up the tree and then turns and smiles back at me. I think he is proud of how far I have come with my magical power. "What?" I giggle self-consciously.

A third vine drops to the floor. "That should do it. Bring me down now." Dieter's voice echoes.

Meanwhile, Jamie's smile fades with each step he takes towards me. When he reaches me he leans into my ear and whispers quietly, "Daze, there's a drop of blood seeping from your nose."

With the back of my hand, I quickly wipe it away. "I feel fine." I reply although that is not quite true, I do feel a little light headed, but I don't want him or my brother fussing, especially not in front of Mary. I am grateful to him for not choosing to cause a scene.

"Don't want to make a habit of that but it certainly beats climbing up the thing. Saved us loads of time." Dieter interrupts. "You know, that rock looks even more magnificent from up there. And to think the mother of all vampires lies beneath it. Astonishing."

As the echo of magic pulsing through my body fades to normal it unsteadies me, but Jamie wraps his arms around me to steady me, which disguises my weakness this time. "Dave, you got any blood left? Daisy should drink some to be on the safe side."

David nods, and passes me a flask with just over a cupful of warm blood left in it. "That's the last of it until we find a stray human."

The warm blood coating my insides is a welcome relief to the ache from the loss of power. When the final drop slides down my throat, I feel my strength quickly restock.

All of a sudden, a recognisable deep guttural snarl rumbles through the trees, similar to that of the Vasitri we killed earlier and the familiar stench of rotting flesh fills our senses. I glance at David and then around us. A sea of vengeful red eyes circle us.

"Everyone go back to the tree, and keep close together. I can protect us." I urge and retreat to foot of the Kapok. With my eyes closed, I sense the still air around us and imagine it thickening and strengthening to become an impenetrable force field.

A chorus of thundering roars deafen us, sending the rainforest into silence except for the sound of their stampede. Mary lets out an unwanted shriek. The last thing she wants is to expose is her fear, but we are all terrified and I am hoping and praying that my force field will work. David reaches out and holds my hand. His strength pumps into me supply me with the additional power to hold the barrier in place.

One by one, the creatures run into my force field and one by one, they bounce off the invisible barrier and tumble to the ground, yelping like a kicked dog. Yet this does nothing to discourage them from their lust to attack. Again and again, they ram into the barrier with no sign of a retreat. I fear for how long this will last. David's strength continues to pulse through me and my body greedily absorbs it so that it can feed the enhanced power oozing out of me. However, the surging force is growing too great, and my small frame convulses as it struggles to contain the power rushing to burst out of me. I have to do something more to end the attack.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I visualise a building fire swirling into a bright white heat that will consume the creatures and dissolve them into ashes. A moment later, around me, agonizing screams ring out. When I open my eyes, one after the other, Vasitri explode into balls of flames. I cling to the power inside, praying that my body (which also feels like it is going to burst into flames at any moment) will hold out long enough for me to finish this.

Finally, the last Vasitri beast disintegrates into flames, a mere moment before my hand slips out of David's grasp and the familiar draining sensation claws the power out of my body, leaving it weak and useless unable to do anything other than collapse into Jamie's waiting arms.

Chapter 6: Diablo

Vampire Ruler of North and South America, Head of The Sanguine Decsange Fraternity Council

" **M** iss Love?" In the darkness, an unfamiliar male voice coated in a Portuguese accent calls out to me.

There is something about this deep honeyed voice that I can't quite put my finger on. Whatever it is, it sparks off uneasy shivers that skate painfully across my skin. What worries me more is that I cannot remember where I am or how I got here. Wherever I am, I am not at the foot of the Kapok tree that is for sure.

"Miss Love will be waking soon. When she does, ensure she puts on the clean clothes I have picked out for her and bring her down to the Sala de boas-vindas Branco." The voice adds, directing his instructions at someone else nearby.

To my right, the gentle click from a closing door suggests that someone has left and with their departure, the uneasy feeling eases.

After prizing my tired eyes open, I find a middle-aged woman in a black nylon dress with a red crocheted shawl draped over her shoulders sat in the corner of the room flicking through a magazine next to a small reading lamp. The room itself is perfectly square, decorated in clinical white. A large window wall stands in front of me, which would frame stunning views, if it were not nightfall outside. All I can see is the reflection of myself sitting in a large low-to-the-floor bed. I look well rested, but there is a plastic tube sticking out of my arm leading up to a bag of blood hanging on a trolley above the bed. _Where the hell am I?_

The middle-aged woman puts her magazine down and rises to her feet. "Miss Love? You awake? I have some clothes for you to change into. His Excellency awaits your presence in the white welcome room. Once you are changed I will show you to him." She explains in a gentle maternal voice as she claps her hands together twice, in quick succession. The main ceiling light floods the room at her command and she walks over to the bed and removes the tube from my arm.

"His Excellency? Where exactly am I?" I ask searching her eyes for the answer as she fiddles with the tube.

"His Excellency, Senhor Diablo recovered you from Chapada Diamantina. You are in his home. Come now, we must dress you." The middle-aged woman beckons me out of bed and holds up a white dress.

"Where are _my_ clothes?"

"They were torn and dirty. His Excellency has asked me to dress you in this."

"Where are the people who were with me?"

"They are here too, speaking with His Excellency. You will be joining them shortly. Now, please Miss Love, let me dress you. His Excellency is waiting." The urgency in her voice bares her fear of what will happen to her if she fails to get me into the dress and down to see _his Excellency._

"Okay." I agree. She seems like a nice woman and not someone I would want to put in unnecessary danger by refusing to comply.

The short silk backless Grecian style dress falls to about half way down my thighs. What minimal material there is feels amazingly soft against my skin and ripples seductively with the slightest movement. The middle-aged woman tends to my hair, massaging it with some sort of rose and pistachio scented oil that smoothes it into a glossy shine before she positions it down one side. Next, she passes me a pair of white jewelled sandals and turns me towards the mirror. An unrecognisable glamorous goddess stares back at me.

"I'll take you to his Excellency now." The woman ushers. "Come, come."

She leads me through a brightly lit glass corridor that opens up into a large glass room with nothing but a white stone bridge hovering over what appears to be an indoor pond swollen to fill the entire floor space. Oversized Lilly pods are scattered on top of cobalt coloured water and I am able to catch glimpses of tropical fish swimming underneath. In the centre of the room, the bridge divides into four paths that trail off into yet more glass corridors. The middle-aged woman beckons me down the shortest path that ends at the top of a marble staircase.

"His Excellency is waiting down there for you." She points down at the marble staircase and scampers off down a different corridor to the one we came down.

Before I even reach the bottom of the marble staircase, my sandals clip clopping loudly on the marble steps, prematurely announce my arrival. Another clinical room greets me. Immediately in front of me, white ornate chairs with overstuffed padded cushions surround a long white gloss table blocking a path ahead. I have no choice but to turn the corner and explore the rest of the hidden room where I know I will find David and Jamie because their scent has already found me. The hidden room spreads out into a long rectangle. Above me, the tropical fish that I caught glimpses of a moment ago swim over my head inside the low ceiling, giving the room an underwater feel and at the far end I find my brother and Jamie sitting on large white sofas along with Mary and one other.

The stranger, in a white suit and a crisp white shirt buttoned half way up, smiles broadly at me as I join the group. His skin is an unusual shade of faded caramel and his hair is as dark as the blackest night. Dark eyebrows frame his big brown hooded eyes and his full sensual lips make him appear handsome but not extraordinarily so, not like Acheron's mesmerising beauty and despite this, his presence is all-consuming. I cannot pry my eyes from him.

"Daisy?" My brother breathes a sigh of pulls me into one of his bear hugs. "I was so worried." He whispers as Jamie stands eager to embrace me too, yet the man in the white, who I assume is Diablo, continues to capture my curious gaze.

"Miss Love." The man coos in a seductive hum, emphasising the 'L' and 'V' of my name. "Please, come join us." He gestures for me to sit next to him. "I am Diablo, Vampire Ruler of North and South America, Head of The Sanguine Decsange Fraternity Council, and representative of the Vampire race at the Praeter Orbis Senate. I am overwhelmed to finally meet you.

"H-how did we get here." I stutter in a small voice.

"My men rescued you in Chapada Diamantina."

"From what?" I blurt out. I remember killing all the Vasitri, but that is the last thing I can remember.

"You passed out my dear. Overexerted yourself I think. You have been out for twenty four hours now."

"But—" I begin before Mary hushes me.

"—Daisy, this is his Excellency, you must not question him." Mary uses her fake drawl. "He saved you, you should be thankful and _silent_."

"Oh. I see. Er, well thank you." I stumble, trying to fit it together in my head.

"My absolute pleasure Miss Love. I have been longing to meet you and your brother since I received news of your existence. You have a fascinating story." Diablo grins revealing elongated fangs, more sinister than any I have ever seen. A click of his fingers brings a man out of the shadows carrying six crystal glasses of blood.

"Where is Dieter?" I ask, ignoring May's advice as soon as I realise the sixth glass is unlikely to be waiting for him and it is unlikely to belong to the man from the shadows.

"Do you mean Mary's Nahrung? I have confined him to her room. We cannot allow pets to be running around unleashed." Diablo chuckles as if the idea is of great amusement to him.

"There is a sixth glass?" I nod at the unclaimed glass on the coffee table on top of a plush white rug.

"Ah yes, how very astute you are Miss Love. We do have another guest joining us shortly. A surprise for you."

"Daisy. _Dear_ ," Mary smiles through gritted teeth as if I am embarrassing her with my lack of etiquette. "I said. You. Do not question his Excellency."

As my eyes are reluctant to leave Diablo, I do not miss his quick shooting glare at her. "Miss Love, I am happy to listen to any questions you have. I am sure this must be a little disorientating for you."

The Butler enters the room from a different door and bows. "Your Excellency, your final guest has arrived."

"Ah fantastic. Obrigado. Send him in." Diablo instructs. The Butler bows once more and leaves. "So Miss Love, do you feel in better health now?"

"Thank you, I am feeling much better. What was it you gave me?"

"An excellent blend of blood which rejuvenates and strengthens."

"Well, thank you for your kind hospitality." I force a smile. Underneath all the niceties my instincts scream out not to let my guard down.

Announcing the ominous arrival of the final guest, the sound of approaching footsteps distracts us. Diablo rises to his feet and walks through the door out of our sight to meet them.

Jamie leaps on to the sofa to be by my side. "Are you really okay, Titch?" He checks as he lightly strokes my hair.

"Of course she is James." Mary snaps. "Get back over here before he comes back."

"Yes, I think so." I reply.

"You look incredible." He whispers, ignoring her and presses a soft kiss against my neck. "A goddess in white."

"I see you've got new clothes too?" I run my hand over Jamie's short-sleeved linen shirt.

"Yeah, I think he's a clean freak – everything is white." Jamie smiles.

"I wonder who this mystery guest is?" My brother mutters staring hard after Diablo at the point where he vanished from view. "Acheron?"

Jamie shakes his head. "No way."

"Well we're about to find out." Mary sighs pretending to pick fluff off her white shift dress just as Diablo reappears with his final guest in tow.

I spring to my feet. " _Adam_!" His name bursts out in a splutter.

"Yes Miss Love. Sir Adam Beaumont, my dear friend and loyal subject." Diablo holds his hands out presenting Adam to us. "Someone I believe you are very fond of too. Yes?"

A smug grin breaks out across Adam's face, whilst something inside me twists uncomfortably.

David is on his feet too, fists clenched at his side with fury pumping into his veins. "What the hell are you doing here? You are supposed to be on the coast with the Brotherhood Alliance."

"Calm down David. The Alliance are safe and well here in Brazil." Adam informs him with a hint of condescension.

"I don't understand? What's going on here?" I mutter. _Has Adam betrayed us, betrayed our friendship?_

"It is simple my sweet, I moved the Alliance to a safer location."

"Those were not my orders." David snaps. "You were at a safe location on the coast, where others who wanted to join could find refuge."

"Now, now, everybody, please take a seat and let us talk about this calmly." Diablo suggests. "First off, I must thank you for saving Beaumont's life, David." Diablo returns to his seat next to me and narrows his eyes at Jamie who has not moved back to his original place yet while Adam takes his seat next to Mary. "And to answer your question, they were my orders." Diablo gestures for Adam to take the sixth glass of blood wine. "Beaumont has long been a good friend and loyal subject of mine. We do not live in oblivion here. I particularly like to invest time and effort into knowing everything about my brothers and their territories, their strategies and their plots. My baby brother has never been satisfied with his lot, despite having our mother's undivided attention until her eternal death.

"We were advised of your existence at the Praetor Orbis Senate, when you were just babies. The Circle of Seven – the Sorcerers representatives announced your birth as they are bound to do. I debriefed my council and thus begun Asher's obsession to find you because he believed you could make him the most powerful vampire. Asher may be a half-breed but he is clever and cunning. Beaumont was the best man to infiltrate his leadership ranks and stop him from discovering you."

"But Acheron turned us." I interrupt forgetting myself.

Diablo pauses and draws a slow smile before nodding with agreement. "My brother Nomios is perhaps in part to blame for that error. He upset our dear Mary Worth, did he not Mary?" His tone is deathly.

"Yes he did, your Excellency, but Nomios has since forgiven me for my part in that." Mary answers, dropping her eyes down to her lap. It is odd to see who look contrite for once.

"Mary was Nomios's favourite for the best part of a millennia until he came across an Egyptian queen who was more beautiful than the goddess Athena." Diablo's hands wave gracefully in the air as Mary shifts in her seat, noticeably jealous of the emphasis Diablo is putting into the description of her rival. "Nomios discarded Mary in favour of his Egyptian queen who refused to share him. Nomios is too easily led by his crotch." Diablo shakes his head with disappointment for his brother's failings. "Mary, being the brilliantly vengeful vampire that she is, seduced Asher and offered him her gift to find the both of you."

"Acheron is a spoilt impetuous child who does not appreciate the prized gifts he has offered to him." Mary snaps breaking her own rules.

Diablo nods in agreement. "He never has been satisfied with sloppy seconds . . . of anything." Mary's face is an absolute picture. "So, as I was saying, we heard that Asher had been successful, but that he had also managed to misplace you. Tsk, Tsk. Careless boy. When we became aware that he was searching for you again and was planning to cleanse our race to do it, we sent Beaumont in to infiltrate him and protect you. It was not the will of the Council for you to be trapped under his command."

"I don't care about all that. What I want to know is why is the Alliance here?" My brother interrupts, losing patience with the history lesson.

"Once you destroy Asher, Nomios will take control if the territory and send his men in to clean up all loose ends. You no longer need an army of your own. You did exceptionally well to weaken Asher's FVoL organisation and as a reward, your members can live a relatively free life here until it is safe to return, if they wish. You should be proud. You have delivered them their future. You owe them no more than that."

I can feel my brother's anger bubbling, but he is containing it. For now. Jamie's hand squeezes tighter around mine.

' _More lies?'_ I mouth at Adam, arching my eyebrow and then shaking my head in disappointment.

"No my sweet," He answers aloud. "Everything I have ever done or said was to protect you."

"You told me that you were heartbroken after Eva and turned to Acheron's cause to numb the pain. That must be a lie if you were in fact a spy for his Excellency. Did Eva even exist?"

"I would not call it a lie. I stretched the truth a little. I did loose Eva, but it was a long time ago, long before the blood wars, long before I served Diablo. He forbade me from revealing the truth to you or anyone. Trust me, I have done what I have done to protect you. Not to betray you or your brother."

I want to challenge him but this is not the time or place. I take a deep breath and turn my attention back to Diablo. "Thank you for looking after me and your hospitality. It has been an enlightening experience, but we have a job to do, one which I'm guessing you want us to enact swiftly and as we still have more elements to retrieve before we can do that so I hope you'll grant us your leave."

"Not yet, the night is growing late, you shall leave tomorrow at sunset, and my private jet will take you to your next destination. Enjoy my hospitality until then. Oh and . . . Beaumont will accompany you as my emissary until the task is completed."

Before I can protest, the butler interrupts us again. "Sir there is a matter that requires your urgent attention." A man dressed in a black hooded cloak, who looks more of a shadow than a real person, flies into view behind him, but quickly vanishes as soon as he notices Diablo is not alone.

Diablo bows. "If you'll excuse me, I must bid you goodnight. I will meet with you tomorrow before you leave. Please take full advantage of my hospitality. Cedric," he waves his hand in the direction of the waiter stood in the corner, " . . . will get you _whatever_ you desire. Until tomorrow ." Diablo nods farewell and follows the butler up the marble steps.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance." David hisses.

Adam smiles, shaking his head. "We all have lessons to learn, David." He taunts before turning to address Mary, who extends her gloved hand to him. "Mary Worth, enchanted to meet you again."

"Sir Adam, still as charming as ever." She purrs, accepting his kiss on the back of her hand.

"I can't believe this." I mutter.

Jamie takes my arm. "C'mon I'll take you back to your room."

"Oh, before you retire Daisy, I would like to speak with you in private?" Adam blocks my path. His eyes glance down the front of my dress and back up to my eyes. "Wow. You grow more beautiful each I time I lay eyes on you, my sweet."

"Hey!" Jamie steps in front of me and glares at Adam. "She is not _your_ anything."

"And I forbid it. You deal with me not her." David declares in a steely tone.

"I cannot believe that after everything that has happened, you are still trying to subdue and control her." Adam chortles, shaking his head again. "That is what lost you your beloved sister in the first place. What are you afraid of David?" Menace seeps into Adam's voice, despite his arrogantly convivial body language.

"I am protecting her from monsters like you who abuse and manipulate her. Look what happened when I let her convince me to keep you alive. You double cross us. I should have trusted my instincts. I won't be so lenient next time."

Adam clicks his tongue. "Next time? Listen David, I have not double crossed you. I built up your army. I stayed away from Daisy, I helped you move against Acheron, and now I have brought the Alliance to safety. Exactly which part of that amounts to a betrayal?"

I squeeze past Jamie. "It's more lies. I forgave you when you lied to me about who I truly was. I saved your life and ignored David's warning that you would play the obedient puppy and then strike when the time was right. But he was right wasn't he? You were just pretending to be my friend and my confidant, whilst plotting all along. So no Adam, right now I have nothing to say to you and I don't want to hear any more of your lies. We are done . . . I thought I could trust you." My voice cracks.

"Daisy, you can trust me. Diablo forbade me from telling you the whole truth, but I promise you on my honour, since the day I found you in your barn, I have done everything to protect you and keep you safe from _all_ the Elders and anyone else who was a danger to you." Adam insists.

He looks sincere _but is he faking it?_ "I just don't know what to believe anymore Adam." I sigh, but the hurt I am feeling twists into anger. "How can I trust you now?" My voice raises with my building temper. "Okay-so I have to put up with you on this stupid quest, but as far as you and I go, from now on we are strangers to each other and you are just one of Diablo's minions tagging along for the ride. Now excuse me I need some space." My pain knots up tighter and tighter inside my stomach and makes me want to heave or explode.

"Still as feisty as ever I see. I do adore that about you." Adam smiles and shoves his hands into the pockets of his trousers before he takes a step to the side to allow me to pass. "I have had your back since the day I found you. I was your friend when _he,"_ Adam lifts his chin in Jamie's direction. "Left you all alone and devastated, for what was it, nearly six months? When have I ever willingly left you? So what I didn't tell you about my allegiance to Diablo, it makes no difference to us, what we feel for each other. Not knowing has never put you at any risk. I was under orders not to reveal his involvement. I am loyal Daisy, above all else."

His words capture something inside me, causing me to pause halfway across the room and take a moment to contemplate what he has just said. _Am I blowing this out of proportion?_

"Loyal are y'? And what if Diablo were to order you to end either of 'em?" Jamie goads. "What if Diablo decided he didn't want two vampires in the world more powerful than the first son if Lilith? Huh?"

I twist around to watch Adam answer.

Adam's eyes lock on to mine. "I serve Diablo, but I love Daisy. I could never hurt her." His words seem to have such conviction that somehow they reach into my soul.

Loud over exaggerated claps from David interrupt my moment of hesitation. "Excellent speech Beaumont. Almost brought a tear to my eye." He pretends to pout accentuating his sarcastic words. "If I hadn't witnessed your dark side and the way you treated her when she was under your command and in your bed, I might have actually believed you. I don't know what game it is you are playing, but if you think I am going to let you anywhere near my sister ever again, you have got another thing coming. I mean, come on, why do you think I sent you hundreds of miles away with the Alliance? I could have picked someone else, but I knew there was a chance you could manipulate her into thinking she feels something for you after Jay left. I knew you would take advantage of her grief and twist it for your own gain."

Adams disfigured face breaks out into a cunning smile. It is one that I have seen before and one that chills me to the core. "Manipulate her? There you go again David, underestimating her. I have no game to play. Daisy promised to be mine under Vampire Lore once. When she wants me she knows I'll be waiting."

"When?" Jamie spits ready to attack again, but David holds him back. " _Never!"_

"Oh puh-lease." Mary interrupts and rolls her eyes. "She betrayed Sir Adam, Sir Adam betrayed you, and Jamie betrayed you all, bla, bla, bla. None of you are whiter than white and like it or not we have a job to do for a better life for everyone concerned so can we please just get on with it and stop this mind numbing bickering?" We all stop and stare at her. "Sir Adam give me your hand." She insists as she removes her glove. "Let me see if betrayal is in your future. I for one am only interested in seeing whether you will prevent us from completing this bloody task."

"I have nothing to hide my lady. Read away." Adam holds out his hand, palm up to Mary, but fixes his stare on me.

For several minutes, with her hands cupping Adam's, Mary closes her eyes.

Adam's obsessive gaze doesn't falter, crawling over me, unnerving me. In search of reassurance, I reach out and slip my hand into Jamie's. He squeezes it back and leans over to kiss my hair whilst we wait patiently for Mary's verdict.

"Mmm." Mary finally breaks the weighted silence. "Sir Adam will not prevent us from completing this task. He will support and assist us in every way he can." She releases his hand and struts out of the room in her six inch silver heels.

Adam winks at me, "I guess that is settled then. I'm in. See you at sunset."

* * * *

"Have you really forgiven me for leaving after Lizzy?" Jamie asks, as I lay sated in his arms tangled up in white cotton sheets gazing out the window at the lush vibrant green carpet that is the treetops of the rainforest.

"How high up do you think we are?" I mutter, ignoring his question.

"Really high. Answer me Daze, please."

"Why are you asking this now?" I giggle, trying to keep the conversation light because I am enjoying this alone time with him. "We're together, that's all that matters."

"I'm being serious. Since I came back; us getting together, Mary turning up, being here – it's all happened so fast and I'm not sure we've properly dealt with the emotional stuff."

I rise up on to my elbows and twist so that I'm staring into his cool blue eyes. "You asked me to have faith in you, faith in us and that is what I am trying to do. I am at my most vulnerable when I am with you because you hold my heart and soul. You told me that if I ever broke your heart it would take you to dark places. Well without you, there is no point to my existence." I kiss him hard to prove my need and bathe in the spark we ignite until he pulls away.

"Wait, I need to go around this for my own sanity." He pants as if it is taking all his willpower not to succumb to our carnal lust. "So. . . what would . . .er . . . have happened if . . . you know . . . I hadn't come back. Would Beaumont have gotten his wish?"

"You cannot seriously be asking me that?" I frown in horror.

"You hesitated earlier when he was saying all that stuff about how he loved you—and David obviously thought he could manipulate you back into his bed because he sent him hundreds of miles away to keep you apart."

"First of all you know my brother is crazy protective and that he hates Adam, like no one else. Look what happened when he captured him."

"Yeah, you begged for his life."

"Jamie, listen to me. He was a big part of my life for a long time. I cared about him. I didn't want to believe I'd been that stupid and naive and that I should never have put my trust in him. That is why I hesitated earlier, because I want to believe that what he has done was with the best of intentions and not because he is plotting against us. Do you really think David could keep me apart from someone I wanted to be with? You know that he wouldn't be able to. So stop this. I have had to trust you about Mary, which if I am honest is incredibly hard, but now I need you to do the same for me with Adam. It's you who makes my heart race, not him." After tossing the sheet aside, I search the room for some more clothes

"You're right, I'm sorry. Hey, what are you doing?"

The white dress is the only item of clothing in the room so I slip it back on. "As wonderful as it is lying in bed with you, we've got a job to do. I want to go back to the villa to grab some clothes before we get on the Jet. I can't go searching for Alchemists looking like this."

"You look perfect." Jamie crawls along the bed like a preying animal.

"It's not practical."

"Practical for something . . ." A sultry growl rumbles in his throat and reverberates inside me. His eyes blaze with a lustful appetite and if by magic my dress falls to the ground.

* * * *

"C'mon you two, we've been waiting for over an hour. Where have you been? Diablo is about to send out a search party." David yells over to us as we run across the private runway and up the stairs to the jet.

"Sorry. I needed to grab some clothes." I apologise pushing past him into the Jet.

Jamie steps inside after me and pats my brother on the shoulder. "Sorry Dave, we got caught up, I told her she was fine as she was but she wouldn't have it."

"Yeah, and if I had listened to you, we still wouldn't be here." I giggle.

"His Excellency was not happy. He's had to go to his next appointment." Mary interrupts in her snippy tone.

She sits with Adam at a table in the middle of the plane. Adam looks none too pleased either. He pretty much ignores us keeping his head buried in the broadsheet newspaper.

"Hiya you two. Off on the next adventure eh?" Dieter emerges from the bathroom wearing an excited grin. "Gonna find ourselves a faery doctor."

"Alchemist?" I clarify.

"Same thing." He shrugs adjusting his neck scarf as he settles down at a table at the rear of the jet.

I go over and join him whilst David and Jamie chat to each other at the front. "So this faery doctor or alchemist or whatever, they will give us an elixir to coat the vines?"

"Yeah. In theory. We'll need to convince them to help us. They don't usually help vamps." Dieter chuckles. "That's if we can even find 'em."

Chapter 7: The Hunt for the Faery Doctor

**C** artley is a small village in middle England with a population of around two thousand and the place where we will apparently find a faery doctor. Mary refused to stay in a local bed and breakfast so we have booked into a large Tudor country house hotel on the outskirts of the village. The only downside to that is it is a popular place with tourists and therefore we need to be careful not to draw too much attention to ourselves.

Tonight we begin our search for a so-called faery doctor under the premise of a pub-crawl. I pull on my tightest jeans and a low cut fitted black T-shirt for an understated but sexy look. I also let my long dark hair dry naturally so that my loose curls hang low down my back. Jamie has already gone downstairs to grab a drink and suss the place out whilst I finish getting ready.

In the bar, where we agreed to meet, Jamie is missing. Instead, I find Adam sitting alone at the bar. Huddled at the far end of the bar, a group of humans – men and woman around thirty to forty – nod and gesture over at Adam as if he is some sort of a freak show. They are trying to be subtle but failing miserably. Meanwhile, Adam sips his whiskey and flicks through the local newspaper ignoring them. Dressed in a crisp white shirt with three or four buttons undone exposing the curve of his hard pecs and smart black trousers, Adam looks good. He always looked good in a simple shirt and trousers.

"Daisy my sweet, are you going to stand in the corner and stare at me or are you going to join me?" He holds up his glass of whiskey but doesn't take his eyes off the paper laid out on the bar.

His voice, although quiet is thunderously deep and cuts through everything, attracting more blatant attention from the gaggle of men and woman at the other end of the bar.

I smile, "Why not." And saunter over to greet him, putting my arms around his neck and planting a soft kiss on his rugged cheek - for the benefit of the nosey humans - not for Adam's benefit. This does not mean I have forgiven him or that I trust him, but I hate the way they are gawking at him.

His hand rests lightly around my waist. "Mmm. You smell good." He compliments and raises his other arm to catch the attention of the barman. "Whiskey twice."

The barman glances at me and stares a little too long.

"Whisky. _Twice_." Adam repeats. The barman nods and hurries away. "Do you want to sit?" He asks, offering his stool.

"No I'm fine thanks. I was looking for Jamie or David. Have you seen them?"

"No. There was no one else here when I came down."

The barman places the two glasses of whiskey on the bar and scurries off to gossip to the group of humans.

"I am a big boy Daisy."

"What?" I frown.

"You, the hug, the kiss, the drink? I know you're doing it to prove a point to them." He tips his head in the direction of the men and women who are now staring intently, watching our every move and straining to hear our conversation. "You don't forgive that easily."

"Just because I am furious with you, which I still am, doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"There's hope then?"

"Hope for rebuilding our friendship? Don't know. We'll see." A glimpse of a smile sneaks on to my lips. This is my Adam, sweet, gentle and playful. This is the Adam I can trust.

He grins at me and downs his whiskey in one. "Such a delicious tease." He chaffs, just in time before the rest of our party arrive together. The derisive group at the end of the bar nudge each other, gesticulating at us as my brother, Jamie and Mary enter the bar area and join us. Mary is typically over dressed in an emerald green peplum mini dress. This is a country village for god sake not a London nightclub.

Predictable glares from David and Jamie bore into Adam.

"There you are. Where were you? You said you would meet me in the bar?" I ask, trying to divert their attention.

"No, Daze I said the lounge, that's on the other side of the hotel." Jamie moves swiftly to stake his territory.

Even though I am standing right next to Adam, Jamie strides up to me with an ardent gaze and kisses me long and hard. From the other end of the bar, whispers and gasps from our new fan club come louder. Although Jamie tastes delicious and I could easily get lost in him and allow the world around us to dissolve, I push gently against him to stop him. I am not prepared to allow him to use me as his plaything to poke Adam with.

"Are we ready boys?" Mary sings, linking her arm with my brother's, leaving Dieter stood behind her, looking more than a little disgruntled. "We should hit the town. Oh, sorry Daisy, didn't notice you there. I thought you were staff. You really need to make more of an effort dear. We are not in the rainforest now."

Bitch.

"I think you look sexy as hell." Jamie hums against my ear.

' _I agree.'_ Adam mouths at me and pats my thigh as he rises up from his stool. Now that he is on his feet, his enormous figure seems to swamp the bar, and as he strolls ahead of the rest of us, he bids his audience good evening and exits the bar leaving them speechless and several shades paler.

* * * *

THE VILLAGE IS A popular night out. For such a small place there are many pubs, supported by a lively mix of locals and tourists. Tipsy teenage girls, dressed in a similar vain to Mary, giggle and teeter on their heels as they swap one pub for the next. Older men in their forties and fifties, stinking of tobacco and cigarettes engage in topical discussions in smoking areas and groups of lads pat each other on the back as they rank the single girls and work up the courage to approach them.

We are inside 'The Salutation'. It is busier than the last pub, probably because there is a half-decent indie band playing in here tonight, but there is no sign of our alchemist.

"I'll get the next round in." I shout over the music and manoeuvre my way over to the bar. I need a break from Adam and Jamie's sharp-witted duel of snipes.

A rather cute barman spots me straight away, much to the annoyance of a middle-aged woman with bleached hair and too much make-up, who I guess has been waiting for some time to get served. "And what can I get _you_?" He asks in a tone loaded with suggestion.

"Red wine, Vodka Red Bull and four whiskeys." I accentuate each letter, flirting with him for the fun of it.

As he pours the drinks, he keeps glancing over to me and holding my gaze libidinously as he chews on peppermint chewing gum. "Here you go darlin'. Is there something else you'd like?"

I hand him a couple of twenty's . "Keep the change." I wink.

"Hey! Wait a minute," He grabs my wrist as I am about to take the tray of drinks back to our table. "Not seen you before. Where you from?"

"Here and there, move around a bit."

"Listen, if you fancy going somewhere a bit livelier after this there is an underground club I know." He offers, still loosely holding my wrist.

"Thanks, but I'm with my friends." I shrug my shoulders apologetically.

"Well if you get bored of them—"

"—she won't." Jamie interrupts and gives the barman a sarcastic smile.

The barman, although pretty hench for a human, thinks twice about taking Jamie on and holds his hands up in surrender before moving on to the next pretty girl waiting to be served.

"Jamie, I can handle someone hitting on me."

"I can't." He replies and takes the tray from me, holding it up in the air with one hand like an upmarket waiter.

"So any hints?" I ask referring to the faery doctor. "Or are you and Adam preoccupied with outdoing each other with snide attacks."

"Sorry Titch." Jamie runs his fingers through his hair. "Dieter is talking to one of the band over there." he nods in their direction and twirls the tray of drinks in his hand down on to our table.

I nudge him in the ribs. "Show off."

Mary takes a sip from her glass and pulls a face. "Ugh, this weak inferior alcohol is doing nothing to quell my thirst and all this waiting around for a faery is so not fun. I am going fishing." She declares as she straightens out her dress read to hunt.

Mary makes her way over to the makeshift dance floor - well the part of the pub where everybody is dancing or swaying in front of the band. She joins in, dancing with perfect rhythm in time to the music as she selects her meal. A young looking man with a lot of hair, probably underage and definitely very drunk falls into her trap. Discreetly she drinks from his neck whilst the inebriated crowd remain oblivious to what she really is.

"Space for you right here Daisy." Adam offers tapping the back of the seat next to him.

I am about to refuse, happy to stand and observe, when suddenly Jamie tugs at my hips and pulls me on to his lap. "I trust you. Not him." He whispers as he nuzzles against my ear.

I shrug my shoulders at Adam, who winks in return and knocks his whisky back in one.

"Who was that?" My brother yells over to Dieter as he approaches our table.

"Where's Mary?" Dieter frowns.

Adam nods in her direction on the dance floor.

Dieter whips around. As soon as he spots her, he moves in her direction, but Jamie grabs his arm, and stops him. "Leave her. Dave asked you a question." He says and forces him down onto a seat.

Dieter throws Jamie a dirty look and shakes out his arm as if he is in pain. "The drummer's a Vechi, okay? Look let me go and get her. I need to stop her before she brings a heap of trouble on us."

Jamie nods understanding his concern. "Yeah, alright, sorry mate."

"You'd all better get out of here. We stand out like a sore thumb." Dieter suggests. "It's an indie place, and well, you lot look way too tidy."

"Okay, we'll meet you outside in the alleyway." David accepts.

After quitting 'The Salutation', we all wait for Dieter and Mary down a dark side-alley. Stuck in the middle of these three brooding men, the seconds tick away at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Daze, I need a word." Jamie requests, knitting his fingers in between mine.

"Okay." I agree and follow him deeper into the alley, leaving David and Adam to ignore each other.

As we lose the light from the street and enter the depths of the Cimmerian alley Jamie's moonlight hair and twinkling blue eyes become ethereal and mesmerising arresting me and stealing my attention from everything but him. He pushes me against the wall and presses his weight into me as his kisses find my neck.

"I thought you wanted to speak to me, not seduce me." I tease breathlessly.

"I do, I wanted to tell you that once we're done here, and we're alone in our hotel room I intend to pleasure you in ways you never imagined." His lips trail up my neck and across to my mouth. My whole body quivers and clinches. His soft kiss presses against my lips, but I ache for something unyielding so I grab hold of his T-shirt and draw him in closer to me, desperate to feel him hard against me. "Easy Daze," His husky purr suspends me so that his stare can bewitch me in the way that he so easily does. "I am going to tantalise and tease you to the brink. I will explore every part of you, from the curve of your neck . . . the slope of your shoulder, mmm . . . the swell of your—"

"—Eh-hm." David interrupts and I almost collapse as my weak knees give way. "C'mon you two. Dieter's got Mary, but he's spooked. He won't talk to us until we get out of the village and back to the hotel."

* * * *

I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof whilst we all congregate in my brother's room waiting to hear what Dieter has to say. With only words, Jamie has wound me up to the point of explosion and I cannot think of anything but his hands and his mouth and his oh . . .

"Daze you okay?" Jamie smirks, aware of the affect he has had on me.

I playfully narrow my eyes at him. "I am ready to explode." I whisper so the others cannot hear me.

"Oh no you're not Titch, we are going to take it slow. I'm not going to let you fly until I'm ready to release you." His voice hums seductively against my ear, once again my insides clench and ache for relief.

"So go-on then Dieter what did you find out." David hurries him up, impatient for different reasons.

"That bloke from the band, the drummer? He's an old friend. His family are old friends of my family."

"A Vechi?" Jamie clarifies.

"No, not Vechi bloodline, but an ally. I lied to get us out of there before he got a decent chance to clock you. He knows a vampire when he sees one. He would alert the Vechi."

"I must say I did think it was peculiar. I can usually smell a Vechi a mile off." Mary narrows here eyes at her pet.

"Yeah well, as an old friend, he also knows my brother very well."

"And?" Mary snaps. "That fool couldn't finish the job he set out to do last time."

How on earth could Jamie and Dieter love this woman. She is cold and rude to the point of abominable.

"He says my brother is in town, and that means there's a strong possibility that my father's Vechi regiment is camped around here."

"That's nothing to worry about." Jamie dismisses sounding almost as irritated as Mary does. "Vechi are little match for us."

"Don't underestimate them. My father is second in line to the Vechi General. Beside if they are here, either they are in need of a faery doctor or they are tracking a group of rogue vampires."

"Well they're not tracking us. Look all we've got to do is find a faery and get out of here. I suggest you hurry up and find us one." Jamie sighs.

"Even though I do agree with Jay, I fear a battle with the Vechi would expose us and we need to stay under the radar." David is pacing around the room like a caged bear.

"Why would it expose us?" I question.

Adam leans forward in his seat to be closer to me. "How many times have you come across a Vechi on your travels Daisy?"

"Well . . .I haven't."

"No and that is because Acheron made a deal with the Vechi High General over a century ago. If Acheron promised to keep his population to a minimum and illegalise feeding direct from humans, the Vechi agreed not to hunt our kind, unless provoked. Of course that doesn't mean the Vechi won't continue to keep a watchful eye, but as you know, Acheron is the master of fear and as a result he successfully deterred the majority. There have probably been a couple of handfuls of interventions by the Vechi in this territory over the last hundred years."

"Like I told you in the rainforest Miss D, the Vechi fear the Bellwether witches. Killing Acheron is going to upset them. Vampires with more freedom put humans at risk. If my brother finds us, he will report it and Acheron will be informed, that's if he doesn't try to kill us first." Dieter sighs and shakes his head in despair.

"Well they haven't found us yet. If we focus and find this faery-alchemist guy we can slip out of here without notice." I suggest.

Everybody nods and we fall silent for several minutes trying to fathom a way forward until Adam puts forward his suggestion. "In the old days Alchemists had apothecary shops. We could check out the pharmacies in the village?"

"Corporations and governing bodies drove them away from more traditional occupations." Dieter shrugs, already defeated by the situation.

"Any distinguishing looks?" I blurt out.

"What like wings and pixie ears?" Jamie laughs at me. I kick his leg hard. "Ouch."

"No, now don't be so quick to dismiss, that is a good point my sweet." Adam leans forward on his knees. "I'd almost forgotten, it has been more than a century since I've had a passing thought about the irksome creatures. It is their scent that is their distinguishing feature. Their scent is repellent to us."

My brother scowls distrustful of anything Adam has to say.

A frown deepens across Dieter's forehead. "I didn't know that."

"I guess it's all the herbs they mess about with. I had forgotten entirely. It is the only thing that will distinguish them from a human." Adam adds.

"That makes our job easy then. All we have to do is split up and scout the village. Sooner or later we'll sniff them out." I suggest. It sounds simple to me.

"But, Mary still can't go wandering about the village." Dieter interrupts. "If my brother sees her, he'll have the rest of the regiment down here in no time, followed by Acheron and his special vampires."

"Thank you Dieter. I can speak for myself." Mary scowls at him. "But he is right. He would recognise me. I am not exactly forgettable." She smiles smugly admiring her reflection in the mirror across the room.

"Oh I dunno, I bet we all look the same to a Vechi." Jamie grins, purposely trying to wind her up.

Mary glares at him. "As I remember, you never had any complaints James . . . Anyway as I was saying before your _rude_ interruption, Dieter and I will stay here and the four of you can find the Alchemist. When you have found him, find out where he lives and then Dieter and I will pay him a discreet visit and get what we need so that we can get out of this tiny little human cesspool."

"Fine." David nods. "We'll need to split up into pairs."

"I'll take Daisy. You and I will end up killing each other." Adam smiles at David but it fails to reach his eyes.

David vehemently shakes his head. "No way, I will go with Daisy."

Jamie leans over and whispers to David. "I'm not sure that is such a good idea either."

"Do you want her alone with him for hours on end?"

Jamie shakes his head.

"No I didn't think so." My brother stands up to address the group. "Right so it is now two AM. The four of us need to get some rest before we head out first thing in the morning. The sooner we find this damn faery the better."

* * * *

Jamie practically rips my arm out of its socket when he pulls me out of my brother's room and down the corridor into our room. "Hey, calm down."

"Six hours is all we've got."

"Oh Jamie." I giggle. His determination is hysterical.

"Laughing at me, are y' Titch?" A hint of a wicked smile slides across his face as he slams me against the wall in our room and forces a delicious kiss on my mouth. But it is short and sweet. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Oh god yes." I pant. My fingers grip into his back pulling him closer against me as my hunger for him burns insatiably through every part of me.

"Not laughing now are you?" He teases in a husky voice in between heavy lusting breaths.

I shake my head as he lifts me on to the bed. He rips open my T-shirt tossing the scraps of material over his shoulder and then he yanks off my jeans leaving me in my black silk bra and knickers.

Jamie straddles me on the bed, holding my arms above my head against the pillows. He cocks his head and raises an eyebrow, "Permission to use a little magic?"

I nod.

He lets go of my arms, but he has pinned them in place by his magical power. "At my mercy now." He smiles, sitting back on his heels and strips off his T-shirt to bare his sculpted chest and arms. Every muscle, pronounced and perfect as god once intended man to be. I regret agreeing to let him use his magic because now I want to run my fingers over every curve and dip on his body and enjoy him, now that he is mine. All mine.

Lying alongside me Jamie starts out on his painstaking, tantalizing, _erotic_ exploration of my body, nipping my earlobe, kissing my neck. Gentle touches that flame the fire but leave me wanting more, so much more. He roles on top of me, straddling me again as he moves to the other side of my neck. Like a magnet my hips rise up to him. I want to part my legs and invite him in, but he is pinning them shut for now whilst he teases me further. As his soft lips trail along my shoulder and southwards, my chest rises and falls begging for his attention. He starts soft, slowly kissing the top of my chest where my breasts start to swell, just above the cup of my bra, before he unclasps it and exposes my breasts. Lightly his tongue brushes against my skin, as he circles one breast and then the other using only his mouth, but neglecting my aching nipples.

"Oh please Jam..." I moan, still trying to arch my back to call him inside me.

"Na-ha, nowhere near yet Daze."

"Ja-mie." I pant.

His tongue suddenly laps at my nipple, making my body convulse in ecstasy. He stops and blows against it, sending new sensations of pleasure skating across my skin. "Want more of that?"

"Yes, oh yes." I beg.

This time he does it to my other nipple and the same thing happens again. Then I feel his porcelain smooth fingers upon my skin, caressing my breasts as his tongue continues to play with my nipples. But I want more and he gives it to me as he gently bites down and sucks and tugs. I fight against his legs, trying to buck him because I _need_ to feel him, like I need to drink.

His mouth moves south to my stomach, leaving a trail of kisses to the top of my silk knickers. He slips his hand underneath the material and pulls them down my legs until they fall to the floor. He slides off the bed and removes his jeans. No underwear as usual. He kneels down and starts to rub my feet. One pressure point appears to connect directly to my g-spot and I convulse and scream out.

"Jamie now, please now." I beg.

"Not yet. This is on my terms not yours."

"I am so going to get you back for this Jamie Cromwell." I pant.

"I am looking forward to it." His mouth presses against the inside of my ankle as he moves along the inside of my leg up my calf and inner thigh. "Mmm you smell so good." He hums.

I squirm and spread my legs unable to control my body any longer. He kneels on to the bed and lightly places his finger between my legs against my clitoris and tickles it back and forth, until I am screaming out in pleasure right on the very brink.

Jamie slips achingly slow inside me, holding my legs so I cannot thrust against him. He pulls back just as slow and then in again, repeating the process until he builds up the pace. He releases my legs and bends over me paying attention to my breasts once more as he continues to make love to me. Just as I feel we are both about to sail over the edge, Jamie bites down on my neck and drinks, sky rocketing me out of this world and into another world of pure wicked pleasure and satiation.

* * * *

"C'mon let's pop in here and get a coffee." David follows me into the small sophisticated cafe. "Grab those seats there." I direct him to two chunky square chairs close to the window. Somehow, he manages to squeeze his oversized frame into one _and_ look relaxed.

"Yes love?" A woman in her fifties greets me with impatience.

"Two double espresso's with an extra shot in each." The woman raises her eyebrows but says nothing as she goes about preparing my order.

I leave a ten pound note on the counter as she passes me the coffee. "Keep the change." I say, but her attention is already on her next customer.

"Here." I pass David his espresso.

"Cheers sis." He smiles and leans forward, resting his elbows casually on his knees. "So this is what you got up to for the last century whilst I was grafting."

"What I did took skill. You were just manual labour."

"Yeah, whatever. You had it easy and you know it."

"No, I was good at what I did and it wasn't easy. Being under Adam was not easy."

He cocks his eyebrow. "And who chose that position?"

"Oh for-god-sake David, grow up. I was talking about working for him. He was tougher on me to prove I was getting no favours from him. He was more possessive than you are and-and . . . Sometimes he would have these mood swings and . . .and—"

Horrified about what I might confess David grabs my arm. "—and what?"

I realise this is not the time or place to get into this. "Look it doesn't matter because . . ."

"— _Because_? Daisy what did he do?" Alarm and guilt haunts David's face. He is terrified of what I might confess and that he will have to wrestle with the fact that during that time he was powerless to protect me.

"Nothing. Nothing that I want to talk about with you right now whilst we're in the middle of this stupid situation. Look, it doesn't matter anyway, in your eyes no matter what I do, I am never good enough. I'm just your weak naive baby sister."

"No-Daisy, you are so wrong. I admire your strength and determination. You keep fighting for what you believe is right. Despite everything you've been through, you see the good in people. You are half of me and I have to protect you and you don't always make that easy but I love you Daisy. I am sorry for what I said. He is a pressure point for me. He is a Jekyll and Hide character and _Hide_ most certainly outweighs his Jekyll, but the most infuriating thing is that you don't see that and it frustrates the hell out of me. Take recent events for an example, he betrays us as part of some covert mission and a few hours later I find you cosying up to him in the bar." David's arms fly up into the air and smack back down on his thighs. "I thought perhaps now that you and Jay were together you'd be able to keep your distance from him."

"You don't get me and Adam. I know that. He may not have told us the whole truth, but what has he really done to hurt us? Besides, I was not cosying up to him. I was talking to him. Those ignorant people in there last night were goading him, treating him like a freak show. You don't see Jekyll. You search for Hyde to satisfy your hatred . . . Please, I don't want to argue about this again. I hate it when we fall out." I force a smile and David relaxes back into his chair. "You're my brother and I love you."

None of the lunchtime crowd who infest the Cafe are who we are looking for, so David and I make our way outside and further down the street where we photograph each other next to lumps of historical stone and contemporary statues to conceal our surveillance.

My phone whistles in my pocket. ' _Thinking of earlier?"_ A message from Jamie.

' _U obviously can't get me out yr head!'_ I reply back, whilst David politely agrees to take a photograph for a family grouped in front of a fountain.

' _NVR. I can still taste U on my tongue'_

' _Focus!'_

' _Bored!'_

' _Where r u?"_

' _Love st. Lol. U?_

" _Village ctre. Moving on soon.'_

"Daisy?" David beckons me to join him on the bridge behind the fountain. "Can you smell that?"

"Ugh! It's grotesque like, like gone off milk and rotten eggs, but worse."

"It's coming from under the bridge along the canal path. C'mon."

The canal path is a popular route at this time of day. Our noses lead us further along the canal through the thinning crowd until only a handful of people are ahead of us. A man of average height with auburn hair pauses to answer his phone. A man and woman who were holding hands break away from each other and engage in an argument about her mother, whilst two young men sit on the canal edge and dangle their feet in the water.

"This is a good spot for a photo." David directs me to stand near the water.

As I perform a range of silly poses and my brother snaps away justifying our reason to hang around amongst this small group or random people, the auburn haired man taps David on the arm. "Excuse me sir, do you have the time." He asks casually and glances around. Before my brother can respond, the auburn haired man grabs David's wrist supernaturally fast. "Why are you following me? Do you have no sense of smell . . . _Blood_ Demon?" He whispers.

"Take your hand off of me now _Faery_." David growls glaring down at his arm, where the Faery is gripping it. "We're following you because we need your help."

"Help? Are you mad? Or do you think I am mad?"

"Wait, is there somewhere private we can talk?" I ask gently, hoping to diffuse the tension.

Without an ounce of fear, the auburn haired man, or should I say faery, glares at my brother and then at me, I crouch down and pick up a handful of gravel from the path. As I rise up, I discreetly swirl the stones above my palm, so the people lingering around us don't see.

"Please, just let us explain why we need your help before you refuse. What do you have to lose? I promise you, we mean you no harm and we are not looking for any trouble."

"You're a witch?" He grabs my wrist and yanks me towards him. "But you're a blood demon too?"

"Let go of her!" David yells out attracting the attention of the two boys sat a few meters away on the canal bank. They glance over, but have no interest in intervening. The arguing couple have moved on, heading back towards the village. "Will you talk to us or not?" David drops his voice low yet his impatience keeps his tone sharp.

"Okay, I will listen to what you have to say, but not now, not here. I have an appointment to honour. I will meet you later in the Blood Bucket after eight PM this evening."

I raise my eyebrow. "Interesting choice. How do we know you won't alert the Vechi in the meantime?"

"Those swindlers? Pah. If I wanted to end you, I would not need the Vechi to do it. Just because we do business with them, does not mean we are allies. I said I would hear you out and I will. The Blood Bucket is a busy pub, safer for all of us if we hide in full public view. I will find you in there after eight." The Faery insists before he scurries away.

"Well, at least we're one-step closer. I guess. I'll text Jamie. You can tell Mary."

David rubs his chin and narrows his eyes at the spot where the faery stood. "Mmm. Tricky fella if you ask me."

Chapter 8: The Blood Bucket

Jamie has said very little about how things went today with him and Adam, but then again we have spent the last few hours tediously going over and over what happened with the faery and how we should play tonight's meeting.

"So, how did things go with you and Adam?" I ask him, now that we have a moment alone while we wait to order the next round of drinks.

"Nothing to report really, we split the area between us and went our separate ways." Jamie shrugs. "Excuse me mate, another three double whiskeys, a double brandy, and a pint of Guinness." He orders from the barman, who this time is an older man probably in his fifties. "I want you to be careful around him Titch. Something's not quite right about him"

"He won't do anything to hurt me, Jamie. You and David have more to fear on that count." I sigh.

"I know that, but that's not what I mean. It's like he's biding his time."

"For what?" I laugh, amused by Jamie's paranoia. I have made it clear to Adam that I do not want to be with him. Friendship is my only offering.

"I dunno. Just got a feeling, so be careful. Okay, for me?"

"Yes, for you . . . . And anyway, my guard dog over there is not going to let me within ten feet of Adam alone." I joke nodding in my brother's direction.

"Even so." Jamie arches his eyebrows to emphasise he is serious about his request. A clink of glasses interrupts us. "Cheers mate." Jamie hands the barman the money and adjusts his baseball cap before he picks up the tray of drinks and stoops to avoid smacking his face on the many beams.

The Blood Bucket is an ancient pub, thatched roof, sloping floors, uneven wattle and daub walls, with dark oak beams holding up its low ceilings while small windows restrict the light from outside infiltrating the dark olde-worlde atmosphere. It is far older than man me and is undoubtedly haunted by generations of wronged proprietors and patrons.

To prevent spooking the faery, we agreed that David, Dieter and I would meet with the faery alone, but Jamie insisted on tagging along. So tonight Adam his out hunting in surrounding villages and as for Mary, well I have no idea what Mary will be up to.

Back at our table, which sits conveniently out of view from the majority of the pub inside an alcove nestled near the open fireplace, Dieter is acting like a nervous rabbit. I pray the double brandy will calm him down.

"Relax will you?" I encourage him as Jamie and I settle back into our seats.

"I can't. This is a local's pub. There's a strong possibility that this is where the various Vechi clans meet up which means my brother or father could walk through that door at any minute. I don't relish having to fight my family again. Why did you agree to meet here?" He snaps before he knocks back the brandy.

"I told you, he suggested it. We weren't to know." David replies.

Thankfully as a precaution, Dieter gave us all some special vervain ointment to rub inside our nostrils to numb our sense of smell before we arrived Being around just him is hard enough, let alone a room full of Vechi blood.

"Well, it's almost eight; the faery guy should be here soon." Jamie sighs.

Reaching across our tiny round table, David pats Dieter on the back. "Listen mate, we need you to focus on this. You're gonna be the one who has to convince this guy to help us. And once you've done that, we're out of here and you and Mary are safe okay?"

"I doubt we'll smell him now, with this stuff blocking our scent." I suggest.

"Well, he's gonna stand out with that shock of red hair anyway." David chuckles. "We won't need to smell him."

"And he is making me jumpy." I tip my head at Dieter. "Listen, I'm gonna have a scout about, seeing as I am the only one out of the three of us who can walk about in here without doing an impression of Lurch. I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay, but be careful." My brother warns. "If Dieter's right, Vechi might clock you before you notice them."

"David puh-lease." He should have more faith in me.

"If you're not back in ten, I'm coming to find you." Jamie grins.

"I'll be back. It's only a small pub." I laugh.

* * * *

Inside the ladies bathroom, a drunken young girl stumbles towards the mirror next to me. "Wow, you have really great skin."

In an attempt to appear human, I scraped my hair back into a bun and barely used any make-up, except for a little mascara and nude lip-gloss. The sweater I borrowed from Jamie swamps me. When he wears it, it clings to his athletic frame advertising his physique but on me, it looks like an oversized baggy dress that hangs low over the top of my skinny jeans. Mary would not approve.

"Thank you." I smile through the mirror as I wash my hands.

"But you do look very pale." She frowns, examining me some more. "Hey, wait, I know. I've got some blusher in here somewhere . . . and I've got a red lip gloss which would look really great on you." She offers, whilst she begins to empty the contents of her clutch bag.

"Thanks, but I'm fine, really."

"Oh god I didn't mean to offend you, I mean god I wish I looked like you without make-up, although maybe a bit more tanned."

I smile at her again and leave her to lather on more lip-gloss than she needs.

There is still no sign of auburn hair as I scan the busy pub once more. However, someone does catch my eye. Familiar big green eyes framed by long brown lashes meet my gaze. Confusion clouds them but a genuine smile spreads across his face. It has been a long time since he looked at me in this way. Conlan makes excuses to his group and walks over to me.

Conlan refused to stay in the Alliance after we withdrew from the attacks in pursuit of these essential ingredients. My brother understood his reasons and gave him his blessing. I think their mutual hatred for Adam united them in the end and they agreed to a pact to help each other if either of them needed it. Whereas he and I have barely spoken since the night Elizabeth died.

"Hello Daisy Love."

"Hello Conlan Foster. It's good to see you. How are you?" My hands suddenly feel awkward so I fidget with the hem of Jamie's jumper to keep them busy.

He runs his hand over his stubbled head. "Yeah good. Getting used to it all now, you know? I feel more . . . settled I s'pose. I guess I have an almost normal life again."

"I'm glad to hear that. I never meant for . . . well you know. I only ever wanted you to be happy."

Conlan nods, acknowledging what I am trying to say.

"So are you living round here?" I enquire making small talk, whilst continuing to search the room for our little fiery red head.

"Yeah, got a small place not far from here. Before my parents split, this is where I grew up. After everything that happened with us, and once I'd got a handle on stuff, I needed to go somewhere that felt like home."

I can empathise with that. Home is something I look forward to once we have sorted this mess out.

"So what brings you to these parts? Acheron ain't hiding round here is he?" Conlan chuckles in a peculiar way that sparks my curiosity.

"No, don't think so. Just picking up some supplies."

"Supplies?"

"Some specialist armoury." I reply cryptically. We told no one else what we were going in search of. As far as the Alliance were concerned, further to our success with impeding the FVoL army, David Jamie and I would pursue Acheron's assassination on our own whilst they hid and provided refuge for other members of the FVoL who wished to defect. David asked Conlan to protect the Alliance in his absence, but with Adam's position of respect amongst them, Conlan didn't feel he had a place or reason to stay any longer.

"Bit odd bumping in to you in here. The Bucket's very much a local's place." His eyebrows draw together into a frown.

"Yeah? Well, we've been doing a tour of most of the pubs while we're here . . . So who's your drinking buddies?"

"A couple of guys from school."

"Do they suspect anything?"

"Nah, they don't suspect." And there's that chuckle again, like I'm missing the punch line or something.

"So have you got back into your photography? I loved watching you when you were working, the way you got lost in it. It was er . . . very . . . sexy."

Conlan grins. "Yeah, I remember. You were very distracting . . . As it happens, I have been snapping away recently. You know if you've got time after you've got your supplies then perhaps you could pop over and I could show you some?"

"—Daisy?" David calls looming behind Conlan.

Conlan twists around to greet him. "Hi, David. Never far away eh?"

David shakes his hand and slaps his back. "How you doing mate?"

"Good, thanks. Still in pursuit of the evil one?"

"Yeah, but we're getting closer. It's good to see y' Conlan." David pats him on the back again. "Daisy, you're needed I'm afraid."

"Okay. Well maybe we'll catch up again soon and see some of your pictures?" I smile.

"Yeah, that would be good." Conlan puts his hands in his pockets and smiles, back. This moment feels really awkward. " . . . Well best be getting back too. See y' Daisy, David." He nods sheepishly and backs away.

"Small world." I sigh to myself, surprised by this potentially suspicious coincidence.

David tugs on my sleeve. "Our faery just walked in." He nods towards the door.

Sure enough, the auburn haired man is weaving his way through the crowd of people. We shuffle back to our table with the faery not far behind us. When he arrives, Dieter stands and extends his hand to him, or at least that is what I thought, but he is actually presenting his wrist to the faery, who immediately pushes up Dieter's sleeve and examines a small intricate tattoo on Dieter's wrist that I have never noticed before now.

"Okay. Right. Introductions. I am Angus Carnegie." The faery declares crossing his arms high across his chest, resting them on his bulbous belly.

"I am Dieter Jaeger—"

"—Jaeger? Are you related to Frederick Jaeger?" Angus Carnegie interrupts and draws his overgrown eyebrows together.

"Frederick Jaeger Senior is my father."

"And what is the great General's son doing with a bunch of blood demons?" Angus's eyes dart in turn to David, Jamie and then me. "You." He raises his chin at me. "Pint of Guinness." Angus demands as he drops down onto a stool opposite Dieter and leans his elbows on the table, waiting for Dieter's response.

Before I tell the Faery where he can stick his pint of Guinness, Jamie intervenes. "I'll go."

"First of all I am not Vechi; secondly these people are my friends."

"Don't be ridiculous, you are Frederick's son and heir." Angus looks sideways at my brother and then at me as if we have something to do with Dieter's remark.

"I am Frederick's second son. Freddy is his heir. I renounced my birthright eight years ago."

"Renounced it? Renounced it! You cannot renounce being a Vechi anymore than I can renounce being a faery. Vechi is what you are; it runs through your veins, it is your heritage."

"I fell in love with a vampire and fought my brothers to protect her. I am as good as dead to them."

"I see. I see." Angus crosses his arms in front of his chest again and leans back on his stool. "Is it this amalgam?" Angus screws his nose up and stabs his finger in my direction.

"Hey, have some respect." David snarls leaning across the table to intimidate him.

"No, Daisy is not the vampire I love. David and Daisy are witches–"

"—Sorcerers." Jamie interrupts and slams Angus's pint of Guinness onto table in front of him spilling the creamy froth over the sides of the glass, much to the annoyance of Angus.

"Yeah, sorry. Sorcerers." Dieter gives Jamie an apologetic shrug.

Angus shakes his head. "Do not apologise to the blood demon."

"Listen Faery," Jamie bends down to Angus's ear. "There is a lot we could do to you right now, if we were so inclined to, and biting you would be the least of your worries, so if I were you I'd leave your insults out of this and let's get down to business."

For the first time this evening, Angus looks rattled. He shakes his shoulders out and sips his pint. "Go-on Dieter." He mumbles trying to save face, but he is clearly bricking it.

"Daisy and David are good souls; they're not like other vamps. The prophecy says—"

"—yes, yes I know the prophecy."

"They are going to kill the Vampire Elder Acheron. They have the support of the Elder Diablo and the Elder Nomios. We have the vines from the tree of life. We now need an elixir to bathe the vines in that will drain his power so that Daisy can use her power to lodge the dagger in his heart."

"And you think I will help you because?"

"It is one less son of Lilith on this earth."

"So why do you want him dead? Want to take over from him huh?" Angus turns to me and narrows his eyes. I am beginning to think he has a problem with women. Arrogant prick.

"No. We have no interest in power. We want freedom." I glare back at him.

He laughs. "Freedom to do what?"

"To live a normal life. No more fear, no more segregation, no more rules."

Angus stops laughing to scowl at me, "Freedom for a blood demon means death to humans."

I hold his gaze. "We have evolved since medieval times you know? The remaining six sons rule their territories without the oppression that Acheron inflicts and yet the human race expands, ever populating. Acheron is an elitist. He is building an army of vampires who have exceptional gifts so that he can wield an almighty power. Okay, so he made a deal with the Vechi leader, but once he has the level of power he desires, he can do what he wants because Vechi warriors will be no match for the vampires he is creating. He has a chip on his shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon. He will not stop until he has killed his brothers and resurrected his mother. Then where will the human race be?"

Angus shuffles in his seat and looks down at his pint. He twists the glass around several times. "I will need to consult with my Faery Chief before I can agree. It is an extraordinary request coming from foes of our usual customers. Nevertheless, you have put forward a compelling argument. If we agree to help you, I must warn you, the fee for such an elixir will be hefty."

"That is not an issue. How long will it take you to get it?" David sighs, irritated and impatient.

"I will speak with him tonight and have an answer by morning. Wait for me where we met this morning at dawn." Angus clutches his pint glass and downs the remaining two thirds of his Guinness in one go before leaving our table.

"Do we trust 'im?" Jamie looks to all of us.

"What choice do we have?" I offer.

My brother lets out a half-hearted chuckle. "I think Daisy put the fear of god into him with the possibility of Lilith's second coming."

Chapter 9: Faeries

Meeting Angus Carnegie on a deserted canal path at dawn is risky, especially considering his blatant hatred for vampires. As the moon hands over control to the peeking sun it's enhancing energy dissolves and although murky clouds shroud the sapping glare of the sun we will become weaker. I'm sure that was a consideration when Angus picked this particular time. At least David and I are not alone. A few hundred meters down the canal path, in the direction of the village, Jamie is poised to defend us, whilst Adam hides on the bridge above our heads, and lurking in the shadows, cloaked in the morning mist, Mary watches.

Mary offered to read our future before we ventured down here but we don't trust her and giving her access to more information than we need to is more risky than meeting Angus on this isolated footpath.

"Did you hear that?" My brother asks.

"What?" I strain to listen above Dieter's pounding heart.

"Shh. . . It's definitely footsteps. Lots of footsteps. Are you ready sis?"

The tense weighted atmosphere of this sinister dawn dampens any hope I have that we will be collecting the elixir we desperately need. And then what? Another village? Another country in search of someone who will give us this key ingredient for our plot?

Through the mist, Angus appears like an apparition. Behind him, an older man emerges together with ten or so men and women. Here we go.

"An - gus?" My brother complains threateningly.

Undeterred, Angus moves forward, but his demeanour is relaxed indicating he is not preparing to launch an attack. At least not straightaway.

"This is my Faery clan, and this is our Chief, Luca." He extends his arm towards a grey haired man with a short stubbly beard dressed in a long woollen black Epsom coat. "It is against our whole belief system to help a blood demon. You are a profanation against nature and nature is sacred to us." Angus folds his arms in front of his chest, resting them on his pronounced belly.

"This isn't about helping a vampire this is about helping us to rid the world of a vampire elder who is obsessed with power and who one day will ruin this world if we don't stop him now. He is the same elder who killed our mother and turned my brother and me into what we are today. We were born sorcerers. We belong to the moon. This is not the life we chose." I urge. "Please consider that before you make your decision."

Chief Luca walks towards me and holds out his hands. "I know who you are child. Your future was written long before you were born. I will give you the elixir you seek, but in return I want something from you." He clasps my hands inside his and pats them gently. I nod agreeing to his unknown terms. "Your power is blossoming. You are destined to be a high priestess one day. When that day comes you will grant me a favour."

"What, that's it?" I question in disbelief at his odd request. Is he really going to trust me to keep my word? "Angus said there would be a hefty fee."

"Yes my child. The favour I will ask may come at great cost to you."

"Daze! Wait." Sprinting towards us Jamie yells out. "Don't promise him anything."

"You? You have dabbled in dark magic." Luca's tone drops an octave or two and he glowers at Jamie. "You betrayed your kind." He stabs his finger at him.

Jamie lazily rests his arm around my shoulders. "Yeah alright mate, whatever you say. If you ask me I think you need to leave off the old La Fee Verte for a bit." He chuckles.

"Dark mist surrounds you Jamie Cromwell. It is poison that will seep into your soul and destroy you." Luca's voice deepens even more, projecting the impending doom he is trying very hard to bestow on Jamie.

"Listen old man, enough with your faery trickery. Hand over your magic potion and name your price. Stop trying to cause trouble and put the fear of Faery into Daze." Jamie still looks amused, but this old Faery is succeeding in creeping me out.

"You are the bastard son of a whoring witch." The Faery chief abruptly spits in Jamie's face. "You are a bit of this, a bit of that, but not much of anything. You are weak. You are not worthy of a high priestess." He seethes and turns his eyes on me. "Beware of him my child. His soul belongs to hell, along with that anathema hiding in the shadows." He flings his arm into the direction of where Mary is hiding.

"Alright, that's enough." David interrupts. "We will grant you one favour in return for the Elixir, okay? Now hand it over. We don't have time for this malarkey."

"Heed my words." The Faery Chief hisses up close to my face. "Renege on our deal and bad fortune will be yours for eternity."

"Back up. _Mate."_ Jamie snarls and shoves the Faery Chief backwards. It's not enough to harm him but it appears to have shaken him.

Ready to retaliate and defend their Chief, the Faery clan heave forward but the Chief holds up a trembling hand commanding them to halt and then gestures for Angus to hand over the elixir.

"This is the elixir you need. Only the Vechi can apply it to the vines. Be warned it will kill _made_ blood demons as soon as it touches their skin. It will considerably weaken a _born_ blood demon." Angus hands a bottle of glittering red liquid to Dieter and shakes his head. "You should be grateful to Chief Luca for this, if it were up to me—."

"— _Angus!_ " The Faery Chief stops him. "She will honour her word. Let's leave it at that." He waves his hand in the air signalling his clan to follow. Like obedient sheep, they follow, trailing behind him vanishing one by one into the morning mist.

* * * *

"We need to talk." I announce, sounding a little more assertive than I mean to.

Jamie shoves the hotel room key card into the lock. "Oh yeah, what about? This isn't going to be a - _it's not you it's me -_ conversation is it?" He is making fun of me.

"No Jamie, it's a - _time for you to come clean -_ conversation."

"Eh?"

"What that freaky Faery Chief said about you?"

"Oh that. You don't wanna listen to them. They say all sorts of shit to freak people out. It's how they get their kicks."

"Jamie, don't treat me like an idiot." Folding my arms across my chest in a display of defiance, I stand in the middle of the room in front of the bed. He will not fob me off this time. "When you told me you had fallen for me you said that you held back because when you were in love before you had been to hell and back. You said that that kind of hurt took you to dark places. I'm guessing Mary played a significant part in that. And now that Faery has accused you of dabbling in dark magic. What happened between the two of you? I need to know."

Jamie contemplates my demand for a moment. In an unexpected move, he drops to his knees in front of me and wraps his arms around my waist. "Daisy Love, I am crazy in love with you. I promise to protect and care for you for the rest of eternity but I cannot confess the sins of my past to you. The person I was when I was with Mary is dead and buried. They were the polar opposite of who I am when I am with you. I am asking you to please trust me on this."

"Whilst you keep your past a secret from me, others who knew you then will always have a hold over you and it is going to spread like poison destroying what we have."

"I played with fire, Daze. I got burnt and had the good sense to get out of the burning building before the heady smoke consumed me."

"You don't trust me?" I mutter as I run my fingers through his ice white hair. I realise now that whatever it is he has done, it is far darker than I could imagine.

"I cannot bring myself to say each abhorrent word, not to you. I don't want you to know that person. This is the true me; in love with you; doing the right things for the right reasons. Please do not squeeze this confession out of me." Painful emotion pours out of him with each word he speaks and his arms are crushing me as if he is holding on for dear life.

"I won't force you to tell me." I whisper, defeated. Perhaps submitting because I now fear what he dreads to say. _What if it is so bad that it twists how I see him?_ I am definitely not ready to lose him to his past regrets.

Jamie lifts his head and stares up at me with an intensity that fires straight into my heart and my lap. "I love you." He mouths rising to his feet, encouraging me backwards on to the bed and climbs on to me, pressing me into the mattress. "I want you so much it hurts." He whispers and pushes his soft full lips tenderly against mine, sparking all sorts of delicious tingles. "I cannot survive without you."

His lips trail across my jaw and along my neck. With his magic, he lifts my T-shirt up and pulls it over my head with his hands as I do the same for him. His hands slide over my breasts, stroking and tugging creating glittering jolts of pleasure deep inside me. Tangling my fingers in his hair, I keep him close. I crave to feel more desperate to spill over the edge into rapture. His hand moves hastily to the fly of my jeans and I shuffle up the bed to wriggle out of them. His smooth porcelain hands glide up my legs to the top of my thighs. I feel ready and on the verge so soon. My lap pulses greedily reacting to his feather light strokes. And as soon as his fangs pierce my skin, with the gentle suckle, and pull of my blood, he skyrockets me into a delicious climax with him.

"Shh." Jamie laughs against my neck. "You'll wake the whole hotel."

A knock on our door, sends us both into a fit of giggles. "Jay, Daisy?" My brother's voice calls from the other side of the door.

"Your brother always has impeccable timing." Jamie grins and folds the duvet over me as he leaves the bed to let my brother in.

"Yes Dave, what can we do for you?" He sighs, hanging off the door in his naked glory.

David looks at me wrapped in a duvet and then at Jamie and shakes his head. "Pair of rabbits." He mutters stepping inside and finds a chair to make himself comfortable in.

"What's up?" I ask.

"Dieter's brother has left a message for him at the hotel reception. Seems like Angus might be stirring up some trouble."

"What does it matter, we'll be out of here in less than an hour." I say as I recover my T-shirt and Jeans from underneath the duvet.

"Dieter wants to meet up with his brother and hear what he has to say. He wants to try and patch things up I guess. I think he feels like it could be his last opportunity." David explains.

"Seriously?" Jamie pulls a face as if it is a mad idea.

"Yep." My brother nods and rests his right ankle over his left knee as he relaxes into the chair. "If it was Elizabeth you'd be there in a shot." David suggests.

"Yeah, well, sounds like suicide to me." Jamie shrugs, looking lost at the sound of her name.

"On his own, yeah you're probably right." David adds, not looking at either of us, but picking imaginary pieces of fluff off his jeans.

Jamie snaps back into the room. "Hold on a minute Dave, you want us to go with him and fight a bunch of Vechi, because there will be a bunch of 'em. That lot go around in packs. They're as bad as Were's."

"We go as back-up. Let the brothers talk it out, if it turns nasty we protect our commodity."

"When you say we—"

"You, me, and Adam." David clarifies.

"That's a bit sexist." I challenge.

"Burn your bra for a worthy battle baby sister."

"Shut-up David. I am more powerful than all of you put together."

"More stupid. More Stubborn—"

"—alright children that'll do." Jamie puts his hand on his hips. "Which one of you wants their spanking first." His face breaks into a devilish grin.

"I'd like to see you try." David laughs.

"Just let her come Dave, it ain't worth the earache." Jamie winks at me.

Exasperated, David throws his arms into the air. "Fine then, whatever."

"What about Mary, doesn't she want to protect her little _Nahrung?_ " I ask.

"I wouldn't bank on it." Jamie mutters under his breath.

I frown at him but he just shakes his head as if to say _'Don't ask'._

Chapter 10: London Calling

**T** urns out, Jamie knows Mary all too well. Not only did she not want to help; she packed up and left. Apparently, Nomios has arrived in London and ordered her to meet him to provide an update on our progress. Mary is not someone who is _ordered_ to do anything. She only ever does what benefits her. The note she left says she will meet us in London in three days. She is unbelievable. Hell knows what Dieter loves about her or what Jamie saw in her. At least she hasn't caught my brother up in her seductive web.

Dieter is meeting his brother in the Blood Bucket at 1pm. I guess his brother thinks vampires wouldn't risk going in there. Adam volunteered to guard the rear of the pub. David will keep look out on the street, and Jamie and I are going incognito as a tourist couple having a spot of lunch in a charming old village pub, so that we can keep an eye on the action inside the pub.

"I rather like you as a blue eyed blonde babe for a change." Jamie beams. "Especially in that flimsy dress. Very virginal."

"I'm not sure I could get used to your muddy brown eyes and that scratchy beard and beanie. You look like a tramp." I tease as I pull up my woollen knee high socks.

"Lady and the tramp; one of the greatest romances of all time." Jamie leans in to kiss me but rubs his beard on my face instead.

"Stop it Jamie." I giggle and shrug on a denim jacket over my cream skater dress. "C'mon we've got to get going. We are supposed to arrive before Dieter, and these contact lenses are really uncomfortable."

* * * *

12:30pm. The Blood Bucket is quieter than last night but there is a decent lunchtime crowd in. Fortunately, Jamie and I have found a table that gives us a panoramic view of the pub. A ploughman's lunch and two glasses of wine clutter up our table for two, corroborating our role-play. Around us, lunchtime customers sample various items off the menu giving the pub a potent aroma of onion and gravy, mixed with scent of blood, but there are no Vechi here. Not yet.

A student waitress approaches our table. "Is everything alright with your meal? Anything else I can get you?" she asks, not really caring what our answer is. Well, not until she notices Jamie anyway and then she pulls out her dazzling cutesy smile.

"We're fine thanks." Jamie smiles at her and of course, she blushes and holds his gaze without blinking for several seconds before she wiggles off to her next table.

"You are such a flirt."

"Tramp chic, it's what all the chicks go for these days is." He grins and stretches his arms out clasping them behind his head.

A blissful thought that once this is over this could be our life just me and him doing normal things with no drama, skates across my mind.

"See, even you can't resist." Jamie teases, mistaking my dreamy stare for a loving gaze.

Out of the corner of my eye, I clock Dieter as he strolls into the pub and up to the bar. "Back to reality." I sigh, nodding in his direction.

Dieter leans on the bar and glances over his shoulder scanning the room for his brother but doesn't find him, which of course is no surprise to Jamie and me.

13:08. Dieter chooses a table a couple of meters from the bar to give him a good view of the door and sips his pint of Guinness whilst he fiddles with his phone.

13:12. Conlan has just wandered into the pub. We watch curiously, as he orders a whiskey and casually meanders past Dieter's table over to a sofa at the farthest end of the pub. Once comfortable, he glances around the pub. Briefly, his attentions hovers over us, lingering on the exposed part of my thigh where my short dress and knee high sock separate, but when Jamie shuffles his chair around to mine and leans in for a kiss, Conlan passes over us and on to a couple of women dressed in suits at the bar.

"Hey, don't get too frisky or we'll get thrown out." I whisper into Jamie's ear, pretending to be whispering 'sweet nothings'.

"Got carried away and who could blame me?" He grins and starts to nibble at my ear with his arm resting on the back of my chair.

"Don't you think this is odd?" I suggest. "I mean it can't be a coincidence that Conlan is here, checking the place out?"

"Well he was in here last night, maybe it's his local. And he was checking the local talent out, not the pub. He's texting someone now."

"Do you think he recognised us?"

"Nah, just checking out the hot blonde in the short cream dress."

We watch Conlan for a few moments more. He returns his phone to the inside pocket of his jacket and unfolds a newspaper that was left on the seat next to him and starts to read.

13:16. A whiff of the most mouth-watering blood distracts us both. I press my lips against Jamie's who holds me tightly in his arms. A stolen peak at the person emitting the delicious scent unveils a six-foot tall, lean man with very short mousy brown hair. Hidden beneath his heavy eyebrows his narrow brown eyes scour the pub whilst a large roman nose hangs over his small mouth, making him appear almost caveman-like. This man has no resemblance to Dieter at all and unlike Dieter, who has wrapped up in several layers including a chunky scarf, wears a low cut V-neck T-shirt and black leather jacket with dark rinse jeans.

I was beginning to doubt that this Vechi was Dieter's brother, but he instantly picks Dieter out from amongst the lunch goers and strides over to the table, full of bravado.

"Little brother. Still alive I see. That blood sucker let you go did she?" The caveman goads Dieter as he sits down at the table and leans back in the chair with his legs stretched out and one arm slung arrogantly over the back of the chair.

"What do you want Freddy?" Dieter questions.

"To see you of course. My little brother arrives in town so I gotta catch up with him haven't I?"

"You disowned me."

"You betrayed us."

"I fell in love."

"With a monster."

"So, like I said what do you want?"

"A friend of mine told me he had seen you in town. So, I thought to myself I better find out why my ex-brother is in town."

"Picking up some shopping." Dieter stands up to leave, regretting his decision to come here.

"Sit. Down." Freddy threatens as he leans forward in his seat. Dieter hesitates before he slumps back into the chair. "What shopping?" Freddy accentuates his 'P's

"I'm helping a friend out."

"Cut the crap. Angus enlightened me. How do you think I felt, having to hear from that smug faery that you're here and embroiled in a whole nest of vampires?"

"It's not like that. They're good, the ones I'm helping I mean."

"Bullshit. Angus says—"

"Angus says what? Angus is a Faery who hates blood demons and enjoys causing trouble. No humans are in threat. No one is getting hurt. We're leaving tonight, so you can but-out." Dieter leans across the table warning his brother he isn't someone he can mess with, displaying his long forgotten backbone.

"No-no you're not. This is an intervention. You need to remember your roots, brother." Freddy meets his brother's angry glare at the middle of the small table and raises it with a crazed stare.

"We need to do something." I whisper to Jamie.

"Let it play out a little while longer. We don't want to act too soon." Jamie replies kissing the tip of my nose.

Dieter shakes his head and breaks away from his brother's stare down. "Me and Mary are still together and very much in love."

Yeah right. She is so in love with him she left to be with Nomios. If it weren't for selfish reasons I would let Freddy take his brother back right now.

"She glamoured you into believing that. She plays mind tricks on you."

"You don't know her—"

"Oh but I do. Mary Worth, or should I call her Bloody Mary is the queen of horror and debauchery. The legends are continuously retold for very good reason."

"That was centuries ago. Humans were just as sadistic back then. Mary is a magnificent woman. I won't sit here and listen to you defile her."

Freddy grabs Dieter's arm to prevent him from leaving. "Yes. You. Will."

Out of nowhere, I sense a strange sensation. It's around me, yet it doesn't touch me. Jamie raises his eyebrow at me and glances across the room to Conlan.

"Play along." I mouth.

One by one, each person in the pub falls unconscious, including Dieter and Freddy who slump over their arms onto the table. A loud thud from behind the bar signals the barman collapsing to the floor whilst Jamie and I fake it. Hiding behind his newspaper Conlan uses his EC ability to wipe out the pub. Why? After a few seconds of listening for any sign of movement, Conlan folds up his paper and leaves it on the seat. He stands up and moves across the room to Freddy and Dieter's table.

Is he somehow involved with Freddy? Is he going to help him by kidnapping Dieter? I cannot let him do that. Right now, we need Dieter. Power buzzes at my fingertips before flowing out of me to swirl around Conlan and fix him to the spot.

"Go Jamie, get Dieter, and get out of here." I whisper.

"What about you? I can't just leave you."

"I'll be fine. I want to understand why. You need a head start, if I leave with you, the magic will wear off, and it won't give us enough distance before they come after us, now go." I insist.

Conlan twists this way and that, inspecting the floor, confused by why he cannot move until Jamie moves in a blur, retrieving Dieter before they disappear altogether, leaving Conlan stood next to an empty chair across from Freddy. I rise to my feet and pull off the stupid wig.

"Oh bloody hell Daisy, what are you doing here?" He whines.

"He's ours Conlan, we need him to kill Acheron. What do you want with him?"

"Me and Freddy were best mates at school. Dieter is Freddy's kid brother and Freddy wants him home. He wants him safe."

"A Vechi with a best friend for a vampire?"

"Yeah well, he took pity on me, after I explained about you."

Ouch. He's still not completely forgiven me then. "I'll make a deal with you. I will return him to you, safe and sound, when we're done. I promise. I have got absolutely no allegiances to Mary Worth and I wholeheartedly agree that he would be better off out of her clutches."

"Yeah, I bet you don't. You and him, was that for show or have you finally got together after all that pussyfooting around? I thought there was something very familiar about those legs." He flashes a crooked smile at me.

"It only happened a couple of weeks ago when he came back to us. Nothing happened between us before then." I clarify, needing to justify it to him.

"No, I know that. I used to ask around. I hated and loved you at the same time. I just couldn't reconcile the hate until it was too late . . ." Conlan pauses and looks away towards the bar. "They say he's got a dark past, but from what I saw he was alright. I still care about you Daisy Love, and if you need anything from me you only have to ask, but I'm not sure I can let you take Dieter from Freddy."

"I care about you too Conlan. I didn't want to fall out of love with you and in love with him, but everything was so confused and difficult. I am sorry for everything and I am sorry that I can't allow you to stop me from taking him. I promise you no harm will come to Dieter. I will protect him. I'll be in touch with you once were done to arrange to hand him over." Around us, the sleeping pub stirs as people start to come round. "Bye Conlan." I mouth and vanish from the pub through the rear exit.

Unfortunately, as soon as I dash out in the alley, I run straight into two Vechi.

"What have we got here?" They gloat giving each other the nod.

"A death sentence if you so much as touch a hair on her head." Adam's menacing growl thunders from behind me.

The two Vechi give each other a panicked look before the larger one of the two holds up his hands. "Yeah, well we got bigger fish to fry than you two randoms. Just-just get out of here and we'll say no more about it."

Adam grins, "With pleasure."

"I could have handled that myself." I groan as he manhandles me down a back street.

"What can I say, old habits die hard. It's my nature to save damsels in distress." Adam laughs.

"I was not in distress. Where's David?"

"I don't know. Whereas I am here ready to protect you as I have done for the last century."

My phone, hidden in my bra because I have no pockets in this stupid flimsy dress, vibrates against my breast.

"Daze, where are you?" Jamie's voice sounds urgent and panicked.

"I'm heading north out the village, where do I meet you? Is David with you?"

"Vechi are everywhere. You need to be alert. Dave's with me. He got into a tricky situation but we sorted it, we can't get to you at the moment. You need to get over to the West side as quick as you can. Dave will drop me off, and then drive with Dieter to the next village where we'll meet up with him. We just can't risk them capturing him. We need to get him away from here as quickly as possible. I'll wait for you in Fay woods."

"Stay with David and just get out of here. Adam's here with me, he won't let anything happen to me. We'll meet you there. I'll be fine."

Adam shakes his head. "It's still too much of a risk for them to stop and wait. They need to keep moving. Tell them we'll get the train and meet them in London."

Jamie's pregnant pause tells me he is wrestling with the idea of leaving me alone with Adam.

"Jamie, did you hear that? Adam thinks it will be too risky, we're gonna get the train and meet you down there. I'll be fine Jamie. Tell David . . . Well-tell David, I'll call him as soon as we get to the station."

"I dunno Daze, I should come get you."

"I'll be okay, what can happen? I'm not defenceless." I whisper. "It's not worth the risk. It's safer this way, for everyone."

"Fine-fine." Reluctantly Jamie sighs, "Phone me every half hour. And Daze, if he so much lays a finger on you, I won't be responsible for my actions."

* * * *

After navigating through a labyrinth of streets to avoid Vechi soldiers who have swamped Cartley, Adam and I finally reach the train station unscathed. The London train waits for us at the only platform in the tiny Victorian station and because rush hour won't hit for another hour or so, the train is fairly empty. Adam and I walk through the train until we find a deserted carriage. I take a window seat in a bank of four and Adam takes the aisle seat opposite, so he has more room for his enormous frame.

Once the train drags itself out of the quaint station, I call Jamie to let him know we're on our way. "Hi, we made it. We're on the train."

" _You-okay?"_ Jamie asks. Frustration with not being here with me resonates in his voice.

"Yes I'm fine, really. Where are you?"

" _Just passing Luton now."_

"No-one following you?"

"No, we got away. Dave's not thrilled with you going it alone with Beaumont, but being able to get out of there straight away gave us a big advantage and he took a detour anyway just in case. So no Vechi at the station?"

"Just one, but we slipped by him easily. Adam took out a couple on the street on the way over, but other than that no problems. The train is near enough empty as well so we shouldn't run into any problems now. I'll probably have to text you in a bit, the signal won't be great, but I'll see you soon, yeah?"

" _Stay safe Titch. Use your power if you need to and text me in half an hour. One minute later and I'll be running up those train tracks to come get y'."_

* * * *

For the last half an hour, Adam has been silently resting his eyes with his arm left stretched across the empty seat next to him. The peace is welcome. On the dot, I send Jamie a quick text to let him know all is well and leave the phone on the seat next to me.

"Have you forgiven me yet?" Adam asks, opening one eye as he waits for my answer.

"I suppose." I mumble.

"Good." He smiles and sits up straight in his seat.

"You know what Adam, sometimes it is like you are two completely different people. The man who appears when it's just us alone is the one I trust, the one I loved, but the ogre who takes over when others are around frightens me." I confess.

"I promise you my sweet, I would lay down my life for you. You have nothing to fear from me."

"Don't I?"

"Oh Daisy, Daisy, Daisy," Adam sighs and leans forward on his knees as the train pulls itself out of the next station. "I love you. I miss you. I ache to hold you in my arms again. Why would I want you to be afraid of me?"

"Don't Adam." I groan. I don't want to hear his declaration of love. Guilt for hurting him with Conlan still weighs down on me, but caring for him isn't enough. I realised that when I had to force myself to agree to affirm to him under vampire lore in order to save Conlan from a fate worse than death. I dreaded the prospect of an eternity with only him. If I truly loved Adam, and Conlan was just a passing fancy, then it would not have felt like such a huge sacrifice.

"I know you still have feelings for me." He continues with slow quiet words weighted with emotion. "I admit on many occasions with you I acted in a manner unbecoming of a knight. Upon reflection, I believe that was because of the epic depths of love I have for you. At times those feelings crush me with their weight and I want to explode because I have never experienced such an overwhelming sense of need for a single person, but I am sorry that you frequently bore the brunt of my frustrations."

I avoid his impassioned eyes and stare out at the rapid scenery.

"I think you miss us too." He pushes determined to hear my reply.

In the window's reflection, I catch the side of his lip curling up into a smirk. "Yes Adam, I care about you, but I am in love with Jamie. My feelings for him are unparalleled." There he has my answer. Please let it go.

"Pah." He spits and leans back against the seat folding his arms against his chest. "He is a coward and a dreamer. He fails to take charge of his responsibilities time and time again. He even makes out that the Alliance was his idea."

"It was his idea, his and David's." I challenge, even though I don't want to get into an argument over this.

"Mary Worth is a vengeful woman. She is as dark and devious as she is beautiful. It has long since been known that Jamie Cromwell is her pathetic puppet and does her bidding at a click of her fingers."

"What has she got to do with it?" I sigh growing tired of the conversation.

"Mary has waited patiently to exact revenge on Acheron for years. She has waited until he is on the cusp of power and intends to pull it out from underneath him like a rug. Jamie is the pawn in her game of vengeance. That is why he runs away. That is why he doesn't lead. He is just doing what he is told. He has absolutely no calling to do this. How can a man like that truly love and protect you with the passion that I have?"

"Stop it! You are trying to twist everything. Jamie is not a coward and he is not her puppet and I don't need protecting." I cross my arms under my chest gripping on to my waist as if to shield me from his words.

"No? As soon as life gets tough, he runs. When his sister died, he left without a thought for anyone, not for you, not for David and not for his precious Brotherhood Alliance. Your brother lost the only woman he has ever loved and yet he didn't desert everyone, he found strength to rally the troops and fight. I admire him for that."

"Grief affects people in different ways."

"Okay then, how open has he been about his marriage? Has he told you what their life was like?"

I scowl at him and return to my view.

"No? Well that doesn't surprise me. Like I said a coward. Doesn't even have the courage to tell you the truth." Adam chuckles. "Your brother thinks I am a cruel bastard, well, I have got nothing on the great Jamie Cromwell and Mary Worth." Adam's chuckle breaks out into belly laugh.

Tears fill my eyes. "Enough. I get it. You don't like him."

"I am not trying to hurt you my sweet, I just want you to realise that he is not worthy of you." Adam softens his tone, into a soothing hum.

"Your opinion is duly noted, now can we please change the subject."

He nods and for a while at least, he allows the clitter-clatter of the train travelling at break neck speed down the tracks to fill the space between us. However, it is soon apparent that he is not willing to let this conversation rest indefinitely and attempts a different tact. "Do you remember the early days when you were in training?"

I tear my eyes from the rapid scenery, jaw clenched and give him a swift glance and look away again.

"You were this delicate vulnerable little girl, stubborn and spoilt. Terrified of everything and everyone . . . except me. To this day I don't understand why you trusted me implicitly without question." Adam beams. "Do you remember, you would hide behind me and cling to me when anyone else came near you? You had no skills whatsoever and of course no magic to protect you. Without David, you were defenceless. By mollycoddling you, he allowed you to become weak and forced you to depend entirely on him for your protection. I taught you how to optimise your basic senses, to wield a sword and a knife, shoot an arrow, and fire a gun. I nurtured you into the woman you are today and as I recall, we had a lot of fun in the process."

I cut him off. "That was a long time ago."

Adam continues regardless. "Do you know my most precious memory of us is when you gave yourself to me? I remember it as if it were yesterday; it was just the two of us. We'd taken the horses and gone out into the forest to improve your target practice. The lake – ah do you remember the lake where we stopped to give the horses a rest? It was lit by that fabulous full moon, which bestowed the water with an inviting exotic glow. And you wanted to get cleaned up after riding all day, so I turned my back to allow you your privacy and then you called out my name. When I turned around your clothes were pooled at your feet and you whispered, 'Come bathe with me'. You were a beautiful angel, so pure and innocent the very opposite of what a vampire should be. I'd been aching to touch you for so long, but I daren't betray the trust you'd freely given me, but when you stood there with those delicious brown eyes gazing up at me with such adoration I couldn't resist you. We set the lake on fire that night."

How could I forget that night? I idolised him. He was my real-life knight in shining armour. I planned that moment for several weeks. We often passed the lake whilst we were training and I purposely kept making mistakes so that I could persuade him to give me some one-on-one tuition away from the others. The overnight trip was his idea. In the 12 months during my training programme, it became clear that relationships between superior's and subordinates were not tolerated in the FVoL. If anyone discovered Adam and I were anything more, another FVC would have taken control of me, and they all terrified me. Adam could be cruel with the other trainees, but although he drove me hard to be the best I could, he never hurt me during that time. I longed to be with him and I sensed he wanted me too, but he would not break protocol, so I did everything I could to tempt him.

Adam was my first lover, human, or vampire. Having grown up in the time that I did and with an overprotective brother, casual sex was not acceptable and we rarely mixed with other vampires before the Blood Wars. Perhaps it was a student's crush on her teacher that started it, but I trusted Adam almost as much as I trusted David and the more time I spent with him the more I fell in love with him. That secluded lake proved the perfect romantic spot to seduce him. Despite his rough exterior, he had an incredibly gentle touch. That night was transcendental and it knitted us tightly together, but only a few years later, the dark side of his personality seeped into our relationship.

"Of course I remember, I also remember that not long after that, you became controlling and draconian in the way you managed me so you could prove some sort of point to the others."

"What I did, I did to protect you. I didn't want to have to pass you over to another Colonel. I knew you didn't want that either. Admittedly, I let the pressure get to me and yes I became frustrated by your rebelliousness, but I love the fire that burns inside you, your wilfulness, and determination." Adam's head droops below his shoulders and his voice drops. "I regret the things I did that caused you pain."

He sounds and looks sincere and that stabs at my heart. "I guess in the end I hurt you too and I am sorry for that . . . But . . . our time is over."

From underneath his lashes and with his hair fallen around his face his dark brooding eyes gaze up at me. "Does he satisfy you the way I can?"

My breath hitches at his question and I try to ignore it. "You told me you wanted to be a part of my life in any way that you could, even if that meant not being with me—"

Adam slides across to the seat next to him. His size in this small space traps me as he leans across to place his hand either side of my seat. "If I'm honest with you, I said that because I thought you'd have come back to me by now." He sighs. "The EC was a flash in the pan, and Jamie, well you know my opinion of him." His eyes lock on to mine. My breaths come quick and short. When this expression of unmoveable desire to get what he wants crosses his face, Adam is disturbingly intimidating. "I. Want. You. I want to take care of you and give you everything in my power. I want to feel your soft skin beneath my fingers again, to stroke, and caress every part of you—"

"—Adam. Stop this. You are torturing the both of us."

He gently presses his finger against my lips. "Shh. Engraved into my memory is every line and curve of your exquisite body," his deep provocative tone tremors through my body, intensified by the train vibrations. "If I were to run my finger slowly up the inside of your thigh right now, it would ignite your fire. And if I were to lean forward and suck—"

"—Please, Adam stop this." I pant. His alluring charm is overwhelming me, but it his trick, he knows which buttons to push.

"Your breathing is growing deep, my sweet. Your bosom is heaving desperate to escape the confines of your little dress." With his hands at the side of me, imprisoning me in his snare, he starts tracing circles against the outside of my thighs where my dress has ridden up. I cannot bring myself to reject him outright, instead I avert my eyes, fixing my gaze out of the window, anywhere but on him, yet my body is betraying me, pulsating and calling to him. "No. You have to stop this." I whisper at a barely audible level.

Bang. The adjoining door slams behind the conductor as he waddles from side to side into our carriage. He looks at us and pauses, "Everything alright madam, is this gentleman bothering you?" It must be the look of pain on my face.

Adam sits back. His grin is so big he could be mistaken for the Cheshire cat.

I force a smile at the Conductor. "I'm, fine. Thank you. He's my friend, we're just chatting."

A look of relief passes over the Conductor. I don't think he really wanted to tackle Adam if I wasn't okay. "Right you are madam." He nods and carries on through the carriage without another glance at us.

Whilst he disappears into the next carriage, the train pulls slowly to a halt at the next station, which is a large hub of platforms. Passengers pile into our carriage. Thank god, Adam and I are no longer alone. He moves back to his seat and calls over to an executive holding a copy of the financial times under his arm. Adam's interruption startles the executive and after one look at him, the executive eagerly passes his paper to him.

Whilst Adam is engrossed in the stock-market pages, I text Jamie, to let him know all is okay, even though it isn't, but I can't say anything to him. Next, I message David asking him to meet us at St Pancras, knowing Jamie will have to stay with Dieter.

'K. Y?' David texts back

'Will explain l8r. Make sure its you and not J x'

* * * *

Disembarking at St Pancras amongst the hustle and bustle of rush hour helps us to disappear into the crowd without drawing too much attention. Adam has tugged his hood forward to shadow his face and it is only his size that attracts second glances from onlookers. The horde of passengers carries us briskly along towards the exit.

In one swift action, Adam suddenly shoves through a door into what appears to be a large cupboard for the cleaning staff to store spare buckets and mops and squeezes me up against the wall, restraining my wrists at my side.

"Get off me. I can push you away now." I glare at him.

"Daisy, my sweet, you could always push me away if you wanted to." He grins, but it instantly disappears. "I am not an ogre. I am not going to force myself on you. Please consider what I have told you today and remember what we had together. Our situation has changed and I don't have to hide my feelings for you now. All that was wrong between us was because I had to hide my love for you. Give me a second chance?" It is more of a demand than a question, but he drops his head to rest on my shoulder for a moment before he looks up at me again with the tip of his nose brushing lightly against mine. "Kiss me." He finally whispers.

I should throw him through the brick wall behind him, but I hesitate for the briefest moment. Adam backs off anyway, wearing a grin as wide as the Blackwall tunnel, interpreting my hesitation as a sign that I considered his request, when I should have pushed him away without a second thought.

"Did you really have to get your brother to escort us? Do you no longer trust yourself to be alone with me?" He laughs and grabs my hand pulling me alongside him like a misbehaving child, out of the station and over to the pick-up point to where David is waiting for us.

David greets me with a hug. "Are you okay?" He whispers.

I nod, frightened that guilt is etched into my face. "I just needed you here."

* * * *

At just after six, it is already dark when we reach our Kensington apartment. The four-bedroom apartment has belonged to my brother and me for over two hundred years. Every few years, David has it refurbished by an interior designer to maintain it and every fifty or sixty years he changes the names on the deeds. After the Blood Wars, all vampires in the FVoL had to declare their wealth and possession and turn them over to Acheron. In return, he provided accommodation and sustenance (Yucky synthetic blood). We declared our farmhouse because that is where Adam found us, but David hid this apartment and everything of any real value through a complicated trail of pseudonyms and legal paperwork. Occasionally my brother stayed here if he was in the City on a hunt on his own, but I don't remember being here since the night I fought off Peter.

The instant we walk through the door, Jamie races over to me and crushes me with his impassioned kiss. "You're safe?" He breathes out, as if he has held his breath the whole time we have been apart and cups my cheeks in his hands to examine my face for signs of distress.

"Of course she is safe, she was with me." Adam grunts, "I have protected her for over a century without any harm coming to her."

In case he can see something's wrong, I pull away from Jamie's hands. "I'm fine, honestly." I assure him and pretend to examine the changes to our apartment.

As I glance around, I start to notice the differences. Smooth flat walls have swallowed up the ornate coving and panelling. In place of mahogany furniture and our George III sofa, a modern chunky white leather sofa dominates the living room. Even a reproduction painting hangs on the main wall in place of our late mother's favourite Palladian style mirror. "Fuseli's Nightmare? Really David?"

"Just a bit of fun. Couldn't resist it. Do you like the new colour scheme?"

I crane my neck up to the ceiling. At least he hasn't evicted our French crystal Chandelier, although he has upgraded it from candles to light bulbs. "At least it's not red. I s'pose."

"Red isn't a hot colour this year."

I turn around in circles absorbing the difference in my surroundings while trying to remember what it looked like before, but so much has changed, it is difficult to visualise. The slate coloured walls work well with the accents of white and damson and there is a homely feel about the place. "I suppose it works. It's just . . . a bit strange being back here, y'know? After all this time."

"I know. I know. Don't worry though, the majority of stuff is in storage somewhere safe. I haven't got rid of it. In fact, I brought back your bed that you used to love. It's in your room. I have been getting the place ready for when this is all over and we are free again. Obviously, Jay'll move in too."

"—as interesting and heart warming as this is, I will bid you all farewell and grab myself a bite to eat." Adam interrupts. "Anyone care to join me? . . . Daisy?"

"No Beaumont. Daisy stays here. You go do what you need to do." My brother snarls at him.

"Fair enough. Goodnight Daisy, Sweet dreams my sweet." He replies as he slips out the door blowing me a kiss.

Knowing that for a few hours at least, I don't have to deal with Adam or what he said on the train, relaxes me, yet I also know that someone out there tonight will pay dearly for his frustrations.

"Er Dave, it looks like we also need supplies." Jamie calls out from the kitchen. "There's nothing here for Dieter and we are all gonna need to build our strength up to the max over the next few days."

"I am starving." Dieter shouts back. "Could really do with a nice fat sandwich. Get us some bread, cold meats, salad and oh some fruit, that sort of thing?"

I feel drained, not in a magical way, but an emotional one. I just want to curl up and stay put for just one night. "I'll stay here. I'm really not in the mood for hunting." I whine and scrunch up on the oversized armchair.

"Are you sure you're okay sis, you don't seem your usual self? If Adam's said or done anything?"

"It's just been a long day, a long week. Can't a girl just want some down time to rejuvenate?" I smile, but I am aware it doesn't reach my eyes.

David accepts my answer for now and pats my shoulder. "Okay, if that's what you want. Me and Jay'll go—"

"—er, maybe I want to keep Daze company. I've missed her." Jamie interrupts

"If we're going harvesting, we need two of us. We'll only be a couple of hours. If Adam comes back before us, call me and we'll come straight home okay?"

"Okay." I roll my eyes.

"So Miss D, up for a DVD?" Dieter asks as he leaps onto the sofa in movie style action.

"Sure, sounds good."

"The TV is in there." David points to a glossy white cupboard opposite the sofa. "But you'll have to download something; I don't have any DVD's."

Dieter opens the cupboard with the remote control and turns on the TV. "Not a problem, what do you fancy Miss D?"

"We'll catch y' in a bit then. Do not answer the door." Jamie throws me his serious stare.

"I'm not ten." I pout, but Jamie kisses it away.

Chapter 11: Mother's Book of Spells

The credits of Van-Helsing roll up the screen. It is only eight o'clock, but Dieter has already curled up on the sofa, adopting the foetal position and snoring loudly. I should find him a blanket; it looks like he is there for the night.

As David's room is the first bedroom accessible from the living room, I peer in to see if there is a blanket on the bed or a chair. There is an enormous queen-size bed with an oversized leather headboard, which dominates his room, while shades of grey and black adorn every inch of it, but in my opinion, the black silk sheets are a step too far towards cliché. There are certainly no blankets in here.

Side by side, next to David's room, are two guestrooms. The first was Peter's room. A deep breath is required before I can open the door and peek in. To my relief, it looks nothing like it did. Not a single trace of Peter. Instead, neutral colours coat the room paired with lots of creams and oak furniture. Again, no blankets and its twin is its mirror image.

My room is the master bedroom at the far end of the apartment, accessible through a narrow corridor. Halfway down the corridor is a cupboard where we used to keep bedding. I open it up and sure enough, the shelves are stacked high with bedding, towels, and blankets. Oddly, as soon as I pressed my foot on the floorboard inside the cupboard to pick out a blanket for Dieter, it sounded and felt sort of off – hollow and as if it is loose or something. Mmm curious. Okay so perhaps a creaky floorboard is not unusual in a building this old, but I have this strong compulsion to investigate what may be hiding underneath. Perhaps it is another returning memory nagging to come to the fore.

I kneel down, hover my hands above the floorboard, and using magic I silently lift the foot long piece of wood out of its resting place and bring it down next to me. Immediately inside the exposed hole, dust coated cobwebs glitter in the darkness, however, there is little else to see and yet the compulsion persists, pushing me to delve deeper into the hole as if I am meant to find something. In surrender, I reach further into the unknown beneath the floor, patting and clawing around the filthy space whilst praying a spider won't crawl up my arm. Apparently, vampirism does not cure arachnophobia. It is not until the hole swallows up almost my whole arm that I finally touch something . . . Something bulky . . . and dusty just outside of my grasp, so magically I coax the object towards me and out through the hole.

A musty smelling thick brown cloth laden with grime and dust covers a heavy chunky object held together with a single strap of old leather. A gentle tug unravels the tie and the dirty cloth falls away. Oh my god! To my surprise and excitement, under the cloth is my mother's grimoire; six inches thick, bound in leather with silver and pearl embellishments. It looks exactly as I remember as a child. Trailing my fingers over the intricate cover takes me back to a familiar comforting place. An overwhelming urge to escape to somewhere private and lose myself inside the book grips me. Damn. I am running out of time before Jamie and David return. Within a blink of an eye, I stuff the cloth and the leather tie back into the hole, replace the small plank of floorboard, then retreat to my room with the book, and close the door.

Memories fly at me as soon as I take in my old room, pinning me against the door and distracting me from my immediate purpose. New, forgotten memories arrive, ones that have been slow to return since Jamie and I lifted the spell. In this room, David has changed very little. My beautifully gilded French canopy bed fills the room as it did over a century ago. Although contemporary cornices and borders have replaced what were there before, my antique gold Rococo mirror still hangs opposite the bed above the original fireplace, the walls are a pale duck egg shade of blue, very similar to the original colour, and it feels like . . . it feels like home. Never did I believe I would feel like this here, not after that terrible night when Peter forced himself on me and David ripped him apart. Yet this is my room. My safe retreat.

I climb on to my bed, into the cocoon of the pale-rose silk drapes that tumble from the gilded canopy above. With the book in my lap, I examine the cover again. My fingers brush over the pearl posed in the centre of the cover, sandwiched between two silver crescents. Every nerve ending on my body fizzes in recognition. A pentacle, etched into the leather and marked with ancient words written in silver, surrounds them all, whilst intricate shapes and symbols made from crushed pearls and silver frame the pentacle, giving the book a lustrous incandescent shine whenever it catches the light.

This book has lingered on the periphery of my memory for a while and now that I have it here in my lap, I recognise every detail. As a child, I remember gazing up at the shelf where it sat in our kitchen. My mother only let me look at if she was around to supervise, but once my magic grew strong enough I would sneak it down, hide somewhere quiet to sit and absorb every page. Not until my teens did I learn to read and that was only after I begged David to teach me, and so for a long time the spells and words on the pages were just beautiful mysterious shapes and markings.

Faraway the clunk of our apartment door catches my attention. It isn't David as I would sense him if it were. Heavy footsteps cross the living room and continue down the corridor to my room. As quick as I can I shove the grimoire under the pillow. A knock rat-a-tat-tat's on my bedroom door.

"Come-in." I call, hoping it is Jamie but knowing it isn't.

"Hello, my sweet. My, what a lovely room. Fit for a princess."

"I thought you were out for the night?" I slide my knees up to my chest and hold them there.

"So did I, but thoughts of you refused to leave me alone to tend to my needs. Absence certainly does make the heart grow fonder and with you being so close again, my feelings for you are consuming me." He answers quietly taking measured steps towards me. "I have lost all ability to ratiocinate."

"Adam, I don't want to hurt you, but you have to listen to me. I am in love with Jamie. It is not an infatuation. It is real. You must accept that and move on."

"I know you better than you know yourself Daisy. You would have sworn blind the exact same thing about the EC and how long did that last? We were together for one hundred years. I swore to protect you for an eternity. I cannot simply walk away and let another man take you."

"If you love me, you'll let me go, let me be happy."

Adam has arrived at the foot of my bed. He places his hands on the mattress and leans over towards me. "Happy? He will break your heart my sweet, whereas I will take the most tenderest care of you. You are exposed. All the supernatural realms are aware you are alive and powerful. They will all try to either kill you or recruit you. You need someone who can protect you, who you can trust. I can guarantee your safety. You are now aware how well connected I am. Without me, you are at risk." His voice falls to a whisper.

"I have David and Jamie."

"David made you weak before, he will do it again, he cannot help himself, and as for Jamie, well I wouldn't bet your life on him."

"How can I make you see that we are over?"

His lip curls up on one side as he considers my challenge. "Kiss me." He demands.

"What?" I practically spit, shocked by his answer.

"Kiss me." He repeats gently. "A kiss is all about chemistry. If there's nothing left between us, I will be able to feel it. You will be able to feel it. Prove you have no feelings for me."

"No."

"—what are you afraid of - that you do still feel something for me?" Adam moves swiftly to the side of the bed where I am sat.

"No!"

"Well come on then. Show me our spark has been snuffed out. Kiss. Me." He cups my head in his enormous hand, summoning me closer to him.

I should stop this. I don't. Instead, our lips meet. I expect a rough and forceful attack, but his kiss is tender. He presses his lips softly against my mouth. A spark simmers responding to his touch, or is it just the rush of adrenalin brought on by his foray? His muscular frame swamps me, sweeping me into his arms whilst trapping my arms at my side. It reminds me of how safe I once felt captured in his arms . . . No. No. No, this is wrong. Wake-up Daisy!

Abruptly, the force of my power hurtles Adam against the far wall, shaking the room. My sudden reaction has shocked him but then maniacal laughter spills out from him filling the room.

"Well?" He chuckles with the belief he has won something.

"Get. Out." I demand, beneath the tears pouring down my cheeks.

A grin spreads across his face as he caresses his lips with his fingers, savouring our kiss.

"Go, or I will make you." I threaten.

"There's my feisty little vixen. We are going to have a lot of fun, my sweet." He replies salaciously, taking a bow before he strolls out the door.

My body shakes, as I stand in a fixed state of horror and regret for what I just allowed to happen. Why do I always let him invade my head, twist everything, and doubt what I know? The mass of this emotional turmoil wears me down until I can do nothing but collapse on the bed.

After lying motionless surrendering to my thoughts for some time, I eventually drag myself up to a sitting position, fearing that David and Jamie will return any time soon. They cannot find me in this state. As I do, my hand brushes against a sharp corner of the Grimoire I hid under the pillow next to me. In a bid to distract my mind from Adam, I open up the book.

Under the cover on the first page is a list of my maternal bloodline all the way back to the fifth century. My name sits at the bottom beneath my mother's name. I trace her name with my finger; A L I C E, then mine; D A I S Y. Her smiling face appears in my mind. I miss her. I miss her so much. My name will forever be the last name on this list . . . The last name that will EVER appear on this list. Tears resurface in my eyes. Mine is the last name that will ever appear on this list because I will never have a daughter to pass this on to, not even if I live to be a thousand. Because I could live to be a thousand.

My sense of David tugs inside me, warning me he is close now, which means Jamie and David are almost home. I wipe my eyes, push the book back under the pillow, and wait for them.

Whilst I wait, I scan my room once more trying to distract my thoughts only to find it purges them. An immense amount of time has passed since I last stood in this room. I am not the same vulnerable girl who once slept here and whose brother protected her from the world. I am not the same naive girl who was happy to be distracted by fashion and finery and who never gave a thought for independence, who instead was content to let her brother rule her life. Adam changed me. Adam turned me into me; a woman; someone who could defend herself and protect others; a woman who could stand alone, if only everyone would let her. Nonetheless, even he sought to control me under the guise of his protection.

"Da-aze?" Jamie's velvet voice sings from the other side of the door. "You okay? Dave said he could feel something was off with you." His voice is enough to break down my thin pretence that nothing happened whilst he was out. "Daze? Tell me, what's wrong?" Concern glows in his ice blue eyes when he finds I am unable to find the words to answer him. In a flash, he is all around me, wrapping me in his arms, and encapsulating me with his analeptic scent. "Daze, babe, please tell me." He whispers.

I cannot bring myself to tell him about Adam, but he needs an explanation, so I opt for a half-truth and tell him about my painful realisation that I will never hold my own child. "It's silly." I whimper, shaking my head against his chest.

"Tell me, please?" His voice hums against my ear, full of sympathy and worry.

"My mother's grimoire. I found it." I bury my head deeper into his shoulder as he tries to soothe me with soft strokes along my hair.

"No, it's not. Go on."

"Our names are listed in the book . . . and . . . and my name is the last . . . on the list."

"Yeah . . . so?"

"That's just it. It is the last! There will never be another because I am a stupid bloody vampire." I cry out, but his shoulder muffles my rant.

"Oh Daze." He whispers, holding me tighter to suppress the pain I am suffering.

"It is stupid. I have never thought about being a mother before, I have never had any yearning for a child, but seeing that page again - it hit me like a tonne of bricks. I will never hold a child of my own in my arms; I will never see their first smile or hear their first word. Jamie, I will never be a mother." My voice cracks and tears freefall down my cheeks again. "Acheron took that all away from me." I sob.

Jamie rocks me back and forth but he says nothing. I guess there is nothing he can say. He cannot lift my curse.

After what seems likes hours, but in reality is probably only a few minutes, Jamie breaks our silence. "You gonna show me this book then?" He loosens his arms and stoops down to study me.

I nod. "It's under the pillow." I drag the book from its hiding place and push it towards Jamie. "Nice pink bed." He grins marvelling at the girlishness of it.

A small smile appears on my lips. "I was going through a phase."

"Mmm. If I'm moving in we might have to change a few things." He chuckles. "So this is your grimoire eh?"

"Mmhmm."

"Wow, this is a fine grimoire. Really well preserved." He runs his fingers over the cover in awe of its beauty and intricacy. "You gonna open it for me then?"

"What did your last slave die of?" I tease half-heartedly

"Lack of blood." He mimics in a Romanian accent and I playfully smack him in the abs. "It's yours. That means I can't open it." He explains.

I cock my head to one side trying to figure out if he is winding me up.

"Family grimoire are spelled to protect them. No one outside your bloodline can open them."

"Really? My mother never told me that." I flip the book open to about a third of the way through. Jamie flicks through some pages, stopping now and again to read. "So where's yours then?"

"My father was human remember?" He answers without lifting his eyes off the book.

"But your mother must have had one and she only had you?"

"Doesn't matter, Mothers only pass them on to female descendants . . . Wow you know what; there are some really interesting spells and information in here Daze." He looks up at me with excitement glinting in his eyes.

I just smile back, unable to summon enough energy to match his excitement.

"Why don't you try this one?" Jamie turns the book around for me and taps on a page with a protection spell. "If anyone gets in here who wants to harm us they'll be subjected to insurmountable pain."

'Home Protection Spell' is scrawled in old writing at the top of the page. "What do I do? I mean there's got to be more to it than just saying the words?" I look up at him. It feels like déjà-vu again; me in Jamie's bedroom, staring at those feathers without a clue how to lift them.

"Don't you remember?"

"My mother didn't like me using spells. She wanted me to focus on my natural power. She used them now again to help someone she liked or for protection I think."

"I can understand that." Jamie stares at me thoughtfully for a moment. "So what you need to do is - similar to when you use your natural magic \- you need to feel each word, wrap your tongue around them and believe in what you are saying, visualise what you want."

I nod, and look down at the page.

' _Praesum aegis praemunitio_

Largior impute curciamen aergrum morsus

Interminor bagairt minatio

Assero natale baile domus'

"Imagine, love and protection for us all, and the pain you would inflict on those who would harm us."

"Okay." I shake out my shoulders to relax. Squinting down at the page, I think about Jamie's instructions and start to chant the words on the page. The tingling in my fingers buzzes and travels through me, growing stronger with each word I speak. " . . . Assero . . . natale . . . baile domus." I open my eyes wide and glance at Jamie and then around the room. "Did it work? I definitely felt something."

"We'll see, there is definitely magic in the air, I can feel it." He beams his fabulous smile and leans in for a kiss. His soft lips cushion against mine immersing me into the enchantment of him. Adam was a trick. Jamie is my soul.

Knuckles rapping on my bedroom door interrupt us. "Alright sis?" David asks tentatively. "So, what are you two up to?" He glances at the book on the bed between us and then at me.

"I found it underneath the floor in the cupboard." I explain. "Where's yours?"

"I dunno. Don't you remember? We didn't find it when we went back to the farm after we escaped Acheron."

"No, that time is still a bit hazy, some of my memories aren't in the right order."

"We turned the place upside down, but it we couldn't find it. I don't know, I guess our mother hid it somewhere. Mother's was the important one. I never looked at mine anyway." David shrugs.

"Well Daze has just tested out a home protection spell." Jamie adds.

This makes my brother grin. "Let's hope Beaumont has some devious intentions towards one of us then." He leaps onto the bed and pulls me into a bear hug. "You sure you okay sis?"

"I'm fine." I lie. "Is he here, Adam I mean?"

David narrows his eyes suspiciously, "No, he's not back yet. I doubt we'll see him until dawn."

Thank god. Adam must have left after I threw him out.

"So then . . . c'mon, just the three of us here, Dieter's out for the count, what happened between you and him on the way down here? When I picked you up, you looked shaken and Beaumont, well . . . he looked a little too pleased with himself."

I cannot believe David has just asked me that in front of Jamie - who has now leapt off the bed and towers over me expectantly with his arms folded across his chest. Anger visibly bristles through every twitching muscle. "Well?" He growls.

"He was just trying to mess with my head, that's all."

"How?" David rubs my shoulder to reassure me, but it feels as if they're cross examining me.

"What does it matter? He didn't hurt me. He wouldn't hurt me."

"It matters, because you called me for help. Nowadays, you rarely do that unless something's really wrong."

"And it must have been something otherwise you would have called me. Every text you sent you said everything was okay." Jamie looks hurt.

"I didn't need rescuing. I just wanted someone else there, not you because . . . Well . . . look . . . what happened was . . . .he said some stuff and it got intense and I felt-felt overwhelmed and suffocated I suppose. I didn't want to be on my own with him and if I told you that, you would have come down all guns blazing." I look up to Jamie, hoping he understands.

"So what did. He. Say . . . Ex-act-ly?" Jamie over pronounces each word, reserving judgement until he ekes out more details.

"He was trying to make out that I couldn't rely on you and that you weren't who you wanted me to believe you were-but I defended you."

"What else?" Jamie leans on the bed bending over me to ensure I don't escape his questioning.

"He told me he er . . . he missed me and wanted me to give him a second chance." My voice trails off, feeling the swell of guilt as the memory of the kiss fills my head.

"Did he touch you?" David's eyes narrow.

"No, not really, I can defend myself now. It's just that, y'know he can get inside my head sometimes." I look up at Jamie. "I made it clear to him, I want you and not him, he just . . ."

"—just what?"

"Just isn't really listening to me. He thinks you and me are a flash in the pan thing and that I'll come to my senses and go back to him."

"I'll show him flash in the pan." A throaty growl rumbles through Jamie.

"No Jamie. No more trouble. We just need to get through this whole debacle and then we part ways. Attacking him is not going to do any of us any good, do you hear me?"

The look of a crazed beast clouds Jamie's eyes. He is not hearing me.

"Jamie! Keep. Away." I caution him.

David appears at Jamie's side and shakes him to get him to listen. "Daisy's right, Jay. Taking Beaumont out at this stage could do more harm than good. Any other time and I would be giving you a hand to take him out, but we can't right now." He twists his body towards me. "Me and Jay'll work together to make sure one of us is always with you. I should never have allowed you to travel alone with him in the first place. He is too accomplished at manipulating you. It's like you have a blind spot when it comes to him."

"I care about him, but. . . I admit he has gone too far this time . I can't get through to him and that worries me."

"Beaumont is dangerous. He is a monster and he is obsessed with you and will stop at nothing to have you back."

For the first time I accept David's warning and see Adam as a threat.

Chapter 12: Nomios

After a nice long soak in the bath with some designer bubbles and some fresh clothes, I feel much better this morning. The sound of voices spill out from the kitchen. When I enter, Dieter is sitting at the kitchen island eating a sandwich and David and Jamie are leaning on the countertop staring into a laptop screen.

"Morning." I sing.

"Morning Titch." Jamie winks whereas my brother simply nods.

"Afternoon." Dieter corrects with a mouthful of sandwich. "It's almost one."

I nudge Dieter in the back and tease him. "Well someone fell asleep at about eight o'clock yesterday which in my book counts as late afternoon, so no wonder you were up with the dawn chorus. Great company you turned out to be."

Dieter laughs. "Touché!"

"So, any word from Mary?" I ask the three of them.

Dieter swallows the last of his sandwich and nods. "Yep, she called me earlier. She wants us to meet her at the Vantage Point at five tomorrow. Where is Krueger by the way?" He asks as he hops off the stool and takes his empty plate over to the sink.

Jamie and David burst into laughter. "Krueger? I like it." It takes David a few moments to contain his laughter before he manages to answer Dieter. "He checked into a hotel. Too crowded for him here."

"No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't just give in. Why? What did you do?"

Jamie's arms slide around my waist and he rests his chin on my shoulder. "Let's just say that Dave persuaded him to find somewhere else to crash."

"Persuaded him how?" I cannot believe that after everything Adam would agree to stop somewhere else.

David's eyes remain fixed on the laptop screen. "Me, Jamie, and him, with you in the middle of us under one roof? Talk about pressure cooker. Someone would snap sooner or later and you'd be the one getting hurt." He shrugs his shoulders. "He agreed that it was the best option for you if he gave us some space. It appears he still has at least one ounce of chivalry left in him. Besides, I doubt he'll go far and I am sure he'll lurk in the shadows like old times."

"Well I for one am glad he's not here all the time." Dieter adds as he dries his plate and returns it to the shelf. "Out of all the vampires I've been around, he gives me the real heebie-jeebies." He shakes his shoulders, to emphasise the imaginary chill racing up his spine.

Jamie bursts into laughter and despite appearing to be engrossed in whatever is on that laptop screen, a wide grin spreads across David's face. For me, for a while at least, it is a relief to know that I do not have to deal with Adam's advances and the tension his presence brings to our group, but shamefully it also sort of reassures me that he is still close by.

"So then what do we do today?" I ask. I need to distract my thoughts and focus on something else.

David spins the laptop around so that I can see the screen. "Beaumont may have moved the majority of the Alliance out to Brazil, but we have overwhelming support from our fellow vamps." He taps the screen. "This is an encrypted chat room, using coded messaging. Jay and I set it up so that we could ramp up recruitment and gain intelligence a few years ago."

The screen shows entry after entry of what looks like word search grids, only instead of letters there are numbers and other characters included as well. "You can read this?"

"It's our code. Xavier created it for us."

"Xavier? The guy who I saw tortured by Acheron?" The memory stings more now that I know I was capable of doing so much more than I did.

"Yeah. He was one of our best."

I examine the screen again and notice that most of the entries are from the last twenty-four hours. "These are recent?"

"Yes. Loyalty to Acheron's FVoL regime is dwindling. Jay and I put out a message last night and this is the response."

"What do they say?"

"Some say that the FVoL have sent out all their talent scouts to find any human with a potential special ability, but a number of the scouts sent out are deserting and going into hiding. Others say that the remaining hunters are on high alert to locate us and to bring in anyone who attempts to assist us. This one here," David runs his finger along the screen, "Says that because Acheron is recruiting above the quota he agreed with the Vechi, the Vechi are hunting down the scouts to prevent them from turning any more humans. Another one says that Acheron has lost control. They say he has become reckless, and unfortunately, merciless. This has lead to some of the older vamps, who survived the Blood Wars, to dispel the propaganda instilled by Acheron and are telling the younger ones that there is a different life, a free existence. Basically the territory is in chaos."

"Do any of these know where he is?"

"There are several sightings, but nothing confirmed as yet. We need to wait it out a bit longer and then we should have something concrete."

"So what is the plan once we do find him? We need to get through his army of protectors before we can even get to him and that could get messy. He'll have the cream of the Elites and the strongest bodyguards."

Dieter slouches on to his elbows, leaning on the island countertop next to my brother. "You sorted the Vasitri when they attacked us. No vampire is as strong as them."

"Yeah, but looked what happened, I passed out. I am growing stronger but I am not there yet. If I had to do that just to get rid of Acheron's protection, I wouldn't have the strength to deal with him."

"We could always lure him out with bait?" Jamie suggests.

"He wouldn't fall for it, he'd set his own trap." David dismisses.

The buzzer rings interrupting our discussion. "Expecting someone?" I ask.

Everyone looks at each other and shakes their heads. The buzzer rings again. "Maybe it's Adam." I suggest as I walk over to the key pad and push the intercom. "Hello?" Radio silence. "Hello?"

From down the corridor I can hear the sound of approaching footsteps They do not belong to Adam. They are unconfident, hesitant even. I hold my finger to my lips and gesture for the others to hide out of sight. My brother frowns but I shoo him with my hands until he reluctantly pulls Jamie and Dieter into one of the bedrooms.

A double knock thuds against the door. "Who is it?" I call.

"It's Joel, Daisy. I worked with you under Sir Beaumont, do you remember?"

"As a hunter?"

"No, a talent scout, don't you remember me? We used to meet up and grab coffee on assignments sometimes."

Adam despised Joel. Said he was loyal to no one but himself. He was a fairly decent scout, but always had ambitions above his abilities. He was okay to chat to, even quite funny at times, but I never trusted him. "What do you want Joel?"

"Aren't you gonna invite me in? I want to help."

Either Joel acknowledges the FVoL is crumbling and sees us as the better prospect, or he is here to destroy us and reap the reward. I guess my protection spell will confirm which. "Is that the truth?" I give him one last opportunity to come clean if his true intention is to hurt us before I let him in.

"Of course it is. You and me were friends. I admire what you and your brother have done, making a stand against the Elder and everything."

I open the door and allow him inside.

"Nice place. So is your brother here too?" He asks following me inside.

I turn around and pause in the living room. "No David is out for now."

A frown forms on his forehead. "So are you alone?"

"Yes, this is a safe place."

Joel rubs his forehead. Something is distracting him.

"Joel are you okay?" I ask innocently.

"I-I . . . I er." Joel collapses to the floor gripping his head.

"Oh dear Joel."

He cries out in pain. "Argh, w-what's happening."

"I don't know how well informed you are Joel, but I am a sorcerer as well as a vampire. This flat is a safe place because it is under a protection spell. Anyone who enters with an intention of hurting me will be subjected to insurmountable pain. So, it appears you are lying to me."

Joel writhes around the floor clutching his head. "Make, it stop. Make it stop." He cries.

David and Jamie re-enter. "I don't remember him, do you Jay?"

"No can't say that I do."

"Please . . . Stop!" Joel screams out again.

David crouches down, leaning over Joel, "Go on Daisy, give him some respite while we have a quick chat."

"Fosh-forr-nyarst. Fosh-forr-nyarst. Fosh-forr-nyarst." I chant the words that command temporary relief from the pain.

"So Joel, how did you find us?"

Joel struggles to pull himself up into a sitting position on the floor. Although the pain has subdued, it continues to echo inside him, which makes it difficult for him to order his thoughts. He frowns for a few seconds and then answers. "B-Beaumont."

"Beaumont told you where we were?" David bellows.

"No. No. Saw him . . . Last night. Followed him here . . . Like bear with a sorehead when he left. Only person who gets to him like that is D-Daisy."

"Anyone else aware of your deductions?" Jamie chips in planting his hands on his hips.

Joel shakes his head. His frown furrows deeper as the pain returns with renewed vigour collapsing him to the floor. He hugs his head unable to scream now. My brother reaches forward and places his hands around Joel's head. Through his tears, Joel looks hopeful that David will take the pain away again, but with one quick jerk and twist, David removes Joel's head from his body.

" _David!"_ I scold. "If you were going to kill him, then I could have done it without all the mess." I gesture to Joel's body, which has fallen on to the edge of our damson rug soaking it with his blood.

"Even my dagger's less messy than that." Dieter jokes as he leaps on to the sofa to get a closer look.

David looks up at me with Joel's head still in his hands. "He was a chancer and a pillock. He was supposed to be your friend and yet he didn't think twice about selling you to Acheron."

Jamie hands David a black rubbish bag to wrap the head in and winks at me. "At least we know the spell worked."

"Perhaps we should move on. If Joel found us, it won't take others long."

"Nah, some two bit talent scout spotted Krueger and took a punt. That's all it is. If he'd told anyone, they would have come down here in force to take us in. We'll soon have a location for Acheron and then we'll be on our way to finish this thing once and for all; avenge Lizzy's death, Xavier's death, your mother's death, and finally be free to move on with the rest of our lives." Jamie kisses my hair. "Together."

* * * *

5pm, Monday 10th October 2011 Vantage Point Hotel

Two tall well-built vampires whom could easily be mistaken for secret service, stand guard outside Nomios's hotel suite.

"Name." One of them grunts at us.

"David Love." My brother replies with equal animus.

"David Love with party of three." The other one announces into his earpiece. He waits a moment and then opens the door. "You may enter."

The stylishly designed suite is more spacious than I expected. Furnished with classic Victorian furniture and fabrics, it has an understated indulgence about it. The aroma of coffee, polish, and Mary's Chanel no5 perfume hit me as soon as we step inside. Around the corner, we enter the reception area. Four stripy upholstered chairs and a neutral sofa fill the area.

Strutting across the room like the queen of Sheba in a skin tight bright pillar box red shift dress, Mary comes over to greet us. "James, darling," she curls her arms around his neck and threads her fingers through the base of his hair as she plants a lingering scarlet kiss on his cheek. "And David." She gasps dramatically, clutching his hands as she pulls him into her, pushing her hips into his whilst kissing the air either side of him. "And my darling Nahrung. I have missed you." Her tone slips into a purr and she even kisses Dieter on the lips in front of us all. It is the first time I have seen her show him any affection. "Daisy." My name comes out short and sharp and I am only offered a brief nod of acknowledgement and nothing more. "Nomios is just finishing a call, he'll be through in a moment, please take a seat."

Jamie and Dieter settle on the sofa, whilst David and I choose the chairs opposite Mary. A few moments later, a tall red headed man with matching beard enters from another room behind Mary. He looks like a Viking king of old and is wearing a simple white shirt with black suit trousers and he has a jolly air about him. We all stand to greet him.

"Sit, sit, please. There is no need for all the formalities." He smiles warmly. "Mr Cromwell." He nods, sounding a little less friendly. "And this must be David and Daisy Love." He deduces clapping his hands together and leaning forward in his chair. "D, sorry Diablo, said you were a handsome pair and he was not wrong." He chuckles. "And Sir Beaumont?"

"He is supposed to meet us here." David explains. "He should have been here by now. I must apologise."

Nomios laughs from his belly. "Young Beaumont doesn't need anyone to apologise for him. He's a rascal and no one is going to change that." He glances at Mary who smiles and nods in agreement with him. Another first; I can actually sense her genuine love for this man. "No matter, I'll catch up with him when he arrives." Nomios continues. "Now on to business. I guess you're wondering why I've asked you here?"

We both nod in unison.

"Well, the reason is, I have some good news for you all. On Thursday, it is our annual SDFC meeting, sorry I should use the official title, The Sanguine Decsange Fraternity Council meeting. You are aware of what that is?" Nomios confirms.

"Yes sir, we are aware." David replies.

"Good. This year it is in London and Asher's turn to host it." He sits back in his chair and raises his eyebrows at us as if that should be good news.

David frowns looking as confused as I do. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Attendance is mandatory at the council for all members, although sometimes a deputy is sent in times of war or political difficulties. However, as Asher is the host this year he has to attend in person. D has given me permission to tell you when and where the council meeting is going to be held and the access code to gain entry. This will allow you to walk straight into the meeting, take Asher by surprise, and deal with him there and then. How splendid is that?"

"Won't someone try and stop us?" I blurt out.

"No. The council rules state security is not allowed inside the meeting. That even includes D's security men. We are forbidden to destroy each other you see, so the rule about security prevents any loopholes. However, from time to time, we do allow special guests, examined for weapons beforehand obviously, but I am sure you can work your way around that. You are unique in your ability to kill one of us and your desire to kill Asher is personal and not a command from the council, so we will not be breaking any rules. We will just help you to gain access to him." Nomios's jolly exterior slides into a more serious mood. "Now, from that point forward, you are on your own. If you are unable to destroy him, you will stand before the Council as traitors and we will punish you all accordingly." His words are slow and threatening but then he sits back in his chair and slaps his thighs, returning to his jolliness. "If you are successful, you will be rewarded."

"And the other council members, won't they try and stop us?" My brother questions him, trying to figure out if this will be a trap.

"No. We have all agreed on this course of action. Asher has gone too far this time . . . and I must say we are all rather looking forward to watching you work, my dear." Nomios chuckles again with delight shining in his bice green eyes. "So, on to the details. The address is 101 Valognes Terrace. My men will let you into the building. There is an access code that I will send you on the day. The meeting room is on the fifth floor. There is a keypad on the left of the door to the meeting room. Punch the code in and you will gain entry. Our meeting begins at seven. I suggest you arrive at eight. There is also a formal black tie dress code as we hold a soiree after the meetings, which companions attend. D wants you to dress as if you he has invited you to the meeting as a guest, not as if you have come to assassinate Asher. I will arrange for something suitable to be sent over. Oh, and only David and Daisy are allowed inside the meeting room. That means you and Beaumont will have to wait in the companions' room, Mr Cromwell."

"What about Dieter?" I ask.

"Who?" Nomios looks confused. Dieter raises his hand as if to say that'll be me. Nomios looks at him. "Oh, the Vechi Nahrung. Hmm well, it would not be wise to have him anywhere near the meeting. The temptation could be too great for some. He will have to stay here in Mary's quarters until the evening's festivities are over. He will be perfectly safe, my security men will see to that."

A secret service vampire walks in. "Your grace, Sir Adam Beaumont is here."

"A-ha, send him in Roberts." He waves his hand and rises to his feet.

My stomach flips over. It is the first time I have seen Adam since the night we travelled down on the train. He hasn't returned to the apartment and this is my first trip out.

"Your Grace." Adam bows to Nomios.

"Come here old friend." Nomios tugs him into a bear hug and slaps his back. "Still as magnificent as ever."

Adam lets out a deep throaty chuckle. "You flatter me, Nomios." He turns to Mary and kisses her hand before he turns around to us. "David." He acknowledges and then steps towards me. He pulls me up into a hug and kisses my cheek. "Daisy, my sweet." He hums against my ear. I push against him, trying to be as discreet as possible.

Jamie clears his throat. "Nomios, we should get going, we have much to prepare if we are going to be ready for Thursday night."

"Yes of course, Mr Cromwell. I will be in touch. It has been wonderful to meet you both." Nomios navigates the glass coffee table and shakes David's hand. It forces Adam to move out of Nomios's way as Nomios comes over to me. "Daisy, absolutely enchanting to meet you and I can't wait to watch you perform on Thursday night." He kisses either side of each cheek and then crushes me against his hard chest.

"Thank you for your support." I smile and step away backing up into Jamie.

"Mary we need to keep your Nahrung until Thursday." Jamie calls over to her.

"That is fine. I will keep Mary more than occupied." A lustfully wicked grin spreads over Nomios's face. Mary cannot see his expression as Nomios's back is to her, but she looks pleased anyway. "Beaumont, stay. I have business to discuss with you." Nomios slaps Adam on the back and falls back down on to the empty sofa.

David glowers at Adam. "We won't be needing you for anything over the next couple of days Beaumont, so there's no need for you to go out of your way to drop by. We'll see you on Thursday."

"I am Diablo's emissary, David. You can't get rid of me until the job's done."

* * * *

The lobby of the Vantage Point hotel is a stunning throwback to the 1920's. I have succeeded in convincing my brother to let us all have a couple of drinks here and soak up the atmosphere before we have to lock ourselves up in the apartment until Thursday.

"You okay? You're quiet." I ask Dieter who is sat on a bar stool staring into the bottom of his whiskey glass.

"She loves him, doesn't she?"

"What?"

"Mary. She loves Nomios. You saw it too didn't y'?"

"I doubt it's that simple."

"She looks at Jamie like she wants to devour him. He was once hers and she likes to know she can still have him. I get that. I can deal with that. But Nomios? Nah that was love, lifelong burning love in her eyes." Dieter shakes his head. "Another one!" He shouts over to the barmaid, insisting on a refill. "She has never looked at me that way. I thought she had, but she hasn't."

"I'm sure there is more to what you thought you saw. Haven't you seen them together before?"

"I'm a blood slave, less than a pet. I don't normally get within a mile of the great Elder unless he requests it. He's not into letting go and getting high, so he has never drank from me. The only reason I got so close to him today was because he didn't realise who I was and you and Dave were the main attraction. Fuck, I've been so stupid. I've wasted . . . like . . . literally years of my fucking miserable life." Dieter knocks back his next glass of whiskey.

"Whoa calm down mate." David smiles, but then frowns at me as if to ask what is going on.

"I think Dieter's having an epiphany. Mary is not who he thought she was."

Jamie buts in. "Yeah well, I've told you, she likes to play with people. She needs toys to keep her amused."

"Jamie." I scold.

"He needs to know. There's no use dancing around it." He shrugs.

"I nee-to get ou-o' 'ere." Dieter slurs. The whisky has finally hit his central nervous system and he is about to stumble over his feet.

Fortunately, David catches him. "Sorry mate, but you're in this thing till the end. Once we're done, you're free."

"Well, I guess we need to get him back home before he draws unwanted attention to us." I add with a sigh.

Dieter's torso suddenly lurches forward as his stomach heaves. Whiskey apparently disagrees with him and is set to escape all over the lobby floor. Thankfully, David rushes him to the bathroom before he can make a mess of the posh hotel lobby.

"You were harsh Jamie, he's heartbroken. How would you feel?"

"I was honest. He needs to know and I have been there before. Like he said he has wasted enough time on her."

"—excuse me, do you have the time?" An expensively dressed and attractive lady interrupts us, lightly touching my arm to get my attention. My attention. Not Jamie's. That is a first.

"Er, sure. It's just gone half past seven." I reply with a friendly smile.

"Thank you." She smiles and daintily shakes my hand before gliding straight out of the hotel.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch David holding Dieter up as they emerge from the bathroom. "Looks like playtime's over." I pull an exaggerated pout at Jamie.

"Two days Daze, and we're free. Free to live again." Jamie whispers against my cheek.

Chapter 13: 101 Valognes Terrace

**I** nside my grimoire, there is a spell to camouflage an object to make it invisible to the naked eye. I will use this on the rucksack that will carry the vines and dagger, so that we can take them into the meeting room without alerting Acheron. I have practiced this spell several times over the past two days and although it works, it does tend to wear off after a couple of hours. I hope that will be long enough. I do not plan on hanging around.

This afternoon Dieter soaked the vines in the specialist elixir Angus the Faery gave us. Instead of their dirty ashen green skin, a sparkly pink sheen coats the vines making them appear quite beautiful, but they are deadly to us now. For most of yesterday, I used my natural power to wrap and unwrap the vines around Dieter, who acted as my dummy. It was mind numbingly repetitive and Jamie, as usual, was a hard taskmaster. He insisted the more times I did it the stronger my muscle memory would be. I hate to admit it but Jamie was right and my time to fling the vines out of the bag and around Dieter has improved to less than a second. Whilst we have been doing this, it is also apparent that my ability to absorb power is increasing. Instead of _it_ controlling me, I control it. I own it. Although, perhaps some of that is down to Jamie practically force-feeding me blood on the hour every hour to keep me in tip-top condition.

"The clothes have arrived." Jamie lays out two garment bags on my bed. "You didn't wait for me." He pouts, noticing that I have just stepped out of the shower.

"I've stained my hand, I can get it off. I'm sure it's getting worse." I hold my palm up for him to see.

He takes my hand and examines it intently. From underneath his lashes he looks at me and then returns to scrutinising my palm again.

"Do you think it's something to do with those vines?" I ask.

Jamie shakes his head and traces circles over the stains on my palm.

"Maybe it's something like the nose bleeds, y'know because I've been using my power and practicing spells?"

Jamie shakes his head again. "Take a good look at your palm Daze."

After frowning at him for a second or two, trying to understand where he is going with this, I give up and stare at my palm. The stain is darker now than before I scrubbed it in the shower. In fact, it is less of a stain and more of a tattoo. Sorcerer symbols. _Arsaleebreve_. "Oh my god."

"Yeah, I know. Some sort of sorcery language. We need to work out what it says."

"Oh my god." I repeat.

"Daze, don't freak out on me."

"That woman . . ." I swallow and look up at Jamie to see if his understanding has caught up with me, but he looks confused. "That woman in the bar? The one that asked me for the time?"

"What?"

"She was a sorceress. She did this."

"You think?" Jamie scratches the back of his head. "Damn it. We've not got time to research it now." He mutters as he paces back and forth, clearly wishing we did have time.

"Jamie, calm down. I can read Arsaleebreve."

"You can?"

"Er, you don't have to sound quite so surprised. I had amnesia, not a brain transplant."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's an ancient scripture. I didn't think—"

"—my mother taught me. There are hidden pages within the grimoire. I could read Arsaleebreve before I could read English."

"So what does this say?" He turns my palm over again and studies it.

It is so clear now as if it were drawn on in pen. "Okay, so it works in a swirl, starting here." I point to the centre of my palm. "That woman was a representative for the Circle of Seven. They want to meet with David and me. They want us to join them. They say they will make it worth our while." I glance up to Jamie to gauge his reaction.

"Is that it all it says?"

"And they will approach us again within the next seven days."

Jamie rubs the back of his head again. "Perhaps freedom was too ambitious."

I drop my hands to my side, deflated by his resignation that we have a long road ahead before we find the peace we desperately want.

"Look at that." He whispers pointing to the floor by my feet where a sprinkle of black confetti lies. "Is that the Arsaleebreve markings from your hand?"

I twist my palm up and sure enough, the markings have gone. "Freaky."

"We'd better let Dave know."

"Later, he's in protective warrior mode. He has enough going through his mind. It can wait until tomorrow. We better get dressed. Is everything packed?"

"Yeah. Car's fully loaded and in position."

Whilst Jamie showers I unzip my garment bag, pull out the deep plum haute couture dress, and hang it up on the outside of my wardrobe until I've styled my hair and makeup. A swirling uneasy feeling tosses about inside my gut about tonight. It will not hurt to make use of every weapon I have. The exquisite dress will certainly help; a heart shaped corset slit to the waist with several layers of chiffon sweeping down around the hips, which falls into a long skirt split at the middle and all the way up to the top of the thigh. Piling my hair up will give me the extra height and every old school vampire can be distracted by a naked neck - human or otherwise.

I climb into the dress and shimmy until it fits in all the right places. I just hope I do not fall out of it! It is tres risqué

"Need my assistance?" Jamie asks now free of the shower. "You look phenomenal Daze." He purrs as he starts to lace up the corset section of my dress.

"I could say the same thing." In the mirror, Jamie's reflection is an enticing sight. Fresh out of the shower, a slight sheen covers his sculpted ivory body, evocative of flawless porcelain.

Having completed the corset, Jamie twists me around to face him. Blue fire rages in his eyes. "You are gonna burn someone dressed like that." With a single finger, he deliberately draws a line from my lips down the centre of my body to the apex of the split of my skirt and delicately draws it open. Every part of me quivers with delight. "Oh Daze, I'm not sure I should even let you out of this room looking as tantalising as this." His eyes return to mine, lips parted as he tugs me urgently against him. For a moment, he lingers, dangling the promise of his touch before he surrenders to his own desires and tortures me with a raging impassioned kiss that robs the breath from my lungs sending my head into a spin and my body hotly thrumming desperate to be free of the restrictive dress.

"—Hey!" David interrupts, bellowing at the top of his voice. We jolt apart. Neither of us heard him, we were both too wrapped up in that blazing, intense moment. "We leave in twenty minutes. For god sake Jamie, put it away. You're like a rabbit on Viagra."

Jamie slams up a wall of air around my brother to piss him off. "Chill Dave. We'll be ready in time." He smiles sarcastically at my brother.

"Don't push me Jay. Not today." He shouts back, looking like a mime trying to get out of an invisible box. I fight to stifle my giggle.

Jamie sees the funny side too and breaks into a genuine smile. "Put your fangs away." He says and dissolves his wall of air before David turns everything to ashes.

"Childish." David mutters before he clears out of my room to check and re-check everything once more.

"I guess you should get dressed." I sigh. Such a waste to adorn his perfect body with clothes. "I need to speak to Dieter anyway."

"Okay, okay." Jamie holds his hands up in surrender. "But once this is done you're all mine Daisy Love, or perhaps that should be Daisy Cromwell."

"Are you proposing?" I tease.

"Not yet, not yet. Something to think about . . ." He teases back with his mischievous grin that makes my knees go weak all over again.

In the guest room, Dieter sits on the bed with his head hung low, looking a sorry state. "You ready to go?" I ask gently.

"Can't I just stay here and wait for you guys? She doesn't want me anyway."

I sit down on the bed and put my arm around his shoulders. "No. I am afraid not. It wouldn't be safe and besides, David's locking this place down, we won't be coming back here for a while. And, if we don't drop you off, they'll come looking for you and we'll be occupied, unable to protect you."

"I _can_ protect myself. I may not be up to the standard of my brothers, but I'm better than most humans. I don't think I can go back to her now . . . back to being her _Nahrung_. It was different when I thought she loved me back. It was just a role I played so that we could be together, but now . . . I dunno. I just can't go back. It feels wrong."

Seeing him forlorn breaks my heart. He has become one or our inner circle, like a little brother to me. "Listen to me." I whisper. "Nomios's driver is picking us up shortly. He will drop you off at the hotel as planned. But . . . I have arranged for Conlan to intercept you in the Lobby and take you to your brother."

"Why? Why would you do that?" Dieter looks horrified and leaps to his feet.

"Because if Mary has grown tired of you, they'll more than likely kill you. You have seen too much whilst you have been close to her . . . I don't want to add to your hurt, but the truth is, for them, you served your purpose and there is no reason for them to keep you alive now. They will probably execute you once we drop you off at the hotel."

Dieter's eyes glisten with hopelessness. "And my brother will kill me too."

"No, no he won't. You're wrong about that. He wants you out of her clutches and back with him. He wants to bring you back into the family fold. I trust Conlan. You know Conlan too; you know he wouldn't put you in danger."

Dieter looks hard at me and nods. "Yeah, Conlan was alright. If Freddy trusts him even now he's a vamp, I guess he's a safe bet. It's just—"

"—when Freddy met you in the Blood Bucket, it was to take you back, not to kill you. I promised Conlan that day that I would return you safely to your brother. Your brother and father love you. They want to help you get back to who you are. Perhaps Mary managed to bewitch you somehow. She is not your destiny. Take it from someone who knows; avoiding who you truly are is exhausting and only causes more heartache and misery in the end. You are Vechi Dieter. That is your destiny."

Dieter gives me an acknowledging nod. "Thanks Miss D, you are a good person and a great friend. I will make sure the Vechi know who you really are and that you offer no threat to them."

"I haven't run this by Jamie and David yet, I'd rather they didn't know until after this is over, so don't mention anything okay?"

Dieter frowns at me, but nods. "Sure."

* * * *

Outside on the street Nomios's driver parks a blacked out silver Range Rover. Not out of place for this effluent residential area. I half expected to see some sort of tacky stretched limousine. "He's here." I yell to the others.

David and Jamie stroll into the living room, looking like something out of a James Bond movie in their dinner suits, very suave. Mmm, I think I could get used to seeing Jamie dress like this. They both swamp Dieter who looks so small stood between them contrasting them in his jeans and leather jacket.

"Let's do this." David says, shrugging the rucksack over his shoulder.

The apartment stands empty again. David has locked away anything valuable in storage, as it is likely to be several years, maybe decades before we can return here. As we walk out the door however, I notice that he has left Fuseli's Nightmare hanging on the main wall.

"What about the painting?" I ask as he locks the door.

"It's a print. Something to remember us by." He grins

"They'll trash our apartment, won't they?"

"Maybe. It's stood here for hundreds of years sis, I'm sure it will survive a pounding and then we'll just redecorate. At the end of the day it is bricks and mortar."

Nomios's driver slides out the Range Rover to open the rear door for us.

"Ah, Daisy, my sweet. You look sensational." Adam flatters whilst his predatory eyes cover every inch of me. Thank god, he is sitting in the front with the driver.

David and Jamie climb into the seats at the far rear and Dieter and I sit in front of them.

"I am very much looking forward to this evening." Adam remarks to the driver in an exceptionally cheerful mood.

The driver nods.

"Revenge?" I ask. His unnatural mood bugs me.

He turns around in his seat, craning his neck to look at me. Instead of replying, he just smiles. The swirling in my gut turns into a hurricane.

Silence descends on the car. I guess we are all considering what will happen minutes from now. Adam repeatedly sneaks glances at me in the mirror, attempting each time to lock eyes with me, but so far, I have refused to acknowledge him.

The Vantage Point Hotel looms near and the driver slows to a gentle halt outside the main entrance. Dutifully the concierge steps forward and opens the door.

"Remember what I said." I whisper to Dieter as he leaves the car.

Dieter nods as he steps out of the car, and pauses to compose himself whilst he waits for the Concierge to close the car door so that he can escort him to the entrance. Our driver pulls away as soon as Dieter disappears through the revolving doors.

Jamie jumps into Dieter's seat and hangs his arm across my shoulders, tracing circles along my arm. It is distracting, but I think he is doing it to mark his territory rather than to stir me into a fluttering mess.

Our driver peers into the rear mirror. "Sir, we are less than ten minutes from our destination." He announces for David's benefit.

"Thank you." David replies and pushes the rucksack down the aisle towards me.

'Imionn obscuro abidtus. Dall nach vekuhn. Cheilt non vident occultus. 'Imion obscuro abidtus. Dall nach vekuhn. Cheilt non vident occultus." Over and over, I chant the spell until the rucksack seemingly disappears.

* * * *

Despite its name, Valognes Terrace is a desolate street with burnt out beat up cars abandoned along a pot-holed road dividing two rows of broken down properties. The strong October wind tosses litter up into the air and scatters it onto the cracked pavements whilst dust, soot and the stench of damp ruin the fresh air. Even dogs and birds avoid this eerie street. Dressed in our finery we stick out like a sore thumb, well, we would do if anyone else were around to see us. As we exit the car, our driver gestures towards a dirty white derelict building, looking similar to others on the street, only this particular one has vibrant green bushes surrounding it, hinting at the way the street may have looked a long time ago.

"Are you sure this is 101 Valognes Terrace?" Shudders vibrate through my spine.

"Yes madam, step through the first door you come to and the way will become apparent." He answers, dipping his hat and returning to the safety of the car.

"C'mon Daisy." Adam ushers. "No need to be afraid. The elders need somewhere safe where they won't be disturbed and besides I am here to protect you." He strides forward towards the property, unaffected by the unnatural atmosphere.

"She doesn't need you, she has me and Jay." David barks back.

"We'll see won't we?" Adam chirps forging ahead.

"I'm not afraid. I just have a bad feeling." I whisper to Jamie.

"Me too Daze, me too. But we can't turn back now. We need to avenge our loved ones deaths and face what's in there. You are ready. I have faith in you, always have."

The first door we meet hangs precariously off its hinges. Just inside, soot blackens the corridor as if at some point someone tried to burn the place to the ground. At the far end of this burnt out corridor is a vampire guarding a steel door.

"A-ha! This must be it." Adam sings waving his hand in the air for us to follow him.

Afraid the soot will ruin my dress I gather it up in to my arms and walk a narrow line down the centre of the corridor. "This is ridiculous." I murmur to myself.

The guard is not interested in our credentials; instead, he simply taps a code into a keypad on the wall. The steel door opens wide all by itself and the guard gestures for us to pass through. On the other side, a brightly lit, vast empty space with concrete floors and white washed walls welcomes us. Behind us, the steel door seals with a crunch and a click.

Adam marches diagonally across the room towards a set of snaking perforated steel steps "I guess it's up there." His voice bounces around us. "Come."

Sensing my hesitation, Jamie's hand rests on the small of my back encouraging me to follow Adam. "I'm right here Daze. You are a strong powerful sorcerer and you and David can do this." His breath warms the nape of my neck thrilling my most exciting places with tingles that simultaneously unwind every tense muscle. I love that he can do that to me.

At the top of five flights, another guard greets us. "Miss Daisy Love and Master David Love, you may proceed into the meeting chamber. Master Cromwell and Sir Beaumont, follow me."

"Where are you taking them?" I panic, it feels as though my safety net is about to be snatched from beneath me. If Jamie and Adam cannot come with us, I want to know exactly where they will be.

"They will be waiting in the Companions Chamber, along with the other guests of the Council Members." The guard points down a dimly lit hallway. "The Companions Chamber is very comfortable and secure madam. All needs are well catered for."

"Okay, er . . . Fine. Thank you."

"Daze, you'll be fine." Jamie whispers and kisses my cheek dispatching more delightful shivers across my skin. "For Lizzy, for your mother."

"We will see you very soon, my sweet." Adam adds, still suspiciously overly jubilant.

"C'mon, Daisy." David clasps my hand. "Let's do this."

Around the corner, dark swirly velvety wallpaper hints at wealth, yet the lamps, guiding us down the overstretched narrow corridor, flicker and fade as if someone forgot to pay the electricity bill. Our footsteps slap and clip-clop on the smooth concrete floor lining our path to another steel door, identical to the one downstairs.

While David punches the code into the brightly illuminated key pad on the wall to our right, I fidget, primping my hair, pulling up the corset bodice to ensure everything is still where it should be and chanting in my head. _Confidence. You are a sorcerer. A bellwether sorcerer._

Clicks and bangs rumble from inside the door as if it were a heavy-duty vault. After the whoosh from the release of compressed air, the door finally opens. In front of us, a small walkway leads to a glass room, mostly obscured by frosted glass. However, at the farthest end of the room, just visible above the frosted film, we watch as Diablo strides into view and notices us waiting to enter. His fiendish smile grows, amplified by the nefarious glint in his eyes, and he beckons us to enter.

"Come in, Come in." He ushers gleefully. "Asher, your surprise has arrived." He sings, which brings Acheron into our line of sight and the eyes of everyone fall on to us. "Everyone, may I introduce to you David and Daisy Love. Daisy, David, this is Usiris, Vampire ruler of Asia, Nomios, Ruler of Europe who you have already met, Kimil, Ruler of Africa, Armaros, Ruler of The Middle East & Central Asia, Sameal, Ruler of Australia and Antarctica and of course you know my little brother Asher. Our three lay members are Cavos, Henri, and Hanso."

With all seven sons of Lilith together around a narrow marble table, it is obvious Acheron is by far the most beautiful of all his brothers, a Grecian god amongst a nest of iniquitous vampires. Stood before me, Acheron is trying to force his way into my head to figure out what is going on, but my mind locks down tight. I guess this is it. Now or never.

From inside the invisible bag strapped to David's back, the vines lash out and instantaneously curl around Acheron before he has the chance to intercept them. The more he tries to fight them off, the tighter they twist and squeeze around him. My attack stirs a gasp from the Council but nobody attempts to stop me. Acheron continues to fail in his bid to use his mind to undo me. I am strong, incredibly strong and blocking him is becoming easier, thanks to the special elixir soaking into his skin, absorbing his strength, and putting us on an even footing.

Within a matter of minutes, his pale skins transforms into varying shades of grey whilst his eyes convey the pain I am inflicting upon him.

"What is the meaning of this? You have broken the council rules." He strains to accuse his brothers.

"No, no rules broken. Daisy and David have been on a quest to remove your dictatorship for a while now. I believe they formed the Brotherhood Alliance to overthrow you, did they not? This is merely their opportunity to fulfil their ambition." Diablo replies as if we are sitting around the table discussing business, not watching his youngest brother die in front of him.

"Bullshit. You planned this." Acheron snaps and pants.

"I swear on our mother's grave that I did not meet these two young charming vampires until a couple of weeks ago. This is their doing, their will. Perhaps I am guilty of not putting a stop to it . . . But Asher, my dear little brother, how many times have you told me not to interfere in your life and to let you prove your eminence?" Diablo's voice booms around the room adding theatrical emphasis. "It is neither mine nor the Council's fault that you are a careless, stupid, _weak_ little Halfling."

"I am not a Halfling." Acheron growls back, still trying to fight of the vines.

"Too much control and you crush your most precious objects. Wipe out the weak and you become weak."

"She is mine. I made her."

"But you can't have her. You cannot even keep hold of her. You have proved that more than once."

"Daisy, did I ever treat you harshly? Did I ever even lay a finger on you?"

"You killed our mother." David bellows.

"She was a lonely woman, you would have left her sooner or later to pursue your own life, and she would have had nothing left. I did her a favour." He argues breathlessly.

"But it didn't end with her, you killed anyone loyal to my brother and you had his girlfriend killed." I add.

"As your maker, I beg you; if you cannot trust me most certainly do not trust my brothers." His words fade, as he grows feebler. "Stop this now and I give you my word I will help you gain your freedom."

Everyone in this room has betrayed him because he wants what they all have. He will use me to get it. I cannot trust him.

"The dagger." Diablo prompts impatiently, perhaps sensing my hesitation to complete this black task.

David's hand rests reassuringly on my shoulder. The last part will take everything I have left in me to drive the silver Vechi Venator Dagger through his impenetrable shell and delve it into his soulless heart. The dagger rises at my command pausing in front of my shoulder. My brother gently squeezes me, helping me to summon my courage. Whilst Acheron stumbles around too weak to stand, I take a deep breath and prepare. He crashes to the ground rolling around on his back, using every last ounce of strength he has left to fight the vines, but it is futile. The more he fights the weaker he becomes. Lost in deep concentration I amass the wealth of power now pumping through my veins and reach out to absorb David's. His strength charges into me infusing my power with increased vigour. At my command, too quick for even my eyes to see and with absolute precision the dagger flies into the centre of Acheron's heart, plummeting until the blade burrows deep within his chest. Acheron lets out his last rasp of air as his eyes glaze over, turning to deepest black.

"There, it is done. You must not remove the vines or the dagger for the next one hundred years. This will ensure he cannot be brought back from the dead." David advises breaking the silence that has consumed the room.

"Marvellous. Magnifico." Diablo starts to clap and one by one the council members rise to their feet showering us with an inappropriate standing ovation.

The now all too familiar warmth trickles down on to my lip, sending the room into a chaotic spin. Fortunately, I have my brother next to me, who props me up to disguise the extent of my weakness. "Easy, Daisy. Easy." He whispers.

Moving at speed, Diablo's lean frame suddenly looms over me to inspect my face. He is far too close for comfort. "Here you go my dear, some blood wine to reinvigorate you." He pushes a crystal goblet to my lips. "Sam, let Daisy use your seat."

Although his looks are strikingly similar to Nomios Sam is much fairer, more blonde than red with haunting green eyes. "Of course." He smiles warmly and turns his chair around so that I can drop on to it. "My pleasure."

The Blood wine coats my throat, renewing my depleted strength, but a cupful is barely enough.

"Diablo, brother, I think we should invite the other key participants in this coup to celebrate their success."

"Agreed. Fetch them." Diablo rubs his hands together and crouches down next to Acheron. "Dear Asher. Sleep well. Mother will be glad to receive you. You always were her favourite."

"Miss Love, I am Usiris, I am excited to meet you." Usiris spins my chair around to introduce himself to me. He is a hulk of a man, perhaps even a little larger than Adam. His chestnut brown hair is long and tied at the back of his neck highlighting his dark eyes and square jaw.

"Er, Hi." I force a smile, uncomfortable under his hungry gaze who appears to find it a challenge to tear his eyes away from my chest.

"It seems to have taken a lot out of you?" He probes without lifting his eyes.

"I'll be fine in a few minutes."

Despite everyone's glee and apparent awe, something is off. Anticipation buzzes in the air. They are waiting for something else to happen. The rumble of the steel door distracts me. To my relief it announces the entrance of Jamie, Adam, Mary, and a security man carrying two chairs. My first thought is to rush into Jamie's arms, but David pushes me back down and slips into the empty chair next to me. Mary chooses the seat placed next to one of the three lay members, asserting her imminent new status and trying it out for size. Jamie takes the one next to her and directly opposite me. He winks at me wearing a proud smile that shines through his eyes. My debonair moonlight angel. Meanwhile, Adam walks around the table and pauses behind me, leaning against the wall whilst Sam, whose chair I had taken leans against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Diablo returns to his place at the head of the long marble table and clears his throat to command our undivided attention. "As our host has now departed I shall take charge of the rest of this evening's proceedings. For the benefit of all, again unconventional, but we have three more guests at our table tonight; Mary Worth, who we are all aware of, Mr James Cromwell, former companion of Ms Worth's and a key player in the rebellion against Acheron. And finally, my dear, dear friend, who has served us all loyally, Sir Adam Beaumont. Please, brothers and valued council members, join me in welcoming our special guests to our table." Diablo holds his arms wide inviting a round of applause.

I crane my neck around, to see if Adam is still behind me. He is relaxed grinning widely, He catches my eyes on him when his gaze falls on to me and leans forward onto the back of my chair to whisper into my ear. "Everything's okay my sweet, I am here, and you are safe. Relax. Enjoy."

Across from me, Jamie's eyes narrow and his knuckles crunch from where he is squeezing his fists too tightly. Like a clockwork toy, he is wound up ready to pounce and I am afraid he will not be able to control himself. Next to me, David yanks my chair closer to him and hisses at Adam, baring his fangs.

"Now, before we can enjoy the wonderful festivities organised for this evening, we have pressing business to discuss. My dear brother Nomios and I have discussed the matter of who should take control of Asher's territory and his seat on the council. As you are all aware, Nomios controls the territory closest to Asher and he therefore has a valid vested interest in who takes over. This decision is crucial as the vampire bestowed this gift will earn a seat on this very council. Now we have agreed two candidates and in the spirit of the new age of democracy we will put it to a Council vote."

Mary looks like someone has just slapped her across the face. Her eyes dart to Nomios while I try hard to suppress the smirk playing on my lips.

"So our two candidates are; Ms Mary Worth. Mary has been chosen owing to her long-term loyalty, cunning and potential supremacy. Nomios seeks to reward her for her services to him. The second candidate is Sir Adam Beaumont." Diablo rises up out of his seat and walks over to Adam, placing his hand on his shoulder. Adam is not in the least bit surprised by this nomination, in fact I would go so far as to say he expected it. "Also a loyal subject to our Council. We have selected him for his fortitude, military prowess, and strategic capabilities." Diablo leans over and for an instant, he rests his other hand on my shoulder before he withdraws and returns to his seat. "You all know them both by reputation so I will leave it up to each of you to decide. In the event of a tied vote, I will make the final choice. So let us begin; Nomios?"

"Mary Worth." Nomios replies affording Mary a warm smile, which relaxes her a little.

"Usiris?" Diablo prompts.

Usiris turns to me and smiles. "Sir Adam Beaumont, of course." He answers.

"Kimil?"

"Mary Worth." Kimil replies quickly.

"Armaros?"

"My vote is for Sir Beaumont. A woman with no power cannot rule our race." Armaros sibilates, eyeballing Mary with vicious intent.

"Sam?"

"Beaumont."

"Cavos?"

Cavos bows his head. "Mary Worth, your Excellency." He then looks to Nomios, who nods his head ever so slightly.

"Henri?"

Henri also bows his head before answering. I guess this is protocol if you are not one of the brothers. "Sir Adam Beaumont, your Excellency."

"And Hanso, your vote please?"

"My vote is for Sir Adam Beaumont." Hanso bows his head.

"Excellent, five votes to three in favour of Sir Beaumont. Sir Beaumont, we the Sanguine Decsange Fraternity Council crown you ruler of the vampire race in the United Kingdom and Ireland and appoint you to our council."

"— _No!_ No. You are not doing this to me, _I_ was promised Acheron's territory. You cannot go back on your promise, not after everything I have done." Mary leaps to her feet, forgetting her place, fury rolling off her.

"Mary, my dear, please sit down. This is not the place." Nomios suggests in a calm tone, but his eyes tell a different story.

"No, Nomios. You promised me." May jabs her gold silk-gloved finger across the table at him. "I delivered you a Vechi." She growls with so much pain and hurt in her voice that I suspect she might slaughter him in front of us.

"— _and_ Sir Beaumont delivered us the Bellwether twins." Diablo's voice slices the lovers tiff in half. "Mary Worth, your presence is no longer required at this Council meeting and you will leave, _now_." He orders.

Mary slowly shakes her head in disbelief. "How can you do this, how can you do this to _me_." She whispers.

Next to me, Usiris rises out of his seat. It appears he is going to help her leave.

"Leave now Mary Worth or Usiris will rip you apart for our entertainment." Diablo bellows in a voice so full of venom that it terrifies the life out of me.

Adam's right hand slides on to my shoulder and his fingers start to massage the nape of my neck gently to remind me he is here to protect me. For some reason this frightens me more. Jamie is too busy looking at Mary and Diablo to notice this, but David grabs my hand. _'It's okay.'_ I mouth at him. If I show David how scared I am, he will do something stupid.

"Fear my words; you will regret betraying me like this." Mary hisses and stomps out of the room with her gold silk dress shimmering like auriferous water. She certainly knows how to make a memorable exit.

"Tiresome woman." Diablo spits out in a deep growl. "I think that confirms you all made the right decision." He sighs, taking a breath to regain control of his temper. "You need to take care of that."

Nomios nods in acknowledgement.

"Your Excellency," My brother interrupts and bows his head. "Daisy, Jamie, and I would respectfully ask your permission to leave you to your celebrations."

"Soon you may leave, but we are not quite done yet." Diablo replies sharply. "Now, this next request has given me great joy to grant. It is not often that I personally get to join two souls together, especially not two so perfectly matched as these . . ."

A hideous feeling swells inside me. I squeeze David's hand. Jamie's eyes dart back and forth between, Diablo, Adam, and me while Adam's left hand slides on to my other shoulder and holds me down continuing with his gentle massage to ease my rapidly tensing muscles.

". . . Sir Beaumont and Miss Daisy Love are to be betrothed tonight under Vampire lore by m—"

"— _No_!" Jamie roars out using his power to throw Adam backwards against the wall.

Instead of retaliating, Adam just laughs.

"I don't agree to this." I blurt out.

"But you already have my dear; you promised to swear to Beaumont under Vampire lore – what was it Beaumont, ten, eleven months ago?"

"I had no choice I had to."

"Are you trying to say you were forced? How exactly? Did he hurt you?"

"No, no it wasn't like that. I was trying to save someone I cared about."

"So Beaumont threatened to hurt a loved one if you didn't agree to it?"

"No, it was—"

"— _No!_ " Diablo stands up and bangs his fists on the table, making it shake, "You Daisy Love accepted his proposal willingly. In fact it was you who tricked him and by doing so put your life and his life at risk. You are duty bound to join with him under Vampire Lore."

"No!" I shake my head. "No, no you can't make me do this. _No!"_ I howl and rise to my feet ready fight my way out of this. In a blur, something cold clips around my neck and David's too. Two elders restrain David and two more restrain Jamie, holding a silver chain around his neck. Adam grips my arms so that I cannot move. I try to use my magic, but there is nothing there. I am numb.

Meanwhile, Jamie wrestles against his captors, unable to use his magic but they are too old and too quick for him, instead in a blur they press down on him, squashing his face into the table. Armaros brushes his long coat behind him to reveal a sickle-sword. Hanso, one of the two holding Jamie, stretches out Jamie's arm and pushes his palm flat against the cool marble table.

"Get off him, get off him." I cry. "Please, don't do this."

Armaros draws his sickle-sword and swiftly drives it down through Jamie's ring finger, severing his finger in two. Jamie clamps his mouth shut, refusing to scream out.

His crystal ring dulls in seconds as it lies in a pool of blood on the table.

"No." I sob, tears pouring from my eyes and powerless to help him.

"Why are you doing this to us, we did what you asked!" I scream hysterically.

Diablo ignores me. "We will proceed with the vows."

Adam releases me but Sameal and Usiris each grab my arm and drag me over to where Adam now stands in front of Diablo.

" _No! NO!_ Do not do this. She loves me not him." Jamie hollers and tears fill his eyes too.

David releases a deep menacing growl that frightens even me. "I will kill her before I let you take her."

Adam laughs. In this mad desperate debacle, he laughs. Sameal pins my arms behind my back and in the struggle, my bodice slides down almost exposing me.

"Daisy, my sweet." Adam brushes my cheek with the back of his hand. "Calm down. You are becoming hysterical. They will not hurt you." His hand trails down my jaw, down my neck, across the top of my breasts and continues south to my skirt and lifts it to the side, just as Jamie had done, but this time it makes me feel cold, sick, and disgusted. "Mmm, I'm hard just thinking about our consummation later."

I spit in his face. "If you force me into this I will never forgive you."

He laughs and wipes his face. "Hmm feisty. Just how I like you." His smile is dark and vengeful and I do not care that I will pay for that later. "A little incentive for you," Adam adds, nodding in Jamie's direction. "If you don't say your vowels and give yourself to me entirely, your plaything is dead."

"Don't do it. Let them kill me. Just don't do it Daze." Jamie cries out.

"Enough of this! I Diablo, Leader of the Sanguine Decsange Fraternity Council have given my blessing to this union and we will now pro—."

Suddenly Adam drops to the floor like a tonne of bricks, swiftly followed by Diablo. My arms spring free. Everyone in this room either is on the floor or slumped over the marble table, except for me, David and Jamie. Quizzical looks pass between the three of us, trying to work out what has just occurred.

"Eh-hm." Conlan leans casually against the glass door, arms folded. "You saved me from a fate worse than death once and being saddled to that monstrous hulk of depravity for an eternity is not something I would wish even on you, Daisy Love." He smirks.

Straight away, without a further thought, I cross the room and fling my arms around Conlan, planting hundreds of kisses in between, "Thank you, thank you," repeatedly.

"It's okay, it's okay." Conlan chuckles, gently easing me off him.

"So how on earth did you know?"

"Well, Dieter had the code—"

"—Dieter? Why the hell would he give you the code?" David interrupts whilst he wrestles with his own chunky nickel collar.

"Dieter? Oh my god is he okay?" I gasp, realising that Conlan would have left him.

"Yeah, yeah he's safe. So what happened was, Daisy called me and asked me to come and get Dieter. She suspected that they were gonna do away with him and she'd promised me that his brother could have him back safely when you were all done. So, as we arranged, I met him in the lobby and we snuck out. On the way back to the motorway, this overwhelming feeling of panic and fear almost choked me. Those emotions didn't come from me. They were an echo. You see as Daisy's progeny, I experience the echo of her extreme emotions. I didn't realise that was what it was until after I left the Alliance. I guess that is why I struggled whilst I was there. Part of my gift and our bond I guess. Now though, I recognise it and today, well that was the strongest it has ever been. The other thing is that as Daisy becomes a stronger witch—"

"— _sorcerer_ , Daisy is a sorcerer, not a witch." Jamie corrects.

"Yeah well, you know what I mean." Conlan briefly narrows his eyes at Jamie before continuing. "Anyway my gift, talent or whatever you want to call it has grown more powerful too and I guess that is how come I could knock out a roomful of elder guys. Anyway, the point is I knew what you were about to do and I figured something had gone majorly wrong. Dieter had the address and the code and after I left him somewhere safe, I came straight here. Lucky eh?"

"Lucky is not the word, thank you so much." I cry, tears pouring from my eyes with relief.

"Yeah well, I haven't had test subjects as powerful as this, so we'd better get a move on in case it wears off." Conlan ushers gesturing us to hurry through the door.

"Thank you Conlan, I am in your debt." David shakes his hand and pulls him into a manly hug.

"Daisy saved me, I've saved her. We're quits."

"Still, if there is anything you ever need."

Conlan nods.

I smile and kiss his cheek once more. "Thank you. I really mean it."

"Nice dress by the way. No wonder he wouldn't give up." Conlan grins, his beautiful emerald eyes glistening with glee because he finally got to be the hero for once.

* * * *

Jamie's grip on the steering wheel is so tight that when he eventually lets go he will leave behind a permanent imprint in the leather. He pushes the Infiniti beyond its limits. It is therefore fortunate that at three o'clock in the morning the traffic on our rural route is light.

"Jay, let me drive." David proposes for a third time.

Jamie shakes his head. "You should have let me kill Beaumont when we had the chance." His need for vengeance laces his bitter tone.

"Ugh, what are these bloody things?" David grumbles in the seat next to him as he threads the metal collar through his hands around his neck searching for a weak point that he can take advantage of.

"Brimstone soaked nickel." Jamie mutters, casting a sideways glance at him.

David twists around and frowns at me matching my own confused expression and then back to Jamie for more explanation.

"It disempowers sorcerers." Jamie finally adds.

"For good?"

"No, whilst you wear it."

"But why? I thought they wanted our power?" I challenge.

"They do, but they want you on a leash, under their control until they're ready for you to use it."

"Oh my god." I gasp. The realisation of just how terrible my life would have been if Conlan had not got us out of there when he did.

"So how do we get them off?" David groans, trying yet again to pull the damn thing apart.

"I don't know." Jamie shrugs.

"You know everything else." David chides, getting more frustrated with each time he fails to remove his collar.

"Well, I don't know _that_ and I am as good as useless now." He sulks, waving his hand with the severed finger in the air."

"Here." David holds out Jamie's ring.

"It's called a ring finger for a reason." Jamie repines, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, releasing a squeaking groan from the leather beneath his hands.

Having no inclination to argue with a brooding Jamie, my brother shakes his head and shoves the ring back into his pocket.

"How could she have not known that was going to happen?" My thoughts spill out as my mind replays this evening's event.

"Who?" My brother replies brusquely.

" _Mary_. She is supposed to be psychic after all."

"She didn't know because they put it to a vote, the decision hadn't been made. That's why they did it that way." Jamie explains impatiently.

"But surely she would have known what they were planning. She spent all that time with Nomios over the last few days." I challenge further.

"Why? He lived with her on and off over hundreds of years, he knows how to avoid her gift. They probably have some sort of agreement. I dunno. I know Mary and I know that what happened in there came as big a shock to her as it did to the rest of us."

His answer is more defensive of her than my ego can take. "Why are you defending her?"

"I'm not. I'm telling you how it is." He snarls back.

There is something more bothering him and I should let it be right now until he escapes his brooding mood, but I am not ready to leave this alone. "She read Adam . . . She must have known his intentions?"

Through the rear view mirror, Jamie's eyes scowl back at me. "What? About him taking you under the Lore, you mean? Yeah she probably did. Mary wasn't happy that she'd lost her ability to seduce and manipulate me. She doesn't like being replaced. So it was probably her snide piece of revenge on both of us, but she got her comeuppance in the end didn't she? What does it matter now anyway? What's happened has happened and we've got to deal with it."

"Fine. So where the hell are we gonna go then? There is no place to hide. In fact maybe you should just take me back." I yell, frustrated as hell.

"For god's sake Daisy, that's what got us here in the first place, you and your self-sacrifice shit." David interrupts shouting at first but quickly contains himself. "Look, we'll figure something out. We hid the whole Alliance. The three of us should be no problem. Let's just keep level heads here."

"David? . . .There is something that I haven't told you yet." I begin in a small cowardly voice.

David twists around in his seat and narrows his eyes at me. "Go-on."

"The Circle of Seven contacted me. They kind of want to speak to us."

"What? How? When?" David fires his questions.

"In the foyer of the Vantage Point hotel a woman approached me and asked me for the time, she shook my hand and left. I didn't know at the time, but she left a message on my hand."

"They may be our only chance." Jamie adds, sounding a little less irritable.

"We'll see. We need to get these fucking things off first," David growls, wrestling with his collar yet again. "And you, baby sister, _stop_ hiding things from me."

"David just leave it, you can't pull it apart." I snap fed up with him messing with his collar when he knows full well he won't be able to pull it apart or break it.

Eager to blot everything out I stare out of the window at the big wild world dreaming of a different uncomplicated life. After a few minutes I spot a dilapidated barn across a field, which gives me an idea. "Jamie, quick, veer off down there. We can hide the car in that barn, and take a minute to think this through together. We can't keep arguing and driving aimlessly. We need a plan of action."

The Infiniti's tyres screech to the left under Jamie's enthusiastic command and the car bounces at speed across the field towards the barn. As soon as the car pulls to a halt, David jumps out to assess the barn. After whipping around the perimeter and the inside, he beckons Jamie to drive forward inside. He then closes the rotting wooden doors behind us concealing us for a short while.

Inside, the empty barn stinks of damp hay and manure; only a few bales of half-eaten hay occupy the creaking space. Jamie pulls himself up on to the bonnet of the 4X4 whilst David and I pace and think.

"So guys, right now we are three average vampires with the entire vampire race hunting for us." Jamie sighs slapping his hands on to the bonnet.

It is unlike him to let anything defeat him. He always sees the positive. "Wait . . . The ring?" I blurt out, my mind working quicker than my mouth. "The ring is magic itself isn't it? Couldn't I wield its magic somehow to conjure up enough power to get these things off?"

"The magic on its own is weak." Jamie shrugs and kicks his heels against the bumper like a bored child. "And so are you after what you did to Acheron."

Above me, through a large hole in the barn roof, the moon glows and bathes me in its aura. I lift my chin and absorb its calming influence hoping for inspiration to hit me.

"Daze," Jamie calls, excitement in his voice instead of resignation. "It's a full moon."

"Er yeah. We can see that." David points towards the hole as he leans on the bonnet next to Jamie.

"No, that's it . . . Listen Dave," Jamie flicks David's collar releasing a ' _Ding'_ noise. " _You_ wear the ring, channel the power to Daze and she may be able to conjure up enough power to break these things apart."

"Why is that gonna work and not me wearing it?"

" _Because_ , Titch, Dave channelling it will amplify its power."

Playfully, David smacks Jamie across the chest and pulls the ring out of his pocket. He slips it on to his ring finger and joins me. "I love you Sis." He mutters wrapping me up in his bear hug, which right now is just what I need. "Whatever happens now, I will do everything and anything to protect you from winding up under that monsters control again."

Feint pulses trigger at the tips of my numb fingers. "David, do you feel that?" I whisper, still locked in his hug.

He nods his head against my shoulder.

Jamie hops off the bonnet and walks slowly towards us and starts to yell out instructions. "This is it Daze, _focus_. Grip on to that energy and pull it into you, drag it from Dave and the moon, gather it together and let it out."

The sensation fizzles and sparks. It grows stronger, nowhere near like normal, but enough. I think. Pictures of our collars pulling apart fill my thoughts whilst the air thickens around my neck.

"I can feel it, keep going." David encourages.

Heavy dense air swells underneath the collar squeezing against my neck. Then, just in time, before the force of the air chokes us, the building pressure disappears, followed immediately by the sound of gun shots ringing out around us. A tidal wave of power blows up inside me, and swallows me up. David slips away from my touch and before I can figure out what just happened, I collapse into an abyss.

Chapter 14: The Circle of Seven

" **S** he's coming round." Jamie's voice drifts up from the ether against the backdrop of the smooth almost silent car engine. Whilst Jamie's porcelain arms cradle me, his summer scent cloaks me.

"Jamie?" I croak as thirst burns violently in my throat again.

"It's alright Daze. I'm here."

My eyes flutter open and there he is, his beautiful ice blue eyes gazing down on me, glistening when the light hits them.

"What happened?" I feel for the collar, but it has gone.

"You did it Daze. That was impressive." A tear falls from his eye.

"There were shots?"

Jamie shakes his head and smiles. "No Daze, you broke the collars and the pieces flew across the barn. It did sound like firing bullets. You and Dave were holding on so tightly to each other that when your collars broke, the surge of power overwhelmed you. It knocked you out."

"David?" I gasp, sitting up fearing for my brother.

Jamie nods towards the driver's seat. "You bore the brunt of it. He's built to withstand attacks. You? Not-so-much." He chuckles and kisses my hair.

I slide my arms up around his neck, so that I can pull myself closer against him. "I love you Jamie. So much."

"I know." He whispers rubbing my back. "Here." He holds up his wrist directing me to numb the aching thirst. "Who knows when we'll be able to grab our next snack, might even have to resort to animals for a while." Jamie screws up his nose at the thought.

I take his wrist and his blood flows into my mouth and down my throat, dampening the flames of the thirst, but not eradicating them by any stretch.

"Alright little sis?" David hollers from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, think so, will be better once I get a real drink."

My brother's proud grin shines at me through the rear-view mirror. The return of magical power has dispelled the numbness and buzzes reassuringly through my veins once again.

"Either of you know where my Grimoire is amongst all this lot?" The car is crammed with clothes and essentials.

Jamie reaches into the foot well and lifts up a rucksack. "It's here in this bag, why?" He unzips it and passes the Grimoire over to me.

"I just need to check something." I reply and after flicking through several pages, I find what I am looking for. With my memory refreshed, I close the book, tear off a piece of the gathered chiffon from my dress, and lay it across my lap. "Give me your hand." I direct Jamie.

Although Jamie frowns, he holds out his hand with the missing finger and allows me to place it into my lap on top of the scrap of material. Taking gentle care, I wrap the soft material around his palm several times.

"Daze, I hope you haven't got amnesia again. You do remember I am still a vampire right, which means we heal real quick? I don't need a bandage." He teases.

"Trust me." I whisper, cupping his wrapped hand inside mine. "Sana restituo; deisui instauro. Sana restituo; deisui instauro."

Jamie laughs to mask his unease. "What are you doing Titch?"

"Shh. It's okay, trust me." I whisper. "Do you know that when my brother was twelve he managed to sever three of his toes with a pitchfork. Cried like a baby that day."

"Did not." David argues from in front.

He did, I mouth at Jamie. "Anyway. I watched my mother do this spell." Whilst I continue with my recollection, I start to slowly unwrap the material bound around Jamie's hand. " . . . After she unwrapped his blood stained bandages, David's three toes were perfectly restored as if his careless accident had never happened."

The unravelled chiffon floats into my lap as a gasp of shock escapes from Jamie. "Shit Daze, that's-that's unbelievable." He wiggles his fingers, holding them up to the light of the moon to take a closer look and then cocks his eyebrow provocatively at me. "So, Daze, what else can you grow?"

"Oh Jamie," I giggle, "It's a healing spell – restorative. Not a growing spell."

"Here you go mate." With a perfect aim, David flicks Jamie's ring into the air so that it falls into Jamie's palm.

The ring slides willingly on to Jamie's finger and a second later, the ribbon of my corset unravels.

"Jamie!" I gasp with pretend annoyance.

"Needed to test it out." He grins and re-tightens my corset. "So, what is the plan, just keep running?"

I shake my head. "No. Not this time. We can't keep running like this. We have got to work out a way to end this."

"Daze, the fact is Beaumont won't let you go. He's like a very old dog with an extra special bone and we can't take on the whole Vampire Council and expect to win."

I grimace, I know he is right. "There has got to be a way. If we just run away, inevitably, he will catch us somehow, somewhere. I can't live in fear of the day when he does find us. He will kill you and leash me and David up like dogs, set free only to attack at his command."

"You're right he will kill me. In his head, I am who is standing in the way of his future happiness with you because he loves you, albeit in a warped scarily obsessive way and he sees it as his duty to do whatever he can to protect you. I think the whole reason he is so desperate to make you his Lore wife, is not only to secure you as his for an eternity but also to keep you safe. He is a Council member now and that affords a higher degree of protection. Nobody is allowed to mess with the companions of Council members who have been taken under Lore, in any way. It is sacred and therefore gives him the power to protect you forever without the threat of someone ripping you away him.

"He loves you too much to risk you hating him. I'd bet my life on the fact that the collars were the Council's idea. They fear you. Beaumont doesn't fear you, he has no reason to fear you. He can manipulate you in a way that no one else can. It is probably one of the reasons Diablo agreed to your union. They believe Beaumont can control you, but they needed to restrain you in the meeting and the collars were the most effective way to do that without causing you pain because Beaumont would not have agreed to anything that would have injured you."

"What is up with you tonight, why are you defending everyone? You're making him out to be a bloody hero and it almost sounds like you're trying to put forward a compelling argument for me to be with him."

"Shit no. How can you accuse me of that? I was prepared to die or . . . or worse to stop you from being with him."

"Worse? What's worse than not having you in this world with me?"

"Trust me, there is worse."

"So why are you being so damn reasonable?"

"Because maybe . . . Maybe I am being selfish. In the grand scheme of things, would you actually be better off with him, because he can keep you safe in a way that I will never be able to? We're on the run from the entire vampire race. Freedom is an impossible pipe dream." Jamie throws himself back against the seat and stares bleakly out of the window.

"Whoa, wait a minute, Jay." My brother snarls. "There is no fucking way she would be better off with him and you should know that." His voice thunders inside the car. "If you ain't up to the fucking job, then just say it, because perhaps she is better off without you too."

I shake my head in shock. It feels as if someone has staked me in the heart.

"C'mon Dave, what are we actually gonna do now? We don't even have a plan for the next few hours? if we're all honest about this there is little chance we'll make it till dusk without someone spotting us. Daze could fight through a couple of battles \- maybe, but let's face it, the more she uses her power the weaker she becomes physically. And look at the past few days she has needed a constant drip feed of human blood to survive the practice and complete the task. You and I both know there is something wrong and that she is not going to reach her potential and even if by some miracle she did, it would kill her. Beaumont probably suspects it and will use it to get to her. Is her death really the better alternative to a life with him where she could be safe."

I cannot believe what I am hearing. "What are you talking about? I am getting stronger. I feel it. You said you believed in me." I whimper.

"I do believe in you." Jamie's face contorts with his inner conflict

"What are you saying? You want to give up because the road ahead is too difficult?" My voices turns into a shriek. I am tired, thirsty, overwhelmed, terrified and becoming less rational by the second.

"I am just saying that . . ." Jamie lowers his voice into a sweet lullaby. "I love you more than anything in this world or the next and if keeping you alive and safe means giving you up then—"

I bite my lip and shake my head battered by the idea that he would even consider giving me up after everything he has promised me. "—no spending an eternity as Adam's Lore-wife would be my death sentence. Surely you know that?" My voice shakes and cracks while a heartbroken tear escapes and rolls down my cheek.

"What is up with you Jay? For Christ's sake, get a grip." David rebukes. "I will keep her safe with or without you. Make a choice. Now!"

"I'm sorry I am all over the place," Jamie reaches out to cup my cheeks in his hands and dabs my tears away with his thumbs. "I am crazy in love with you Daze, honestly I am, but I am not worthy of you. I'm not saying I want to give you up. I am trying to be selfless and do the right thing, the best thing for everyone."

"I can tell you that Adam is absolutely not the right thing. I would rather die fighting him than give up and live under another regime that controls me and pens me in to use me for their own ends. If I wanted that, then what was the point of all this? I love you Jamie. Without your strength and your belief in me, I am nothing, just an empty shell. You have my heart, don't crush it with your stupid doubts and I'll promise you the same."

Jamie nods and presses a sweet kiss against my mouth before he pats my brother on the shoulder. "I'm sorry Dave, really sorry. I'm with you and Daze forever or until death."

"Yeah, well get your shit together. I know what is best for her and he ain't it under any circumstances and if you don't want me to draw the same conclusion about you, I suggest you pull yourself together and fast, otherwise we go it alone."

"Yeah-yeah. I hear y'. I'm with you . . . So . . . I guess that leaves the Circle of Seven as our only chance of survival?" Jamie suggests suitably castigated and shamed.

"I guess it is, but I wish I knew how we get in touch with them? The message said they would find us, but now we've been forced underground I don't know how they will."

"What about mother's Grimoire? There's got to be something in there, perhaps a name of someone who could help?" David suggests.

I open the book, turning to the final pages that list the names of other families, who in the past, were our families' allies but as I skim through the list of names, none of the names jump out at me as someone who mother spoke of. However, at the bottom of the third from last page, there is a miniscule circle of Arsaleebreve script squished into the corner of the page, looking almost like a fingerprint. Even with my vampire eyesight, I am forced to squint to read it.

"Wait, this is it." I bounce up and down, my mood-ometer swinging to ebullient. "This is it - a spell to contact the Circle of Seven." It is probably our only hope.

"Go-on then, what you waiting for?" David encourages.

"Okay okay . . . Circulus Septem loqui nascad cabhair Amor, Circulus Septem loqui nascad cabhair Amor, Circulus Septem loqui nascad cabhair Amor." I chant the spell over and over until a bolt of lightning streaks across the sky startling me. "Whoa! Do you think that was it?"

David leans forward over the steering wheel and peers up to the sky. "I dunno, maybe. Does it say what will happen next?"

"No, it's just the spell." I sigh, deflated again.

"Daze, look at your palm." Jamie turns my hand over. Arsaleebreve symbols mark my skin.

"C'mon what does it say?" David hurries me.

"It's co-ordinates. I think."

"Read them out. I'll punch them into the sat-nav."

"N five zero point eight zero five zero zero and W one point six seven three zero zero."

"Okay, that's not too bad, according to this that's about fifty miles away. Buckle up. We need to get there before dawn."

* * * *

The New Forest is ripe and alive. It is a very English version of the rainforest that we experienced in Brazil. Above the treetops, weak winter sun climbs to its apex as we pull up outside an old rickety wooden lodge.

"This is it." David sighs, switching off the engine.

I rush to exit the car and investigate. It feels as if we don't have a single second to waste, which is true. For all we know Adam or his new army will be hot on our trail.

Jamie grabs my arm, stopping me in my tracks. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"Where do you think?"

He raises his eyebrows giving me one of those 'I don't think so' looks.

"I called them. I will deal with it, whatever it is. I have my power back." My firm reply appears to do the trick and I am able to free my arm from his grasp and escape the car.

In less than a blink, Jamie blocks my path. "Not on your own, you won't. We stick together. Me and you are like glue." He winks and pulls me into his chest. "You are precious to me Titch. I promise to do everything in my power to watch over you and protect you from now on. Besides I think a wise man once told you that even the most powerful people need bodyguards."

"I remember an arrogant and immensely irritating vampire saying something similar to me once." I smile wryly. "What happened to you earlier? You weren't my Jamie?" I whisper.

"I am sorry for what I said. It won't happen again, ever. What happened back there at the meeting, it pushed me to the brink of places I've not been for a long time. I know what I need to do. I need to protect you no matter what."

"I love you." I grin.

My brother takes a little more time to join us because he is cautiously surveying our surroundings first. "The three of us will stick together as a unit. We don't know what we're walking into." He corrects, slapping Jamie on the back.

Inside, the lodge is dark and dank. A couple of tables and chairs are haphazardly piled up in the corner and an empty bar decorated with cobwebs and dirt, dominates the centre. Once upon a time, this must have been some type of rest stop for travellers.

David shakes his head, "Waste of time. You must have interpreted the co-ordinates wrong." He accuses.

Just as I am about to retaliate with some choice words, the door behind us creaks. A woman with long poker straight blonde hair, dressed in blue jeans and a white padded jacket stands in the doorway and stares back at us with a welcoming smile.

"Oh ye, of little faith." I whisper.

"Daisy Love . . . David Love . . . and you must be the enigmatic Jamie Cromwell?" The blonde begins, pointing to each one of us in turn.

"And you are?" David steps forward and holds his hand out to the woman.

She steps forward and shakes his hand. "I am Claudetta. I represent the Circle of Seven. Your sister here, asked to speak with us. We also have matters to discuss with you, so this has worked out rather well. Follow me and I will take you somewhere safe where we can talk."

"We're just supposed to trust you?" Jamie interrupts, holding me back.

"Yes Jamie Cromwell that is exactly what you are supposed to do." Her reply is curt, but not threatening. "Daisy is far more powerful than me, and you are all vampires, so I am the one taking the risk. Not you."

We glance at each other with a silent expression of, _what choice do we really have?_

"Leave your car; someone will take care of that. Follow me." She calls out and marches ahead of us into a cluster of giant oak trees.

I am certainly not dressed for running through the woods, especially not in these heels.

"C'mon Titch, I'll give y' a piggy back." Jamie offers.

With me on Jamie's back, we chase after her for a few hundred meters until she pauses in front of a mass of fallen trees that block the way ahead.

"We, sorcerers, often live together in small communities that we call Touta; sometimes it is too er difficult to live amongst normal folk, as I am sure you can appreciate. To protect our existence we camouflage our Touta so that it appears invisible to outsiders. In front of us is the Touta I belong to. Now then, so that you can pass through the cloak of camouflage and enter, we will all need to link together. When we pass through the cloak, your vision will distort momentarily and you may feel a little light headed, but don't be alarmed, it won't hurt you. Okay?"

We all nod.

"So, if you hold my hand please David, and Daisy keeps hold of your other hand and holds Jamie's, this will link us so that we can all pass through together. Remember, it is not a trick or there to hurt you, it is just to protect the Touta." Claudetta warns. I sense her fear. I guess she thinks if we get spooked we may attack her.

"It's okay, we understand. We don't have any intentions of hurting anyone." I confirm hoping to allay her fears.

Claudetta smiles warmly in reply before she steps forward and appears to melt into the pile of fallen trees. David follows her, his hand still gripping mine, pulling me in after him and behind me, Jamie follows through too. Briefly, a thick foggy disorientating atmosphere engulfs us until we fall out into fresh clean woodland air, which cleanses my skin and refreshes me, like a cold shower on a sticky day, only better. My eyesight however, remains distorted as if I am gazing through a grease-smeared window.

"Now don't panic, it's going to clear, just give it a few seconds." Claudetta sings doing everything she can to keep us calm.

She is right of course, after a few seconds, and several blinks, my vision clears to unveil a large welcoming party gathered in front of us. The strong scent of warm pumping blood hits my senses stealing my breath and incites my fangs to extend, which are hungry to pierce skin so that I can replenish my scraping thirst. Next to me, aware of how tempted I am, Jamie tightly squeezes my hand to reassure me.

Beyond the welcoming party, a jumble of wooden huts and lodges stretches into the distance. Some look as though they may be types of shops, whereas others are obviously homes. An assortment of scents drift around us; hot stews, baking bread, and damp wood, so I try as much as possible to focus on these rather than what my body is ravenous for.

A silver haired woman with time etched into the lines of her face breaks ranks from the group to approach us. Despite her apparent age, there is no sign of frailty as she strides towards us with her arms opens wide in a welcoming gesture.

"This is Primrose Banba, High Priestess of the Circle of Seven." Claudetta introduces.

"My dear, dear Daisy Love." She gasps and bows her head. I am overjoyed to meet you at last. Your mother was such a gentle soul."

"You knew my mother?" I splutter in disbelief.

"Oh, yes my dear. I am one of the oldest Circle members. I am three hundred and fifty one." She notes the suspicion in my eyes and clarifies further. "Pure blood sorcerers can live up to three hundred and eighty years old my dear . . . And you my dear boy must be David, which makes this striking gentleman Jamie Cromwell." I do not miss the slight chill in her tone when she mentions Jamie's name or the muffled gasp from the crowd behind her.

"We need temporary refuge and hopefully your help." I explain in a rush, desperate to put some space between the fascinated crowd of blood banks surrounding us.

"Of course, my child. We want to help you." She replies at a more relaxed pace. "Come, let us talk."

Primrose Banba leads us through the thirty or so crowd who one by one bow their heads as we pass by them. Claudetta follows behind us until we reach a large wooden lodge ringed by fragrant spring flowers with a white painted arch-shaped door.

"Claudetta, my dear, please inform the Circle that our guests have arrived safely."

Claudetta obediently bows to Primrose and wanders off to fulfil the old woman's request.

Once inside, Primrose directs us to sit on her colourful floral sofa, whilst she takes a seat in an oversized armchair. "You are slightly overdressed for a walk in the woods." She smiles eyeing up our expensive and dishevelled evening attire.

"You contacted us?" David prompts.

"True, but why do you suddenly need our help? I think we shall begin with that." Her fixed smile is warm and encouraging but her tone is firm. This woman is not someone to be trifled with.

David shuffles forward to perch on the edge of the sofa. Hunched over with his forearms resting on his knees, he looks serious and uncomfortable. Jamie on the other side of me contrasts him; sitting back against the sofa, his arm stretched out along the back of the sofa, allowing me to nestle into the crook of his arm and inhale his summer scent rather than fixate on her blood. He looks as relaxed as if this is just a visit to his grandmother for cream tea.

"Well Madam Banba—" David begins.

"—Now, now, call me Primrose."

"Primrose. You contacted us first, so I would like to start with that." His challenging response avoids giving her any information before he is sure of what her intentions are, whereas I would readily spill everything so that we can get out of here and find something to quench my thirst, even if it is just Jamie or David's blood for now.

"Fair point, David. The Circle of Seven contacted you because in recent times news of your joint powers has spread far and wide. You disappeared off the radar for a while, however, a flurry of rumours are now in circulation concerning what you have been up to."

"And what has that got to do with you?" He presses, unwilling to give anything away.

Primrose looks at him and narrows her eyes as if she is assessing him. "You are so much like your father, David."

"And what do you know of him?"

"More than you, I suspect." She bats back. "But we'll come on to that later. Okay, enough games. So you want to know why we got in touch with you? Well to put it simply we want you to join us, embrace the Circle of Seven and our subjects as your own people . . . which of course they are."

"We're vampires." I blurt out as frustration gets the better of me.

"Yes, that is true unfortunately. But . . . we may be able to cure you of that curse."

"Cure?" I gasp, repeating it to be sure that is what she just said.

"Yes, it is a possibility."

"But why do you want the three of us to join the Circle of Seven? Surely there are many sorcerers out there to recruit who are not cursed." David steers the conversation back around to his question.

"It is not that simple. For starters, there are very few pure bloods left in the world. Too much mixing with other species has diluted our race and vampires seek us out to drink our blood to enhance their own talents. And secondly I must make myself clear, we do not want the three of you, we want the two of you." Primrose points at David and me.

"That's alright, I get it. I'm just a half-blood." Jamie jokes, seemingly unoffended by her remark, but after what he said to me earlier, I know it could chip away at him.

"We shall talk about that later too." Primrose replies with a little more steel in her voice this time. "I am not asking the two of you to join our Touta, I am asking you to join the ruling Circle of Seven. And why do we want the two of you? Well, tell me something first, do you believe that your birth and power is some random twist of fate or happenstance?"

"What do you mean?" I creep forward, curious to hear what she means. Next to me, David scowls at me for responding at all.

"Twins born to two full blooded sorcerers on the night of a powerful blue moon, foretold as the greatest sorcerers of all time. Do you think that was down to luck or chance?"

"We know the legend." I answer, ignoring David's silent warning to shut up. "And for the record I am nowhere near as great as those who believe in the legend expect me to be." This time David nudges me sharply in the ribs to shut me up.

Primrose sits back in her chair and crosses her legs whilst her hands rest peacefully in her lap. "So it seems you actually know very little about who you are and where you came from." Primrose concludes. "I guess it is about time to enlighten you."

"Go ahead, enlighten us." David snipes, clearly losing patience.

"Firstly, your mother Alice and your father Gavan were chosen for each other. Secondly your birth did not purely come about as a result of an act of love between a man and his wife, but a carefully planned and executed strategy to strengthen the Circle of Seven in the face of swelling populations of Werewolves and Vampires."

David and I look at each other, both wary of what this old witch is trying to tell us.

"Listen Primrose," Jamie interrupts. "I appreciate that you are some old high ranking sorcerer, but enough of the cryptic clues. Get to the point. We have the entire vampire race hot on our heels ready to capture these two and use them in some sick twisted power games. If you can help us, great, if not we need to be moving on."

Primrose bends forward in her chair, staring at each of us in turn. "I don't understand, I thought you had killed the Elder Acheron."

"We did." I confirm. "But, things didn't go as expected afterwards."

"Tell me!" Primrose urges with fear stricken across her face.

David stands up, too tightly wound to sit any longer. "We were led to believe that once we killed Acheron, the Council would allow us to make a life for ourselves in relative peace. I admit we were naive. They appointed Sir Adam Beaumont to take Acheron's place and Sir Adam Beaumont has been promised Daisy under Vampire Lore. They put collars around our necks which blocked our magic—"

"—Nickel and brimstone?" Primrose interrupts.

David nods. "They started the betrothal service, but a friend of ours dropped by and enabled an escape in the nick of time. We are here seeking refuge because Beaumont is obsessed with Daisy. He will never let her go and Diablo is obsessed with the power we can wield. They will hunt us for eternity. We don't want to run. We want to end this and we thought maybe you could help us in some way."

"Diablo is a power hungry leech." Primrose screws up her nose and shakes her head. "You are safe here. You killed your progenitor so they will struggle to find you if you don't want to be found. Nevertheless this situation makes it even more urgent that you agree to join us."

"You still haven't explained why." David presses, raising his voice with his increased frustration.

Primrose rises to her feet to address him. "I am your grandmother . . ."

What? Has the woman lost her mind?

"Your father, Gavan was my first son by my first husband. The Circle of Seven chose your mother to be his Consort."

"You are our grandmother?" I repeat.

"Yes, my child. You are my only heirs. Gavan and Alice were a perfect match and they fell in love very quickly. When your mother fell pregnant with the both of you, the Circle were excited that everything was falling into place, but this bred a culture of over protectiveness. It frightened Alice. She wanted you brought up as children, not weapons created to protect the Circle. She became paranoid that we would take you both away from her if she stayed. We would absolutely not have done that.

"Gavan adored Alice. His depth of love for her overtook any sense of duty he had as my heir and the more we restricted Alice - which we only did in her best interests and with absolutely no intent to harm her - the more Gavan became protective of her and distrustful of us. One day during her fifth month of pregnancy they both vanished."

"If you did not intend to hurt her or take us away from her, why would they disappear?" David questions still slow to trust this old woman.

"It was a tense time, so much expectation and so much had been invested in your creation. The Circle were exceptionally anxious for everything to go perfectly to plan. I tried to warn the Circle that they were putting her under too much stress and to leave her be, but they would not listen. They would not relinquish the control. I may be High Priestess, but we are democratic and they can overrule me on decisions by majority.

"The sons of the Circle searched for them for months to no avail. Gavan was too powerful he could have kept you all hidden for an eternity. Then, around a year later, my second son Oliver sent Gavan an Arsaleebreve message, and told his brother that I had died in order to trick him into returning. Unfortunately, it worked."

"Unfortunately?" David presses, narrowing his eyes, still suspicious of this strange old woman's words.

"At that time we had a Warlock, Caleb, as one of the reigning Circle of Seven." Briefly, Primrose's eyes flit towards Jamie before returning to David as she continues with her recollection. "Originally, the Circle accepted Caleb because of his power, despite its roots in dark magyk. The majority of the Circle saw it as a risk worth taking and an opportunity to strengthen us. Caleb fulfilled his promise and proved loyal to the Circle for several decades until the news of your birth circulated amongst the supernatural world. Being party to the plans for the both of you, he felt threatened. He believed that he would lose his place once you were strong enough.

"From a very young age my second son Oliver idolised Caleb. Oliver did not possess the natural talent of your father, but through Caleb, he saw how the art of dark magyk would increase his power. It was upon Caleb's instruction that Oliver tricked Gavan to return and walk straight into their trap. I must warn you that what happened next will not be easy for you to hear, but it is the truth and after everything that has happened, you are owed at least that." Primrose's words send a shiver down my spine. "For the next ten days Caleb proceeded to torture your father to inspire him to reveal your whereabouts, but despite the endless agony Caleb subjected him to, Gavan never uttered a word. Oliver eventually came to his senses and confessed to me what he had done and what was happening to his brother. When I arrived it was too late." Tears begin to pour from Primrose eyes. "Caleb tortured your father to death . . . As punishment the Circle stripped Caleb of his natural powers and banished him. I forgave Oliver, but he couldn't forgive himself and his guilt drove him to take his own life." Wiping her cheeks with a handkerchief from her skirt pocket, Primrose tries her best to swallow her grief.

"I am so sorry." I whisper, heartbroken for the family we knew little of and for this woman who is apparently our grandmother and is tormented by her guilt and pain of losing both her sons under horrific tragic circumstances.

Primrose shakes her head. "No, I am the one who is sorry, my child. You are orphans because of me."

"Why didn't you execute him?" David urges.

"You have been a vampire for too long David. We do not issue capital punishments here."

"But our mother thought our father had been hanged in a witch trial."

"No, Alice must have made that story up to keep the truth from you. Normal folk could never capture and kill a real sorcerer, and especially not a Son of the Circle of Seven. However, your mother did not know the full truth about the circumstances of your father's death. After it happened, I sent her a message. We met on neutral sacred ground and I told her that Oliver had lied about my death and that there had been a bitter fight between Gavan and Oliver. I told her that Gavan had lost honourably because he would not kill Oliver. She never knew the whole truth. I asked her to come back and I promised to take care of her and you, but understandably, she refused. She assured me that Gavan had safeguarded your home so that you would be safe as long as you stayed within its perimeter. Alice refused to tell me where you lived and I didn't blame her or try to find out because I accepted that you were all probably safer away from the Circle. I had hoped she would keep in touch and let me know how you were all getting on, but that was the last time I saw or heard from Alice.

"The first piece of news concerning any of you was when Diablo informed the Circle that his brother Acheron had found you and turned you. We immediately sent out a party to find you and bring you back to us but they never found you. There were many rumours, most of which ended in your death. After a hundred years of no confirmed sightings, the Circle chose to believe you were indeed dead, concluding that someone as powerful as the two of you could not live in the world unknown, but I never gave up hope. . . And now that you are here, I need you to take my place, your rightful place, so that I can retire and live what little time I now have left in peace." Primrose sighs and falls silent, patiently waiting for our response.

David and I are speechless.

"That's quite some revelation. Perhaps Dave and Daze could have a bit of time to digest it." Jamie says gently.

"You're right. Of course. You are safe here for now. Vampires will not find you here." She rises to her feet, smoothing out her skirt. "I have other matters to attend to. I will return in an hour."

"Er, there is just one request before you leave . . .kind of awkward," Jamie begins. "Daze has used a lot of power and we haven't fed in a while. You may be sorcerers, but you smell very very human . . ." Jamie arches his eyebrow, hoping Primrose will understand.

"Yes Mr Cromwell, I understand. You need blood."

"Afraid so." He confirms apologetically.

"I'll send someone to fetch you some donated blood. In the meantime, please refrain from feeding on anyone around here, Mr Cromwell." Her steely caution matches the venomous look in her eyes.

"He is not an animal." I snap. Her tone with him is beginning to offend me, grandmother or not. "He has more self control than any vampire I know. I am the one who is struggling. We control ourselves, but with everything that has happened, we have all been under immense stress and we need to replenish quickly." I pant fearing the thirst is starting to take me over completely.

Primrose frowns at me with disappointment. "I understand, like I said someone will get you what you need shortly." She repeats and leaves us alone to talk.

Clearly, I am ready to slaughter someone right now, so Jamie allows me to drink from him again to ease the thirst until the donated stuff arrives.

"Oh god, there is so much to take in." I sigh, now able to concentrate on what we have heard with the burn of thirst temporarily subdued once again. "I guess that explains why our mother wouldn't let me off that bloody farm and why no one ever visited."

"What I don't get is why your mother would risk your safety at such a crucial time?" Jamie questions as he noses around Primroses home, sifting through drawers and cupboards in an oak sideboard.

"It was my fault. All my stupid fault. I begged her to let me out of the farm, made her agree to it as an eighteenth birthday gift."

"It's not your fault. She knew the risk and I was supposed to protect you. Both of you." David dismisses. "Why couldn't she have been honest with us? We could have been more prepared."

"Maybe she was afraid you'd go looking for them or something?" Jamie shrugs.

"Primrose said something about a cure, David. What if we could go back to being normal again? Maybe that was what they meant when they said they'd make it worth our while."

"Or is it just a carrot? Besides what is normal? There's always a price." Jamie suggests as he lifts up the lids of several trinket boxes at once with his magic so that he can peak inside.

"Jay's got a point and just because she's keen on bringing us into the fold doesn't mean the other six are gonna be so welcoming."

"What choice do we really have? Go back out there and face an eternity of hiding?"

"I just hope we aren't jumping out of the frying pan and into a caldron." Jamie replies flopping down into her armchair.

* * * *

By the time Primrose returned, we had soothed our aching thirst with the hand delivered donor blood and agreed amongst ourselves to play along with Primrose for a while longer until we were more certain about what we were getting into.

"Primrose, is there somewhere I can get cleaned up and a change of clothes?" I ask.

"Yes of course my child, you do look rather like Frankenstein's bride in that dress."

A laugh escapes from Jamie and David who are amused at the irony or her observation.

Primrose presses a button on her desk. "Angelica, could you come over please . . .Thank you. Daisy, Angelica will take you somewhere you can freshen up and I am sure we can find you something more comfortable and appropriate to wear."

"I'll go with her." Jamie adds.

"No you will not. This is not a vampire den of iniquity. We are respectable people Mr Cromwell. Daisy is perfectly safe here and you do not need to follow her around like a hungry lap dog. And whilst Angelica looks after her, William will show you around and explain how things work around here so that you don't upset anyone unnecessarily." Primrose cautions. "William is a son of the Circle of Seven and his father is a close ally of mine within the Circle, so please treat him with the respect he deserves."

David chuckles at Jamie's shocked expression. I can tell he wants to come back with a clever quip but on this occasion, he bites his tongue.

A knock sounds at Primrose's door and a boy and girl of around seventeen enter.

"Hello William, Angelica." Primrose welcomes. "William, as we discussed, if you could escort David and Jamie on a tour of our settlement. Angelica, please take Daisy to get cleaned up and find her some fresh clothes."

They both smile and nod at Primrose.

"Daisy, if you would like to follow me?" Angelica invites me to go with her. I slip my impractical heels back on my muddied feet and follow her to a much smaller vacant lodge.

"The shower is through there." Angelica directs ushering me through to the bedroom. "That is an amazing dress." She admires. "But with this hair," She tugs at her strawberry blonde hair and sighs, "Red isn't always a great look."

"It is very impractical anyway." I smile. "If you can tidy it up and make it presentable again, you are more than welcome to have it."

"Really? Oh wow, thank you. Yes I would love it. Listen, you get yourself cleaned up and I'll get you something else to wear. Everything you need is through there. I'll be back in a jiffy." Angelica directs me to a room at the back of the lodge.

"Thanks Angelica."

The warm cascading water invigorates me, soothing my tension and cleansing my skin. I must have stood under the water for more than half an hour just soaking up the release.

"Daisy?" Angelica calls.

"I'm coming." I yell back over the raining water and grab a super soft champagne coloured towel to wrap up in.

When I enter the bedroom, Angelica is laying out clothes on the bed. "So I managed to get you some jeans, vest top, jumper and a pair of boots. Those heels won't last a day out here."

"No, well they weren't my choice. These are definitely more my style." I smile holding up the brown knee high lace up boots.

"I'll be in the living room, if you need anything." Angelica smiles holding my dress in her arms and wanders out so I can get dressed.

The clothes she found me fit perfectly - as if they were made for me. Angelica is an excellent judge of size. "Thank you Angelica, I feel like a new person." I thank her as I run my fingers through my damp hair.

"Wow, you scrub up really well. I wish I looked as good as you in a pair of jeans and a vest. The sons of The Circle will be falling over themselves to impress you."

"What?" I laugh awkwardly.

"You are like super hot, they will all want to be considered as your Consort. Trust me."

"My Consort?"

"Your Primrose's heir. As soon as we received confirmation that you were alive and well, she has been putting plans in place to bring you into the Circle. She wants you and your brother to have a place, so she proposed that one of the sons of the Circle would give up their claim in return for becoming your Consort."

"No, that can't happen. I'm in love with Jamie. I can't marry someone else."

"Jamie Cromwell? That's who that hot blonde god is? I kind of suspected, but you and he are an item?" Angelica quizzes excitedly.

"Yes. Why?" I narrow my eyes, suspicious about her response.

"Jamie Cromwell is like this mythical villain in one of our legends, the ones we use to scare young-uns from dabbling with dark magyk. Wow, that is not how I pictured him when I was growing-up. He could tempt anyone to the dark side. I can't believe you are with him? Is he as scary as they say?"

"No he is not. Jamie may have a dark past, but he's a good man now. He is not the bogey man." I snap and my fangs extend as fury consumes me.

"Sorry-sorry. I've spoken out of turn. Please-please don't say anything to Primrose, she'll tell my Dad and I'll be in for it." Angelica's eyes fall to the floor as she backs away from me. Her fear evident.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry and I won't say anything to Primrose, but I would like to go back and find her now. We have lots of things to talk about."

"It's okay, it was insensitive of me, I can't blame you for being angry. Follow me and I'll lead you back to her lodge."

Whilst we stroll along the path towards Primrose's lodge locked in an uncomfortable silence, a welcome distraction interrupts us. "Hey Angelica, who's your sexy new friend?" Footsteps pad quickly towards us.

"Sorry, it's my brother. He's a dumbass." She whispers and whips around. "What do you want Alfie?"

"An introduction." He pants, hunched over with his hands on his knees as he tries to get his breath back. "I didn't know we were taking in anymore newcomers."

"Alfie where have you been? Dad's been looking for you. He's raging."

"Are you going to introduce me or what?" Alfie ignores her.

"Alfie, this is Daisy. Daisy this is my idiot brother, Alfie."

"Hi, listen if you've got no plans for this evening I can show you what counts as nightlife round here."

"Thank you Alfie, but I have plans."

"Hah, she's not interested. Now go and find Dad, he's spitting nails right now."

"Alright, alright. See you around Daisy."

"Sorry about him. He thinks he's god's gift and for a most of the girls around here, he is, so it does him good to get rejected once in a while. It stops his head from getting too big." Angelica giggles and the atmosphere between us lifts just before we reach Primrose's lodge. "It was nice to meet you Daisy. You're okay for a vampire."

Her comment makes me smile. "Thanks Angelica." I wave her goodbye and re-enter Primrose's lodge.

Primrose is in her armchair, with reading glasses clinging to the tip of her nose whilst she reads the book in her lap. She must be engrossed because she fails to notice my return.

I clear my throat to announce my entrance. "Primrose?"

She closes her book, pulls her glasses off her nose, and rests them on the arm of her chair. "Ah there you are my child. You look much better."

"I feel it. Are David and Jamie still having their tour?"

"Yes. They have not come back yet. Why don't you sit with me and we can get to know each other a little bit?"

"Thanks. That would be good. Can you tell me more about my father? It was too painful for our mother to talk about him, so I hardly know anything about him."

"Of course. Well, let us see. . . David has his stature, but I believe your nature is much more like him. My first husband, Andreas Love, was a mighty sorcerer. He was chosen for me because he was a protector. I was very young when we married and Andreas had already established himself as a legendary warrior, yet he was a pussycat with me, gentle, loving and lots of fun. Before I took up my place within the Circle we got up to lots of mischief." A youthful smile radiates Primrose's face as she remembers. "Gavan inherited Andreas's free spirit, his skill with weapons and his ability to move with the lethal grace of a jaguar. Gavan really was the perfect heir. He would have made a great leader of the Circle. Sadly, Andreas died in a bitter battle with the werewolves when your father was just fourteen. Gavan took it hard at first, but his father's spirit had shaped him from very early on. Your father took care of me for a long while, never allowing a girl to distract him despite having a parade of willing volunteers. I am sure he dallied and broke some hearts, but his duty was always to me, first and foremost.

"As High Priestess it was expected that I take another husband. It took twenty years for me to finally fall for another man. The man I fell for was Marcus Banba, a half blood, which some viewed as an unfortunate choice because they refused to believe he would be strong enough to stand as my protector. Marcus unfortunately is also no longer with us, but he led a full life. I am unsure how much your mother taught you about our kind but it is a sad fact that half bloods have a much shorter life span than full bloods. It is rare for them to live past one hundred and fifty. My Marcus died in 1829 of a ripe old age, but having lost two sons and two husbands my heart cannot take any more grief, which is why I think I have never given up hope of finding you and David.

"Oliver was Marcus's son and as such he had limited power that would not reach the level of his big brother; your father. I don't know whether it was that, the age difference or the fact that they had different fathers but the two of them never had a close brotherly bond. Of course your father would look out for his baby brother, step into protect him, but something kept them apart.

"Gavan was around forty, when the Circle decided it was time to find a consort. Dutiful as ever, he did not kick up a fuss, although I know he did not relish the idea of being tied down. He had been a bachelor for too long and kept his heart behind a self imposed wall of ice.

"We all sanctioned your mother Alice as a good match for him. Her family were ancient pure bloods, but non-political. It meant there was little risk of her family manipulating her and using her position for their own ends or to influence Gavan, which is often a serious concern with Consorts from powerful families and covens. I liked Alice because she was gentle, sweet, well practiced in her art of magic and very beautiful.

"You have her beauty Daisy, but Gavan's eyes stare back at me when I look at you. I already see that you are free spirited, impulsive and fiercely loyal just like him. David is guarded like your mother, but I sense Gavan's innate desire to protect in him too. He not only protects you, but others that he loves and respects too; a quality handed down from your grandfather, through your father.

"Now where was I . . . ah yes. Very quickly, Alice melted Gavan's heart igniting it with such an intense heat that she became his everything."

"He always was. She never found another man to share her life with and she wept every night, crying out his name in her sleep." Memories from a very young age of David and I climbing into her bed and squeezing up to her to try and soothe her ache play in my mind.

Primrose lets out a heavy sigh, "And you, you my dear are deeply in love with Mr Cromwell?" Her tone transforms from caring grandmother, to steely disapproving High Priestess.

"Yes. I love him like I have loved no other. It is as if our souls are entwined and we are destined to be together. Much, like my mother and father, I suppose."

"Very romantic, dear. But what do you really know of him?"

"Please do not patronise me. I am not some silly seventeen year old with a crush. I know enough about Jamie. I know what I need to know. What is it that you have against him? Is it that he is a half blood, because that would be hypocritical after what you've just told me about you and your second husband?"

Primrose narrows her eyes at me, considering something. "No, not especially, although I would rather see you matched with an appropriate Consort from a full blood line."

"So I've heard. So come on, what is it then? What is it about Jamie that you dislike so much?"

"Caleb, the warlock I spoke to you about earlier, has a reputation that spreads far beyond our world. Over the centuries many people, supernatural and normal folk sought Caleb out to petition him to take them on as his student or to contract his services—"

"—what has this got to do with Jamie?" I huff.

"Jamie was married to Mary Worth—"

"—I know that. So?"

"So, Mary Worth's infamy is equal to Caleb's." Primrose continues after taking a sip of her tea. "Mary and Caleb were briefly involved when Caleb was very young, around eighteen I think. After Mary wed your Jamie Cromwell -who at that time was a young vampire with some sorcery ability - she exploited his talents and saw the potential to increase those talents under Caleb's expert tuition. Are you aware of the tales of their debauchery and murderous acts?"

Disgusted that she is going to attempt to use his past against me, I leap to my feet ready to storm out. "Do you know what, I do not need to listen to this." But I can't move. Primrose has used her old magic to freeze me to the spot. I try to counter her power but I fail miserably.

"You are in need of some training and practice my child." She shakes her head and stands in front of me, putting her hands gently on my arms. "So much like your father, but you do need to listen to this. Now, answer me, what has Jamie Cromwell told you about his past?"

"Nothing." I mumble ashamed that he won't tell me the whole truth. "He says it is too painful for him, he has too much regret."

"Well that is something, at least he has regret. You see, their insatiable lust for blood and torture lead Mary to contact Caleb to request that he take on Jamie Cromwell as his apprentice in the unhallowed art of dark magyk. Her objective was to increase his power to escalate their abhorrent desires and their status to give them enough power to get her a seat on the Vampire council.

"Mary was successful in securing Mr Cromwell as Caleb's apprentice and Caleb taught him for over half a century imparting everything he knew about dark magyk and when he was done he tried to persuade Mr Cromwell to leave his wife and join him in his own flagitious scheme. Fortunately Mr Cromwell was led by his groin and chose the mildly lesser of the two evils."

"What scheme?"

"We believe Caleb was and continues to plot against the Circle in revenge for dissolving his natural powers and banishing him. Our intelligence informs us that as yet he has failed to find another apprentice as promising as Mr Cromwell and I cannot believe that after all that time and effort, Caleb would simply let Mr Cromwell walk away. That is why I disapprove. Mr Cromwell is a dangerous man and a potentially lethal threat."

"I have never seen Jamie use dark magyk. In fact, he even warned me off ever using it. Whatever his past was, he has been loving and loyal since I've known him."

"Dark magyk doesn't leave you, it may not control him right now, but it is still within him. He could still wield it if he wanted to or—"

"—well he doesn't!" Jamie's low growl interrupts us. His eyes are alight with raging blue flames as his frame swells to fill the quaint doorway. "I have not used it in over a century."

"You love Daisy?" Primrose asks, standing between us.

"More than life itself. I am crazy in love with her." He replies with absolute conviction. I can't help but smile.

"So, if this friend of yours hadn't helped you to escape from the Vampire Council, what would have happened? Daisy and David both had the brimstone and nickel around their neck, you had your finger severed and this woman you profess to love with all your heart is about to be betrothed to a notorious monstrous vampire."

Jamie frowns at her.

"What would you have done?" Primrose presses.

"Anything in my power to stop it."

"Yes, and there we have it." She throws her arms in the air in triumph. "Anything in your power. Dark magyk is within your power and you would have accessed that dark magyk, wouldn't you?"

"To save her, yes. Just because it is dark, does not mean it cannot be used for good." He argues.

"Tell me Jamie Cromwell, how does it feel to experience the kind of power that dark magyk elicits?"

"Enough! Leave him alone. Jamie and I are stuck like glue, so if you don't want him, you don't want me and we will walk out of your life right this minute and figure out some other way of getting ourselves out of this predicament." I scream.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa what the hell is going on in here?" David shouts, pushing past Jamie.

"I told Daisy some home truths about her precious Jamie Cromwell. She should not be with him David."

"It has got nothing to do with you." Jamie barks back.

"She is my granddaughter and you were the apprentice of the man that tortured their father, my son to death. You are too close to him to be allowed to be the Consort to the next High Priestess. How do we know you are not here to infiltrate us and implode us?"

Exasperated, Jamie throws his arms up in the air. "You've known her for what three, four hours and yeah, I was Caleb's apprentice, but have you lost the plot old woman? That was years after he'd been banished by you lot and it must be well over a hundred and fifty years since I last laid eyes on him. For all I know he's dead now."

"Everybody calm down." David motions with his hands. "Primrose, I have known Jay for the last century. He has been a loyal true friend and if I had any doubts I would not allow him anywhere near Daisy. You can trust me on that."

"The Circle trusted Caleb." Primrose warns.

"I don't care. Jamie is not negotiable. We're leaving."

"No!" Primrose shouts. "No. Please, don't leave. This is the only place where vampires won't find you."

"You agree to the three of us being here, Jay included?" David clarifies.

Primrose sighs, considering David's bid briefly, before she nods in agreement. "One suspicious move and he's gone." She cautions.

"Deal." David agrees.

"Although you are safe here, if the Vampire Council find out they can demand your expulsion and your return to their custody. However, if you agree to join us we can argue your case at the Praetor Orbis Senate . . . and whilst we wait for our opportunity to do that, we can examine the possibility of a cure to extinguish any claim they have to you. First, however, we need to get the majority of the Circle on our side, which won't be easy thanks to the stand you are insisting on taking over Mr Cromwell." Primrose's face crumples up as if the idea is hard to swallow.

"Don't worry about that, Jay can charm the birds out the trees. You'll see." David grins and winks at Jamie. "They'll end up begging him to join the Circle too."

Primrose lifts her head and straightens her back. "I doubt that very much."

###

Part III of the Bellwether Blood Witches is coming soon

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