 
Forever Young The Beginning...

Published by Gerald Simpkins at Smashwords 2012

Copyright © 2012 Gerald Simpkins

ISBN 13: 978-0-9665434-2-1

Contents

Chapters 1 – 115

Glossary of characters

Glossary of terminology

Disclaimer

All characters in this story are purely fictional, the product of the author's imagination. The only exceptions are the three Kings, a Queen, a Duchess, and the Marquis de Sade who are all historical figures who lived in the 18th century in Europe. Any quotes or activities attributed to them in this novel are fictional and are only the product of the author's imagination.

# Chapter 1

August 1767 Marseille, France

The area had many two-story buildings on both sides of the dark street. Ian heard a clatter from the direction of an alley. It sounded like a roof tile falling onto the pavement. They looked about and Ian again felt the warm prickly feeling on the back of his neck. He glanced back and could see no one so they kept walking south in the darkness.

Suddenly the warm prickly feeling changed to one of icy dread that extended down his spine. It chilled him to his core, and he exclaimed to his companion "Li, something's wrong!" Drawing his dagger he whirled around just in time to barely see a black form leap from the roof of a two story building. He thought he heard a distant voice shout his name, even as the creature landed running at an unbelievable speed and was on him like a whirlwind. He stabbed straight into its belly as it hit, nearly knocking him breathless. While falling he felt a sharp bite on his neck even as he drove the long blade of his knife to its hilt in the creature, twisting and pulling it upwards. There was a scream from it as they hit the cobblestones together, Ian landing on his back under the thing.

The blade of his knife felt as if it was caught in some tough clothing because he was having trouble ripping and cutting flesh where it should have been easy. He smelled the foul, fetid odor of its breath as it screamed again while grabbing his knife hand in a grip of iron. Li had stepped forward and was stabbing the creature in its' back repeatedly. It turned and half-rose in the blink of an eye to reach out and backhand Li, knocking him against the side of a building with such force that he slumped, dazed. Scarcely three seconds had elapsed, so quickly had everything happened.

Before the creature could renew its' attack on Ian though, he had plunged his knife into its belly again and was ripping upwards. He was certain that his knife was once again stuck through heavy cloth since it still didn't cut as it should. The creature screamed and like lightning, pinned both of his arms in its iron grip. Even as its' head began to dart toward his throat a dark figure bowled into the creature, toppling it. Ian rolled to his feet and saw two figures fighting, the newest arrival wielding a large knife. Their movements were so fast as to be barely seen as a blur. Unearthly screams erupted again as he ran to the two and began to help the latecomer stab the creature. Ian stabbed it furiously with his now-diminishing strength, realizing that the newcomer was doing more damage than he, as a creeping numbness began to spread throughout his body. Li had recovered and had joined in stabbing it with his knife. The creature separated from the stranger, howling as it hurtled away in the blink of an eye.

Ian was tottering now, and was certain that it was circling back to attack again. He tried to speak, but a growing numbness seized him and he could suddenly no longer even hold the knife. As he sank to his knees he thought is this what it's like to die? He thought then of his uncle and how he came to be in this land. As he collapsed his mind drifted back to a day at sea scarcely three weeks ago, just before dawn......

# Chapter 2

July 1767, 70 miles east of Gibraltar, Mediterranean sea

"Sail ho... astern!" came the cry from the crow's nest. The lookout's cry electrified the entire crew of Elsie's Cloud. Captain Angus McCloud, himself at the helm since midnight, gave over the helm to Ian McCloud, his nephew. He turned and quickly took a collapsible spyglass from his breast pocket and opened it, peering back into the pre-dawn misty air.

"Only one, Uncle Angus?"

"Nah laddie, I see two." As if to confirm it a second cry from the crow's nest "Two sails astern!"

"To battle stations, Ian" Ian repeated the command in a shout, repeating the command three times while ringing the ship's bell to punctuate it each time.

"Spanish?"

"Nah, laddie.....pirates, Moroccans likely." A short hesitation, then "Two Xebets.... look to be riding high....full sails." Then after a few seconds, "Belay that, Ian. One riding lower in the water than the other......mmmm both Xebets, close to the same size...both with two masts. What do ye make of that?" he said, handing the glass to Ian.

Ian studied the pursuing vessels for a bit and then said "Lower in the water to be sure. Has it taken on water, or is it carrying cargo?" he asked as he handed the glass back to his uncle.

"Cargo is my bet. Why chase us in a leaky ship?"

"Likely celebrating a kill late into the night and spied us before making it back home?"

"Could be. That second ship...her sails are ragged looking on the aft mast. Likely she is a prize they took recently. No matter though, we have to get ready to fight."

They had just traded scotch whiskey for ivory in West Africa near the equator, and heading homeward, had slipped through the Strait of Gibraltar overnight, heading due east. A fair westerly wind and no moon had seemed to be a good omen to Angus McCloud. Britain held Gibraltar and had a small fleet there to assure the safety of British merchant ships.

There was no current war with Spain, but there were some heightened political tensions between them and Britain, especially around Gibraltar. That was a rumor they had picked up from a Dutch trader while in Africa. It would be a lot less expensive to buy the wine he wanted at Marseille than if bought from the French along the Atlantic coast. The wine would top them off for the trip home, a truly rich cargo for their maiden voyage no less, when added to what they had brought back from China. Now though they had a life or death fight on their hands.

"We have the sunrise in our favor, Uncle Angus."

McCloud eyed his nephew. "Aye laddie, the sunrise will help us, and I have an idea. Tell Gunny to load port guns one, five, and ten with half charges. Get MacCarr and one other man stationed at the port side bow rudder." Ian raised both eyebrows at that. The bow rudder was simply unlatched and dropped into place. It caused the same effect as a giant oar being thrust into the water at one side or the other of the bow, causing a rapid turn. In all of their travel so far, they had not had occasion to use either of the pair. No other ship that he had ever seen even had a pair of them.

"Aye-aye" said Ian and leaped down from the high aft deck, sprinting towards old Leon McLamb. McLamb had been a gunner's mate in the Scottish navy and had served in the British navy as well, where he had learned the science of maritime artillery warfare. He was a small, dour looking man, of few words, and was a master at aiming and hitting a target from a moving vessel. Upon hearing the commands, he raised his eyebrows, and then he gave his characteristic but rare crooked smile. The gunnery crew smartly loaded the guns as ordered even as MacCarr got his orders and ran to get a helper and both of them went to the port bow station.

Back at the helm Angus peered intently through his telescope at the approaching pirates. He gauged the wind in Elsie's sails as the distance between the pursuers and pursued grew less by the minute.

"Will they use bow cannon and try to knock out our rudder then?"

"Aye, they will if they have 'em."

A universal naval warfare tactic of the time was to stay behind a ship and bombard it with cannon fire hoping to knock out the rudder so as to easily take it for a prize. To that end both war ships and pirate craft had bow cannon. Elsie only had two light 4 lb. swivel cannons fore and two aft, but she had ten guns on each side, all of them sixteen-pound cannon.

"Gunny smiled just now when I gave him your orders."

"Hah! He knows a trap when it is being laid...........a crafty one and a better shot with cannon never sailed either." Periodic practice with cannon while at sea was a part of the crew's routine. Although the cannon weren't fired, they were handled and readied at battle speed twice a week under Gunny's watchful eyes. Live fire practice with muskets and reloading stressing speed was done once a week as well. This had come in handy in two skirmishes with pirates near China. No merchant's ship could come close to the combat readiness of this crew.

"Tell gunny to fire number 10 first. Order Macgregor to get men aloft and stand by to furl all top-gallants and the mizzens. Make sure MacCarr knows not to drop the bow rudder this time but to be ready to drop it the next time we turn."

After doing that, Ian rejoined his uncle at the helm.

"Take the helm and stand ready." said Angus while watching MacGregor's men move to their positions aloft and on the mizzen masts. Minutes dragged by as the pirates drew nearer. The lead ship had separated herself from her mate by a little distance now. Gauging the wind and the position of the pirates for yet another minute he suddenly shouted "Furl all top-gallants and mizzens! Gunny, prepare to fire number ten!" Then he handed the helm to Ian and said "Hard aport lad."

Elsie's Cloud tipped to the left and began her turn, appearing as if she was turning, dropping sails and slowing radically to engage, using her heavy cannon. The seconds ticked by, and then "Fire number ten, gunny" hollered Angus. The rearmost cannon fired, not even close to aiming correctly. A thick cloud of smoke obscured the view of the port side of Elsie. The two other cannon fired maybe nearly 30 seconds later. The lead ship had already dropped some sail by then and started to also turn to port. They were maneuvering to avoid a broadside from Elsie. The combination of gunpowder smoke and the blinding sunrise behind Elsie served to hide armaments and size of crew from the pirates. The three shots had just made it a little over halfway to the lead craft, badly off target. This made it appear that Elsie was simply a fat merchant ship, poorly commanded, and manned by sailors who were terrified and poor gunners to boot. The true number of cannon was concealed by the smoke from the first shot fired as well. The bait was on the hook.

"Resume course Ian, and unfurl all sails! Unfurl flank sails on all cargo booms now!" Elsie tilted to her starboard and began to pick up speed, then straightened up as she resumed her easterly course, under full sail, looking as if she was running away. The three rounds falling short had done the trick. Ian saw that the lead ship had again unfurled all sails to pursue. Soon Elsie had four added sails, two on each flank mounted to the cargo booms. She looked like she was running for all she was worth. Taking the helm, Angus said "Tell Gunny all guns full charges and stand by. Station two more men on the foredeck for the swivel guns there, and have him send two more for these two behind us as well. Ian, be sure MacCarr is ready with that port bow rudder. I want light fireball loads in the bow guns and grapeshot in these two. And tell Gunny to ready the grapple mortars."

The fireballs were a specialty that Gunny had devised strictly for starting a fire on an enemy ship. He made them while in port somewhere from time to time. After finding the proper kind of clay he would make a thickish round clay bottle of sorts with no neck. He would score each one deeply with a knife before baking it to make it easier to burst on contact. Lamp oil, phosphorous, and an additive which he kept secret were contained in each one. They would burst into flame on contact as long as the vessel was broken.

"Aye-aye" Ian said over his shoulder as he leapt from the stern deck to relay the orders. Shortly Angus handed over the helm to Ian again as he rejoined him, and watched through his glass as the lead pirate craft closed the gap once more.

"She's got bow cannon, Ian!" Handing his spyglass to Ian he said "Keep an eye on that as they get in range!" Ian looked back at their pursuers, watching them as several minutes passed. Suddenly he saw a flash of light from her bow. "All hands take cover!" shouted Ian. In less than four seconds a cannon round whistled past, narrowly missing the stern rail, and followed by a distant booming sound.

"Hah! A lucky shot, but too close! She's in range now for sure! Now again Ian, hard aport!" Then he shouted "Furl top-gallants and mizzen and trim to half mainsails! Drop port bow rudder, drop port bow rudder!" The commands were punctuated by the ship's bell. Again Elsie's Cloud tilted to port and slowed in a turn so sharp that even the lighter, shorter Xebets couldn't hope to match. Her deadly cannon were being brought to bear far faster than seemed possible. The lead pursuer this time was within range, and only then began to drop sail and turn to port. The bait had been taken and hook set. The lead craft continued, well within cannon range of Elsie.

In maybe eight unbelievable seconds Elsie was broadside to the pursuers, thanks to the combination of her oversized rudder and Ian's bow-rudder device. The lead pursuer was closing, and continuing to turn to her port, presenting a broader target. Her turn to port was yet another fatal mistake as it turned out, ensuring that the two ships would converge. The captain on the lead craft was in a panic as he looked through his glass. He saw the broadside of Elsie coming to bear on them before they could hope to return fire. Gunny's crew had already adjusted the guns to fire at a low target at a shorter range. Here Angus deferred to Gunny again, shouting "Fire at will! Fire at will and reload! Hoist bow rudder! Hoist bow rudder." MacCarr and his man cranked the winch furiously to raise the bow rudder from the sea. In some ten seconds then the roar of Elsie's cannon shook the deck beneath Ian's feet and he felt a surge of energy course through his body.

One round took out one of the two masts of the lead pirate craft. Another hit the stern deck squarely, obliterating the helm as it killed the helmsman. A great cheer erupted from the crew of Elsie. Angus hollered "Furl flank sails! Ready starboard cannon and stand by!" Gunny hastily called the command and two of his men ran to the starboard guns, already loaded when the pirates were still far away. They ran all ten of them out to fire position through their respective hatches. The remainder stayed on the port guns reloading them. For some reason the rearmost pursuer had added an extra oversize sail of sorts. Likely they thought to catch up and help to take the prize. From where they were there would only be a pall of smoke with a blinding sunrise behind it. They sailed closer, not realizing what had happened.

Elsie was going to sail between the two craft. They would then pass the first craft firing all of their port cannon for the second time and then engage the second craft with their starboard cannon. There was no stopping it now as the pursuers had the wind at their backs, being pushed to the battle full tilt by their sails and nearly blinded by the rising sun.

The second craft sailed full tilt into the fray which by now was well obscured by smoke, as the lead pursuer had fired all of her starboard cannon as well. Two rounds had struck Elsie's Cloud on the port side, well above water line. One had made a hole, and MacCarr had dispatched a man below to look for any leaks. The wind had slackened somewhat so the smoke hung thickly over the scene as Elsie continued to tack across the light wind and close on the two craft.

The smoke was so thick and the sun behind it so blinding that not until the second ship saw the tops of Elsie's masts above the smoke did they also realize how close to her they were, and worst of all, coming under her broadside starboard cannon. Aboard the second craft they began to panic, realizing too late that they were already within range of her deadly guns as Elsie moved between the two ships. They had no choice now but to try to help their fellow pirates.

"Fire all swivel guns" shouted Angus, then to Ian "Here Ian, I'll take her" as he took the helm. He knew that Gunny would fire one more round from the port cannon as they passed the lead ship and would then move his crew to the starboard side cannon for the second ship. Fire had broken out on the lead pursuer's remaining mast and sails. About the same time, the two swivel guns on the rear deck barked and grapeshot shredded sails and crew alike. Immediately after that Gunny gave command to fire cannon again on the port side and the first craft was devastated. She managed to send three rounds into Elsie, but again, well above water line. Musket fire crackled from the first craft, and musket balls flying past whined like angry bees. Several struck masts, but none hit a man. Not waiting for Angus, Ian hollered "Take another look below for a breach or leak. Stay at that post and report!"

They passed by that craft and in passing, Elsie's stern guns again swept the pirates with grapeshot. A cheer erupted from Elsie's crew as fire now began to spread rapidly on the lead ship.

"She's crippled and on fire Ian, now on to our prize, God willing."

"Tack to rake her with our starboard guns then?"

"Aye laddie" He thought Ian, you're a born seaman. Ian leaped again from the stern deck to run again to Gunny who met him part way. "Be sure to keep all shots high Gunny. We don't want to burn or sink her. Mark, call all hands down from aloft!"

"Aye-aye, Ian."

"Ready all hands available with muskets Gunny, and see to it that they stay down well below the side rail. Let the starboard cannon do the work for us. Fire only when we're in range, and then shoot the grapples." The grappling hooks and ropes would be fired toward the second craft by means of hand held grapple mortars designed to fire those hooks further than a man could throw them. Looking like fat muskets, they were loaded and ready, lying on the deck behind the side rail, their ropes all secured to Elsie's masts.

Elsie approached the second craft and raked her with grapeshot from the foredeck guns. Her advantage in height made the grapeshot even more devastating. As they drifted broadside to her, both ships let loose with all cannon. Ian felt another surge of energy as the deck shook again at the cannon's roar. It was an elixir to his adventurous soul and he could feel the adrenalin surge through his body. Elsie took one at the water line and five more besides, but the broadside that she delivered to the second craft was devastating. One mast was broken, and the sails shredded. By now they were in musket range. Every available crewman positioned himself behind the side rail and took aim as Gunny's men reloaded the starboard cannon. Their height advantage was coming into play even more now that they were within musket range.

Ian ran and grabbed a musket already loaded and joined Gunny. "One volley Gunny, and then shoot the grapples." As soon as the volley was fired Ian shouted "Grapples away!" The grapple mortars fired and even through the smoke the devastation was easy to see. The pirates were able to fire back a ragged volley and one round caught a man trying to descend from the mainmast. He fell to the deck some ten feet and yelled as he grasped his leg. From their lower height the pirates couldn't find another target to shoot at.

Five of the eight hooks took hold and the second pirate craft's fate was sealed as Gunny's marksmen fired yet another round at anything standing aboard her. Others of the crew drew in the grapple lines, drawing the pirates close. Ian was first over the side as the cargo booms were swung out and downward. He felt a surge of adrenalin again as he swung out over the lower craft, and then dropped some twelve feet to their deck. Pulling both pistols he shot a pirate point blank and snap-kicked a second one in the groin as he raised his saber to strike. He caught that man with a vicious knee to his face and followed by a front kick to his chest that sprawled him back on his shipmates. By then three of Ian's shipmates had joined him and the bloody hand to hand fighting was in full swing. Elsie's crew began to swarm over the two cargo booms to drop onto the deck of the stricken craft with a great cry.

Dispatching the fallen pirate in front of him with a thrust of his sabre, Ian leaped over him towards a knot of men who were advancing with cutlasses drawn and raised. He ducked as one of them leveled a pistol and fired a round that sang past his right ear. Aiming his second pistol he shot that one in the face and kicked his falling body back onto the others. Moving toward the last of the pirates he and his shipmates engaged them. The sounds changed from gunfire to those of ringing steel as the last pistols had been discharged. The last group of pirates was cut down, but not before inflicting a mortal pistol wound on one of Ian's companions.

It was over. Ian and the others warily ran about, looking for anyone else who might be hiding with a loaded pistol or musket. No more combatants were found and after confirming that with the twenty seven men from Elsie now on board the pirate craft, Ian turned and shouted "She's ours!"

A loud cheer erupted. Then someone shouted "Three cheers for Cap'n McCloud!" Then the whole crew shouted "Hip-hip huzzah! Hip-hip-Huzzah! Hip-hip-Huzzah!"

Angus McCloud shouted "Silence!" and rang the ship's bell repeatedly until the cheering died down. "Now listen, ye men! We've beaten the odds by God's grace. Let's not be congratulating ourselves on this victory. Let us instead offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to Almighty God for our deliverance! Bow your heads now, and we'll pray."

Angus offered up a prayer of thanksgiving and all the crew echoed his "Amen." Then he said "I'm pleased with every one of you this day. We've lost one of our own and we will see to it that his family receives his share and a widow's share when we return home. We only have six wounded, which is a miracle. When you tell this story to others, don't forget God's great blessing this day. Get all of our wounded aboard Elsie now and rig the prize for towing."

# Chapter 3

After heaving the pirate dead overboard the crew assisted Ian in rounding up the remaining pirates, numbering eight. He then ordered four shipmates to bind them and set them to be hauled aboard Elsie with the two starboard cargo booms. Three of his crewmates who were wounded were lifted back on board Elsie first though, for the ship's surgeon, shipwright, and carpenter Mark MacCarr to look after.

After reloading both of his pistols, Ian took two of his crew mates with him and began a search of the ship. Coming to the stern castle cabins, he stopped. Listening intently, he thought he heard a stifled sob. He gestured to the door on the left and then he kicked open the door on the right. A loud scream came from a woman who ran and hid behind another woman. Ian looked and made sure that no one else was in the room. First uncocking, and then sticking both pistols back in his sash, he smiled reassuringly at the two women and raised his right hand palm outward as a sign of peace.

"I have two women in here, no arms. See to the other cabin now." There followed a sound of splintering wood as the door was kicked in and only a few seconds later "No one in here, Ian"

McCloud hadn't taken his eyes off of the two since entering. The one in front was a beautiful young lady, appearing to be Spanish. Ian noticed her strikingly beautiful large hazel-green eyes, thinking Lord but they look like I could fall into them! He was stunned by her beauty. She shielded the other one who was about her age, but from her clothing, likely a handmaiden, also Spanish and quite lovely. Ian smiled again and using a crude blend of Spanish-Portuguese, he attempted to reassure the two that they would come to no harm. He stepped back and held up a hand with one finger and attempted to ask them to wait a short while and he would get someone who could speak their tongue. The lady noted the quiet gentleness of his voice, liking its low pitched timbre.

Looking at Ian she saw a tall lean man, deeply tanned with frosty blue eyes that sparkled merrily beneath heavy arched black eyebrows. The man had a shock of dark wavy hair with a slight widows' peak, high cheekbones, and a slightly aquiline nose. A black closely cropped beard barely masked a strong jawline. His teeth appeared to be especially white whenever he flashed his bow-like smile and she couldn't help but respond with an answering smile herself.

Speaking then she said "Parlez vous Francais?"

Ian smiled and shook his head, then said "English.....er....uh....Anglo." The lady nodded and spoke again "I speak....little...Anglo...no...much."

Ian said slowly, holding his hand to his chest "Ian McCloud." Again, that voice! thought the lady. Ian hesitated to let that sink in, then "I will find one who speaks your tongue. Please wait here." The lady touched her breast and said "I... Alandra Vasquez.... this... Celita." Ian gave a slight but courtly bow and with a friendly smile said "I am honored to meet you both. I will return shortly. Please do not be afraid." Turning he said to the two sailors gaping open-mouthed in the doorway, "See to it no one comes in here. I'm going to fetch Armando."

He saw that preparations to tow their prize were well underway. Calling out for Armando he beckoned for him to come aboard. Soon Armando made his way to Ian and quickly learned of the situation below deck. Taking a moment to oversee the towing preparations, Ian called out "Let 'er drift to stern, straighten the rudder and tie down the helm." He joined Armando and led him below where he made a crude introduction to the two ladies with a slight bow and a smile.

Ian then stood aside as Armando courteously asked Alandra a series of questions. At one point he erupted in laughter, causing Alandra to blush. Ian asked "What's that all about?" Armando said "They thought you were a pirate when you kicked in the door until they saw your blue eyes." Ian tipped back his head and laughed, as Alandra's blush deepened, even as she thought he's even more handsome when he laughs.

He tried to courteously excuse himself, bowing slightly with a friendly smile. Turning, he left Armando and went back on deck to see to the repairs and also to begin a search for tools to repair the damage to the mast and sails of their prize. The first pirate craft was as good as lost as the fire burned out of control.

Elsie's Cloud and her towed companion ship Tico made headway to the northeast, widening the distance between themselves and the burning ship as rapidly as they could. They all knew it was best to be well away from there before other pirates in the area might see the smoke and investigate.

# Chapter 4

They had been making headway for some seven hours since getting underway. It was maybe three hours before sundown, and the afternoon sun sparkled off of the waves of the Mediterranean. The sea was an azure color, but the puffy cumulus clouds scattered from horizon to horizon had vanished, leaving an empty blue sky. Within minutes the seas calmed and the wind slackened to a whisper. They were becalmed, but were well away from the Moroccan coast, on course for Marseille. Angus ordered everyone aboard Elsie to attend a trial for the pirates. He stood on the aft deck overlooking the main deck, the two ladies and Armando beside him.

Evidence consisting of an engraved pistol and watch, gifts from Alandra's father to her uncle were found in the possession of the captain of the prize ship. After hearing the pirate's unbelievable version of the story that the two women were whores whom they had bought in Spain, Angus pronounced a sentence of death.

"I find you guilty of the crimes of piracy and murder on the high seas. You are sentenced to death by hanging, and may God have mercy on your blighted souls."

The surviving crew of eight was taken to be hanged. Ian spoke and said "Cap'n McCloud" (using a more formal term of addressing his uncle in deference to his rank since this was a proceeding in law at sea with the whole crew witnessing.) "I've noticed that one of these pirates is only a lad of twelve years. I think that Lady Alandra and Celita might have something to say about him." Alandra emphatically nodded her understanding. She attempted to speak in English, saying as she pointed, "That Arab...boy...helps us. He...very...nice. Bring us water and food...fruits too.... at times. He... beaten...by others...treat him...bad." Then Alandra turned to Armando and gestured for him to speak.

Angus signed to Armando to speak, and he replied "The boy was taken by force after his family was killed in a tribal feud. I fear that he may even have suffered buggery at the hands of these villains." At that, there arose an angry murmuring from the crew assembled on deck. Angus looked inquiringly at Ian who nodded assent. "Then that settles the matter. The lad shall not be hung. Separate him from the others and take him to be fed now. He'll work with Li Hong in the galley. Hang the rest of this scurvy lot now."

With that the remaining seven were hoisted and hanged while shouting curses. Their feet jerked and danced a macabre dance of death in the near-still Mediterranean air. Celita looked away, but Alandra watched in grim satisfaction. Ian joined Mustafa and gave him a manly hug and a warm smile, tousling his hair. Mustafa smiled back and hugged Ian as well. Alandra noted that and it had a profound effect on her regard for the tall Scot.

The ladies were invited by Angus to join him and the officers for supper. Captain McCloud then raised his voice and said "We now have a funeral for our shipmate to attend to." Signaling to two crewmen he made his way to the starboard main deck where the body of the young man waited. MacGregor had already sewn it into sailcloth along with several ballast stones.

Angus signed for silence as the crew removed their hats. He read the 23rd Psalm and finished with "Father may you receive this man, our faithful companion Rob Macrae, a member of your flock in this his final resting place. We commit his body to the deep in the knowledge of the sure and certain hope of the great resurrection day; when the seas shall give up their dead to be raised to eternal life, in the name of our sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, Amen." The assembled crew replied with an echoing "Amen." Then the body was raised and poised on the rail, secured to a plank balanced there. Angus then said "Guard of Honor step forward!" Three sailors stepped forward and aiming muskets out to sea they fired them. The body was then allowed to slip into the sea.

There was silence for a bit, and then Angus ordered the crew excepting for Gunny's and MacCarr's men to take advantage of the calm seas and bathe as soon as the ladies were back aboard Tico.

"Ian, take a detail of MacCarr and 12 men and see if that broken mast can be rigged to hold a sail of sorts. Use the cargo boom extensions."

"Aye-aye, Cap'n."

"Leon, see to cleaning and securing the cannon on Tico. I want all muskets cleaned and secured as well. When that is done, you and your men will bathe as well. We might just as well make use of these calm seas."

The well trained crew went about their tasks and had completed most by dusk.

It took until evening using both starboard cargo booms to get the mast to where it would function in normal winds. The sun set as a giant red ball, and the water looked to be on fire.

Supper was delicious as Li Hong had caught a marlin and a grouper and had prepared them well. Fruit that they had taken aboard in Africa was served with steaming hot yams prepared with a special sauce of Li's concoction. Angus asked a blessing and everyone ate ravenously as there had been little time for a proper meal during the hectic day and the anxious hours after separating from the burning pirate ship.

Conversation was mostly between Angus, Armando, and the two ladies as Ian and the others said little. Ian asked that full supplies be loaded aboard Tico as early as possible just in case they became separated, and MacCarr spoke concerning the current state of repairs.

Alandra noticed that although these men were a rugged group, nonetheless they were courteous Christian men, well-mannered, with whom she felt safe and secure. She had looked from time to time at Ian and had thought how handsome he was with his black waistcoat, red shirt, and white cotton trousers.

Alandra then piqued everyone's interest with a suggestion that she and Celita be taken directly to Spain at the port of Barcelona. After some translation involving Armando, it was disclosed that Alandra's father was an ambassador to King Louis court in Versailles, and that she had two uncles who were ministers of King Charles III's government in Madrid.

Ian spoke then, saying "Uncle Angus, the pirates took the flag of the ship they sunk in the battle as a souvenier. I found it in the captain's cabin of the prize ship. We could fly it along with our own as we approach Spanish waters. With our cannon ports closed and these two fine ladies on deck next to you the Spaniards will surely not fire upon us."

"By Heaven, we'll try it. Lady Alandra, you and Celita are to be taken to Barcelona." After Armando translated, both ladies smiled and hugged one another.

Supper being ended and no further business to discuss, MacCarr then offered to give Ian the chance at becoming the arm-wrestling champion of Elsie. "Ye did so well with those pirates that I thought to give ye a chance to beat me Ian." Ian shook his head laughing and accepted the challenge. Exclamations of "Oho!" echoed about the room even while wagers were made. Angus thought it a good thing to help relieve the tensions of the day, so he didn't object.

The table was cleared and the two sat down opposite each other and began. Alandra and Celita watched, confused but interested. The chief boatswain was a big man weighing easily fifty pounds more than Ian. He had thick muscular arms by comparison to Ian's muscular but lean arms. The two were locked arm to arm and neither budged. That only changed after three or four minutes when burly MacCarr began to press Ian's arm down. Eventually he forced it to the table to an accompanying chorus of "Ohhh!"

"Well laddie, too bad you had a bath already tonight, because you are getting another one." At that everyone laughed even including Ian who was shaking his head. The ladies were puzzled but followed the whole group on deck. The cargo net was lowered and four torches lit and brought over to the side. Ian took off his boots and coat. MacCarr picked him up then and threw him into the sea to accompanying laughter and cheers.

Alandra saw that Ian climbed up the cargo net laughing as hard as the others. The torches were extinguished immediately so she asked why. Armando explained to her that no lights were to be allowed due to their having a crippled prize ship in tow. Then he went on to explain that Ian was the only one who would challenge MacCarr for the title of arm-wrestling champion of Elsie's Cloud, and that MacCarr had never been beaten. She and Celita had been laughing with the rest of the men but were puzzled by it all until then. They were favorably impressed by the unusual but good-natured behavior, sensing that this crew was a close-knit family as much as they were a ship's crew.

# Chapter 5

Sometime later aboard Tico, Ian stood at the helm and tried to explain to a crewman about navigation as he had been taught by Armando. He had been teaching both of the crewmen how to find some of the constellations. There was a slight noise below Ian and he stepped forward. Someone was coming up the stairs from the cabins below the stern deck. He strained to make out who it was, and then spoke.

"Lady Alandra, are we too noisy?"

"No. I come....speak... you...Ian." She made the main deck then climbed the steps to the stern deck and made her way towards Ian and the two men. The two sailors with Ian took their leave and made their way to the foredeck at the opposite end of the vessel.

"I am so...grateful....you...and uncle...yours....help us....so kind....You not speak much...table...supper...tonight."

"You are welcome, Lady Alandra. I'm never in the company of ladies very much."

"You...behave...as good...as any men I have... met. You are....what is word...sincere. That means much to me."

"You are too kind, Lady Alandra."

"Ian, please to....call me Alandra. Ian, tell me....battle today...how you win...hardly any crew... die....only one." He slowly tried to tell a simple version of it and offered to show her in daylight how Elsie had been able to turn so sharply, describing the deception as best he could. She was nodding her understanding in the dark. He couldn't escape noticing how lovely she was, even by the limited light of the moon.

"Tell me...your country....your family."

"Very well." Ian slowly gave a simple description of his family.

"Tell me more." He slowly described Scotland and gave a bit of family history.

"Ian, tell me...places...you go....China?" He slowly gave her a description of some of the places they had seen and of the two sea battles they had fought with pirates near Madagascar and China. She asked him about the four fake gun ports she had noticed that were painted on each side of Elsie.

After explaining that they were to deter attacks by making it seem like they had more cannons, he told her that she constantly surprised him with her thirst for knowledge about so many things. She replied that she had always been that way and had insisted on learning Latin and French, as well as mathematics and general science. She had worn her father down and had always gotten the teaching she desired.

"Lady Alandra, I find that I can talk with you. I, um...I'm...amazed. I'm just a seaman and I'm surprised that you would want to talk with me at all. I am...humbled." She gave that delighted laugh again and Ian again laughed with her. "Oh Ian, I very much...like...talk with you."

She spoke slowly in her halting English and told of her childhood and her family and about Spain in general and Barcelona in particular. She told Ian that she was being taken to meet the family of a man she was betrothed to. It was part of a very formal courtship that would take over a year to finish. Ian said "Are marriages always arranged so in Spain?

"Yes, Ian, it...custom in my country. I am...old...now...for betrothed...promise...be wife." Ian laughed at that

"Ian, what.....funny....you laugh?

"Och, Lassie! You are but seventeen and you think you are old?

"Ian, fifteen is age....betrothed.....to marry in Spain. What is 'lass...lassie'?"

"Lass is the same as saying 'senorita'. It is common to speak so in Scotland. And about my laughing, please don't be offended. I did not know that you were betrothed so young in Spain. It does happen in Scotland some yet. Do you like this man, or is he a boy?"

"He is nineteen years old. I have known him since I was ten. He is very nice....kind...and trusting. He is....what....impulsive....hot....temper. I resist my father....he....wait....but now make me...to be promised. I...still....not really ready. Do ladies...Scotland...betrothed to another... by family?"

"Many are and but many are not. It seems to be a thing that is becoming less common than in the past."

"Ian....you betrothed?"

"Nah, lassie, I've never found a woman that I wanted for a wife. I've sailed since I was four, and worked aboard ship since I was seven. My mother and father both insisted that I learn my letters, to read, write, mathematics, history and science."

"To learn....that...common for...you...in Scotland?"

"No. They pressed me on that and allowed me to sail on trading voyages in summertime. In those days, my father would sail with us as first mate.

"How old....you, Ian?

"Twenty three." He didn't add that his only acquaintance with women of his age were tavern wenches, whether in Amsterdam, Liverpool, Edinburg, or London. In fact since this trip that would also include Calcutta, Cape Town, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Passing the hours they talked about a number of things, and Ian grew to be greatly impressed by her intellect as well as her beauty. They continued until the midnight watch changed aboard Elsie. That was the signal to change the watch aboard the prize ship too, so Ian reluctantly escorted Alandra back to her cabin and softly bid her good night. He then woke the two crewmen in the adjacent cabin to start their watch. Thinking of Alandra, he took a few minutes to fall asleep, which was out of character for him, but then he drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

# Chapter 6

The next day saw them becalmed still. Up at dawn, Ian went to see to the extra provisions, then to speak with MacGregor and MacCarr. He asked them to try to include Mustafa in some of their work. Then he went to the galley to seek Li Hong. Li was half Chinese and half English, and he had joined them while in Hong Kong. He was lean like Ian, but maybe four inches shorter. Nice looking, he had regular features and straight black hair. He was square-jawed with a European cast to his face, save for his oriental looking eyes. A hunted man by the Triads, he had killed four of them for murdering his mother, father, and two sisters. There had been nothing to hold him in China and he knew that the Triads would keep looking for him as long as he stayed there. He had learned English and to a lesser extent, Portuguese being that he lived in Hong Kong, a vibrant and busy trade center.

Ian had seen him the night he had killed two of the four Triads, and was singularly impressed that he had done it with no weapon whatsoever, whereas they had wielded knives. He had waded in and helped Li, simply because of the odds and had sliced one badly with his knife. By the time he had joined Li at his side again, two were dead and another had a broken arm.

One thing led to another and he persuaded Angus to take on the twenty-seven year old Li as a crewman, observing that they could use help in the galley; and that it would serve the interests of the whole crew to learn as much about the art of hand-to-hand combat that Li had demonstrated. Li was a fine cook, and they had never eaten so well before. So it was that he came to be a crewman on board Elsie's Cloud.

Ian sought him in the galley and asked if he could instruct him in hand to hand combat that morning seeing as how breakfast had already been served. Li was enthusiastic, and was still complaining that he had not gotten to board the Tico with Ian for the final part of that battle.

Laughing merrily at his complaints Ian replied "Li, if I'd taken you and you'd been killed, they would have hung me for losing the best cook we ever had!"

They went to the low foredeck where they stretched their muscles for a good ten minutes in the still, humid air, perspiring freely. Facing each other they each placed their right fist in against their flattened left palm and bowed. Ian asked Li to go over how to quickly sweep the lead foot from under an opponent. Li showed him in slow motion several times and then had him try it. Speed and accuracy was stressed over power. Li was instructing Ian using Mandarin Chinese as was their custom. Ian had gotten to where he could speak it fairly well.

Alandra and Celita had appeared on the main deck. They were dressed more casually than they had been for dinner last night. Both were wearing outfits more appropriate for riding; pantaloons and boots, with only light cotton blouses and the hair of both of them tied back into a simple pony tail with black ribbons. They would never have gotten away with that if a proper chaperone had been with them.

Noticing a group of around nine men gathered on the main deck, near the foredeck they saw Ian and Li there, just as they bowed to each other. Alandra noticed that both men were stripped to their waist, with sweat bands tied around their heads. Ian was taller, darker skinned, and had curly black hair on his muscular chest, stomach, legs, and forearms, while Li was nearly hairless. Both men had highly defined musculature, being lean and fit looking. Rivulets of sweat ran freely down the contours of their glistening bodies in the still, humid air.

After climbing onto the top of the forward cargo hatch to see over the heads of the crewmen, they watched with great interest. Alandra couldn't take her gaze from Ian. They noticed that Li spoke in an unknown tongue as did Ian. At times, without turning around, Ian explained to the crew there what Li was saying. Li again went over how to quickly step inside an opponent's reach while sweeping a foot behind him for a take down. He did it several times at a very slow speed.

Finally Li did it at fighting speed and Ian went down on his back with a thump. Alandra and Celita both gasped, never having seen such a sight before. The sudden speed of the thing amazed them both. Ian laughed good-naturedly as Li helped him up and then gestured him to do likewise. Ian moved in like lightning and it was Li Hong who crashed to the deck, bringing another gasp from the two women, followed by giggling. At the sound of their giggling, Ian, Li, and the assembled crewmen all turned.

Seeing both ladies, Ian blushed, as the crew laughed uproariously. Alandra thought this was just marvelous and clapped her hands together while laughing. Ian fastened his gaze on Alandra and she gradually stopped laughing. Then a slow smile spread over the face of both of them, not unnoticed by Celita who giggled all the more. Two of the crew whistled and all applauded, causing Ian and Alandra both to blush even more and to break into laughter.

About then that magical moment evaporated as the ship's sails ruffled in a breeze that had sprung from nowhere. Ian shouted "Wind's up. Stu, fetch Cap'n McCloud!" Shortly they had a volunteer crew of eight men and were separated from Elsie. The ladies had elected to stay aboard Tico.

***

They had four good days of sailing. At dusk they would furl all sails on Tico and rig to be towed overnight by Elsie. They would all have supper aboard Elsie and then were able to sail all night long with no lights showing. Ian had persuaded Angus to allow Li to sail with him aboard Tico. They kept the same routine each morning with either Ian giving fencing lessons or Li giving Kung Fu lessons. The steady breeze was a welcome respite from the warm humid air they all experienced while becalmed. Ian also taught Li all manner of seaman's knots. Alandra seemed interested in this and participated regularly. She talked with Ian every time there was an opportunity. They were getting to know each other very well. Celita seemed to smile a lot at Tom McBride.

The blue sky and sparking sea about them promised a fifth fair day of sailing. It was windier than any day since entering the Mediterranean, and Ian settled in for a four hour watch at the helm. As he stood at the helm, he reflected on the events that had transpired since Elsie had entered the Mediterranean. He thought of how they could have easily been sunk or overrun by the pirates. Another pirate craft or a pair of them could have joined in. Seeing smoke of a cannon fight at sea would attract them like a dead body would attract buzzards. Things could have gone badly for them.

Pondering the history of Elsie and her construction, he was still surprised that his emergency bow rudders had been used to save the day; and recalled the time they had first tested them on Elsie's first day at sea near Amsterdam.

He had doubted that they would ever use one of them as time went on. How wrong that turned out to be! Ian let his mind wander and in due course his gaze met that of Alandra, who smiled sweetly at him. By Heaven she takes my breath away!

Two hours later, he called for a crewman to take the helm. He then climbed aloft on first one mast and then the other one rigged by MacCarr while carrying a skin of water to the lookout. He wanted to check a spar anchor on the rear mast.

Tico's cargo was rich indeed. Ian had seen expensively made leather saddles furnished with silver buckles, cases of finely crafted sabers of Toledo steel and ornate sheaths. There were cases of pistols and muskets of superb quality as well of numerous items of fine silver and golden goblets, candelabras, fine crockery and china. They would give all of Alandra's family belongings back but would keep the ship owner's cargo to sell later, when they repaired and sold Tico.

Alandra came and joined him at the helm, bringing food and water. He asked her to take the helm while he ate. She was hesitant at first, and then took it as he stepped aside. They had a pleasant conversation, she asking for details about different places he had seen in his travels. Her English had improved markedly in just these few days.

She asked many questions in her halting English, which he was admittedly growing to love. He noticed that her hair which had looked black in the cabin the first time he had seen her, had reddish highlights. It blew carelessly across her neck and Ian was quite distracted by her presence.

They had drifted over one hundred feet to port, widening the gap between them and Elsie. Ian said "Alandra, we're too far from Elsie. Steer a wee bit to starboard." She turned to him impishly, and feigning a deep voice said "Och lad, give...lassie...this one... a chance!" punctuating that with a giggle. Ian's mouth dropped open and he must have had a priceless look on his face because Alandra then burst forth with raucous laughter, as she threw her head back and shook her hair. Ian finally joined in. They laughed until they could hardly breathe, attracting some attention from others on board. Ian finally said "Ah lass, we must find you a better English teacher."

Taking a final long pull at the water skin, Ian stepped close behind Alandra and reaching around her with both arms, corrected their course a bit. Alandra's heart beat a bit faster as she felt his nearness and the warmth of his encircling arms. Once his right hand rested on hers for a moment, and Alandra felt something like electricity pass through her body.

"You have a touch for this, Alandra. I think in time, you could sail a craft on your own with no help." She laughed at that, saying "Ian...you make...joke?" Laughing, Ian said "Nah, lassie, I meant it. You have a natural balance but Celita is a landlubber.

"Celita...the....landbubber...bandlubber....landlubber". Another giggle followed and Ian couldn't help himself but to laugh with her.

"You climb...like...cat, Ian. You...same up....in sails as on.... deck."

"I have played in ships at home since I was a wee lad Alandra."

"What is 'wee', Ian?" With a low chuckle, he explained 'wee' to her. She then said "You fight with Chinese man.....he teach you?"

"Aye, lass." He related the circumstances of their chance meeting and Li's coming to be a seaman on Elsie. They stood like that for over a half hour and finally Ian stepped away, to Alandra's regret. He called to a crewman to take the helm. After speaking briefly to him, Ian said "Come with me Alandra, and I'll show you something special."

Stooping, he picked up his jacket from the deck and they walked toward the bow of the ship side by side. Ian stopped to pull hard on several ropes holding the repaired mast and looked briefly at it to see if anything was loosening. Satisfied, he picked up a short coil of rope left over from the repairs and looped it over his shoulder. He gestured towards the bow and they climbed the steps to the low foredeck. Walking beside her he said "Would you like to feel like you are the ship?" She said yes to that, so he hopped catlike up to the bowsprit and walking out onto it, he sat down, facing out to sea.

"If I keep my eyes on the horizon and just sit here like this, in a short while, I will begin to feel like I am the ship itself. It's almost like flying. Would you like to try it?"

"I will try it if you help me." Afraid, but unwilling to show it, she waited as he sprang up from the bowsprit and spun around. He took the coil of rope and secured it to the jib and quickly fashioned a loop in it. He then slipped the loop over her and secured it under her arms and adjusted it from the back. He led her to where there was a step that he had ignored, and steadied her as she mounted it. Shortly she was sitting astride the bowsprit. Ian had folded his jacket to make a pad for her to sit on. He placed both of his arms around her waist, saying "Now lass, look off to the horizon and keep your eyes there."

Alandra's heart was hammering so within her that she wondered if he could hear it. She wondered if it was more to do with being in such a precarious place, or if it was because of being so near to him.

After several minutes he said "You're tense. You won't feel it until you relax." He pulled her back gently a bit to recline against him. The sound of the wind and the waves as the bow parted them drowned out any sounds from behind them on the ship. The feel of her against his chest was exhilarating beyond anything he had ever felt in his life. He was mesmerized, as was she. His heart pounded as he felt the warmth of her seep into his chest and stomach. The smell of her hair was intoxicating. She sighed deeply and let her head sink back to his throat. Her fingers sought and entwined with his. They sat suspended in time in some magical world that neither had known existed anywhere. As the moments passed, Ian spoke tenderly to her, "Ah, Alandra, please don't be angry with me. I've never felt like this in my whole life. I could sit here with you forever."

"Oh, Ian.....I....so content and.....warm....all over.....inside and out. Just do hold me, please, Ian...not let go.....please. Mmmmm" She didn't say it in fear, but with longing and passion. They sat that way, not speaking any more, only each drinking in the nearness of the other. It was a moment frozen in time; then......."Ian, I feel it, I am....like one...the ship....I and you and the ship are one, Ian. Oh, you are right, this....is...wonderful thing....feeling....I... never guess....ever!" Time passed, yet seemed suspended in this tiny universe of only him, Alandra, and the shimmering azure sea and blue sky. He took one hand and gently laid her hair aside and kissed her tenderly on her neck. She shivered as a thrill unlike anything she had ever known ran through her body. They sat as one for an interminable time. He took more notice of the sky then, saying "Alandra, look at the sky."

"What is it?

"See those clouds?" She looked and noticed the wispy curved clouds. "Those are what we call 'mares' tails'." He explained how the clouds appearances mimicked a horse's tail in appearance. "Those mean we'll get colder weather tomorrow or maybe tonight. See how fast they move to the east?"

"Is that a good thing?"

"I've never seen them move so fast before. It's been so warm, that the weather could be stormy when that cold air meets this warm air. The colder that air is, the stormier it will be. You and Celita will need to sleep on Elsie tonight just in case of bad weather"

"Why?

"Elsie will take weather far better than this ship will. Uncle Angus is likely to signal me at any time to pull alongside. When he does, you and Celita must be ready to board her. We must be up and about." The winds had been getting stronger all afternoon now, and Angus wouldn't want to wait for the sea to get wilder than it was. Had he not been otherwise occupied with Alandra, he would have noticed sooner.

As they stood together, she turned to him and put both arms around his neck, pulling his lips toward hers. He steadied them both with one arm and pulled her hard to his body with the other and met her lips with his own. Her lips were soft and pliant against his as they gently kissed. Ian felt a thrill pass through his body as did Alandra. They parted a few seconds to look into each other's eyes, and then they kissed again. This time her lips parted under his and his tongue gently teased her tongue as she tightened her hold on his neck. They stood, rising and falling with the motion of the ship, lost in the moment. Suddenly the sound of a distant gunshot rang out causing them to part, still looking wide-eyed at each other. Both were breathing deeply. The faint cry of a voice from Elsie reached their ears.

Ian looked up, saying "Alandra, they're hailing us to pull alongside. You and Celita have to prepare to board Elsie at once." He moved to assist her in climbing down, and walked with her to the stern deck. Celita had joined them midway as Ian beckoned and called to her. "Both of you pack as much of your clothing as possible. Hurry!" Alandra looked questioningly at him, "Why so much clothing, Ian?" But he had turned and walked quickly to join his crewmen to prepare to pull alongside of Elsie.

It took around a half hour to sail Tico into place. Both ships had furled most of their sails to make the maneuver. Two crewmen had carried the ladies' trunks to the starboard rail. Eight grapples with lines were thrown down and made secure and the cargo booms swung out, and the boatswains' chairs lowered.

Alandra and Celita got into them and Alandra placed her hand over Ian's as he set the ropes on the seat. She leaned out to speak and putting her lips to his ear said "Ian, I love you. Be careful, please." He took a long last look at her and smiled so that she warmed just from seeing it. "Aye lass and I love you too. Now be safe aboard Elsie and let me do my work." The crewmen had transferred the cases of muskets, pistols, and sabers to Elsie, along with much of the silver and all of the gold vessels, candlesticks, and sundries. That had been done while they were becalmed, days earlier. The prize ship was far lighter than she had been. There were ample goods for trade and money, as well as food and water too if they were separated.

Angus appeared at the railing, saying "Ian, if we get separated, make for Marseille. It might be risky sailing alone into Spanish waters with a Spanish ship under control of a foreign crew. Here are papers detailing my ship's log entries and I have written all of the names of Alandra's family down as well as the circumstances of the prize ship. It contains the names of the captain and crew too, for next of kin. You are named as the captain of Tico. This is as close to a chain of title as we can do. I made duplicate charts and put them in a separate wrapping around the outside of this package. Keep these papers safe and dry, and present them to the Harbormaster at Marseille." The packet was passed down in a bucket with several coconuts weighing it down to keep the rising wind from snatching it away. They were secured in oilskin and tightly bound, sealed with candle wax.

"May God watch over you and us. We are in for it tonight! God speed laddie."

"God speed Uncle Angus." As he looked up one last time he saw Celita and Alandra both looking at him. Alandra looked unlike herself, being pale and drawn, and her beautiful eyes stricken in her lovely face. No doubt she had caught the gist of what had been said between the two men. He flashed a bright warm smile and waved as they cast off into the roughening seas.

# Chapter 7

As the afternoon passed the wind had built up steadily. Ian felt that the approaching cold front was a strong one and that they were in for it. By now, both ships had trimmed sails somewhat in order to keep on course. Ian knew that they would have to keep reducing sail as it got rougher. As the afternoon wore on into evening, the sky took on an ugly hue and the waves were now frothing with whitecaps. The cloud cover was solid and nearly black, covered with what looked like silver-grey fish scales. They were holding within four hundred feet of Elsie with all sails furled now, but dared get no closer. More and more Ian dreaded the coming night. He had eight volunteer crewmen on board, all good men and seasoned sailors. One spoke passable French and another spoke some Spanish, both of which would be known in southern France if it came to that. Ian had every intention of staying within sight of Elsie if at all possible though.

***

Night had fallen some four hours ago and Ian had again taken the helm. The wind by now had risen to a roar that wouldn't stop. Both ships had all available lamps lit and both sought to weathervane against the strong westerly wind to remain as stable as possible. They were beginning to be blown backwards by now. Ian could still see Elsie's lights and as he watched he saw two more appear. Angus must have ordered extra torches lit since it had started to rain because there was no longer much worry about an accidental fire.

Ian sent the man with him to go see if they could rig and light another torch too. He was gone for around ten minutes, and then returned with a lighted torch. Two of them rigged it on the stern deck, higher above any waves which might extinguish it. Ian thanked the returning crewman for the slicker he brought and the man took the helm while Ian got the slicker on and buttoned.

They had pumped out the bilge after transferring the ladies and the cargo over to Elsie, but Ian ordered the bilge area to be checked every half hour to be certain that they were not taking on water. The bilge pump had been tested by MacCarr while they were becalmed and had been found to be working well.

***

It was well into the night and Ian lost sight of Elsie shortly after all of his lamps and torches were blown out. The rain now came in sheets, and seemed to be nearly horizontal due to the strength of the wind. It stung his face as he fought to maintain their heading into the wind. He called a crewman to the helm with him to help hold her there. The wind had risen to between a howl and a shriek now that tore at everything. The sails had all been furled some time before and the waves were becoming fearsome. Ian and his shipmate strained to hold her into the wind but he knew that they were being blown badly off course. They had begun to take on a little water so Ian had ordered four of them to the bilge pump below.

Suddenly above the shriek of the wind, he heard a splintering sound and the patched front mast collapsed, taking the tripod brace which MacCarr had rigged with it. Ian cursed himself for not stripping all sail from it even though all sails were furled. It had fallen at an angle and being the foremast, was drooped over the starboard rail of the fore deck. The ship listed and began a sidewise drift and occasionally, waves began to break over her port side. The rudder could not straighten the ship due to the drag of the mast and rigging hanging in the water alongside.

Ian lashed the helm and told the man with him to stay there, and began to make his way to the main deck. He practically fell into the area below decks due to the tossing of the ship, hollering to abandon the bilge pump for now and to get on deck. He needed every man to help cut the broken mast and rigging free before the ship was lost and them with it.

By now, he could barely stand as the wind shrieked and seemed to rise to an even greater strength if that was possible. He had noticed that the air had gotten a lot colder as he crouched and worked his way along the starboard deck. Three crewmen were at the wreckage and had started to saw at the ropes with their knives. He took the axe a crewman brought and began to hack at the ropes. The others from below deck crawled to where they could help and with knives began to cut through rigging ropes. They couldn't speak to each other for the shrieking of the wind and just kept doggedly hacking at the wreckage.

As scraps of rope became available, Ian began to crawl from man to man and would help each tie themselves to the side rail. He gestured and shouted "Tie yourselves in lads, or you'll go over the side!" He saw that some now were stopping to tie themselves in. Finally all had secured themselves to something besides the wreckage and Ian gave the axe to Tom McBride. He secured himself and re-joined his crew mates in cutting the wreckage. Waves breaking over the port side battered them against the starboard side rail mercilessly. They worked nonstop for another quarter of an hour, finally getting the part of it that was dragging down the bow overboard. Tico gave a mighty surging heave as she rose, almost like a whale breaching. Ian ran to the helm and helped the helmsman to correct the ship so that it was again pointing into the wind. The hatches were tight and hadn't been breached, and Ian hoped that MacCarr's repairs on both ships would hold. He took the helm and sent the crewman to take all but one of the crew below to man the bilge pump again.

***

"Cap'n McCloud, I've lost sight of the Tico!" shouted a crewman above the shriek of the wind.

"Aye. It may be that her foremast broke. We're being pushed off course. Hold her into the wind." He had called the men down from the rigging hours ago after the last sail was furled.

He thought we will be blown off course, but not as badly as Tico. With their mast likely down and dragging them, they will do well not to capsize.

In an aft cabin, Alandra sat on the floor in a corner, holding Celita. The ship tossed and plunged endlessly. The girls had never been exposed to such a thing. Alandra was impressed at the seamanship she had witnessed this day. That these sailors were no strangers to this type of storm was soon apparent to her. They were a different breed of men than the sailors who sailed the coastal waters of the Mediterranean. There was never the first sign of any panic or fear in this crew.

She couldn't stop thinking of Ian on that smaller craft with a spliced mast. Although she admired the way the sailors directed by MacCarr had rigged it to sail, she knew that it couldn't still be holding. Such a thing couldn't be expected to last long in conditions like this. She knew that Ian was at the helm of the Tico right now as was Angus, standing above them on Elsie's aft deck.

The night dragged on and it seemed that it would never end. Anything loose had long since ended up on the floor. She was glad they hadn't eaten.

***

It was nearly dawn and the wind still howled, but it had slackened. All were exhausted having manned the bilge pump all night long. They had gathered in the stairwell leading to the aft cabins and rested there, out of the rain. After an hours' rest Ian again led them all below to man the bilge pump again for another hour and a half with one break in that time. The cold sea water was up to their ankles still. He said "Well lads, we've at least stayed warm all night. By Heaven it is cold for this latitude! I'll have a look topside."

"Aye Ian, you may be the only one who can climb the steps." Several laughed tiredly but they just sat, sweat-soaked, their heads hanging down, breathing deeply.

The sky and sea were gray with whitecaps visible as far as the eye could see. The crew gradually came topside and joined him. By then he had retrieved his spyglass and climbed the remaining mast.

Descending he said "Nary a sail in sight lads. Get to the bilge. Lorn and I will gather some food." Handing his glass over he said "Li, take lookout. We'll eat in shifts of two and take turns on the pump." The day passed without a change in the sky, but with fewer and fewer whitecaps as the rough sea abated some. Finally around midday, the bilge was picking up no more water, and everyone was glad of that. Towards dusk, Ian saw a strip of bright pink at the western horizon. "Look lads, it may clear later tonight so I can get a bearing."

"How d'ye think Elsie fared, Ian"?

"Well Stu, a damned sight better than we did in this low slung tub!" At that they all laughed. It was a like a tonic. Mindful of what his uncle Angus would do, Ian then said "Lads let's thank the almighty that we've lived to tell about this fearsome storm. Let's bow our heads now." He said a short prayer of thanks for their coming through the storm and for the food they were about to eat. They all sat down wherever they could and ate fruit and bread from Elsie's stores. No one wanted to cook or even to wait on a hot meal as bad as they wanted it. Li surprised them with hot stew that he had hastily put together using some of the salted beef, and a blend of vegetables. They all wolfed it down, thanking him. Ian set the watches and all but him and Stu went to the cabins to make the best of getting some sleep.

Three hours later he had his sextant and compass at hand and a crewman to help and another to hold a lamp. The minutes slipped by and he did a complete recalculation, making notes. Finally he said "All right, let's go to the cabins." After some calculations he looked up and said "We're ninety miles off course. We may make Marseille in five days."

***

"The worst of it's past, Cap'n."

"Aye." He thought I wonder if Ian blew all of the way to Sicily. The men were aloft and sails had been set so as to tack, but headway was scant. He called for relief and gratefully went below, dropping into his rack, but taking a while to fall asleep as he fretted about Ian and the others.

In their cabin, Alandra awoke. Carefully so as not to waken Celita, Alandra made her way to the door and came up on the main deck. The wind had subsided and the sea was gray, and covered with whitecap waves. She walked as best she could around the main deck, holding the side rail to keep herself from falling and made it to the stern deck, approaching the helmsman.

"Do we..... know where... are yet."

"Yes ma'am." We're some fifty miles off course to the east, but we'll make up some of that today." She went below and told Celita.

"You are worried about Ian, Alandra?"

"Yes, Celita. And you are worried about Tom?"

Celita lowered her pretty eyes briefly, then raised them again and answered "Yes."

***

Two uneventful days passed then with improving weather. Thanks to a special stinkbait that Li made for them using salted pork and some evil-smelling goo that he concocted, they caught a small marlin. That night, they sat around feasting on roast fish. Stu had found the rest of the bread, where he had secured it high up in Alandra's cabin.

Before eating, Ian gave thanks to God for their food. Stu kept digging at Li Hong about the fish not tasting quite as good as that he had served on Elsie. It was in fact excellent, but Li had no way to duplicate the sauces he made on board Elsie. He had fussed about Tico's galley, saying that it was fit for little more than heating dung, and he had long since learned how these men loved to joke and carry on with one another by now. First blaming the cooking facilities in the galley then feigning being hurt, he swore that he would fix them a meal never to be forgotten when they reached Marseille.

Stu said "All he needs is the company of a good woman and he will be right again." Tom said "Yea lads, as long as she can cook, at least one of them'll know how!" At that, all laughed uproariously, slapping Li on his back heartily. It was a welcome change of pace after the stress of surviving the storm.

More wine was poured and Ian allowed all to have two more glasses. He had learned from Angus to ration strong drink tightly for safety's sake while at sea, but tonight was an exception. He and his crew needed to unwind from the tensions of the past days. "Say Tom, did you bring your mandolin aboard?"

"Aye, I'll get it." Tom struck up a lively and bawdy ditty he had learned in Liverpool, and all but Li sung along, laughing while they sang. It kindled a warm glow that went to Ian's core to hear his men having such a good time. They sang several more, and then Tom put the Mandolin away and all turned in excepting for Li who had first watch.

***

Alandra and Celita walked the decks in the sunshine. It felt so good to be sailing normally. They and the crew had eaten after the galley was cleaned up. Things had returned to normal aboard Elsie. Armando had confirmed that they were fifty miles off course three days ago. He had been taking readings three times daily since and one nightly as well. Several times a day he took out his violin and had played music on the main deck. At night, he would play and the crewmen not sleeping would often sing along. They often sang lively tunes and paired off, dancing with one another. Alandra had never seen such a thing before. She and Celita were delighted by it. Angus finally asked her for a dance, and taught her the steps of a dance he knew. It was more of a sailor's jig than a dance, but it looked fun to the girls. Soon they were laughing and dancing. It was good to be alive. She thought often of Ian, but gradually became more convinced than ever that they had survived the storm and that they were making for Marseille.

There was plenty of hot food and all ate on deck informally, having had enough time below deck during the storm.

The days had passed in this general fashion and they had sailed past the indigo mass of the Balearic Isles already. Everyone's spirits were high. Not long after they had passed the Isles, a Spanish man of war approached and fired a warning shot and hailed them to prepare to be boarded.

After the boarding party came aboard, Captain McCloud through Armando introduced the two ladies to them. After hearing that Alandra was the daughter of the Spanish ambassador to France and her account of the piracy and their rescue, he had then turned to Captain McCloud and saluted him smartly. They shook hands, and the officer bid them Godspeed.

Late that afternoon, Alandra heard the lookout cry "Land Ho!" Within half an hour, she could see the coast of Spain. They would sleep in their home this night. She and Celita knelt and prayed, thanking God for their safety.

***

Three more days and nights passed with three other sightings, all northbound like they were. The crew was in good spirits for which Ian was glad. A natural leader, he was instinctively sensitive to the mood of his shipmates and knew how important that was, learning it from his uncle Angus by observation.

It was typical beautiful Mediterranean weather and good sailing conditions. The wind had gradually become westerly, then southwesterly and their progress improved. That night, Ian took readings, then corrected their course to three-two-zero, and said "We should make landfall tomorrow and as best I can tell, it'll be Marseille." The night passed without incident.

The next day dawned and soon after, Ian saw two fishing craft within one hour. They were generally on the same course as Tico was. About noon, came a cry from the crow's nest "Land ho! Dead ahead! Land ho!" They had seen three fishing vessels since sighting the other two earlier that morning, all headed a bit to the west of Tico's course. Ian thought that he might have missed Marseille by a few miles. They kept their heading and as they came closer, they didn't yet see a city. He altered course to the west and they continued on, parallel to shore until the lookout cried out "Port of Marseille to starboard, Port Marseille to starboard." Within the hour Tico dropped anchor in the port of Marseille.

# Chapter 8

Ian shouted "Lads, we all need a bath." He was answered with a chorus of "Aye!" as the men began to strip off their clothing. Soon the cargo net was lowered and the men were all swimming and cavorting, diving off of the bowsprit. Li and Ian took their clean clothes off of the line they had rigged and went to kindle a fire in the galley to roast a sea bass they had caught.

After they had all eaten Ian said "We need to find the harbormaster and present the documents Cap'n McCloud gave me. He can help us find what we need, and God willing, maybe even a vessel bound for Barcelona. We could send word to the Cap'n that we made it in one piece."

"Aye, Ian, and maybe tell that bonny lassie that you're still alive too?" At this everyone had a good laugh including Ian.

"It seems you've found me out after all" he replied laughing with them, as Li and Tom slapped him on his back. Then he said "No need of you laughing too hard Tom. We've all seen you making calf's eyes at Celita." There followed a chorus of 'Ooooo's from the rest. Tom blushed red as a beet, as all the rest of the men bellowed with laughter.

Ian flagged a passing fishing boat and got a ride to shore, taking Tom and Lorn with him as translators. By the time the day had ended, he had made arrangements for a sail maker to come to take measurements for a new set of sails for the foremast, and had contracted with a marine salvage and construction firm to begin repairs on Tico.

Visiting the Harbormaster, he had presented the documents that Angus had sealed in wax and oilcloth, allowing the Harbormaster himself to open them. A brief explanation followed and the Harbormaster recognized the chain of title and cleared them for anchorage, declaring that he would enter all of the information in his log book. He also intended to tell his brother who owned the local newspaper to interview them because of their saving the Spanish ambassador's daughter and surviving the storm. Ian bought a small dory so they could get to and from Tico and set watches for the coming night.

***

Elsie's Cloud rode at anchor in the harbor at Barcelona. Her longboat had carried Angus and the ladies to the main pier, adjacent to the harbormaster's office. Armando had accompanied them as interpreter. They were accorded royal treatment by customs and the harbormasters office once the facts of their arrival became known.

That night as they sat to dine at the Vasquez home, Alandra's mother stood and announced a toast to the brave men of Elsie's Cloud for their part in returning her daughter and Celita safely. She announced that every member of Elsie's crew would receive a golden doubloon, a new white shirt with each crewman's name, and a dark blue pair of long seaman's pants. She told Angus that his gift would arrive with the others before they left port. They all drank a toast to the safety of the crew of Tico and that all would go well for them in Marseille. Alandra was smiling and talking courteously, but Angus could see that she was distracted with worry about Ian's fate. Sitting next to her, he reached out his hand and warmly clasped hers. Their eyes met, and he said "I worry too Alandra, but know this; Ian is among the finest sailors I know. In my heart of hearts, I know that he's already in Marseille."

***

The next day they moved Tico to the repair wharf before eating breakfast. The new mast was lying nearby ready for the carpenters who were due to come today as well. Soon the sail maker's son arrived and looked at everything. The carpenters showed up and soon the repairs were underway. Ian told all of the crew except Lorn they could go ashore for the day, but to check in by early evening. He needed Lorn for a translator being as he could speak French.

That evening, the crew had returned and one of them had a crude map of the Marseille water front area. Ian went over it with them. He then gave three of them flasks of scotch whiskey saying "Now lads, this ain't for drinking. If ye get adventurous with some French lassie this evening, be certain to wash yourselves well with this when ye are finished. It's a mite hot, but you'll be glad you did it. You can get the rot here as well as any place else we've been and Lorn here can tell you more about that than I can." At that all laughed at Lorn's expense as he said red-faced "Aye! And once was enough for me!" The scuttlebutt was that he had such a misadventure once in Liverpool. With that they departed. Li stayed with Ian and they had a quiet supper and an uneventful evening.

The next day, repairs were resumed on Tico. A wooden gantry with large sheaves and windlasses overhead was rolled into place along the twin repair piers, pulled by four draft horses.

First they pulled out the broken stump after the carpenters had drilled out the dowels that fastened it to the step below deck. Then the new mast was picked up and carefully lowered into place using two men on dual windlasses. Before noon it was stepped and the carpenters were below deck drilling it to receive dowels. Ian stayed with Tico the whole day....only stopping to eat when the carpenters did.

In late afternoon, a well-dressed man approached the workers and began to ask questions. They pointed him towards Ian. The man approached Ian and made an inquiry. Ian replied in halting French that he would have to fetch a translator, and called for Lorn to join them. It seemed the man owned a newspaper business in Marseille, and wanted to do a story about their adventure. Ian left Lorn to it and went back to observe the fitting of the mast and its fittings. It was nearly ready for the sails to be fitted tomorrow.

He and five of the crew took a dunk in the harbor and dressed, wandering towards better looking areas that Ian had memorized from the Harbormaster's map. They came at last to a sizeable place with a name that Ian couldn't make out, and stood outside deciding whether to go in, or walk around some more.

Across the street and a few doors down was a figure in a dark red hooded cape, watching them. She observed the group of men curiously. Then it dawned on her that these might be the group the whole town of Marseille was gossiping about. In particular, she noticed a tall dark complexioned one. Seeing that the others seemed to defer to him, she could hear them speak and could even make out his voice from the voices of the others. She had been methodically working up and down the streets and alleyways of Marseille for three days searching for her little brother. Watching until they went into the Blue Oyster, she waited a couple of minutes, then walked across the street and went in.

Ian felt an odd prickly sensation at the base of his skull. It was as if his hair was standing up on his neck. He reached back to scratch and rub it to confirm that nothing like an insect was back there. It went away as he passed through the door to the inn. Inside, he and his friends found a large table and each ordered a tankard of beer. The serving wench returned with their order shortly. A heavy-set man with a florid face accompanied her who introduced himself as Henrique Pronovost, owner of the Blue Oyster. He asked if they were the Scotsmen who had saved the ambassador's daughter and Lorn answered in the affirmative. So he said that the first round was on the house and then with a loud voice, he got everyone to quiet down for an announcement. He told the guests who it was sitting at their table and there was a goodly round of applause.

About that time, Ian again got that prickly feeling on the back of his neck. Somewhat red-faced, he stood up and waved his hand while looking around at everyone. He noticed a beautiful woman in a dark red cloak looking at him from near the entrance. She had honey colored hair with golden highlights, a creamy complexion, sensual lips, and lovely wide-set gray eyes. He stared at her a brief moment, then for not wanting to appear to be rude, he turned around and sat down, thinking what a beautiful woman, and what beautiful eyes! Their table was then surrounded by curious patrons wanting to know details of the whole affair.

Ian and his friends never had to buy one round of drinks that night, but he stopped after the third one. Lorn did the talking for them and a comely wench had soon seemed to attach herself to him. It wasn't an hour before she was sitting in his lap now and then, and he was surely enjoying it. Ian leaned over to Rob Woolsley, oldest one there at age forty, and told him to take Li and one other to go with Lorn if he left the place with that woman. Ian and two others got up and said their thanks and goodbyes to the friendly patrons. He looked about for the girl with the gray eyes again while leaving the place, but she was nowhere to be seen. They made their way back to the Tico without incident and Ian took first watch with Tom. The night passed uneventfully.

***

"Weigh anchor and unfurl all sails!" Angus commanded. Elsie's Cloud was under way. He and the crew of Elsie had said their goodbyes that morning. Alandra's mother had made good on her gifts to every crewman and had presented Angus with a fine personally engraved pistol. They had included one for Ian too. Included in the delivery were the same gifts of shirt, pants, and a golden doubloon for each of the rest of Elsie's crew in Marseille. Angus was glad that Alandra's mother included his men at Marseille. That would reinforce to Alandra that they were indeed alive and help to relieve her depression. She had made a brave show of it, coming down to see them off and hugging Angus, the officers and Mustafa goodbye.

Alandra's father was believed to be still in France at the king's court, however shortly after Elsie sailed, another ship arrived from Marseille with a note for Captain McCloud. Since Elsie had departed, the note was taken by courier to the Vasquez home. It was carried quickly to Alandra who cried tears of joy to learn that Ian was alive and well in Marseille. She was now sure that he'd find a way to come to Barcelona when he could to see her. She was seen by her mother to be laughing while talking to Celita. Her mother took note of this development with more than a little concern.

***

Four days later the sail maker's son arrived with new sails for both masts for Tico. His crew came along in short order and they got to work.

Ian's crew came back for supper, and he had already started baking another fish he'd caught scarcely an hour before. Li fussed and took over that job, and soon had several other things cooking for them. After supper one of the crewmen said he'd found a stone cutter, and that piqued Ian's interest. He had won some rough diamonds in a wrestling match while in Cape Town. Dubious about their worth, he wanted an expert opinion so he resolved to go there tomorrow.

That night he dreamt that he was in mortal danger and was fighting for his life against a demon from hell. A woman with beautiful gray eyes came to help him and he awoke with a start but the cabin and ship was quiet. He lay there until dawn and then went out to the end of the pier for a swim. After breakfast he set watches for the day, then taking his rough diamonds he walked into the city. In one of the better districts he eventually found the stone cutter's place where Lorn had said it was.

He went in and in his bad French, introduced himself to the owner, a small Jewish man of some sixty years. The man's face brightened and he said speaking a bit slow in English "We've heard about you Monsieur, please let me get my wife."

After being introduced they chatted pleasantly for a few minutes, and soon Ian was giving a sketchy story of the pirate encounter, punctuated by 'ooh' and 'ah' as Reza took in each detail. At times Solomon stopped his examinations to chime in with her. Ian was amused and felt genuine warmth from this delightful couple.

"Monsieur McCloud, these are a mixed bag of stones. Three are good quality gemstones for center settings. The others would make good stones for peripheral settings. I can buy them or cut them for you, or I can even tell you where another stonecutter is in Marseille"

Ian opted to sell them and got a handsome price in gold. He thanked them both and made his way back to the ship, his bag of gold added to the one already about his neck. As he drew near to the wharf area, he again felt the warm prickly feeling on his neck and looked about in vain. It persisted until he reached the area of the marine salvage docks, then he heard Tom shouting his name. He looked and Tom was running toward him shouting "Elsie's here, Ian, Elsie's here!" The prickly feeling seemed to fade as Ian ran for the dock.

# Chapter 9

As Ian looked out into the harbor, there was Elsie at anchor, and her longboat heading their way packed full of many of his crewmates with Angus standing in the bow, waving. Quickly he ran to the very end of the docks with Tom to await the longboat, and saw that they were all wearing new white shirts and long dark blue pants.

As soon as it neared the dock Angus threw the line to Ian who caught it and quickly fastened it. The aft line was secured by Lorn nearly as quickly and Mustafa leapt from the boat, throwing himself into Ian's arms, hugging him close. Ian got him in a bear hug, swinging him around in a circle twice, laughing all the while, and tousling his hair. Then he sat him down and hugged his Uncle Angus, as they slapped each other across their backs heartily. Armando was next with a bear hug that Ian returned laughing. Burly chief boatswain MacCarr nearly crushed the breath from Ian's body. There were laughs and handshakes and hugs all around, everyone wanting to speak at once.

Ian held up both hands, laughing "Lads, ye are balm to these eyes of mine. And who are ye all dressed up like the Royal Scottish Navy?" That elicited a chorus of laughter all around. All waited respectfully then for Angus to speak. "To the Tico lads and we'll see her repairs and then hear of their voyage."

It was a warm reunion and all were interested in hearing the details of Ian and the other surviving the storm. Later Ian took Angus and introduced him to the Harbormaster who had by now heard of the famous Captain McCloud. Off and on, Ian thought that he felt the prickly feeling at the back of his neck during this time.

Ian turned to Angus and asked "I almost forgot... did ye get my letter?"

"Nah lad, I dinna get it."

"What became of Alandra and Celita?"

"Ah, lad. They're home safe now. Alandra could hardly be comforted but surely she's long since gotten your letter."

Angus had informed Ian that the original owner had agreed to buy Tico back without the cargo. Ian resolved to write a letter to be carried back to Alandra in Barcelona.

They ate supper aboard Elsie's Cloud. Li was glad to get back into his own galley and made them a meal as good as any had eaten in a year. Local pastries were served afterwards. Many were eagerly asking about the sights to be seen. Ian promised them that they would go to the Blue Oyster for ale and would see some sights. The officers ate in the officer's mess and the crew ate on deck wherever they could find a place to sit. It was a happy time.

Supper being finished, Angus set a watch on both ships, but then deferred to Ian regarding the watch on Tico. The watches set, the group numbering thirty one, walked into the city.

As they rounded the corner leading to the Blue Oyster, they saw a throng of people standing out front of the inn, and could see smoke coming from the entrance. They ran to see what could be done, and Ian got Lorn to shout at the crowd and tell them to find water and buckets. Lorn shouted then to help form a bucket brigade, and they did so. It stretched to a well located some two hundred feet away. Ropes were brought so as to be able to draw several buckets at a time. Two watering troughs in front of the building were being emptied and handed in a line that went through the doors. The fire was soon put out in the kitchen thanks to the quick response of the sailors and the others standing by.

The owner came out and thanked Ian and Angus enthusiastically. Had it not been for them he said, he would have surely lost his home and business. The mayor had arrived by then, hearing of the tumult. He also was quick to thank them realizing that it was possible that it could have turned into a real fire and might have consumed several buildings.

Ian spoke up "Well lads, it is a sure thing we won't be drinking ale here tonight." Lorn said "I know a place not far from here. We can be there in less than ten minutes." Angus said "Let's go then. By Heaven I'm thirsty enough now to even tolerate French ale!"

They arrived at a large building with a red dolphin painted on its front façade. The sign said 'Red Dolphin' in French. The place was easily twice as big as the Blue Oyster, but was in a seamier more dilapidated part of the city, and closer to the wharf district. Ian again felt prickly about the back of his neck and turned about, looking intently in the shadows under the trees nearby. He saw a figure in a dark red cloak as he was swept through the door by his eager shipmates.

The prickly feeling passed as they came into the Red Dolphin. They found their way to a corner and spread themselves about, occupying five tables. Soon a trio of wenches was taking orders and the men began to have a round when Angus stopped them by clanking on his cup with his dagger. "Lads, let us raise a glass to the crew of Tico for an example of fine Scottish seamanship in getting her here safely. To Ian McCloud and the crew of Tico!" A chorus of 'aye' and a few of 'Hear-hear' followed as they drank. The owner of the establishment came over and introduced himself as Erin LeBlanc. A large and muscular man, he easily topped two hundred forty pounds and was taller than Ian by three inches. As if sizing them up, his dark eyes darted everywhere. He said that he assumed they were the men who rescued the ambassador's daughter from the pirates and that they were welcome. Angus confirmed that with a nod and a few customers came over to question him. Ian translated as best he could until Lorn parted the curious crowd with his girlfriend in tow, and began to translate.

The time passed pleasantly enough, and Ian conned Tom into a game of darts. They had several throws each with Tom ahead for once. Ian suddenly felt the prickly feeling on the back of his neck, and before he could look around, something happened that would bring a profound change to his life forever.

A boy younger than Mustafa was busy cleaning tables and he bumped a serving wench. This caused her to spill an entire tray of ale all over several customers who in turn cursed and all got themselves up and left the place without paying their bill. The owner came over to investigate, and upon learning what had happened, cuffed the boy knocking him across the now empty table. Ian ran to him as he reached to grab the boy again. Spinning him around, he drove the heel of his hand up under the chin of the man, knocking him flat on his back and cutting his tongue severely. He then gently helped the lad off of the table, taking his sash off and wiping the blood from his lips.

"Watch out Ian!" shouted Angus as LeBlanc jumped to his feet, making straight for Ian, hatred distorting his face, his teeth bared in rage. Ian pivoted smoothly to meet him and at the last second when LeBlanc had stretched his arms to grasp Ian's throat, Ian grabbed the wrist of his right hand and moved back using LeBlanc's own momentum while turning and thrusting his hip into that of the giant. LeBlanc was thrown over the table to land in a heap on its far side.

Patrons scattered everywhere, clearing the area. Ian kicked a chair aside and waited calmly, feet apart, hands at his sides. He didn't have long to wait as LeBlanc scrambled to his feet cursing in rage. He rounded the table and moved in, but slowed at the last, and circled Ian who only made slight adjustments with his feet to face the giant. Suddenly he threw a mighty right hand that whistled past Ian as he rocked back and downward to his left, just out of reach of LeBlanc, then like lightning he brought his right arm up from his side, straightening his legs as he did so and struck LeBlanc a mighty wing-arm blow with his forearm across his mid-section as his upper body rotated past Ian. Likely it cracked a rib because LeBlanc grunted in pain.

Before he could recover Ian had stepped in and driven his right knee into LeBlanc's stomach, then while stepping back, he pivoted quickly and he hooked his left foot behind LeBlanc's right foot and brought him sprawling onto the floor flat on his back. LeBlanc rolled and regained his feet quickly, spinning to charge Ian. He was intent on overpowering him and getting him to the floor where his size and weight would be an even greater advantage. Again Ian grasped his wrist and pivoted, throwing LeBlanc like he was a sack of grain to sprawl across a table and slide onto the floor.

Again LeBlanc recovered quickly but now he was holding a wicked looking curved dagger. Angus hollered "He's got knife lads! Get him!" But Ian said in a low voice, "Nah laddies, I have him." While speaking he snatched a tablecloth from the nearest table and danced back three steps while winding it to pad his forearm.

The two circled warily, and then LeBlanc lunged with a sudden thrust at Ian's stomach. Ian brought his padded left arm up from his side in an outward circling sweep and first parried, then trapped LeBlanc's knife arm in his arm pit, while driving his right knee into the giant's groin twice in rapid succession. He hurriedly and smoothly followed that by sweeping his right leg and hip behind LeBlanc while encircling his throat with his right arm and throwing him once again.

The giant turned a backwards somersault in the air and came crashing down quickly rolling to his knees whereupon Ian delivered a blindingly fast snap kick straight into his face, knocking three teeth out of his mouth. LeBlanc rolled backwards with the kick and came up with the knife, slashing wildly as he advanced with a snarl, face contorted with rage, blood streaming down his chin.

Ian circled warily, never once crossing his feet, hands loose, but raised to chest height. Again LeBlanc advanced with the knife low, holding it like it was a sword. He faked a kick at Ian's groin, and then at the last minute made a fast thrust for his throat. Ian started to block the kick, then ducked under the knife hand and spinning like lightning, he simultaneously grabbed LeBlanc's knife-hand at the wrist with both hands, while twisting it to where LeBlanc's elbow was facing the floor. Then he pulled down with all of his might. LeBlanc's arm was brought down, his elbow meeting Ian's shoulder as he straightened his legs and rose.

An audible crack sounded and LeBlanc screamed as his right arm was broken backwards at the elbow. Dropping the knife he roared in rage. Ian had quickly spun away from the man and just as quickly he aimed a mighty side kick at his mid-section. LeBlanc flew back literally leaving the floor briefly, landing in a heap with three broken ribs. He didn't get up but rolled onto his side screaming curses in his pain. Then he got up and limped, doubled over, passing through a door towards the rear of the inn. The sounds of his cursing faded as he took the back stairs to the second story of the building. Gunny un-cocked his pistol and put it back in his sash.

It was suddenly quiet in the place. Again Ian felt warm and prickly on his neck. Li stepped up to him and spoke quietly saying "I told you that you were my best student ever." Angus joined them saying "That was a fight the like of which I never saw before! Let's look at those cuts." Ian looked down and saw he had a cut across his stomach and one on the inside of his right forearm. He didn't even remember getting them. Lorn came over and helped Ian out of his shirt. He then took a small flask of scotch whiskey from his breast pocket and poured some of the liquid on the cuts. They were very shallow, barely past a scratch and already were bleeding less.

"Well lads, I wonder if the King's Gendarmes will be called to this mess. Let's be leaving now before someone comes down those stairs with a pistol."

Ian said "Uncle Angus, I wonder about the safety of the lad. When that bully gets to thinking about it, he may kill the boy. Let's learn what we can of him." Ian and the others cast about looking for the boy and Tom spotted him watching from the kitchen door. Four of the crew besides Gunny who had them, checked their pistols and then put them back in their sash.

Ian went to the boy and held out his arms. The boy came to him and hugged him just as the prickly feeling started again on his neck. Beckoning to Lorn, Ian had him translate and they soon learned that the boy had only been recently orphaned and his older sister had died of illness shortly afterwards. Homeless, the boy worked at the Red Dolphin for little more than food and a dirty closet to sleep in.

"That settles it lads. By heaven, we will take the boy to the Harbormaster tonight. If others of his family can be found, we'll leave him with the King's Gendarmes or whoever has to do with that tomorrow morning. Otherwise I'll make a case for adopting him. He can help Mustafa and Li." Lorn translated for the boy in the French tongue.

Angus said "Let's be gone." As they were leaving the place, Ian was bringing up the rear and searching to see if the girl in the red cloak was there. Lorn came to him with his girlfriend Corinne, saying "Ian, I'd like to stay with her tonight if you'll permit."

"Aye, Lorn. We'll walk with you to her door. He called to Li, who agreed to join him. Ian caught up to Angus and told him what was happening. They parted company then, agreeing to meet aboard Elsie. This would prove to be a life-altering decision for Ian and Li.

As they made their way through the streets towards the neighborhood of the Blue Oyster, they talked and both Lorn and his girlfriend questioned Ian about the fight. He let Li answer why each thing was done and how because that prickly feeling had again come back. They finally reached the Blue Oyster and parted company with Lorn and his girlfriend. Before parting company, Lorn handed Ian his knife, saying "I won't need this tonight or tomorrow, but you might." That turned out to be prophetic.

# Chapter 10

Li and Ian made their way back towards the harbor, which would take them past the Red Dolphin. As they walked Ian told Li that the prickly feeling had been with him since leaving that place. Li was concerned and after that he looked about behind them even more. "Li, it almost feels warm... friendly towards me now. I just can't explain it." Li couldn't fathom how he'd come to that conclusion. He explained that he had been getting the prickly feeling off and on since the first time they ever went to the Blue Oyster Inn. Relating the instances that had occurred since, he admitted that he hadn't seen the lady in the cloak since, but only glimpses of a figure now and then.

They had slowed their pace as they walked, and were just then passing the Red Dolphin. They looked at the place in passing, and Ian thought he saw a movement at an upstairs window, but couldn't be sure. A small man with a lamp came out a door shortly afterward and hurriedly caught up with the two, calling out to them. He had a bad limp, so they turned and waited for him. He held up the lamp as he approached the two and asked if they had seen his dog. Ian answered the man in broken French that they hadn't seen a dog. The man lifted up his lamp and swung it from side to side, and turned and left without a word, limping back to the doorway he came from. They had already turned and resumed their walk towards the wharf area.

The area had many two-story buildings on both sides of the dark street. Ian heard a clatter from the direction of an alley. It sounded like a roof tile falling onto the pavement. They looked about and Ian again felt the warm prickly feeling on the back of his neck. He glanced back and could see no one so they kept walking south in the darkness.

Suddenly the warm prickly feeling changed to one of icy dread that extended down Ian's spine. It chilled him to his core, and he exclaimed to his companion "Li, something's wrong! Drawing his dagger he whirled around just in time to barely see a black form leap from the roof of a two story building. He thought he heard the distant voice of a woman shout his name, even as the creature landed running at an unbelievable speed and was on him like a whirlwind. He stabbed straight into its' belly as it hit, nearly knocking him breathless. While falling he felt a sharp bite on his neck even as he drove the long blade of his knife to its hilt in the creature, twisting and pulling it upwards. There was a scream from it as they hit the cobblestones together, Ian landing on his back under the creature. He thought that the blade was caught in some tough clothing because he was having trouble ripping and cutting flesh where it should have been easy . He smelled the foul, fetid odor of its breath as it screamed again while grabbing Ian's knife hand in a grip of iron. Li had stepped forward and was stabbing the creature in its' back repeatedly. It turned and half-rose in the blink of an eye to reach out and backhand Li, knocking him against the side of a building with such force that he slumped, dazed. Scarcely three seconds had elapsed, so quickly had everything happened.

Before the creature could renew its' attack on Ian though, he had plunged his knife into its belly again and was ripping upwards. He was certain that his knife was once again stuck through heavy cloth since it still didn't cut as it should. The creature screamed and like lightning, pinned both of his arms in its iron grip. Even as its' head began to dart toward his throat a dark figure bowled into the creature, toppling it. Ian rolled to his feet and saw two figures fighting, the newest arrival wielding a large knife. Their movements were so fast as to be barely seen as a blur. Unearthly screams erupted again as he ran to the two and began to help the latecomer stab the creature. Ian stabbed it furiously with his now-diminishing strength, realizing that the newcomer was doing more damage than he, as a creeping numbness began to spread throughout his body. Li had recovered and had joined in stabbing it with his knife. The creature separated from the stranger, howling as it hurtled away in the blink of an eye.

Ian was tottering now, and was certain that it was circling back to attack again. He tried to speak, but a growing numbness seized him and he could suddenly no longer even hold the knife. As he sank to his knees he thought is this what it's like to die? He thought then of his uncle and how he came to be in this land. As he collapsed his mind drifted back to a day at sea scarcely three weeks ago, just before dawn......

The stranger turned to Li and he was astonished to see a woman standing before him. She said "He... in.... danger. I... take him.... help...you...run..... Elsie. You run now!" She stooped and gently picked up Ian as if he was a babe. The sense of being picked up brought him to just enough consciousness that he noticed the faint scent of lilac washing over him as her hair cascaded momentarily onto his face. He was aware of seeing a face dimly above him, as a pale oval. Then they bounded away like a flash. Ian could make out the buildings flashing by at an unimaginable speed. He again caught the scent of lilac. As they sped through the dark streets of Marseille, he sank into unconsciousness. An interminable time passed and he thought that he was being carried by a woman, but as he began to again spiral down into blackness he thought that she had stopped and gently laid him on the ground.

She said in broken English with a French accent "Ian, you... drink or... you die. Drink mon ami, and live." Ian felt a warm and slightly salty liquid at his lips and did as he was told, yet believing now that he was delirious and only dreaming.

After several minutes, she said "Now you...live Ian. We go." Ian was aware of being tenderly picked up, and again they bounded away. The streets and buildings blurred by again at an unbelievable speed as before and the wind of their passage roared in his ears. Finally Ian decided that he'd died and that this was an angel carrying him to heaven. Thinking he must have imagined the rest, he slipped into unconsciousness again.

Ian again regained consciousness even as the one carrying him changed from her ground-eating stride to make one bound, landing squarely in the center of a broad veranda. A large house loomed overhead in the darkness. He heard her shout "Marie, Marie!" as she held him gently. "We...here Ian. We...help you mon ami."

From inside came the sounds of someone unlocking the huge oak door and a golden pool of lamplight spilled out onto the veranda. Ian was gently carried into the house. He was aware of another peering down at him, and then of a hurried conversation in French. Then the woman bounded and leaped upwards, bearing him to a gentle landing and he knew he was hallucinating because she'd just leapt up a whole flight of stairs with him in her arms.

He was whisked into a large room and lowered into a bed. The woman who had carried him tenderly adjusted his pillow, her hair again cascading over his face. Finally he was settled and still. He wanted to talk but again spiraled down into unconsciousness.

# Chapter 11

When Li had reached Elsie, all hell broke loose. The ship's bell rang and general quarters was sounded. Quickly the longboats were launched with the fully-armed crews of Elsie making for shore at all speed. The harbormaster was alerted that a vicious beast had attacked Ian in Marseille near the Red Dolphin. The King's Gendarmes were sent for and soon they were all at the Red Dolphin with Li showing exactly where this had happened. There was one gendarme who spoke some English, so he was able to get the details.

Li took Angus aside and Angus' eyes widened when Li described the attack and pointed to the building where it had leapt from. "Li don't tell anyone including our shipmates what you just told me."

Angus knew that they couldn't tell the King's Gendarmes these details. Their best use was their manpower and their familiarity with Marseille. He hoped that it might be that Ian would be found yet that night or at daylight.

***

Ian dreamt of fighting a dragon and being saved from certain death by an angel who could fly. English and French women were talking in the distance somewhere. He was flying through the air with her and began to hear birds chirping all around them. Suddenly he was awake, and saw that he was in an opulent room, lavishly furnished. A large window was open and it was morning. Birds sat singing in a large tree outside. He looked about and saw the woman who had brought him there. She sat very still, looking at him with the most beautiful and exquisite gray eyes. They were wide-set and like he remembered, she had a creamy complexion, with a hint of pinkness in her cheeks, and her sensual lips were a delicate shade of pink. Her hair was a light shade of honey, slightly wavy with golden highlights, and hung gracefully, framing her beautiful face. Her skin had a slightly polished look, as of polished ivory if it was possible. There was almost a glow about it.

He croaked "Did you really...bring me here?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"You were attacked."

"I remember, a wild beast attacked me. I...I fought it, but I was losing."

"Well....yes."

"You knocked it off of me. You fought it"

"Yes."

"Thank you...I don't know your name."

"I'm Cosette Bouchard, Ian"

"You know my name? Oh, you read that story in the newspaper."

"I just read it today."

"But........you knew my name last night."

"Yes."

"How?"

"I heard your friends call your name, many times."

"I remember now. You were at the Blue Oyster."

"Yes."

"You were across the street, before I went inside that first time."

"Yes."

"Did you see me again before last night?"

"Yes Ian, I saw you many times. I saw you walking about in Marseille, mmm...I saw you with your friends at the salvage docks too. Then I saw you singing with your friends and I saw you swimming with the others by your ship."

"I....I knew it."

She nodded, and he realized it was the first time she had moved since they had started talking. "I could tell that you felt me watching you. How is it that you can.... feel that?

"I don't know. It....just happens. It is a prickling feeling on the back of my neck."

At this, she raised her eyebrows, and he realized that was only the second time she had moved since he had been awake. "You are surprised... Cosette?"

"I am, Ian. I've never seen nor heard of such a thing.....and neither has Madame Lafayette."

"Who is that?"

"She is my best friend.....more like a mother to me. I told her about you after bringing you here last night. This is her home, and I live here too."

"How did you bring me here? I thought we were flying.....I must have been out of my mind.....that beast bit me."

She laughed then, a little bit of a husky laugh for a woman, but with an exotic musical quality. "You were weak, but not out of your mind."

"You.....you really.....carried.....me here, Cosette?"

"Yes."

"How did you do that? I mean where are we now?"

"It is easy for us. We are some thirty five miles from where you were attacked."

"But how.....you said it is easy for us? Who else helped you? I only remember you."

Laughing that husky laugh again she said "It's easy for my kind."

"Your kind, Cosette? What do you mean?"

She sat silent for a moment, her beautiful eyes fixed on his. Finally she said "I am a vampire, Ian."

At that, Ian sat as still as Cosette, staring at her. Neither spoke. Ian became conscious of a clock ticking somewhere in the house, and he could hear sounds outside both near and some far. Finally he said "There are no such things."

"There are, Ian. I am one, as is Madame Lafayette. Now you're one too, mon ami."

"I'm a vampire? How is that?

"You were bitten last night by a vampire. He was sent to kill you because of the way you beat LeBlanc last night, when you stopped him from beating my brother."

'The lad...he is your brother?"

"Yes. You were very brave Ian, and also very kind. I was....impressed, more than that, I was moved mon ami. And I was very impressed with the way you fought LeBlanc."

"What is 'mon ami'? I don't speak French."

"It means 'my friend'. Ian, I've never seen such fighting. Where did you learn that?"

"My friend, Li Hong taught me. Why do you say I'm a vampire? I feel no different today."

"You would have died but for my blood."

"That was what you gave me when we stopped for a while?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"If I hadn't, you'd have died instead of crossing over."

"Cross over?"

"That's what we call it when a human becomes a vampire, Ian. You've crossed over. You are no longer human, mon ami."

He shook his head and sat in silence as that sunk in, and then he said. "You were watching me many times before I ever helped your brother. Why was that?" She looked away, then back at Ian and smiled shyly "I was looking for my brother and saw you with your friends one day at the Blue Oyster. You looked directly at me, Ian. I........somehow knew that you...... felt me looking at you, and that we......were supposed to......meet. It was almost as if you drew me with your eyes, mon ami. So I followed you inside and again, you knew I was looking at you. I could sense it, but I just couldn't believe it."

At that, Ian laughed saying "Ah lassie, you're not the only one in this room having trouble believing something." At that Cosette again laughed that marvelous husky, but musical laugh. "You have a wonderful sense of humor, Ian."

"Cosette, you.....seemed to not be able to talk last night. I....remember you speaking.....but...maybe I remember wrong?"

"You remember correctly, Ian. After arriving here last night, Marie took time to teach me to speak English."

He let that one sink in for a bit, then said "You learned to speak English last night?"

"Yes. Vampires learn very fast, Ian. It took several hours, all night really. She taught me in this room, over in the corner on the sofa. She wanted to teach me somewhere else, but I wouldn't leave you. You'll soon be able to speak many languages. Marie is an excellent teacher."

"Ah, lassie! She's driven her ducks to a poor market the day she tries to teach me a language. I'm a Scot. The English canna understand my version of English."

Again Cosette laughed, saying "Ian, I've not laughed like this since living here. What magic do you use?"

"Och lassie! Magic ye say? You carried me thirty five miles and I am using magic?"

At this, Cosette threw back her head and laughed all the more as Ian stared at her in wonderment.

"So our guest is feeling better today?" Ian looked towards the door and saw a petite, beautiful, regal looking lady, maybe forty years old looking at him with remarkable violet-blue colored eyes. She was immaculately attired in a simple but elegant dress and her glossy raven hair was done up in a style that he'd seen in London. Like Cosette, her skin seemingly had a glow about it, similar to polished porcelain. She was carrying a silver tray with a silver cup on it.

"I am Marie Lafayette, Ian."

"I'm pleased and honored to meet you, Madame Lafayette."

"Please do call me Marie, Ian. My husband Henri is not here at this time. I've brought your breakfast." She crossed to his bedside, and Ian couldn't help but notice how gracefully she moved.

"I'm feeling weak, Madame....I.....Marie. I could eat a horse." Suddenly he doubled up in pain. "What's happening?"

They came to his side. Marie said "This is something that happens as your body imprints. It will sometimes be worse than this, but will grow less severe over time. You must drink now Ian."

The two looked at each other and Cosette nodded. Marie said "Ian this is blood. It is what you'll have to drink for the rest of your life. Without it you would die, unless in hibernation."

Writhing in pain, Ian said "Blood? I must drink blood? Nah Madame, I will na drink blood, by Heaven!"

"You drank blood last night or by now you would be dead. Ian, this is rabbit blood, and yes, you'll drink it or die." She stood smiling at him, still holding the tray. He looked towards Cosette. She was watching gravely, nodding her assent.

"I'll die without it?"

Both of them nodded gravely as he stared stupidly. Finally he said "Well, I can do that." Marie bent and lifted him gently up with no effort at all. He tried to assist her, but couldn't hold himself up. "Now my bones ache." he said. She lifted him with no effort at all and steadied the cup, holding it as he drank two sips of the warm slightly salty liquid. It was but a moment and he suddenly felt a surge of energy.

"Why, I feel strong already, and the pain's gone."

"That is the blood, Ian." He took the cup then and drank it all.

"You don't drink human blood then?"

Both women shook their heads gravely, and then Marie said "We never drink human blood, Ian. It's an abomination to us."

"But that thing... that vampire....."

"He's an abomination and should die. We didn't know until this....incident that this vampire is somehow connected to LeBlanc. We think he is Renaud Leclerc; a dangerous villain if ever there was one. I'll be telling Henri about this when he returns. Ian, some vampires drink human blood, while some don't. There's no difference in us other than that. We all have vampire.........characteristics... strengths.... weaknesses too..... no matter what kind of blood we drink. There's no advantage to drinking human blood. That is a myth."

"You said something about hibernation. Do you hibernate?" Both ladies looked at each other with raised eyebrows and laughed. Their laughter combined had a pleasant musical quality.

"No, we don't hibernate. Vampire hibernation is supposed to be a way to survive for long periods of time without blood. I suppose that you could say it's an unproven legend about our kind."

"Well, I feel so good that I want to get up." He began to swing his legs from bed saying "So if you ladies will excuse me...." Here he stopped, realizing that he was naked under the covers. "God's eyes! I'm naked as a babe!" he said, turning red with embarrassment. "Who did that?"

At this, both Cosette and Marie threw back their heads and laughed merrily, to his even greater embarrassment. "We're sorry Ian, but you were such a mess last night that we both stripped and washed you."

His eyes widened "Both of ye ladies?"

Still laughing they nodded in unison. "Cosette will find you some clothes Ian." Then turning, Marie left the room.

Cosette got up and at vampire speed, left the room. Ian blinked in disbelief. She had vanished like wind-blown smoke. In under a minute she returned at vampire speed with some clean workman's clothes, underclothing, socks, and with Ian's boots. He sat mouth agape on the side of the bed but modestly, with the blankets over his lap. Cosette smiled sweetly and left, closing the door. He could have sworn that he heard laughter from the two women shortly after.

# Chapter 12

Now dressed, Ian came out of the room. Nearly instantaneously it seemed, Cosette appeared at the bottom of the staircase and in one bound was at the top next to him. "You might have a faint spell and fall down the stairs. Walk down with me now." She smiled sweetly then and put her arm around him as he took hold of the handrail and descended to the grand foyer. He found Marie sitting demurely in a large chair in the cavernous parlor. "Sit down and be at ease. You'll have your own clothes back as soon as they're dry." Marie smiled sweetly, continuing "May I get you another drink?" Ian declined politely. Then she went on, "I've sent for Monsieur Picard, a tailor. He'll be here before midday. You'll have the beginning of a new wardrobe in two days' time."

"Why Marie, thank you, but I have clothes aboard our ship."

"Ian, your sailing days have ended. You'll learn to dress as people do in France so as to not attract undue attention wherever we are. You'll learn to speak our language while you live here."

"Why would I live here?"

"You are now undergoing a great change within your body. This change will take three weeks to a month to complete itself. We call this period of development imprinting. You're to do everything we tell you to do. What we do during this time will so arrange things within your body so as to define most of your limitations for as long as you live."

"How long will I live?"

"For as long as you like."

"I canna die?"

"No, but you can be killed."

He sat in silence, taking all of that in. "What can kill me? A wooden stake?"

Both of them laughed then, shaking their heads as Marie replied "Direct sunlight will cause you to burn to death. You can be beheaded and your head burnt by leaving it in sunlight. You can be blown apart by artillery or cut into pieces and your body parts separated and burnt."

"You mean that other than sunlight, even mortal wounds can be healed?"

"Yes."

"Ah....you said beheaded. What..."

"Ian, if you were to be decapitated, yet your head placed back upon your neck, it would re-attach itself, as would any other part of your body so done. This would take some time and assistance. If you are cut, a wound can close in a minute or a little more."

"That fast?"

Nodding her head, she continued. "If you are shot, your body will eventually expel the bullet and the wound close as if it never happened. The cuts you suffered in that knife attack last night are healed already. They didn't leave a scar. You'll still feel pain, but it can't incapacitate you."

"What about poison, or snakebites?" he asked as he examined his chest to see no signs of the cuts he had received in the fight.

"Poisons have no effect on us, nor do snakebites or stings of insects. Insects cannot sting us because of our skin, and their venom has no effect on us anyway. You'll need little rest, but some is good."

"I won't need sleep?"

"No. Neither heat nor cold will have a lot of effect on you. You can't drown, but you'll be able to swim as fast as a dolphin. If not swimming, you'll sink. You'll be able to outrun a deer or horse with ease and jump higher too. We vampires needn't breathe at all, but we do so to speak and to blend in with humans we may be near. You'll require practice while you're imprinting to make that skill second nature."

"Practice...to breathe?"

Laughing, she nodded and continued. "We don't perspire ever. You'll do best to drink blood daily, but can do without for a while before weakening. We'll condition you to enhance that ability. It is wise to ease into the blood drinking the first day. You'll need more though as you imprint."

"So I'll always have to drink blood to live?"

"Yes, but if you don't learn to do without it also during imprinting, you'll have more of a thirst for it. That can be a hard thing to manage. It's dangerous for humans or animals to be near a non-mentored vampire; or one who is imprinting and not being mentored and watched over. You'll have periods of feeling weak and maybe even sick during imprinting."

"Why?"

"Your body is changing. Your muscles, bones, and tendons are becoming tougher and denser. This is necessary because of the greater strength you'll have. Your human body would otherwise soon be torn apart by that strength you will have when you're done imprinting. When these weak or sick spells come, you must drink blood."

"So I'm to become dependent on blood then?"

"Yes and no. This part is vital, Ian. When you're feeling stronger while imprinting, it's best to not drink blood. This will be near the end of your imprinting. That will forever condition you to do without blood for periods and yet still be able to function. This is a vital part of a successful imprinting. During the blood fast, blood must be denied to create the desired effect."

"So I don't drink it then for... what, days ?"

"For as many days as you can stand. That will cause great pain, but it is well worth it. Most of our kind don't go through with it because of the pain. It also will make it so that the smell of blood won't affect your ability to control yourself at all times. The human part of you lives on in your mind."

"Human part of me?"

"Yes. The human part must always govern the vampire. That is the essence of a responsible vampire who can peacefully coexist with humans."

"Then I can never again eat...as I did before this?"

"Not so. "You'll be able to eat what humans eat, but it's imperative that we condition you for that and other things as well starting today. You must drink water too while imprinting. Humans need it to live and you must appear to be human so as to not be discovered."

"So I'll eat and drink as I did?"

"Yes. If you eat food that humans eat, you'll expel waste as you did when you were human. If you don't, you'll never expel any waste. When you're traveling it is obviously more convenient to not consume human food. The time of your imprinting has begun. As much as can be done regarding these things must be done within this time."

"Why eat human food at all?"

"Consuming food that humans consume allows us Adepts to blend in. This is imperative if you're to become an Adept. And besides, it tastes good. We Adept vampires love good food, and we never gain weight."

"Adept?"

"An Adept is a vampire who has had superior mentoring so as to live undetected among humans.

"I see. You mentioned vampire venom. I can't even kiss a human then for fear of them dying of venom?"

"No. We only make venom if we bite. We don't make it by kissing."

"So my training will make me into an Adept?"

"Yes. To be an Adept guarantees that unless you do something stupid, you'll be accepted as human by humans themselves, and even by some vampires should you develop some finer skills of deception. Those can be learned after you are through imprinting. An Adept can walk freely in daylight as long as they keep in shady areas, or wear protective clothing. A high level Adept can walk freely in daylight without protective clothing if it is cloudy. This all must be achieved within your imprinting period. Most of our kind never become Adepts."

"Why is that?"

"They never receive proper mentoring. Many are just ill-fated people who have fallen victim to the unscrupulous of our kind. In my case, I was brought over because I was sick and at death's door. I was known by the one who brought me over regarding my character and personality."

"Can I, can our kind have children?"

"No."

"No children?"

"We're sterile, and we females don't have a monthly cycle."

Ian blushed a bit and then hung his head for a while. "It all seems so.....empty....no children...I thought that one day I'd be a father when I had met and married the right woman. I...I thought that I had just met her last week." He left off there, thinking now about Alandra and the life they might have had. His spirit dampened visibly from inquisitive to that of being demoralized. Both women saw it and sympathized. They came to him and got on bended knees before him, taking his hands gently in theirs.

"Ian, we're here to help you to live the best life possible. You'll be an honored and cherished guest and if you stay with us, you'll be a member of our family forever. We welcome you with open arms, mon ami."

Ian bent his head and sat silently, stunned, shaking his head from side to side. The novelty of it had worn off to when the enormity of it had finally hit him. The two women were moved and comforted him. Cosette rose up and sat on the sofa beside him, encircling him gently with her arms. "Ian, Mon ami, it is all right. This too, this loss must be gotten out, must be dealt with. You've lost much Ian, but at least you're with friends."

"I should send word to my ship mates."

"That will happen today, but we have to be cautious about who knows all of the facts. Think long and well about who you trust with this knowledge. Their lives are at risk."

After a short time, Ian raised his head and wiped a few tears from his eyes. "Ah ladies, please excuse that." Cosette tenderly took his hand saying "Ian mon ami, even grief such as this will pass. Trust us regarding that." Marie still knelt at his feet now holding his other hand, and then said "Come now, we must feed you some breakfast and get to work. Every day counts and time is our enemy." She stood and gently drew him to his feet and led him to the kitchen. She had prepared breakfast, and had it covered and staying hot in one of three ovens.

"I seem to hear and to see more clearly. I can see dust hanging in the air in that sunlight coming in that window there. I never saw a thing like that before."

'Yes, your sight, sense of smell, and hearing will improve markedly. Reflected sunlight will bother you, and even may be painful. There is no way to avoid that. You'll be able to see very well at night too. You'll learn to identify game and also people by smell alone. Your hearing will be a thing which you can adjust with practice."

"Adjust?"

"Yes. You'll learn to adjust your sensitivity to be most comfortable with your surroundings. Humans live in noisy places. You wouldn't be able to stand it for long if you imprinted in a totally quiet place and didn't have some practice adjusting your hearing. It's one of the easiest skills to learn, but is very important. Your breakfast is ready."

"I'm not hungry."

"That doesn't matter. You'll eat anyway. Be seated." He took a seat at the oversize oak kitchen table, one of three in the large kitchen. Marie brought him a plate with three eggs and three pieces of crisp bacon. She also brought him a steaming cup of Arabic coffee and ladled it with a bit of cream. There were strawberries and blueberries in a bowl. He ate slowly and did notice that though the food was good, it did taste different. He sipped the coffee too, and decided that he liked it.

Finished, he looked up at Marie who, seated across from him with Cosette, said "Now you'll clean your mouth." She produced a carved ivory toothbrush. It was finely crafted and had carving on its handle. Ian had only heard of such things. Cosette produced baking soda and salt mixed in a cup and Ian proceeded to brush his teeth on the back veranda, where a bowl and pitcher of water waited. Marie watched closely and gave several instructions. Then after he rinsed, she had him open his mouth and peered inside. He was made to repeat the process twice more and then rinse with some alcohol and finally water. After peering about once more, Marie nodded her head and handed Ian a small packet of ground powder.

"You all take this?"

"It is dried ground clove and cinnamon. It's hot. Leave it in your mouth a while and then swallow it."

"Why?"

"This way you won't have the breath of a pig, Ian. Eventually you'll always have this odor about your mouth." He recalled the foul breath of the vampire who had bitten him then. "Imprinting somehow conditions our bodies to reproduce it, but some needs be taken from time to time to keep it active, as a part of us. Cosette uses crushed lilac blossoms. I use crushed rose petals, while my husband uses spearmint leaves. Now join Cosette. She'll take you for a walk outside." He noticed that Cosette had already donned a pair of well-fitting long gloves and a wide-brimmed hat. As they walked to the kitchen door, she picked up a parasol and opened it as they stepped out to the covered back veranda.

"Now Ian, I'll tell you something vital to know about the blood fast."

"Blood fast? Oh yes."

"Yes. After two weeks of imprinting, you'll be required to do a blood fast. You'll get no blood for any reason for a minimum of three days. You will hurt more each day when your body adjusts itself. By then, the most drastic adjustments will have already been made. Your body will be making less critical adjustments the last week. That is why we like to wait until the last week to do the blood fast training. You'll be in pain, mon ami, and you can have no blood to alleviate that until your blood fast is completed. So be prepared for it. You won't be alone for a minute until this imprinting is done, but especially during the blood fast training."

"I understand."

They walked about then and Ian saw that the buildings and grounds were in top condition, well-maintained. Cosette explained about the help and how couriers kept the Lafayettes in touch with their friends and current with their businesses.

As they walked about in the sunshine, Cosette said "You're taking this sunshine very well. Some have to give up by now, according to Marie."

"I've lived all of my life outdoors, and much of that at sea."

"Yes, we saw that when we washed you. You are like bronze all over, well, almost all over." At this she chuckled a bit.

Red-faced now, Ian replied "Och lassie. Ye embarrass me again with your talk." She laughed that delightful laugh and he just looked away.

"You'll always look this way, Ian. Even though you don't go out in the sun, the imprinting will lock in your color forever. You might become more pale should you not get enough blood for a long period, but otherwise you'll look as you do now."

He pondered that as they walked for a while. "Why so many rabbits" he said, indicating a long double row of rabbit hutches connected to a spacious central run.

"You already saw why this morning before breakfast. Stop here a moment." She undid the latch on a cage and handed Ian a rabbit, saying "Get the scent of it, Ian."

He smelled it then, and could easily detect a distinct scent.

She said "You'll now always be able to identify that scent. We don't feed from our cattle or horses. It wouldn't harm them, but the scars would cause talk if seen by laborers or servants or neighbors. Marie is very cautious about protecting our privacy. That is a thing of great importance."

"Do you drink any other blood?"

"Yes, deer mostly, but wolf, fish, bear and some rodents if we're in a hurry. There is always food in the wild for a vampire. There's no excuse whatsoever to feed on humans."

The had circled back toward the Chateau and Marie was coming towards them carrying a parasol and wearing gloves, broad-brimmed hat, and a light weight long-sleeve blouse to cover her arms. They met beneath a great oak and stood in its' shade. "I see you can stand the sun this first day very well."

"Yes, Marie. It feels good." She arched her eyebrows and looked toward Cosette. "Sit down quickly, Ian."

"What?"

"Just do it please."

After sitting on the pathway, the two kneeled beside Ian and pushed him flat on his back, pulling off both of his boots and socks, and then Marie undid his sash and began to tug at his pants."

"Och, ladies, ladies, what is this?" he protested.

"Hush Ian; if you can tolerate sun this well, you must take as much of it all over your body as you can get." Laughing then she said "We'll leave your underwear on if you like."

"If I like? If I like?" He said, wide-eyed as he frantically held on to his underwear with both hands. The two women threw back their heads and laughed hard and long, even until tears came to their eyes. Marie said "Oh, Ian, you're such a good thing for the two of us." Cosette chimed in "I may never have laughed so since I was a child!"

"Well by Heaven, I'm glad you two are having a good time of it!" At that the two erupted in peals of laughter, falling back onto the grass. Then Marie started to fold up Ian's pants when Cosette grabbed them saying "No Marie, those are mine", and she made as if to tug them away from Marie, who caught up in the spirit of the whole silly episode tugged back on them saying "No you saucy wench, this is my.....my trophy" At this both of them squealed in delight and just rolled about on the grass laughing uncontrollably. Ian just sat there wide-eyed in disbelief, his mouth agape.

About the time the two had finished laughing, Cosette looked again at Ian and pointed to him and began to laugh again. Seeing Ian's face, Marie joined in, laughing with her once again. Blushing, he finally shook his head and chuckled a bit while the other two lay there in the shade laughing for the longest time.

Finally he said "Och lassies! I thought you said this imprinting thing would be hard to bear!" At this the women began to laugh again. Marie said "Truly if I'd known that helping another become imprinted was this much fun, I would have been doing it for three hundred years!" The two again erupted in peals of laughter as Ian looked at the two wide-eyed in astonishment, even as he began to blush once again.

Ian suddenly saw a carriage in the distance approaching up the long driveway, saying "Marie, you have a visitor."

"Indeed we do. It's the tailor. Best we get inside lest he gossip that we are lunatics. Quickly now Ian!"

"Aye. If he gets a gander at the goings-on back here, he may want to stay all night long!" The two women burst into laughter again. The three ran into the house, with Marie waving her trophy pants. She and Cosette were laughing like children while Ian followed, shaking his head.

# Chapter 13

The tailor had finished measuring Ian and Marie was giving him instructions on several suits of clothing and sundry other things such as shirts, pants, socks, underwear and the like. Cosette approached them and said "I wanted Ian and you to know that I'll go back to Marseille with the tailor and see my brother. I can stay in Marseille and delay my return until some of the clothing is done and bring it with me."

Ian spoke up and said "Marie, you can cut that order to two changes of clothes and I will be in your debt."

"Nonsense; what good is money if not used well?"

"Marie, you're too generous, but one thing I do ask then."

"What is that?"

"Please, no lace or frillies. I canna stand the stuff."

Marie laughed and said "Picard, you heard the man. No lace or frillies!"

Picard replied in his nasal whine "as Madame wishes."

Then Cosette laughed and nodded to Ian saying "Who should we bring to see you?"

"Mmmm, Angus, Li Hong, and Armando."

"Then I'll return in a few days. I've packed already."

"I'll get your bags." said Ian, and brought them moments later. The two walked to the leased carriage together. Ian handed her a note saying "This is for Angus. You may read it if you like." Ian handed the bags to the driver to stow, and turning to her said "Please stay away from the Red Dolphin." She saw the worried look in his eyes, and stood demurely, gazing up at him from under the broad-brimmed hat she wore. "I will. And I'll return safely with your friends mon ami." She then stretched upwards and kissed him on his cheek. He felt a slight bit of something like electricity in her touch. "Goodbye Ian."

He stood in the late afternoon sun and watched the coach until it turned out of sight. Turning he saw Marie standing on the veranda, well back in the shade. As he approached her she said "She'll be safe Ian. Come inside. We have something to discuss." Ian followed her inside the chateau into the kitchen. She had prepared some beef stew and there was assorted fruit in a large bowl. The tailor had brought a few pastries as she had instructed one of her servants to tell him. She said "Sit and eat now, but first drink this." It was a cup of blood on a silver tray on the table. He sat and drained the cup saying "Thank you, Marie." Shortly he felt a surge of energy. Then he bowed his head and silently offered thanks to God as was his habit, and began to eat the food she had prepared.

"I've sent for a woman I know. She'll arrive this night, Ian. During your time of imprinting, you must make love. If you don't do so, you'll lose that ability for eternity mon ami. This is a thing which affects male vampires only."

He locked his eyes with hers, and she could feel the force of his will merely by that gaze. "I.....I love another, Marie."

"I know mon ami. You called the name of 'Alandra' twice last night. Ian, she is lost to you. She's a fragile human and it's dangerous for a mature vampire to make love to a human. It is possible, but dangerous. You must think now about what you would be asking her to give up by being with you.

"Ah Marie." he sighed then, hesitating as he paced a bit...."How can I ask Alandra to become a monster like I am?"

"Ian, you're not a monster, nor are we!"

"I meant no offense, Marie......it is just that.............I canna ask such a thing to a girl of seventeen years. I brought this on myself, whereas she's done nothing to......deserve this..........happening to her. She should have the opportunity to be married and have her own children."

He fastened his eyes upon Maries' and said "Truth to tell, I don't know if I could bear to see how she would look at me, knowing what I've become." Again, Marie felt the power of Ian's frosty blue eyes. It appeared to her that the man could peer into her very soul. No wonder Cosette followed him!

"Eat, Ian. Your human food will be cold. You've had a good first day."

As he ate, she went over the things he would have to master while imprinting once again, and as he took his last bite of fruit she said "Now that you're finished; brush your teeth again for me." So that ritual was repeated, and the ground cloves consumed last as before.

Ian spoke then, "You say that only male vampires can lose their ability to make love, to feel....?"

"Yes. That doesn't happen to women who imprint. We keep our libido, and that can be a problem being that there is always a shortage of males among our kind with their libido intact. It is due to ignorance among some of us, not knowing to take care of that during the time of a male's imprinting."

"You mean that can cause the women of your kind to seek male companionship among humans?"

"Don't you mean 'of our kind' Ian?"

"Och! Of course I do."

"Yes it's as dangerous for a human male to make love with one of us as it is for a human female. Human men are killed this way sometimes." Ian sat and contemplated this revelation.

"It's nearly dusk mon ami. Let's see how well you do in the dark. Come." She led him out the kitchen door to the rear veranda and down the steps into the twilight. Going out the door, Ian felt so weak that he collapsed in the doorway. Acute pain shot through his shoulders and chest. Marie was there instantly with her flask of fresh blood. Soon he began to feel better.

"My bones ache, Marie, and I feel fiery pains in my shoulders."

"This will happen, but will be mostly less and less crippling each time. This was a good one for someone at such an early stage. Not severe at all. Let's go outside now."

Presently they were out back in the gathering dusk. "What do you see, Ian?"

"I can make out the barn and the outbuildings quite well. Look, there is a deer standing at the tree line beyond the barn."

Marie turned to look towards that direction, saying "Hah, you're right! There is no way you could have seen that before this evening is there?"

Ian pondered that, then "No, Marie, I wouldn't have seen that. I can tell a difference."

"There is something about our eyes that you should know. Emotions can make our eyes to appear to glow. It can be quite noticeable in conditions of low light and must be guarded against. Like adjusting our hearing, we Adepts must learn to suppress this trait when in the company of humans. Your eyes and Cosette's are both pale and in darkness they can be easily noticed if not controlled. Look and see for yourself."

She faced Ian and he saw her eyes begin to glow a blue-violet color. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished. She then said "We'll work on that as you imprint."

"So much to learn...."

"Not to worry, Ian. We'll teach you what you need to know. Come. Let's chase the deer, but not to kill. You are recovered now, no?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him to run with her, slowly at first, then faster. She had changed into loose fitting riding pants and a loose fitting blouse earlier that day.

Ian felt the power surge to his legs and he easily kept up for a good space. Marie kept increasing her speed across the meadow until Ian began to fall behind. She adjusted her speed to his and they approached a stream about twenty five feet wide. Marie simply seemed to flow across it being that her stride was easily more than the width of it. Ian made to leap it and rose to a height of some fifteen feet, hitting a large branch of a tree growing on the bank. He was spun backwards and crashed upside down in the stream.

Marie quickly pulled him upright and dragged him out of the stream to sit on the bank. She was laughing, then said "I'm sorry Ian, but it looked so comical....let's go to the house. You're wet and need dry clothing, mon ami." They stood up and Ian said "I took a hard knock on my head."

"We'll look at that inside." She assisted him.... "Come now."

Back in the house, Marie looked at his forehead, and exclaimed "Ian, I can barely see the injury! Your healing power has already taken hold! This is a good thing!"

"Ah, Marie...........if this is good, I fear to see the bad." He said as he sat holding his head with both hands. At this Marie laughed, and then she became serious and said "Your stride is already greater than the span of that stream. You shouldn't have jumped. That was your human instincts overriding your vampire strength. That is mostly good Ian. Your human intellect must nearly always control your vampire strength. However there are times like just now, when you need to rely on your new strength.....at other times, even to unleash it if needed."

"So many details...."

"It's an important part of your training, but is not a necessary part of imprinting. It is a continual learning and refining process. You must control emotions when in the presence of humans and never allow your anger or emotion to override your control of your vampire powers. This is how we blend in with society and keep from revealing our existence. And equally important it's how we keep from harming humans."

Turning her head she said, "A carriage approaches, two horses I think."

Ian heard nothing, and then he heard it too.

"Quickly! Upstairs and change into some dry clothing." Then adding; "After all, you've had a bath already, mon ami." At this she laughed heartily at her own joke. Ian finally began to laugh with her as he went to the stairs. He went to take the steps two at a time and took six instead. Stopping, he repeated it, and then curbed his strength until he appeared to only be hurrying up the stairs like any young man. I can do this he thought as he hurriedly changed.

Although in his room with the door closed, Ian heard Marie greeting a guest at the front door. I can hear things that I could never have heard before he thought.

# Chapter 14

Coming downstairs Ian heard the two women speaking in the parlor. He entered and fastened his eyes on the newcomer, raising his eyebrows slightly and smiling a little. She was a beautiful petite brunette with large blue eyes, gazing intently at him, smiling sweetly while waiting for Marie to introduce them. Marie spoke in French and Ian who had been learning French while the tailor worked that afternoon, responded "Enchante' Mademoiselle Alyssa." Marie had introduced him as Adam MacRae.

"I am so pleased to meet you Adam. Where have you been keeping this one Madame Lafayette?"

"Adam is a close friend who is staying with us for a while. He has been traveling. May I get either of you some wine?"

"Yes, thank you Marie" said Ian as Alyssa nodded in agreement. The wine being poured, Marie said "I'm going to bed. I have a headache. I bumped my head this evening" she said, with a wink towards Ian. "Ian, help me upstairs please, lest I fall."

On the way upstairs, Marie whispered "Ian your strength is greater than I had anticipated already. You must curb that strength and be human this night. I don't want anything bad to befall Alyssa. She is a dear friend, impulsive really; a single girl who I've known for three years. She likes you. I can easily tell that already, so if you think you can't do this, you must feign illness or something. Even send Alyssa to fetch me to make it more believable. Remember, the human controls the vampire in these circumstances. Above all, be passive."

"I...will do as you say, Marie. Good night and don't worry."

Back in the parlor, Ian asked if Alyssa would like to take a walk. She demurely agreed and the two set out in the bright moonlight.

"Madame Marie tells me that you've been to China, Adam. Do please tell me about it." Ian told her about what he had seen while there, and that he had been a sailor on a merchants' vessel. He told her about how he met Li Hong, of their becoming friends, and that Li had taught him to speak Mandarin Chinese. Alyssa wanted to know more about the orient and other places he had seen. They strolled about the pathways that criss-crossed the properties, arm in arm. She asked about his home and family. Ian gave a bit of sketchy family history with some real experiences and told her of Scotland and of his love of sailing. He spoke of seeing Africa and India as well as some experiences there, carefully omitting any references to subjects involving Elsie's Cloud or her crew.

She leaned her head on his upper arm as they walked and Ian had to admit that it was pleasant. They strolled about for some two hours just talking and getting to know each other. She sometimes held his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. Ian really liked her, and appreciated her finer qualities as well as her more obvious ones. She had a delightful laugh and an effervescent personality.

They made their way back toward the house and on the front veranda, sat on a wrought iron settee. It was part of a finely crafted assortment of wrought iron furniture that occupied the broad covered veranda. She leaned her head on his upper arm once more and told him of her childhood.

It was a sad story, one of poverty and want. She had been orphaned, and then forced into a brothel at the age of seventeen. By chance or God's grace, a friend of Marie heard of it and money changed hands that very day. She was given a nice apartment in Marseille and did all manner of sewing in the shop below her apartment.

Alyssa was happy with her new life, and hoped to one day design clothing to be seen and sold in Paris itself. She had regarded Marie as her mother ever since and would do anything for her. Ian knew from what she'd told him that Alyssa was impulsive with men. She had boyfriends whom she was intimate with from time to time, so when Marie had summoned her to meet Ian, she had simply closed her shop and returned with the carriage sent for her.

Ian had slipped his arm over Alyssa's shoulder while they talked on the veranda. It was a peaceful and beautiful night with cicadas and crickets singing. The scent of jasmine hung in the air. He reached and turned her face to his and gently kissed her lips. Parting then, Ian looked at her pretty features in the reflected moonlight. She reached and put an arm around his neck and pulled him to her. He gently kissed both of her eyelids, then continuing to kiss her cheek and around her jaw and neck. She turned and pressed into him more, responding with growing passion, even as she parted her lips. Their tongues met, each gently caressing the other. After only a few minutes she whispered to him "Adam, I'm on fire, mmmm......but I am so weak. Take me upstairs, cheri."

He rose and scooped her gently up in his arms and carried her inside and up the stairs. Coming to his bed, he gently stood her next to it. She eagerly undressed him, so he likewise undressed her. He gently kissed her shoulders, neck and lips. They sank to the bed and each was lost in the wonder of the other. She was eager and quite energetic so that his passivity was no problem.

During the night as she lay sleeping, her head was resting on his chest. He lay thinking of all the things that had happened to him recently, his thoughts drifting from Alandra to Cosette, and then toward his family. Although melancholy a bit he reflected on the evening with Allyssa and the wonderful care he'd received at the hands of Cosette and Marie, realizing how fortunate he was. Resolving that he would forever forget Alandra for her sake he also resolved to make the best of this strange new life.

Cosette and Marie had been nothing short of wonderful and he knew that he now could hope to at least see his family again. He would have to be careful of who he revealed his secrets to. It would be a burden to him. He wondered if he should adopt an alias or not, hating the idea.

Twice during the night, Alyssa awoke and they made love again. Each time afterwards, she again pillowed her head on Ian's chest and soon slept as a babe. Ian passed the night peacefully and if he slept, it was only to doze a bit. Twice he had the beginnings of seizures and quickly drank from a flask Marie had given him. He absently stroked Alyssa's hair as she slept, kissing her forehead several times during the night. How strange my life has become! Who would believe all of this?

# Chapter 15

Angus anxiously awaited the arrival of a longboat he saw approaching Elsie. He saw only one passenger, being a woman holding a large parasol and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. She was expensively dressed and wore long well-crafted gloves. She paid the man in charge of the longboat and gracefully sat in the boatswains' seat that Angus lowered.

Upon stepping onto the deck she introduced herself and said "Ian is well. I must speak to you, Armando, and Li in private. But first, may I see my brother?"

"The lad is your brother?" She nodded and he said "Yes, yes lass." Turning he directed his voice towards a crewman near the galley stairs "Fetch Mustafa and Louis right away!" Shortly the two boys came up out of the galley where they had been working together, cleaning it. Louis spied Cosette and crying out "Cosette, Cosette!" he ran to her and flung himself into her arms. They hugged and Cosette kissed him repeatedly as they talked together, in the French tongue. After a bit, Cosette turned to Mustafa saying "Mustafa?" He nodded. She hugged him too, and then turned to Angus saying, "I cannot thank you enough, Captain McCloud."

"You're welcome. It was Ian who first stepped up for Louis when that blackguard struck him."

"I know. I saw the whole thing."

Angus regarded her, raising his eyebrows.

"I'll tell you everything in a moment. May Louis stay here for another few days?"

"Aye."

Speaking in French again she said "Louis, you'll stay here on this ship a few more days and then you'll come to my new home. In the meantime, I want you to behave yourself and do as you are told by these men." Louis agreed, nodding. She smiled and said "I must go to speak with these men. Be good and I'll see you soon." She was introduced to Armando and Li as they walked to the stern of the ship.

In Angus' cabin Cosette began by saying "What I tell you now must never be repeated. You may talk about it among yourselves only. You would be placing your crewmates and your families in danger of death if this got back to the wrong......people. It makes no difference where you live, your loved ones can be found and could be all murdered should the words said in this cabin ever leak out. Do you understand?"

They nodded in assent, and all said "Aye."

She said "I want each of you to repeat what I just said, starting with you, Captain McCloud." Angus said "That's not necessary, Cosette." She fastened her gaze on him and said in a low flat voice "It is very necessary, Captain McCloud." Angus sighed, and then he complied. Then Armando and Li did likewise.

'Very well then I'll tell you what has happened." She told all three of them exactly what had happened to Ian. The three sat, mouths agape. Angus then said "Are you the woman who saved him and carried him away?"

"I am." She saw the doubt in the eyes of Angus and Armando. Rising she said "I'll show you something that may convince you."

In a flash, she had snatched Armando's dagger and was holding it at Li's throat, with his head pulled back into her breast with her other hand, her eyes glowing brightly. Li felt as if his head and neck were locked in a vise.

Angus exclaimed "My God! If I hadn't seen that I'd never have believed it. Li is the best fighting man among us!" Armando just sat there stupefied, shaking his head in wonderment.

Cosette returned Armando's dagger and said "I have to do an errand while I'm in Marseille but I'll return later. Because of what has happened to Ian he must stay with Madame Lafayette for at the very least three weeks. That is imperative. He wants to see you three. He also sent this note to you, Captain McCloud." She flashed around the table to him and then produced the note, seeming to just appear at his side.

Startled, but reading it, Angus nodded and said "Armando, you and Li see to this. I have to find MacCarr now."

***

Ian got up at dawn and went down to the parlor, sensing rather than hearing Marie. She said "Good morning. I think it went well last night?"

"It did, Marie. Alyssa is a sweet girl, and a fine person. I'm wondering if you have thought of approaching her about crossing over."

"Let's have breakfast before she's awake."

Sitting in the kitchen, his morning drink of rabbit's blood downed, and a breakfast of steak and eggs eaten, he ate his fourth sampling of fruit from the large bowl there. Marie said "Don't forget to drink water too. Humans drink it all of the time." He drank a cup of water then while Marie spoke.

"On the subject of Alyssa, I have considered bringing her over. She would fit in well as one of us. I was waiting to see if she would marry, or would stay focused on a career in fashion. What do you think?"

"I think she would be a fine one to bring across. She is twenty?"

"Yes."

"Then it is only a matter of timing?"

"Timing is not all of it. There is the matter of Cosette."

"Cosette? I don't understand, Marie."

She'd been gazing out the large bay window of the kitchen and gave a long sigh. Turning back to him, she said "You men; so dense, yet so smart too in many things. I finally have awakened to the way she looks at you when you're not looking. I also finally have awakened to the way you look at her when she's not looking. I saw this only when you two were saying goodbye to each other. It has bothered me all night long. This is my mistake. Bringing Alyssa over now might bring grief to our family, Ian. Cosette is like my own daughter. I made a mistake in bringing Alyssa here for you so soon. This is my doing. I was so focused on seeing to it that you were to retain your libido that I failed to even consider Cosette's feelings in this matter."

Ian sat pondering that awhile. He had been allowing Marie to guide his imprinting and hadn't given much thought to what she'd said. "What do you want to do about this, Marie? I don't want to bring trouble. I could leave here after my imprinting has ended. I can go to Marseille to take care of..... you know..... my lovemaking whatever." He blushed. "Och Marie! I do want to travel to see my family anyway. Then you could approach Alyssa and bring her over with me gone. May I see all of you from time to time? I would have a hard time... I mean.... Marie, I hate the thought of being separated from both of you now. Is there a way to work this so that I can see all of you at least from time to time? Whatever you decide, I'll do."

"Ian! I don't want you to leave, ever. God forbid! I'll send her to Paris. I have many wealthy friends there who owe me favors. Several can offer her work and a chance of recognition that she can't refuse. I've already made inquiries toward that end weeks ago. She is talented and ambitious. I have a friend who will help her to get the polish that she needs to successfully enter the world of high fashion. I will purchase only her work, and that alone will help her fame grow. Alyssa has talent, so this is a natural thing. She'll be told to hurry home this morning and to close her shop and to pack her clothes for Paris. She will live there. I already have a place in mind. In fact, we own the building. Once there and becoming entangled with her work and the wealthy contacts I will send her way, she'll live there. In a few more years, we can again take up the subject of her being brought over. Is this acceptable to you?"

Ian locked eyes with Marie and reaching across the table, gently took both of her hands in his, slowly raising them to his lips. He kissed the back of each gently then fastened his gaze upon her again, still gently clasping her delicate hands in his broad bronzed ones. "I trust you as I do my own mother. I think this is the best course for all of us including Alyssa. I'm grateful and blessed that my fate has fallen into your hands. Thank you again for all you are doing for me."

Marie's eyes brimmed with tears. She stood then, as did Ian, and coming around the table to him put her arms around his waist and he her shoulders. She then said "Although I laugh and am happy most of the time, I have so longed for a son, Ian. With Cosette as my adopted daughter and now you in our lives, my joy is complete.

"All of you will remain as my family when my human family passes from this world. I'll try always to please you, and to make you happy Marie."

Stepping back from him then, she said "Then in that case do your teeth now Ian, our guest is awake." He did as she said, but didn't hear anyone stirring. He brushed and cleaned his teeth at vampire speed and was done even with taking the ground clove and cinnamon powder well before Alyssa came to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Madame Marie. Good morning Cheri." Smiling, she came to Ian standing near the back door and gave him a kiss on the lips, encircling his waist with her arms and leaning her head on his chest. As if on cue, Marie said "Alyssa, I have just gotten word early this morning from an inquiry I made in Paris. You are accepted to learn fashion design from none other than Madame Caryn Rochelle herself. You already have six wealthy customers waiting for you."

The effect was almost electrical. Alyssa whirled and threw both hands to the sides of her face and squealed with delight. "Oh Marie! Is this true? Please don't joke with me!"

"It's true Alyssa." she said with a genuine loving smile, coming to hug her. "But you must leave for Paris this evening. I have already arranged for travel. I will see to it that your shop is closed properly and that your home is kept waiting for as long as you like. You are going to be a famous fashion designer, Alyssa."

"Ooohhh" she said, all the while jumping up and down clapping her hands. Then she saddened visibly, looking across the kitchen at Ian. "But I don't want to be away from you, mon cheri."

Laughing, Ian said "She said Paris, Alyssa, not America. We can come see you and you can come see Marie and me anytime."

She brightened a bit, and then brightened more as she thought through the whole thing, with her pretty face tilted to one side. Then, smiling broadly she said, "I go today then."

"A coach will be here within the hour to take you home. I took the liberty of hiring one already. My courier arrived in the wee hours with the news, so I saw no harm in preparing." She thought a small enough lie and it will help you to realize your dreams.

When the coach had come, Ian carried Alyssa's bags to it walking beside her. Handing them to the driver, he turned to her saying "You've made me very happy, Alyssa. I'm glad that you visited while I was here."

Alyssa threw both arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, and kissed him long and passionately, then drew back, and did it again. She whispered "Come away with me now, mon cheri." Ian said "I can't come at this time. I must stay here in this area for around a month." With tears at the corners of her eyes, she said "Goodbye for now, Adam." Turning to Marie she said "Goodbye Madame Marie, and thank you again."

# Chapter 16

By mid-morning of the following day, with MacCarr officially in charge of Elsie's Cloud, the three boarded a longboat. A long crate had already placed in it before they boarded. Instructions had been left to notify the King's Gendarmes and the harbormaster that Ian was found and alive, and that Louis' sister had been found. Tom had been dispatched to find a ship bound for Barcelona. Ian's letter from several days ago, before he was bitten, would get to Alandra. Cosette had returned as promised and a coach with four horses whisked them away towards the home of Marie Lafayette.

***

The finely appointed coach arrived in the wharf district in an area reserved for dignitaries. A tall, well-dressed and distinguished looking Spaniard got out after the driver opened the door. He stood while two other men rushed to take his luggage and carry it towards a ship. Two officials were speaking of the heroes who had saved the ambassadors daughter. It seemed that one of the crew had been attacked by a wild animal in Marseille itself and had been the object of a large scale local search. The ambassador approached them wanting to know the story. When he introduced himself to the pair they were only too glad to share what they knew about the great sea battle by the Scottish hero, Angus McCloud. It was written that his nephew, second in command, had been the one to find Alandra Vasquez and her servant girl.

He was most attentive and very appreciative of the update. One gave him a copy of the local paper with the story, and more recent issue containing a copy of the wild animal attack, which said that Ian McCloud was missing and feared dead.

The officials allowed him to read the account as they continued to discuss how he had been found alive and was recuperating well. They also spoke of the fight at the Red Dolphin and that there were rumors that LeBlanc might bring charges against Ian McCloud. They were both surprised that the young McCloud could best such a man in a fight, as LeBlanc was both feared and infamous as a fighter of renown in the wharf area of Marseille.

Vasquez interrupted them for an explanation. After repeating the whole thing, they said the uncle had already recently departed to see his nephew this very day.

Boarding his ship he encountered the captain who welcomed him aboard. The captain then handed the Ambassador the letter for Alandra. The captain said "I think it might be from the second in command, the same one attacked by a wild animal who now has been found alive and well."

Ambassador Vasquez pulled the letter from his pocket and regarded it frowning in thought. He asked the captain to delay his departure for an hour. Then he sent his personal valet with money to buy a sumptuous assortment of the finest delicacies to be delivered to Elsie's Cloud for the entire crew that very day. He hastily wrote a personal note of thanks to both Ian and Angus in English, and had the valet to take that for inclusion with the food delivery. It was an open invitation for him and his officers to be guests at the Vasquez home any time, and to never fail to call on any member of the Vasquez family for help in any situation. He then took the carriage he had arrived in and went to an attorney he knew. Explaining the situation he left money with the attorney extracting a promise to visit McCloud's ship. He would be telling him that should LeClerc take him to court, he, the lawyer, would defend Ian McCloud. The lawyer assured him that message would be delivered to their ship that day.

Less than an hour later, the ambassador departed for Barcelona. As he stood on the deck, he thought more about the letter to Alandra. Opening it, he read it quickly, and his frown deepened. He stared at the horizon, lost in thought for a long time. Finally he resolved to give Alandra the letter and the two newspapers declaring Ian a hero and Ian being declared missing after the wild animal attack. He would let her think that Ian had died. If McCloud did take him up on his invitation while he was in Barcelona, he would just act as if he was as happy to hear that Ian was alive as anyone else. The local newspaper likely would have the story of Ian being found tomorrow. Could he be blamed if the newspaper hadn't yet even heard of his being found? This could work very well to his advantage. He'd have no part in helping his headstrong daughter to marry a foreigner. Likely this foreigner wasn't even a Roman Catholic. Besides that, he was a merchant seaman, an adventurer, who lived in a country far away that even now occupied Gibraltar and some of the Balearic Isles of Spain.

Satisfied that he'd reached the only logical and wise decision for his daughter's future and for his family's sake, he folded the two newspapers together with the letter and tucked them into his pocket. He was now simply looking forward to being home in Barcelona again.

# Chapter 17

The carriage departed with Alyssa and as Ian came onto the veranda, Marie came to him and they linked arms, walking into the house together.

"What now, Marie?"

"What you'll do is to strip to your underwear and get outside in the back yard. We've work to do. You're still way more human than vampire, so we'll work on building your tolerance to sunlight. And while I'm thinking about it, you shouldn't wear your boots outside."

"Why not?"

"Your feet are calloused well from being barefoot at sea. Cosette and I saw that when we washed you. Do you know how many pairs of shoes a vampire goes through? Cosette, Henri, and I keep the cobbler busy just by ourselves. You'll one day find it convenient to travel great distances on foot. After all, we run far faster than horses do, and we barely tire at all. Shoes will be one less worry for you. We often run without them, but you will be able to do that always. You can carry them in a rucksack and put them on as needed for appearances instead of wearing them out in three days of running."

"Marie, you think of everything."

"Come, let's try something." She took a basket of eggs and began to toss them to Ian one at a time, then faster and faster. He broke two and she stopped. "You must learn to control your strength. You must catch these eggs as a human would, with a bit of give in your hand. Try again. This time Ian only broke one, then he caught over twenty without breaking one. "That's the idea Ian. Do you see the difference?"

"Yes."

"Now again, all of them." They tossed eggs back and forth until the eggs in motion had become a blur and none were broken.

"Marvelous! Fine control. Let's walk to the woods, and then we can see how your running is today."

"Why walk?"

"We mustn't be seen running at vampire speed, remember?"

"Ah, of course."

They did a good deal of cross-country running and she took him to where there were a group of rock spires that the two of them would climb and then leap from the top of one to another. Two hours later he felt as if he was well able to judge just how far he could jump, whether into or out of a tree or over an obstacle.

Speaking to Marie he said "Well, I hope some French hunters don't see me running and leaping around these woods in my underwear today"

Marie threw back her head and laughed saying "I'll race you to the pasture behind the chateau." She took off and Ian followed arriving not more than some ten seconds after she did. At the pasture, she took out her long gloves and a floppy but broad-brimmed hat from a lightweight rucksack and donned them before stepping out of the woods into the sunlight. Ian likewise changed into long pants but left his shirt off.

"Marie, I want to have Spearmint leaves included in my salads."

"I'll see to that, but why?"

"Who knows where I'll be in this world some day? I may be where I can't get cinnamon and clove." By the way, I have a surprise planned for you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, you'll like it, after you get past the surprise part. Really there are two surprises, but one won't be seen for a while. I see that you're having work done on the caretaker's house too?"

"Yes, we'll have need of it soon enough. Oh listen, what do you hear, Ian?"

"A carriage approaching, four horses I would say."

"Your hearing has improved too. Those are my horses. Cosette, and the others are here. I must hasten to dress properly as must you." They ran, but like two humans the last bit of distance to the house. Ian thought she can hear the difference in her horses from others! The servant staff had arrived shortly after Ian and Marie had gone running. The meal was in the process of preparation, and their clothes were laid out on their beds. Once each got to their respective bedroom, they washed and dressed at vampire speed.

***

Michelle had been sitting by herself all that day, apart from the other girls who were playing. She again pondered what had thought she had seen last night. Night had fallen on Marseille and at the Angel's Care orphanage, the children were all settled in their beds. The staff had retired too. The place was quiet with only the slight nighttime noises associated with such institutions. The one hundred twelve children there were all housed on the second floor for security reasons. The staff living area, office, records and files, kitchen, infirmary and front desk were all downstairs. A thump on the roof went nearly unnoticed, being as there was an attic between it and the second story of the place. Shortly, there was the delicate tinkle of broken glass, then the return of near silence. A slight skittering sound might have been heard if someone had been listening. One had been listening after the thump had stopped her from dropping off to sleep. She heard the glass tinkling just as she started to drop off again. Then there was the skittering sound and a shadow with glowing eyes darted silently across her field of view. It hovered over a bed nearby for a while, motionless, head swiveling in the dark, listening. Suddenly it bent and there was a flurry of movement, but hardly a sound. Then looking like it was larger than before, the shadow flew straight up some twenty feet to a cross-beam. It then seemed to flit to the broken window and pausing only shortly, seemed to vanish. The little girl lay still a long while, and then she gradually relaxed. Sleep finally came.

In the morning after breakfast, the headmistress was notified that one child was missing at the breakfast assembly. The place was searched from top to bottom but the child wasn't found. The headmistress sent one of the workers to the King's Gendarmerie to make a report. A report was duly filed and given to a young inspector, Claude Rousseau.

***

Rousseau visited the place a day later, and could find no way a child could climb out. He did notice broken glass from a window high up on a gable-end wall. It was inaccessible from the floor by an adult, let alone a child. He dismissed it as due to a bird strike, knowing of a church window that had been knocked out that way once. He never did find a dead bird here though.

Questioning all of the staff it was apparent that no one could recall any disturbance the night before. His report was inconclusive, and he duly filed it as an open case. The headmistress posted a letter to Madame Lafayette notifying her of the incident, concluding that the child had run away before being secured at bed time and hadn't been missed by the staff who had done the mandatory bed count. How else could it be explained?

She put in an order to be sent to a glazers shop for the window to be repaired. It was summertime and the window being broken would not pose a real problem with the weather being so balmy. Since no one could reach the window from the floor, no one noticed that the sturdy catch had been ripped from the woodwork. So even after the glass was repaired, it would require installing a new latch, and a new piece of trim to mount the latch. But there was no way that anyone could know that for now. Things returned to normal for the occupants of Angel's Care.

# Chapter 18

The carriage drew up before the veranda just as Ian and Marie came down the steps, arm-in-arm. The doors opened and Cosette was assisted by Ian who smiled over her shoulder at the others inside. He kissed her hands, murmuring "I'm so glad you're here safe."

"I missed you, mon ami." she said, reaching up to lay her hand upon his cheek. Ian took her hand and raising it to his lips, kissed it tenderly, fastening his eyes on hers, and allowing a slight pulsating glow. She felt a tingling like electricity go through her body and allowed her eyes to respond very slightly with an answering glow.

Angus was first out of the carriage, wrapping his arms about Ian in a great bear hug, and kissing both of his cheeks. Lowering his voice then he said "By Heaven Ian, I was worried unto death until this dear lady came yesterday to calm my fears. God has smiled on you laddie, but he moves in ways that we canna understand."

The other two piled out and each gave Ian a bear hug, smiling and slapping him on the back. He gave them the warmest greeting, taking each by the shoulder and gazing into their eyes. Then he said "I have someone who also is very dear to me whom I want you all to meet." Turning then to Marie, he made the introductions.

Each of them bowed to Marie, saying "Enchante' Madam." She curtsied and returned "Honored Monsieur" to each, then stepping forward to hug each one of them and to give each a kiss on each cheek. "Whoever is friend or family of Ian McCloud is a friend of the Lafayette family. Come now. Dinner will soon be served." Ian had helped the driver unload the long crate strapped to the back of the carriage along with the luggage, being only three seaman's duffels. Four of Marie's domestic staff took the crate and bags into the house.

They all turned towards the Chateau, the three men clustered tightly around Marie, and Ian could hear Angus complimenting her on her beautiful home as they made their way up the wide brick walkway. Ian turning to Cosette with a smile reached down and took her hand in his. Their fingers intertwined as they looked deeply into each other's eyes, then slowly smiling at each other they started up the walk after the others. Both of them felt an electrical thrill at the contact.

"Where is Louis?"

"I left him aboard Elsie. Too much to discuss here, and we need time to think about how to keep him here and how much he can be allowed to know."

Ian nodded "That's the wise thing to do."

Marie asked Angus to ask a blessing for the food, which he did. There was a chorus of "Amen." During dinner, Ian was plied with many questions which he tried to answer. He was asked to give nearly a minute-by minute explanation of the attack. In between times, he gazed at Cosette and her at him, both smiling. They held hands under the table at times, fingers intertwined. Marie had cautioned all while out on the veranda not to speak of vampirism until the servants had left. She was now inquiring of Angus concerning his and Ian's background. She wanted first though to hear of the fight with LeBlanc, a villainous thug whom she had heard of. She was enthralled and animated, hearing the details of it. Later on she engaged Li about the art of Kung Fu, and then Armando about navigation. They found her to be a woman of great intelligence and curiosity, and the three men were impressed favorably.

After the servants were dismissed for the evening, Marie excused herself briefly to check all about the house, at vampire speed. She checked all about outside as well. Rejoining the others, she nodded, saying "They've gone away. We're alone now."

The conversation turned to vampirism. Li finally said to Ian "Cosette told us of your rapid healing powers. Have you had occasion to see them work?"

Laughing, Ian told Li and the others about his first experience jumping a stream. Everybody laughed, Cosette putting both hands to her mouth and leaning back in her chair as she laughed, rolling her lovely gray eyes towards Ian, then leaning over to put her forehead on his shoulder. Looking at the two Angus said "By heaven if you're not the most fetching couple I've ever seen I don't know who is." There was a chorus of "Aye" from the guests and Marie laughing said "Hear-hear." Ian smiled and Cosette again put her head on his shoulder, looking happily up at him.

Ian reached towards the roast on the table and took the carving knife from it, looking towards Marie. She nodded and he rolled up his left sleeve. He then turned his wrist upwards and made a tiny cut in it for all to see. "I don't know how long it will take, but that will shortly heal." The three men stared at him, dumfounded. Marie stood up and said, "I have a special treat for dessert. Will you help me Cosette?" The two women left and went to the kitchen.

"We need to discuss something, Cosette. Ian must make love while he is imprinting, or lose that ability forever. I have made arrangements for a suitable young woman to come here for that, beginning very soon."

Cosette fastened her eyes on Marie, then said "That won't be necessary, Marie." Marie began a slow smile which Cosette reflected, and they both ended up smiling warmly at each other, then each broke into a laugh. Marie reached out and hugged her, saying "He is perfect for you and you for him. I am so very happy. And by the way, he is quite strong already, not frail even now, Cosette. Oh, and I have prepared the caretaker's house for occupancy. One never knows when one may have too many guests for even this big house" she said with a wink. That last remark hung in the air for a few seconds, and then Cosette's eyes glowed and pulsed slightly as she laughed and hugged her again. About then they heard an exclamation of wonderment from the men at the table. They were all amazed at the cut being already healed.

Marie then came out followed by Cosette with five bowls and five silver spoons saying "I've had this brought from the Swiss Confederation and it just got here today. Bon appetite'." The men began to eat it, exclaiming how delicious it was. Angus asked, saying "Marie, what is this?

"It's called chocolate pudding, Angus. The Swiss make it. My husband first brought it here after returning from a business trip there."

"Aren't you having any?"

"No. Neither my husband nor I can eat this." She then fastened her gaze on Ian, who, looking at her, nodding his understanding.

"Uncle Angus, Marie didn't eat this when she was imprinting."

"Mon Dieu! It wasn't even discovered yet!" And she laughed her musical laugh, the others joining in with her.

"Well it is a bonny good dessert, isn't it lads?" A chorus of "Aye" came back from the other two and from Ian. Angus continued "Marie, if you don't mind my asking, what is your husband's occupation that takes him to places such as the Swiss Confederation?"

"He's a banker and entrepreneur, and I do expect him to arrive while you're all still here. He's been in Liechtenstein. I do hope you'll see your way clear to spending some time with us. I'd planned to take you all horseback riding tomorrow on our estate."

All agreed, and expressed enthusiasm at the idea. Angus stood and said "Madame Marie, I thank you for your most gracious hospitality, and I do want you to write the recipe for that chocolate pudding. I intend to tell my wife about it. I'd like to turn in now if that is all right?" Then Armando and Li both stood up and offered their thanks, complimenting Marie as well and thanking Cosette one last time, they bid her and Ian goodnight. Marie led them up the stairs to their rooms.

Ian rose and started to clear the table with Cosette joining him. They cleared it at vampire speed, and then they sat to wait for Marie to return. She returned at vampire speed and said "I'm going to my room. The servants will be here early tomorrow to clean the kitchen and to prepare meals again. Good night." She departed at vampire speed.

Ian turned to Cosette saying "Would you like to take a walk?" She looked at him with a smile and nodded.

Arm in arm they walked out into the moonlight and began to stroll slowly out towards the outbuildings. The smell of jasmine hung in the night air. Crickets and cicadas sang as they strolled along, arm in arm. She would lean her head onto his shoulder at times. They walked about the grounds for over two hours, during which time he had a weak spell. He told her about his family, his childhood and all about Scotland. She related her life up to being orphaned and falling gravely ill and ending with her rescue by Marie who brought her over.

"Ian, I missed you these two days, even being only on a short errand."

"I thought often of you as well." He thought that is not a lie.

"Marie tells me that you're progressing well."

"Thanks to you and her, it seems that I am."

"Ian, is it crazy to think that I have loved you maybe even the first time I saw you, when our eyes met outside of the inn?"

"I've wondered the same thing, Cosette." Stopping he held both of her shoulders and looked gravely at her. "I had a dream of being attacked by a wild creature the night before it happened. In that same dream, I saw your face Cosette, right before I awakened." At this her lovely gray eyes widened greatly. "There is more. I could tell the difference between when you were looking at me and when the creature was looking at me."

"Really?"

"Yes. Right before I was attacked, I felt you looking at me, and then I felt an icy prickling go all of the way down my back. That was how I came to turn at the very last second. It's why I had a knife in my hand as he knocked me down. I thought I heard you shout my name."

"I did, just after I saw him jump from the building. I was well back from you so as not to be seen. I was in a conflict, but wanted to come and thank you in person for protecting Louis. I might have killed that man had you not intervened when you did. I thought that I would step forward and take Louis right then, before you left the Red Dolphin. I heard all that Angus said, so I knew that Louis would be safe. Something told me I was to stay with you that night."

"Thank God for that and for you, Cosette." He slowly drew her to him and tenderly kissed her lips. Parting then, Ian kissed her gently about the face and neck. She took his face between her hands then and kissed him gently in return. She parted her lips as he did his, and then each tongue caressed the other gently. Her faint lilac scent washed over him as he was overcome by her nearness. Both felt a fiery thrill course through their bodies. He pulled back from her and both looked at each other in wonderment. Her lovely gray eyes were aglow, pulsing softly.

He murmured her name as he kissed her eyelids and around her cheek and down on the side of her neck as she tilted her head to one side saying "Mmmm....that is so nice....don't stop." He continued to trace the lovely curve of her throat and up along the side of her face with his lips as she pressed herself against him passionately. Again they kissed, a bit more urgently this time, each pressing against the other. The incredible fire now coursed through both of them as their eyes glowed softly, pulsating slightly. Suddenly Cosette reached around and took his arms from around her and stepped back. "Ian, the caretaker's house...come my love."

She led him the short distance to the door of the building and opened it. He picked her up and even in the dark, he could easily make out the stairs. He bore her up to the second floor in three gentle bounds, and turned into a bedroom. There he set her upon her feet and immediately she was in his arms, her lips caressing his throat and chest as she undid his shirt. They undressed each other then, but slowly, stopping to kiss and caress as they were led by their passion. A shaft of moonlight extended into the room from the window. Ian lowered her gently to the bed and sank to be with her. They completely abandoned themselves in ecstasy and wonderment, softly murmuring each other's name over and over again.

The night passed with each of them only aware of the other and of their desire for each other. It was as nothing Ian had even imagined, let alone experienced. This time he was not constrained, not bound to be passive to avoid hurting his partner. He loved freely with abandon, heedless of anything but Cosette and his desire for her and to please her.

Later they lay resting, both on their left side. She with her back to him, and he fitted himself against her, his arm draped over her abdomen. The sounds of the night outside drifted in, the darkness somehow amplifying the intimacy of the setting. He raised his hand and brushed her hair back, nuzzling her neck and kissing her ear. "Ah, Cosette. I never knew it could be this way. I've never felt as...complete as I do now, being with you like this. I canna put words to this...this...feeling... this... this...wonder."

"Nor can I, mon cheri. I've not imagined such a thing as this, not ever my love." They lay like that for a while, and then Cosette murmured "Ian, if you don't stop kissing my ear and neck like that, I'm going to get the wrong idea." Just as she finished speaking her hand snaked back towards him and she laughed low, throaty. "It seems that I'm not the only one getting an idea my love."

They melted into each other, unknowing and uncaring of the world outside of that very place they occupied. It was a night of torrid lovemaking, unlike anything either had ever experienced.

# Chapter 19

The little girl was so terrified that she had wet herself as the vampire carried her along at a great speed. She couldn't shake herself free from his grip of iron, nor make a sound for the gag in her mouth. Her innocent brown eyes were wide with terror. Finally they came to a lane and turned off of the road. It led back through some trees to a large dilapidated house. Large trees and dank vegetation surrounded the place. The child suddenly was borne upward in a tremendous leap to the front porch roof, then to a large window that had been broken out. Shortly she had been lowered inside and dropped a short distance.

She was then taken downstairs to a room which was divided in two by a wall of iron bars. The vampire produced a key and opened a barred door and set her down. He produced a knife from which the girl recoiled in terror, but he only used it to cut her bonds. The floor was covered with moldy straw that stank of urine and feces. The gag was removed and the cords cut from her hands and feet. Two apples were tossed into the cage and the vampire added some water to the bucket before he walked from the cell and locked it. Then he darted up the stairs and slammed the door, locking it from the outside, then shaking it to be certain it had locked. The little girl whimpered in the dim light, then began to sob.

She heard a sound nearby and froze, sniffling. A voice came out of the darkness "Don't be afraid. It's only me, Celeste."

"Where am I?"

"We're where the Bad Man lives."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know, Juliet. He brought me here."

"Why?"

There was no answer for a while, and then the voice said "I know some songs. Would you like to hear one?"

"Yes."

"I'll have to sing softly lest the Bad Man hear me. He can hear and see very well, but won't bother with us if we're quiet." She then sang sweetly in the dim light and gradually the fear and trembling left Juliet. Celeste seemed to have the voice of an angel. After a while, Juliet learned some words and softly sang along with Celeste. They talked about different games they liked to play, then sang some more songs.

Much later she got drowsy and began to drift off to sleep. Celeste rose and walked over to her, and sat beside her. She put her arm around Juliet and held her. As Juliet began to spiral down into sleep, she wondered how it was that Celeste had known her name. Or maybe she had told her, and then had forgotten?

# Chapter 20

"Ian?"

"Yes."

"Let's go and hunt for our breakfast. Wait here, I must return to the house to get something." She stood and dressed at vampire speed and vanished down the stairs. It couldn't have been two minutes when she returned with her wide-brimmed hat, tan colored riding pantaloons, a pair of very well made outdoor boots, of a type which lace up the front for a firm fit. She wore a loose fitting dark gray blouse, and had her rucksack. Ian had already dressed, but wasn't wearing his boots and socks.

They stepped out into the dusky pre-dawn dewy grass and ran at vampire speed for the tree line across the pasture. Cosette adjusted her speed to allow him to catch up, and they ran until they came to the second stream not far from the rock spires. They stopped near it in a thicket and froze. She signed for silence. The minutes slipped past, and a faint rustling came to Ian's ears. A buck stepped into the clearing, walking to the edge of the water. Warily it looked about, then lowered its' head for a drink. Cosette leapt from the undergrowth and landed astride the hapless buck. She reached around its neck in a blur of motion and taking its head, she broke its neck instantly.

Standing above her kill, she said "Bring my rucksack Ian." As he handed it to her, she said "Bend down now and get its scent." While he took in the scent of the deer, she took a length of rope from her rucksack and quickly tied its two hind legs together. Then she effortlessly slung its carcass over one of her shoulders and in two leaps was under a large Sycamore with a large low-hanging branch. Turning to Ian she indicated a place on its' neck saying "Take the knife, and cut here, deeply." She reached into the bag and produced a copper bowl with a pour spout fashioned on one edge. As the deer's blood ran into the bowl, she walked to the stream and washed the knife, and then wrapped it in a towel and stowed it in her rucksack.

Ian said "I see hoof prints here, more than were made just now."

She replied "Yes, we vampires must be observant of such things. Go now and smell around the hoof prints and see if you can identify the scent." He did so and immediately could smell the deer scent. He looked up at her and nodded. She said "You've memorized the smell of deer, Ian, just as you did with the scent of that rabbit. You'll be able to remember and identify both forever now. Each thing that you identify after smelling it will be something that you can recall for as long as you live."

"That is...amazing."

"It makes our existence easier to hunt where humans can't observe us. Best really to hunt at night, but I knew no one would be here. This is Marie's estate." She walked over to Ian and kissing him she drew back and said "Good morning love." Then, tipping her head to one side "Shall we dine?"

She offered the bowl to him so he drank half, and then handed it to her. She drained it, and then sat it beneath her kill to catch more blood. Ian felt the familiar surge of energy. Rummaging in the rucksack she produced two packets. "Come, love." She walked to the stream and squatting next to it, cupped both hands and taking water, repeatedly rinsed her mouth. Then she looked at him and nodded towards the stream. When he was done, she took the two packets and took a pinch of lilac blossom and chewed it, allowing it to sit in her mouth for some minutes. Ian, after rinsing, did likewise, his packet having the clove and cinnamon which Marie had prepared for him.

"Shall we bathe, Ian?"

"I was just thinking that very thing."

"Follow me then." and she set off downstream.

"What of our kill?"

"We'll return for it. Marie will love to have fresh deer's blood, and we'll roast the venison for a tasty stew, maybe tomorrow."

She leapt across the thirty five foot span of water to a clear place on the other side, then out to a flat rock in the middle, then again to another clear place on the opposite shore some forty feet distant, and so on, just leaping from place to place instead of picking through the vegetation alongside the stream. Ian followed, slipping into the stream twice, but keeping close behind her. Within a quarter mile, he heard the sound of a waterfall. They came to it shortly, and Cosette was already naked when he arrived. It was no more than twenty feet high, and shaded by great overhanging sycamores with myriad vines, as was the pool below. She dove off the falls as he removed his clothes at vampire speed. In seconds he was diving in behind her. They swam and cavorted like two dolphins.

There was a low slung sycamore that grew nearly parallel to the surface of the water. She suddenly shot out of the water and landed on her feet, turning and beckoning to him. He reached the place where she had jumped out and putting everything he had into it, he flew clear over both her and the tree, crashing into the undergrowth on the bank. She threw back her head and squealed with laughter, a sound he'd never heard her make before. Laughing at himself he jumped into the water and tried again, this time landing squarely on the tree trunk beside her.

"Let's dry ourselves." She turned and leapt across the stream to land upon a flat rock and leapt from it to a long stretch of long grass which was growing along both sides of the river. She ran along the length of it at vampire speed, turned abruptly and sprang across to the other side, he following. They reversed direction along the other bank then repeated that about eight times. Then they were dry.

Taking him by the hand she led him to a place of deep shade and green grass and a thick carpeting of violets. Then sitting, she pulled him down beside her. She pushed him back onto the grass and they made love there. He thought it was like paradise. Her presence, the beauty of the place and the sound of the waterfall were enchanting. They lay together afterwards, she taking his hand and kissing it as he stroked her hair tenderly with his other hand.

"Ah lass, never have I been happier than with you." Cosette laughed her lovely throaty laugh, then murmured "And I, with you, my love."

After a bit, she said, "We must return. Marie and the others will have eaten by now. Besides she wants us all to go horseback riding today." She got up and in three leaps, was atop the waterfall and dressing at vampire speed.

When he was dressed, they leaped and sprang here and there back to their kill. She wrapped its head although the bleeding had stopped, securing the rag with the rope. She took several copper flasks from her rucksack and poured the blood into them. Rinsing the bowl, she put it in the rucksack and they were about to set off, Ian carrying the kill.

He collapsed and she quickly came to him, holding a flask so that he could drink. He felt revived in some ten minutes. During that time his bones ached and he had some aching in his upper mouth. He asked her about it and she replied "Likely that is because your venom glands are growing."

"Venom glands?"

Yes. They're needed for helping us to digest human food that we can safely eat, as well as for initiating a human to cross over." The pains passed and he rinsed his mouth out and again shouldered the kill. They bounded away, heading for the chateau.

# Chapter 21

Eduardo Vasquez arrived at his home in Barcelona. He stepped out of the carriage to greet his wife and daughter, Alandra. The servants were all lined up standing behind Alandra and his wife. He hugged and kissed his wife. Alandra came and hugged him, kissing his cheek.

'Papa, I'm so glad you're home."

"As am I Alandra, as am I." He was tired after all of the traveling, and truth to tell, he was tired of being Ambassador to France. He knew that he couldn't resign though for bringing shame to those who had supported his appointment, not the least being the King himself. He resolved to enjoy his two months stay here and just ignore all political happenings if that was possible. He hoped not to be summoned to Madrid soon.

At supper that night, he noticed a despondent air about Alandra. She was impeccable and polite, but the vivaciousness had left her. She seemed.....hollow. It was puzzling to him.

Later, after supper he told his wife his observations regarding Alandra. She then explained that Alandra had met a young Scottish sailor among the crew of those who had rescued her. She had been despondent ever since arriving home for worrying over whether he had survived the recent storm. At that, Ambassador Eduardo remembered the letter from the young man that he had brought with him. He quickly got it and went to his daughter who was outside looking towards the incredibly blue Mediterranean from their terraced portico. The view was simply stunning from the Vasquez villa. She sat on a low stone retaining wall, her legs drawn under her, elbows resting on a higher portion of the wall and her lovely face cradled in her hands.

"Alandra, I've brought you something." Turning she took it from him. Opening it she read:

Dear Alandra,

I hope this letter finds you well and happy. The entire crew and I are alive and well in Marseille. We're now going to be making repairs to Tico. I can't stop thinking of you. I hope to see you, maybe when we leave Marseille. I'll try to persuade Angus to stop at Barcelona for a day or two.

All of my love,

Ian

"Oh Papa! Read it to me, please." He read it to her then folded it and handed it to her. She said "Papa! Ian is alive, he is alive! She suddenly was radiant, like a flower opening to receive light. She hugged him and twirled around twice, before noticing that he was looking somber. He handed a folded newspaper to her.

"What is this, Papa? It looks like a newspaper from Marseille." She read it and learned of the newspaper's account of her rescue by the daring and courageous crew of the merchantman ship Elsie's Cloud. She hugged the newspaper to her breast and beamed radiantly, then noticed that her father wasn't smiling with her.

"Papa, what is it?" He handed her the other newspaper detailing the attack of a mysterious wild beast on one Ian McCloud of the merchantman ship Elsie's Cloud and his subsequent disappearance. She visibly wilted and paled so quickly that he was alarmed and reached out to steady her. That she was stricken to her soul was plain to see.

Hating himself he gathered her to his arms and held her as she sobbed hysterically. She couldn't be comforted, collapsing even as she sobbed. He caught her and carried her into the villa.

On the terraced portico with the stunning view, the only sound to be heard then was the wind in the trees and a songbird singing, blended with the sound of weeping coming from the villa.

# Chapter 22

Ian walked in to the dining room and all at the table greeted him. Angus said "Laddie, I canna stay here too long or I won't fit into my britches!" There followed a chorus of "Aye." from Armando and Li.

"Remember that we are all going riding this morning. Marie has over four thousand acres here and wants you to see as much of it as you can while you're here." Lowering his voice he said "We can talk more freely when away from the servants." The three nodded in understanding.

After breakfast Marie led everyone to the stables. Ian said "Before we ride, I'd like to show you something." Picking up a saddle blanket he said "I want you men to watch and I want Marie and Cosette to peek out at me from time to time from behind this barn. I'll wave this blanket each time I feel them looking at me."

He walked a hundred yards out and stopped with his back to the barn. Soon he felt a prickling and raised the blanket. It stopped. Again it came and again he raised the blanket. It stopped and he lowered the blanket. There were two more repetitions. He walked back to the group and all were amazed.

"I thought that it was Cosette looking at me the third time and Marie the other three times." Marie's hands flew to her cheeks as her mouth dropped open even as Cosette smiled.

Angus said "By Heaven, I wouldn't have believed this if I hadn't seen it!" Armando was flabbergasted too. Marie came and hugged Ian and said "this is a rare talent unheard of in vampires.

Soon the group was riding their mounts along a trail that led into the forest. They continued along until about a half-hour later they wound their way to the waterfall where Ian and Cosette had gone swimming. Dismounting they let the horses graze on the abundant grass alongside the stream. Marie led them to a shady area and removed her broad-brimmed hat, as did Cosette.

"Gentlemen, we are safely away from prying eyes. Now you may see a few things done here that are common among vampires."

"We swam here this morning, Marie."

"Then show our guests the quickest way to the top of that waterfall."

Cosette leaped onto a rock some twenty feet away, then to the opposite bank, then across the stream again, and in two more bounds was at the top of the waterfall. Ian then followed her example.

The three men sat there dumfounded. Ian and Cosette sprang off and in a few leaps rejoined the group.

"Uncle Angus, do ye see that maple tree yonder, across the stream?"

"Yea, laddie."

"How far away is it?"

"It is a good sixty feet."

"I can see the veins on each leaf, and I can see black ants crawling on the trunk."

Angus shook his head in wonder, and Ian said "Let me show you, Uncle. Come over here." Ian scooped up Angus like he was made of straw and leapt across the stream, lightly landing on the other side and setting him down next to the tree. Angus looked at him in utter astonishment, and then looked at the tree.

"There are black ants all over this tree lads, just as he said."

Ian again scooped up Angus and leapt across the stream again, depositing him on his feet next to the group. The men stood in silence, then Li applauded and smiled, then Armando joined in. Both were smiling broadly at Angus who stood shaking his head in astonishment.

Marie spoke up, saying "Ian has demonstrated remarkable progress in his imprinting. So far he hasn't had any problems whatsoever with direct sunlight."

"Will he have.....problems Marie?" asked Armando.

"Vampires will burn to death if exposed to sunlight for even a short time. Some of us will burn faster than others. Adepts tolerate it better and take longer to catch fire, but we'll burn to death in direct sunlight given enough time."

"Does sunlight affect your vision?"

"We don't tolerate reflections of sunlight well at all. It hurts our eyes whereas with humans, it just causes them to have to squint to see. Ian so far has shown no reaction to sunlight. I don't know why this is, but it is a good thing. Come along now, we must show you more of the place. Oh, Cosette how long did it take you and Ian to travel back to the chateau from here this morning?"

"We took two minutes or so to reach the pasture Marie, but that was because Ian was carrying the deer carcass."

"Two minutes?" exclaimed Armando in disbelief. Ian replied "Aye lads, if not for me, Cosette could have made it there in maybe a minute."

"By heaven that is miraculous!" said Angus shaking his head as Armando and Li nodded in agreement. The group then mounted and rode along behind Marie, continuing their animated discussion as they wound their way through the beautiful countryside.

Dinner was a happy time of conversing and the men found their hostess to be dazzling in beauty and wit. They were charmed and won over. Angus said "Lads, it is my considered opinion that if this had to happen to Ian, he could be no better place than with these two lovely ladies." Standing he said "I propose a toast to our lovely hostess, Lady Marie, and to our lovely Cosette." Ian, Li, and Armando all stood, saying "Hear-hear!" as they drained their wine goblets.

Turning and walking around to Marie at the head of the table Angus stopped. She stood and faced him. He then said "Marie, I'm moved beyond my poor means of saying it... how happy and grateful I am for your boundless kindness toward Ian. I will forever be in your debt Lady Marie." He took Marie's hands, kissing them both and Marie stepped close to him. They hugged warmly even as Ian said "I hear a coach, two horses." Marie turned to Ian and said "Oh, Ian, you heard that when I did. That's good. Those sound like our horses. My husband is home." They all walked to the front veranda and waited for the carriage to arrive.

No sooner had it stopped at the walkway than its door opened and out stepped a tall, handsome distinguished man with brown eyes, dark hair, and the slightest bit of gray hair at his temples. He appeared to be about forty years of age, yet seeing Marie he began to run to her like a young man as she ran towards him likewise. He caught her up and whirled her around while she laughed and kissed him repeatedly. "I've missed you so, cheri."

"And I've missed you mon cheri."

Ian's heart warmed so to see it. He already loved Marie dearly, and to see her so well mated and so happy warmed his heart. Proper introductions were made all around. Marie told a servant to prepare another place at the table and ordered blackberry cobbler and apple pie to be served. Henri sat at the head of the table where Marie had sat, and she sat at his right hand. Every so often she would lean over to kiss his cheek or to hug him with one arm as they talked. He would stop eating periodically to return a kiss or hug. Sometimes their hands were clasped, fingers intertwined on the table. They were clearly in love with each other.

"Armando said "You two look like newlyweds. If you don't mind my asking, how old are you both?"

Marie had a fan dangling from her wrist. Quickly looking about to be sure no servants were in earshot, she snapped it open. Then she held it up so that only her eyes were showing above it, fanning herself while peeking over the tip of her fan. "I'm barely 320 years old but Henri is 457 this year." Then batting her beautiful eyes coquettishly, she said in a lower voice "I've always had a weakness for older men." At this, everyone at the table threw back their heads and laughed uproariously. Angus slapped his thigh repeatedly as he roared in mirth. No one laughed harder than Henri who finally had to wipe the tears from his eyes. "My God but I've missed you Marie!" He said, taking both of her hands and kissing them.

Angus stood and said "A toast to the most marvelous host and hostess in all of France, and to the happiest couple I've ever seen."

Everyone else stood then as Ian said "Hear-hear!" Ian said "Three cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Lafayette." Angus, Ian, Li, and Armando then stood and all said. "Hip-hip-huzzah! Hip-hip-huzzah! Hip-hip-huzzah!"

After drinking the toast and seating themselves again Ian stood up and said "I have something to announce today." Turning to Cosette, he took her hand and drew her to her feet. She stood facing him with a quizzical look. He then took both of Cosette's hands in his and kissed them, and then releasing them, he stepped back from her. Reaching into his pocket he produced an exquisite diamond ring with a large stone. He knelt on one knee before her, saying "Cosette, I love you. Will you marry me?" Cosette's hands flew to her mouth as her beautiful eyes widened. She slowly took both her hands from her face and smiling sweetly said "Yes, oh yes Ian! Oh yes, yes, yes!"

Slipping the ring on her left hand, Ian stood and pulled her to him gently saying "You're the center of my world, Cosette. I'll do my best to love, protect, and to make you happy for as long as I live."

Everyone at the table stood and applauded. Henri and Marie went to Cosette and both hugged her and kissed her and then both hugged and congratulated Ian.

Congratulatory hugs and handshakes were given all around and then Henri proposed a toast to the bride and groom to be, and immediately after that Marie cornered Angus to begin planning the wedding. She knew who to get for a bridal dress, and all arrangements to be made for readying the Chateau.

Ian separated himself from Cosette a moment, leaving her to speak with Armando and Li. He came to Angus and Marie and said "I've spoken to Cosette, and we want to be married on board Elsie's Cloud at sea. We want you to marry us Uncle Angus. We then want to have the celebration for our wedding here and we want to invite the crew, to attend. I'll pay well for whosoever of the crew stays to stand watch while the rest of them are here." Marie looked in Cosette's direction to see her nodding her assent.

"Then that's what we'll do. I'll send couriers immediately and arrange everything. Angus, you only have to make Elsie available. If you don't object, I would like to have a friend of mine decorate her for the occasion, maybe one or two days before the wedding? Oh, when is the wedding to be, Cosette?"

Cosette stood smiling sweetly up at Ian, their fingers intertwined. Shifting her gaze to Marie, she said "Whenever you're ready, Marie." Ian nodded his agreement.

"Oh, this is going to be marvelous, Henri! If Angus doesn't mind, I'll arrange to have a canopy erected over a sizeable area for the guests." said Henri, as Marie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes the ceremony won't take long and then we'll all be returning here to celebrate. Oh this is going to be such fun Henri. Our Cosette is getting married!"

Marie led them into her parlor, walking arm in arm with Angus. She said "I opened a note meant for you this day."

"Oh?

"I get so many from our couriers; I just open them as they come in. I do apologize."

"Quite all right, Marie."

"Thank you. It was from a lawyer. It seems the father of one of the two girls you saved has not only made arrangement for a steady supply of delicacies and fine foods for the crew of Elsie, but he has retained an attorney should that scoundrel LeBlanc decide to pursue Ian in court for being so badly beaten."

"Hmmph! Let him. Decent of the man. Nice family. His wife had us over for dinner while we were in Barcelona. Good that you decided to not let Ian in on this, seeing how things have developed between him and Cosette. Best to let sleeping dogs lie?"

"My thoughts exactly, Angus."

Henri played the harpsichord and Marie asked Ian to dance with her. Fortunately for him, his mother had insisted that he at least know how to dance a minuet.

As they danced, he thanked her for the ring she had given him for Cosette. She said "I always wanted her to have it, Ian. No thanks are necessary." she said, pulling his head down and kissing him on both cheeks.

The planning and music went on into the night. Ian and Cosette slipped away to the caretaker's house while all of the others were dancing and talking about the big day. Soon they had no cares but to please each other. The world outside of their room didn't exist.

***

Again night had fallen at Angel's Care orphanage. The children had all settled into their beds in the large dormitories. As every night, the only sounds were the sounds common to institutions after daylight hours. An occasional cough, the faint skitter of a mouse within a wall, the call of an owl outside the dormitory. But tonight, there was a thump on the roof. Little Michelle heard it, and silently got out of her bed and crawled under it. She remembered a few nights ago hearing that, then the next day thinking it was only a dream. Soon a creaking sound was heard, seeming to come from one end of the dormitory. It came from high up on the gable end wall. A shadow dropped to the floor with hardly a sound. It froze in place, absolutely still for over a minute. It seemed that only its head moved, swiveling very slowly, eyes glowing, listening perhaps.

Michelle barely breathed, and silently wet herself. The figure then seemed to glide rapidly to a bed near to the wall where it had descended. It froze, leaning over that bed, pausing there for nearly a full minute. Then stealthily, it produced a rag and suddenly grabbed and gagged the girl sleeping there. It rapidly tied her hands and feet, and then leapt straight up some twenty feet to a beam only some ten feet from the window it had come in. Then it leapt silently to the window with the figure of the little girl hanging over its shoulder, and seemed to melt through the opening.

Michelle lay under her bed in stark terror, her hands over her mouth lest she betray her presence. She lay there until just before dawn and she could see well enough to know that the Bad Man was gone. She then got up and crawled into her bed, but couldn't take her eyes from the gable window. It was pulled shut, and looked as if it had never been opened. Did she have the same bad dream again?

She dozed then awoke. She had wet herself last night and was ashamed. But why were the sheets not soiled? Better to quickly put her nightgown and panties in the wash and just pretend she had slept naked. She was too embarrassed to tell anyone about it. Maybe if she kept quiet, no one would know. The bed wouldn't be soiled at least. She slipped off to the laundry area and left her nightgown there in one of the soiled clothing baskets. Concluding that no one was missing she decided that she had once again only dreamt of the Bad Man.

Naked but for a towel, she tiptoed back into her dormitory and pulled the covers over her head, feigning sleep and wishing it would come. Eventually her exhaustion won over her fear, and sleep came.

# Chapter 23

In the dark of their room in the caretaker's house Cosette asked "Ian, shall we go for a swim again this morning?"

"Yes. Mmmmm... I have fond memories about swimming with you."

Her indescribable husky laugh warmed him in the intimate darkness as she said "I'll go and get our rucksacks."

After the swimming and after they'd made love, they both vaulted onto their mounts and took an hour-long ride bareback. Cosette led him to places east of the chateau that he hadn't seen. From a hill, he noticed an all stone house sitting on a small shady hill. He asked Cosette about it and she said it belonged to the Tremblay family and that the last surviving owner had died recently. They both admired the look of the place.

Later at the Chateau Ian approached Henri and suggested that he consider allowing him to teach all of them the use of firearms. He was able to convince Henri by describing the details of how Cosette had saved him from the vampire attack. The thought of what could have happened to her was more than enough to convince the three of them to learn not only basic firearms and swordsmanship skills, but also hand to hand self-defense skills.

That day they practiced with the pistols, muskets, and wooden sabers. Ian had shown a remarkable skill at hitting pieces of firewood in mid-flight. He seemed to have natural talent for shooting accurately. Cosette, Marie, and Henri were very good by the time late afternoon came, which impressed the three humans greatly, especially being as the two women had never had instruction with firearms. Ian said "I'm more than pleased by what I saw today. A few days of this and you will all be skilled indeed. Tomorrow, Li and I will show you some basic moves in hand-to-hand combat."

They all had fresh apple cider, and then went for a horseback ride all around the estate, a different direction than before. Toward evening, they were all sitting in the parlor after supper, the servants having left for the night. Angus asked "does anyone know the origin of vampires?"

Marie looked to Henri who nodded. She said "None of us are sure of that. There are legends. Henri and I have discussed this more than once. I think that the first of our kind were the result of the "fallen ones" referred to in the Bible."

"Fallen ones?"

"Yes. The Bible says that there were giants in the land in the days before the flood and also afterwards. King David killed one centuries after the flood. The word "giants" is correct because some of their offspring were giants, but the Hebrew word "nephilim" also means 'fallen ones', being those angels which left heaven to follow Lucifer in the rebellion."

Angus spoke then saying "That is early in the book of Genesis."

"Yes. In that same part of Genesis the Bible describes the earth as 'filled with violence and continual evil' before the flood. I have come to believe that the first vampires were offspring of the original fallen ones who mated with human females descended from the line of Cain."

"That's a fascinating idea, Marie."

"Remember, in the sixth chapter of Genesis the Bible tells us that the fallen ones, the sons of God, took wives from among humans and procreated."

Angus said "But were the giants not all drowned in the flood?"

"Yes, but the Bible doesn't say who the three sons of Noah were married to. After the flood, the Bible does show that all of the giants recorded after that were descended from the line of Ham, youngest son of Noah. I've long thought that maybe the wife of Ham might have come from the line of Cain. She might have been descended from one of the fallen ones and became the means by which the seed of the giants made it through the flood. She might have been a carrier of the vampire seed some way. There are several references to giants after the flood, in the time of Moses and in the time of King David too."

Angus nodded, saying "I'll have to read all of that again."

"It may be that the first vampire was born to someone descended from Ham. As I said, all of the giants are recorded as descendants of Ham."

There was silence as everyone thought about that and then Angus spoke. "You know, it may be that after the flood there were changes in the air. People didn't live as long as they did before the flood."

Marie said "Maybe that is when vampires began to burn when exposed to direct sunlight. It might be that there was no direct sunlight before the flood? There are three verses in the first chapter of Genesis that say the firmament was called heaven and that the firmament separated the waters above from the waters below. That was on the second day of the creation. I have wondered if there was a layer of water surrounding the earth, maybe a layer of permanent cloud cover. That would have dissolved as a rainfall lasting forty days when the flood started, and not to mention that there were great underwater reservoirs that burst forth to add to the flood of rainfall. The truth is, none of us knows the answer to the riddle of our true origin."

"What of the stories such as that you vampires can't come into a building unless invited?" asked Armando.

"Nonsense."

"What about not being able to see your reflection in a mirror?"

Primping her hair and making as if she was combing it and straightening her collar, Marie said with an impish look "Mon Dieu! A fate worse than death! However would I stay pretty enough to keep Henri happy?" At this all laughed heartily, especially Henri, who said "You'd be beautiful to me if only wearing a feed sack." At this she leaned over on the sofa to kiss him tenderly. Then she continued "And you can put away all that other nonsense such as having fangs which suddenly appear. We are quite strong enough to easily bite to feed if we don't have our knives and bowls handy. And forget about wearing garlic to keep us away, or raising a cross to repel us, or that we can be killed only by driving a wooden stake through our hearts."

Armando said "that one was always a favorite of mine" as everyone laughed.

"There are other tales too, such as that we can't cross running water. Those are fables and old wives' tales. However, such silliness has its usefulness. It makes us all the more unbelievable, and that is one key to our being able to remain unknown."

"Is it really necessary to be so secretive though?"

Henri replied "Wide-scale exposure of our existence would eventually result in human carnage on a scale not to be believed. It would result in the worst war in history, and one that would never end."

Armando asked "Why is that?"

"Once it became known among our kind that we were targeted for extermination, vampires everywhere would begin to make humans cross over by force to swell our numbers. Those of us who customarily shun human contact might begin to kill humans. It would be a world-wide nightmare without end." Angus and the others exchanged somber looks, shaking their heads.

***

Eduardo Vasquez sat with his wife on the portico, overlooking Barcelona and the Mediterranean. They discussed Alandra who hadn't eaten, and was content to lie in bed all day. She rarely came from her room and had little to say to either one of her parents. Even Celita couldn't comfort her it seemed. They were distressed. Eduardo still believed that keeping the facts of Ian's being found alive from Alandra would be best for them all in the long run. But it was hard to cope with his wife being so grieved too. He dared not tell her, for fear that she would tell Alandra, who was headstrong enough already. If she knew for sure that this Ian fellow was alive and well, she would move heaven and earth to get permission to travel to Marseille. He would have a hard time refusing her as he knew from experience.

Considering the options there seemed to him to be but one. He would hold to his original plan. Taking his wife's hands he said "I think we should proceed with the beginning of the betrothal. We should take up where we were before all of this happened. The preparations for the trip and the change of scenery will work to help distract Alandra from her miserable state. She's bright and naturally curious and loves to sail now."

His wife looked tiredly at him, and agreed. They would send word to the Rodriguez family and reschedule their visit. The Rodriguez family had to come to their place too in order to conform to custom, so it would be best for all concerned to proceed as soon as possible.

Eduardo sat thinking Best we be away as soon as possible because news of Ian McCloud's being alive and well might be spoken of where Alandra would hear of it. Almeria is much further away, closer to Morocco than to France. The further away from this McCloud fellow the better he thought. The sooner Alandra is betrothed the better.

He felt better already, having made the decision and getting his wife behind it. Things would soon improve, of that he was sure.

# Chapter 24

The buildings with an occasional lighted window blurred past at an astonishing speed. Mimi was terrified, but bound and gagged. Tears of fright streaked her face as the wind roared in her ears. Suddenly she was aware of a sharp turn from the road and shortly after that, a sudden leap upwards to land softly. The gable of a house loomed overhead in the darkness. She was stuffed through an opening and then dropped a short distance to a floor in a darkened attic.

The vampire picked her up quickly and leaped down a flight of stairs. Taking a key from a pocket, he then unlocked a door and leaped down another flight of steps to land in a dank basement. An oil lamp sat in a corner on the floor, giving off a dim light. He carried her to an iron-barred partition and dropped her on the dirt floor. Fishing a key from his pocket, he opened an iron barred door and then picked Mimi up and sat her down inside of the cell. Producing a knife he cut the cords binding her and removed her gag.

He turned and in a flash had reached into a basket sitting in a corner and returned with several apples which he tossed into the cell. He then locked the door and flitted up the stairs like wind-blown smoke. The door at the top of the stairs was slammed and the key could be heard turning the lock. Then it was silent, except for her breathing.

Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she took stock of her surroundings. Mimi sat staring at a huddled shape in the corner. The shape moved, separated. She recoiled in terror as chills ran down her spine. A sweet voice said "Hello Mimi. Don't be afraid. I am Celeste."

***

Two days had passed after Angus and Armando had gone to Marseille. Ian had had two spells where he felt faint and his bones seemed to ache. They were less severe than earlier ones had been. Li had said something to Ian one day at the breakfast table that stunned everyone. He had suggested that Ian try to learn to do as many things left-handed as he could while he was imprinting. There was silence for several seconds after he said it. Eyebrows were raised, and then Ian said "By heaven, why didn't I think of that?" Henri, Marie and Cosette then chimed in enthusiastically.

Ian had started doing things left-handed that very day, and had gotten good at some things already. He resolved to especially train himself at both swordsmanship and firearms operation from then on, but would do as many things as possible with his left hand, including handwriting. He was surprised to see how rapidly he was able to make the transition

Ian and Li had been teaching Kung Fu principals to Cosette and Henri. Both had taken well to it. Marie participated now and then, but was preoccupied with arranging the wedding. Henri wisely kept out of that unless specifically asked. A good deal of time was spent on how to defend against a knife when only the enemy has one. Li was thorough and Ian did the drills with Cosette and Henri. In this way, Li couldn't be hurt. An added bonus was that all techniques could be done at vampire speed.

Even though he had now become somewhat accustomed to seeing unbelievable things done by vampires, Li was still stupefied at the blinding speed displayed during practice. He thought long and hard about how it would feel to have such superhuman speed and power. He weighed not being able to be in sunlight and having to always conceal his vampirism. It occupied his thoughts a lot that day. Ian could sense that Li was distracted by something. He resolved to hold his peace until his friend came to him.

Marie would come and partner with Cosette at times when she could get away from her planning. She had let some of her correspondence pile up due to the press to get so much done in the time leading up to the wedding.

Li asked Ian privately one day if he could be brought over to become a vampire. Ian was stunned, talking with Li about it for the rest of that day, probing him. He was adamant, saying he had no family and could not expect to return to what was considered a normal life in China as long as the Triads were looking for him. Ian finally agreed to put it to Henri and Marie that evening.

After supper, they settled in the parlor. Ian sat next to Cosette on a settee, and Marie sat next to Henri on a sofa. Henri had been talking about banking and finance which all but Li thought was interesting.

Ian said "I have something that affects us all that I need to put before you this evening." All looked towards him. Continuing on, he said "Li approached me today about crossing over to become one of us."

There was silence in the room as eyebrows were raised. The grandfather clock in the grand foyer chimed the hour. Marie and Cosette looked to Henri for his reply. He stood and paced a bit, looking at Li as if able to read his thoughts.

Marie asked Li "Are you sure about this, Li? You know the penalty for feeding on humans. We would bring to bear all necessary resources if you ever transgressed that rule."

Ian spoke then saying "I'll stand to answer for anything that Li does, whether good or bad."

Li said "I would never do that. I've learned much in these days with all of you in this household. But I learned more about love while here than anything else. With my time aboard Elsie's Cloud as a crewman and being here, I would have to say that this is as close to a family as I will ever have."

At this Marie stood and walked to Li, hugging him, and was joined by Cosette who also put her arms around him. Li was silent, but he was moved by their acceptance and affection. He continued "I have loved my life as a member of Elsie's crew, but I believe that my fate is linked to Ian. You know my story and how I came to be a crewman?"

Everybody nodded signifying that they knew his testimony. It was quiet, and the grandfather clock ticking in the grand foyer made the only sounds. Finally Ian said "Li could have approached me later on and not shared his desire with anyone else, but it was his choice to do it this way now."

As Marie and Cosette returned to their seats, Henri finally said "We usually only bring someone to cross over to save their life, and then only if we know the person and their behavior and reputation. But we've considered Alyssa, haven't we Marie?"

"Yes, we have. She's in Paris now by the way, Henri. But in my mind, she is still a candidate should she not marry."

"Yes, she is" he said, taking his seat again next to Marie on the sofa.

Ian then spoke saying "What about you, Cosette?"

Cosette paused dramatically and stood up again. She then said very gravely "My only objection is that if Li crosses over, I would then likely become the worst marksman in this house." At that she smiled brilliantly and raucous laughter erupted in the group. Marie laughed uncontrollably, and simply buried her head against Henri's shoulder, her shoulders shaking with mirth. Even the stoic Li laughed hard at that one. Cosette hugged him and sat down.

Henri laughingly said "Then I think we've settled the matter. Do we do it now or wait until after the wedding?" Marie having stopped laughing said "Is there any reason to delay?" Everyone looked around at each other and there were no objections.

Henri said "Li, we can do this tonight or wait and let you have all the time you want to decide. You may not do as well as Ian did regarding tolerance to sunlight. That's a consideration to weigh."

"I'll do it at your convenience whether tonight or when you want it to happen."

Henri did the honors as the family watched. They resumed talking about the wedding as Li stayed under Marie's watchful eye for the first two hours. He had lapsed into unconsciousness. Ian and Cosette agreed to stay near him all night. The three of them spent the rest of the night in the room which Ian had spent his first night at the chateau. Li had awakened during the night and was nourished with rabbit's blood. Before dawn, he had his first seizure and was again given blood.

# Chapter 25

Inspector Rousseau dismounted from his horse at the Angel's Care orphanage. This was the second report of a missing child from the place in a short span, maybe only days it seemed. He would consult his notes on that point.

Speaking to the headmistress, he was conducted to the dormitory where the girl had been assigned to sleep. Walking about the large room he could see no sign of any foul play. He stopped then at the end wall, remembering the broken window up high. Looking up, he saw that the glass had been replaced. The window was shut, but looking more closely, he did see that the latch was still missing. The window was closed tight however. He decided to question the staff however, so he asked the headmistress to arrange it so that he could interview them one at a time. She made her own office available and the interviews commenced soon thereafter.

After some two hours, he had talked to everyone on staff including the cook and custodian. It was all to no avail. It seemed that the child had vanished overnight according to all that he could discern. Supposedly she had been accounted for at bed time. He wondered at that though, because there were several members of the staff absent, having bad colds. They were forbidden to be at work if sick by the charity's founder, Madame Marie Lafayette. He speculated that the staff being cut down to a little above half of their normal strength the past week might have been tired enough to have missed one child or even forgotten or omitted the roll call at bed time. He knew the name Lafayette by reputation as one of the greatest benefactors for children's causes in all of France.

It seemed likely that the child had deliberately run away and that the staff had possibly covered it up to cover their own laxity. There was no foul play, just one orphan missing among the hundreds living in Marseille alone. He had seen children in abysmal conditions passing through the worst areas of the city, and he pitied them. He would make no trouble for these overworked people. That would end up making it worse for all of the children there in the end, wouldn't it? That is the nature of government he thought. Someone would do something to say that they had acted and as likely as not, it would be the wrong thing. This orphanage was cleaner and better run than any he was aware of. Most were dreadful. He resolved to report accordingly so as to blame no one officially. It would do his career no good to agitate a family like the Lafayettes either.

The headmistress made a report and filed it properly as she had for the first girl. She also wrote a letter to Marie and put it where the outgoing correspondence was waiting for the weekly courier to take it to Madame Lafayette.

***

Ian and Li sat in Marie's kitchen, sampling the large selection of fruits and other food that she had prepared. They decided to go out beyond the barn where Ian would instruct Li in swordsmanship. They worked at that for some three hours in full sunlight. Neither was affected. Li reminded Ian again that he needed to spend more time doing his stretching while he was imprinting. He and Ian both worked diligently with their left hands while exercising with the wooden sabers. Li had another weak spell and Ian helped him to drink. In under a half hour he recovered. His bones had ached and his skin and knees felt inflamed. Henri came and joined them after sending some dispatches via one of their couriers. He told them that Marie was going through her neglected mail now, and that she would join them soon. She and Cosette wanted to practice some Kung Fu. Henri suggested that they all go horseback riding that afternoon. They had decided to go get the pistols and work with them for a while, when Marie came running out at human speed.

She said "I'm going to Marseille today. A child is missing from our orphanage, Henri. It doesn't seem...right somehow. I can go to see Angus and see the work being done on Elsie while I'm there. Cosette wants to come along and see the ship. I have sent for the largest carriage in case someone wants to come with us." She then went back to the house at a run, Henri with her.

Ian and Li went to the rabbit pen and within twenty minutes they had topped up five flasks with fresh blood.

Within a half hour the five of them were on their way to Marseille. The ride there was uneventful, and passed quickly with Marie distracted. Once when Cosette playfully tousled Ian's hair and kissed him, Marie stared right at him and said "Ian, we must do something about your hair. You must have been hacking at it with a knife. Why did you do that?"

"I first started to cut it while in the Far East. It is very humid in that part of the world in warm weather. I just wanted to have an easier time of keeping it clean. I hardly wore any clothing while in that part of the world. It was so humid."

"Your hair can't regrow to a traditional shoulder length in the remaining time of your imprinting. We must trim it. Whatever we do to it will be the way it will look forever. We'll attend to that at the soonest possible time. You and Li must attend to your nails too. You want them to be trimmed short so they will never be a bother for the rest of your lives, and don't forget your toenails either."

Looking at Li, Ian said "I told you that Marie thinks of everything."

The time passed quickly. Marie and Cosette continued on to the orphanage after letting everyone off at the wharf district. Ian had asked to be let off at the jeweler's shop for something he wanted to leave with the man. He had brought a small package along. Marie promised they would join them aboard Elsie when she finished her business at the orphanage.

At the orphanage, Marie and Cosette went immediately to the headmistress who took them to the dormitory where it had happened. Marie looked about the place and then said "You say that there was no sign of anyone forcing their way in?"

"Yes, Madame Lafayette. Well, there was some broken glass from that window there." Marie and Cosette looked up at the window some twenty feet above the floor.

"Broken glass?"

"Yes, Madame. There was a pane broken out and glass lying there." she said, pointing to a place beneath the window. "The window was latched though."

"I see that the glass has been replaced, yes?"

"Yes, Madame. But it wasn't broken though when the second girl went missing."

"What? What second girl?"

"It just happened, Madame. I have the report completed. It's waiting with the report about the window repair to be picked up by the courier."

"And you say that this window was not damaged when this second girl was found to be missing?"

"No Madame. It was neither broken nor open."

Cosette said "Excuse me, but the latch hasn't been replaced."

"Why is that?"

"The workmen didn't have a latch for it. They thought there had been no latch there for a while. They said they'd find a latch for it and would bring it the next time something else needed repairing." Marie regarded the window. Cosette was staring at it intently. Then she stepped back and looked at the nearest oak cross beam intently. "There is a black thread hanging there." she said pointing at the beam where a tiny piece of thread was wedged under a burr in the roughhewn wood. Marie said "Maybe the workmen were up there to place a walk board to stand upon?"

"Yes, that could be it." The headmistress wondered how the two could even see the thread they were talking about. The inspector hadn't seen it, nor could she.

"And this last time when Mimi was found to be missing, this window was found to be intact?"

"Yes, Madame. It was intact and closed."

"What did the inspector have to say about it?"

"He thought a bird had done it. He had seen that happen once before at a church."

Marie stood and thought a while then nodding slowly she began to walk toward the door to the central hall outside of the dormitory. Cosette and the headmistress followed. Cosette said "Marie, it looks as if that latch hasn't been missing for very long." Marie turned and regarded Cosette, then looked back at the window as if seeing it for the first time. She stood like that a bit, and then she said "Very well, I'll stop at the King's Gendarmerie to see if Inspector Rousseau has any other details."

About the time they left the dormer a little girl waiting in the hallway came to Marie and tugged on her dress.

"And who might you be?" she said as she and Cosette paused.

"Are you here because Mimi and Juliet are gone?"

Cosette and Marie both knelt and smiled at the little girl, then Marie spoke saying "I am, and who might you be?"

"I am Michelle."

"Hello, Michelle. I'm Marie and this is Cosette."

"Hello. You have pretty eyes. Turning to Cosette she said "You do too."

"Well thank you Michelle. You have very pretty eyes too. Did you want to tell us something?"

"Yes."

Marie and Cosette raised their eyebrows and waited for the little girl to speak.

"I thought I was dreaming but I was not dreaming. The Bad Man with the shining eyes took Juliet and Mimi"

# Chapter 26

The longboat rowed away from the ship a short distance, and then its single sail was unfurled to catch the breeze. It picked up some speed and began a series of tacking maneuvers accompanied by the rowing of the crew. The ship unfurled its' sails and weighed anchor. Slowly and majestically it moved out of the harbor. The two moved apart, the longboat moving toward the shore while the ship moved southward.

Alandra stood on the starboard side, watching Barcelona begin to recede as the ship gathered speed. Her mother and father stood beside her, both with their arms around her. She leaned her head on her fathers' shoulder.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the Rodriquez family. I really have missed Spain while I was in France. I think this trip to Almeria will do all of us good. You two will see."

Alandra took a deep breath and sighed. She was thinking back to when she was offered the chance to steer a ship. She became warmer inside at the memory of standing at the helm of Tico with Ian close behind her, his arms around her as he helped her hold the helm. As she drifted back reviewing those magical memories, she recalled the line of his jaw, his brow, and his frosty blue eyes that seemed to peer into her very soul. His eyes could twinkle magically if he was amused at something while at other times they could have a penetrating look about them as if he could see inside of one.

She relived sitting on the bowsprit of Tico while Ian sat holding her from behind, his strong arms around her waist, she lying back against him, feeling so warm and content, so....as if she belonged there and nowhere else. Then there were the kisses. Madre de Dios! What a thrill, the fire that had run through her body! Even now she was stirred at the memory. She somehow knew that she would never feel that way again with anyone else.

She had wanted so to return to Marseille and to look for Ian. Her father had forbidden it vehemently. She'd finally agreed to this trip. She hoped to see some things to fill her life enough so that she didn't cry herself to sleep every night. Perhaps Papa was right. Perhaps this excursion to Almeria would do her good. No doubt she needed to get away from the Villa after all. She knew the motive for her fathers' insistence in going to Almeria, but didn't mind seeing Philippe' again. He was pleasant company and had a sunny disposition, only being a bit too excitable at times it seemed. This could be a good thing, and certainly better than lying in her bed at home all day. There were miles of good places to ride horses, and lots of shops and sights to see. She sighed deeply again and resolved to make the best of it.

***

"You say that you have three girls now, LeClerc?"

"Yes."

LeBlanc shifted uncomfortably, grimacing in pain. His arm was splinted and might never heal properly. His broken ribs hurt at the least movement and breathing was even painful. He was drunk and his speech was slurred.

"You're still in much pain, LeBlanc?"

"Yes. That damned sailor threw me around like I was a wench. Damn his eyes! If ever I get a chance I'll have my revenge on him."

"You mean we will have our revenge on him. He and that bitch vampire stuck me full of holes so that I could barely see for the pain. If I find him, I'll kill him. You can count it a favor. And where the hell did she come from? And what was she doing there at that time of night? If I ever see her again she'll wish I hadn't. I'll always be carrying this from now on" he said, pulling out a curved knife over a foot long. "I thought that maybe she wanted to feed, maybe hadn't fed in days and just thought to take my kill. But there was another man there that she could have had. I don't understand any of it."

"Well we can nose around and try to learn their whereabouts after we conclude this business tonight. That sailor's ship is still in the harbor. I spoke to an attorney. He told me later that day that he wouldn't take my case. Seems some well-placed lawyer has taken that seaman's case already. Enough about that. I need, no, must have five girls by tonight."

"I know where to get the last two tonight. I'll have help. We'll bring the five to you here, as planned?"

"Yes. I'll have a carriage and drivers waiting. You'll be paid in gold coin as agreed. Here is a small sum now to show my good faith."

LeClerc took the small leather bag and counted the coins inside. With LeBlanc so drunk, he might just loosen his tongue a bit about this 'client' that he had been so secretive about. "Who would pay even this sum for five urchins?"

"Someone who doesn't want to have five urchins suddenly missing where that same someone lives." LeClerc said as he downed another one.

"Sounds like a ritual of some kind."

"The Francois brothers are known to be...... peculiar.... bizarre perhaps."

"The Francois of Lacoste'?"

"Yes, no. That is the Marquis de Sade, Donatien Francoise."

"I thought he was in jail."

"He was, but he's out now. Rich bastards always bribe their way out it seems. But these five are to be taken to their place in Lyon for his brother, Marcel. I suppose he wants to be further from the crown and its agents when indulging in his... pastimes."

"His gold is as yellow as the next man's. What do I care? We could bring them here two hours after midnight."

"That will be perfect."

"It will be done. And tell your friends that we can supply their needs easily any time at all. We need little advance notice. I know a place where I can get these girls like picking apples from a tree."

# Chapter 27

"Longboat approaching, sir." Angus looked and saw two ladies in a longboat. Marie and Cosette he thought. Both had large parasols opened. The six crewmen of the craft were rowing really hard and fast. He thought six oarsmen? They must be in a hurry for some reason!

"Prepare to take aboard passengers, port side!" he ordered. Two boatswain's seats were swung over the port side via the two port side cargo booms. Ian, Henri, and Li had walked to join Angus and all were now waving at the craft as it neared. The two ladies waved in return.

Soon the two were swung aboard and greeted all. "We must talk privately now!" Angus led them to the aft deck and they ascended the steep staircase up to the helm area. No one was about that part of the ship as the workmen were covering the canopy amidships.

Marie explained the situation quickly but thoroughly. Ian said "LeClerc?" Henri said "Maybe, but it could be another. There is more than one in Marseille like LeClerc." Angus looked askance at him, raising his eyebrows.

Ian then spoke "I have an idea."

"Let's hear it." said Henri.

"Some of us can watch the orphanage and some can watch the Red Dolphin. Whoever of us sees LeClerc first can follow him while one comes to get the others. How far is the Red Dolphin from the orphanage?"

"Four miles." said Marie, and then she continued "Why not all wait at the orphanage?"

Henri said "We want to find where they've taken the others. If we kill them or chase them away, we'll never find those two girls."

"But are they alive?"

Ian and Henri both said "Yes." at the same time, and looked at each other.

"Why do you say that?" Henri looked at Ian who said "We have to assume that they are for their sakes. Besides, how much easier is it to just kill some drunk, drink his blood, and then slash his throat and turn out his pockets? Why would any vampire risk waking up an entire dormitory full of screaming children just to feed? There just has to be more to this than we know, and LeBlanc might be the key. Is he selling them into slavery, maybe smuggling them out to end up in Morocco or Libya?"

Angus spoke up then "By Heaven, I will gut that bastard like a fish myself if that's true! Oh, I apologize for the language ladies."

"No apologies necessary, Angus. Ian is right." said Henri. "There has to be more to it, and I would bet that money is changing hands."

A discussion ensued in earnest and within a half hour a plan was made whereby Angus would keep watch over the Red Dolphin. They would watch from the roof of a warehouse which Henri owned and would have horses ready to go summon the others. The vampires would all be watching the Angel's Care orphanage to see if another attempt would be made to kidnap another girl.

Some hours later a wagon with four horses arrived at a warehouse near the Red Dolphin. There was a large tarpaulin covering the cargo. The driver unlocked the warehouse door and pulled the team and wagon inside, closing the door. In a half hour, the wagon left, but had only two horses pulling it.

Two beautiful ladies had several packages of clothes put into a rented carriage. There was no driver and none needed. No livery would even raise a question to Madame Marie Lafayette about why she didn't need a driver or why she needed the rig and team overnight. They had already changed clothes in the store where Marie had bought them. The ladies drove off into the evening with their packages piled in the carriage.

At dusk, a carriage pulled up at the pier where two seamen loaded a long crate into it. Henri drove and Ian sat alongside him. Li was inside the carriage sorting out weapons as the carriage moved off into the gathering darkness.

***

Night had fallen at Angels' Care orphanage, and the hours passed until around an hour before midnight. Two shadows detached themselves from an area of deep shade under a grove of trees. They flitted to the side of the large building. Both rocketed upward, landing on the roof nearly simultaneously. One seemed to flow downward to a window high up in the gable end of one dormitory. Noiselessly it vanished into the building. The second shadow seemed to just flow down from the roof and also disappeared into the dark building.

In well under ten minutes one emerged, looking bulkier, and dropped silently three stories to the ground. It remained motionless. The second one came out looking bulkier and also dropped to the ground. It again leapt to the rooftop and seemed to flow down to the window stopping there. A second or two later, it dropped to the ground. The two shadows then leapt away from the building and ran rapidly to the north in the darkness. There was a full moon that night, but the clouds covered it.

They ran, darting around corners only twice and then staying on a long straight road leading away from the city. After only a few minutes they turned suddenly into a weed-choked lane and streaked up the driveway through dank vegetation. A dilapidated forlorn-looking two story house suddenly became visible as the clouds parted allowing the moonlight to fall upon it. The two leaped upward to land on a porch roof. In seconds they had vanished through a broken window.

***

In the dank dimly-lit cell, the two girls sat softly singing a song that Celeste had taught them. Suddenly the door at the top of the steps rattled and was unlocked and opened. Celeste said "Hush. Two bad men are here with two more girls. We're to be freed tonight. Hush now."

Two shadows with glowing eyes and carrying long bundles over their shoulders landed nearly soundlessly at the foot of the stairs. They came to the cell door and dropped their bundles even as one produced a key and unlocked the door. The two bundles were brought just inside of the door where their bonds were cut and their gags removed. The two little girls whimpered as the door was locked and five apples thrown into the cell. The two shadows rocketed up the stairs followed by the noise of the door closing and the lock being turned. Only the whimpering of the two could be heard. Then from the corner of the cell came a sweet voice saying "Hello Babette. Hello Cilia. I'm Celeste. Don't be afraid. We leave this place tonight and will never see the Bad Men again."

"How.... do you know that?"

"My angel told me in a dream. He told me your names and the names of these two sitting over here with me. He said that two more would come tonight, and then the man with blue eyes would come to free us."

"You....you have an angel that speaks to you?"

"Yes."

"How do you know he's an angel?"

"He not only told me the names of both of you, but he told me you two would come here together."

"Did you see him in your dream?"

"Yes Cilia. I can't see his face though because it is as bright as the sun. Everything he tells me happens. We're leaving here tonight. The man with blue eyes is coming to set us free. Don't be afraid."

There was silence for a bit, and then Babette spoke saying "Who is this man with the blue eyes, Celeste?"

"His name is Ian, and he is nearby even now."

***

The house at the end of the lane showed no sign of life or habitation. Indeed the whole place was dismal in the moonlight. Dank vegetation, weeds, and vines competed for every inch of space, vainly seeking more light by which to grow.

Five pairs of keen eyes surveyed the place. Henri whispered "It appears to be really boarded up well. Ian, come with me and we'll see how well it is sealed."

The pair flitted to the building. They parted and went silently around it, meeting on the opposite side, seeing a carriage and two horses sitting under some trees out back. Silently they made their way back to the others. Henri whispered then. "You two are still imprinting. You could have a faint spell or a disabling pain in there. So before we get into this thing, how are you both feeling?

Ian said "Let's do this. I'm ready."

Li said "I had a weak spell on the way over here. It wasn't as bad as the others. I took blood. I think I'll be at my best, no longer than this should take."

Henri said "LeClerc is a very big and very strong vampire, as big as LeBlanc. We want to take him down first." The two nodded. "Very well then. The house is boarded up with framing timbers and well fastened. Someone doesn't want anyone getting into that place. Oh, there's a carriage with two horses harnessed out back waiting. The girls have to be here. Why else would two or three vampires have transportation ready?"

They discussed what they could see and determined that there were likely only two vampires inside. The women would stay near the window entrance to shoot and behead any who tried to escape that way. Henri looked at the two and said "Remember now, try to shoot them in the brain if possible. They'll be disabled long enough to be decapitated that way."

Marie produced a copper flask and handed it to Li. "Drink, mon ami." Li took it and drank half and then handed it to Ian to drain. They all had fed on the rabbit's blood that Ian had brought, while hiding outside of the orphanage. Ian stepped over to take Cosette in his arms as did Henri with Marie. They hugged each other wordlessly. Then Ian looked at Henri and Li, saying "Let's get to it then."

# Chapter 28

Down in the cellar Celeste said "Ian is here. Now we must scream as loud as we can. Scream, girls, scream! We leave this place tonight!" She began to scream and the others joined in.

***

The three flitted to the house and just before they leapt to its roof, they heard faint sounds of screaming from inside. They flashed like lightning to the roof and through the window, Ian in the lead. He located the stairs and leapt to the bottom, landing in a crouch and moving out away from the landing. The other two landed behind him as he streaked through a room toward the sound of the screaming.

Meeting a vampire head on he shot him in the face with his pistol. Dropping the pistol in the same instant he kicked the vampire so hard that he crashed against a wall and dropped to the floor roaring in pain. As he advanced Ian drew his saber and severed his arm, bringing another cry of agony from him. "There's the cellar! he shouted. "I'm going down there." Henri and Li drew their sabers and advanced on the vampire who had already regained his feet and they began to hack him viciously.

Ian leapt through the door, colliding with LeClerc head-on. His eyes blazing, LeClerc yelled "Sailor boy?" as they tumbled down the stairs together. LeClerc had plunged his knife into Ian's side as they fell. He felt a searing pain and ignored it as he dropped his sabre and whipped his dagger from his sash and ripped upward into LeClerc's stomach.

LeClerc howled in pain as Ian twisted the knife ripping it upwards. Like lightning he twisted and grabbed LeClerc's knife hand in a vise-like grip. They rolled together away from the landing to crash into the house foundation wall.

LeClerc said "You're weak sailor boy!" even as he kicked mightily and drove Ian back to crash against the iron bars of the cell, following like lightning, his knife held ready to stab again. Ian deftly flung an overturned stool, striking him in the face with it hard enough to distract him for a split second as he drove forward with a front kick to the stomach, driving LeClerc back to crash again into the foundation wall. In vain he cast about for his sabre as LeClerc shook his head. LeClerc backed away briefly and said "A lucky kick sailor boy!" He was already streaking back toward Ian and lashed out with a lightning kick, causing Ian to lose his knife. Laughing now LeClerc said "I'll eat your heart tonight." as he sprang in a flash toward Ian.

Ian dropped and whirled to one side in a blur as LeClerc crashed into the iron bars, missing him but turning in a flash to drive toward him again. Ian flashed toward him, and faked a kick, then gave way as he grabbed LeClerc's knife arm in both hands. Whirling like lightning he dropped and drove his hip into LeClerc's hip as he threw him overhead. Holding on like a vise he drove LeClerc head first into the hard packed earth of the cellar as continuing his momentum in the same motion he rolled to his feet in a flash, coming to a stop standing with one foot on LeClerc's shoulder.

Still holding his knife hand he rapidly turned it with all of the strength he could muster. LeClerc's wrist shattered and he roared with pain as Ian repeatedly drove his left foot down like a trip-hammer on LeClerc's face, smashing his nose and breaking his jaw. Through clenched teeth he said "Eat...this...LeClerc!" Twisting the knife from his weakened grip, he dropped and plunged the knife into the chest of the vampire repeatedly. His motions were so fast that his arm was only a blur. LeClerc screamed in rage and pain and thrashed about violently, but Ian bore him down and continued to stab him repeatedly in the torso, his arm a blur of violent motion.

Li came then and pinned LeClerc to the floor with his sabre as Ian snatched up his saber and cut off his hand. The two dragged him upstairs as he continued to thrash and roar in pain.

Ignoring the pain in his stomach wound Ian leaped back down to the cellar and looked about. As he saw the iron bars, a sweet voice came from behind them saying "Ian' we're all in here." Stepping up to the bars he looked them over as he approached, and went to the door itself, grabbing it and yanking it with all of his strength repeatedly. It gave way on the fourth try. Turning, he stepped over to get the oil lamp and when he had turned back, the five girls were standing in the doorway. Four were crying but one was smiling at him. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist saying "I am Celeste, Ian. I'm so happy that you came."

He stepped back from her in amazement and regarded her silently. Then his mouth curved up into a bow-like smile as he said "I'm pleased to meet you Celeste. Let's gather everyone to leave. I have help waiting outside."

"Yes; I can't wait to meet Cosette and Marie."

He turned back to her in astonishment, pausing, his head tipped to one side slightly as he regarded her anew. She was a pretty and petite thing under all of the grime, with wavy auburn hair and large brown doe's eyes.

Flashing a smile he scooped her up in one arm and walked to the others, gently herding them up the stairs. They emerged to see Li and Henri standing guard over LeClerc who writhed in agony holding the stump where his hand had been as he was held in place by two sabers which were buried in his torso. The girls filed past silently. All whimpered and looked away except Celeste, who stared into his eyes as they passed. As she passed she nodded to Li and Henri and said "I'm so happy you came here Henri. You too Li."

Ian led them toward the back of the house and coming to a window boarded over, he approached it, setting Celeste down. Kicking several timbers out, he went through it and ran to where Cosette and Marie were waiting. Cosette noticed that he had been cut and handed him a flask as they walked around to the back of the house.

As the three of them came up the steps of the back porch, Celeste stepped forward saying "You must be Marie and Cosette. I'm Celeste." Cosette and Marie both stepped forward and hugged her, then Marie hugged each of the other girls, saying "Girls, you smell horrible. Come quickly so we can get you washed and clean." Celeste turned and ran to Ian again and threw her arms around him. Ian took hold of her shoulders and said "We'll be coming before too long. You go with them now, Celeste. We should talk when I come, shouldn't we?

Looking up at him with a bright smile she nodded.

Henri spoke then "Cosette, Marie, we'll rejoin you before too long. We have business here now though." They nodded and led the girls to the carriage.

Ian walked to where Li and Henri were guarding LeClerc. Both still had their sabers buried in LeClerc's stomach, pinning him there. Ian's eyes now glowed brilliantly like two sapphires.

"Monsieur LeClerc, we're going to have a talk now."

LeClerc hissed up at him saying "That bitch vampire with the gray eyes brought you over! We'll talk in hell, McCloud."

"Be sensible, LeClerc."

"Be damned, McCloud!"

Ian turned wordlessly and stepping to the cellar door, he vanished through it and nearly instantly reappeared, with LeClerc's severed hand skewered on the end of his saber. He flipped it to him wordlessly. LeClerc fumbled it briefly, then pressed it to the stump of his forearm and held it there, glaring up at Ian and the other two.

Ian met Henri's and Li's eyes wordlessly, and then fastening his icy glare on LeClerc he continued to allow his eyes to glow and betray his emotion. He said "It looks as if that hand is already growing back. Why don't you tell us who you were going to sell those girls to and keep your hand?"

LeClerc glared up at him, saying nothing.

Ian shrugged, tilting his head to one side. He made a lightning grab and ripped off LeClerc's hand. In the same instant he tossed it into the air and whipping out his saber, he neatly cut two fingers from it as it fell. LeClerc howled in pain. Ian neatly speared the remainder of the hand and offered it to LeClerc who shrank back at first, then took it and again held it to the stump of his forearm.

Ian vanished down the stairs to the cellar and reappeared three seconds later holding an old block of wood. Wordlessly he grabbed one of LeClerc's feet and placed it on the block. Stepping back, he tipped his head to one side regarding LeClerc. "Now how will you fare trying to hold this foot against your ankle with that hand as it is?" Henri and Li each put a foot on his leg to immobilize it as Ian stepped back and drew out his saber again.

"No! No! I'll tell you what you want to know. Promise me that I can keep my hands and feet."

Ian nodded "I promise, LeClerc."

"I want my two fingers as well."

Ian retrieved them from the other side of the room and tossed them into his lap. He stepped back, still holding his saber loosely.

"They were to be taken to the house of Marcel Francoise in Lyon."

"Francoise? How is it you know them?" said Henri.

"LeBlanc has a brother who does... things for them sometimes."

"The one in Lacoste', who calls himself the Marquis de Sade?"

"Sometimes for him, Donatien, yes; but mostly for his brother Marcel in Lyon."

Henri turned away to pick up a bag that he had taken from Marie on the back porch. Ian, putting away his saber said "Do you know LeBlancs' brothers' name?"

"No."

"Well, I have no further questions, do you Henri?"

"Yes. How were you getting the girls to Francoise?"

"LeBlanc hired two drivers to take them. I don't know who they are."

At this, Henri ripped a large double-blade axe from the bag and whirling like lightning he struck LeClerc's head from his body, burying the axe partially in the wall. As Ian's eyes followed the rolling head, he saw LeClerc's mouth moving as if he was trying to speak as his eyes rolled wildly. It was a bizarre and grisly sight. Turning to Ian and Li, Henri said "He never asked if he could keep his head."

***

The girls had all been bathed and given clean clothing. They were now waiting for soup in the kitchen of Angels' Care orphanage. Marie had awakened the entire staff who had been amazed to see her and Cosette escort not four but five girls into the bathing area. After a detailed instruction given to the headmistress about what she would put in their files about the conclusion of the incident of the four missing girls, she had since dismissed the entire staff. She would see to it that the girls got to their dormitories and beds.

As they sat at a large table surrounded by the wonderful smells of bread warming and soup heating in a pot, Marie looked at Celeste and said "Celeste, tell me everything that happened."

"I was the first one taken. I was there for five days before Juliet and the others began to be brought in. Babette and Cilia came together tonight."

"And you say you knew that we were outside before the men came in to get you?"

Celeste nodded.

"And your... angel told you each time another girl was coming and what her name is?"

"Yes."

"Why did you scream?"

"I knew Ian was coming and I got everyone to scream so that the Bad Men wouldn't hear him come in."

Marie and Cosette exchanged looks of wide-eyed wonder.

The soup was ready so Cosette and Marie served the five girls, adding a glass of milk for each of them.

Then she admonished them to never speak of the incident for fear that the Gendarmes would make her close Angels' Care and take them away to another place to live. She then asked them if they would want that to happen.

A chorus of "No." was the response.

"Good. Then it's our secret forever. The Bad Men will never return, ever again. Now that you've all eaten, let's get you into bed."

"Marie, may I stay up please?" said Celeste.

"Why, dear?"

"I want to see Ian again before I go to sleep."

"Very well. You stay here with Cosette and I'll take these four to their beds now." She ushered the four girls out of the big kitchen and up the stairs to their dormitory.

Cosette turned to Celeste saying "Celeste is such a pretty name. What is your last name?"

"Rochelle."

"How old are you, Celeste?"

"I'm twelve."

Cosette regarded her closely. She looked to be more like nine than twelve.

"You're a remarkable girl. Have you any family?"

"Yes. My Aunt lives in Paris. Mama died of typhus and Papa was drunk and was killed in a fight. I was living on the streets when the Bad Man found me."

Moved nearly to tears Cosette took Celeste in her arms and said "You won't live on the streets again, Celeste. We'll find your family." About then Ian and Henri came into the kitchen. Celeste ran to him and wrapped her arms about his waist. Ian hugged her and kissed the top of her head. Then stepping back he looked at her tenderly. "Well hello again, Celeste. You smell a lot better now." She giggled as she stretched up to pull him down to kiss his cheek.

Cosette kissed Ian and said "Marie is putting the other girls to bed, Henri. Where is Li?"

"He went to tell Angus that it's over so they can all get some sleep."

Marie entered the kitchen and Henri went to her and hugged her, kissing her. Celeste was just finishing answering all of Ian's questions.

"Well, Celeste, are you ready to go to bed now?"

"Yes Madame." she said, as she gave Ian a hug and then. went to Cosette, and Henri, hugging each one. And then taking Cosette's two hands in hers she said "I hope your wedding is as wonderful as you two are. Good night."

Ian and Cosette stared at each other stupefied.

# Chapter 29

The next day found them all aboard Elsie's Cloud again. After talking with Cosette, Marie had dispatched a courier to Paris to inquire if Celeste was related to Caryn Rochelle, the fashion designer. She had notified her that she would keep Celeste safe until she could locate her family in the event that Miss Rochelle was not related to Celeste.

Henri had taken the carriage that the vampires had used and had left it and the horses at the King's Gendarmerie with a plausible story.

Ian, Henri and Li were talking with Angus about what he saw while hiding near the Red Dolphin. Marie and Cosette were looking at all of the progress made in readying Elsie for the wedding. Ian excused himself and beckoned for Cosette and Marie to join them. He had a package in his hand and a mysterious smile on his face.

"I have something for each of you" he said opening the package. He handed each a small package enclosed in heavy felt with a button and matching buttonhole to keep the flap closed. They opened them and saw glasses with dark green glass where the lenses would be. They looked up just as Ian donned his.

"What are these for, Ian?"

"They're for each of you when you're in bright sunlight like right now. Try them on. You can bend the ear pieces to make them fit better. Let me show you." Taking Cosette's glasses he put them on her, then took them off and adjusted them.

"Here, try them now."

Cosette put hers on and looked about, exclaiming "Oh Ian, these are wonderful!" Shortly Marie and Henri also had theirs on after adjusting them as they had seen Ian do.

"Ian, these are marvelous!" exclaimed Henri. "I can get better glass from Italy. I want to make these things and sell them."

"You'll be interested to know that I left a small piece of ivory at the jeweler. He is to make two more. They're for Cosette and Marie. It will take time to cut and carve the ivory. I left him a drawing. They'll be too ornate for a man to wear, but should look almost fashionable for a lady. Certainly far better looking on a woman than these wire frames."

Marie said "The glass distorts things, but I do like the way my eyes feel right now. Oh, Ian, they really are so very useful and I love them. Thank you so much." She stepped to him and put an arm around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Ian then handed a pair in their felt container to Angus saying "You might like these to prevent banging your head when you come in from the light to go below decks."

Angus put his on and shook his head in amazement. "Thank you Ian, I will treasure these. Now about what we saw last night." He reported that they had seen a spacious carriage drawn by four horses pull up and wait in the alleyway behind the inn not long after midnight. They had seen LeBlanc come out once. Then he went back inside with the two men. Li had told them that the girls had been recovered and had taken over the watch and sent Angus and the crew back to Elsie. The second time was only an hour before sunrise and he had sent them away.

Li then spoke, saying "I have something else to report. LeBlanc had an...accident...last night. It looks like he fell down the steps of the Red Dolphin and broke his neck."

The words hung there for a moment. Then Henri nodded, saying "Good riddance. I trust that the King's Gendarmes will conclude that it was an.....accidental death then? Li nodded grimly. "There is more. I searched the place and found no record of any dealings related to this. I also found this." Here he stopped speaking and lifted up a small strong box. Angus fetched a pistol and shot off the lock. Inside were a few jewels and fine pieces of jewelry. There was no small number of doubloons as well. Ian whistled and said "Li, that's a handsome sum, I'll wager!"

Henri told them to divide it among themselves.

Li said "I followed the carriage to a warehouse in the wharf district." He then described to Henri where it was. Henri said "I'll inquire about who owns or is renting it. Good work Li."

Ian's mind went back to a disturbing memory of the raid. Earlier he and Henri had returned to dispose of the vampire remains out behind the house, leaving them in the open where the sunlight would consume them. The two heads had been taken to another place after sunrise. When Ian had pulled them from the bag to toss them out into the sunlight, he was horrified to see that both the eyes of each were open and that their mouths moved. He could have sworn that each looked at him as he tossed them into the sunlight. They had burst into flame a few seconds later. Henri had put a hand on his shoulder and had said "I 've never quite gotten used to that." The grim episode was past, and everyone was glad to be only concerned with the upcoming wedding.

Marie had wanted to bring Celeste to their home to stay, but she and Henri were concerned about the danger of her learning too much just by being near them for an extended stay. They just didn't know what to expect from her regarding her uncanny intuitiveness, and whether she would be willing to keep what she knew to herself either. They had two vampires in their imprinting phase to deal with and be responsible for. If there were any untimely public revelations concerning even the suspected presence of vampires, the Supreme Council would certainly make an inquiry. That was something to be avoided at all costs. Henri and Marie were undecided whether to have her come to the chateau for the wedding celebration. They had never revealed even the existence of the Supreme Council to Ian, Li, or even to Cosette. What might Celeste be able to learn if invited to the celebration?

***

Alandra heard the lookout call out that the port of Almeria was sighted. She strained to make out details from the distance, and eventually could make out the faintest details of the city.

Within an hour they were disembarking and the porters were busy carrying their belongings to the part of the wharf reserved for arrivals. Two carriages were hired and soon the Vasquez family was on their way to the home of the Rodriguez family

The Rodriguez's were a wealthy merchant class family whereas the Vasquez family was of a noble line, but a small and obscure one. They entered a grand driveway to a sumptuous villa, easily as large and opulent as Alandra's home in Barcelona. There was a beautiful view to the south and the Mediterranean could be seen, occupying most of the southern horizon. The trees and all foliage were even more tropical in nature than in Barcelona. It was a splendid location for a home and Alandra was impressed. She felt herself lifted somewhat from her melancholy mood and actually anticipated seeing more of the place and even felt like eating as well. Maybe I'll stop crying myself to sleep each night she thought.

As they got to the villa, they saw that the servant staff were all assembled to greet them, standing behind Mr. and Mrs. Rodriquez and Philippe'. Warm greetings were exchanged and the staff bustled as they unloaded the considerable baggage that the Vasquez family had brought along. Celita and a valet had accompanied them on this occasion and Alandra was very grateful to have a girl both her own age and a dear friend there.

As the servants took their bags and belongings to their quarters, the Vasquez family was escorted to a veranda offering a commanding view of the sea. Alandra's father and Mother presented gifts to Philippe's parents. Her father presented a finely crafted gold inlaid pistol to Philippe's father and her mother presented an exquisite shawl, finely embroidered and with pearls attached along the edge of the garment. Both of the Rodriquez's were very impressed and pleased with the gifts. Philippe's father and Alandra's father both loved firearms, and loved to shoot for sport. For his part, Philippe' could hardly take his eyes away from Alandra. She felt her spirit lifted somewhat. Her manner and conversation never revealed though that her thoughts were memories of a simple Scottish seaman.

# Chapter 30

The day of the wedding had come and Marie had gone early to Angel's Care to get Celeste. She had brought with her a complete outfit for Celeste to wear. It had been but a small obstacle for Madame Marie Lafayette to have dresses made for Cosette and Celeste. A team of seamstresses had worked nights and days to finish both.

When asked if she would like to participate in the wedding, Celeste's hands had flown to her cheeks, and she began to jump up and down, saying excitedly "Yes, yes, yes, Madame Marie. Oh yes!"

"Well then child, let's tell the headmistress that we will be gone for two days or more, and we'll be off."

"Oh, Madame Marie, thank you! I'll have a chance to meet Louis, Mustafa, and Angus! Thank you so much!"

Marie stopped and turned to Celeste, saying "Celeste, you seem to know a lot of things before they happen."

"Yes, Madame Marie. I've always been that way. Mama told me never to tell things to Papa."

They resumed their walk to the rented carriage and after they were on their way, Marie turned to Celeste again and said "It must have seemed strange that night when we came for you. You must have seen... strange...happenings."

"Yes Madame. I saw that Ian was as fast as the Bad Men and as strong too." Turning to Marie and leaning toward her, she lowered her voice and said "It is good that they're dead too." Marie turned and fastened her eyes on the eyes of Celeste. "Do the other girls talk about this, Celeste?"

"No Madame. They are afraid that they'll have to go to another place not as nice as Angel's Care. Mimi was in another place and said it was very bad. She ran away from it before you found her and took her to Angel's Care. Everyone at Angel's Care knows it is a good place to be."

"I'm so glad that you like it there, Celeste. Would you like to come to the wedding celebration this evening?"

Again Celeste's hand flew to her pretty face and she nodded rapidly saying "Oh my, yes Madame, yes! Then she leaned over and began to cry for happiness. As Marie took her in her arms she then wept freely as Marie held her until her tears had abated some.

"Forgive me Madame, but I'm just so happy and it's been so very long since I've had anything to be happy about. I had to be strong for the others and before that I lived not knowing from one day to the next what might befall me. Oh, you have made me so very happy Madame. Thank you!"

They rode along, Marie holding Celeste close against her breast, her eyes brimming with tears. She thought what a lovely child! Would to God she was ours. She felt a pang then that only some childless women can ever truly know.

They stepped aboard Elsie's Cloud within the hour, and not long afterward, Elsie had been sailed out of the harbor and was out at sea. Angus had expertly dropped two anchors so that the entire area containing the front seats was well shaded. At a signal from the forecastle Armando stood and facing everyone, began to play a lovely Portuguese melody, a medium to slow tempo piece.

Celeste appeared and walked slowly ahead of Cosette and Henri, scattering rose petals. Cosette and Henri followed, with Louis and Mustafa bringing up the rear, holding the train of her gown. She was radiant and the gown was breathtaking.

Cosette approached Ian who was without his hat now. She was smiling radiantly, her gaze fixed on him only. Turning, she smiled and nodded graciously at Marie and the ship's officers as she passed by. The carpenters had done a really good job of covering the steep stair-ladder that normally allowed access to the aft deck and substituted a more easily navigated staircase, even with a hand rail. She turned to face Henri and hugged and kissed him. Henri embraced her and kissed her cheek before he turned and went to his seat next to Marie.

She never touched the handrail, but fluidly came up the steps to Ian. Mesmerized from the moment she had appeared, he thought his heart might melt at the sight of her. At last she was there at his side. The music stopped and Angus proceeded with the simple but moving ceremony.

Ian kissed the bride then, bending her back rather far in a long lasting kiss, as the entire crew went "Ooooooo!" Then Ian and Cosette turned and faced everyone and waved. The entire crew, Marie, Henri, and everyone else stood and applauded long and loud.

Angus then shouted "Let us go now and celebrate, lads. Unfurl all sails and set course back to the harbor!"

***

Philippe' and Alandra headed up a small group of people on horseback. Celita and Alandra's mother rode behind the pair as chaperones.

Alandra's and Philippe's fathers were out touring the vineyards in another part of the sprawling estate. The four rode for some two hours, stopping now and then to dismount and see some places of interest. Philippe' was animated and happy. His good natured charm lifted Alandra's spirits somewhat, making the day at least pleasant. There was to be a dance at the villa that evening. The musicians were even now arriving. The kitchen was bustling with activity as the staff prepared a sumptuous seven course meal. It was to be a gala occasion.

Alandra appeared for supper with Celita, and both were beautifully dressed. The dinner went well with the parents getting along very well. They genuinely liked each other and were not just being polite to pass the time. Each was impressed with the offspring of the other couple and made no secret of it. Alandra's younger brother was having a great time and she found herself being somewhat drawn into the spirit of the evening as it progressed.

The dancing was very formal, traditional dances. The music was superbly done. Alandra exhibited impeccable behavior, but lacked any spontaneity. She did smile from time to time as the evening progressed. Her mind drifted back again to steering Tico with Ian standing close behind her as she thought what has become of you, Ian my love?

***

The musicians had arrived and were playing when the guests arrived. Angus had spoken to all of his men aboard Elsie before the wedding. He had made it very clear that each one of them was an ambassador from Scotland this day and that he expected them to behave properly at the Lafayette's home. "Remember now lads, ye can go back to Marseille for anything else you may have in mind. There is no curfew this night and ye are not expected aboard Elsie before suppertime tomorrow. Now let us go in and be the proper Scottish gentlemen we all can be when we want to."

The place had a staff on duty that numbered above thirty from what Ian could see. Marie had instructed the staff to ready the grand dining hall which accommodated the forty two diners. All took their place behind their chairs as Henri standing at the head of the table formally welcomed each one. Angus was asked to give thanks. He did so simply and elegantly, also giving thanks for Ian's recovery and for the gracious treatment he had received at the hands of the Lafayettes.

Dinner was served then and it was a sumptuous five-course meal. Most remarked that never had they eaten better. Ian and Cosette danced the first dance as all stood watching, then midway through; they stopped and bid the guests to join them.

Celeste was wide eyed and positively glowing with excitement. She stayed with Louis and Mustafa, but did dance three times with Ian, receiving some basic instruction by him before they took to the floor. She was smiling radiantly the whole time, her eyes wide, taking in everything.

The evening was two-thirds gone when Henri stood and rang a summoning bell until all stopped and looked to him. He gestured to all to make a bit of room in the center of the ballroom and then signaled the orchestra to take a pause.

"This is a dance I learned from a Cossack. Any man who wants to may try it. It is called 'Hopak' and it originated in Ukraine. Here is how it goes." Then Armando came forward and began to play his violin. It was a lively number. Henri crossed both arms and squatting suddenly began to throw out one leg at a time while balancing on the other. He kept perfect time to Armando's music. The entire assembly began to clap in time with the music. Ian walked into the middle of the floor near him and started to join in. He nearly did a back somersault on his first attempt, sprawling on the floor accompanied by raucous laughter from all. Undeterred he tried again and after a couple of side-staggers, he settled into the rhythm of the dance. Eventually he moved towards Henri as he got more competent. Soon the pair was circling each other, Ian following Henri's lead. Eventually Ian edged over to Henri and put one hand on his shoulder. Henri did the same and they danced side-by side, then broke apart and circled each other several times, their arms crossed on their chest. The crowd stamped their feet and clapped to keep time with the lively music. Finally Armando ended the song with a flourish. He knew only too well that the pair could dance until sunrise like that, but had to make the whole thing appear natural. For their part, Ian and Henri faked being out of breath. Henri told Ian in a low voice "I hope that no one noticed that we are not sweating even a little bit."

Armando began another lively tune of the same tempo and the crewmen began to do the Hopak dance. Some fell and some did well. The crowd again got involved. At this time Ian tugged Cosette and the two started to work their way towards the servants' door to the ball room. When they were off in another part of the house, he made as if to take Cosette to the kitchen door, supposing they would spend the night in the caretaker's house. Cosette smiled sweetly and said "Not tonight cheri. Come this way." She led him to the grand foyer and out onto the veranda where he saw a carriage standing ready with a driver waiting. Cosette led him to it and after they started down the driveway, she turned to him and said "I have a surprise."

"What is it?"

"You'll see shortly. Just sit back for a bit."

They turned east and went a mile and then turned back to the north. As they progressed, Ian felt the carriage going up a slight incline. They stopped at a stone house with a steep slate roof. There were lamps lit inside in every room and lamps on the covered front porch lit as well. They waited until the coachman got down and opened the door and gave Cosette his arm to step down. Following her, Ian looked around, puzzled.

"Welcome to our new home, cheri."

"What?"

"Henri and Marie bought the old Tremblay place and have given it to us as a wedding gift."

Ian was speechless. He walked up the steps, looking around at everything. Cosette dismissed the coachman who drove off down the driveway.

"Cosette, I don't know what to think."

"Then don't think tonight. Take me into our home, husband."

Ian scooped her up, carried her into the house and closed the door.

***

"What?" roared Marcel Francoise. "Those girls haven't arrived? Did you not tell me that delivery was assured and would be on time?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Well?"

"LeBlanc says they didn't arrive last night. A rider from Marseille said that they were never delivered by LeBlanc's brother in Marseille. He left with the bad news as soon as he learned that they wouldn't be delivered that night. Something has gone wrong."

"Gone wrong? Gone Wrong? I'll have both of the LeBlanc's heads on a pike if they've caused this."

"What shall we do, my lord?"

Francoise paced restlessly, then sat down behind an oversized marble topped desk and grabbed a quill and ink. He folded the note then sealed it with wax using his own ring.

"Give this to LeBlanc. It is to be delivered to that address. LeBlanc is to question his useless brother. This other man will investigate beginning with the King's Gendarmes to see if there is any record of anything that could relate to this. He'll use any means to get an answer for me. I will have answers for this!"

# Chapter 31

Ian and Cosette were lying in bed the following morning talking. Cosette said "Did you notice how happy Celeste was last night?"

"Yes. How do you think she knows what she knows?"

"I have heard of people like that, but never have met one. It is a rare gift."

"We should spend the day at the chateau. Celeste might be returning to Angel's Care today or this evening. Let's go over there now. I would like to look this place over really good, but with Celeste leaving soon that can wait." They made and straightened their bed together at vampire speed and did the kitchen in a blur of motion.

When they arrived at the chateau the kitchen was bustling with activity as there were around twenty guests still there. The staff was carrying food to the main dining hall in relays. Ian and Cosette walked into the dining hall and greeted everyone. Celeste got up and ran to Ian to hug him. He picked her up in a hug and swung her in a rapid circle three times as she shrieked with delight.

After thanking Henri and Marie for their new house, all agreed that they would like a tour so within the hour, all of them set out to see it. Celeste was thrilled to ride behind Ian as some of the group took to horseback and some were taken there by carriages and even a large hay wagon.

It was spacious with a goodly foyer, large parlor, a large dining room, a large kitchen, and a drawing room, all on the first floor. There were five bedrooms on the second floor. It was built of native stone and had a slate roof, featuring a huge hearth in the parlor, and one in the dining room and kitchen as well as in each bedroom. There was a full width covered porch in front and a large porch in back that the kitchen let out onto. Ian warned them not to ask questions about it since he had never been in it until last night.

Armando quipped "Maybe he had something better to do last night." which drew a lot of laughter from everyone.

After about two hours they took to their mounts and took a trail into the woods. Some of the others took the carriage and returned to the chateau. Ian let Cosette guide them. They came at last to the waterfall and dismounted there, walking about a bit while the horses all grazed on the sweet long wild grass.

"Cosette and I sometimes swim and fish here, Celeste."

She rolled her beautiful eyes up at him and giggled while covering her mouth.

Ian thought that little scamp knows......something about us......swimming here naked or maybe making love here too, I'll wager!

After nearly two hours exploring the area around the falls, they mounted up and wound their way to the Chateau, where the staff had lunch ready. Everyone went to wash and then assembled in the dining hall. Henri asked a blessing and everyone ate.

Angus reluctantly said that he had to get back to Marseille that afternoon. He and the remaining crew said their goodbyes to all. It was agreed that Mustafa would stay with the Lafayettes.

Angus thought that they would sail in two days' time and he had to oversee provisioning the ship for the journey home. Marie told him that a wine maker would be coming to see him with an offer of a large amount of wine. Angus was pleasantly surprised at the good price he was paying for it.

After all of the farewells, the four carriages wound their way along the driveway, departing to Marseille. Ian and the rest of them stood waving good bye until the carriages were out of sight.

***

Alandra craned her neck with interest to see the sights as the carriage wound its' way through the streets of Almeria. With her in the carriage were Celita and her Mother. Seated next to her was Philippe'. He was doing his best to narrate facts about the sights as they came to them. There was a festival in progress and they were approaching that area now. Fireworks were planned for after sunset. There was a constantly changing symphony of music and sounds of merrymaking as the carriage wound its' way through the streets. Ahead of the carriage carrying Alandra was another one carrying Alandra's father and little brother as well as Philippe's father and mother. They were truly enjoying the sights and sounds. The entire entourage was escorted to preferred seating near to the orchestra.

Soon the concert started and it was magnificent for a city the size of Almeria. As it went on, the sky darkened and stars came out. The fireworks started up as the concert ended. 'Oooh' and 'Aaah' were heard constantly as the happy crowd reacted to the show. Alandra looked up at the stars after the show concluded and sighed, thinking of standing on the deck of Tico with a tall Scottish sailor explaining in his unique low timbre voice and Scottish burr how he could navigate across an ocean in the dark. She felt a pang in her heart, but she forced herself to engage in conversation and to participate as best she could manage.

# Chapter 32

The next day was when Ian began his blood fast training. He would have to endure the faint spells and painful final body adjustments without any blood. This would give him the power to resist the need for it and it would condition him to be able to function at his best when he had the least nourishment. Marie again stressed this as a vital part of becoming an adept. She and Henri were astounded at his tolerance to sunlight for this long. Neither had ever seen or heard of such a thing before in their lives.

Ian trained with Li doing all manner of advanced Kung Fu techniques and they practiced with pistols a good part of the day too. There was a weak spell that lasted for an hour and was very painful so he merely rested in a shady place until it passed.

They passed a pleasant day, taking the children fishing below the waterfall and later that evening, Ian read from the Bible for the children. Later after they had gone to their beds, Marie began to teach Ian to play her harpsichord.

The next day found them all in two carriages bound for Marseille. They arrived at around nine o'clock and found Elsie being loaded with casks of wine. Fresh fruit and provisions of all sorts were being loaded aboard for the voyage to Amsterdam. Marie and Henri had said their goodbyes earlier and had gone to take care of some errands and to check security and the official version of events at Angels' Care orphanage. Ian had a painful ride into town, and it only subsided as they neared the wharf area.

Aboard Elsie they sat down to eat lunch together for the last time. Li and Mustafa had come with them. Angus asked the blessing and it was somewhat solemn because these men had known Ian for most of his life. They had spent a pleasant morning and had gotten to dine together. It was time to say goodbye. With some eyes brimming and husky voices the men bid each other goodbye until they would meet at either Amsterdam or at Edinburg. Li shook hands all around, and embraced some of his closer friends. Cosette kissed each of the officers and Angus one last time. Angus took both of her hands in his and said "May our God bless you as well as Marie and Henri for your part in all that has happened. May God grant you both long life and happiness unbounded and keep you safe until we meet again." He ended with giving Ian a mighty bear hug and they parted company on the gangplank.

Shortly Elsie's Cloud cast off all mooring lines and was pulled to the end of the twin repair docks by the two teams of six draft horses used for that purpose. Ian and Cosette stood with Mustafa and Li, watching her turn with the aid of three longboats and oarsmen. She then unfurled sails and made her way gracefully towards the horizon. Cosette squeezed Ian's arm with her intertwined arm and laid her head on his shoulder, sharing his sadness at their departure.

They stood there until the ship was barely visible and only then did Ian turn to her. Taking her shoulders gently he peered into her eyes. In a voice husky with emotion he said "I know now that only for you am I standing on this shore watching my ship and my life sail away. But you're worth it to me. Only you could take me from that life. I can't live without you."

"Oh, Ian!" She wept tears of joy while gently drawing his head down to kiss him tenderly.

***

Within an hour of the Lafayette's visit to the King's Gendarmerie, a man walked in and asked to speak to the Chief Inspector. There was some delay, so the man asked the young gendarme to tell the Chief Inspector that Monsieur Aldric Moreau wished to see him.

Inspector Claude Rousseau overheard the conversation in passing by. Shortly the Chief Inspector came out and beckoned to Monsieur Moreau, smiling broadly. The door to the Chief Inspector's office closed behind Moreau. Rousseau shrugged then went back to the boring paperwork he was catching up on. Shortly the Chief Inspector opened his door again and came to Rousseau's desk. He seated himself across from Rousseau and leaning towards him said "Claude, I need that file about the two girls kidnapped from that orphanage. What was the name of the place?"

"Angels' Care, sir."

"Very well, please find it and bring it in to me quickly."

"That won't be necessary sir. Here it is." he said, handing the file to the Chief Inspector.

"Ah! Thank you, Claude." he said as he went back to his office.

Rousseau watched until the door was closed. He had just finished talking to Madame and Henri Lafayette about the case. They had only wished to make certain that the King's Gendarmes were no longer looking for the girls. The Lafayettes confirmed the report from the headmistress of Angels' Care that the girls had been found, having run away. They were only too glad to be back at Angels' Care having been without food for several days. Rousseau thought it odd that someone else would be interested in such a minor incident.

Shrugging, he returned to his boring paperwork.

Shortly the man emerged from the Chief Inspector's office and left. Rousseau thought there was something strange about him, but couldn't put his finger on it. He had pale blue watery eyes and blonde hair. Rousseau would have taken him for Dutch or German although he had a French name. Tall and muscular, he wore a really wide-brimmed black hat with a peculiar feather in the hat band and also wore gloves.

Within the hour, the same man stood outside of Angels' Care looking over the building while walking around it. He stopped when he saw a scaffold erected at a gable end of the building. The window there had been removed and the opening was being filled with brick and mortar at that moment. One mason and one helper were even now working on it.

The man stood watching the workers for over ten minutes as if lost in thought. He turned abruptly and departed in an expensive looking carriage.

# Chapter 33

Several days passed uneventfully at the Lafayettes' chateau. Ian had seemed to have gotten past the worst of the weak spells, but his final body adjustments had to be endured until his blood fast time was up. They were very painful without the blood, and Cosette ministered to him as needed to help him endure it. He told no one, but he had begun to notice that after several hours in the sunshine, he craved shade. Ian and Li had continued to be barefooted, shirtless, and wearing shorts as much as possible, only changing into long pants and shirts for the regular evening social gatherings.

Ian told Li about the danger of him losing his ability to make love. He informed Li that Marie had taken the liberty of hiring a professional courtesan to keep him company during his imprinting. Li as usual was impassive, but he did show keen interest when told that part of his life would forever vanish without imprinting it now.

Ian then went on to caution him regarding his strength and how serious it was to be sure not to harm the woman in any way whatsoever. He took a lot of time explaining in detail how Li was to engage in lovemaking with a human so as not to hurt her.

The woman, a dusky Sicilian-Arab wench, arrived that very evening. She was pretty, and only two inches shorter than Li, with cascading wavy black hair, large dark brown eyes, and a sensual mouth. Li and the woman took up residence in the caretakers' house. His story to her was that he was hired to teach martial arts and was being kept there for a short while. The woman, Sophia, was told that she was a part of his contract with the Lafayettes. She was visibly impressed the first time she saw Ian and Li sparring. The speed and effectiveness of the fighting were nothing like the drunken brawls she had witnessed for half of her life.

All were careful not to use their vampire powers in front of the children or Sophia. She seemed to like the routine and the love she saw displayed daily. Having had a hard life in Marseille, she had taken care to not be under the control of a pimp at any time. It was a life that paid well enough, but was empty. This life she was seeing was a different thing altogether, being vibrant, spontaneous, rich, happy, and exuberant. The coarse rude vulgarity that she'd been around all of her life wasn't to be seen here in this home. She had never imagined that life could be this way. Daily she watched and bit by bit was drawn by the life of loving and caring that these people shared.

She was surprised that the Lafayettes let her join them for their evenings and at meal times too if she desired. She would have expected to have to stay near or in the caretakers' house the whole time. Li was what she would term a preferred customer and was never selfish nor did he ever mistreat her even once by word or deed. He was unlike the majority of her customers, instead being considerate, gentle, and kind. She began to actually look forward to their alone time together each night. A bath and massage was always the beginning of their evenings together.

He had come to really look forward to that as well as to making love to her. In their lovemaking, he soon began to ask her exactly what she wanted and then would try to do that in order to please her. He openly admitted that he had very little experience in that regard. She had never ever encountered such behavior and over time she began to desire him, as opposed to only accommodating him.

One day Henri came to Ian and said "You and I have some business to attend to in Marseille today. I want you to shave your beard now and leave only some broad sideburns. I'll be in a disguise."

Ian's curiosity was aroused, but he told Cosette and went to see Marie for a razor and mirror. Marie also applied makeup to make his hair gray on the sides of his head. A bit later when he saw Henri, each could scarcely believe the changes in the other.

A few hours later they were in the office of the King's Gendarmerie and both wore their sun glasses. Henri introduced them both as Laforges to inspector Rousseau, expressing a desire to meet with Rousseau at the Blue Oyster Inn after he was through for the day. He promised to make it worth Rousseau's while and that there was nothing illegal in their business with him.

Rousseau met them there that evening. Henri told him to order what he wanted. He and Ian ordered dinner so Rousseau did too. The proprietor Pronovost never recognized Ian with his beard gone and with his sun glasses on.

"Monsieur Rousseau. I was most impressed by your work and inspection of the incident of the two missing children at the Angels' Care facility."

"I only did my job, sir."

"Most wouldn't have bothered to do as thorough a job as you, monsieur. Not for missing orphans anyway. We think that you'll go far in government and we want to help you do that. If you make the right choice this evening, you will soon become chief inspector for Marseille. You may choose your replacement. We'll be watching you and you'll be promoted from time to time."

'How can you know that? You're not officials, are you?"

"We're not officials, but we know many who are, and monsieur Rousseau, they do listen to us. You will be promoted, and it won't be the last time either."

He sat sipping his wine as he pondered that. "I'm honored to be considered, monsieur's but I must ask first, what do you want in return?

"We want you to always be as thorough as you were in handling the affair of which I spoke. There may be a favor asked of you from time to time, but you'll not be asked to commit sedition or treason against the crown.

"In no way will I be a party to any criminal activity."

"Good. Because that would be most unfortunate for you. We won't be asking you become a lawbreaker, or to involve yourself in theft or anything that would compromise your position. Mostly what we want from time to time is information., and sometimes help."

"I can do that monsieur, but how do I know who I'm helping?"

"You only have to know and remember the name Laforge. You're never to divulge our name to anyone, even to your twenty-four year old wife of four years and three months, Louise. To do so would be to risk your career at the very least. We're not seekers of publicity of any kind, especially unwanted publicity. Later in your career, a private bank account in a friendly country will be given to you. It is to supplement your retirement and to help you with your familial obligations, such as when your three years and seven months old daughter Alicia might marry. You'll be given full access to it when you retire. It will be generous, I assure you. Until then, you'll be able to draw only a set amount from it, once a year. If more is needed, we'll know and will provide it. Extravagant living won't be permitted unless you come into a lawful inheritance. Once you enter this agreement, it is binding for the rest of your public life as an official of the government of France."

Henri handed a signet to Rousseau. "This is our insignia. It's made in to appear as a piece of women's jewelry, as if for a necklace. It's not a valuable piece, but you should memorize every detail. If we write to you, this insignia will appear on our communications as a way for you to know that you're reading our own words. It can just be put in a box and put away somewhere, or if you discard it, destroy it with a hammer. Any written communication from us must be read and then burnt. Failure to do that is a breach of our agreement and will be dealt with as such. You'll be demoted quickly to an obscure post and will lose your private bank account too. If all goes as it should, when you retire from government service, you'll be very well off financially and you'll be through with us. It will be as if we never met. It's that simple."

He sat in thought for a while. My God! What do they not know about me? Still, I feel as if they are... trustworthy, and what an opportunity! He raised his eyes to meet Henri's gaze and then said "I can do that, and I am most grateful."

"Then let us drink a toast to seal our bargain. "To your career, monsieur Rousseau." They drank to that and then their order came and they dined in pleasant conversation, artfully steered by Henri. They parted company around dark.

As they returned to the Chateau, Ian asked "What was that all about?"

"That's one of our new men inside of the government. We'll be grooming him over the years to advance to a high position. When we make our generational move and leave the chateau we will leave the name Lafayette behind too. We'll be the Laforges. And we will have another grateful ally in the French government to assist us as we take up life as the Laforges. There are others and there will be new ones added, but I wanted you to see how it's done."

He was more than impressed. "Henri, I'm impressed by what I've seen and heard today."

# Chapter 34

One evening a courier came bearing a letter for Marie. She opened it and quickly assembled everyone.

"I've received notice from Caryn Rochelle in Paris. She's your aunt, Celeste. She wants for you to live with her in Paris." Celeste smiled sweetly, then said "I am so grateful, Madame. I'd be just as happy to stay here though with all of you, if only you'll allow me."

Marie looked distressed, and looked to Henri. She said "Celeste, we can't keep you if your aunt wants to raise you. It is the law in France." She held her arms open and Celeste came to her embrace. "You're a lovely girl and we would love to have you stay with us forever, and I know that Ian and Cosette feel the same way. There's no reason to be sad or afraid. Your Aunt is a famous fashion designer and lives quite well. Paris is a beautiful and exciting place to live. I've met her and she's a very nice person. I also have a young friend living there who is an associate of your aunt. She is very nice and you'd like her. You'll attend the best schools and I'm going to see to it that you get voice training to enhance your lovely singing. You might even become a famous performer someday."

"I'll do as you wish, Madame."

Ian spoke "Cosette and I are going to the Netherlands, and to my home in Scotland. We can take you to Paris. We've wanted to see it and would love to see it with you."

Coming to sit next to him she said "Oh Ian that would be so nice." He hugged her warmly and held her head to his chest, saying "We wouldn't want to see Paris without you." Cosette nodded her assent, smiling sweetly. Celeste leaned over and pillowed her head on Cosette's shoulder with a sweet smile.

Unnoticed at the end of the table, Sophia sat, her eyes brimming with tears. What's happening to me? I'm almost at the point of tears. I never knew that people live and care for each other this way. The love she was seeing was melting the hard veneer that she had created to insulate herself from the harshness of her life.

Marie said "That settles it then. Ian and Cosette have to be here for at least another ten days or more before they can go to Paris, so you have plenty of time yet before you leave, Celeste. I'll write to your aunt that Cosette and Ian will bring you to Paris no earlier than two weeks unless she wants to come here herself." She then gave Celeste a bright smile and said "I can be persuasive."

About then Henri said "That is for certain." to which Marie responded by jumping up from her chair and plopping herself down into his lap and smothering him with kisses as all laughed heartily. Li noticed that Sophia laughed through eyes brimming with tears of emotion. He had been noticing a lot of things about her of late, and he genuinely liked everything he saw.

***

The sea had small whitecap waves that day and white puffy cumulus clouds dotted the sky from horizon to horizon. Alandra idly sat with Celita near the bow, watching Barcelona grow nearer, as she thought of the time she had spent at the Rodriguez home in Almeria. She had to admit that it had been fun. She had gotten to see so many new sights that her spirits had been lifted in spite of her sadness. Philippe' had been so attentive and had proven not to be a boor at all, but was charming in his own way. She had gotten to know him somewhat and wasn't repelled at all, but genuinely liked him and his family very much. Papa had been right. This trip had been good for her.

She knew that her father would soon want to have the Rodriguez family come to Barcelona and that would move her betrothal to Philippe' that much closer. She sighed deeply. Celita hummed a tune from the night when the crew of Elsie's Cloud had celebrated getting safely through the storm. They had both danced with Captain McCloud and a couple of the ships' officers. Recalling that night was one of her warmest memories, but all of the time spent with Ian were her most cherished memories of all. Her mind produced a montage of pictures of him. It was more than she could stand though and for once, she was actually grateful when her little brother teased her, unknowingly breaking her reverie.

***

The idyllic days passed and both Ian and Li grew in strength. Ian's blood fast had ended some time before, having gone five days. At the end of it, he had been quite weak and Cosette had persuaded him to end it.

Sophia for her part had let go of all reservations about these people, and had abandoned all of her carefully constructed neutrality and her fatalistic outlook. She bloomed like a flower in this environment, becoming a favorite of the children, playing games with them with the total abandonment of a child. Everyone including Li noticed this right away. More than once Li had caught Sophia watching him as well. She had gotten to where she would now smile anytime she met his eyes, rather than look away. She had joined in when the group would be singing in the evenings and had a good voice, easily carrying any melody once having heard it sung by the others. Secretly she dreaded the end of her assignment. The thought of returning to her former life was distasteful to her now, but she kept that to herself.

Ian's tolerance to sunlight had been reduced but no Adept in the memory of either Marie or Henri could come close to taking the direct sunlight that he could take. Henri told him that he was a Sun Walker, and that there were no others that he knew of. It was phenomenal to say the least. Marie spent a half day teaching him how to appear to be more human. He practiced knocking over drinking glasses with an elbow or the cuff of a coat, dropping silverware, or even such things as bumping his head if bending to retrieve something. He had been taught to regulate his heartbeat and to control the glow of his eyes when surprised emotionally, all while imprinting. Marie told him that the time could come when he might need to make a vampire think that he was human.

While he was practicing she said "Ian, you must remember to breathe when around humans in cold weather. You would stand out immediately should you be the only one who didn't have the steam clouds coming from your mouth that are normally seen in those conditions." She also cautioned him about letting people know how many languages he could speak. "You would be amazed at the things people will let slip if they think they are in the presence of someone who doesn't speak their tongue."

"You're the best one I've ever seen imprinted, and I've seen my share. It is time for you and Cosette to take Celeste to Paris and to see your family. Henri has some instructions for you to take care of things for him in Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. You're to learn finance and business management when you return."

"I'm ready to do my part."

"We have to cover a lot of territory and Henri can use the help of someone he can trust. Cosette can accompany you or remain here at any time you're needed by us. That is completely up to you two."

"Have you noticed the change in Sophia?"

"Yes, and I'm impressed, as is Henri. We may be discussing some future for her with us soon."

"I think that she is shaping up to be a good addition to our family, but you and Henri are far better judges of that. I suppose it would all depend on how she truly feels about Li and he about her."

"We've been discussing that recently. After our evening gathering, Henri and I must speak to you and Cosette privately. But for now, take Celeste and the others for their last excursion together. You three leave for Paris tomorrow."

# Chapter 35

Aldric Moreau sat contemplating what he had learned to date. He knew that the Lafayettes had founded the orphanage where the four girls were abducted in the police report. He knew that there were supposed to be five. The one girl not accounted for was of no real consequence, yet he was thorough if nothing else. He couldn't turn up anything else that had happened in Marseille regarding children, which might fit with what he was trying to learn. So he thought that these four had likely been four of the five expected by Francoise to have been delivered to him before now.

The death of LeBlanc looked to be coincidental and accidental. He had found no money though, and wondered about that. With a character the likes of LeBlanc, the King's Gendarmes would not so much as blink if no money was found there. He associated with only the scum of Marseille anyway. It was not beyond reason that any associate of LeBlanc would rob his place if they found him dead. Could LeBlanc have been killed for his part in this thing by the Lafayettes? If so, they would never have taken any money afterward. He knew Henri well enough to know that.

That LeBlanc had enlisted the aid of a vampire or vampires was certain if the four girls taken from Angels' Care were the ones to be delivered. That window high up on the very dormer where the girls slept was evidence enough of that. Nothing else would fit the act of abduction from that place. Earlier he had bluffed his way in by pretending to be an inspector from the government checking on the security since there had been two reports of girls missing from the place. The very idea of the government truly caring about security in an orphanage was laughable. He had seen then that the layout of the place precluded any possibility other than that window. It was the work of one or more vampires, no doubt.

He wondered if Marcel Francoise was aware of this or not. If so, that was a serious matter. He knew that Henri and Marie Lafayette were vampires and that Henri was one of the nine judges of the Supreme Council. After all, he, Moreau, was an Inquisitor. It would never do for an Inquisitor to be found to be doing investigative work for humans. He shuddered to think of the consequences of that and pondered whether to tell Francoise what he knew and walk away from it. Or should he find out more if possible? He weighed the possibility of earning a much higher fee as opposed to the risk. That was a dilemma, but he was Inquisitor wasn't he? He was qualified to not only discover things that others couldn't, but to know who would pay handsomely for that information as well, and he was again pleased at his own cleverness.

***

Henri and Marie sat with Cosette and Ian in the parlor late that night. Henri spoke saying "Let me begin by saying that what I say here doesn't leave this room without my express permission. Are we agreed upon that?"

Cosette and Ian nodded, saying "Yes."

"Very well, I'm a member of an assembly of vampires. We're called the High Council or the Supreme Council. We meet periodically to review happenings throughout Europe involving vampires. Our goal is to ensure that our existence never becomes widely known or accepted. To that end, we investigate incidents that we suspect have been the result of vampire activity. These incidents would include the murder of humans and incidents where vampires are working in league with certain factions of humans for their personal interests. There are nine of us and we meet in Liechtenstein. I was just attending a meeting there and we did review some happenings in Eastern Europe. We review these reports when we meet and decide what to do to maintain the secrecy of our existence."

"How do you investigate one of these events then?"

"We send an Inquisitor to investigate and rely on his report. In more egregious cases, we send more than one Inquisitor to uncover all facts. Once we determine the damage and how best to contain it, we then determine the punishment to be meted out to the offender. Death is commonly voted for in these cases."

"This incident involving LeClerc and LeBlanc is a serious matter to us. I'll submit my report to my colleagues at our next meeting, and in it I will conclude that the matter has successfully been concealed from humans, and that it did involve a human-vampire conspiracy that could have had serious consequences had it become publicized. There were two reports made to the King's Gendarmes. Involvement of human governments in vampire transgressions is a serious thing in our view. Have you any questions?"

"Yes. Do your colleagues share your views towards humans?"

"Yes and no. Some believe as Marie and I do and commonly interact with humans who don't know that we're vampires. Others mostly shun human contact but don't feed on humans either. However, all members of the Council are committed to keeping our existence secret. We all know that a war without end would start if humanity learned of us."

"Then the Supreme Council maintains a....... stability of sorts?"

"Yes Cosette. In past centuries more humans believed in our existence. As time went on after the renaissance period; and civilizations spread and interconnected via treaties, embassies, commerce, and trade, we saw that measures needed to be taken to suppress knowledge of our kind. We have been careful, but have...... planted if you will.... opinions or attitudes that ridicule belief in our existence. We..... nourish, if you will, that belief in various ways. We have created common or maybe conventional wisdom that vampirism is a myth, a superstition indulged in by those who are..... who have shortcomings in their mental development."

"In other words, people who believe in the existence of vampires are ridiculed and thought to be imbeciles by the vast majority of humanity, all by design?"

"Yes. We nourish and encourage the idea that vampirism doesn't exist but in the imagination of those who are weak-minded, or is similar to the fears that children have of imaginary beings."

It was silent for a while in the parlor where the four sat. Ian spoke at last, saying "I'm in agreement with this idea. I suspect you are too."

Cosette looked at Ian and nodded her head "Yes. It prevents what could be massive bloodshed of humans, were enough vampires to feel threatened. It's a good thing in my view."

"Good then. Have you any other questions?"

"Yes. Exactly how is your sentence carried out?"

"The Inquisitor makes his report to us, and we vote on it. Then the Inquisitor takes as many Enforcers as is deemed to be needed to carry out the sentence. We all pool our efforts then to marginalize the damages.... the publicity. We use coercion if possible with government officials if they are involved or have knowledge. We do the same for any local newspaper that might be publicizing anything connected with an incident which we're investigating. Bribery is common and quite effective in nearly all cases."

"You said 'Enforcers' were sent?"

Yes."

"Who are they?"

"We employ vampires known to be reliable to help carry out a sentence."

"Reliable?"

"Yes; responsible ones, such as you and Li, Ian. You, Li, Cosette, Marie, and I all acted as both Inquisitors and Enforcers in a classic case of transgression, which certainly would have merited a sentence of death for all offenders."

Cosette said "But we didn't get all offenders."

"No, but I'll bring this case to the attention of the full assembly next time we meet. A solution will be sought, and the transgression has made enough impact with the involvement of the King's Gendarmes to justify the harshest sentence for both any participating vampires and possibly for humans who are involved as well."

"Will the Council be angered because we proceeded without their full approval?"

"No. They'll be relieved that the situation was...... contained if you will, with such little damage outside of notification of the King's Gendarmes. And don't forget that I oversaw the entire thing and am myself a member of the Council."

"Little damage? Those five girls were scared to death, and could yet talk."

"This is a problem within my area Cosette, and I'm responsible to monitor it. Marie has done well in her instruction of the girls. They're afraid to talk now. In the future, they'll be older, but may be controlled through becoming preferred employees in one of our many business ventures. There are other means as well. Death is the very last sentence I would ever want to impose on any human."

"One of those girls could be killed because of what they saw?"

"Well, yes, but only if they insisted on publicizing their experience and what they saw. This would be a last resort, but if necessary, I would reluctantly do it myself if all else failed. I've never had to resort to such a thing though. There are always other ways to ensure silence. Reward is the best method by far. I can tell you for a fact though that there have been cases where young humans, even children have been killed for fear of them talking. It has happened."

"I'm concerned that the Council might find out about the abilities of Celeste." said Ian, and Cosette nodded her agreement.

"Agreed. We must safeguard that she has that ability at all costs. If they knew of her abilities a majority of the Council might want for her to be brought over, to become an asset. She could be invaluable to us in that venue."

Ian said "By Heaven that is an abomination! She's a child. I won't stand for it!"

"I agree. We must keep her abilities secret so that's never a threat. We'll rely on you two to convince her of that while you're traveling with her."

Cosette and Ian looked at each other, both nodding their mutual assent. Ian said "She's a bright girl, brilliant really. I just know that she can be relied on the same as if she was an adult, if not more so. We'll convince her."

"And if she's already sensed a difference in us from humans?"

Cosette said "That won't matter. Her love of all of us is more than enough to ensure her silence on the subject. She is wise beyond her years, and loyal to a fault."

"Then that's the end of this part of our discussion. That is unless you have further questions?"

They both shook their heads.

"Then I need to go over these bank documents and that proposal for a partnership in the Netherlands with you two now." He proceeded to fill both of them in on details and terminology that was needed for the transactions to be made. Much of it was a review for Ian. After that, they stood and hugged each other, and both Cosette and Ian kissed Marie good night.

# Chapter 36

Newly-appointed Chief inspector Claude Rousseau finished a very long day. He had reviewed every single case in Marseille that was unsolved in order to see if there were any leads that were overlooked. Having found four cases that merited being re-opened he would do that tomorrow. He had let his replacement go for the day several hours ago. It had been dark outside for a while now. Walking around his new office he viewed everything with a critical eye. Satisfied, he sat down in his large leather chair and put his feet up on his desk, thinking of how he had unexpectedly been recruited. The Laforges were right. Here I am; chief inspector of Marseille and I may not have made it to this place for a decade if then. I wonder where my former supervisor has been sent. He didn't even say. He seemed uncertain, but said it was in Paris, and that it was not open for debate. My star is rising and it is tied to the Laforges. I have no doubt about them after this and how fast it has happened. We can move out of that cramped apartment and get a house of our own now. I'll start looking tomorrow and surprise Louise. We've wanted to have more children. Now that is not only a blessing, but it will be affordable too. I've been blessed it seems. Life is good.

***

Their farewells said, Cosette, Ian, and Celeste departed in the sumptuous carriage. Ian resolved to make the best use of the time by teaching Celeste to speak English. She was happy and excited to see the sights move past. It was only her fourth ride in a carriage in her life.

Cosette noticed that Celeste was sounding a bit like a Scot now when she used English, but she thought it was quite endearing. The time passed pleasantly and before they knew it they were stopping for the night near Avignon.

The next two days were pretty much the same, and were uneventful. The fourth day they got off to a really early start and had gone miles before the sun even came up. Ian hoped to make Lyon in two more days. The driver assured him that there were three decent inns on their side of Lyon and that they could make them since they had started so early. Celeste again got to drive and again the driver got to take a nap. He had by now concluded that this was the most pleasant trip he had ever taken anywhere, even though it was going to be a long one. They continued until dusk and still no inn had been sighted. The driver was sure that they were not all that far. He was letting the horses go slower now with it being late. They had given them an hour to rest at a creek and had taken them out of their harnesses for that time.

Ian had decided to take over the driving since he could see perfectly well in the dim light. Before he could act on that, Celeste awoke and said "Bad men are waiting for us." Cosette looked at Ian and then said "Where, Celeste?"

"Very near right now. They're just ahead of us."

***

Celita and Alandra strolled through the marketplace in Barcelona. This one was a favorite of theirs, being on the waterfront, looking out at the harbor. Seagulls swooped and flew about, hoping to snag a scrap of food. It was a typical beautiful Mediterranean evening in a beautiful part of the world. The girls strolled aimlessly, talking about nothing in particular and just anything in general, as young girls will often do.

A group of five men was following them. They too were only out seeing the sights. They were all young single men, privileged, from wealthy families. One named Carlos spoke to the others saying "Amigos, look at those two beautiful Senoritas just ahead of us."

"Ah, I see them. Such beauty, no?"

"Perfection, no doubt."

"One may be the maidservant of the other."

"How can you tell, Carlos?"

"There is a little difference in the quality of the clothing it seems. Just a guess though."

"Carlos is usually right about things to do with women, eh?"

All agreed with that. None knew who they were at first. One said "Wait. I have seen that one before. Ah! Such a beauty! Yes, I recall that she is the daughter of our ambassador to France. Her name is Almerita..... no it is Alandra. She is Alandra Vasquez."

Carlos pondered that as they followed the two. Her father was the Ambassador. Yes, now he recalled that her family was of a lesser known noble bloodline. However his father was prosecutor for the Crown, a man feared throughout all of Spain. The Chavez family was a well-known noble family of Madrid, with property in many places including Barcelona. They were known to have far-reaching influence. Carlos Chavez had spent his entire life as one pampered, spoiled, privileged, and grew to have an ego to match his upbringing. He was one to enjoy using his family position to make others squirm or be uncomfortable. Having enormous pride in himself he had taken lessons in swordsmanship from the finest instructors in Spain from an early age. Having killed two men in duels already, he exhibited a cruel and callous disregard for any life but his own.

"Amigos, I'll wager that I can obtain an invitation for myself and my family to the Vasquez home before this day is through."

No one wanted to take the bet because they held Carlos to be irresistible to women and had seen some evidence of that before.

"What will you wager then, Carlos?"

"Diego, I'll wager the gold inlaid pistol you shot last week at our summer home against your pistol."

"My pistol is a fine one, but not as fine as that one of yours. Done amigo. I'll enjoy owning such a fine piece."

"We'll see amigo, we'll see."

Carlos picked up his pace to overtake the two women and one asked Diego why he had bet against Carlos.

"I know that girl. She is not turned by a handsome face. She has a keen mind, and is no silly girl to be easily swayed by even one like Carlos. She looks..... deeper when she meets someone it seems. Senorita Vasquez will not succumb to Carlos' charms. There is something special about her. No amigos, I'll win this bet."

Carlos had overtaken the pair by now as they stopped to look at flowers. He removed his hat and introduced himself courteously. Celita and Alandra both answered courteously. He went into his well-perfected speech which had never failed him. He used his family name and even that his father was the prosecutor for the crown, which never seemed to fail to impress anyone. The two seemed to be quite interested in what he had to say. Their manners and responses were impeccable. Celita could easily have been of noble upbringing herself in his opinion, having now been in her presence. It was soon easy to see that Alandra was the more observant, more perceptive of the two though.

They chatted for several minutes, and then Alandra signified that she was done with the conversation and was intending to resume her walk, but not with him. Her manners and conversation were beyond any reproach. She never once gave reason for offense, but clearly was not interested. She and Celita turned to walk the last little distance to their waiting carriage. She graciously accepted his hand assisting both her and Celita into the carriage. Without smiling once she thanked him, and bid him good day, telling the driver to take them home.

He was left standing with his hat in hand, watching the carriage depart in a state of shock and embarrassment. In seconds his embarrassment turned to rage. His body trembled at the level of anger he felt towards Alandra. But by the time his friends had rejoined him, he had his raging emotions under control.

The others surrounded Carlos and began to question him.

"I have until tomorrow amigos." was all that he would offer. Diego noted the tight-lipped response and wisely never reminded Carlos of their wager. He would make good on it. He had made the wager in front of four people after all. Diego knew that pistol was his, but he also knew not to anger Carlos. That could be a deadly thing as he well knew.

# Chapter 37

Ian took out the pair of loaded pistols and handed one to Cosette saying "It's ready. You only have to cock the hammer. When they ask for our valuables, drop them out the window, then shoot immediately." He handed her a wicked curved dagger some ten inches long. "Celeste, get down on the floor right now."

She did and Ian put a blanket on top of her saying "Don't get up until this is over." Ian signaled the driver quietly and he stopped the team. In only seconds two men rode out from under a large tree alongside the road. They both pointed pistols at the driver and ordered him to step down. They positioned themselves, one on each side of the horses so as to see both sides of the carriage.

They ordered the driver to kneel on one side of the carriage. Then they nudged their mounts, easing up to each side of the coach. A third one then came into Ian's field of view on his side.

Damn it all! A third one! Ian pondered the odds that a shot might hit the driver or penetrate the walls of the carriage and hit Celeste. The latecomer had a pistol too and kept it aimed towards the carriage. They demanded all money and valuables. Ian looked to Cosette who nodded to him. Together they dropped their purses out of their respective window. No sooner had they done that than Ian and Cosette fired knocking two of the three men from their saddles. Before they could even fall to the ground the two exploded out of the two carriage doors like two cannonballs. She cut the throat of the one on her side and leaped over the top of the carriage in a flash. By then Ian had rolled to his feet and had leaped through the air and hit the third one as he fired. The shot hit Ian high up on his right shoulder as he collided with the third highwayman. The man's neck was broken about the time Cosette had landed, plunging her knife deep into his chest as he hit the ground. Cosette ran at vampire speed back around to her side of the carriage and then saw Celeste peeking out from under the blanket as she approached the door on her side. Ian went to the driver and made certain that he was all right. The driver had seen nothing in the darkness but the flash of a pistol discharge on his side of the carriage.

Ian then took all three pistols, powder horns and some balls that two of them had. Giving two of them to the driver he said "These are both loaded. Keep them with you from now on." It was dark by now. Ian took each corpse to the trees and dropped them into some bushes. He went through their pockets and took the little money that two had and took three knives from them. Tying all three horses to the back of their carriage he went around to the other side to see Cosette and Celeste.

She threw her arms around him and said "I knew the bad men couldn't harm us, but you've been shot Ian."

"It's nothing Celeste." How did she know that? It's too dark for her to see it. "I was lucky that he aimed too high and just grazed me. She held on to him tightly saying nothing. Gently he pried her arms off and kissed her tenderly on her forehead, stroking her hair. Then he lifted her into the carriage. He turned to Cosette and pulled her close, kissing her long and tenderly. "Lass, you're quite skilled with that thing. Wherever did you learn to shoot like that?"

"A handsome Scottish sailor taught me, sir."

Celeste giggled, and Ian held Cosette's arm as she climbed back into the carriage.

"I'll ride on top with the driver until we reach a stopping place."

They walked the horses for a little under an hour and came to an inn. There was room only for Cosette and Celeste, so Ian spent the night on the floor after he and Cosette took turns taking a hunting trip and bathing in a stream.

The next morning he sold the horses and saddles, and told the buyer that he had taken them from three highwaymen. He gave the money to Celeste who was wide-eyed. She had never had money of her own in her life. Ian told her that since she had warned them, the money was hers to keep.

They made Paris in nine more days, registering at a fine hotel in a posh district. The first thing Celeste wanted was a hot bath. They had a magnificent room overlooking the Champs Elysees. Celeste was in wide-eyed wonder just looking out the window. They spent two days sightseeing and then readied themselves to depart the next day.

That night they sat and talked with Celeste. Cosette said "Celeste, you have a unique gift. There are people in this world, really bad people who would try to lock you away and use your gift for their own purposes. Tell no one, not even Caryn. Your gift must remain our secret.'

"And I will keep your secret forever."

"Our secret?"

"Yes. I know that you're...different. I know that Marie, Henri, Li and you two are different than other people. I saw what you did to the Bad Men. I saw you nearly kill one like it was nothing. I saw your eyes glow the same way as the bad man's eyes glowed. I saw you tear an iron door down with your hands, Ian. I know that you are different."

Exchanging looks with Cosette, Ian said "We are different, Celeste. We haven't lied to you about ourselves. There aren't many of our kind. We have to be careful not to let others know that we live in this world. It could start a big war and a lot of people could die trying to fight us. They don't have to, but they would because they'd be afraid of us. Most of us don't want to fight or harm others."

"I can see that."

"Celeste, when we find those of us like the Bad Men, we kill them. I killed the ones who took you, and I would kill any others that would ever try to hurt you. We love you so much that we wanted to adopt you to be our own daughter, to live with us near Henri and Marie. We were very sad to learn that you had an aunt, but we've gone through that door now and closed it. There is no going back. You'll always be a daughter to us and will always be welcome to be with us wherever we are at any time. When you're grown, you can spend your entire life with us if you want. We'll never leave you or send you away. That's a promise that we both make to you now."

"You thought that others like you were watching us last night. I could tell. Can you tell when others like you are watching?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Well, my neck gets to feeling prickly, like this." He reached around to the back of her neck and lifted up her hair and pulled gently on the hairs along the base of her neck."

"Really?" She exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Really."

"It's our special secret?"

"Yes. We each have one don't we?"

She kissed his cheeks and turned to Cosette and kissed her repeatedly. They talked about all of the things they would do and see together.

The next day, they all went to the studio of Caryn Rochelle. She wasn't in, so they took off sightseeing once more. After a leisurely lunch, they returned to Caryn's studio. She was surprised to see them, but opened her arms wide and received Celeste warmly, hugging and kissing her. Thirty five years old, she was a slender pretty woman of medium height, with auburn colored hair like Celeste and with large brown doe eyes too. Ian and Cosette exchanged looks of relief. Ian had had fears of a cold and uncaring aunt. They would have taken Celeste with them, everyone be damned had that been the case.

It was nearing lunch time when they said their final good-byes to Celeste. She had seen her room and was in love with it, but her countenance was sad now. She wept and Caryn was moved deeply to see the bond of love between the three. She said her goodbyes with eyes brimming too, as did they all. Ian whispered "Remember what I told you last night. Be good for Aunt Caryn. Goodbye sweet Celeste."

# Chapter 38

Aldric Moreau walked confidently to the hall of records. After looking thoroughly through the Red Dolphin he had come up empty-handed, but he had an idea. He introduced himself to the records-keeper and made a request which was refused. Wordlessly he left the place. Within less than an hour he returned with the Chief of the King's tax collectors. Soon he was looking through the tax rolls of Marseille. He spent the day there and found nothing so he told the supervising director of tax records that he would return tomorrow. The third day he found what he was looking for. It was a house belonging to Erin LeBlanc, and within an hour he was there.

It was near the edge of the city, a vine and weed-choked place that appeared to be boarded up but for an attic window. Leaving his carriage, he walked around the place and found the boarded up window that had been kicked out from the inside. He noted the size and thickness of the timbers. This place was not just boarded up, but was done so in a way to truly discourage all but the most determined person to enter, and only with hand tools at that. His interest piqued, he climbed through the damaged window.

He noticed some blood on the floor of the kitchen and a deep gash in the wall just above knee height. Rocketing upstairs at vampire speed he found nothing but that there was very little dust in the center of the floor between the stairs and the broken attic window. Rocketing to the main floor and then down to the basement he saw the iron bars and the demolished door, bent and broken. Nodding his head, he flashed upstairs then climbed out through the broken kitchen window at human speed. He strolled about out back until a dark spot drew his attention. Examining it, he determined that the spot appeared to have been made by a hot fire. Charred remnants of two pairs of boots lay there nearby.

He returned to his carriage satisfied that he now had a good picture of how the Francoise 'cargo' failed to reach its' destination. He knew well that there had been no transgression here, no penalty would or could be imposed for what had happened. Knowing Henri Lafayette, he was sure that he would make a full disclosure at the next meeting of the Council. His action would be hailed as a timely and properly handled intervention.

He would report to Francoise, but would leave the Lafayette's name out of it. That was too risky even for him. He knew full well the reach and influence of the Lafayettes. Worse yet, Henri Lafayette himself was one of the nine judges of the Supreme Council. There would be no mention of the Lafayettes. His report would include a recommendation that Francoise just let it go. He was satisfied with himself, and feeling smug. He had earned himself a handsome sum for only a few days' work. And who would ever know anyway?

***

Ian and Cosette had departed from Paris that afternoon. They took six days to get to Brussels by way of Amiens and Lille. Ian did the bank's business in that same day and the next day they were off for the Netherlands, arriving late on the sixth day after leaving Brussels.

They went immediately to Ian's grandfather's home. It was a massive place by Dutch standards, and finely appointed. Jan and Mary were both at home and surprised and delighted to see them. Cosette took a liking to the couple immediately as they did to her. They told their carefully crafted story as they had rehearsed it. Cosette noticed the sparkling intense blue eyes of Jan Vandenoever and realized what side of the family Ian had gotten his unique eyes from.

They had an enjoyable visit with the Vandenoevers and Ian was able to persuade his grandfather to endorse the draft-honoring partnership with Henri's bank

He thought he could convince his guild partners to try it being as drafts and credit were always a thorny problem for those who were merchantmen. He was especially impressed to learn that the Lafayettes were partners through a proxy in a bank in Hong Kong as well.

Ian was sure that his grandfather's partners would all accept the offer. He and Cosette stayed two weeks and at the end of that time, they had an agreement to take back to Henri. At that time Cosette and he departed for Edinburg. Warm good-byes were said. Passage had been arranged by Jan aboard a two-mast merchantman bound for Edinburg.

It took six days to get there due to heavy rough seas. Cosette had never sailed in her life, her only sailing experience being the short trip on Elsie when they were married. She thrived on it, roaming the deck by day with Ian no matter the weather unless it was clear. Her parasol and hat would do no good in the weather of the North Sea. She reveled in the cloudy cool air and the relative absence of direct sunshine. At night, she delighted in the rocking of the ship and the creaking noises and sounds of the sea sliding by. She found it to be somewhat of an aphrodisiac and that delighted both of them.

They reached Edinburg and disembarked. Ian soon had gotten a carriage to take them to the home of Angus. They arrived and surprised Angus, Elsie, Mary and Ian's little brother Stuart. They had been waiting for days and were overjoyed to see Ian and Cosette. She liked them the minute she saw them and felt their love. Coming to Angus she hugged him and kissed his cheeks and he hers. Ian came to his mother Elsie first and just picked her up and swung her around like she was a little girl. He did the same with Aunt Mary much to her delight. Then he grabbed his little brother and simply tossed him over his shoulder and ran back out the door running around the yard with him thrown over his shoulder. Everyone was laughing at the sight.

All present wanted to hear their story, so Ian just let Cosette tell it. He watched Angus as she told the carefully rehearsed story of their meeting and falling in love. There were lots of questions about France and about Marie and Henri too. The conversation went on for some three hours until Mary called a halt to it so that everyone could sit down to eat supper.

At the table Ian got to catch up on the local news. There were all sorts of news tidbits to share. Ian spoke at some length of life at sea and of life at the chateau. His brother pressed him to tell of the pirate battle so Ian told a detailed account of that, carefully omitting any reference to Alandra other than to say that she and Celita were captives of the pirates. He also told them about the storm and how he and the others made it through safely. They were enthralled at all of the things that he had gotten to experience. Ian thought If only you knew the parts of my adventures that I'm not telling you!

***

"So you did find the house where the five girls were being held?

"Yes. There was no mistaking it. There was a cell built in its cellar. I found some blood, so there had to have been force used to get the girls away from whoever was keeping them. The house did belong to LeBlanc, the man found drunk and lying at the bottom of his steps with a broken neck. He was a notorious drinker, so that might indeed have been an accident. It took several days of looking through tax documents at the courthouse hall of records to find the place."

"But the house you found, there were no 'accidents' there?"

"No Lord Francoise. Force was used to get the girls away from that place."

"What do you make of it?"

"I think that someone involved might have slipped up and said something while drunk. That could have gotten back to one or more people who would find kidnapping offensive enough to go and do something themselves. Lacking any other information, it seems at least credible that it happened that way. The good news is that the King's Gendarmes think that the girls ran away and were found."

"Where did they get that notion?"

"The headmistress at the orphanage they were taken from turned that report in to them."

"Does she know the real truth?"

"It seems not. She just reported that someone she didn't know brought them back to the orphanage."

"There is more to this story than that."

"Likely so, sir."

Francoise tossed a hefty bag of gold on the desk and said "Get me a name and I'll triple that sum."

"You want to know who it was that claims to have found them, sir?"

"Yes. That will be all, Moreau."

Moreau knew already that it was the Lafayettes behind it. He could just wait a few weeks, then come back and give the Lafayette's name to him to make a lot more money the easy way. He would surely back down when he heard the Lafayette name. This would recover his recent gambling losses with some money to spare. It was easy to make money when one was as smart as Aldric Moreau. It was risky but easy. He was once again pleased with his cleverness.

# Chapter 39

Their visit went quite well. Some days Cosette remained at the McCloud home if it was sunny and other cloudy days she was out all day seeing the sights with Ian. Ian asked Angus to take a proposal to the Bank of Edinburg for a limited partnership with the Lafayettes, so Angus agreed to do that while he was there.

One night after everyone went to bed, Cosette said "Aren't you going to take me to see the highlands and mountains?"

"Yes. Do you want to go now?

"Yes, let's run in the hills of Scotland."

They did just that. In an hour they were sixty miles southwest of Edinburg and running full out. They leaped gullies and streams laughing like children. Cosette caught an unlucky fox and they paused for a bit to take nourishment.

"Ian it is wild, windy, and beautiful just as you said. I can see why you love it here."

The days flew by only too fast it seemed. The entire family was so completely taken with Cosette that she felt as if she had been one of them for her whole life. The McCloud home was one filled with love, as was the chateau of Marie and Henri.

Only too soon though, they were packing and saying their goodbyes to all. Three weeks had gone by like three days.

They sailed from Edinburg to Dover in England. Cosette had never seen the white chalk cliffs of Dover and marveled at them. They disembarked in Dover for two days, and then they took a large packet boat across the channel to Calais where they began unhurriedly looking about at the sights.

***

It was late night in Paris. At the Angels' Care orphanage facility outside of Paris the children and staff had long since gone to bed. Except for the usual sounds of a large building with many occupants, the place was still. An occasional cough might punctuate the silence, or the sound of a nightingale in the woods nearby. Certainly the sound of a properly working window in the bowels of the place did not intrude on the stillness of the deserted hallways. Nor did the sound of a properly working door make any impression. The whisper of stealthy sure feet along tiled floors could not be heard from either the sleeping quarters of the staff or the dormitories. Two shadows flitted along deserted corridors as if only two puffs of smoke blown on an errant wind.

At times they would leave the floor of the corridor to instantly rise steeply up and over a wall of iron bars and just as quickly drop silently down to the floor of the corridor in the same heartbeat. If there had been human eyes to witness their passage, the human might well have rubbed his eyes to clear them thinking that surely they had just imagined what he saw in that brief time.

Little Chloe lay sleeping on her bed just inside of the dormitory entrance. She slept the sleep of an innocent child, dreamless and deep. Suddenly she came awake but couldn't scream for the filthy rag jammed into her mouth. She was held in two hands that felt like two steel bands. As she was snatched from her bed, she was aware of the slight sound of her bedding being pulled from her bed, a whispering sound. She was rapidly taken down the hallway to be laid on the floor next to the tall iron gate at the end of the hall. She heard the sounds of cloth shredding and was rapidly and tightly bound.

Then as if she weighed nothing she was lifted to be thrown across a shoulder. She then rocketed upward and down again nearly as fast and the stairs she was descending went past as a blur until again she rocketed upward and back down once again in a heartbeat. The sides of the dim corridors flashed by in a blur, and then she went down some stairs more narrow and nearly in blackness. She rapidly approached a dim square of light and flew through it and upwards at a dizzying speed.

She sensed that she was outside and seemingly instantly she was at the end of the long brick wall of the facility and then stopped, still lying draped over a shoulder. The sound of iron quietly being dragged slowly interrupted the sound of her heart hammering. She sensed a shadow rocketing towards her, but then she rocketed away herself still slung over a shoulder. The grounds of the facility flashed by at an unimaginable pace and in seconds she was among trees, flying through the forest. She thought she heard the gentle sound of water trickling as she became airborne for a second, but other than that was only the sound of two pairs of feet running swiftly.

It wasn't long before she was out of the woods but in seconds was flying through the air in the moonlight and aware of a two very soft thuds as she seemed to see a structure like a house gable looming overhead. She was instantly inside of the structure and passed down a flight of stairs like the wind and then paused for a door to be opened. In a flash, she was at the bottom of the cellar stairs and was lying in some straw in a corner with some other warm and squirming bodies. She could hear panicked breathing and something like a whimper.

***

Ian and Cosette had had a leisurely stay in Calais and they bought passage on an established carriage service that ran from Calais to Paris. They went by way of Boulogne, Le Touquet, and Amiens and in a few days they had arrived in Paris.

They checked into the same hotel as before on the Champs Elysees. The concierge stopped them as they were about to go to their suite.

"Monsieur, you and Madame have a message." He handed them a folded note. It was from Henri and Marie. They were in Paris and were at the home of Caryn Rochelle today.

Instructing the Concierge to have their baggage taken to their suite, Ian and Cosette requested a hansom to take them to the Rochelle home. Within the hour, they were there, knocking at the door. Celeste answered it, and her pretty doe eyes widened in joy as she threw herself into Ian's arms kissing his cheeks and then stretching out to Cosette to kiss her repeatedly. They stood like that in the doorway hugging and kissing each other.

Warm hugs and greetings and kisses were exchanged all around. The group then sat in Caryn's ample parlor. Henri, Marie, and Caryn wanted to hear all about their trip. Ian related some of it with Cosette filling in here and there. Ian assured Henri that all documents were safe at the hotel and that he had drawn up and had extended a partnering proposal to the Merchant's Bank of Edinburg as well. Henri was surprised and impressed.

They parted company for the afternoon. Henri and Marie wanted to visit their orphanage, the Angels' Care facility of Paris. They would meet with Ian and Cosette this evening at their apartment near the Hotel. Henri gave Ian the address. Ian, Cosette, Caryn, and Celeste decided to visit a park which had skiffs that could be rented to paddle about on a small reservoir there.

While they were approaching the vendor to rent a skiff, Ian's neck prickled and didn't stop. He casually looked about, and suddenly he spied Li and Sophia walking towards him. They looked great together, her arm linked in his, both of them smiling.

Greetings and hugs were exchanged. They passed a pleasant afternoon. Cosette told the two what an attractive couple they made. Li smiled broadly as Sophia laughed and blushed prettily. She had truly come out of her hard shell and had bloomed into all that she could be. She seemed to adore Li, and for his part, he was most attentive to her and smiled more than Ian could ever remember. Cosette and Ian both thought that they made a marvelous couple, and told them so again. Once again, Sophia laughed and blushed, which was a complete change in her character from the hardened fatalistic woman of only weeks earlier. She was giddy with happiness at being included in the trip to Paris and was overcome with gratitude at not yet having to return to her former life in Marseille.

They parted company late in the afternoon and it was agreed to let Celeste spend the night with Ian and Cosette.

Later they were surprised a bit to see Li, Henri and Marie waiting for them in the lobby. They looked strained while Li was deadpan. Celeste said "Something bad happened two nights ago."

When they had come together, Marie said "A child is missing from Angels' Care. We must go there in the morning. Celeste can come too. We looked around really good and we couldn't find a clue. We've reported it to the King's Gendarmes."

Ian went to their suite and retrieved their knives, rucksacks, pistols with powder and shot, and their excursion clothing. They all took a carriage and went to Henri and Marie's suite. It had two guest bedrooms so Celeste could spend the night in there. Soon Celeste had bathed as had Cosette and after Celeste kissed everyone good night she and Cosette went to the guest room. Henri had given a handsome sum to the concierge for sending someone to a good friend to discreetly get five sabers and seven pistols. The weapons would be waiting for them when they left the hotel.

Henri, Marie, and Ian sat up all night talking over possibilities. Li had gone back to join Sophia in their room. She was to be given some money and told to either wait at the hotel, or to take a carriage to Caryn's place and that Li would rejoin her when he could. Sophia had been so happy to have such acceptance with this unusual group, that she never even raised an eyebrow. She didn't want to do something to bring her association with these people to an end, nor could she now stand the thought of leaving Li.

The family talked only a short time when Ian said "Is it possible that Francoise has placed a new order with another kidnapper, and that the orphanage has unknowingly furnished one of the girls wanted?"

It was dead quiet, and then Henri said "That's as plausible as anything we have mentioned so far. They may not know details, but they're guilty because from what we learned from LeClerc, he was the one who was supposed to receive the other five girls. We know that they paid at least in part for that delivery."

Ian said "Let's get Celeste up early and go to the orphanage. She may be able to help us." All agreed and Henri went to get the weapons. They put them all with Ian and Cosette's weapons. Soon they departed, Henri already having placed an order for a carriage with four horses. They got Li and within the hour, they were underway. The sun was just coming up.

It took three quarters of an hour to get to the orphanage. It was a part of a farm south of Paris, near to the road to Versailles. The facility grew its own food and the children were taught agriculture and animal husbandry. They helped operate it and kept the costs of the orphanage down while learning practical skills. They made their own clothing as well, being simple uniforms of white shirts or blouses and dark blue pants or skirts. It was a well-run place and both Marie and Henri were sure that there was no laxity on the part of the staff.

Marie went immediately to the headmaster's quarters and had him take them all to the dormitory of the missing girl. The girls were just now sitting down to eat breakfast, so the dormitory was empty, beds all made. The headmaster took them to the bed of the missing girl. It was immediately inside the entrance. Marie thanked him and dismissed him. Ian took Celeste and led her to the bed, saying "Sit here please Celeste. Tell us if you think of something."

Looking at Li and Ian, Henri said "Let's take a tour through the place." They observed that there was a barred wall at the end of each dormitory hallway. It could only be opened with a key and the door was not damaged. It was supposed to be locked after bedtime to keep the children from running around the facility at night. It was some twelve feet tall, but the ceiling was nearly eighteen feet above the floor. They all looked at each other, nodding. The iron bars were no barrier whatsoever to a vampire. They found stairs going down and took them to see that they led to the building cellar but they didn't see anything in there out of the ordinary.

Going outside, they walked around the facility looking at all of the windows, especially those which were high up on the building. They saw nothing out of the ordinary there either. As they walked, they passed over an iron grating that covered a cavity surrounded on three sides by a brick retaining wall and the building foundation wall made up the fourth side.

Ian peered down and saw a hatch of sorts. He quickly plucked up the iron grating like it was nothing, and dropped down some eight feet to look at the window. It was very dirty and dusty, but where the handles were, it was fairly clean looking. Henri thought the thing might be for bringing firewood inside the place. The building was heated by hearths or stoves in each room. Ian easily opened it and peering in, dropped to the dirt floor some six feet down.

In under two minutes he found his way to the central staircase. He quickly went outside and trotted around the building calling to Henri. Li and Henri put the grating back and joined him.

"A vampire could easily have gotten the girl going this way."

Henri said "Let's go see what Celeste may have to say."

They came into the dormitory room and saw Celeste had been walking about. As they walked up to her, she turned her head to Ian and reached up to him. He took her hands and she sat up on the bed and reached to Cosette. Holding both of their hands she looked at Ian with her large doe's eyes and said. "The Bad Man took her. He is like the others."

# Chapter 40

The Rodriguez family would be coming to Barcelona before too long. Alandra and Celita took a day and went to the waterfront marketplace that was such a favorite haunt of theirs. They stepped down from the carriage and made their way through the throng. There was to be an afternoon concert today and they wanted a good seat for it. Seeing that it was so early to worry about securing seats, they opted to stroll along the various docks. It wasn't dangerous at all in the daytime and Alandra liked the atmosphere there. She supposed that it reminded her of Ian to be around ships.

Hoping that they wouldn't meet that arrogant Carlos Chavez again, Alandra shared with Celita that she had since heard that he'd killed two men in duels. That was quite a thing for a man not yet thirty years old. Celita shared her opinion of the man and said that he scared her when they stopped to watch a puppet show. Later they stopped to watch a juggler as they kept working their way towards the dock area. Celita suddenly exclaimed "Oh look Alandra, it is the Tico!

Alandra looked where she was pointing and sure enough, there was the Tico tied up to a large pier. Could Ian have sailed it here after having it repaired? Her heart racing she hastened that direction. Within minutes the pair was standing out on a pier gazing upon Tico. Alandra noted the new mast, sails, and rigging and the extensive cosmetic repairs to the railing that had been so splintered by musket fire. As she stood there, her mind was flooded with memories sweet and poignant. She actually felt flushed recalling their first kiss on Tico's bowsprit.

"Oh Celita! This is taking me back to when Ian first kissed me." She turned and saw a look on Celitas' face that gave her pause.

"Celita, what is it?"

"I'm thinking of Tom McBride."

"Oh of course you are!" She turned and hugged Celita, holding her. Then the two walked slowly to her bow, peering intently at her as if the objects of their desire might suddenly appear from behind a mast or step from the forecastle entrance. They walked arm in arm along the pier to Tico's stern, each lost in her own reverie. After several minutes the pair turned to go see the harbormaster. They saw a gentleman approaching them with a puzzled look on his face.

"Good day, senoritas. Is there something here that I can help you with?"

"Good day, senor. Perhaps there is. Do you know who sailed this ship to Barcelona?"

"Why yes senorita, it was me."

"Did you have any passengers, a tall young man, a Scot?"

"No senorita. I bought my ship back from a tall Scot by the name of Angus McCloud. He took it at sea as a prize after pirates who had taken it had attacked his ship." His bright demeanor changed a bit when he saw how crestfallen this beautiful lady suddenly became. Then suddenly he said "Ah! I recognize you! You're Senorita Vasquez! I sold passage on this ship to you and your lovely companion here. Your aunt and uncle were passengers too. Oh I speak too soon. My apologies senorita Vasquez. I forgot that they were killed by those pirates. My apologies."

"That's all right, Senor."

"My ship was at the center of quite a story. It was big news at Marseille. Oh, I have newspaper accounts of a lot of it. Please wait here while I go aboard and get them." He hustled up the gangplank and disappeared below the aft deck. Shortly he reappeared carrying a small bundle of newspapers.

"Here take these senorita. I was there getting cargo and getting cosmetic repairs done on Tico. That young man you asked about, that Ian; he oversaw the major repairs on Tico and I must admit he did a good job of that. But anyway, there are lots of newspapers here for you to go through. I thought I saw a story about a wedding taking place aboard the McCloud ship, uh, I cannot recall her name...... Elsie......?"

"Elsie's Cloud." Alandra furrowed her brow, her eyes looking out to sea.

"Yes, that is it. Elsie's Cloud. You may keep these, senorita."

"Gracias, senor, gracias. Good day senor."

Alandra turned and walked with Celita back to shore and they turned, walking until they found a bench near the bazaar and shops. There she sat and read through them one by one. It took a while for her being as they were French newspapers. Suddenly she gasped and stiffened. The pile of newspapers slid unnoticed from her lap as she clutched one. Celita saw that the color had drained from her face. Tears welled up in her eyes and she seemed to wilt. Her shoulders began to shake as she sobbed. Celita held her, rocking her back and forth, trying to console her.

"What is it Alandra? What is it?"

Alandra couldn't answer but just continued to sob uncontrollably, leaning on Celita. The gut wrenching sounds seemed to be wrung from her very soul. Celita had never seen or heard such grief.

"Ian..... Ian is alive Celita. He..... has..... has.... m.... married, Celita. Ian has married someone."

There were only the sounds of the sea washing against the breakfront, the seagulls calling, the hubbub of the market place and the sound of a girl, sobbing on a bench by the seaside.

***

Ian spoke then "Come outside Celeste. I'll show you something.' They all went outside to the iron grating and stood upon it. Celeste looked up and took both Ian's and Cosette's hands. She stood still for only a few seconds, and then she said "He came from there." as she pointed off to the east towards a distant wooded hill. Marie said "Let's go to the maintenance building over there and change our clothes."

Within a quarter of an hour, the five emerged wearing dark clothing. The women wore pants All had sashes rigged for pistols, but all weapons were in a large bag that Ian carried. They got into the coach and directed the driver to drive back to the base of the distant hill.

Once there, Henri instructed the driver to wait until they came back. Ian put Celeste on his back and started into the woods winding his way up the hill. The others followed. They walked a mile back into the woods. It was a steady but gentle climb. Ian let Celeste direct him and she corrected him a bit from time to time. They finally encountered a dirt road and followed it until they saw a large wooden house. It was a badly neglected place, and was boarded up really well with large timbers. They backtracked to a large thicket and Ian put Celeste down. They all looked at her.

"The Bad Men are inside. There are nine of them. Another man is with them, but he isn't like them."

"Very good, Celeste, I'll take you back now to the carriage. You're to go to Caryn's and say nothing of this. We know what to do."

"The girls are gone, Ian."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. They left three nights ago when Bridgett was brought. She was the last one they needed."

"How many did they have?"

"Five."

"Do you know where they went?"

She pointed to the east.

"Thank you, Celeste. I'll take you back now."

"They weren't like the Bad Men that took me, Ian."

"What does that mean?"

"They were like the driver of our coach, not like the Bad Men in this house. Not as strong or fast. They were in a dark blue coach with four horses. There were only two of them."

He kissed her forehead saying "Thank you Celeste."

Removing his boots and socks he stood, swinging her to his back. "Now Celeste, you hang on real tight, and keep your legs around my middle. Ready?"

"Yes."

He leapt away and gave her a moment to adjust to the speed he was building to. She was aware of trees going past her in a blur and the wind a roar in her ears. Her eyes began to shed tears from the wind velocity. Ian kept two hands on top of hers for safety. She laughed in his ear "Oh Ian, this is so fun. This is something you and Cosette do isn't it?"

"Yes, little one. We run a lot like this." He leaped high over a creek that was down in between two high banks and smoothly landed. They came in sight of the carriage and Ian slowed down to a human trot and took her to the door. It was barely a minute since they had left the others.

"Take her to Caryn Rochelle's place and do walk her in. Do you understand?

"Oh yes, monsieur. I know Miss Rochelle very well. I am her preferred driver."

Celeste nodded and Ian said "We won't see you very soon."

"You go to find the girls, as you went to find us."

"Yes."

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed both of his cheeks several times, saying "that is for Cosette, Marie, Henri, and Li too."

Ian laughed and said "I'll give them to Marie and to Cosette, but I won't be kissing Li or Henri!"

She giggled and got into the coach, waving out the window and smiling. He watched it depart then returned to the woods. In barely a minute he had rejoined the others.

It had been decided to breach the place by way of the windows on the second floor. Li and Henri had already circled the place from way back in the trees, looking for a way in. The place was securely boarded up and sealed. Somebody didn't want anyone coming into that house from the ground level. The front porch roof and the two windows above it had to be the way in.

Ian spoke then. "These aren't likely to be Adepts. Look at how dark they keep the place." A short discussion ensued and it was decided that even if one got past them, they could easily get him in daylight as he was not likely to be an Adept.

They all looked to Ian. "Check your pistols now. We all go in with a saber in one hand and a pistol in the other." As he spoke, he went from one to the other checking their weapons. "When you fire the first one, just drop it and transfer the saber to your right hand if you're going to need it. If not, remember to cock the second pistol as you pull it out of your sash. And as much as I hate it, we must cock our pistols before we climb inside. They might hear us otherwise. We don't know where they are in there. Now be ready and keep your wits about you. Remember that we need to keep one alive for questioning. Are we all ready?"

Everyone nodded and Ian met each ones' eyes and nodded back. After embracing both Cosette and Marie he nodded curtly to Henri and Li and streaked for the house. Landing on the roof as light as a cat, he tried the right hand window and it slid up noiselessly. He heard the others behind him and cocked his pistol. Seeming to flow through the window he looked around quickly and advanced in a crouch, watching the door of the room he had entered. In seconds the other four were with him. He looked at each one and they all nodded to him. Moving stealthily towards the door he very slowly eased it open and peered through. The place was dark, but his eyes had adjusted already. He held his finger to his lips and eased through the doorway into a long hallway that went to an open staircase.

They silently checked and cleared each room. He crossed the staircase and saw nothing down there. Ian regarded the staircase, being afraid it would creak as they descended it. It had a large heavy balustrade of oak. He whispered to everyone to un-cock their pistols and to secure them really tight in their sash. Smoothly he hopped up on the balustrade and stooping, he did a handstand and walked on his hands down the handrail. It was solid and never let out a sound. He easily let himself down at the landing and drew his weapons. Slowly in a crouch he moved away from the staircase toward the nearest door. There he paused to wait on the others.

Each one of the others did as Ian did and descended the handrail, walking on their hands without making a sound. They were all on the main floor now and they followed Ian in a crouch as he glided silently from room to room. There was no one in any rooms. He beckoned them closer and whispered "Unless Celeste is wrong, they're in the cellar. We might kill them all. They'll have to get past us to get out. Everyone cock their pistols now before we open that door. Ready now?"

Everyone nodded and Ian glided to the door leading to the cellar, under the main staircase. He eased it open as slowly as he could.

# Chapter 41

They were all assailed by the smell of blood, seeing some light and hearing voices. He gestured to Li to come behind him and nodding to everyone, he started to creep down the steps, hoping not to step on one that was creaky. He neared the bottom and then a step creaked slightly. Everyone froze in place. The voices continued talking and Ian could hear them now quite well. He held up his hand and made a fist. Everyone froze, listening.

"So who did Pelleau say was paying for those girls?"

"He was pretty tight-lipped about it. He did say it was some rich bastard in Lyon who owned nearly half of that place."

"Sounds like Marcel Francoise. Rich family and I hear they like strange diversions."

"Their gold is as good as any other mans'."

Ian beckoned them forward again as he glided down to the last steps. He silently glided around the corner and stopped briefly when he saw why they were all down in the cellar. A corpse hung upside down from a beam overhead. It was directly over the center of the table. His throat had been cut and he was bleeding into a cup held by one of the vampires. The others had cups in front of them and waited their turn. Then Ian heard a gurgling sound and a cold chill ran down his spine as he realized that the man was still alive. They were bleeding him alive so that his heart would speed up the grisly work of pumping his life's blood out to be consumed by the nine.

He glided silently toward the knot of vampires sitting around the large table that were waiting for their turn to drink even as he saw the eyes of the victim roll his way and widen just a bit. The poor man saw him and fastened his eyes on Ian's. He had nearly reached the table when one saw him and shot up out of his seat. Ian's pistol thundered as a hole appeared right between his eyes. Li had moved to be beside him as they had silently glided the last thirty feet toward the table, firing at the next one shooting him through the throat. The other seven exploded from their chairs in a blur of motion. Ian took off the next one's arm below the elbow. He ran him through and hacked the next one across the neck nearly cleaving his left shoulder from his body. They were screaming with rage.

Ian felt the thrill of combat surge through him as he moved to the next one who was retreating with a drawn knife. All the others had drawn their knives. Li was hacking down the next one when Henri appeared between Ian and Li and shot one through the head. By then Ian had leaped the table to pursue one and had caught him trying to circle back to the stairs. Taking a cut across his chest, nonetheless he cut him down nearly shearing a leg off at the knee and following that by cutting off his arm as he tried to lunge back towards Ian with his knife. He roared in pain as Ian hacked off his other arm and turned to leap back across the basement into the thick of it.

Li had hacked another one down with excellent swordplay and had cut his arm off. Marie shot one through the throat and then dropped her pistol and using two hands she cut his head off with her saber. Cosette shot one in the chest and Li took him from behind and twisted his head half off, breaking his neck. Cosette then leaped across that body to kick another one in the face who had regained his feet and found his knife. She leaped on his chest, taking a stab wound in her side. Jamming her pistol into his mouth as he roared, she blew the back of his head off. On her feet in a blur of motion she fluidly drew her saber and using both hands, cut off the vampire's head, kicking it into a corner. She spun to assist Marie who had one backed into a corner and the two proceeded to hack him to pieces, Marie at last lopping off his head.

Ian pivoted in time to see Henri fire his second pistol point blank into the chest of one. He then drove a knee into his mid-section and followed up with a sword thrust to the throat. Li had hacked off another arm of one still fighting and Cosette leaped on his back and slit his throat with such force that his head nearly fell off. He flopped about on the floor, gurgling as he tried to scream, his head flopping about held to his body only by the bones of his neck.

There were only four on their feet now. Ian and Li moved in on them and Ian pulled his second pistol, shooting his target through the head. He then chose another one, following with a devastating sword attack in which his blade was a blur, slashing his target to shreds, ending with him lopping off the head of that one.

Li likewise was all over his target who tried to defend himself with a knife in vain as Li cut his hand off at the wrist. Cosette was plunging her knife into one so fast that her arm was a blur as her target screamed and threshed violently. Ian leaped towards him sweeping his feet from one side. As he hit the floor, Ian drove his foot down on the vampire's throat so hard that he crushed his windpipe, choking off his screaming. Swiftly he decapitated that one.

Marie was hacking one mercilessly, her blade also a blur. Henri shot that one point blank in the head with a pistol he pulled from Marie's sash. The gunpowder smoke hung in the air so thickly that it was hard to see, but none of the nine had made it up the stairs. Five of them lay bleeding, gurgling and moaning, even as some of their wounds began to close.

Ian shouted "Anyone hurt?" and got no answer so he said "Henri, can you find one that can talk and pin him with your sabers? Cut off a foot if you want to." Ian went to the table to see if the victim was still alive. He was dead.

He turned away slowly. His anger built as he flew about the cellar eyes blazing, his blade and arms a blur of motion. There arose an unearthly chorus of screams. In seconds the remaining hands of the five other vampires were severed, and kicked into the farthest corner of the cellar

Shouting above the din Ian said "Li stand this one up if you please."

Li stood the designated one up and Ian stepped forward and using two hands struck his head from his body. They proceeded through the remainder who howled and cursed. Cosette, Henri, and Marie held one skewered, pinned to the floor in the other room. He was one with his face and throat still intact, but missing an arm and foot. They held him down with their three sabers through his chest. Henri put one foot on his remaining leg while Marie put one foot on his remaining arm.

Ian had just lopped off the fifth head. The heads lay all staring, their eyes rolling while they tried to scream. It was the stuff of nightmares. He then came to Cosette and Marie with concern. "Are either of you cut?

Marie said "Yes. Both of us are, but the cuts are beginning to close. We'll refresh ourselves outside when this is done."

He looked to Cosette who nodded. He saw that her blouse was cut viciously across her abdomen. She said "Ian, you are cut in three places!"

"I'll be all right." He grimaced then as he had not realized until then that he was cut. "How are you?"

"I'm all right, Ian. Marie is cut on both arms."

"Henri?"

"Just my thigh and my shoulder."

"Li?"

"Just my chest and left arm."

"Li, why don't you relieve Cosette and Marie? We have some unfinished business with this one. Marie, why don't you and Cosette go outside?"

"No. I want to hear what this piece of sewage has to say."

Ian looked to Cosette who nodded. Without a word he looked around and found a forearm. He leaned down and placed it under the one good leg of the vampire, raising it off the floor about three inches.

He then picked his way through the carnage out in the main room of the cellar, where he stepped over heads, arms and assorted grisly remains of the melee. The eyes of those severed heads focused on him, following his progress through the room even as their mouths tried to speak. It was a brutally macabre scene. He found the vampires foot by matching its boot to the one still on the one in the other room. Skewering it with his saber, he brought it to the vampire and jammed the ankle up against his leg stump and held it there. He signaled to Marie to release his one remaining arm. The vampire then grabbed the foot and held it there himself, still moaning as it began to knit itself back to his leg. "We can find your hand in here somewhere too, my friend." He stepped back and said "Who hired you to get those girls?"

The vampire moaned and then said "It was Pelleau. Why do you care about those orphans?"

"Pelleau? Does he have a first name?"

"Jean. Jean-Claude Pelleau."

"Where did he take them?"

"Pelleau didn't say. He said it was a rich man in Lyon."

"Where does this Pelleau live?"

"He owns the Pelleau Blacksmith Shop. It's on the road back to Paris, just inside the city walls."

"Why did you take a girl from this orphanage?" At this, Marie leaned forward.

"We didn't want to. Better to just take one from the streets at night. Pelleau said they had to be a certain age, between maybe ten and thirteen. He said we had to fill the quota of five girls around four nights ago, or else he would find someone else in the future. He had to deliver five. Sometimes it is one or two, but in the spring and fall, it is sometimes five he wants." Marie strained and started forward, but Henri held her firmly. "We got that last one from the orphanage because Pelleau was in a hurry to send five to Lyon."

Marie and Cosette had gasped upon hearing this revelation of ongoing kidnappings. It was silent as the five exchanged grim looks.

"Who is this hanging here?"

"Someone who tried to stop us from taking one of the street orphans."

"Where did you find him?"

"About two miles east of Pelleau's shop, across from a large church."

"Well, I don't have any more questions for this one, do any of you?

There was a chorus of "No."

Li said "I have one. How does this feel?" and with that he struck like a flash of lightning using a two-handed blow, striking the vampire's head off at his shoulders.

# Chapter 42

The Rodriguez family had arrived in Barcelona yesterday afternoon. They had met over supper and the father had properly proclaimed the intentions of his son to Eduardo Vasquez, the father of Alandra. They had wine to seal that part of the formal declaration and acceptance on the sides of each of the two families. The courtship of Alandra had officially begun as in time-honored tradition. A ring of betrothal would be soon offered in yet another formal dinner while they were yet visiting together. There would be a token passage of time, perhaps three days to keep the tradition of the heads of the two families having time to consider the proposal. It was a formality, but one that would be strictly adhered to.

Eduardo was very happy as was his wife. They both liked Philippe' and thought him to be a good match for Alandra. They were a stunning couple. He was only four years older than she and they could tell that she was not repelled by him and was fond of him. Neither one would have ever forced her to marry one whom she disliked.

Today the two would go to the marketplace and bazaar, and that night there would be a formal dance at the Vasquez villa. The couple set off, complete with their chaperone and escort group. The lead carriage had Eduardo, Philippe's father, Celita, and Alandra's little brother as passengers. The second carriage contained Alandra, her mother, Philippe's mother and Philippe'. All were splendidly dressed.

They arrived at the marketplace and bazaar in style. Leaving their carriages to stand with drivers waiting in a space reserved only for such people, they strolled about through the area. The two fathers stopped to look at some fine saddles and bridles. Philippe' and Alandra took the lead, with their two mothers following. The others were strung out behind the procession. The two fathers talked business, politics, and trade, while the two mothers talked dresses and weddings.

Near a lamp post stood three young men. One was a bit taller than the other two, and quite handsome. The tall man watched the group idly, his eyes passing over them to other sights, but then as recognition dawned in his mind, his eyes snapped back to the couple in the forefront of the group. He focused his gaze on the woman in the lead. He clenched his jaw muscles until his teeth ground together and his body became rigid with rage. He began to walk somewhat parallel to the group. "You two follow me, but stay well back." he said.

They approached an area where flowers were sold. There was a lovely man-made pond, set inside of a low stone wall. Ducks paddled about in it and a flowering tree grew in a manicured island in its center. There were benches all around for sitting and trees for shade. Near to the man watching was an area of flower vendors. He edged into that area, watching as the group all stopped and chose seats. Then the young man accompanying Alandra got up and said something to her. She inclined her head and he turned, making his way to the area of the flower sellers.

As he approached that area the man watching started to move. He appeared to be moving casually but in fact it was with a malicious purpose. The two older men with the group followed behind the young man, obviously to buy their wives flowers too. They were no more than forty feet behind the young man. Philippe' and the tall man converged, one unaware while the other coldly executed his plan.

His eyes fixed on the finest and largest bouquet he could see, Philippe' walked a bit faster towards it, for fear of someone else getting it first. He was approaching a booth called Geraldo's Flower Shop when suddenly he felt his shoulder bump against another person. Turning he saw a tall man sprawled on his back. Philippe' apologized, extending his hand to help the tall man up, smiling apologetically.

"How clumsy of me senor! My apologies. Here, let me help you."

The man lowered his voice and stepping a bit closer as he rose and still looking down said "Son of a whore, watch your step. Forget about flowers. You can send that young whore over there on that bench to me tonight and I'll satisfy her!"

A wide area had begun to open at this time, the two in the center of it. Just as the two fathers came into this circle Philippe' lashed out and struck the tall man in his face, bloodying his nose. The man crashed down on his back as the two fathers watched, stunned. The ladies had just gotten to the scene and saw Philippe' knock the man down. They were horrified. Alandra's face suddenly paled, as did Celitas'.

The man got up and dusted himself off, his nose streaming blood. "I demand satisfaction, senor."

Philippe' drew himself up and said "You shall have it senor."

"Sabers then, right here, at dawn tomorrow, senor!

"Done Senor. Sabers at dawn tomorrow, here."

Eduardo's face paled as he rushed in to speak with the two, but turning to the tall man he said. "Senor, please don't be so hasty. This can be resolved in other ways. I'm sure we can all sit down like the gentlemen we are and sort this misunderstanding out without bloodshed or violence."

Philippe' said "With all due respect Senor Vasquez, there will be no further talking. This will be settled with honor tomorrow."

"Then I will be here senor." said the tall man.

"Now senor, surely you don't mean to go through with this. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eduardo Vasquez, Ambassador for his Majesty to France."

Wiping the blood from his face, the tall man said "An honor, senor. I am Carlos Chavez."

"I know that name, senor. I know a Chavez who is prosecutor for the crown."

"That is my father, senor."

"Senor, surely we can settle this amicably......"

Philippe' said "We will settle this with honor tomorrow, Senor Vasquez. There is no need to discuss things with such a pig as this man." Chavez smiled coldly, saying nothing.

"We saw the whole thing, senor Vasquez." said one of Chavez' companions "We were standing right here when this man knocked Senor Chavez to the ground and struck him as he tried to get up. It must be settled on the field of honor, senor."

"I will be there tomorrow at dawn then, Senor." With that, Philippe' turned and walked towards the ladies and said, "Let us be away from this place. The swine have overrun it."

Alandra advanced to Philippe' and said "No Philippe', you mustn't do this thing."

"My apologies, senorita Vasquez, but indeed I must. His insult shall not be forgotten."

Turning to her father she said "Papa, tell him. He mustn't go through with this thing. He mustn't, Papa." Eduardo turned to Philippe's father and said "It would be best if you leave tonight Senor Rodriguez. I can arrange a passage out of here discreetly."

"I thank you for your concern, Senor Vasquez, but that won't be necessary. Philippe' has made up his mind on this. It is now a matter of honor."

"My father is right, Senor Vasquez. It's not necessary. Shall I run like a coward when I've come to ask your daughters' hand in marriage? That cannot be, with all due respect!"

Stepping forward completely out of her place, Alandra said "Is it honorable to die in a trap set by a serpent? I know this villain and he is a serpent. He has done this some way, I'm sure of it! I'm honored to have you for my betrothed, Philippe', and you don't have to prove your worth to me. I've already seen enough to know that I would be honored to be your bride. I'll marry you, without your participating in this duel. We'll come to Almeria. You and I can be married there on a date which your father and mine will set. We'll live there and I'll do my very best to make of myself the best wife you could ever hope for. You have my word on it. Now dear Philippe', do please turn away from this duel, for our sakes!"

The two fathers were stunned, both standing with their mouths agape. The two mothers were stunned. Philippe' was stunned. He stood there silent, but happy beyond his wildest imagination. He had not seen Alandra display an ounce of passion in their time together until now, but here he saw that her depth of passion, commitment and love was boundless.

"Senorita Alandra, you are a woman worthy of any king who has ever lived. How can I ever hold my head up again or look you in the eyes if I run from this thing? I must meet that pig tomorrow. That is the end of it, Senorita"

# Chapter 43

After letting the sun consume the grisly remains of the nine vampires, Ian and the others searched the property for implements. They found some and dug a grave for the dead human at vampire speed. Ian recited the 23rd Psalm over the grave and asked for God's everlasting mercy for a man who had lost his life trying to help a child. The group then saw to their weapons and departed into the woods.

Ian led them to the big creek he had jumped earlier. They paired off and scattered along the stream to strip and bathe. Ian and Cosette went downstream for a quarter mile to find a sizeable pool. They stripped and waded in, washing the blood and grime off wordlessly as they washed their clothing. Ian came up behind Cosette and pulled her to him, both of them sitting down in the deep shade against a tree growing on the bank of the creek, her back to him. He just held her there, both arms around her, kissing her hair and her cheek as she turned her head to one side. They lay like that in the water for several minutes. Ian sighed then he said "Ah, lass. I know that was hard on you and Marie, seeing that. I wish it hadn't happened that way. I regret that you saw me behave that way with those vampires after we'd beaten them."

"Hah! If you hadn't done that Marie and I would have! All I could think of was those little girls and how terrified they must be. What else would anyone with any feelings at all have done? Those murdering vermin had done this before. How many little ones have they delivered to God knows what fate? And that Jean Pelleau? His days are numbered!"

Shortly they had dressed and picked their way upstream, calling ahead so that the others knew they were coming. They were answered, and rejoined the others in a place of deep shade. Marie had retrieved her gloves and broad-brimmed hat and Cosette's as well, handing them to her. Li rejoined them then, having bathed elsewhere along the stream.

Ian said "We have all of our weapons, powder, shot, and sabers. Henri, Li, and I can divide those and carry them. We should be off to Lyon now. We can stay in the forest to avoid being seen until after dark. Isn't it is east and a bit south of here?"

Henri replied "Yes, it may take us some eight hours on foot. We go on foot or we might as well not go. I'll take the lead."

Cosette said "What about money?"

"You're right. I'll go retrieve our money and have the headmaster send our clothing to our apartment" Marie said.

Li asked "What about Sophia?"

"She'll be told to wait in our apartment. We have two servants on duty now so she can remain there in comfort. We can come back here after this is done and visit Celeste too."

Li nodded agreement as she leaped away and streaked towards the orphanage, knowing that her clothes would be dried by the time she arrived. The others went more slowly down the hill to the flat plain and waited there. Soon she came back with three purses which Ian, Li, and Henri hung around their necks. The group had taken nourishment from their copper flasks while she was gone. Henri handed a flask to Marie and said "Take it now and drain it. We'll find more along the way." He bounded away toward the east, the others behind him.

A few hours later they were over halfway there and stopped to feed when Henri scared up a doe. Within ten more minutes they were again on their way.

***

Chloe rolled about in the darkened carriage, her bonds chafing her skin. She was sure that there were other girls with her in the carriage. It never stopped for long, but when it did, there were sounds of horses being walked about and the carriage would jiggle about a bit. There would be a little talking between men somewhere not too distant. Someone would open a carriage door and take a gag from her mouth and give her water to drink. After she drank all she could, she was gagged again. It wouldn't be too long though after the last one was given water that she would feel the carriage start up again and they would ride along for hours and hours without stopping. They did that around ten times she thought. She finally came to think that they were changing horses. It seemed that it would go on forever, and she was sure that they had been traveling now for over three days, maybe even four. She and the others had soiled themselves several times by now, and the blankets they were wrapped in stunk badly.

In the beginning she'd seen the eyes of the others, wide with fear, darting towards every sound or each time one of the side curtains would let a sliver of light in. In time those same eyes became lifeless and dull; no longer darting to every different sound or change of lighting within the stinking carriage.

They stopped and something was different. She couldn't hear any horses being walked about or feel the jolt of the carriage having new horses attached. The doors suddenly opened. It was dusk and black-hooded figures carried them one by one through a small door in the side of what looked to be a really large mansion. They were taken down a flight of stairs into a large cellar room. It had a cobblestone floor and some sort of five-pointed design set into it with some kind of tile. Tall candelabras were set everywhere and were lit with innumerable candles.

They passed through that and went to a small room beyond that where they had their clothing stripped. Then they were put whimpering and weeping into a large tub to be bathed in total silence by the black-hooded figures.

***

It was already dark as the five came into Lyon so they stopped on a knoll overlooking the city. Ian asked Henri "Do you know where the Francoise chateau is?"

Henri smiled at him and said "Bankers know all kinds of things about rich people, including where they live. They live to the east of Lyon on the road to Geneva, overlooking the Rhone. Follow me."

He bounded away and the others streaked after him. They skirted the city and climbed through more rolling country. In around twenty minutes they came to a clearing through which they could see the lights of a really large chateau. It was a magnificent place with a commanding view of the Rhone River to the south and the foothills and mountains beyond. They skirted the place, knowing that there were dogs, but those were confined in an area behind the chateau in a kennel on the north side of the main house.

There was a steady breeze from the north, so they were left with three sides to approach without alarming the dogs. Henri stopped after they got to an area just west of the mansion. Three hundred feet further west behind them in the woods was a creek that paralleled the house.

Henri said "Let me go and look through the windows on the main level. I might see what kind of security they have. Just wait here." He flitted silently away toward the house. When he got there he ghosted from window to window silently. He saw no one, but the house wasn't darkened at all. People were in the kitchen who he thought might be staff. There were easily a dozen and they wore uniforms.

Finally he saw movement in a corner room near the front of the house. As he carefully peered in from some fifteen feet away, he recognized Marcel Francoise himself. He sat at a beautiful ornate desk, a very large one and he was writing in a ledger book of some kind. In some five or six minutes, he closed that book and put it in the bottom drawer on the right-hand side. He stood and opening a small closet with a key hanging around his neck, he took a red hooded robe. Leaving the room he didn't bother with the lamps. Henri waited several minutes, and then he stepped to a window and pressed his elbow against it until it cracked. It made only a tiny noise. Waiting two full minutes he reached through and undid the latch, raising the window. He went to the desk and in seconds had broken into the bottom right hand drawer. Taking the ledger, he tucked it in his pocket and rearranged the drapes so that they covered the broken window pane. He vanished like smoke through the window, closing and locking it; he rejoined the others.

"I have a ledger book and when we go in, I'll leave it here with the rucksacks." He showed it to everyone and then they talked about where to go in.

"Ian, Li, what do you think of that row of dormers along the third story?"

"I count twelve. Maybe the window of one is unlocked?"

"One way to find out. Are our weapons all ready?

"Yes. We're ready to fight."

"What will we find inside, regarding resistance?"

"I saw maybe a dozen servants who we may assume might be armed. Regarding servants, we kill who we must. Those who run away, we let live."

Cosette said "There's a creek behind us, and I think we should all smear mud on our hair and our faces. You and Marie are well known and any of us could encounter one of the people inside this place in Paris or anywhere one day. As many as you saw in there, some are likely to get away."

"That's a good idea."

Shortly their faces were all covered in mud and it was caked thickly in their hair as well. Ian embraced both Marie and Cosette and after shaking hands with Li and Henri, he streaked towards the huge chateau, bounding effortlessly up to land on the roof beside the westernmost dormer. They watched as he flitted like a bat to one and then the next. He flitted quickly back to the fourth one from where he had started and seemed to melt into the face of the dark dormer.

# Chapter 44

Chloe and the others had been bathed and had clean white robes put on by the black-hooded men. They were then carried whimpering into the large room and to a place where the tile was set into the stone and forced to lie down on their backs there. There were four iron rings set in the floor at each of the five points of the pentagram. The five girls were each tied hand and foot to the four iron rings. Straw was scattered thickly at all five tips of the pentagram. A door opened at the side where they had come in earlier and seven men wearing red-hooded robes filed in. Chloe was filled with a sudden dread as she and her companions began to cry.

***

While waiting for the others, Ian quickly looked out at the hallway and saw no one in sight. The others joined him shortly. He had broken a window pane to enter. They proceeded out into the hallway, lit by candles on wall sconces. The house was quiet and it seemed that there were no activities. The five glided along trying all the twelve doors leading to the twelve rooms. They saw bags that had been unpacked in six of the bedrooms. Skirting the balustrade they checked all twelve bedrooms along the north wall and found them unoccupied. They glided down the open staircase to the second floor and repeated the search and came up empty. On the main floor, they heard who they thought were servants talking. It sounded like a sizeable group, easily a dozen or more which was nothing unusual for a house this size.

They passed the kitchen and pantry area by and made their way to a door that Henri thought went to the cellar Ian paused and the others looked at him questioningly. A nagging premonition caused him to sign to Li to take the lead with Marie and Cosette following. He signed to Henri to precede him and he brought up the rear. They descended a well-lit stairway into the cellar.

Ian was the last to reach the bottom. Just as he did, he felt an icy prickling that plunged down his spine.

"Vampires behind us!" he said as he spun, his pistol raised. He sensed rather than saw the others turn with him as he saw a large muscular figure flying towards him followed by three more. He moved to one side like lightning as he shot the first one between his eyes. In a blur he drew his sabre with his left hand and delivered a deep cut to the giant's neck, severing it three fourths through as his momentum carried him to a large table with two fully-lit candelabras. The table crashed over and the candles rolled everywhere including into some left-over straw piled around a cedar support post. There was a large container of lamp oil on the table for the lamps along the walls and it had spilled as well. A fire started and soon the cedar post was blazing, the flames licking hungrily along the exposed cedar beams. No one had noticed it yet as all were busy fighting for their lives.

Ian had dropped his pistol as he heard another pistol discharge and saw an even bigger vampire hurtling down on them with a gaping hole in his throat. Li moved towards him and like lightning he lowered himself to dodge a tremendous slash as the giant tried to take his head off with a short sword. Li drove a powerful side kick into the giant's knee, breaking his leg backwards, causing that one to roar in pain. Ian had already hacked off the first one's head. They backed away from the foot of the steps as two more came screaming, leaping to the landing below. They were females and Li stepped in and broke one's arm; following up with a vicious elbow to that one's jaw, crushing it and driving her jawbone around her head to one side. Cosette pounced on her and nearly cut her head off with her curved dagger. The other one fell to Marie who ran her through repeatedly and stepping back lopped off her head cleanly. More of them leaped down the steps roaring, swords drawn. Still more appeared above.

Realizing that they were outnumbered, Ian shouted "Fall back to that hallway!" They stood a better chance if the others could only come at them by twos, so they backed away from the landing toward a hallway leading back from where they had heard voices.

Ian switched to English saying "Marie, you and Cosette look for the girls while we hold them here!" He then spun to engage a female vampire with red hair and blazing green eyes, bounding toward her and delivering a mighty side kick as she rushed him with a drawn sword. She flew back with a cracked sternum and three broken ribs and rolled into a mass of flames, knocking over a small table with yet another jar of lamp oil. It shattered as she rolled through it, soaking her clothing. Coming to rest against the far wall in a pile of blazing straw, she lay there for several seconds, stunned and then she ignited like a torch. Shrieking in pain, she vanished up the now flaming staircase like she was shot from a cannon, spreading flames throughout the main floor as she blindly fought to find a way out of the house.

***

Chloe saw a man in a red hood take a dagger from a pedestal where it had lain. He started toward her nearest companion. She heard a loud commotion coming from the end of the room opposite where she and he others had been brought in. The man in the red hood had already cut one of the little girls nearest to Chloe. She screamed. He stopped and looked in the direction of the commotion, standing there for a little while listening. The noise sounded like a battle with loud explosions punctuating the shouting and screaming. It seemed to be getting closer. She saw the man nearest her in the red hood with the dagger in his hand look that direction, and then drop the dagger and run towards the stairway where she had been brought in. Two figures were approaching her from the direction of the noise.

***

Marie and Cosette streaked toward the back. Two really big human guards in black robes came to meet them with swords drawn. The two cut them down like they were dried weeds, hurtling into a large room. In the center was a large pentagram laid out in tile in the cobblestone floor. Near the tip of each of the five points was a young girl tied to iron hoops set in the floor. Straw was piled there beneath each one, presumably to soak up blood. They just got a glimpse of several figures in dark red robes running into a hallway leading away in another direction.

Suddenly two vampires came from that hallway, moving like a flash towards Cosette and Marie. The two drew their pistols and cocked them in a blur and shot both of them through their heads. Their momentum carried them past the women to a large brazier with a hot fire going. One of them crashed into it screaming, the hot coals scattering everywhere and setting fire to three cedar posts where more of the surplus straw was piled. The other knocked over a large candelabra and scattered blazing candles everywhere including into the straw. Cosette and Marie followed up and each of them quickly beheaded their targets.

They then turned and ran to two of the girls and slashed their bonds. Chloe saw a person who was covered in mud cutting her bonds. Cosette and Marie picked them up and flew down the hallway where they had seen the red-robed figures running. They came to a staircase and flew up it finding the door at the top standing open. As they burst into the room they saw the red-robed figures running down a hallway, trailed by two black robed figures. The two male vampires in black robes detached themselves from the group. They turned and bounded across the space toward the two women, drawing knives. Dropping the two girls, Marie and Cosette moved forward in a low glide to meet the pair. They attacked them without hesitation and fought furiously, their blades a shining blur of motion. A pitched battle ensued taking only a minute. Their sound swordsmanship, hours of practice against Ian, and the fact that their opponents were armed only with knives began to make a difference immediately as both of them inflicted numerous wounds on their adversaries even while driving them back quickly.

Cosette finally hacked the hand off of her opponent just after he had made a blindingly fast thrust at her, leaving his arm extended for a split second too long. In a smooth blur of motion she pivoted as that vampire howled in pain and retreated, vanishing down the hallway. She continued her spinning motion so as to traverse to the other one and struck his head from his shoulders with a two-handed blow as Marie was pressing the fight from her side.

Looking around, Cosette shouted "This way, Marie!" as she snatched up one of the girls and hurtled toward a large window. Covering the girl's face she leapt through it with Marie following. Shards of glass flew outward as she shot through it with her precious burden. They landed smoothly on a veranda and quickly let the girls down. The candles beside the windows caught fire to the draperies. Cosette said "Hide here. We'll find you. If not, wait until daylight and get away from this place." She pointed west toward the general direction of the city of Lyon. Then she and Marie leaped back through the broken window and flashed down the steps to go back for the other girls.

Ian, Henri, and Li had their hands full, being as all had since discharged their second pistol and were fighting with sabers by now. The vampires feared to go back because the flames had grown so greatly, so they pressed the attack against the three.

There were five of them now advancing with short swords drawn. Ian advanced to meet them. This would give Li and Henri a bit of time to get set up to defend the hallway. It all happened in the blink of an eye though. Ian met one head on who would only parry and thrust with his short sword. His eyes glowing like blue flames, Ian pressed his attack. He had a bit more reach than the other one though with his saber and a little advantage in height. Within seconds he had sheared off the vampire's ear. Enraged, his opponent roared and leapt at Ian, who dropped suddenly and whirling and using both hands he slashed his saber horizontally a few inches off of the floor, cutting one foot off of his opponent as he passed by. Springing up as he spun away he lunged back toward his opponent who bellowed in pain, delivering a mighty front kick to his chest and propelling him back in a somersault into a wall of flames.

The vampire bellowed again and stood up on one foot and one leg stump. In his madness from the pain and his clothing afire he somehow made it up the stairs and hobbled roaring and screaming through the house, spreading the flames and knocking over several candelabras starting other fires. By now the upstairs was ablaze even more than the basement by reason of many windows being open and a good northerly breeze circulating through the place.

Two more had closed in on Ian before that had happened though, and, he backed towards the entrance to the hallway as he fought them. Li was at his side and making a lightning thrust, he ran one through, stepping back to escape a counter thrust. Ian whirled and cut off that one's sword arm. It was sticking out for the blink of an eye and was a perfect target. He paid for it though as he felt the fiery pain of a sword thrust into his side. He pivoted and instead of backing away from the sword, he lunged against it and was able to get close enough to half sever the neck of that swordsman with a mighty backhanded slash. Pivoting he kicked that one away from him and pulled the sword out of his stomach. Ignoring the stabbing pain and armed with two swords he fell on him as he rose and struck his head from his body. Spinning toward the others, he leaped toward them with a vengeance. Li and Henri had the last three engaged at the entrance to the hallway.

Li's sword suddenly broke not too far above the handle. He threw the handle at the nearest vampire, and hit him squarely between the eyes. The vampire bored in, picking up speed seeing that Li had no weapon. Li simply waited until another thrust came and darted to one side avoiding it. He then fell back holding on to the vampire's sword arm. Using his opponents' momentum he just fell and continued rolling backwards, driving his feet into that ones' stomach as he lifted him high up and over to go crashing to the floor behind him. Li continued backwards in a rolling backward somersault and as he came up on his feet he spun and delivered a smashing front kick to the vampire's face as he tried to regain his feet. His nose was splattered across his face and two front teeth were kicked out. Li bored in on him grabbing his forearm by the wrist and driving his free arm beneath the vampire's upper arm he twisted mightily, shifting his free hand down to join his other hand on the vampire's wrist. He pulled down with all of his strength while straightening his legs driving himself upward, breaking his opponent's arm backward over his shoulder.

The vampire roared as he clutched his injured arm but Li had already whirled behind him and had grabbed his head from behind under his chin and had done a blinding half-turn. He pulled down mightily driving his hip into the buttocks of his opponent. That brought the vampire arcing over him backwards and crashing face-first to the ground. Li spun like lighting and ended up on his opponent's back. He reached and grabbed his head and wrenched it around, breaking his opponents' neck. Up in a flash, he snatched up the vampires sword, severed its head, and kicked that away as he sprang back towards Henri who was engaged with the other one. Henri was wounded in his shoulder and was losing ground when Li came and struck the vampire's head from its body, just as Ian had finished off his last opponent.

They looked around but had to back down the hallway because of the flames. Henri said "The girls...this way!" The three of them rocketed down the hallway toward the large room, but midway there was a loud groaning sound and a flaming mass fell in front of them, blocking the hallway. They turned and looking at each other they paused for a heartbeat. Ian said "We have to try it the way we came in lads. Whatever you do don't breathe in!" He plunged into the holocaust at his greatest speed and rounding the corner leaped up the stairs in one bound landing in flames and turning in the direction that the other staircase had to be. His clothes were now afire as he rocketed along searching for the other staircase leading down. He sensed rather than saw Li and Henri close behind him.

Bursting into another large ornate room he saw someone leap out the window holding something. He flew out the same window ending up on the veranda and saw Cosette and Marie with four of the girls. Henri and Li joined him and all were beating out the flames on their clothing including Cosette and Marie. Henri said "That was a close one" as Ian started toward Cosette. However she leaped back through the window as Ian shouted "No, Cosette, it's too late!"

Cosette bounded through flames to the bottom of the burning staircase and peered around the room, locating the bleeding child who had fallen silent. Smoke billowed around her where she was tied down. Her hair and clothing burst into flames and she felt searing pain all over her body. She leaped to the girl's side and slashed the bonds holding her to the rings set in the floor. Hearing a groaning roar she saw her exit blocked by a flaming mass that fell to the cobblestone floor. She cast about desperately knowing that the other stair way was gone as well. Seeing a hole near a wall she bounded toward it just as a mass of stone fell all around it. As she got to it, she saw that she could still fit into the hole so she thrust the limp little girl into it and got down into it with her. Both of them were afire, clothing and hair burning, skin blistering. Just as she got down beside the little girl there was a deafening roar. One of the massive chimneys above had buckled and came crashing down through the floor above. Two broad beams fell across the entrance to the stone pile some ten feet above her head. She looked up and thought this is how it is when you are about to die. Tons of stone debris rained down on them then, and mercifully everything went black.

# Chapter 45

In the home of Caryn Rochelle in Paris there arose an unearthly scream that went on and on, then the sound of a little girl screaming "COSETTE! THE FIRE, THE FIRE, NO COSETTE, NO, THE FIRE!"

Then a wailing cry was heard as Caryn Rochelle rushed to Celeste's bedside. Little Celeste was wailing, sitting up in her bed. She just wailed and rocked herself back and forth, her knees drawn tightly to her breast and her arms locked about them. Caryn sat beside her holding her and rocking her, trying to soothe her. She somehow knew that this was not just a child's bad dream. Then again Celeste screamed;

"NO IAN, NO! NO! THE FIRE IAN, NO!"

Celeste wept and wept and couldn't be comforted. Caryn held her close and rocked her, stroking her hair. After several minutes of this, Celeste lifted her head to look into her aunts' eyes. "Cosette has burned! Cosette has burned! Oh, aunt Caryn, Cosette has burned! She's gone, aunt Caryn, she's gone! Ian is burned too! Oh Aunt Caryn he is burnt horribly! He's dying!" She fell to weeping uncontrollably as Caryn held her and rocked her.

Caryn was in a state of shock, but deep down she knew that as horrible as it sounded, it had happened. She had already observed how she seemed to know things that she couldn't know, and Caryn didn't trivialize anything this remarkable little girl said. She sat holding Celeste; rocking her and stroking her hair.

***

Ian leaped through the window and went through the flames, jumping to the bottom of the staircase which was now a solid mass of flames. His clothing and hair were aflame as he tried to peer through the mass of flames. Searing pain flashed throughout his body. He shouted as loud as he could "COSETTE! COSETTE!"

Looking around he couldn't see Cosette or the little girl. Now burning and his skin peeling and blistering, he heard a great groaning sound and he knew that the house above was falling in. He leaped up through the solid mass of flames and rocketed towards the window just as the house fell in on itself with a mighty roar. Sparks and flames shot three hundred feet into the night sky as the inferno got a gigantic gulp of fresh air to raise it to new heights.

Marie, Henri, and Li had heard him cry out for Cosette. To their astonishment they saw what looked like a flaming meteor with two arms and two legs shoot from the broken window. It cleared the veranda and landed far out on the lawn turning and streaking west toward the creek in the woods. They gathered up the four girls with Henri carrying two of them and bounded away towards the creek themselves.

***

The sun was just coming up on the eastern horizon of the Mediterranean where a scattering of cirrus clouds had already become the color of molten copper. Seagulls and Pelicans patrolled the shoreline, some on foot and some flying. Two carriages with horses stood at opposite sides of the pond where the ducks quacked and paddled merrily about their business. There was a group of men gathered about each carriage. One man detached himself and walked to the other group, indicating that the principal was there and that his second had been chosen. Two men stepped out of the group of four and walked to a place to the south of the pond.

Two men detached themselves from the other party of four and they walked to the south of the pond also. The remaining four converged in the space between the two pairs. They beckoned the pair to approach.

"I am Ernesto Chavez. I am selected to co-preside over this duel."

"I am Roberto Rodriquez. I am selected to co-preside over this duel."

There followed a very formal and thorough airing of the grievance in time-honored tradition of dueling in Spain. It culminated with the two combatants being summoned.

The two combatants came to stand facing the co-presiders. The two seconds followed, but stayed around ten feet behind the combatants and to one side, also facing the co-presiders. Following tradition the co presiders then spoke directly to the opposing combatants.

Ernesto said "Senor Chavez, as grievant, have you anything to offer that might preclude blood being spilled here this day?

"No."

Roberto said "Senor Rodriguez, as offender, have you anything to offer that might preclude blood being spilled here this day?

"No."

There was a formal pronouncement of why they were there, and then a ritual inspection of weapons and a ritual recital of the rules of dueling.

Ernesto said "Gentlemen, do you understand all of the rules of this duel and of the rule of quarter?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

About then a horse came clattering into the square and a woman scandalously dressed in pantaloons swung gracefully from the saddle. Alandra walked to the group and spoke directly to Ernesto Chavez saying "Senor, please stop this in the name of justice." Pointing to Carlos she said "This man devised and executed this entire thing because when he met me, he could tell that I didn't like him. He was embarrassed in front of his friends, two of whom are here." she said, indicating the second and the witness.

She continued "Senor Chavez is known to be among the finest swordsmen in all of Spain and has killed two men in duels, while Philippe' has had only fundamental training with a sword. This proceeding is no more than a ritual murder to satisfy one persons' revenge at losing a bet in front of his friends." At this last saying, she pointed to Carlos who flushed deeply. She had been guessing, but knew she was right when she saw Carlos' reaction.

Ernesto, looking disturbed spoke, saying "Carlos is this true?"

"No, uncle. On my honor, this man knocked me to the ground, and then hit me as I was getting up."

"Your honor? You have no idea what honor is Senor Chavez, no idea at all! You've lied to get these good men here to help you satisfy your blood lust. You Senor Carlos Chavez are a murderer and a lying serpent!" She turned to Roberto, the father of Phillipe' and said "Don't go through with this thing, or you are a fool." Roberto's mouth dropped open at the audacity of her statement.

Ernesto spoke. "We've heard several witnesses here and now are we to stop this proceeding based on what one girl says? Senorita, you will stand clear now or we'll be forced to take you to the side." He beckoned to Carlos' second and witness who stepped forward and took Alandra's arms and drew her back from the group. They took her to the pond and told her to stand there, or to leave. She stood ramrod straight and shouted "You are a murderer, Carlos Chavez, and the rest of you are fools and accomplices! There is no honor in murder!"

The two co presiders and others stepped back from the combatants. In a low voice while looking down Carlos said "So Philippe', you got your whore to come here to save your worthless skin?"

Philippe' turned red with rage and shouted "No quarter you bastard! No quarter!"

Carlos looked towards the two co presiders. Ernesto said "There is a call for no quarter from the offender. Does the offended party agree?"

"Yes. No quarter."

"Very well then; let this matter now be concluded in honor. Begin!"

Philippe' stepped forward quickly and launched a strong attack. Carlos parried brilliantly and retreated slightly and circled to the east a bit. Then he counter attacked quickly and skillfully driving Philippe' back some ten paces, ending with a cut on Philippe's sword arm. Philippe' ignored it and made another strong attack. Carlos again defended and parried skillfully, and again as he retreated he circled to the east. Slowly the sun rose and just as slowly Philippe' began to have to look towards the sun as he fought. Another cut was opened high up on his arm.

There followed a skillful back and forth display of alternating attacks. Both men were breathing harder now and sweating. Again Carlos launched a blistering attack and again Philippe' retreated but parried valiantly and midway reversed it by going on a full scale attack with everything he had. Carlos retreated, parrying each thrust skillfully and circling again towards the east. Philippe' was now definitely looking towards the rising sun as he tried to attack or to defend. Again Carlos attacked in a blinding display of skill, angling to the southwest as he did. He skillfully directed his attack so that Philippe' was moved in a direction so that he was facing the sun even more. Philippe' valiantly fought back and rallied, forcing Carlos back, but never able to reverse the effects of now facing nearly due east towards the sunrise. Carlos always retreated to the east to try to keep his opponent facing the sun.

Back and forth it went, until Philippe' began to falter somewhat in his counter attacks. By now he was bleeding from five wounds and panting heavily. He attempted to modify his movements to conserve energy. But Carlos attacked relentlessly and bored in all the harder and faster until suddenly he struck a particularly hard slash to Philippe's mid-section. Philippe' dropped his guard for a split second to grab his side and Carlos lunged back from a retreat into a full scale attack, the sun now at his back. In seconds he thrust his blade through Philippe's stomach just below the ribs, so that it protruded out of his back. Carlos held it there as Philippe' began to sag and dropped his sword. Then Carlos ripped his weapon free and stood back. He knew that it had pierced the liver because the blood was an extremely dark color. Turning he walked towards his carriage, his second and witness joining him and congratulating him.

Ernesto and Roberto faced each other. Roberto spoke weakly, the tears streaming down his face. "Honor has been found here today senor." He removed his hat and gave the traditional bow to Ernesto.

About then Alandra shouted "Honor? Honor? Folly and murder are what has been found here today. You are all murderers and fools!"

The two men looked at Alandra in astonishment. Then Ernesto repeated the traditional words "Honor has been found here this day, senor. And then he too bowed to Roberto. Before he departed, Ernesto said "You have my deepest sympathies, Senor Rodriguez. It is a hard thing you've seen this day."

Each turned away from the other, and then Roberto ran to his son. Alandra was there already sobbing and cradling Philippe's head in her lap as he lay dying. His eyes remained fixed on hers as he said. "I love you Alandra. I'll love you for all eternity. You've made me die a happy man this day."

Alandra said "Oh Philippe', I love you and will never forget your love." She wept and cradled his head to her bosom, kissing his lips and rocking gently to and fro. Roberto wept freely, on his knees beside them, holding his son's two hands.

The other party's carriage departed, the horses hooves clattering on the tiles. The seagulls cried raucously as the wind sighed through the leaves of the trees all around the beautiful square. The waves crashed against the breakwater in their endless rhythm. The sounds of ringing steel had been replaced by the sound of grieving mingled with the timeless sounds of the seashore itself.

# Chapter 46

Ian lay in the creek naked, under the water. Marie, Li, and Henri approached with the four girls. Although wounded in four places herself, Marie took them aside some two hundred feet away upstream, not willing for them to witness any more than they'd seen already. Hearing them arrive Ian sat up in the midst of the creek. Li and Henri looked at him aghast, and Henri even drew in a sharp breath.

Ian's hair, beard, and eyebrows had been burnt off. His face and body were a mass of black charred and red blistered skin. Tears of pain streamed from his glowing eyes. He said "Go. Cut them off. The carriages have only just departed. Split up on the main road and each of you go one way. Anyone you intercept leaving this area is guilty of being a part of this abomination. I say kill them all! Go now, or else Cosette died in vain!"

"Ian, you're hurt..."

"Marie can look after me. Go now and get those bastards! Go now!"

Li and Henri both gave Ian their flasks. They had to hold them to his lips because his charred hands couldn't grip a flask. They stood and Henri went to Marie and spoke briefly. Although suffering multiple wounds themselves, the two bounded away. They split up on the main road and ran as fast as they could, one toward Lyon and the other toward the Swiss border.

Within an hour, Li was back at the driveway to the chateau which was still burning. He drove the carriage across the expansive lawn to a place under some trees that couldn't be seen from the driveway. After checking his prisoners' bonds, he came to Ian, still lying in the creek.

"I've brought four of them back, Ian. Are you resting all right?"

Ian croaked "Good. I am...comfortable. When Henri returns, you two can question them."

"I'm going to hunt the woods hereabout. I won't be gone too long."

Ian nodded as Li took his rucksack and vanished.

Shortly Henri returned, having captured two men, bringing them back in their own coach and concealing it with the other one. Marie held her flask to Ian's lips and he drained it. She went back to the children. As she approached one of the four girls came to her and said "You are one of the muddy angels." Marie took her to her bosom and said, "Yes little one." The little girl said "The muddy angel who carried me out smelled like Lilacs and had big pretty gray eyes that smiled at me." Marie choked back a sob and then while clinging to little Chloe, she began to weep uncontrollably.

Henri said "I'm going to go to the servants' quarters out back to see if I can find some clothing for all of us." Ian nodded. He moved himself from the water and began to pack mud all over his body.

Li returned and had filled both of his flasks, holding them for Ian who drained both. Li vanished with his empty flasks and Marie's. After some twenty minutes, he returned with all four flasks full. Ian nodded as they set them beside him.

Marie silently joined the group and they took up the question of what to do with the men they had captured. Li said that they should all be questioned and then killed and their bodies carried off into the deep woods. Henri and Marie looked at each other and nodded. Marie said "A vampire got away. Cosette cut his arm off first though."

Ian spoke then, saying "Two got away from me. I cut one's foot off and the other was a female with red hair and green eyes.

Henri said "I'd better question these men."

"One might know you, Henri

"It doesn't matter if they know me or not. They'll never leave this place alive."

***

Dawn broke to a drizzling rainy day. The six had been questioned and then killed quickly. They were friends and associates of Francoise, and they really didn't know where he might have gone. They said that he had hired the seventeen vampires for security. There were five Adepts among them and Francoise had been here with them as their host. They were Satanists and were going to use the girls for a satanic ritual. At least two of their ilk had not been able to make it to this occasion, being as one was entertaining relatives of his wife and one lived abroad.

Their remains were all concealed in the deep woods two miles from the road and about that distance from the remains of the Chateau. Nothing that could identify any of them was left behind, and the rainfall had obliterated any scent remaining on the grounds which eliminated any chance of tracking those who had escaped.

Henri and Li had helped move Ian deeper into the woods, away from the chateau. Marie had dressed in clothes taken from the servant's quarters. Most of those were standing around watching the fire so that was easy to do. They had also taken the clothing from the dead men and there was enough for all three of them to each have a change of clothing however badly the clothes fit.

Marie had taken the four children towards Lyon, and she had left them at a church and had returned by around ten o'clock in the morning. Concealing the carriage in another place she had unhitched the horses and tethered them with the others to graze and drink from a creek.

Ian had regrown around half of his hair by evening, and the red blistered skin was back to normal. The black charred skin was a mottled pink, white, and tan color and he wasn't in pain any more. The three kept bringing him fresh blood and he kept taking it. They decided to depart the next day, and had determined to take the bigger coach and the four-horse team. Since it was originally headed towards the border, it was decided that it would be less likely to be identified if traveling the other way where it may have never been seen before. This fire was big news by now and everyone in that area was talking about it.

***

The next morning, Henri saw several carriages drive up and stop near the smoldering ruins. Several men got out and were looking at the scene. Running at vampire speed to the woods behind the servant's and laborers houses he then just walked out from the direction of the laborers quarters after stealing a broad-brimmed straw hat, and came around a corner among the crowd. He circulated around to hear what he could hear, and no one noticed him. Speculation was that all were drunk since no one could find Francoise. They thought he had died in the fire and maybe his guests too. No one had thought to look for carriages yet.

The two drivers were nowhere to be found. They had been told not to return at peril of their lives and they had taken that to heart, not knowing how their coach had been boarded so easily at night while traveling at their fastest possible speed. Henri thought that they were fearful and would remain silent. He recognized the Mayor of Lyon who said nothing, but just looked at the ruins. Then he told someone to gather all of the servants to be questioned.

While circulating among the staff, Henri overheard a young couple talking about losing several chickens somehow overnight after the chateau had burned down. Thinking the timing of that was odd, Henri wondered if the vampires who had escaped the fire had taken the chickens for nourishment before departing, or maybe later. He slipped away unnoticed and entered the woods behind the place.

In minutes he had rejoined the others and made his report. Ian was nearly healed now, with just some pink looking skin still on his ears and nose. Marie thought that he would be back to his normal appearance the next day. They discussed the missing chickens and decided that the vampires who had escaped with injuries had likely taken them. "Too bad we didn't guess that they would try that." said Li. "I'd love to have another go with the ones who got away."

They then discussed whether to return to Paris or go back to the chateau. The subject of Francoise came up and Ian then spoke, having up to that time remained silent.

"I want Francoise for myself so I'll go to the mayors' house. If he's there, I'll try to take him and if I can't, I'll kill him. If the mayor is his confederate in this matter, I'll kill him as well."

Henri said "His death can be made to look like an accident and Francoise can just vanish. No one at the ruins knew his whereabouts except possibly the mayor. He is suspect in my view. We'll help you in this matter Ian. We want that bastard dead too. Hell can have him and anyone who had any dealings with this abomination."

Ian sat silent, head bowed.

Marie spoke then saying "Then we go to Paris. There is the matter of Pelleau to take care of. We can't leave that serpent alive knowing what he's done and will do again. Louis and Mustafa will be fine at the chateau. The people I left in charge of the place are loyal and trustworthy."

With glowing eyes Ian said "Then we go to the mayor's home in Lyon tonight?" All three nodded, eyes glowing brightly as Henri said "Yes, tonight."

# Chapter 47

The funeral procession wound its way toward a grave site in a well-kept cemetery in Barcelona. Since Philippe's mother was from that city and the family had a private plot, the Rodriguez family had elected to bury Philippe' there. There were plots saved for both of them too since they had long ago decided on this. Neither of them had any family remaining and Philippe' had been their only child. They were impressed beyond measure at Alandra's grief as well as the grief of her family, having become close to them and being bound by their shared sorrow.

Alandra and her family sat rigidly in a closed black carriage, following another identical one carrying only Roberto Rodriquez and his wife. In the lead was the casket being drawn by two black horses. Following the procession was another carriage with Celita and several friends of Alandra. A priest waited at the grave site and with him were six men dressed in black who would carry the casket from its carriage to the grave site.

The procession stopped at the site and the casket was silently taken from the hearse. The six men carried it to rest above the grave, bedecked in flowers from end to end. The families filed to the grave site and seated themselves as the priest began his long ritual. The Rodriguez's looked older by ten years than they had looked only two days ago, and both had a frail appearance.

Alandra herself hadn't eaten a bite of food since that day. The tradition of fasting had been easy for her, having no will to eat or to do anything else. Her response to anything at all was wooden and automatic, and she was a shell of the vibrant, intelligent, lively girl of before. What the Rodriguez family didn't know was that her grief was compounded by her recent heartbreaking discovery that Ian had married. That and the senseless death of a man whom she did love dearly were combining to depress her to a point that even the Rodriquez family couldn't comprehend.

At long last the priest finished his litany and the families arose, each coming to the casket and put flowers upon it. Alandra put hers on it and then knelt beside it and began to weep silently. Her shoulders shook, but she stifled her crying so that not a sound escaped her. The others looked on at the stricken girl in great pity, and the Rodriquez's pitied her, kneeling next to her in sympathy. Finally her father and mother came to her and helping her to stand they accompanied her to their carriage. As the carriage pulled away, she sat slumped between her mother and father, weeping and leaning on her father.

The wind sighed through the trees of the cemetery, accompanied by the distant sound of surf on the breakwater and a few birds singing. A carriage containing two young couples clattered by as they chatted normally, one even laughing at some remark made by one of the others. The world continued, oblivious to the depth of grief at this place on this beautiful morning.

***

A mile east of the site of the now-destroyed mansion was a small natural lake, fed by a small stream from the hills to the north. A figure lay in the deep shade, covered in fresh mud. She had red hair which by now had mostly regrown and her skin was now only a mottled pink shade here and there. Only two days ago she had been burnt severely, and had been covered with 2nd and 3rd degree burns after being kicked into a blazing pile of straw by a mud-covered vampire with piercing frosty blue eyes. She trembled with hatred at recalling the pain she had suffered during the attack, yet now she realized that she would have been cut down by that same vampire had he not kicked her away so easily.

Never had she seen such efficient fighters who could inflict such damage in such a short time. She was certain that at least two females had been with them too, having gotten a glimpse of them shortly before engaging the one with the frosty blue eyes. She thought damn your soul! I'll find you and make you pay for what you've done!

Her mate now only had one arm, and was even now returning with a rabbit he had caught. She moved painfully to help him kill and drain it.

He said "You're getting around better today and your hair is nearly regrown."

"I hope you never went near that place. You stole those chickens the first night and we don't need anyone looking about, as close as we are."

"I can't hunt now like I did before. We need to get back to Paris where I can find easier hunting because that gray-eyed witch cut my arm off. She and the one with her fought Alain and I to a standstill, even as we thought we would cut them down. They were too good with those swords for females!"

"I was thinking about how good they fought and how few of them there were. What are we missing? This is such a mystery!"

"That little blue-eyed muddy witch Alain fought was little bigger than a child but she handled her sword like a devil! If only we'd had swords instead of knives! I just don't understand who they were and what in the hell they were doing there. How could they have known what Francoise was up to and why would they invade the place with all of us there?"

"Maybe they didn't know us to be vampires and just thought to invade and do as they wanted?"

"That makes no sense at all. And they were all so damned good with weapons! Look at how many of us they killed, and they were only a few that I could see. I can make no sense of it, but I want to find them and to repay them for leaving me with one arm. I will gut that witch who did this to me!"

"That one that kicked me into the fire cut a foot off of one of ours like nothing. If he hadn't kicked me away, he would have killed me shortly. I tell you, I saw him fight and I never saw one of us fight better."

"From what I saw of their women the men must have been superb fighters."

"They were unbelievable! Stefan, we'll find them in time. We'll need to make our way back to Paris soon. If we can find a coven to take up with first, then we'll plan our revenge. We'll need a lot of help against them."

"They were saving those children, Yvonne."

"What? You never told me that!"

"Yes. When Alain and I went after them, they were coming into a big room just when Francoise and his friends were leaving. We were bringing up the rear to guard them when the two came up from the cellar. They were each carrying one of the five girls from the cellar. We went after them and they put the girls down and fought us like two demons from hell!"

'Do you think they wanted them for their own kills, to take and drain later?"

"At first I did, but it makes no sense. Why attack a place if you are outnumbered, just to eat; and such an isolated country estate at that? I know a vampire named Moreau who has an older brother who works for some very influential Adepts. His brother supposedly goes around killing vampires who attract the attention of authorities by killing humans."

"I haven't heard about this."

"It's supposed to be true. I wonder if this bunch works with that older brother doing that. If so, they are unbelievably well trained. I'll ask him if I see him. His name is Arnaud Moreau and I know a place in Paris that he frequents."

"Be careful now, Stefan. If his older brother does that, you'll lead him to us with your questioning his younger brother. I want my revenge as badly as you do, but I don't want that bunch knowing who we are and hunting for us! Let me see what I can learn from this Arnaud Moreau myself. I know of ways to persuade a man."

"I don't like that, Yvonne, but I do want my revenge." She reached to him and pulled his face to hers to kiss him as their eyes glowed brightly. "Won't it be worth it, Stefan?"

# Chapter 48

An owl hooted in the darkness as four shadows flitted across a broad lawn area towards a sizeable chateau with only a few lights showing here and there on both floors. Ian spied an attic dormer and leaped to the rooftop. The others heard a muffled tinkling of glass as they watched him vanish into a dormer. In seconds he emerged and beckoned.

In no more than thirty seconds all four were inside the chateau attic, and they soon knew that the only person upstairs was a woman asleep in the master bedroom. The rooms were otherwise empty but there was the sound of conversation from the servant's wing. They glided that direction and it was a group of some six servants that were sitting about a small kitchen talking about the big fire at the Francoise mansion. The two waited a bit, remembering how they had mistaken a large group of vampires for human servants only a few nights before. One spilled a drink and cursed as he tried to mop it up, and that convinced them that this time these truly were human servants.

They glided back down the steps to rejoin the other two and they made their way stealthily to the rear of the house. There was a sizeable office there and there were two men talking. The five silently edged ever closer, stopping only a short distance from the door which was standing open as the conversation continued.

"No, I tell you. I questioned every servant myself. I counted fourteen men and twenty three women who said they were a part of your staff."

"That's all of them then. And no one saw or heard a thing?"

"No."

"They had to be vampires then. There must have been a small army of them. I had seventeen of those for bodyguards, just for this occasion. Four were females and thirteen were males. The males were big ones and armed with swords. I just don't understand it. I got a glimpse of one as I left the ceremonial room. He was dressed in dark clothing and covered with mud. I took them for some wild ones who had left Paris and were hungry. I wonder if they were just a large swarm of street vampires, maybe so many that they overran my detail?"

"But why your place, Monsieur Francoise? That seems to be quite a coincidence."

"I may have a rat in my barn."

"One you know?"

"Yes. His name is Moreau."

Ian sensed Henri to suddenly stiffen and he then grabbed Ian's arm and nodded. Ian took it to mean that Henri knew that name.

"One you chose?"

"Actually he came to me. He won't tell me who he might have worked for in the past, but he has been useful to me from time to time. I always tried to have several of my bodyguards around when this one came. There is something about him that makes him...different from others that I've known. He seems to want the money, but I sense that he has an agenda and is.... more deadly than the others somehow if that makes any sense. But regardless, if you had been there that night, you'd have seen for yourself."

"I would have, but my wife's family was here and I just couldn't suddenly leave them without an excuse that would truly hold up. They're not really friendly toward me as it is."

Stepping into the room, Ian said "Neither are we you devil-worshipping bastard."

The effect of his sudden appearance was to startle the pair. They were paralyzed in fear as they saw three more glide into the room, eyes glowing fiercely. Although cowering from his frosty glowing eyes, yet they weren't able to look away. There was no mistaking the menace in his low timbre voice.

"Is that your wife asleep upstairs?"

"Y-y-yes."

"Does she share your love of tormenting little girls?"

"S-s-s-she knows n-n-nothing of it."

"What of your children?"

"I-I h-have two daughters. Neither knows of my... habits."

"Your family will live on in peace. Your love of the devil has brought hell to your life this night Mayor, just as it brought hell to the house of this maggot recently." he said, turning to Francoise and fastening his icy stare on him. "Have you any wine in the house?"

"Yes; in the dining room there is some."

Ian turned his head and nodded to the others. Marie slipped away and returned with a nearly full bottle, handing it to Ian.

"Drink now, your worship." he said, handing the bottle to the mayor and fastening his icy stare on him again. The man took the bottle in trembling hands and took a long drink.

"More."

Again he took a long drink.

"More."

He did that three more times having by now taken over half of the bottle. Ian flashed around the desk to his side and snatched the bottle from him before he could even blink.

"Now lean back, your worship."

The man leaned back and Ian poured a little wine on the front of his shirt. He then set the bottle on his desk and taking one finger, knocked it over. Fastening his icy stare once again on the man he said "It seems you had a bit too much to drink this evening your worship. It was a tragedy that you fell down the stairs yonder and broke your neck."

Quick as a flash, he grabbed and twisted the man's head and snapped his neck. It sounded like rotten wood breaking. He nodded to Li, and Li took him up as if he was a rag doll, vanishing with the body instantly. Ian looked at Francoise and said "Now what will we do with you, Monsieur Francoise?"

"I-I-I can pay you more money, more than you can ever imagine. I...I know you!" he said to Henri. "You're a banker. My God! Y...You're also a vampire!"

"Tonight I'm only an angry vampire." he said, his eyes blazing.

Ian's hand struck faster than any serpent and snatched away the front half of Francoises' shirt and jammed it into his mouth. At vampire speed he ripped both sleeves of his jacket off and ripping them into long strips bound his hands and feet and secured the gag. He tossed him onto his shoulder as if he had picked up a small pillow.

"We'd best leave the same way we came. Last one out closes the window." He rocketed out of the room and up the back stairs to the attic in seconds and was out the window in a flash, leaping to the ground. He landed running, his figure a blur that was in the woods in seconds, tossing his bundle down. Marie and Li were only seconds behind him and said "Henri is looking through his records." Ian and Li nodded.

Presently Henri appeared, holding three ledgers which he raised up for all to see. "Who knows what is in here, eh? Where to Ian?"

"Somewhere out of earshot. Can one of you bring my rucksack?" He snatched up Francoise and tossed him over his shoulder as if he was a blanket. Turning then, he bounded away and proceeded slowly until the others had caught up before increasing his speed. They rocketed some six miles back into the deep woods to the northeast of Lyon, ascending steep foothills.

Ian stopped at a clearing that was atop a rocky bluff of around seventy feet height. He produced a knife and slashed the bonds and stood Francoise on his feet, plucking the gag from his mouth. The moon shone down on them, casting a ghastly light on the scene.

"Monsieur Francoise, you have wet yourself. That's what those little girls do when they find themselves in your cellar, isn't it?" The man was silent, trembling.

"You don't wish to talk? What about all of the people along the way that helped you, changing teams of horses to bring your victims to your home more quickly? Who are they?"

"I...I wrote them in my ledger book. It was a green ledger book, but it burnt in the fire."

Henri laughed then and reaching into his ruck sack he pulled out the ledgers. "One of these?"

"Yes, the green one with the tab that snaps shut to keep it closed."

"So their names are in here under what?"

"Pierre Aristide found and arranged all of the transport this time. I...I have money, more than you can imagine. Only let me live and I will pay you all handsomely." Henri silently put the book back into his ruck sack as Ian spoke then.

"Cockroach. You think that money can buy your way free of this abomination. Think about all of those little girls you tormented to death. My wife burned to death in your house that night. Think about that and examine your heart." The man remained silent, trembling even more.

Ian tipped his head to one side, and then said "Maybe you don't have a heart." He stripped the remainder of Francoises' shirt from him in a flash, ripping it away as if it was wet paper. Whipping a large knife from his sash he grabbed the man by his throat in a vise-like grip, and from his neck to his belt he sliced him in the blink of an eye. Francoise screamed at the top of his lungs even as Ian instantly bore him down. Grabbing both sides of the gaping wound he ripped the man's skin back as if he was peeling a banana as Francoise thrashed and screamed like an animal in torment. His blood poured from him as a black flood in the moonlight as Ian continued to pull until the skin was ripped away from his ribcage and his ribs exposed. He rapidly sliced off both halves and flung them off of the bluff. The screams continued unabated, rising and falling in a rhythm.

Ian turned and ripped his saber from the bag that Marie was carrying and lopped off both of his hands and feet. The screaming took on a different character becoming a babbling blubbering sound rising and falling. Ian stood then and watched the man suffer for an indeterminate time, eyes glowing a brilliant frosty blue. The screams echoed from the surrounding hills.

"Go ahead and scream, maggot. Remember how your victims screamed? This is how it feels to be helpless and tormented by one who's stronger. I still can't see your heart though." He then drove his fist so hard into the man's sternum that it broke into several pieces. Instantly Ian drove his hand into the man's chest and ripped out his heart, holding it in front of his horrified face.

"This is how it feels to die badly, Monsieur Francoise. Burn in hell with your father."

# Chapter 49

Jean Pelleau closed his blacksmith business early and took his horse south, towards the Angels' Care orphanage, which was along the way to the dilapidated house where the vampires lived.

Arriving at the forlorn looking house in a half hour, he dismounted and threw a rock at the side of the building. He waited a bit then threw another. Then he threw a third rock. He had never had to throw three rocks, ever. Something was amiss, so he went to the dilapidated outbuildings and found a crude wooden ladder. Using it he ascended to the roof of the porch and entered the window.

No one was there, so he made his way down, calling out twice and went to the cellar door. Opening it, he smelled something disagreeable. He hollered again but got no answer, so he went down the stairs and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light from one oil lamp that was burning. The other lamps were out, but he saw stains on a large table and some scraps of rope lying in the middle of it. Looking around, he took down the oil lamp and walked about in the cellar. It was apparent that there had been a real battle fought there. Large chunks of wood were chopped out of some of the supporting timbers and stains were apparent in the dry dirt everywhere. Puzzled, he went back upstairs and looked around again, seeing nothing.

He left the place climbing back down the rickety ladder. After walking around the house, he noticed a blackened patch of earth some ten to twelve feet across. Within this spot were nine belt buckles and the charred remains of maybe a dozen or more boots. He puzzled over that as he went to his horse. As he rode away he thought of how he would have to fill this next order himself. It was to be picked up in five days. He hated the thought of bringing a child this far. There was too much danger of getting caught. He could keep one or maybe two at his shop for a short while, but it was risky business.

As he drove back toward Paris he was lost in thought. What in hell happened back there? Did they fight among themselves or did another coven attack them?

***

After making their way back to the larger of the two carriages, Ian and his companions discussed what to do next. Li took the smaller carriage to the back and let the horses into the corral there and he left the carriage near the barn. Marie thought she might take the four girls to Angels' Care in Paris. Henri had more banking business coming due there, and Li wanted to return because of Sophia. Everyone knew that Celeste had to be told about Cosette, but no one wanted to do that. Ian was torn between Celeste and Cosette's little brother, Louis. Someone had to tell him, and besides, Louis hadn't seen Ian or Cosette for some two months.

He decided to return to the chateau and tell Louis and Mustafa and to spend some time with the two boys. The others would go to Paris and tell Celeste together and would give her Ian's love. He reminded them to be sure to tell her that he was comforting Louis, and that he wouldn't fail to visit her.

Needing the time to grieve, he wanted for a while just be what he was, and to not have to always be on guard against detection by humans. He actually looked forward to just running, hunting, and seeing more of the sights as he traveled south towards Marseille, being as that would keep his mind occupied so as not to entertain darker thoughts. His rucksack had a change of more civilized clothing, boots and socks. It also held his copper bowl and flasks, flint stone for making fire, saber, pistols, powder and shot. He still had his sizeable bag of gold coins, as did the others. Coming to Marie wordlessly he opened his arms wide as she came and laid her head upon his chest and wept with him. After several minutes, he separated from Marie and hugged Henri and Li as well. There was none of the usual bear-hug back-slapping that was so common between them. Li and Henri's eyes brimmed with tears too.

"I'll wait with the boys for all of you at the chateau then. Give my love to Celeste. Good bye." He turned and trotted into the trees and they got a glimpse of him as he gave a great bound and rocketed out of sight, angling southward.

As the day wore on, he felt a bit of healing. Were it not for Cosette's death, he could be really enjoying himself. He loved to run in the wilds and the anticipation of seeing what was over the next mountain or hilltop, or what was around the next bend in a stream. There was something about it that appealed to his inner being.

He had a really sad moment when he made a kill at midday, as he remembered how Cosette had shown him how to drain a kill properly. By using his copper bowl and flasks that sad memory was driven home as if it was a painful barb. He hung his head and wept freely for several minutes even as he wondered how many times he would repeat this in the future.

It was nearing evening when he chanced to come across the road to Arles. He was somewhere south of Avignon when he spied a coach that had lost a wheel. The coachman was unloading the carriage, presumably to lighten it so as to make it easier to put the wheel back on if help came along before dark. He watched a bit, wanting to go on; but seeing that it would be dark soon, he reluctantly decided to go help them instead. Sighing deeply, he changed his clothing at vampire speed and put on his boots as well. He circled north and then went to the road and walked toward them.

As he approached the driver had gotten the last of the bags off of the top and was now unpacking the trunk. There were two passengers standing alongside the coach. One was an elderly man and the other was a woman of around forty year's age. Ian walked up to the group and greeted them "Bon jour. It seems that you could use some help here."

"Bon jour, monsieur; indeed we could." said the driver.

Ian walked to the side that the wheel had fallen from. The wheel was intact, but the retaining pin was missing, likely having worked its way loose over the miles and having not been noticed.

Ian said "I'll cut a pole to lift it." He leaped lightly across a large ditch and ran quickly into the trees. The three noted that he floated effortlessly across a twenty foot span and a drop of ten feet like it was nothing. He ran until just out of their site, and then selected a young oak tree of about three inches diameter. Drawing his sabre out of the bag he chopped it down quickly and trimmed it. Shortly he came back to the ditch with the pole and his rucksack on his back. He ran up to the gulley and just stuck the pole down in to the bottom of it and vaulted, swinging himself up effortlessly to land alongside the road. Placing the thickest part of the pole under the coach he waited for the driver to get the wheel. In seconds the driver had slid the wheel onto the axle. Ian said "I'll get something to make a retaining pin for it. Have any of you any twine, or rope?"

The lady stepped forward saying "I have some tied around one of my boxes. I can find it."

Ian nodded and again and picked up the pole and vaulted the ditch with it and landed running. Within a half minute he returned with three small maple branches. He took out his knife and quickly struck off the excess length from each of the three branches, putting them into his pocket after putting away his knife. Picking up the pole he took two steps back, and vaulted up and across easily once more.

He whittled one peg, going just slow enough not to be vampire speed, but faster than any one there had ever seen anyone handle a knife. Then he cut a notch around the circumference of it at each end and drove it into the hole with the butt of his knife. The coachman had a small utility hammer in hand and he drove it in tighter. Ian turned to the lady who handed him the twine with a warm smile. He nodded in return and his fingers flew as he tied the peg into place.

"That will hold it until you can get to a blacksmith and get it done properly. It's getting dark, so let's get these bags loaded while we can still see." he said. Quickly he handed the bags for the boot to the driver. While he was stowing those, Ian picked up the others one by one and tossed them effortlessly to the luggage platform atop the carriage. Quickly he was atop the carriage and he rearranged the bags as best he could, asking if there were any more.

"No sir. No more bags, thank you." said the driver. Ian lashed down the luggage and leapt down from the carriage top and picked up his rucksack and turned to go.

"Wait monsieur!" said the lady. "I insist that you ride with us."

"Yes! Yes monsieur, please!" said the driver and the elderly gentleman.

Ian turned and tilted his head a bit, seeing them all smiling. Smiling in return he said "I'm Ian McCloud."

"I'm Annaliese Fellman." Ian looked at her then for the first time. She was about Cosette's height, maybe five feet seven inches tall, beautiful, and of a fair complexion. She wore her sandy colored hair pulled up in a tight bun and had clear blue eyes.

"I'm Jacques Beauchamps." said the elderly gentleman.

The driver said "I'm Pierre. We should be going. We can try to make Arles tonight. "

Ian drew both loaded pistols out of his bag before stowing it on the seat beside him. He stuck them in his waistband beneath his coat in the dark as the carriage moved along in the darkness.

Annaliese spoke "We're both grateful and fortunate that you came along Monsieur McCloud."

"Please call me Ian. It is I who am fortunate, getting a ride this late in the day."

"Please call me Anna. Why were you walking if I may ask, Ian?"

"I was on horseback in the hills angling towards this road when my mount broke his leg. I had to shoot him."

"Oh. How awful! Did you have to walk far?"

"No; only three miles."

Jacques spoke then "You sure knew how to fix that wheel, Ian, and I never saw a more nimble or agile man, or one quicker with a knife."

"Nor have I."

"I used to be a sailor and I was around knives and rope a lot."

"A sailor you say?" said Annaliese.

"Yes."

"I read a story in the newspaper in Lausanne about a merchant ship from England, no...from Scotland; that took two pirate ships and rescued two girls. One was related to some government official. I thought the captains' name was McCloud. Are you him?"

"No, that was my uncle Angus. I was there."

"Really?" Oh Ian, do tell us about it."

Ian sighed and related a sketchy version of the incident as they drove along.

"Was that around the time of that bad storm?" said Jacques.

"Yes."

"How bad was it?"

"It was the worst I've seen, I suppose."

After being asked, he related how he had to pilot the prize ship and about being separated from Elsie because of the violence of the storm. Concluding with the repairs in Marseille and the subsequent reunion with his ship mates, he left out all of the far more interesting and bizarre happenings.

Suddenly the coach slowed to a stop. Ian saw two horsemen approaching. In a low voice he said "We may be about to be robbed. When they ask for your valuables, drop them as you hand them over."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, there are two of them."

The highwaymen shouted "Stand and deliver! You, driver; get off of the coach and on your knees! The rest of you get out now with your hands in the air!"

Leaning towards Anna and Jacques Ian said "All right monsieur's. We're coming out. Don't shoot us." He whispered "When we get out, stand a bit behind me to each side. When they go to take your purses, drop them." His vampire's eyes easily saw them nod their understanding in the darkness.

They stood outside of the coach, Ian a bit to the front of the other two, his hands raised.

"You two men, get down on your knees!" "Woman, we may take you with us. It gets lonely doing this for a living." He laughed at his joke, and the other joined in.

"Now hand over your purses you two and we're going to search you for valuables too. We'll be sure to search the lady very slowly." Both laughed at their crude joke and then one said "Snap to it!"

Ian and Jacques kneeled and made ready to hand their purses to the one while the other sat astride his mount, covering them with his pistol. Just as the highwayman came to take Ian's purse, he fumbled it and dropped it to the ground. The other one grunted and cursed, stooping to pick it up.

Like lightning Ian drew both pistols as he sprung to his feet in a blink of an eye and shot the horseman between his eyes a split second before shooting the nearer one between his eyes.

He trotted after the one horse that had spooked and edged away, bringing it back and tying both to the carriage in a matter of fact way. Then he said "Is anyone hurt?"

All three stood there stunned as they replied "No."

Ian went to one corpse and cut his purse cord and took his knife and pistol. He went to the other one and did the same. He quickly searched and found a pocket watch in one's pocket, handing that to the driver with a pistol saying "Here, Pierre; a souvenier."

He handed Jacques the other pistol saying "And a souvenier for you Jacques."

Handing the two purses of the highwaymen to Anna he said "And a souvenier for you, Anna."

He then checked the reins of the two horses, to ensure that they were securely tied to the carriage.

"Ian, how did you do that?" said Anna.

"I shoot a lot."

"But it looked like you got both of them in the head. And you did it from your knees in moonlight!" said Jacques.

"I have good eyesight at night."

He stooped and picked up the nearest highwayman as if he was a rag doll and tossed him over his shoulder. Trotting to the woods, he returned less than a minute later to take the other one to the same place. He returned to see the three still standing together in the bright moonlight, staring at him in total astonishment.

"What? You heard what he said. Being a highwayman is a lonely occupation." He shrugged then, saying "I left them together to keep each other company."

# Chapter 50

Li, Marie, and Henri had made it to Dijon in four days by carriage. Marie had taken the four girls to a shop and was getting them and herself some presentable clothing.

That evening they all strolled around Lyon before it got dark seeing the sights. The girls were all excited and happy to be with the three. They ate at a sidewalk café and the girls all got a pastry treat for dessert. Slowly the horror of the events of that night was receding from their memories, being replaced by happy memories. Marie knew from her years of caring for orphans how important that type of healing is to such a child for the rest of their life.

After talking it over they decided that justice for the men who had furnished the horses for Francoises' kidnapping ring would have to wait because of having the children with them. They figured to be in Paris in seven or eight more days.

***

Anna and her uncle Jacques had been guests at the chateau for three days now. Ian had summoned three more of the staff to come help out with the guests, and those all stayed in the caretakers' house. She and Uncle Jacques stayed away from the boys after being introduced to them the first day. Ian had said that he had to tell both of them about Cosette. He had told Jacques and Anna that Cosette was his wife, and that she had been killed in an accident while trying to save the life of a child. They had all gotten acquainted while on the road, but Ian didn't talk much that first night after the highwaymen tried to rob them. They had camped not too far from there and he had disappeared for a short time that night. He talked a bit the next day and later that day is when they had learned of his wife's death. He had invited them to stay overnight at the chateau and told them that he would consider it a favor.

The chateau was very near to the road to Nice where she was going with her Uncle. They would have stayed at an inn anyway, so they had accepted the invitation.

Louis had tried to be brave when Ian had told him that Cosette had died. He still wept though as Ian held him and Mustafa wept as well. Anna noticed how he tried his very best to comfort them, especially Cosette's brother, Louis. He tried to divide his time that first day between the boys and his guests and had insisted they stay until Henri, Marie and Li returned.

Anna's heart went out to Ian even as her esteem for him began to grow. It was plain to see that he was trying to keep the boys busy at things to occupy their minds even while he was hurting so himself.

Anna noticed that he sometimes was not at the chateau when she and Uncle Jacques came from their rooms for breakfast. He would return within the hour, often with his pants a bit damp. She thought he went swimming somewhere close by because he was never riding a horse when he returned. He never wore boots at times like that either but was always barefoot and wearing only short seaman's pants.

She thought that he would look like a handsome dashing pirate if only he had a red bandanna tied atop his head and a sword buckled on his waist. She imagined herself as his helpless hostage, and the thought was almost naughty in a delicious way even as she thought herself a fool for looking at a younger man in that way.

In the evenings they would gather in the parlor and Ian would play the harpsichord. He played quite well and at times she and her uncle would dance a minuet if it was a song for a dance that they both knew. One evening when they were just listening to Ian play music Jacques had gone to bed. Most of his musical selections were on the melancholy side.

She told Ian that she was a widow now for some seven years. Her husband's name had been Johannes and her son's name was Serge. He was now nineteen years old and attending college in Bern. Ian told her about his family in Scotland and some of his childhood. She learned how much he loved the sea and how much he just now was beginning to miss it. She thought that he was trying to hold on to what he loved to ward off depression. At times like this she only listened patiently and offered occasional positive comments. It seemed to help him cope with the void in his life and Anna truly liked talking with him.

***

Marie walked to the carriage having just escorted the four new girls into the headmaster's office and gotten them settled at Angels' Care.

Henri said "We'd best check in on Monsieur Pelleau now."

"What do you have in mind?"

"We'll try to get a better look at the place while he fixes our carriage."

"What's wrong with the carriage?"

Winking at her he said "Nothing, yet."

They then drove to the blacksmith shop that Pelleau owned, and when they got close, Henri just pulled out the axle pin with his bare hand. Then they drove the short distance up to his door and stopped.

Henri got out and Li got out too, assisting Marie as she climbed out. Henri walked in to see if he could find Pelleau and met him as he was entering through the rear door. He seemed startled and a bit ill at ease. Henri noted that Pelleau was a big powerfully built man, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He just launched into his story and soon Pelleau relaxed somewhat, going with Henri to look at the axle himself.

"I can fix that right now. It only will cost you ten sous."

Henri nodded agreement and Pelleau went to get the part, his hammer, and his pliers. Marie and Li had been walking around the corner trying to look as if they were casually waiting for a repair while they looked at the place as best they could without seeming to. It was a sizeable place, a lot bigger than a blacksmith shop would need to be even if one lived behind it. They noted the tall wooden fence all around the property and that it had some five outbuildings behind the main building. The next street back behind the place had two businesses that backed up to the property. They didn't have the Pelleau name on either one.

Henri picked them up a little distance from where he had been parked. "He seemed to be nervous about something when I caught him coming from the back yard area." said Henri as the two nodded.

They decided to go and see Celeste before they went back to the blacksmith shop that night. Li would accompany them, being as there was no sense going to see Sophia and then having to come up with an excuse to leave again that night.

They arrived at the Rochelle home and soon all were inside exchanging warm greetings. They took Caryn aside and told her about Cosette's tragic death. She revealed that Celeste seemed to know when it happened as they made their way to her room.

They knocked and then walked in to see Celeste. She turned in surprise and with tears coming to her eyes, she ran to Marie and began to cry even as Marie held her gently and wept with her, rocking her.

She said "Yes child, it's true. Our Cosette is dead." Eventually she lifted her head and her beautiful doe eyes showed that she had been crying for some time now. She said "Oh Marie! Poor Ian! Poor Ian! Oh how bad this is for him! He was burnt so badly! Where is he?" Marie was a bit surprised because Celeste always knew when Ian was near or not. She never had to ask where he was before this. "Why, he's at the chateau with Louis and Mustafa. He wanted to be the one to tell them himself, and his burns are healing very well." Celeste nodded in understanding as Marie said "He promises to come see you the next time he comes to Paris. We don't know when that will be though because he'll be doing a lot of Henri's banking business from now on." That seemed to make her brighten appreciably.

Caryn took Marie aside and said "Celeste's monthly cycle has started, Marie. Her body is now changing and she's changing with it." Marie instinctively knew that was the reason that Celeste seemed not to know where Ian was and had to ask. Somehow her prescient abilities had departed since she had entered puberty.

Henri produced the eyeglasses for Caryn's approval and she gasped when she saw the workmanship. She put on her new pair and absolutely loved them. "This is going to be the fashion hit of the autumn season I can tell you that! Henri, you and Ian are geniuses. I am going to sell these things, just you wait and see! Oh my, I'm going to be envied soon because of this." Henri thought you may have more Adept vampires for customers than humans for what these things cost.

They chatted pleasantly about various things including how well Celeste was doing in all her lessons. It was near dark when they said their goodbyes, telling Celeste that they were going to leave early the next day for the chateau, to be with Ian. She was sad to see them go but happy that they would soon be with Ian, which deeply touched Marie.

They were soon on their way back to Pelleau's Blacksmith shop, deciding to leave the carriage nearby in a vacant lot that was hidden from the street by bushes. The horses had grass to eat and no one could see them from the street. Soon they had changed into their dark clothes and had their weapons.

Gliding down the dark side street they easily leaped over the fence landing silently in a large tree inside of Pelleau's fence. Silently all three dropped into his back yard in the darkness. They crept along and soon had split up, their vampire senses straining to detect the presence either of their own kind or of humans. Soon they met up again and none had heard anything.

They were debating whether to begin breaking into one building at a time when they heard a carriage pull up outside in the front. Soon a man came to a narrow gate leading from the outside of the blacksmith shop to the back yard. A padlock was undone and the man came through heading to the building in the center of the back lot. He knocked softly and was let in. In under a minute, Pelleau and the man came out and went to a building adjacent to the shop itself. The three followed the men into the dark building. Soon there was the creaking sound of a trap door being lifted up. Then there was soft crying and whimpering heard. Marie tensed and would have killed them both then had Henri not held her back.

The two men emerged, each having a bundle over their shoulders and making their way to the front of the shop. Three dark figures glided along silently behind them. One put his bundle down and went for the carriage. Soon he had circled it to where it was stopped adjacent to the front entrance to the shop. Marie turned to Henri and whispered "Let me do this." Henri nodded. He and Li glided in the dark to position themselves just inside of the doorway; one on each side to block any escape attempt.

The man came back in and stooped to pick up his bundle. Marie stepped forward from a shadow and kicked the man full in the face, knocking him cold. She turned as Pelleau entered the room and said coldly "Put that girl down you bastard." Pelleau was startled and froze a second. He could barely make out a petite figure in the gloom standing motionless between him and the wagon.

"Why certainly, Mademoiselle." He carefully laid the bundle over to one side and then turned to Marie. "You've got a lot of gall to come in here like this little woman. I think I should teach you some manners."

"You'd first have to have manners in order to teach them, Pelleau."

"You know my name then?" Pelleau struck a match and lit an oil lamp. Henri and Li faded back a bit further and crouched down. Pelleau turned and saw a petite blue-eyed lady wearing a dark top and a dark pair of men's pants. She was standing empty-handed but with a pistol and dagger stuck in her sash. She saw his eyes go to the weapons.

"Not to worry, Monsieur Pelleau." She said as she slowly drew both weapons out and even turned her back briefly to drop them in the wagon next to the door. She turned, stepping away from the wagon towards Pelleau. Again she stood motionless.

"You said something about manners, Pelleau?"

He lunged at her then saying "Wench! When I'm through with you..."

Marie met him with a blinding front kick to his groin that was so powerful that it brought him up on his tiptoes. In a blur of motion she then darted to her left and pivoted at blinding speed to her right extending her foot to hook his foot from under him. He roared and crashed to the floor doubling up in pain. About that time both doors of his shop closed and latched.

Marie was on top of him in a flash grabbing his hair in one hand and smashing his nose with her petite fist. She then dragged him back towards the entrance to the building where the two little girls had been held, using only one arm. He roared and cursed her, kicking and threshing as she dragged him even as he began to vomit.

Henri followed and Li stayed with the two girls. He untied them and calmed them, telling them that they were soon going to go to a new home and would never see this place again. Pointing down to the man lying unconscious on the floor he smiled, saying "He's not coming with you." Then he gave them a water skin to drink from, thinking that they might be thirsty. They took turns drinking from it and while they drank, he reached down and instantly broke the neck of the one lying on the floor. Coming to the wagon with a smile then, he said that his friends would return in a moment and they would leave that place forever.

In the other building Henri opened the heavy trap door. Beneath was a pit maybe ten feet long by six feet wide. Half of it was under a wooden floor and half was covered by the trap door. It was about six feet deep. Marie threw Pelleau into the pit and jumped in after him, landing on his chest. Henri tossed her the dagger from the back of the wagon.

"Who hired you to take these girls, Pelleau?"

"Rot in hell wench!" he said as he struggled to get up and reached up for her.

"Pelleau, your manners!" she said as she grabbed his reaching hand and sliced off his little finger so fast he couldn't believe it. He bellowed and cursed her, drawing his hand back.

"Manners, Pelleau, manners!" He wailed and thrashed about. She stood to one side and kicked him in the teeth. He spit three teeth out, cursing. She stood back motionless, in typical vampire fashion. Three minutes of moaning passed then she said. "Pelleau, remember your manners now. It's not polite to keep someone waiting who has politely asked a question. I'll ask you again and I must say to you that I'm beginning to get a bit peeved. Who paid you to take those girls?

"Why should I tell you?"

She reached down in a flash and sliced off his other little finger "Because I asked nicely you dunce." Pelleau screamed again and thrashed around for some two minutes moaning. When his moans died down some she said "Pelleau, I'm about to lose my temper. Once I do, your manhood is going to be the next thing that I cut off. She reached down and took the hair of his head in one hand and struck him three times like a tiny sledgehammer. That splattered his nose all over his face. He hollered in pain crying out "Stop, stop! A pox on you!" She remained motionless and his moans subsided.

"Tsk-tsk-tsk. Such an ill-mannered boy." She stooped and took her knife and cut his belt in a flash and ripped if off of his trousers. Henri tossed her a piece of rope left over from tying the girls. She handed the knife up to Henri and taking the rope she lashed his hands together in a split second and stretched his arms up by tying the rope to the frame of the trap door. She then ripped open his trousers and said to Henri "Mr. Pelleau here is learning how it feels to be helpless and tormented but his manners are still lax. My knife, please."

"No! No! My God no!"

She paused and said "Did you say something, Pelleau?"

"His name is Julian Deroche." He gave her the address and added that she was to go to the alley and knock at the back door. He said that Deroche was expecting the girls tonight.

Marie cut him loose and he collapsed, moaning and trying to hold the stumps of his missing fingers. She stooped and pulled him to his feet and then picked him up bodily over her head and threw him up out of the pit. Then she leaped up out of the pit and stood off to one side, saying "See how easy that was, Pelleau?"

Henri grabbed him and pulling him upright said "Can you stand on your own feet?"

"Y-y-yes, I can stand."

"Good. That makes this easier." He drew his saber and struck his head from his body in a flash.

# Chapter 51

The wagon with two men in the seat rolled to a stop in the alley of a posh district of Paris. The hour was very late. A tarpaulin was pulled back revealing three bundles. The driver lifted a bundle to his shoulder and carried it to the service door of the place, and knocked. A servant came to the door and opened it a crack.

"Delivery for Monsieur Deroche." The door opened and the man carried the bundle inside. The servant said "Are there not to be two deliveries tonight?"

"Yes. I'll go back for the other as soon as I carry this one where Monsieur wants it."

"Follow me then." And he turned to walk a short distance and opened a door to the cellar. He carried the bundle down the steps to a cellar that was well lit, its' floor was paved with brick. He turned the corner and saw an overweight man of maybe fifty years sitting on a bed with a glass of wine. He was wearing a gentleman's evening jacket and his heavy-lidded cruel eyes gave away his true nature.

"Where is Dassault?"

"He twisted his ankle chasing this one. He's in the coach with the other girl. I have to go up and get her now. We could take her back if your guest doesn't come tonight. We'll cut the price in half for a good customer like you Monsieur."

"No need. I want two tonight."

"Very well then, Monsieur." He took his knife and cut the cords and pulled the wrapping blankets off, cutting her bonds. A small feminine form lay on the floor, facing away from Deroche. She had glossy black hair and was probably a little over five feet tall. Deroche got up and came around the bed to view her better. The man stepped away as if to go back upstairs for the other girl.

"She looks to be cleaner than the ones I've had in the past." He stooped down and made to turn the girl over. Like a flash Marie leaped off of the floor and was behind him before he knew it. Her two small hands gripped his jowly face and turned his head nearly completely around. There was an audible snapping sound. "You've molested your last little girl you pig." Li stepped to the corpse and put it on his shoulder. Marie looked about the cellar for a way out and found a firewood opening. She ripped it open and made it look like someone escaped from it by putting a table near it. Looking about she hoped to find a journal but failed, although she did find a purse with a goodly sum of gold coins and took it, tossing it to Li. She nodded to Li and flashed up the stairs, him behind her with the corpse on his shoulder. He dropped him about halfway up.

The King's Gendarmes would say that it was another case of a man losing his balance on stairs and breaking his neck. Such a shame. The staff would pretend to know nothing for fear of being accused of being an accessory for their part in abducting orphans for the pervert they worked for. They would be relieved that the death of this Deroche was so neat and tidy.

Li and Marie looked at each other and smiled grimly, eyes aglow and glided out to the back entrance. Shortly Henri joined them, having slipped in when the servant was showing them to the cellar door. He waved a ledger book as he came up to them and kissed Marie. "There might be some information in here to help us track others. We've already taken the girls to Angel's Care so what's keeping us in Paris? We've no more leads and we have a long way to go to get home. Should we go on foot and just leave tonight, or go by coach tomorrow towards Dijon?"

"Let's go home and let Li go see Sophia. They can come home by coach after they see all of Paris that they want to. I want to see Ian and the boys."

"Then home it is for us. Li you have the key to our place. Stay as long as you and Sophia like but be sure to dismiss the staff when you leave. They know what to do when we go away. And do stop to see Celeste at least once while you're here."

"What about the carriage?"

"You need to take this rental carriage back after you dump those two bodies. Just leave the blue one that we took from Francoise's guests where it is. Someone will steal it eventually and that will be the end of that loose end. I led the horses to a large field outside of Paris. Someone now has four matched carriage horses. We'll see you at the chateau."

They said their goodbye's then and Marie and Henri were off, rocketing away into the night.

***

At dawn the next day they were approaching the chateau and shortly they surmised that they had company Not long after changing into fresh clothing they met Anna and Jacques, who introduced themselves since Ian was absent.

The talk turned to politics and markets. Henri finally said "I know the name Fellman from banking. I don't suppose that you're related to the banking Fellman family are you?"

Anna said "I am the Fellman banking family, I and my son Serge. My husband Johannes is dead now seven years. We still hold all the shares of the banks my husband's father founded." Henri drew her into a conversation about banking, international drafts, and the problems of them being honored at one place and refused at another.

"Henri, I'm returning to Lausanne after this trip and I'd like to take a proposal to study. We only have a small piece of the Swiss banking pie, but we do have partners too. Would you be so kind as to draw up one for me to take home?"

"Why yes, Anna. It would be my pleasure. I'll send Ian when you're ready to discuss it if it meets your approval." Anna nodded her approval with a smile, thinking oh please do send Ian! That meets with my approval all right!

Anna felt a warming deep inside of her, a feeling she hadn't had since Johannes had died. She thought Now Anna; you naughty lady. Don't think about this young man as a silly school girl would. But would a school girl think what I'm thinking? At those thoughts, her internal temperature did start to rise. I hope I'm not blushing now!

That evening Marie played her harpsichord and Ian got to dance with Anna. He enjoyed himself more than he thought he would. For her part, Anna felt an electrical tingling when Ian held her hand at times. Oh my, Anna. Where is this going? Uncle Jacques will want to get home and I must go with him and stay there awhile. Too bad. Anna, you are so very naughty, but it's such a delicious thought!

Two days later they announced that they were leaving for Nice, but they promised to stop by on their return to Switzerland. Anna was thrilled when Ian hugged her good bye and kissed her cheek. She thought oh my! I hope my internal temperature isn't showing!

The time passed quickly enough for Ian what with him spending so much time with the boys. He asked for the green ledger book that had belonged to Francoise. After studying it, he came to Henri and Marie late one afternoon and told them he was traveling on foot to find and kill the men who had furnished the horses for Francoise.

***

Ian returned seventeen days later and reported that he had killed seven men and eight drivers who had furnished horses for the kidnappers and driven the carriages. He had started with Aristide and had forced him to divulge others that he knew before killing him and had worked his way back toward Paris until getting the last one and returning to the chateau. The trip was punctuated by travel on foot which Ian liked for the distraction it provided.

While he was gone he had examined his life now with Cosette gone. What was keeping him from resuming the life he loved as first mate aboard Elsie's Cloud?

He pondered this in between the fifteen killings and he had to admit that he enjoyed delivering every single death. He found a grim satisfaction in seeing the horror in the eyes of each man as he realized the supernatural power of the being who was about to kill them. It never helped the aching emptiness in his heart though, and he thought more and more about returning to Scotland after saying a final goodbye to everyone at the chateau.

So it was that he had returned and tried to take up his life there until a proper time would present itself for him to reveal his plans.

Marie came to Henri and voiced her concern about Ian.

"What is it?"

"I fear we're losing him, Henri."

"Losing Ian?"

"Yes. I fear he wants to return to Scotland. Maybe forever."

He got a sorrowful expression on his face then, saying "What can we do, really?"

Coming to him she put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest, sighing deeply. "Nothing but give him love and the time needed to heal. I'm so depressed!"

The time passed quickly then as Ian was busy with the boys and with learning three more new languages from Henri and Marie. He had bought a violin from a traveling peddler and was trying to learn to play it, wishing that he had taken it up when he was sailing with Armando. He did get to where he could play slower pieces and rarely hit a sour note after about three weeks. The eighth week was when Anna stopped by on her way back to Lausanne.

That first evening Ian played violin and Anna was impressed at how soon he had picked it up with no one to teach him. Marie played the harpsichord while Anna and Ian danced. The electricity flowed for her each time Ian touched her hand, even as formal and courtly as the dancing was. She knew that she was falling in love with Ian and was certain that he had no idea whatsoever. After she asked he agreed to take her fishing the next morning. It was a pleasant evening of music and camaraderie.

The next morning they got two horses and Ian saddled both of them. In an hour they were at the river and she asked why he didn't bring a pole or bait.

"I don't use a pole. I hand fish in places like this."

"Hand fish?"

"Watch." He waded in, wearing only his seaman's shorts and went to a shady part with several logs and lots of rocks sticking out of the water. She saw his hand make a darting movement and it came out of the water with a fish flopping. She laughed delightedly and applauded. He knocked it on the head with the handle of his knife, killing it. He would toss each one on the bank after killing it. Within a few minutes he had six of them. He came out then and taking his knife he neatly and quickly sliced off their heads and soon had twelve fillets to wrap in grass and put in his rucksack.

They rode to a remote part of the Lafayette estate where there was a shady hilltop. To the south the sparkling Mediterranean dominated the horizon. Ian vaulted from his mount and assisted Anna down.

"You learned to ride astride a horse and not sidesaddle? Or did you change later?"

"I learned that way in my country. It's not such a social issue there as it is elsewhere."

Peering off to the south he said "I've not been here before. This would make a fine place to build a home, wouldn't it?"

She shaded her lovely eyes and gazed out to sea. "It would."

She noticed that he always seemed to be despondent and distracted, as if some decision was weighing heavily on him. They began to walk then, leading their mounts. Ian headed to the stand of trees dominating the hilltop. Anna reached and linked her hand in his, looking up at him. He turned his head as they walked, fastening his eyes on hers. They neared the trees and tied their mounts to a low hanging branch where they could graze. They then walked slowly among the old trees without speaking as the wind sang in the treetops. She again took his hand and twined her fingers in his.

"Ian."

"Yes?"

"I'm no child and I am one who knows what I want." She stopped and gently pulled him so that he faced her. "I've grown to love you, Ian McCloud." she said, her head a bit to one side and her clear blue eyes fastened on his.

'Ah, lass. I'm a broken man. I am.... hollow inside. I don't know what kind of... commitment I can offer to anyone, especially as fine a woman as you are."

"Ian, my age..."

"Hush now. As I live and breathe Anna you're a lovely woman and I care not a whit about your age. I... look... I fear that I can't fulfill... can't commit to anyone. I would hate myself if I had a part in failing to live up to what you deserve. Even worse would be seeing your disappointment in me."

"Let me be the judge of that Ian."

"Anna, no one can replace Cosette, and there are things about me, things that I..."

"I only know that I love you and I can make you happy."

"Anna, I'm not what I seem to be."

She reached up and took his face in her hands and stepping close; she drew him down and kissed him softly on his lips. It was a lingering but soft kiss. They parted and gazed at each other. Ian spoke again saying "Anna there are things about me that..." and he was stopped there as she drew his face to hers and kissed him passionately. Ian drew her to him again gently and kissed her again a bit more aggressively, but still very gently. She responded by pressing in closely to him and twining her arms about his neck. Her lips parted and their tongues met, each caressing the other. He pulled her tightly against himself and gently at first began to place small kisses along her cheek and down to her throat. She tipped her head back and he moved his lips down to the hollow of her throat where he could sense her hammering pulse. He traced her jaw line with his lips and again kissed her, this time hungrily. She matched his fervor and moaned softly as he again kissed her and began to caress her. They sank to the grass beneath the tree and made love passionately. Ian was surprised by her fervor.

They lay together afterwards, listening to the wind sing through the old trees and the sounds of larks singing. It was an enchanting time, a time that one would want to preserve forever if it was possible. Her head was pillowed on his chest and her hair with its clean delicate scent lay all about his face.

"Ah Anna. You've surprised me lass. I never saw this coming."

"I've thought of nothing else for nearly three months, my love"

He chuckled and said "Three months? What? I've been ambushed? What shall I do with such a wanton woman as you?"

She raised herself and letting her hair drape down on his face, she rolled herself astride him and bent to kiss him. "I'll show you, my love."

Proceeding more slowly this time when she reached a climax she cried out in ecstasy before slumping down to lie atop him, breathing deeply and shuddering once. She cried as she pillowed her head on his chest once more, and he could feel her shoulders shaking slightly.

"Anna, what is it?"

"I'm crying for joy, Ian. I'd thought that this part of life was past me. These tears are those of thanksgiving, not of sorrow. I'm so very happy Ian, and I want only to make you feel the same. I'm so happy that you happened by that day on the road. Oh, I do love you, no doubt!"

Later they led their mounts and walked hand in hand. Sometimes she would reach up and take his upper arm in her hand and lean her head on his shoulder as they walked. They mounted up a while later and walked their mounts to the chateau. Anna's hair was a bit tousled and framed her lovely face. Marie noted a touch of extra color in her cheeks and nudged Henri who was oblivious to it. "What, Marie?"

"Look at her cheeks, Henri. And look at how she just shook her hair back. Are you blind? This is a good thing."

# Chapter 52

The next several days were magical to Anna. She now never missed a morning to go with Ian. They moved into his home at the old Tremblay place and spent their days at the Chateau. Ian practiced his violin playing at his own home. They had no staff there, but Anna did the cooking for them and Ian helped. She was happy beyond her ability to say it.

For his part Ian gradually thought less and less of returning to Scotland.

He sat musing one day when he was alone. Although sailing was a thing he greatly loved and he missed those people, he realized that his life as a vampire was truly a good one with the exception of losing Cosette. The boys, Marie, and Henri needed him in their lives and loved him greatly. He felt that he owed them to stay and make the best of things. And what of his good friend Li? He had willingly left a good life because of his love of Ian as a friend. His low tolerance to sunlight would make it next to impossible to again take to the seas with Ian. He would be torn between staying here with everyone including Sophia or leaving to follow Ian. It wasn't fair to all of these people he now loved for him to leave because his heart was broken. He would grieve for Cosette no matter where he was. Truth to tell, his affection for Anna was growing daily. With a deep sigh, he concluded that he'd stay where he was, and Anna was no small part of that decision.

One evening they were gathered at the chateau as was their custom. Ian had gotten out his violin and played some lively old Gaelic/Scottish songs and had surprised everyone with one he had written that he called 'Dance with Anna'. After instructing the boys how to keep the rhythm using a copper kettle as a bass drum and two spoons to make up a 'Boom-ticky' sound, he played it and sang the words as Marie and Henri danced to it. After a bit Marie played it on her harpsichord and Ian taught Anna how to dance to it. It was a rollicking good tune and Anna had never had so much fun dancing. The words told a story of a man who danced with a girl named Anna and after numerous verses he and she were grandparents of twelve grandchildren.

They played and danced to other lively Gaelic, Scottish and Irish tunes late into the night.

***

The idyllic days passed too quickly. Anna told Ian that she must soon go to Switzerland or else the passes might fill with snow and there would be no way in or out. He conferred with Henri and Marie, hating that he wouldn't get to see Celeste until late springtime.

Henri spoke privately to Ian saying "You know that if you get stuck over there, you'll have to be lucky and careful when you feed. Game can be scarce there in winter time. Snowfall can be twenty feet deep in places. A series of long absences would be suspicious. Domestic animals are plentiful as they are here. But scars on their necks will arouse suspicions if enough animals are discovered that way."

They collaborated and settled on a plan that involved Ian taking blood samples from a small herd of goats, ostensibly to study the blood. Henri gave Ian the two Pascal's syringes and a microscope he had bought in Italy. He also counseled Ian on how to place blood samples on the two glass slides.

"Speaking of glass, you must take your sun glasses with you. Sunlight on snow is a painful thing for a vampire. You should take some samples of both men's and women's sun glasses. That way we can test the market over there." They went over the proposed bank partnership and Henri said that he had a document package that had to be taken with Anna. He said "I suggest that if you're going, you leave as soon as possible due to the weather in the Alps."

***

Moreau stood and looked over the ruins of the Francoise chateau. He had inquired diligently around Lyon and had numerous contacts in the general area. It seemed that the place burned one night after the servants had been not only dismissed, but told to stay out of the chateau until the following morning. Francoise wasn't the only one missing. There were six prominent businessmen and officials unaccounted for. No one seemed to be able to say if their remains had been consumed in the holocaust or not. Chandeliers, candelabras, doorknobs dinnerware and other things had actually melted.

There wasn't one thing to link this to any vampire activity. In fact, Moreau knew that Francoise employed vampires. Were it not so lucrative associating with him, he might have reported it to the Supreme Council. No amount of money could save anyone from their wrath. He shuddered to think what they would do to him if he were discovered as a confederate of a pervert like Francoise. Perhaps it was for the best that he was dead and any link from him to Moreau was dead with him. He had repaid his gambling debt and had resolved not to fall into that trap again. Had the debt been owed to a human, he might have just killed him. But the debt was owed to a gambling establishment which was partly owned by a member of the Supreme Council. He had repaid it without Henri Lafayette ever learning of it. Live and learn. He'd been lucky.

There was a matter of the Mayor of Lyon found dead of a broken neck, found at the bottom of a staircase. The King's Gendarmes had concluded it was an accident due to drunkenness on his part. The timing of it bothered Moreau, but there was no link to be found to Francoise. The mayor was reported to have known him, but what influential person didn't? He had even made a cursory inspection himself under the guise of being a Gendarme supervisor checking on the thoroughness of the Lyon branch of the service. There was nothing to indicate vampire activity. There was a broken windowpane in a dormer, but a dead bird was supposedly found on that side of the house at some time before the incident. He almost wished to be summoned to take care of an offender. He was bored by the lack of rogue vampire activity in France; or at least the lack of any such activity that was outside of his own personal schemes. He departed in his coach, instructing his driver to head for the Swiss border.

***

The trip to the Swiss Confederation was uneventful, but Anna made sure that every night was eventful. It was snowing when they went through the mountain passes. At an inn in the city of Lyon they heard the news of how a few months ago the mayor had died falling down his stairs while drunk, and also of a great chateau east of Lyon that had burned to the ground killing everyone inside including the wealthy owner. Anna had remarked to Ian how awful that fire was to have killed so many. She noticed that Ian said very little for the rest of that day. He had been reading a book about the study of blood though. She just thought he was absorbed by it and never gave it any more thought. The ruins of the place were visible from the road to Geneva.

Within three more days they were at Anna's country home outside of Lausanne and had purchased a dozen goats. Anna was surprised to see that Ian knew a lot about blood and even had equipment which he had brought along for the purpose of studying it. He shared Henri's book with her and let her see some samples through the microscope and pointed out basic things to her. She was surprised to see what she took to be a scholarly side to him. It was yet another previously unknown facet of his personality that intrigued her so. She had become addicted to him and to their wildly passionate lovemaking. Never had she felt the way she did every time they made love and his stamina in that regard was unbelievable.

One day while they were walking along the shore of Lake Geneva, Ian spied some people skating. He persuaded Anna to stop and as it turned out, she knew one skater and prevailed upon him to loan his skates and pole to Ian. The skates were merely reindeer leg bones, filed, drilled, and bound to ones' feet with rawhide laces.

Soon he was out on the slippery surface of Lake Geneva learning to push himself about on the borrowed skates using the metal-tipped pole. There was a light snow falling and soon he came over and left the pole with Anna. He began to try to skate without using the pole so he soon had a spectacular fall and Anna's hands flew up to her mouth as she laughed. He turned to her and the sight of her sitting there, snow delicately frosting the hair that framed her beautiful face was one he wanted to lock away in his heart forever. He suddenly thought of Cosette and all of their wonderful moments like that. Making his way over to Anna and leaning toward her, he kissed her gently. She smiled afterward and tilted her head questioningly. He said "Anna, the sight of you sitting on this rock just took hold of my heart. I am your captive."

"Are you happy, Ian?"

"Yes Anna, I am."

"Then you can make me even happier if you warm me up when we get home."

"Ah, now that's a wonderful idea. Would you mind if we could stop at a blacksmith's shop? I have an idea for making a pair of these skates using iron."

"There's one not far from my house in the city. We can go there now if you are through falling on this ice." she said with a saucy smile.

Within two weeks Ian had re-engineered his tie-on iron skate design to where they were fastened to a new pair of boots he had made at a shop in Lausanne. In spite of being heavy, the degree of control and the fact that he no longer had to stop and keep tightening them made skating an absolute pleasure, and he persuaded Anna to take up skating too and had a pair made up for her.

One day while walking to the inn to dine, Ian felt a cold prickly feeling at the base of his neck. It stopped when he got inside. While dining later it came again. It was not the kind that went all the way down his spine like when he was about to be attacked by a vampire. It had a cold feel to it. He deliberately knocked over a wine goblet with his forearm as Marie had taught him. As he apologized for his clumsiness, the feeling suddenly stopped. He looked about the room casually and couldn't tell who might have been looking at him. A big man was just going out the door. He was wearing a really wide-brimmed black hat with an unusual feather adorning it. Ian kept looking about the room which was full of diners, mostly men. Of one thing he was now certain; he was not the only vampire in Lausanne.

***

A tall, heavily muscled man sat watching a couple dining at the inn in Lausanne. He noticed that the man clumsily knocked over a goblet of wine. He sighed in boredom and turned away to get his coat and leave. He had heard some idle gossip about a phenomenal ice skater recently. Curious to see if it might be an Adept vampire, he began to nose around. He always seemed to miss whoever it was though. He had followed this couple inside the inn because the man fit the description he had heard. It was always a good idea to investigate anything which might later become a kill order. He once had stumbled across incidents which later were proven to have been done by a vampire who was ultimately marked for death. It never hurt to have advance knowledge of such a one. You never knew when a kill order would come from the High Council. How much easier was it in a case like that to already have seen the target? He thought that he might travel on to Bern soon. When the deepest part of winter hit, it would be hard even for a vampire to travel. His last reported location reported to the Council had been Lyon, in France. He should let one of them know where he was from time to time. Having no Council business to attend to here he did want to check on a possible lucrative arrangement in Vienna. He would definitely not let anyone know he was there though! He needed to get going while he could still travel.

# Chapter 53

The winter came in full force and there were days that Ian and Anna never left her country home. Neither one cared. She had an extensive library and Ian sometimes would pore over books for hours at a time. He had found one about nutrition written by an Italian whom he had never heard of. The staff kept the walkways open for allowing maintenance for the animals. Anna noted that Ian regularly kept his schedule of drawing blood and looking at samples under his microscope.

She had a maid with a younger brother by the name of Andre who had become seriously ill back in the summertime. She had given the maid permission to bring him out of the servant's quarters upstairs. The chalet was so big that Ian had seen him for the first time only recently, although his vampire hearing had informed him that the maid and a boy lived on the 3rd floor.

Anna's doctor had privately told her that the boy had 'Wasting Disease'. He was literally wasting away, having lost a third of his body weight. His skin was as pale as death and he was listless. His eyes had dark circles beneath them. The doctor didn't give the boy until springtime to live.

Ian had taken to the boy and had read to him often. At times when he was not with him, Anna would see him pacing about the big country Chalet lost in thought. One night long after Anna had drifted asleep, Ian rose and silently glided out of the room. He went to where he had stored a package. It was a knife, the two Pascal syringes, a knitting needle, and a towel. He had boiled all four items thoroughly for a half hour in the barn in a kettle. They were wrapped in another towel that was clean and tied up neatly with a cord.

He stole silently to Andre's room and entered it like a shadow, coming to the boy's bed and sitting down. Just as he did, the boy opened his eyes. "Ian, have you come to read?"

"No, Andre."

The boy smiled weakly at him, his eyes large in his wasted face. "Andre, I'd like to try something that might make you well again, or make you feel better."

The boy nodded trustingly

"I don't know if it will work, and it will hurt a little bit for a short time."

Andre nodded.

"Andre?"

"Yes?"

"This must be our secret."

He nodded. Then he said "I won't have long to keep a secret, will I?"

"You're very ill, Andre. You are near death."

"I know. Yes, this is our secret."

He rose and produced a bottle of vodka, laying his package on the bed. He took the vodka and washed his hands with it, allowing them to dry in the air for a minute or two. Then he tore a scrap from the towel he had boiled, and poured a bit of vodka on it. He gently took the boy's arm and washed the inside of it. "This will hurt. You must be brave now."

"I will."

"Here it goes."

Ian gently but firmly cut the skin and drew a bit of blood in one the syringes. He then cut himself and took the other syringe and drew his blood and transferred it slowly to Andre via the incision.

"Andre?"

"Yes?"

"That was very brave."

He nodded; tears of pain in his eyes.

"Now you must drink the rest of this."

The boy's eyes widened. Ian smiled gently. "I had to do this once or I would have died."

"Really?"

"Yes. It is a bit salty and warm. That is all, Andre. The worst part of it is over already. Trust me."

The boy nodded and Ian discharged the contents of the syringe in his mouth slowly allowing him time to swallow it. He held out his right hand to the boy. Andre took it. Ian pressed his hand gently and shook it saying "Our secret."

"Our secret, Ian. I'm feeling a bit warmer now."

"If this works for us, you'll start to feel better this day. We haven't got long to wait, do we? Would you like for me to read to you until you sleep?" The boy nodded so Ian went to retrieve the book he'd been reading to Andre and began reading to him in a low voice. In twenty minutes, the boy was asleep, so he picked up all of his equipment and glided out of the room like a shadow.

Taking the syringe with the blood sample he was soon viewing it on a slide under his microscope. He noticed that it didn't look healthy based on how blood from a healthy goat looked. Soon he was viewing his blood mixed with Andre's. He watched for several minutes, then he noticed that the blood sample began to slowly transform to one which looked healthier. It seemed to have more red cells than before. He watched a while longer to confirm what he was seeing; then he sat back from the microscope and closed his eyes. My God, what's happening here? Can vampire blood be a universal blood cleanser? Can it be a universal disease-healer?

After everyone had awakened Ian asked Anna what fruits and vegetables she had in her root cellar. She named the ones she could think of, and the only fruit was apples. He nodded and asked for a flour sifter, a bowl, and a place to work in the barn. She got him what he wanted and looked at him questioningly. "It's for Andre." is all that he said.

Ian washed his hands in the kitchen. Then he took the sifter and the produce to the barn and he began to crush the apples, beets, carrots, turnips, potatoes, and a bit of garlic. He would simply crush them in his powerful hands and allow the juice to run through the strainer. Then he would take a board and hammer the pulp on a sheet of copper to get more juice. He worked until he had a half gallon of juice in the large bowl. Feeding the pulp to his goats, he took the juice to the kitchen and instructed the maid to keep it covered and cool. He took a small cup of it to Andre and gently supported him while he drank it. "You will drink this four times a day, Andre." Anna and the maid watched from the doorway.

The boy nodded and smiled. He looked at Liridona, the maid and said "Three more of these today Liri, understood?" She looked at Anna who nodded, and then said "Yes Monsieur. But where will I get it?

"From me, of course. And you may call me Ian." The maid curtsied. "And one more thing."

"Yes, Monsieur.... Ian?"

"Take him to the big south window and let him lie in the sun as long as there is sunshine at that window. He is to wear only his underwear. This is to be done every day that there is sunshine until he's well."

"Yes, Ian."

"Anna?"

"Yes."

"I think the roads are passable. Shall we go skating today?"

***

Celeste finished practicing her musical scales and her instructor left. She had been depressed somewhat at learning that Ian was not coming due to being in the Swiss Confederation No longer did she know anything new about Ian. In fact, since her body began to change, she no longer had her intuitive powers. Her Aunt Caryn explained it by telling Celeste that she was 'becoming a young woman'.

She was going to sing in an event planned for springtime and had sent a note back to Marie telling her that and just a few things about some of her lessons in mathematics and general science.

The Lafayettes ran a bi-weekly courier service to the banks and businesses that Marie and Henri owned, and they used that to communicate with Caryn Rochelle and Celeste. Marie had generously furnished private tutors for her who came to the Rochelle home at regular appointed intervals. Her time was well filled with top quality instruction and she was learning fast. Her instructors all said that she was an exceptionally bright student. She wondered if her gift of prescience would ever return.

***

Within three days of Ian's clandestine blood transfer, everyone in the Chalet now could see that Andre was getting better. The speed of his recovery was simply miraculous. The spirits of everyone in the chalet were lifted measurably. Andre's sister Liridona noticed the tiny wound on the inside of his arm and queried him. He said that Ian took a blood sample and that was the end of it.

The winter passed in no time it seemed and Ian felt far better than he had last autumn. Andre healed completely and had nearly gained back all of his weight. Ian had become a local ice-skating legend by now and Anna was skilled enough that by now she could skate backwards herself. They always attracted a sizeable crowd now when they skated. Ian had worked all winter long on an oil portrait of Anna and it was now complete. She was more than pleased with it and hung it in her bedroom.

A few days later he was with Anna and saw a musical instrument that he had never seen before. It looked like a harpsichord. The proprietor told him it was a piano, and had been made in Italy. The name on the piano was Silbermann. Ian asked to play it for a short while, and did so. He really liked the tonal quality of the music it produced. One thing led to another and within the hour, Ian had purchased a Silbermann piano to be sent from Italy to Marseille in care of Marie and Henri Lafayette.

It was springtime and the passes were open, so Ian announced that he was going to Paris to meet with the Lafayette's bank manager there and to see Celeste. He intended to go to Scotland after that and asked Anna if she wanted to accompany him. She was enthusiastic and agreed to go. Andre and Liridona were especially loving and emotional towards Ian in their farewell.

It was an enjoyable trip, but quite cool until they got down from the mountain passes nearer to Lyon. Ian stayed silent for a good while after they passed the site of the former Francoise mansion.

They arrived in Paris in the middle to later spring time. It was magnificent and Anna just loved it. She had been there as a younger woman. They spent two weeks there with Celeste and Anna couldn't help but notice the bond between the two. They spent every day touring the city and taking in the sights. Celeste knew her city better than Ian did by far and took them somewhere different every day. Ian got permission to take her to Scotland to meet his parents and they departed three days later.

Going to the Netherlands first they both met Ian's grandparents. They offered their condolences when informed that Ian had lost Cosette due to a tragic accident. Anna liked them very well and they really liked her, in spite of their surprise that the two weren't married. They were especially impressed with Celeste.

Staying a week in Amsterdam they said their goodbyes and departed for Scotland then and the crossing was not real bad for the North Sea. Anna thought it was frightening at times, but she noticed how Ian perked up once they were out to sea. Celeste was fearless no matter the situation as long as Ian was there. Anna grew to love the child greatly, and Celeste loved her more every day. This was pleasing to Ian and he had to admit that he was healing well from the cruel way in which Cosette was taken from him

In Scotland introductions were made and the family was pleased to meet Anna and Celeste. Ian filled everyone in on Celeste's background the first evening, omitting any reference to vampires. No one in the family but Angus knew about that.

Anna was asked to tell how she met Ian and she related the whole incident of him appearing at dusk to help repair the carriage and right on through the shooting of the two highwaymen.

The visit was spent with Anna and Celeste being introduced to many of Ian's' friends and there were several delightful evenings of merrymaking what with Ian playing the violin and Celeste's singing.

After the first evening Anna was especially intense with her lovemaking. Afterward Ian said "Anna, I will play that fiddle after supper every night from now on if you like it this much." She pillowed her head on his breast afterward and began to cry tears of happiness. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead and just held her until she quit crying. "I'm so happy Ian, and I do so love your family and friends. Coming with you has been one of the best times of my life. Thank you for asking me."

Celeste sang in the church the next day, and like in Amsterdam everyone was spellbound by her clear angelic voice. People came to her when the service was over and said they had wept. All too soon the visit ended and emotional farewells were said all around.

They sailed to Dover. From there they took a packet boat across on a nice day and within five more days were in Paris.

# Chapter 54

Anna was going to leave early for Lausanne so they picked up Celeste and went to Marie and Henri's place, bathing and changing out of their travel clothes. They decided to just let Celeste determine the course of their last day together.

At a sidewalk café, Ian suddenly felt a cold prickling at the base of his neck. Casually he looked about, his sun glasses hiding the subject of his gaze. He froze when he spied a man with an artificial foot clomping along. The man had just passed their table. Ian felt a deep chill that went to his very soul, replaced by a cold hatred. His mind flashed back to that horrible night when he had lost Cosette in the fire at the Francoise chateau. Only too well he recalled that he had cut the foot off of a big vampire, and had seen him limp and leap, screaming through the fire to escape.

Turning to Anna and Celeste he said "I'm very sorry, but I just recalled that I need to see someone at the Banque de Lafayette. Could you both please excuse me? I promise to meet you both at Caryn's house in an hour or two. Is that all right with both of you?"

Anna nodded and Celeste tipped her head to one side and said "We can meet you there Ian. I have something from my studies that I want to ask Anna about."

He kissed Anna warmly and then as he kissed Celeste's forehead he slipped his hand around to the back of her neck and lightly pulled on a few hairs at the base of her skull. She nodded her understanding and said "Come Anna, I want to show you now."

They left and Ian trotted across the broad street to follow his subject from the other side. The vampire had on a broad-brimmed hat, gloves, and a lightweight coat with an extra high collar. They walked nearly three-fourths of a mile before he turned down a street that led to a posh district. He went three blocks, and then turned into a gray stucco three-story building. Ian noted the address and continued to walk along the opposite side of the street as if he had a destination further along. Never turning his head toward the house once he walked past, feeling a prickling on the back of his neck briefly. There was either more than one vampire in that building, or the one he followed had looked back one time to see if he had himself been followed. Ian took a bank document from his pocket and made as if he was examining it as he walked. He felt another prickling and he looked at a door across the street and stepped closer to read the numbers and made a show of reading the document in his hand as if he was searching for an address. The prickling stopped quickly then. Ian felt that there was more than one vampire in the building, and that they were quite observant of people in their vicinity.

He would have to return some night and explore this place in depth. Tonight was out of the question because Anna was leaving in the morning. He settled into a mood of cold hatred; one of deadly resolve. If that is a coven, I won't leave one of them in that house alive.

Back at Caryn's place he found that she had come home early, so they visited until nearly bed time.

They left then, Ian promising to return for Celeste tomorrow after seeing Anna off. That night Anna was passionate beyond anything Ian had ever experienced with her. She clung to him all night and awoke to make love three more times before dawn.

The dreaded time came for parting and Anna promised to come to the Chateau that summer. She got a commitment from Ian to come to Nice when she came through to see her Uncle Jacques. Both agreed to use the bank's courier service to communicate. They kissed long and passionately before she got into her carriage. She leaned out the window and waved to him once after it pulled away.

He picked up Celeste for the day, wanting to take another boat ride to which she happily agreed. They took a longer excursion this time which would leave Paris and would return in midafternoon. Celeste was happy, humming a tune that he didn't know. They chatted about her studies and her voice lessons and she mentioned that she had met Alyssa. Ian said nothing. She said that Alyssa wanted Celeste to introduce her to Ian when he was in town sometime. Ian was puzzled for a few seconds, and then he remembered that Marie had introduced him using a different name so Alyssa didn't know his real name. He thought it was best to leave well enough alone, not needing the complications of an ex-lover added to his relationship with Anna.

Celeste said "Alyssa spoke of a man she knew named Adam. She looked kind of... different when she spoke of him. I think she loves this Adam, Ian. She works too hard and she has met a man that she likes. It seems that he comes to her place of work a lot to see her. She said that he always brings her flowers or a gift."

"Well it may be that she will take up with this fellow now and forget about Adam."

"I don't know, Ian. She looks dreamy and kind of far away when she talks about Adam. I think she met him in Marseille. She doesn't look that way when she speaks of this other man. I think that her head is turned too easily by a man's attention though. She's impulsive that way it seems."

"You're quite observant, young lady. I'm impressed."

She turned to him and fastened her eyes on his. "My gift has left me."

"I know. It may return some day. You're going through a profound change now and your body is making more adjustments than you can realize."

"Yes. Aunt Caryn told me all about it."

"By Heaven, that's a relief to me!"

She giggled and squirmed closer to him and stretching up she pecked him on his cheek and then put her head against his shoulder.

***

It was near to midnight and the neighborhood of the vampire house was quiet. Ian watched the place through keen eyes from his perch on a rooftop across the street. He had been watching patiently for over an hour, motionless. Seeing no activity he decided to get closer to be able to possibly hear something from inside the house. He leaped across the street and landed on a rooftop adjacent to his target. Then he glided to the edge of it and soundlessly flitted across the gap to land on top of the chimney. He stealthily left that perch and like a fly crawled down a side wall until coming to a window. Using the ornamentation of the elaborate stucco exterior, he moved from window to window, gliding like a shadow, soundless, searching patiently. Finishing one wall all the way down to the first level he merely seemed to glide up to the rooftop again and re-appear on another wall to begin methodically to move from one window to the next.

He finally heard voices from inside. Stopping momentarily then, he moved as close to the window as he could. He slowly moved his head so that he could peer in. His face was completely covered by a large black cloth with only two eye-holes for openings and his clothing was black as well. He strained to hear what was being said inside.

"None of us cares, Mauri. If you want this woman, you can bring her here tomorrow night and have her."

"I'd like to bring her over."

"What if she doesn't want to cross over?"

"She's infatuated with me. I'll convince her."

"And if you don't convince her, what then?"

"I will convince her, you'll see."

"Mauritarius you know what has to happen if you fail to convince her, don't you?"

"Well, yes. That would be too bad. But Paris is full of pretty girls, no? Can I not find another?"

Laughter then, from maybe six others Ian guessed.

"Why don't you just ask her when you're with her?"

"What if she said no and then went to tell someone?"

"Who'd believe her?"

"Well, she deserves what she gets if she refuses me."

Laughter again, then the sound of someone walking with a heavy limp

"What are all of you laughing at in here?"

"Mauri wants to bring his girlfriend over here to ask her to cross over."

"Oh?"

"He hasn't even asked her yet or told her about himself."

"Well, if she refuses we'll all feed from her, so go ahead."

"You've been short tempered since you lost your foot and your ear, Emile."

"Don't speak of that to me. If I ever see the one that did that to me, he's a dead vampire. That mud-covered blue-eyed bastard! I still can see his damned glowing blue eyes! I'm not reluctant to kill any of you if you think that's a joke."

"I meant nothing by it Emile."

"Then keep your comments to yourselves." Then was the sound of someone stumping out of the room. Ian slipped back up to the rooftop and looked around for the roof access hatch. Finding it he tried it and found that it was secured from the inside. Likely it was to keep wind from flipping it open since no one would try to break into a three story house from its rooftop. He figured that he might just as well break in now and have that part done so as not to worry about making noise when he returned.

He lifted the edge and applied pressure until he heard wood splintering inside. Opening it he peered in and then lowered it, waiting to see if there was a reaction from inside. He sat for some ten minutes, and then he went down through it to see if he could find a way into the top floor. It turned out to be a staircase leading to a door at the end of an upstairs hallway. He glided down the stairs to it and opened it slightly and peering through, saw no one. It opened and closed silently which was what he was trying to determine. He would return tomorrow night to see what developed. They hadn't mentioned the name of the poor girl, but that wouldn't help anyway, would it?

# Chapter 55

The next day, Ian again picked up Celeste at Caryn's. He hugged Caryn and they spoke as she was leaving to go to work. Ian noticed that Celeste was carrying a small ruck sack. She had eaten breakfast and Ian had hunted the night before and had bagged three rabbits so his four flasks were full. He asked her what she would like to do that day.

"I want you to take me running."

"We might ruin your clothes."

She patted the ruck sack beside her on the seat.

He flashed a big smile. "Then we shall run. I have to get my ruck sack first though."

Within two hours they were in a densely wooded area to the northeast of Paris. Ian secured the horse and carriage in a dense thicket he found with a tiny creek flowing through it. He left celeste in the carriage and went into the thicket, waiting until she had called out to him. She saw that he was wearing only black seaman's pants secured with a black sash. A knife was secured in the sash. She wore riding pantaloons, dainty boots, and a simple loose blouse tucked neatly into her waistband. He placed his neatly folded clothing next to hers. He then took his purse and hid it under a really heavy rock nearby saying "Don't let me forget that or I'll have to pay for this rented carriage with you."

She giggled at that and climbed from the carriage onto his back. He bounded away taking a twenty foot leap to start and quickly accelerated to his best speed. Soon he was darting this way and that and bounding over lower trees and obstacles at a blinding rate while Celeste laughed continuously as they went deeper into the forest. He suddenly leaped high and they landed on a broad limb some thirty feet above the ground. Swarming up the trunk to a height of some seventy feet he paused so they could look around.

From there since it was a hilltop, they both could see Paris and the Seine River. There was a barge traveling downstream and it looked barely bigger than a speck on the silvery trace of the Seine.

He reversed himself and they were down from the tree in three descending jumps. Away they flew like a flash and ran for some thirty minutes still toward the northeast. They came to a stream which was descending through some small rapids to collect in a sizeable pool which drained off slowly at its far end.

"Let's eat lunch."

"What do I have to do?"

"Gather some dry sticks, some tiny, some medium some larger. Pile them on that flat rock over there."

After snatching four fish from the stream in a few minutes he busied himself and soon enough they were skewering some fillets with green poplar sticks. He handed two to Celeste and took two for himself. They settled back to roast their fish.

"Ian?"

"Yes."

"What did you learn when you followed that bad man yesterday?"

"He's a bad one and he has friends who are going to hurt someone soon. I'm going to stop them."

"How can you do that alone?"

"I have a talent for killing them. I'll kill all of these if I get the chance. Don't dwell on this, little one. It's a dark subject, not suitable for you to entertain."

"Ian, do you like doing this? I mean running and seeing new places?"

"Yes. I'd like to see America. It's so big that no one knows how far it goes. As far as anyone knows there are hundreds or maybe even thousands of miles of forest, never seen by any but the native people there. I've wanted to see that for nearly as long as I can remember, ever since hearing of it as a boy."

They began to eat. "Think of it, Celeste. A virgin continent, never explored. No maps of it exist. It is a giant mystery, much like Africa I suppose. Imagine what it would be like to roam through such a place. Imagine the people who live there, what they must be like. Imagine the wildlife and the sights. How big must the rivers, the canyons, the waterfalls and the mountains be there?" His eyes had a faraway look.

"I'd like to see it with you."

"I'd love to take you. I see no reason why you can't go to America when you're grown if that's what you want."

They continued eating. "Your schooling and learning are very important and must be mastered for you to have a better life. After that's done, you may do as you wish."

"Ian, you don't eat just food, do you?"

"No."

"Do you..."

"Hush little one. It will be only a few years and I'll tell you everything you want to know about us. One thing I'll tell you though and that is that I was once human."

"Did you....."

"I had no choice. It was to become like.... this, or die."

"So I could...become...like you?"

He looked gravely at her then. "You have a choice to make when you're grown. You have time to be a child yet, and to make that choice when you're of age. To be forced to become as I am is not a good thing, Celeste. I once loved someone, before Cosette. I was forced to never see her again by what happened to me. That should never be done to anyone."

"But you have Anna now and she is human."

"Anna's nearly twice my age, more mature than that other girl was. She's been married and had a child. She has lived, Celeste. This other girl was only seventeen and hadn't really lived to the fullest yet. Anna chose me. I have to deceive her all of the time and can never make a mistake while I'm in her presence. I don't like that, but I do it to protect her."

"You mean that others would come..."

"Yes. Others could learn about her knowing about us and would try to kill her and her household staff and her son too. I'm selfish too I suppose. I want to be with Anna as often as I can. She's been good for me."

"You two make a fine couple, and she truly loves you."

"I love her too. There is more about this subject which you'll learn. You already know how important it is to keep my secret as I do for you. Even my Uncle Angus doesn't know about your ability. With Cosette, I didn't have to be secretive that way. Do you see what I mean here?"

"Yes."

"You're wise for your years, and will have no trouble knowing what you want when that day comes. Until then live and love every minute of your life Celeste, knowing that so many love you and want only the best for you."

"I always feel your love."

He nodded and smiled warmly as he continued. "You have the choice that I didn't have." Fastening his eyes on hers he said "Very few humans ever get to make the choice that you will one day make."

They had finished eating so he kicked out the fire and scattered the coals.

# Chapter 56

It was dusk and Ian had done some shopping after leaving Celeste at her home. He had bought a small roll of black veil-gauze. It was the type used to make women's funeral veils and he had modified the hood-mask he had made earlier by eliminating the eye-holes. He made just one wide hole to see through and had stitched the gauze into place. He could see out of it just fine, but it concealed his face and most importantly his distinctive eyes, and was not near as bothersome as his earlier design had been.

Locating a small foundry which both made and sold swords and other cutlery, he had purchased a short sword. He rigged a crude sling for it where it hung from the back of his neck in the middle of his back. The hilt stuck up around shoulder-high so it was easy to draw and the tip of the sheath was secured via a cord tied around his waist.

He also bought a blunderbuss pistol. The firearms maker said it was called a Dragon. It was a short piece with a huge bore that shot lots of small lead pellets instead of one larger ball. He thought it an excellent piece for close-quarters fighting. So he had four pistols besides the dragon, his sword, his knife, and four full flasks in his ruck sack. Buying some garlic oil he had put a tiny bit of it on his shirt and pants. It was just enough to make him seem to stink to another vampire up close. He didn't want his scent to be recognizable should he not kill all of these, because one or more could easily get away. Thinking through his plan he couldn't add any other precautions other than to just walk away from it and let it happen. That wasn't acceptable.

He leaped and landed on the roof of the house behind the target. In another second he was atop his target. The street in front of the house was empty. He flitted back to the roof access and found it still could be opened so he settled at the front edge of the roof and waited, motionless in typical vampire fashion.

A little over an hour later, he heard and then saw a carriage approach. It stopped at the house and a man climbed out. He assisted a lady from the coach and they went up the stairs into the house. Ian flitted back to the roof access and picking up his bag, he silently entered and closed the access hatch quietly. He flitted to the bottom of the stairs and quickly tucked three loaded pistols into his sash. Carrying the other two, he cracked the door slowly. In seconds he was in the kitchen. He glided through a dim hallway lit only by lamplight reflected from the parlor and foyer. Hearing voices in conversation he froze behind a tall armoire in the hallway even as he heard a man's' voice offering wine to his guest.

He thought how many are in there? while keeping his back to the wall so that he could see the kitchen and could occasionally peek out to look toward the foyer. That way he was less likely to be taken by surprise in case one of them happened down the back stairs. He hoped that some of the others had left for the evening, but dared not believe it.

Shortly he heard the woman say "Mauritarius, who are these men?" He wondered if he had heard that voice somewhere before. Mauritarius said what sounded like five names. Good: maybe there are six instead of seven he thought. Mauritarius' voice became lower just as someone scooted a chair across the floor, so Ian never quite heard the ladies' name. There was the murmur of conversation and the sound of wine being poured in to goblets.

Suddenly the woman's voiced was raised and had a stressful sound. "You want me to do what! That is insane. I want you to take me to my home at once!" Laughter followed but by then Ian was gliding into the parlor out of the dark hallway like an apparition from hell. He shot the two who were flanking the girl between their eyes and dropped his pistols whipping two more out to shoot two more between their eyes. During the shooting, the woman shrieked and shrank back in terror. The other two scattered in a flash toward the foyer and the dining and sitting rooms beyond. He turned to scoop up the girl and stared at her in shock. It was Alyssa!

Grabbing a hassock he threw it through a window that looked out over the tiny side yard facing the side of the house next door. She was sitting in shock staring at him in utter dread. He flashed to the sofa and scooped her up whispering "Be quiet!" as he rocketed back through the kitchen and up the three flights of stairs to the roof access. He raised the hatch and quietly laid it flat. Then he scooped up Alyssa and rocketed out of the access opening to the end of the gable and leaped across the alleyway to the adjacent house. From there he leaped again to a single story carriage house adjacent to that house. He sat her down and whispered "Stay here until I return. Don't make a sound; understand?" She sat frozen in shock and dread.

"Do you understand?"

She nodded, wide eyed. Then she saw the black form stand and seem to fly up into the blackness.

In seconds, Ian was again going down the stairs. With any luck the others would think he had taken the girl out through that broken window. He readjusted his weapons and tested the sword to be sure it wouldn't bind. Then he checked the dragon pistol and tucked it back into his sash.

Stealthily he glided down the access stairs into the upper hallway. He glided out into the hallway and froze, listening intently. For a while there wasn't a sound. He glided to the back stairway and crept down two floors into the kitchen. Two men were talking excitedly saying "They took her and went right out that window."

"They? I only saw one."

Ian reached up and removed his black hood, securing it in his sash. He wanted one of them in particular to know who he was.

"One wouldn't come in here and do this."

Rocketing from the dark hallway to the parlor, eyes glowing a frosty blue, Ian said "One just did." as he struck the nearest one's head from his body. Before he could turn he felt a hot pain in his side and heard the roar of a pistol behind him. In pain he nonetheless turned in time to see the vampire with one foot bearing down on him with a short sword raised over his head as he shouted "You?"

Ian just kept turning and made it into a blurring spin away from the attacker as he drew his short sword and rolled over the sofa. He rocketed around the room so fast that he was running on the walls themselves in a blur of speed. By force of will alone, he ignored the pain and rocketed toward the vampire sword drawn, driving him back, his sword a glittering blur in the light of the oil lamps. Ignoring the pain he fought with all of the skill and power he had, twice switching his sword to his left hand so fast as to barely be seen.

Soon he had inflicted four wounds on his overmatched opponent. The vampire stumbled as he backed over a chair in the dining room and that was all Ian needed. His foot flashed up in a powerful blur and he kicked his opponent in the stomach with all of his power. The vampire flew through the dining room and landed flat on his back. Drawing the dragon pistol as he leaped on top of him, Ian shot him in the face from less than a foot away. There was a gurgling scream that was choked off when Ian lopped off his head. Quickly he went to the other vampires who were moaning, tossing and twisting, even as they were healing. He struck the heads of all five from their bodies.

Stopping he took nourishment, draining all of his flasks. There was a surge of energy and the pain receded as the healing of the gunshot wound accelerated. Wasting no time he quickly gathered the six heads. Snatching the tablecloth from the table, he made a makeshift bag to carry them, knotting the four corners. Scooping up all of the pistols he dropped them into his ruck sack. Rocketing to the roof he leaped twice landing beside Alyssa kneeling there in the dark. "I'll return shortly." he whispered. Again to her wondering eyes he seemed to fly upward into the blackness. She saw the knotted tablecloth and in curiosity she reached over to touch it, recoiling with a whimper when realizing what its grisly contents were.

Ian again entered and rocketed down the stairs in a blur of motion. He went into a bedroom and ripped the covers off of a bed and rocketed down the steps. Ripping bed sheets at vampire speed he bound each corpse. He carried the bodies up to the roof one at a time and after the last one, he began to ferry them across the alleyway to the roof of the carriage house. Alyssa watched in wide eyed wonder as he returned each time, landing in a crouch with so little noise. She realized that he was bringing the bodies out to place them on the roof of the carriage house.

The last body was brought out so he untied the cloth and exposed them. Now at least if he couldn't return, the sunlight would burn these six bodies and maybe the carriage house too.

Shouldering his rucksack with the weapons first then he turned to her and whispered "Time to take you home now." Scooping her up he leapt to the ground and took off with a great bound at a speed that made the wind roar in her ears as her hair whipped in the wind. She couldn't believe the speed at which things flashed past. They had rocketed past a man on horseback and she thought that maybe she heard the horse whinny in fear as they went by. Two sharp turns and another short burst of speed, then they had stopped. He set her on her feet at a darkened alleyway.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll never tell what you've seen this night. I'd better never hear of it. Now go." he whispered.

She stood and gawked at him, and then realized that she was only three doors away from the front of her apartment building. How could we get here from Mauritarius' house so fast?

"Go now. Shoo!" He made a shooing motion with his hands. "I have things to do before the King's Gendarmes come." he whispered.

Still she stood staring at him in awe.

He took a small step toward her. "Don't try my patience." he whispered.

That did it. Thinking suddenly of the fearsome power that she had seen demonstrated tonight, she backed slowly away from him and finally turned and ran to her well-lighted front door. She turned and thought she could still barely make out his outline. He suddenly streaked across the street in less than a heartbeat and was gone. Quickly she went to her apartment and sat dumfounded. Unaware that she was shaking violently, she began to cry and couldn't stop.

What in God's name did I just witness this night?

And who... what...was that...thing... that knows where I live?

# Chapter 57

Marie was beyond curious when notified of a large crate waiting for her at Marseille. She would have to see to it herself since Henri had gone to Paris so she would take the boys with her to Marseille the next day and would visit the orphanage while she was at it.

The next day, they departed for Marseille. By eleven o'clock they were at the docks and the warehouse superintendent showed her the large crate. Within two hours she had gotten it loaded into a rented wagon with a team of four horses. She had shopped for some items at the local market such as honey for the boys and some boots for each of them. They both were growing like weeds, as children that age always do. She had visited the orphanage as well and had taken their monthly report to read at home.

They departed in their carriage, the wagon with a driver and helper following them. That afternoon she got two of the men on her staff to help the other two and they got the crate off of the wagon and onto the large front veranda. When it was uncrated and unwrapped, Marie's mouth flew open in wonder. There sat a Silbermann piano. She had heard talk once that such a thing existed, but had never even met anyone who had seen one. In an hour, it was sitting not too far from her Harpsichord and she was playing it.

Soon the sound drew the staff who listened in wonder to the music that Marie was playing. After a while Li and Sophia entered the parlor and stood listening raptly as Marie played. She started a tune that they all had sung often and soon they were all singing as she played. The song ended and Marie turned to all who were present.

"This is a gift from Ian."

Sophia said "It's wondrous. I've never heard such a sound."

Sending the boys to wash for supper and sending the staff back to their duties; Marie linked her arms to those of Li and Sophia and walked them out the back door. They walked toward the barn as Marie turned to Sophia and spoke.

"So how are you doing on your third day as a vampire, Sophia?"

***

Celeste sat in the carriage in her usual place, next to Ian, her arm linked through his, her head leaning on his shoulder as they left Orleans and headed down the Loire valley toward the Atlantic. It had been no problem getting permission from Caryn to allow Celeste to come stay at the chateau

She was in heaven being with Ian and traveling to places she had never seen before. Bubbly, curious, and exuberant, she was a wonderful travelling companion. Near Toulouse she proudly told Ian that beyond the mountains to the south was Spain. She rattled off the various items that Spain exported and its capitol and told him all about the Basque country of the Great Pyrenees Mountains. He thought of Alandra wistfully as Celeste talked of Spain. Sighing he thought that by now she had surely married and started a family of her own and thought that he'd like to see her and her children once. He entertained thoughts of going there one day when she would be in her middle age and would no longer recognize him.

At last they reached the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and turned to follow it to Marseille. In six days more they arrived at the Chateau de Lafayette. There was a joyous reunion then and there was still time so Marie busied her staff to make a sumptuous welcome home meal for Celeste and Ian. Later after eating and exchanging news in general, Marie played her new piano for everyone. Celeste sang for them on and off all evening long. Before the evening ended though, she insisted on showing how she and Ian could dance to Ian's song, 'Dance with Anna'.

Later Ian took Li aside and said "You two stay in my house. Sophia and you will need the privacy until she is through with her imprinting."

"Who told you, Ian?"

"No one. I knew it as soon as I saw her. Not to mention that when she looks at me I get the prickles on the back of my neck."

Laughing, Li shook his head as he said "The prickles never lie."

"She'll be a good one. I'm happy for you, my friend."

"There is more that you should know, Ian."

"What's that?"

"Louis and Mustafa know all about us now. They've been helping me with Sophia. Marie and Henri thought it was time that they knew."

Ian nodded and stood silently a bit, and then he responded "They would eventually have to know at some time. I'll speak with them about it later today myself."

Later after the staff had been dismissed and the boys and Celeste had been sent to bed, there was a meeting held. Ian gave an account of everything that had transpired concerning the incident with the vampires in Paris.

"It was after I shot the fourth one that I saw that the woman on the sofa was Alyssa."

There was a collective sharp intake of breath, and Marie even gasped audibly, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

"So you took her out of there and then came back and killed the other two?" Henri asked in wonderment.

"Yes."

Marie said "Oh, Ian you shouldn't have taken the chance!"

"But think of poor Alyssa and the horror of being killed that way."

"She refused?"

"Yes."

"And you took her home afterwards?"

"Yes."

"Well, is there any chance that she recognized you then? Ian, Alyssa will remember your eyes."

"No. I wore a hood of black cloth and black gauze."

Li exclaimed "Black gauze? Good idea!" Marie and Henri concurred.

Ian shrugged. "I brought it for all of you to see. I think we each could use one of them. In fact, I even put a bit of garlic oil on my clothes before I went there that night."

"Whatever for?"

"In the event one would escape and might remember my scent."

Marie said "Garlic! What a grand idea!"

"I rarely spoke, and then only in a whisper. She was terrified and in shock.

"We'll report this at my next session with the Council. Alyssa has become a person of some renown and her disappearance at the hands of vampires is a severe violation of our protocols. You'll be magnified in their eyes. This is the perfect event to introduce you to the Council."

"And the Francoise incident?"

"What Francoise incident? Oh you mean that terrible accident where his Chateau burnt to the ground? It's a mystery from all I can determine." said Henri with a wink. "Is there anything else of interest with this affair?"

"I searched the house after taking the bodies far away, but I found no evidence that this group was linked with others."

"And it was the one with one foot which led you to them?"

"Yes."

Marie spoke for all of them then, her eyes suddenly taking on a violet-blue glow "I'm glad you got that one, Ian." Li and Henri nodded grimly, their eyes blazing.

***

Anna and her son Serge came to visit on their way to Nice. Ian ran to the carriage and helped her down and then just picked her up and kissed her passionately and then he swung her in a circle several times. When he set her down she was flushed and laughing, with tears in her eyes. She immediately threw her arms around his neck once more and kissed him passionately. Introductions were made all around as the staff carried their bags in to the house. Marie sent a maid who knew both Li and Sophia to Ian's house to deliver a note telling Li to stay there with Sophia until Anna and her son had gone.

Everyone sat in the cavernous parlor. Ian sat next to Anna who held his hand and sometimes leaned her head on his shoulder. Celeste sat on the other side beaming and holding Ian's other hand with her head leaning on his upper arm at times. Henri said "Ian. Look at you between these two pretty ladies!"

"Aye, Henri. It seems I'm a thorn between two roses."

At that there was laughter all around and Anna said again "Oh, Ian I have missed you and hearing things like that so very much." She reached up and turning his head toward her she kissed him. Serge could see the change in his mother and had to admit that they seemed to be a good match.

That evening Marie regaled them with music, playing her new piano with Ian accompanying her on his violin. It was a night of fun and laughter and Serge was truly impressed by these people.

Afterward Anna came to Ian's room well after midnight and they made love passionately several times. She still wanted to go fishing with him in the morning, so he awakened her before dawn and they left while it was still dark. Ian took her by horseback all over the estate to places she had never seen.

Later after breakfast they all put on old clothing and went swimming at the waterfall.

That night Anna announced that they'd be going to Nice for a week or two. She said that there was a limited amount of room at her uncle's place, but invited Ian and Celeste to come stay there. They all departed three days later.

The trip to Nice was scenic but uneventful. Ian and the others drove themselves, taking turns. Jacques was glad to see them and quickly ordered his staff to prepare his last empty rooms for Celeste and Ian. They went sightseeing the next day and Jacques was a wonderful host, showing Ian and Celeste all of the sights.

The days passed in splendor. They took Celeste and Serge to a lagoon nearby for swimming. Ian worked with Celeste to refine her swimming technique, being as he had taught her the fundamentals at the chateau. The time flew by and soon they were making their way back to the Chateau, having said their goodbyes to Jacques. They took their time and arrived some six days later, in late afternoon.

Ian took them to Marseille and wanted to show them around, taking them to eat at the Blue Oyster, which had been remodeled after the kitchen fire. The proprietor Henrique Pronovost recognized Ian as soon as he saw him. He came up to him and hugged him and smiled and performed a little bow as he was introduced to the others. He looked at Ian and said "Your money won't spend here, Ian. My place is your place. Order what you will my friend."

They ordered and while they sat, Ian looked about the place. It looked a lot the same. Corinne, the girl who used to be his old shipmate, Lorn's girlfriend, waited on them. She remembered Ian and asked about Lorn so Ian told what he knew from his last visit, and offered to dispatch a letter to Lorn if she wanted him to.

Anna said "You're known here it seems."

"Yes, I came here to eat a few times with some of my crew after the storm."

About that time, Henri Pronovost said "Oh he's known here for more than that. He and his shipmates saved this place from being burnt to the ground one afternoon. And he also beat that big bully LeBlanc to a pulp over at the Red Dolphin." Anna, Celeste, and Serge wanted to know more, so Henrique told them the story about how LeBlanc had slapped a young boy and Ian had stopped him from beating the lad. He told them that the end of it was that LeBlanc pulled a knife and Ian broke his arm. Anna looked at Ian and thought I don't doubt that one bit.

Ian said "Would you like to meet the boy?"

They all said "Yes."

"Well, you already did. It was Louis." He laughed at his joke.

"Really?"

He turned to Anna and said "That's how I came to meet Cosette." Anna gave a sympathetic smile and inclined her head to rest it on his shoulder. Celeste got up from her place and came to him, and hugged him.

They ate then, and after thanking Henri and hugging him goodbye, he saw that the serving wench Corinne had a letter for Lorn. He took it and promised her it would get to Lorn, feeling bad at not at least keeping in touch with Corinne. He truly liked her and resolved to try to help her in the future if she needed anything to make her life easier. This was a small favor, but it would later prove to be a life-changing event.

The days at the chateau were wonderful. Around ten days later, Henri came to Ian and told him that he had to go to Liechtenstein for a meeting of the High Council. He wanted to take Ian with him for that and to meet some bankers in Bern.

Ian put forth the idea of taking Celeste along, so they conferred with Marie. She thought about it and said that Celeste should be taken back to Caryn when they left Switzerland and not brought back to the Chateau. She would write the necessary letter to keep Caryn apprised of the change in plans, being as she could post Henri through the banks' courier network if things changed.

Ian went to see Li and Sophia one afternoon and stayed until evening visiting them. They were happy and Sophia had long since finished her imprinting. She was an Adept with some tolerance to sunshine, which thrilled Marie and Henri both. Li had of course been teaching her the principles of Kung Fu and she was doing very well in that science. He would be starting her on firearms training and on fencing with wooden sabers too. Marie had already taught her English. She was to learn Spanish next. For her part, Sophia was still in a state of wonderment at the speed of the changes in her life. She was very happy with her life now and was devoted to Li and to all of her new family at the chateau. She confided to Ian that she had finally found a place and people to whom she felt she belonged. Ian was warmed to see how the couple was devoted to each other and was especially pleased at how well Louis and Mustafa had helped her.

# Chapter 58

The next day, goodbyes were said all around and they were off to the Swiss Confederation. They took Henri's best carriage and his best four horse team and a driver who would make the entire trip.

Celeste pointed out things that she had seen on her trip to Lyon the year before. It was an uneventful trip with a day-long break near Lyon before starting the leg to Lausanne. Ian and Henri were silent as they passed the entrance to the old Francoise chateau. There was no sign of any activity at the place. Some of the staff had been allowed to stay and live off of the output of the farming part of the estate. So there was some livestock to be seen in the distance and crops had been planted.

It was an easy trip with no complications. They arrived in Lausanne and took three days to see the sights.

A few days later they were at Anna's home, all at the breakfast table visiting. When Liridona the maid brought their breakfast in she thanked Ian again for his help in her little brother's recovery from the Wasting Disease. When Andre saw Ian he ran to him for a manly hug and a handshake. Liridona stood there watching the whole thing with tears of joy in her eyes. She came to Ian and taking both of his hands she kissed them, once more thanking him for saving her brother's life. Being both touched and embarrassed by it, Ian hugged her and said it was nothing.

In two days they were off to Bern. Anna had furnished a fresh team of horses for the trip. They went by way of Fribourg to Bern, and it was a scenic trip as is any trip in Switzerland. Serge showed them the location where he went to school. Henri and Anna both visited a bank there and transacted some business while Serge showed Ian and Celeste around Bern. They spent two days there and Ian got a few prickly alarms now and then so he knew that there were vampire Adepts in Bern.

Departing then they went toward Liechtenstein by way of Lucerne and Zug. When they came to the Rhine Henri announced that they would be staying near Schaan. He said he had an uncle there who he wanted to see. Henri's 'Uncle Karl' was a silent partner in his banking network who was an Adept. He had a charming wife also an Adept, and they had known in advance that Henri would be coming with Ian so it was no inconvenience to accommodate all of them at their large estate.

They were all glad to be at a place where they were not in a carriage for a while. Karl and Elsa Von Brandt were both charming hosts. Henri was able to speak with Ian as the others were getting settled in the guest quarters of the house. He informed Ian that Karl was an expert in trusts and estate management and inheritance laws throughout Europe. He gave Ian a basic outline of how he and Marie held the bulk of their wealth in anonymous trusts throughout Europe.

Von Brandt was very secretive in his dealings and had earned his reputation of being the man to see in all matters relating to trusts and estates. He was going to be starting a small network of such trusts for Ian at Henri's request. It would be domiciled in Liechtenstein and would have branches in Henri's banks in France and Luxembourg. The Netherlands, Scotland, England, Spain, and Italy were all mentioned as possibilities for future locations of anonymous deposited funds.

Ian raised the question of them expanding their banking and trust networks to America and both Karl and Henri raised their eyebrows as they looked at each other. "Well, Henri you've done well indeed with the way you and Marie have been bringing this young man along. I had thought of that and I don't know of another who had until now."

"We need a trusted representative over there to make a start. It could be that we have one right here with us."

"Gentlemen, I'm honored, but I need further training before trying such an undertaking. In Scotland I hear of no small discontent over there with the British Crown and their practices. I'm no judge of such things, but would it not be prudent to wait until that's resolved before venturing an investment over there?"

"Indeed it would, Ian." said Henri and Von Brandt agreed, saying "This man might have been a merchant sailor once, but he seems to have a grasp for things that many people miss."

The conversation returned to trusts and how best to use them. The object was to hold wealth anonymously in scattered places. The banks were eager to help in any way because it was in their own best interests to cater to wealthy depositors who would have funds on deposit for long periods of time. This gave stability to the bank, so it was beneficial for both parties. The banks in turn applied political pressure to the governments in their respective countries to be accommodating to the concept of banking privacy in general and toward trusts in particular. This worked to the advantage of shrewd Adepts and in reality it harnessed the resources and efforts of humans on behalf of a small number of astute vampires. Needless to say, it was most convenient for those who didn't die, but had to move from generation to generation. Even kings were discouraged from peering into anyone's banking business in Liechtenstein or in Switzerland.

The concept of interlocking anonymous trusts though was scarcely known among humans, yet it was the iceberg beneath the exposed tip of banking privacy to all knowledgeable Adept vampires. Ian was overwhelmed at what he had learned sitting with these two experts. He thanked them both sincerely for so educating him. Karl liked Ian and told Henri so after Ian had excused himself that night. He congratulated Henri as anyone would for having such a fine son.

The next day, Ian and Henri were to go to the capitol, Vaduz. He had some banking business there and then he would bring Ian when he attended the Council meeting.

The capitol, Vaduz was a beautiful and very clean city. Ian was favorably impressed with it as he was with the Swiss Confederation. Accompanying Henri on his business he mostly just sat in on the proceedings. Afterward they made their way to the place where the High Council would meet. Henri took the opportunity while they traveled the short distance to that place to counsel Ian for his testimony to the Council.

"To begin with, say nothing until spoken to, regardless of what is said. One might try to bait you just to see if you're hot-headed or too quick to speak. Be certain to take off your hat when we enter the chamber itself. Hold your hat in your hand at all times. There is no servant or valet in that room to take your hat. If offered a drink, take it. It will be goat's blood. If not offered, don't take offense. You'll be standing at all times. There are only nine seats in that room. Be brief and concise. Don't give too much detail unless specifically asked. Don't even hint at your ability to know when a vampire is looking at you. That is a talent unheard of. Don't mention at all your ability to withstand direct sunlight. That too is an ability unknown among our kind. Don't mention one thing concerning the Francoise affair nor of your loss of Cosette. We officially know nothing of that incident. Too many bigwigs died in that affair not to cause concern if it was known to be our doing. The Council majority wouldn't approve of such a thing for the sake of orphan humans."

"I hope I'm up to this."

"You'll do well. Timing is on our side what with the way things have gone, and with the information we'll reveal today."

They had arrived at a three-story red brick building which wasn't notable in any way. However it did have a white domed top which was an interesting feature. It wasn't overly large by the standards of the day and locale. Ian noticed that there was one entrance visible from the streets. The council building sat on a corner and all main floor windows had very heavy iron bars over them. There was an imposing iron gate comprised of two doors of heavy wrought iron. They were formed to fit an archway built in to the brick wall of the building and were wide enough for a carriage to enter or exit. It led around a blind corner to a blind courtyard which was surprisingly spacious with the necessary accommodations for horses including stables, hay, and even a well. The other buildings on the block backed up to this area but were for all purposes just part of a wall of privacy around the entire place. Ian noticed that there wasn't one single window in the back of any one of these adjacent buildings. No one would be able to see who came and went from any vantage point overlooking the courtyard. In fact the other buildings were so constructed as to restrict visibility of the courtyard even from their rooftops. The only windows overlooking this inner courtyard were the few in the council building itself. They all had heavy bars, as did those at street level in the two sides of the building that faced the two streets. Two tall muscular looking Adept vampire guards let them through.

Henri took a box from the trunk of the carriage. Ian looked questioningly at it. "Sun glasses; a pair for each council member and a pair of ladies' sun glasses for each of their wives, although two of them are bachelors. I won't give them to my cohorts until the session is ended. Otherwise it would look like a bribe. I'll bring the box in and leave it visible for all to see, but over to one side so that they know it wasn't a reward after the fact for siding with me."

"You think of everything, Henri. How did the guards at the gate know to let us through?"

"Have you noticed the little emblem on the two doors of my coach?"

"Yes. What are they?"

"They are a stylized version of the characters for the first letters of the words 'Liechtenstein Trade Guild'. The guards know to let a carriage enter if it bears that emblem."

They entered through an unimpressive entrance facing the courtyard. There were four large muscular Adept vampires standing inside the door. They were tall husky men, dressed like any business man of the day. Knowing Henri on sight they only nodded to him as he passed, saying "Herr Lafayette."

"Those four look like they could handle anything that comes their way."

"Well, they handle brooms and perform stable maintenance too, Ian. No humans ever get into this place." They went up an unremarkable back stair case to the second floor and came to a spacious area with benches along a marble balustrade facing what had to be the chamber doors themselves. The area overlooked a view of the front entrance which was never used. There was an impressive marble staircase that ascended from the entrance foyer to this area just outside of the chamber. It was rarely used but was there only for appearance.

The chamber doors were plain but well-crafted heavy paneled oak. They had gold lettering in the German language which said 'Liechtenstein Trade Guild'. That matched a very plain brass plate set into the masonry of the outer wall of the building near the corner.

For all intents and purposes, this was a private trade guild which allowed only members to enter. In fact there were elaborately constructed and written files containing supposed past trade forecasts and other sundry related subjects supposedly discussed by the guild which were all an elaborate fabrication to conceal the real business of this place. Those files were periodically updated so as to appear to be both historic and current. No vampire-related issues decided here were ever recorded.

Ian took a place on the bench facing the chamber double doors and Henri went in. It was no more than a quarter hour when Henri himself came out and beckoned to him to enter.

# Chapter 59

Ian took his hat and entered behind Henri. He followed Henri to stand with him in the center of the chamber. The room was completely round and was beneath the dome itself. The dome had inserts of frosted glass to let in natural light. There were four stained glass inserts bearing the same logo as that on the doors of Henri's coach. They were the same colors being a purple shield, edged with gold and emblazoned with the stylized Latin letters L T G in gold. Facing Ian was a raised dais which had what looked like a curved marble judge's bench with nine tall dark red leather seats behind it. There was no ornamentation of any kind in the room. Two flags flanked the bench, one being the crest of the ruling family of the Duchy of Liechtenstein and the other the crest of the Liechtenstein Trade Guild. Ian saw just the top of a single door behind the judge's bench. Presumably the council members could come and go privately through that door. There were two large ornate tables with several matching chairs for each at the opposite side of the chamber. They were moved out of the way to hear a case, and then moved back to make it appear that some sort of committee hearings were done in the room. It was all done to eliminate any idle gossip should a human ever make it into that chamber.

All meetings were conducted in the German language as it was most common to all present. "My esteemed fellow council-members may I introduce Herr Ian McCloud, my most esteemed colleague." Henri then introduced the chairman first, and then proceeded from Ian's left to his right. To each one Ian gave a curt nod of his head after the name of that one was given. They each nodded in return. He met each one's gaze directly when introduced and his neck prickled non-stop.

The introductions finished, Henri walked around the marble structure and up two steps to take his own seat. It was silent for a bit, and then the chairman said 'Herr McCloud, how do you prefer to be called?" He was matter of fact, neither overly friendly nor hostile.

"Ian, sir."

"Very well, Ian it is." Henri tells us that you've assisted him greatly in dealing with one transgression in Marseille and that you found and dealt with a second one in Paris."

"Yes sir."

"This one in Marseille, did you find who had paid for the humans taken, orphan children I believe?"

"No sir." I hope this is convincing them.

"How did you come to believe that a...rescue was merited, followed by a sanction being levied?"

"Sir, as Judge Lafayette told me, the King's Gendarmes had been notified in writing by the headmistress of the facility. An inspector Rousseau had gone to the orphanage, inspected the place, and made an official report. We found out then that a second child had been taken and a second report initiated and sent to the Gendarmes. It was a clear violation of accepted rules.

"Indeed. Continue."

"For the two cases to be quietly resolved and forgotten, it was deemed best to take the children back to the orphanage and to tell the Gendarmes that it was just a case of children who had run away from that orphanage."

"I see. Don't you worry that these girls will talk about what they saw?"

"No sir. It was at night and they were kept in a dark cell in a cellar. They could barely see each other. The two vampires took care to keep their abilities concealed from these girls." He waited to see if that lie went across well or not.

"And how do you know that?"

"Madame Lafayette conducted private interviews with each one separately to determine what they saw. They're terrified to this day that someone might discover that they were kidnapped and close the orphanage and throw them into a government run orphanage or out on the streets."

Another council member then spoke "We all know of Madame Lafayette's predisposition towards orphans and some of us are concerned that is a...weakness if you will."

"Sir, I too was skeptical. Now though I've come to believe it has merit."

"And why did you change your mind, Ian?"

"The more children who can become productive members of human society, the more stable that society becomes as a result. Other countries in Europe would do well to emulate what the Lafayettes have done in France, sir."

There was a pause as the council members looked at each other. On the far right Judge Robert Milliken of Britain spoke. He was an ordinary looking fellow of medium height and weight, who could be thirty or forty years old. He had a slightly rounded youthful face and his eyebrows made him look as if he was always surprised. He projected an air of congeniality, much as Henri did. "Well said, Herr McCloud." I've held that view for a long time. Will you tell us about the incident in Paris?"

"What exactly do you want to know, sir?"

The chairman said "We want to know how you found this place."

Ian had dreaded this. Here is hoping that I can lie well enough to convince this council. Without looking toward Henri he said "It was quite simple sir. I was in Paris concerning business of Banque de Lafayette. I was walking past a sidewalk café and I just happened to be looking at the customers there who were dining. A chance reflection from the street hit the eyes of a young man sitting at a table with a young lady. He flinched and covered his eyes."

"What was so suspicious about that?"

"The movement was entirely too fast to be human. Not only that, but he was facing the street and should have made certain that he was facing the building instead. I knew he was a vampire and a careless one at that for a supposed Adept. My curiosity was aroused and I waited some distance away to see where he'd go. I followed him to the house in question."

"I see. That is commendable. How did you learn of his intentions toward this lady?"

"I eavesdropped after dark and heard them talking about it. The one I saw at the café said that he wanted her for his mate and that if she refused, they could all feed on her with him because she would deserve it for refusing him."

"And these vampires didn't hear or see you?"

"No sir. I wore all black clothing and a hood I made to fit over my face

"You took the time to do that? Why?"

"I feared that if I didn't get them all, one might recognize me some day. That would be bad for Herr Lafayette. I also didn't want the woman to recognize me at some future time."

"So you intended to save her from the beginning?"

"My goal was to kill all of them. I thought that if she could be saved and safely gotten away from the place, so much the better." That seemed to go well enough he thought.

"Did you take any other precautions before releasing her?"

"Sir, I spoke to her only after I had taken her very close to a hotel on the Champs Elysees. She hadn't seen me attack and kill them because she'd already been knocked unconscious by one of them.. After I had killed and beheaded the six of them, I just wrapped her in a sheet and took her to that hotel. She was conscious when I untied her. I kept my hand over her mouth and told her that they were all dead. Then I told her to go to the hotel and to have the concierge get a carriage. I had her purse and there was more than enough money in it for her to do that. I whispered only one thing to her then."

"What was that?"

"Sir, I told her that if she ever spoke of this that I would find her and would kill her."

"And you think she believed that?"

Time for another lie. "Yes. She urinated all over herself when I said it. And I never once spoke except in a whisper."

A smattering of laughter followed.

From another council member "Did you clean up the place then?"

"I did."

"How did you determine that she might be missed?"

Time for another lie. "Sir, she was no street walker or whore. I heard a name and it was a name connected to a theatre production I believe. I had seen it in an advertisement somewhere. I feared that it would be reported to the King's Gendarmes and I thought that it would be a bigger potential problem than the incident in Marseille."

"Who is she?"

He thought Time for another lie and he gave the name of a well-known singer in Paris. He and Henri knew that he couldn't get away with saying he had forgotten the name.

Another council member spoke and said "You went in alone knowing there were six of them?"

"Yes."

"And you seriously thought to kill six vampires by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Why were you so sure?"

"I had plenty of weapons and surprise on my side. Who among you would expect one of us to invade such a gathering in the security of your own home?"

At this time Henri spoke "Esteemed colleagues, this is the one you may have read about in one of your newspapers. He was a part of the party who rescued that Spanish ambassador's daughter."

There was a general nodding of heads, and some comments made from some of the council members to each other.

"So you were a part of that?"

"Yes sir."

"And you had to kill some pirates that day?"

"Six or maybe seven."

Judge Milliken said "Is that all?" Much laughter followed that. "You had weapons then? What did you have?"

"Five pistols, a dagger, a short sword, and a saber, sir."

This time it was Nikola, the judge from the Balkan region saying "Is that all?" Even more laughter followed this time.

"Did they not all attack you?"

"Sir, I killed four where they sat and the other two ran. I had to chase them down to kill them. I caught the last one in the dining room."

"You shot four vampires where they sat?"

"Yes."

"How on earth did you do that?"

He gave a brief explanation.

"What? Shot two pistols at once?"

"Yes sir. I practiced doing everything I could left-handed while I was imprinting."

There was a buzz of conversing between several judges and finally Judge Milliken spoke "So you can shoot equally well with either hand then?"

Henri spoke up then. "Esteemed colleagues; if I may say it, I've seen Ian shoot pieces of firewood thrown from behind him. He shoots them in mid-air no less, and consistently with either hand. I have seen him hit thrown targets as many as twenty times in succession without missing. I'm not sure if I've ever seen him miss a shot like that. And one other thing is important that you know."

"What is that, Henri?"

"Ian was still imprinting along with another of my colleagues when they helped take down those kidnappers in Marseille. Ian fought with one of them by himself and overcame him, and I can tell you that he was a big one, a fearsome fellow."

"Fought with an adult male vampire while he was still imprinting?"

"Why, that is remarkable indeed!" said Robert Milliken.

Several judges spoke to each other then, shaking their heads.

The chairman said "That is truly remarkable, but pistol wounds don't stop us."

"Sir, a vampire shot between the eyes will drop and be helpless for a while."

Judge Milliken spoke then. "Four of them shot in their heads? Oh, I'll wager that the other two ran like hell!" At this the entire council laughed.

Chief Judge Heinrich Von Steuben then spoke. "Enough of this! We still have the mess in the Balkans to consider. Is anyone here in doubt that this was a righteous execution?" Several said "No."

"Then I move that we either make it unanimous or close this chamber to deliberate this matter now."

Judge Milliken said "I second that! My vote is a 'yes' to the question of righteous execution, and a heartfelt 'thank you' to young McCloud here as well."

There was a chorus of "Yes."

"Opposed?"

"Then this is judged to be a righteous execution of judgment and has the full support of this council. We are adjourned for refreshment." The gavel dropped with a loud bang.

All of the council stood and several beckoned saying "Ian, come have some refreshment with us. Come over here."

Ian sipped from the cup that was offered as he was questioned for a quarter of an hour then, mostly about the pirate incident. All of the judges shook his hand and several slapped his back saying "Well done." The chairman then stepped to his place and banged his gavel saying "We'll now consider the report from the Balkans."

Henri nodded toward the door and Ian walked out, relieved. He sat outside patiently. It took about an hour, but finally five judges came out with Henri. Three were wearing sun glasses. They came over to Ian and said that it had been an honor and a pleasure to have met him. One took his new sun glasses from a breast pocket and said "Henri tells me you invented these."

"Yes, sir."

Judge Milliken from Britain said "Well I love them and I know that my wife will too." Then two others said he had relieved the boredom of the assembly, and that they couldn't recall having such a good time doing council business. They all chatted in a most congenial fashion, pressing Ian for more details of the pirate affair. Two had sailing experience and greatly appreciated the craftiness of Captain McCloud in the way he deceived the pirates to get them within range of Elsie's cannon.

A half-hour later Ian and Henri walked out and got into their carriage. They had gotten maybe two blocks from the place when Henri erupted in laughter and slapped his knee repeatedly. "By Heaven Ian, I've never seen the like at a Council meeting. Never! We never come out of those doors. We always exit using the other door. They came out with me so that they could talk more with you."

"Well it was a first for me too, Henri."

"A first?"

"Yes, my neck prickled the whole time I was in there what with nine vampires staring at me."

Henri threw back his head and laughed all the harder. "Ian, this has been one good day for us."

"So it did go well then?"

"Go well? They're ready to give you the key to the city!" He laughed all the harder.

# Chapter 60

Karl had taken Anna, Celeste, and Serge into Vaduz for a sightseeing trip. Some old Roman fortifications were viewed and they ate at a really nice inn where Karl was well known. They all met later at Karl and Elsa's estate.

They spent two more delightful days there at the Von Brandt estate and then departed to return through Zurich. Henri had business there and included Ian on all of that since he was there. After that, Henri said he needed to go to Vienna and then to Turin, Italy. He would return to the Marseille area by ship. They parted company in Zurich and everyone came to Lausanne to stay for a while with Anna at her big country Chalet.

Celeste got to sing while in Lausanne and even got to sing in Geneva. She was added to existing engagements as a prelude to the main show, but quickly gained a following even in just a short while in both cities. She was never paid nor did she ask for payment, so the various opera houses were only too glad to have her as a preliminary to the main production. She did ask though that she be allowed to tell her audience that she was only able to tour and sing because of the support of the Banque de Lafayette and Caryn's Fashions.

All too soon they had to bring her back to Paris. Ian attended a bank conference there and got to spend time with her before leaving. He pressed her aunt Caryn to see about having Celeste do impromptu prelude appearances at various theaters about Paris. She agreed to do that in the understanding that it would please Marie Lafayette.

***

The next three years were a lot like that, what with Ian meeting with Anna at the chateau at times and at Lausanne or Paris at other times. He traveled to Scotland alone and also with Anna, and their reunions were always joyous occasions. She had never mentioned marriage and Ian thought that owing to her social station, she would have been embarrassed to be married to a much younger man so he never pressed her on the issue. He loved her enough to commit to marriage though, should she have indicated the desire for that.

Celeste's popularity grew each year and she was coming to be considered a prodigy. She and Louis began to spend more time together when she would come to the chateau. Ian tried to spend the winter in Switzerland if business would allow it and desired nothing more than to be snowed in with Anna. Serge graduated and was now working for an engineering company in Bern. The maid's brother, Andre remained healthy and never became sick with even a cold in all of this time. He was in robust good health and Anna had paid for his education to recommence. Ian bought both him and Celeste ice skates, having them made at the same boot shop and blacksmith shop.

Celeste finally got to learn to skate while at Lausanne one winter. She was becoming quite a young lady now and was wildly popular in Lausanne, Geneva, Lyon, and was growing in popularity in Paris. Still a prelude act she was not a part of any opera company. The good will generated by her performances caused a noticeable growth in Henri's banking business. People began to establish new accounts there and to do business with them simply because of her.

Ian's personal fortune grew as Henri guided his investments and kept them widely diversified. He still went regularly to Scotland, usually after the spring thaw let him leave Switzerland. If near Paris he always tried to see Celeste and sometimes got to hear her sing a prelude for some production there. People had heard of her in England and as far away as Austria. She was studying English and German in order to be able to sing to audiences in the Bavarian countries and the British Isles.

Li and Sophia were both now helping Henri and Marie manage the many properties they owned around Marseille. The boys had grown tall and were becoming young men. Their education continued under tutors hired by Marie and they were well-rounded indeed for their age. In addition to French, both spoke German, Italian, Spanish and English. Mustafa had long since taught Marie a Moroccan-Arabic tongue. She had in turn taught it to Ian and to Henri.

There had been no incidents requiring raids on vampire covens during this time, which was fine as far as Ian was concerned. It was wintertime now and Ian had once more come to Lausanne to hopefully spend the winter with Anna.

Once again he had bought a small herd of goats for nourishment and kept them at Anna's big chalet. He still used the same ruse of collecting and studying blood samples to disguise his need for blood during the long Swiss winters.

It was a particularly windy day late in the fall of the year. Ian had gone to the barn to draw some blood. He had forgotten his flasks and had decided to just fill his bowl first before going back to the chalet to get them. There are things that happen that profoundly affect lives although they are simple events, seemingly of no importance. This was one such event.

Having just finished filling the bowl he had gotten situated to take a drink from it which he rarely did. Normally he'd fill his four flasks instead. It was a blustery windy day and the wind gusted extremely strong , blowing something against the north side of the barn which made a very loud noise. The goat which he had just bled spooked and jumped. It bumped the bowl of blood just as Ian had it raised to his lips to take a sip. The blood rolled up and covered his face from his nose down to his chin and was running off of him in rivulets.

He turned to grab for something to wipe his face and there standing in the doorway was Anna. He hadn't heard her approach because of the wind. She recoiled from him with a look of utter fear and revulsion. Then the fear passed and she suddenly looked stricken as if something had torn out her heart. She began to weep and to shake her head from side to side like a wounded animal. The sounds coming from her wracked her body and pierced Ian's heart. He rose and reached his hand out to her and she screamed at him "No! No! No! You...you...ghoul! Leave my house at once! Go now! Go now!"

He took a step towards her saying "Anna, I can explain. I'll tell you everything." She backed away from him and slipped and fell on her back. He came forward to help her up and she screamed hysterically, scrambling to her feet with a look of utter terror and turned to run weeping toward the house.

Ian was numb with the realization at what had happened. My God! What have I done? He walked to the water trough and washed his face thoroughly, and then went to the house only to see his rucksack and some of his bags had already been thrown out on to the snow-covered ground. Picking through his belongings, he found his sun glasses, and then he picked up his rucksack and went back into the barn. He filled all four flasks and drank the rest and then rinsed the bowl and put it away in his rucksack. Stowing everything he went to the kitchen door and knocked. He kept knocking until Anna finally came and looked through the window. Backing away he sat down on the ground and gestured to her to open the door. She opened it a crack and he could see the grief in her face and eyes, and that she had been weeping.

"Anna, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"No! You'll leave my house and never come back."

"There are things that you don't know about how..."

"No."

"Ah, Anna lass, don't go through with this thing. Please don't do this."

"I want to hear nothing from you again, Ian. How could you be this...this...monster? How could you deceive Henri, Marie, those boys, Celeste! Your own wife Cosette! Oh Ian, how could you tear out my heart? You will go now and never come back! Do you hear me? Never come back!"

"Anna, please sit and listen to me for just a minute. Please Anna! I love you."

"I have shared a bed with you for these years and you keep this from me? Leave now I say, leave now!"

"Please hear me out, Anna! I love you. Oh please don't do this!"

"You've lied to me for the last time! Leave now, Ian and never return!"

He sat then, hanging his head while shaking it.

"I'll leave now, but you should know something for Serge's safety and for yours and the safety of your staff. Please let me tell you for their sakes!"

"What Ian? Just go!"

"Don't go telling this to anybody for your own sake and for those of your household. I'm not the only one like this in the world. My kind live here in this city. If you tell this, you'll be putting everyone you love in great danger. There are those of my kind who will come and kill anyone who reveals our existence. You must hold your peace on this, Anna. Think of Serge if of no one else. The others will assume that an entire family knows if one single member of a family knows of us. They'll come and kill all of you. Please promise me that you'll hold your peace on this."

"Just go! Your dirty secret is safe. Do you think that I want my friends and associates to know that I've taken a filthy ghoul to my bed these four years? Just go! Get a carriage in the city."

He stood up, his head hanging, and then he looked at her and said "My kind travel faster on foot. I'm so sorry that I've hurt you. It's the last thing I would have wanted to ever happen. I... Anna... I tried to tell you this at the chateau, long ago when you first returned there. I love you. Goodbye."

Swinging his rucksack he shrugged his shoulders into the straps, abandoning the rest of his belongings. He walked away then but heard the sound of running feet. Turning hopefully he saw that it was only Andre running toward him. Stopping, he hugged the boy and spoke to him briefly. Then he bid him goodbye. He stayed walking at human speed until it was dark. Then he took his boots and socks off and stowed them in his rucksack. He began to run then, faster than the wind.

***

Alandra and Celita had gone riding. Celita had seen little change in Alandra following the death of Philippe'. She had barely begun to eat and often didn't even come to the table at all at meal times. She was a little too thin, but she was neat, clean, and well-groomed in her appearance; albeit listless and uninterested in anything outside of Barcelona House and her part time work as a tax consultant. She talked little and when she did, it was usually to Celita.

The Rodriquez family had gone back to Almeria. Roberto Rodriguez was considering selling all of his considerable business interests and retiring from public life.

They had ridden to the market and to the place where Philippe' had died. Alandra just sat on her horse and gazed about the place, her beautiful eyes empty. They had left and walked their mounts along the harbor area. There the two gathered sea shells and just walked, talking little. As the afternoon wore on, they made their way slowly back into the hills to the Vasquez villa. Celita asked if she could stop and see a neighbor and come along a little later. Alandra nodded, lost in thought.

She turned into the driveway and dismounted, leading her mount across a garden area out of sight of the house, taking a short cut to the stables where she allowed her horse to drink until she was done. Then she took the saddle and blanket off and rubbed her horse down and turned her into the pasture, walking up to the servants' entrance of the villa. As she entered and made her way towards the kitchen, she heard her mother and father talking.

"She barely eats anything, Esmeralda."

"Yes, yes, but she'll recover in time, Eduardo. These things take time."

"You know, I could have given her more good news about that young man, you know that Ian McCloud? When I was in Marseille I heard that he'd been found and was being nursed back to health by the young lady who found him. I think that is the lady that he married later."

"Well, it would have made her happier at the time, but then the man did marry that lady, did he not? So eventually she would have been dispirited by that, Eduardo."

"You and I know that if she'd known that he was alive, there is no way that she wouldn't go to him. Had she found him, who knows what might have happened? I did fear her marrying a foreigner and not one of our faith either. I thought it best to keep that from her, Esmeralda. In the light of all that has happened since, now I doubt my actions, even though my motives were for her benefit. She really did begin to care for Philippe' though. I really do think that they could have been very happy together. He was such an exceptionally fine man. His only faults were that he was hot-tempered and impulsive."

"Yes, it was his temper that got him killed in the end from what I know of it."

"That Carlos is a cunning devil! Did you know that I have since talked to the florist Geraldo? His shop is where that happened. That devil called Alandra a whore!" Esmeralda gasped.

"Yes. He said it in a very low voice but the florist and Philippe' were the only ones who heard it. Poor Philippe' never knew that he was being pushed to his death. And the position that his father holds ensures that Carlos will never have to answer for that. The matter is now concluded forever in the eyes of the law. That devil! May he burn in hell for what he's done!"

Alandra walked into the kitchen and said "So, Papa, you knew that Ian was alive and kept that from me? What now, Papa? Will you plan the rest of my life for me? Will you find another suitable husband for me?

"Alandra, your mother and I...."

"No, Papa. You and Mama won't plan my life for me. You'll not choose a husband for me. I won't marry. You can't force me to. I won't be cloistered in a nunnery, there to be told what to do for the rest of my life. I'm grateful for the care and education that you and Mama have given me and I love you both more than I can say, but I'll be managed no more. I'll live here and will work for nothing in the charity that you and Uncle Adolfo started. If you'll allow me to, I'll manage it. You can save money not having to pay a manager. I've been studying tax laws this year on my own. I used your influence to have a copy of the tax laws sent to me in care of Celita It may be that I can help Uncle Adolfo in that part of his business. I won't embarrass you or Mama. But no one will direct my life any more. Everything bad that has happened to me has been due to things out of my control. For the rest of my life, I'll control it. I'll make my own mistakes, Papa. If this isn't acceptable to you I will leave this house today."

# Chapter 61

Ian ran all night until at dawn he realized he was nearing the Mediterranean coast. The vegetation had changed drastically and finally he crossed the road to the sea and saw the Rhone River. He stopped to drink the last flask and soon he was off, knowing that he would be at the chateau in around an hour.

Arriving at the chateau he decided to go to the river to bathe. And while there he caught some fish. Familiar things had a comforting effect, as did the sight of the chateau as he came through the pasture and approached it from the back.

He walked to the kitchen door with twelve fillets ready to bake, left them on the counter for the staff and came into the dining room. Marie was just coming down the stairs and ran to him when she saw him, sensing something wrong. He hugged her and wouldn't let her go.

"What is it, Ian?"

"Ah, Marie; I've really done it now." He related all that had happened at the barn in Lausanne.

"Ian, she is human after all. There's always a chance that they just can't accept us when the cold facts are laid out. You might have been able to avoid this if you had sat down with her at some time, but she might still have had the same reaction. So she'll heed your warning about keeping the subject quiet?"

"Yes. She can't take the chance of exposing what she saw because she'd taken up with me for nearly four years. That and her son's doubtful future should his mother become the object of ridicule will keep her quiet. She thinks that I'm some sort of deviant and knows nothing of vampirism."

"Do you think that she'll want to dissolve our bank partnership?"

"No. She's a banker's wife who has become a banker now herself. She thinks I'm the only one and that I lied to Cosette and everyone else."

"So you took the brunt of this whole thing?"

"Yes. I thought it best to let her think that. Just in case she did talk, it would only be about me."

"Oh, Ian! No wonder you're so crestfallen."

"There's more to tell."

"Let's walk outside."

They walked with arms linked, and Ian told her about using his blood to save the life of the maid's little brother, Andre. Marie gasped and stopped walking when he told her. She faced him and said "I hardly know what to say. You say it cured him of Wasting Disease?"

"Yes. He is the picture of health. He hasn't gotten as much as a sore throat since then."

"Then do you think that our blood is a universal cure for disease?"

"That's my conclusion. I looked at it under that microscope that Henri gave me. I could see my blood doing something to his. I just don't know enough about anything like that to know what I was seeing, but it looked like his blood benefited from mine. I doubt we have to worry about him crossing over. What chance has he of being bitten?"

"You must have been burdened with this, Ian."

"I have. It never hit me until my clumsiness caused all of the trouble yesterday." He stared off into the sky, shaking his head sorrowfully. "Poor Anna! I can't forget the look on her face. I've hurt her badly." They walked in silence for several minutes.

"Oh, by the way, I did have a long talk with Celeste and she now knows that she'll have a choice to make one day as an adult. I didn't share much else with her, but likely she's guessed much more, and I think she'll choose to cross over." The two walked on and Ian caught up on happenings while he had been absent. He felt much better after talking to Marie and once again he realized just how much she meant to him.

The familiarity of coming home was calming, and he loved spending time with the boys. He had tossed them across his shoulders and had run out the back door with them both at one time when they had bragged about how big they were getting.

Trying out Marie's new piano he had gotten good at playing it and liked it better than the harpsichord. He had left his violin in Lausanne, and the very thought of playing a violin now was painful.

Henri had arrived home and had been apprised of all and concurred that Anna wouldn't dissolve their working relationship nor try to expose Ian. He felt sorry that Ian alone had taken the brunt of her hostilities, but agreed that was really the best part of a bad situation.

***

Ian had gone to Paris to see Celeste and to do some business there for Henri. Being as he had to go to Luxembourg he took Celeste along. Sixteen now, she was so very pretty and petite, but becoming a woman more every time he saw her. She still wanted him to take her running so when they were traveling to Luxembourg, he changed carriages and rented one that he could drive. With no driver to be around, she and he could change into their running clothes and go on excursions. She still loved it and was thrilled every time they went. It was their special time together and a thing that no one could share but she and him.

She had felt very bad about the situation with Anna. Ian had told her what had happened, thus revealing a bit more about vampirism without using that word.

While in Luxembourg, Ian saw that there was a special singing presentation happening at the Palace. He inquired and was able to get a special invitation by way of the Lafayette connections. Amazingly the coordinator of the presentation had heard of her and agreed to a single song as a prelude to the show. She sang only one song for them and won the whole audience. Some wept at the beauty of her voice. Afterwards she and Ian got to meet the Grand Duchess Maria Theresa herself.

As they traveled back to France, she would giggle when they spoke of it. Ian told her that she would now be in demand after something like that happening. It turned out to be correct because sure enough it was not two months before she was asked to give a special presentation for the French Royal family. She chose three songs and gave the names of them to the royal orchestra conductor who had been ordered to come to Henri's apartment to interview her. They determined the key she would sing in at that time. The day she sung for the royal family was a commemoration of sorts for Louis XVI. They were spellbound and kept Celeste and Ian at the palace for some time afterward.

Ian sat down with Celeste afterward and said "Celeste, you are maturing and you know that my kind don't age at all."

"Yes."

"You have launched your career and you'll be asked to perform in Austria because of your performance for the Duchess. She is a Habsburg so that is very likely. You may be asked to perform in Spain now because of your success performing for King Louis. King Charles III of Spain is related to Louis, being as both of them are descendants of the house of Bourbon. The royalty of Europe will tend to follow each other in things like current favorites. You are becoming that now, so we can expect for you to be asked to perform for some of the royal families for some time to come."

"Ian, how do you know this?"

"You know that I'm but a simple sailor, but I've been schooled by Henri, Marie, and by Karl Von Brandt. They've educated me on the histories and rivalries of the European rulers, among other things. Let's just say that they should know about these things if anyone does. From now on, you must appear with Aunt Caryn or Marie as chaperone. The monarchies of Europe don't relish scandals that their political foes can exploit. You and I appearing alone will begin to look like a couple, and that will cause talk that will be scandalous and harmful to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes. But we are a couple aren't we?"

"Well, yes, but not a couple such as Anna and I were. And that is how people may see it. You must trust me in this. I'm right. Both Marie and Caryn will confirm this."

"You're right. It will be as you say."

"We can still have our running time, but it may have to be when we're all at the chateau. I suspect that soon enough you'll tire of that."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and said "Ian, I'll never tire of anything I do with you, ever. There's nothing that you can reveal about yourself that will disgust me either."

"You have no idea just how much that means to me, Celeste." he said as he kissed her forehead.

# Chapter 62

Alandra took her seat in the court behind the barrister who had hired her. As she waited to be consulted, she thought back at how she acquired an interest in tax laws after hearing some vendors and traders complaining about their losses due to the big storm just a few years ago. That had prompted her to send away for a copy of pertinent tax laws for that subject. One thing led to another, and with her family recognition she now was consulted from time to time by barristers who would pay her for her expertise.

Now she would attend court when a tax case was heard and wait until asked about salient points of tax law concerning the client seeking a favorable ruling. She wasn't allowed to speak in the court, but must lean forward and whisper her comments and points of law to the barrister who would then speak them aloud to the three judges. She always brought her own copy of the laws of taxation of Spain and always knew exactly where to look for any clarification needed. By now, she'd begun to get a local reputation and it was not unusual to see her in a courtroom in her capacity of tax advisor to the barrister who had hired her. He was no fool and paid her well for her services, as did another one later after she had gained some notoriety.

She was still busy running Barcelona House for children's medical care. It was common now for her to receive more favorable treatment for everything to do with supplies and needed work. After all, one never knew when the services of an expert in tax law would come in handy.

She always dressed somberly, formally corseted, wearing black as if attending a funeral and always wore her hair in a tight bun in deference to the somber and formal atmosphere of any court proceeding. The three judges of the Barcelona area had a great deal of respect for her even if they kept it to themselves. On the rare occasion that she would happen to see one of them in public, they would always stop and doff their hat as if she were some grand lady of Madrid, and she would always curtsy properly. One would take her for a pretty lady in her late twenties instead of a girl nearing her twenty-second birthday.

Her life had meaning and purpose and for the first time ever, she felt like she had control of her destiny. She was content and her parents were at least happy to see her contentment and that her apparent sorrow had finally passed.

Suitors had approached her father, but he had said that he would neither help nor hinder anyone, or any family desiring to have his daughter as a wife for their son. Not caring if it ended up costing him his position as ambassador to France, he didn't ever want to do even one more thing to cause her resentment. He was pleased at what she was doing and that no one in Barcelona had a bad thing to say about her. They concluded that they were happy with this type of life if their daughter was.

***

Ian and Celeste returned to Paris. Knowing that Caryn would be busy working he stayed with her the whole day. He had come to the conclusion that he would always try to see to it that she was insulated from most public contact when not performing. Marie would agree and who knew better than she?

They had gone to this shop and that shop, never spending extravagantly because that was not her nature. Later in the day when he was sure that Caryn wouldn't be so busy, he and Celeste went there to her place of business. As they were entering he met a tall lady with an extremely broad-brimmed hat and long gloves who was carrying a large parasol. He felt the prickly sensation and he noticed that she was wearing a pair of the ivory sun glasses which Henri had made at his facility in Dijon. Inadvertently he'd given birth to an idea which would become the must-have item of the century for vampires; a thought which humored Ian no end

He had just taken his own sun glasses off and was walking into the receiving area when he and Celeste almost literally bumped into Alyssa. He recognized her immediately and stopped dead still in vampire fashion.

She said "Oh! Pardon Monsieur! Pardon Mademoiselle! I'm so clumsy. Oh, Celeste, it's you." Then she looked up at Ian the second time and her pretty eyes widened as she smiled in surprise. "Adam! Oh Adam, it is you isn't it?"

Ian smiled and replied "It is, Alyssa. You're looking well. I've heard many good things about your fashions. It seems that you've become very popular."

Celeste said "Alyssa, this is Ian, not Adam."

Alyssa looked at Ian questioningly. Ian turned to Celeste and said "You're both correct. I took the name Adam after I broke that man's arm in Marseille. Marie thought that I might be hauled into court over that, so she was afraid to tell anyone my real name at the time. He thought a lie, but a harmless one that ought to work.

Alyssa said "What is your real name?"

"Ian McCloud, Mademoiselle Alyssa, at your service. Enchante." He took her hand and kissed the back of it as any well-bred gentleman would do.

Alyssa blushed and curtsied and then replied "McCloud? I read about you somewhere. It will come to me...yes...you are the pirate fighter then; that's it!"

"Guilty, Mademoiselle."

Celeste chimed in then "He fought a big bully who was beating a boy at a tavern in Marseille and broke his arm." Here she proudly looked up and Ian and wrapped her arm through his. He looked at her and said "Celeste, you're stirring up things here. I think you should go and see if your aunt has finished that new gown for you. Now run along in there, and I'll join you in a minute."

"All right Ian." She gave him a peck on the cheek and said "Good bye, Alyssa." as she skipped into the offices of her aunt.

"So you were the one who fought the pirates and returned the Ambassador's daughter."

"Well, I and my shipmates did, yes. Actually my uncle returned the Ambassador's daughter."

"I didn't think of you as a sailor. It's been several years since we've seen each other, Adam.... I mean Ian."

"Well, you've certainly made your mark. Congratulations on your success. I have no doubt but that you deserve your recognition. I'm really glad to see you again. I had nearly forgotten just how pretty you are."

She blushed fetchingly and continued "Thank you Ian, but look at you! I would have taken you for a banker." At this Ian tipped back his head and laughed heartily. Alyssa smiled questioningly.

"It may be that you should work for the King's Gendarmes as an inspector, Alyssa. I am a banker, or at least trying to be one. Henri Lafayette has made me a senior officer in all of his banking and trade endeavors."

"Then you and Celeste Rochelle.......?" She tailed off leaving that hanging.

"Oh. Celeste? I'm a close friend only. She's only sixteen years old. She is as a daughter to me. Did you know that she sang for both King Louis himself and the Duchess of Luxembourg?

"Really? She's so young! You know, she is known hereabouts as the French Nightingale."

About then Celeste came back excitedly, saying "Oh Ian, the gown is so beautiful. Come see!"

"I'll be right there, Celeste."

"Oh, come now, please!"

"I promise that I won't leave this place until I see it."

"Oh, Ian......"

At this point Ian held up both hands palms down, laughing and making a shooing motion said "Shoo, Celeste. I'll be along. Shoo now."

Alyssa's face changed suddenly in shock and recognition. She gasped and took two steps back, dropping her packages and covering her mouth with both hands. The color drained from her face. Ian looked at her with a puzzled look as Celeste stood there wondering what she might have done. Then Ian remembered that he had made that exact same gesture when he had brought Alyssa home from the vampires' house. He thought Damn it Ian, you fool!

"Ah, Alyssa; I... I'm so sorry. I never meant harm or to frighten you. Please forgive me. I did it for your own safety."

"Y...Y... You saved...saved...my life! It was you, Adam...Ian! It was you!"

Celeste stepped forward to face Alyssa and lowering her voice said "Ian saved me from them too, Alyssa. I'd be dead but for him, and I'm guessing that you would too."

"But who... how... I don't understand, Ian! No one can run that fast, or fight that fast. Or.... or.... How... how can that be?"

Celeste said "I'll tell aunt Caryn that we'll meet her at home." She turned and ran back toward the offices of her aunt. Alyssa stood there staring at him while Ian bent and picked up her packages.

Celeste returned as Ian stood up with the packages saying "We three should go sit in the park down the street." He held the door open and the two went out. They walked then, arms linked with Ian on one side and Celeste on the other. For her part, Alyssa mostly stared at Ian with her mouth hanging open. They sat down on a park bench a few minutes later, Ian and Celeste still flanking Alyssa.

"What would you like to know, Alyssa?"

"Everything, Ian."

Ian tipped back his head and laughed while Celeste laughed with him. Alyssa looked bewildered. "Ah, lass. Where to begin? Here's what I'll do. Celeste knows that it's a matter of life or death to keep quiet about the existence of my kind."

"Your kind, Ian?"

"Yes, my kind. There are those of us who would kill you and Celeste with no hesitation if they knew that you were aware that we exist. Simply knowing about us is dangerous beyond anything you can imagine. I can't stress that enough. I... look Alyssa, whoever you tell about this is in danger of being killed. I'm not exaggerating."

Celeste said "He isn't exaggerating, Alyssa. He saved my life and killed two of them."

"Well, he killed six of them to save me. And how did you shoot them so fast with two pistols at once and then again with two pistols at once? I couldn't see... couldn't see your hands move, it was so fast."

Giddy now with the realization that her good friend knew about Ian and the prospect that she would have someone to talk to about him now, Celeste said "Oh! Lucky you! I would have loved to have seen that!"

"Celeste, you're supposed to be helping here!"

Celeste lowered her voice and leaned close. "He's good at killing them, Alyssa."

"And that running through the dark. The speed! And.... and... the jumping! My God the leaping!"

Celeste giggled. "Ian takes me along on his back and it is sooo fun!"

"Celeste! What am I to do with you? This is how you help?" She giggled and Alyssa started to laugh too. Ian sat shaking his head and then he stood and stepped away from them both and looked down at them with an icy stare, his eyes glowing angrily. They cowed immediately, having never seen this look upon his face and never ever having seen eyes like that! Their laughter choked and died in their throats. Alyssa thought My God; he's looking right through me!

In a low, flat, cold no-nonsense voice he said "You both know enough to be killed now. How many times must I say that? You act as if you just saw some cheap parlor trick instead of what you've both seen! For shame, both of you!"

Celeste sat briefly, and then tears brimmed in her eyes. She stood and wrapped her arms around his waist and tearfully laid her head on his chest. "Please don't be angry with me. I can't bear that." Alyssa stood too and hugged him saying "I'm sorry too, Ian. Please forgive me too."

He relented then, saying "Very well. Please now, no tears. Oh girls! Now, now...no crying, please. Please girls! Let's sit here a bit and I'll tell you... mmm... enough for now. And that is all, do you understand?"

In unison both of them contritely said "Yes."

"Very well, you'll be told more later on. To begin with, I'm not human, although I was once. I was infected and one of them saved my life."

"Cosette, Ian?"

"Yes, Cosette." Ian heard Alyssa draw in a sharp breath.

Alyssa said "And Caryn?"

He looked somberly at each of them and said "She doesn't know about us, nor does she need to."

He looked at Alyssa and then softened his expression and said "I fell in love with Cosette and we were married, Alyssa. She was killed trying to save a child. Some of the others of our kind were involved. I've since killed them all. The last one was that one at Mauritarius' house who had a wooden foot. I cut his foot off the night Cosette died. Later I saw him and followed him to that house. That's how I found you. I didn't know it would be you, but I knew that they were bringing someone to that house soon to be brought over or killed." His eyes took on the icy look once again and even began to glow a bit as his hatred of them came to the surface.

"Brought over?"

Ian took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes. There is a process to properly do that. It's not to be taken lightly. It's very painful and permanent. And there are important things lost as well as some unique things gained. For one thing, if you choose to live among humans, you'll have to live a lie every day you're with them. Cosette and I lied to every human friend and I lie to my own family in Scotland, just as I lied to you, Alyssa. It's the price we pay to keep our human friends and loved ones safe."

Alyssa nodded, looking to Ian and then to Celeste who nodded in agreement.

Ian continued "Some of our kind don't associate with humans at all. Some don't like always pretending to be human. Some of our kind will kill humans for no reason. Those are the kind that I kill, and I've killed more than my share of them." At this he stopped and fastened his icy stare on them both. Alyssa and Celeste both shrank inwardly as Alyssa thought I'm sure of that!

His unique eyes softened then as he continued "I didn't choose to be this way. It happened to me because I defended a young boy from a bully. He had a friend among the others who attacked me later that night. That is as much, no, more than you need know for now."

"But there were six of them. Did you know that?"

"Yes. I spied on them the night before it happened. No matter, I wasn't going to let that happen to anyone. I didn't know it was you until I entered that room, Alyssa."

"But that mask, you looked like.... like.... an apparition."

"I did that in case one escaped so that he wouldn't recognize me some day somewhere. I also didn't want the human there to see my face."

Alyssa put both arms around his neck and kissed him then, saying "I owe you my life, Cheri."

Returning her kiss affectionately he pulled back with a bright smile and said "What you both owe me is to honor what you've promised me. God, I couldn't bear it if either of you were killed because of knowing about me! Just please keep your promise. Is that clear?"

Both nodded and said "Yes."

"Good." He stood then and gave both of them another big smile, his eyes now merry, a sparkling turquoise blue. Then he said "Now let's go and see that gown your aunt has made for you, little one. And later we'll dine at whatever place you two choose. Did I forget to tell you that we others have very good hearing? I've heard both of your stomachs growling for over a half hour now."

Both Alyssa and Celeste looked at each other wide-eyed and then burst out giggling like two little girls.

# Chapter 63

The young man thanked the carriage driver after paying him. He took his two bags and began to walk up the winding driveway toward the Villa overlooking the city of Barcelona. Walking to the servant's entrance he knocked and a servant answered. He asked for Celita.

"She is at Barcelona House with Alandra, senor. They will return later this evening."

"Can you tell me how to find that place, please, senora?"

The servant said yes, and gave the man directions.

Alandra had just arrived from being at court that day. She had changed from her black dress and hat into pantaloons and a long-sleeved blouse and riding boots. Inspecting a repair of the front staircase, she was going to look for a broom to clean up after the workers. She turned around to see a man silhouetted in the doorway, his tri-corner hat in hand.

"May I help you?"

"Senorita Vasquez?"

"Yes."

"I'm not sure you remember me. I'm Tom McBride. We sailed together on Elsie's Cloud and on Tico."

***

Ian, Caryn, and Alyssa sat in the very front row in the center. Ian had noticed several times that he felt the prickly feeling very briefly. So I'm still not the only vampire in Paris who goes to the opera. The buzz of conversation quieted as the curtain rose. Standing in a stark white formal gown was Celeste. She was poised and smiling radiantly. The applause rose to a crescendo as the conductor turned and introduced her as The French Nightingale. She gave a brief talk, describing her life as an orphaned child taken in by Marie Lafayette's institution. She told the audience that her gowns were all made by Caryn's Fashions and reminded them that she was supported by Banque de Lafayette.

After a stellar performance the audience demanded an encore song which she agreed to.

At the end she bowed her head and stood humbly while the audience showered praise on her and flowers were strewn on the stage by those close enough to throw them. Ian and Alyssa stood applauding with the rest of them, radiant smiles on both of their faces. She raised her head then and blew them a kiss again. This was unheard of behavior at that time, and the audience was in love with it. Each seemed to think she was blowing a kiss to them. They were captivated by her style as well as her technique.

Afterward, Ian and Alyssa met her backstage. She was excited and animated. Running to Ian she threw herself into his arms laughing for joy. He hugged her to himself and picking her up, he whirled around while holding her, then set her down, both of them laughing. "That was wonderful, Celeste, just wonderful!" Alyssa praised her too, flushed in excitement herself, as they embraced and exchanged kisses.

They went out to dine and celebrate Celeste's success and popularity then, and Ian asked Caryn to think about allowing Celeste to come to Britain with Marie, Henri, and him. He also asked if Alyssa could get away long enough to accompany them. Caryn started to protest Alyssa's leaving, but when she saw how happy she was to be included she relented. "You've worked very hard Alyssa, and you deserve to have some time off. We'll make do while you're gone."

Turning to Ian she said "I'm selling these new sun glasses to more people than I thought possible. I've been surprised by that." Ian laughed while thinking maybe you are, but as many vampires as there are in Paris, I'm not surprised at all.

The next day, a bank courier brought a note to Ian from his old shipmate, Lorn. He was coming to France and was on the way now. He had sold everything and was going to go to Marseille and marry his girlfriend from the Blue Oyster inn. She'd given birth to a son by him and he was going to try to make a go of it with her.

This was news to Ian and he resolved to help them as much as possible. He would request Marie and Henri to investigate to see if LeBlanc's estate would sell the Red Dolphin. Suspecting that it might not bring a very good price, he thought it would be a place that the new couple could operate and make a good living. He thought to make it a wedding gift to them so he sent a reply via the bank's courier that Lorn could come to the chateau or that Ian would stop by the Blue Oyster. He gave no certain date because they were going to England.

***

They met Henri and Marie in two more days and departed for Calais the day after. Some five days later they sailed for Dover on a large packet. Ian was amused to hear Celeste launch into a narrative to Alyssa about the great chalk cliffs since she had only seen them for her first time not that long ago. They disembarked in Dover and then took another packet south to London the next day. They were staying in a large place nearer to the northern limits of London proper. It was the home of an Adept vampire friend of Robert Milliken, the Judge of the Supreme Council for the territory of Britain, Scotland, and Ireland. The owner was gone and often lived in the southern Netherlands and northern France as well. After hearing of them coming to Britain via courier, Robert had summoned the staff to prepare the place for a short occupancy.

Ian went to see Sir Haversham, a cousin of his Uncle Angus who had paid for Ian to receive swordsmanship instruction some six years earlier. He was asked to give an account of the pirate affair in the Mediterranean involving the ambassador's daughter. Haversham was keen on learning if the oversized rudder he had recommended had worked and was most keen on learning at how well the bow-rudders had worked. He was delighted to hear how they had been able to turn so fast on the smaller pirate craft and to successfully lay down a full broadside fire against them. Regretfully he couldn't visit them while they were there, but he also arranged to have them meet with the head of the royal symphony orchestra the next day.

The next day they met with the head of the royal symphony and introduced him to Celeste. The upshot of it was that he determined that she could sing two numbers for the Royal Family in a week, and was enthusiastic about her performing.

They left him to tour London for the rest of that day. Marie liked that the sunlight was not as harsh as it was in Southern France on the Mediterranean. Ian had felt six prickly sensations during the day and concluded that it was likely that there were as many vampires in London as there were in Paris. He knew that he had been asked by no fewer than six Adepts within that week about his sun glasses.

***

Assistant deputy to the chief of King's Gendarmes Claude Rousseau surveyed his new office in Paris. It was easily three times bigger than the office he had as head of the Marseille King's Gendarmerie. He had a large window with a nice view of the Seine and could see Notre Dame Cathedral. Louise and he had just moved into a nice home not a mile from his office in a very nice district, near to where some embassies were. Louise was expecting a child soon, their second, and he hoped for a boy this time. Every year a congratulations letter with some money came to them near the time of their wedding anniversary and each member of the family received a birthday gift a bit before their birthday each year as well. He had no doubt that when their baby was born, he would start to receive a gift for him or her as well every year. By now, he had gotten used to it.

He had a driver who picked him up each day and took him home each evening. The driver had been assigned by the Chief of the Ministry of King's Gendarmerie himself. Rousseau didn't know it, but that driver was a former orphan who had grown up in the Angels' Care orphanage near Paris. He'd been selected by Henri Lafayette and had been groomed for such a position several years before he got the job. He reported to a man whose name he didn't know, and his reports consisted mostly of where Assistant Deputy Inspector Rousseau went and with whom. The extra pay for doing that on top of his salary was a welcome source of revenue. He was more than happy to have the extra income for such a simple task, and considered himself to be fortunate to have a stable job with extra income.

He could even do a bit of extra work on Sundays and holidays taking wealthy people from place to place on those days. He had saved his extra money and had bought a single horse carriage and his own horse. He leased his rig out for five days a week and then used it himself on Sundays for extra income. The only thing he had to remember is that he never could reveal that he had been raised at Angels' Care or that he reported the whereabouts, travels and companions of Monsieur Claude Rousseau.

The man whom he reported to was from the Angels' Care orphanage in Strasbourg. He too was never allowed to reveal where he was raised, and he always had to use an assumed name when with any of the nine men whom he took reports from each month. His job was one that he really liked. It involved traveling, but was easy. He only had to take the reports from eight other men like this driver who he was now finished with. He was assistant manager of production of toothbrushes and sun glasses at the Lafayette facility in Dijon, and he made his monthly trip to Paris to collect the reports from the nine men like this carriage driver. The reports had to be taken to Banque de Lafayette and given to one who worked in the rear of the bank in a room that was always locked. It was the nerve center of the Lafayette's communication system. The reports were put in a specific pouch to deliver via a bank courier. The assistant manager was paid extra for this easy assignment and he didn't mind at all dallying at the apartment of a certain young prostitute while he was away from his wife and family on his monthly trip. He had a standing appointment and thought that no one knew about it. Thinking himself clever, he never knew that he would never rise above his current position at Dijon because of his wandering eye. He thought life was good, and to him it was.

But his dalliance was known to another who had dutifully relayed it along to another. It became known to Henri and Marie finally. He would never run the newer ceramics business that Henri had bought near Versailles not too long ago. He would never make near the money in his lifetime as he could have had he only been faithful to his wife. The Lafayette's reasoned that if his own wife couldn't trust him out of her sight then they couldn't either. He would never know that.

# Chapter 64

The day of the performance arrived and Celeste was at the palace early as was requested, along with the entire group. She dressed for the performance and then just spent time with Marie at their spacious guest quarters.

Before the performance the wife of King George III, Charlotte of Mecklenburg, came to see them and visited for a while with Celeste and the rest of them. She remembered the name of McCloud from somewhere and asked him who he was. The whole pirate story again had to be told. She hung on every word of it and said she would relay it all to her husband the King. Ian fervently hoped he wouldn't have to tell it again. Alyssa got to talk to her for a bit and was able to communicate fairly well since Celeste had been teaching her some English for years. For her part, Queen Charlotte was a charming host.

When the time came for the performance they were all ushered by uniformed royal staff to the central hall where all such things were held. They took their places and waited for the Royal couple to arrive. When they entered, all stood while they took their seats, being raised thrones side-by-side. All then sat down and the conductor bowed to the couple and they signed for him to proceed. Celeste was introduced as the Swiss Nightingale. She sang 'God Save the King' to begin with and then concluded with a heart-stopping French song. She was stupendous and the King himself stood to lead the applause for her. Even though the British were more staid as audiences go, nonetheless there were a fair number of them in tears while she was singing.

She was summoned to the throne by the King himself and shortly the entire entourage was also summoned to approach. They visited with the royal couple for several minutes during which time Queen Charlotte whispered to the King and he extracted a promise from Ian to tell him all about the pirate incident.

The King then signed for the concert to continue so they returned to their places. Ian was amused and thought three vampires were standing a scant few feet from the British Royal family this day. History was made. Then again though, this may not be the first time vampires have been near the British Royal Family after all. I'll ask Henri about that.

After the performance was over, the King did call them over again and he still wanted to know more about the pirate battle so Ian told him a condensed version. He gave credit for Sir Haversham's suggestion for the oversized rudder he'd suggested for Elsie's Cloud before she was built.

They were all favorably received by the Royal Couple and that made impressions on those who were always at the court. The trip was a success for both the British banking effort and for Celeste who was now considered to be an international prodigy.

An unexpected thing happened when Henri and Ian went to meet the two London bankers. The junior partner of Edwards & Milliken was none other than the vampire Supreme Council judge Robert Milliken. He winked at Ian as they shook hands while pretending to be meeting each other for the first time ever. The bank partnership with draft honoring and fee sharing was as good as done. Lafayette had expanded successfully into England, albeit not one of the larger banks, but a noted one nonetheless. Ian shook his head afterward and said "Henri, you could have at least told me before we met them". Henri had laughed and said "Now Ian, what would be the fun in that?"

Before they departed, Alyssa received four requests for private showings and fittings for the more daring of the ladies of the court who would want to come to Paris later for some new wardrobe items. Alyssa was thrilled beyond her ability to express it. She had thought of herself as just tagging along until then. All returned to Paris and celebrated their success.

That night, Alyssa had asked Ian to come home with her to her apartment. It was not very big, but just big enough for Alyssa and had a place with good light for her to design. It was as much of a design shop as an apartment.

She and Ian made love that night. It was sweet and intense. She had really had little male companionship since arriving in Paris and Ian had had no female companionship since Anna had driven him away. She awoke during the night and they made love again twice.

During breakfast, Alyssa confessed that she was so grateful for being asked along on the trip and concluded that it was the experience of a lifetime. Ian stayed at her place for the rest of that week and into the next one until they all departed for the chateau. He promised to come and see her the next time he was in Paris. She was invited to the chateau and promised to get time to visit there.

Before leaving, Ian lay with her the last night and said "Alyssa, you can choose to cross over whenever you want. Henri and Marie are in agreement about this. You're old enough now and it's your choice. Celeste must wait a few more years. You should know that you'll never bear a child if you become one of us, and you'll never walk uncovered in sunlight. Only you and Celeste have this open invitation to become one of us."

"I... I'm honored, really."

"It would be best done at the chateau near Marseille. I'd be there to go through it with you until you've completed the process." Here he took her hand and kissed it tenderly. Then he concluded "I'll never press you on this issue, nor will I make mention of it again. You only have to tell one of us when you're ready. I love you, and I'll still love you either way." He kissed her tenderly then, and gently kissed both of her eyes. Neither Alyssa nor Ian knew that she was at a pivotal place in her life at that moment, but she would recall it all too well later.

"Ian?"

"Mmmm?"

"I've wanted to ask you about this...um....thing..." Here she paused to laugh as she blushed a bit. "You have so much...stamina regarding love making. Is it...is it something that has to do with your...change? With your crossing over?"

Laughing softly he nodded his head. "Yes. I have more stamina that way than before."

"Oh, I believe that all right! she exclaimed with a giddy laugh. "Mon Dieu! Do I ever!"

Ian laughed softly as she continued running her hand up and down his hairy torso slowly as they talked. Leaning in close and nibbling at his ear she peppered his neck with kisses, ending with a passionate kiss on his lips. She then nuzzled his neck and after kissing his ear, she whispered "If I cross over, will you bite me then, love?"

Laughing again he said "I'm no biter, but I've been known to nibble a bit." He allowed his eyes to glow a bit, a slight pulsating glow, and then he nibbled lightly at one of her ears as he nuzzled her neck. She laughed delightedly and squirmed a bit, then she said "Mmmmm...show me how you feel again, cheri." Chuckling softly, he took her in his arms and did just that.

***

Ian stopped at the Blue Oyster as soon as they all got to Marseille. He told the others that he would be along later on after learning that Lorn and Corinne were now married and worked at the inn. They were happy and in love. Lorn's first wife in Scotland had died in childbirth years earlier and he had no family remaining who were alive.

Ian had them to sit down at a table there and he presented a piece of paper to Lorn that was the deed to the Red Dolphin. The two were speechless. Corinne covered her mouth and cried tears of joy. She got up from her chair and came around to Ian to hug and kiss him.

After thanking him, Lorn told Ian that Tom McBride had gone to Barcelona to marry Celita. Ian was shocked. He hadn't heard the name nor had he even thought of Celita or even of Alandra for so long. Pondering this development he sat silent for a while; so much so that the couple asked him if anything was wrong. He smiled and reassured them that it wasn't and parted from them with the reminder that the chateau was open to them to come any time. Innkeepers didn't ever get invited to the home of the Lafayettes, so they felt privileged. After leaving he opened a line of credit via a draft at the Banque de Lafayette Marseille so that they could start remodeling as soon as possible.

# Chapter 65

The chateau had filled somewhat later that year. Celeste and Alyssa came to visit and Ian was there. Alyssa gave him a passionate kiss which he gladly returned. They all got to do the usual things such as fishing, swimming, and horseback riding. Marie sang the song 'Aloutte' to call the horses in from their pasture. This delighted Alyssa, having never seen Marie's playful side. Marie said "See Alyssa, Celeste isn't the only one in our family who can sing."

Henri replied "Yes, but Celeste sings to Kings and you sing to horses." Everyone including Marie laughed long and loud at that.

Again Alyssa thought what marvelous people. No wonder Celeste loves to come here so much! She noticed that Celeste was thought of as family to the Lafayettes, and secretly hoped that she could earn that distinction. Ian and she stayed at his home near the chateau. They made love as often as they could get away from the others which was not often, but they had a nightly date that they kept nonetheless, and Alyssa got little sleep. Ian excused himself from her to take Celeste running three different times. She had made him promise to do so and held him to it, enjoying it as much as ever.

Alyssa prevailed upon him to take her running as he had Celeste. So one morning they did so, leaving from Ian's house. It was breathtaking beyond her expectations. He showed her how he hand-fished and they had roast fish for lunch. Using his knife he dug up some wild onions, washing and mincing them in tiny pieces, his knife flashing so rapidly that Alyssa couldn't even see it moving. She enjoyed the simplicity of it all.

Ian never fed nor hunted nor refreshed himself in her or Celeste's presence. After they had made love beside the stream, he held her and said "Alyssa, I'm so glad that you came here. I can't tell you how much I love it that I don't have to conceal things from you. I've not had that since I was with Cosette and I've missed it so very much." Alyssa was just happy to be there with him and snuggled contentedly in his arms, kissing one of his hands, as they lay talking of different events in their lives.

Ian's old shipmate Lorn Barnes and his new wife came out for three days and got the grand tour of the home and grounds. It was like a luxury vacation for the couple, and Ian was happy that the Lafayettes treated them so well. Alyssa and the others bonded well with them and Lorn got to catch up on Li's life since he had settled in Marseille when Ian had. The two were thrilled with their time there and every evening they got to hear Celeste perform for them in several languages.

Alyssa thought that Henri and Marie, as well as Li and Sophia were ideal couples. She tried to imagine how it was when Cosette was alive. Drawn to this group of people, she could see why they considered themselves a family. All too soon she had to return to Paris. For the first time, she began to regret her decision to live there. Her life had been good, but it was all filled with her work. She had seen something special while traveling to England and in visiting the chateau she had come to realize it. Her life wasn't all that she wanted it to be. Ian promised to look in on her the next time he was in Paris. After she departed, she pondered his open invitation to join the Lafayettes as one of 'the others' and wondered if she shouldn't have just set everything aside and done it while at the chateau. As it turned out this wasn't the last time she would ponder this.

As her carriage drove out of sight Ian stared at the last place he could see it even after it disappeared thinking her work is truly everything to her after all. I suppose I waited too late to ask her to join us. I wonder if I should have asked her to marry me. Could I expect her to make me the center of her life after she's had such success on her own? I love her, but wouldn't I be putting an unfair burden on her by proposing marriage now? He sighed deeply and returned to the Chateau to rejoin the others who had already gone inside.

As her carriage rocked along the road to Arles, Alyssa turned over the recent events in her mind. Then she thought back to their last night in Paris, and about her asking Ian about his love making stamina. She sat bolt upright suddenly as something occurred to her.

He always had that stamina, even from the first night we made love when we first met years ago. So hadn't he already crossed over by the time we first met? Did he tell me everything about that, or did he hold something back? God, I love him so! But I do wonder about that part of his story. Still, how can I ask him about that? How can I ask any of them about it really?

She sighed deeply, staring out the window at the French countryside but not seeing it as her carriage traveled along.

Henri came to Ian later that day with some disturbing news. It was suspected that there was a serious rogue vampire problem in Vienna, Austria. Most of the assets of the Supreme Council were occupied with still another problem in the Balkans. He had been asked if he could persuade Ian to help with the problem. People were missing around Vienna and Judge Wilhelm Hoffmeister had determined that it was vampire related. If Ian accepted, he would be put in charge of the whole thing.

"It is an honor, Ian. I suppose it's one that most of us could do without though. You are to get whatever you need to do the job."

"Sounds like they're really worried."

"Vienna has been a center of culture since the renaissance period. News from Vienna travels all over Europe. The situation is more serious than the Balkans given that Vienna by contrast is not a place of violence. That raises questions in the minds of those who hear of the missing people. In the Balkans, such a thing wouldn't be as significant since it is a more volatile area."

"Whose territory is Austria?"

"Wilhelm Hoffmeister."

"Hoffmeister? I like him. He invited me to come and visit his home in Vienna. He wanted me to show him some techniques with firearms."

"He thinks highly of you, Ian. I count him as one of my most valued colleagues."

"That's good enough for me. What about the Inquisitor, Moreau?"

"No one knows right now."

"Do you think he's involved?"

"He may be, but I can't understand why."

"Well, you did find his name in Francoises' journal. He was involved with that one. Money?"

"He's been known to gamble. It could be that simple. I would have thought though that he would just kill his creditor. There has to be something to that which we don't see." Suddenly he looked at Ian and said "You know, I own a gambling establishment near Nice. I wonder if he fell into debt while gambling there."

"That makes sense. In any event, if we do this I want Hoffmeister to take part in it also."

"He'll come. I'll talk to Marie about staying home. You know how she is if children are involved. A Council judge has never been brought in on one of these things in recent memory excepting for me."

"This is an unusual situation, and we're the ones doing a favor for them after all. If something goes amiss, I want at least to know that the Council judge for that area was in on it from the beginning. I don't want for this to go bad and then for the council to have a sour taste in their mouths due to my actions. That can have a lasting bad effect for you and Marie. We'll tell him that he is to find several good fighters from Austria or nearby. They can't be from the Vienna area though. Who knows but what one of them might be involved?"

"Good point."

In the kitchen, Marie spoke to Sophia. "We're all going to Austria very soon. We're likely going to raid a vampire coven there which has been kidnapping people. Ian was asked to put a team together to take care of the situation."

"So I'm going too?"

"Yes; you were left in Paris for some nine days the last time we had to do this. You'll recall that you were still human then."

'Yes. I'm glad that you think enough of me to include me. I'm ready for this. It's what we trained for, isn't it?

"It is, and you'll do well. I'm well pleased with your becoming one of us. You've adapted well and you fit in with us well too. We're lucky to have you."

"Marie, that is so important to me." She stepped to Marie and hugged her warmly. "I've felt it, but it's good to hear you say it. Is there anything that I can do before we leave?"

"Yes. We should make up four fighting suits, similar to the one Ian made. You can help me make them. We'll also make up a few extra hoods for whoever helps us over there. It isn't like we can take plans to Picard the tailor for something like this, is it?"

Sophia threw back her head and laughed heartily, shaking back her wavy black hair as Marie laughed with her. In seconds then she giggled and said "Can't you just see old Picard's face if you asked him to make up those outfits?" Then she did her best imitation of his whining nasal accent saying "What did you say these suits are for, Madam Lafayette?" The two than laughed raucously, prompting the men to come to the kitchen, which made them just look at each other then and laugh all the louder as the men stood staring at the two.

***

"What have you idiots done here? Do you not know better than to take local merchants and such people? You should have only taken peasants from the countryside. This is the kind of thing that will bring trouble that you don't want. What do you expect me to do for you now?"

"We don't know, Herr Moreau. We hoped that you could invent an explanation for this. We have three young vampires who don't take direction well at all. We'll pay well, as you saw by the retainer we paid you. We got the young girls you wanted too."

"I no longer need them. The one who wanted them is dead. Getting back to this thing, the authorities are involved, so I'll have to persuade them with a believable lie. I'll think of something. You're making more trouble for me than you're worth. Your coven has more money than brains! If not for my younger brother, I'd have nothing to do with the lot of you."

# Chapter 66

The five of them departed on foot. It was entirely too slow to go to Vienna via conventional human transportation using horse-drawn carriages. They got there in five days easy running, going cross country just south of the Italian Alps. Maria being the slowest was the pace setter. They sometimes would stay out of the sun if necessary in the valleys for short spells. The mountain weather was cloudy at this time, so they didn't have to do that too much but they made better time by night.

After arriving, they waited at a large home three miles outside of Vienna which was property of the Council judge for the area of Austria, Wilhelm Hoffmeister. Henri and Marie had visited the place twice previously as his guests.

Marie came up with an idea to sling two pistols under their arms and that way only three would be in their belt sash. She and Sophia had completed five of those dual under arm holsters and had made them before they had departed. They were custom made for each of the team. The two had also made short sword slings for each to keep a short sword hanging down their backs between their shoulder-blades. They copied Ian's and took time to alter them until they fit perfectly.

Now in Vienna, they all practiced drawing and cocking the unloaded pistols from their waist band sash as well as from their under-arm holsters. They had gotten very used to them and all could have pistols out in a flash after only one afternoon of practice. They also went out by twos to roam the city at night in the hopes of getting a lead on their targets.

Nothing of any consequence was seen after two days of looking. Henri thought that they should split up into four groups to just look around until the Council judge and his men would arrive. If nothing else, they would learn the lay of the land, including roads and landmarks. Ian, Henri, and Li separated while Marie and Sophia stayed together.

Council judge Hoffmeister arrived the fifth day. Henri told him what was needed and he departed to get help. He thought he could get two on short notice who weren't from that area and return in three days. There had been no further reports of citizens missing in the area.

Three days later while in town, Ian felt a prickling at the base of his neck. It was only brief and he had had several others since arriving. He casually scanned everywhere and his gaze passed over a tall husky man wearing a black broad-brimmed hat with a peculiar looking feather in its hat band. He let his eyes keep drifting and then he snapped his gaze back to the man, remembering seeing that hat once where he had gotten a prickly alarm. Shadowing the man, he stayed a half-block behind him and the man turned into a building after a bit. It was a building which housed the newspaper for Vienna.

By good fortune, Henri happened along and soon they were paralleling him, while staying separate.

Ian sat down on a bench as Henri pretended to look at some merchandise in a storefront. He said "That's Moreau and we need to stay with him."

"I saw him in Lausanne one winter. Li and Sophia have him."

"He's a devious one. We need to take care that he doesn't realize we're following him."

"They know it. We're going to take turns."

After buying a box of vegetables including some apples as well, Moreau continued, moving away from the center of Vienna. As he walked along, Ian realized that they were leaving the city toward the east. He signed to Sophia to stop following Moreau as he and Henri quickly separated and went to where they both could parallel him. First they did so by simply walking behind houses on either side of the road. Once they reached a partially forested area they had an easier time of it. Li and Sophia were now following Ian from at least a block away.

They went about another mile when they saw Moreau walk over a little hill with a lot of bushes on each side of the road. Ian signed to Henri to stop as he crouched down too. They waited a bit and then Ian detected some movement in the bushes alongside the little hilltop. He had doubled back to see if he was being followed. Ian knew then that he was going somewhere that he wanted no one to know about.

He glided under cover to a place where he could peer down into the thicket. Moreau was already away and almost out of sight going around a bend. Ian followed, hoping that one of his companions would see him moving again.

In a quarter of an hour, they had fallen in behind Ian who had followed Moreau to a large stucco home. It was in the countryside, with no visible neighbors. A sizeable two-story building, it had numerous outbuildings behind it. There was a barn but no livestock, and behind it a caretaker's house boarded up completely except for a single window over the porch. He waited until the others had crept up to his location, and pointed to the caretaker's house as the others nodded. It was an all too familiar vampire technique. He had Li and Sophia stay there while he and Henri circled the place to explore it. Ian saw a long network of rabbit hutches which was over half full of rabbits. Henri had seen nothing. The main house didn't appear to be boarded up like other vampire coven houses they had seen.

Ian said "There are a sizeable number of rabbits in hutches out back. More than at the chateau, if that means anything. What do you think about Li and I staying here and keeping watch?"

"Should we just get our clothing and weapons then?"

"Yes. If Judge Hoffmeister isn't there when you get back, we may have to do this thing ourselves. Tonight might be our night, especially if there are hostages in the caretaker's house."

It was agreed on and the three departed then. Li and Ian settled in, becoming as still as two stones in typical vampire fashion. They let their hearing magnify everything all around to better monitor the place.

In the later afternoon they both saw Moreau walk out of the back door and he was carrying a box that looked like the one with the produce he had bought earlier. He looked carefully around and then in a bound was atop the porch and through the window in a flash. Emerging in only three or four minutes he bounded down after again looking around carefully. He went back into the house and there was no further sign of life.

It was dusk when Ian heard someone approaching carefully. He and Li silently slipped their short swords out and positioned themselves for an attack. It was Henri and there were others behind him. Marie and Sophia were accompanied by Wilhelm and a husky looking young vampire who he called Deiter. Ian motioned everyone to move farther out into the woods away from the house. When they had moved off around two hundred feet, Ian reached out to shake Wilhelm's hand

"Ian, I am so glad that you came. I am a little surprised to see two women in this group." Marie snorted "Oh, Willy! Ian and Li have taught us to fight very well, thank you."

"You may be even more surprised when you see them fighting, sir." said Ian.

"Well I'm past five hundred years old, but I can still learn something new." I couldn't find anyone else who is reliable on short notice. My other fighters are in the Balkans."

"We'll make do, sir. Weapons?"

"Deiter, tell him what we brought."

"Yes sir. We brought two blunderbuss long guns, four pistols, a saber and an axe."

"An axe? Hmmm. There are one or more hostages in the building out back. I'd like to go in to get them first and get information from them. They might know how many there are, for one thing. Any ideas?"

"What would you do with them then?"

"We'd take them a good way away from here and leave them there. If we take them to the river, they can find their way back to the city. I think the river is no more than a mile from here. Once they're away from here, we can finish this. Or, we can ignore them until we finish and then get them away from here. Talk about it among yourselves. Li and I will go see what we can learn."

Ian and the others separated and changed their clothes at vampire speed and soon he and Li were bounding away toward the house. They edged up close and split up, silently gliding around it listening. They met in back and neither had heard a thing. Ian pointed up and Li nodded. Up they went, silently scaling the rough stucco walls using windowsills and other architectural features. Ian could see through the windows dimly and there was no sign of life inside. He silently crawled all over the side of the building like a spider peering and listening as Li did the same on his side of the house. They covered all windows and never got a sighting. Ian went to the attic window on the rear gable. It was locked and the interior was dark so he couldn't make out a single feature inside. He took a chance and pushed his elbow against the glass until it cracked quietly. Picking out two pieces of glass he reached in to unlatch the window, raising it to test it for noise and then slowly closing it.

On the ground he met Li and they flitted back to rejoin the group.

"We can't hear a thing. I broke into an attic window in back. It opens and closes quietly. We could split our group and some come in that way and the others breach a door or window on the first floor. What do you think?"

"We want to get the hostages out now and take them just a short distance away. That way we'll be at full strength when we go in."

"I'll take you and Sophia in to get them, Marie. They're less likely to be afraid of women. Let's take our weapons just in case though." They quickly armed themselves and bounded away into the dark. Ian bounded up silently onto the porch roof of the caretaker's house. He opened the window and glided into the darkness, and in seconds he beckoned the other two to join him. Inside they glided out of the room where they entered and into a hallway that led to the stairs. Shortly they were at the basement stairs and had silently opened the door.

He crept down the steps to the dirt floor and let his vampire eyes adjust to the blackness. Seeing a little light coming from around a corner, he glided to that and peeked around. There was a boy and two girls tied to a thick post that served as a support for the floor above. Ian signaled to the other two to take off their hoods, so they did and walked into the room.

Marie spoke German and said "Peace, little ones. Don't fear. We've come to set you free. Be quiet now and come with us."

"Who... who are you?"

As she bent to cut their bonds, she said "We're enemies of those inside. We came to free you." The bonds cut, Marie scooped up the smallest one. Sophia got the next smallest one and Ian picked up a boy about maybe 8 years old.

"Don't make a sound lest those others hear us." Ian led them up and out of the caretaker's house. When all three were on the porch roof together, Ian spoke again whispering "Not a sound now." He bounded off with his burden and the other two followed. In only seconds they were with the others.

"We'll take these three off a little way and return." He bounded away and streaked through the woods and leaped a small creek. They got around a quarter mile away and stopped by a large rock formation, taller than the trees nearby. Ian thought they would be able to find it in the dark later. The three put the children down and Marie told the boy "You're the oldest and you are in charge of these two. Stay here and stay silent. We'll return later and take you home after that. Do you understand?"

The three children nodded. Marie and Sophia each hugged all three and then Marie said "If we don't make it back here, wait until daylight." She took the boy by the shoulders and pointed to the road saying "That way is the road to the city. Just turn left and follow it into Vienna. We must go now. Goodbye." The little girl she had carried came to Marie and hugged her saying "You are our angels."

# Chapter 67

The group was now all together in the dark outside of the farmhouse. Ian asked "Do any of you have a pocket clock?"

Wilhelm and Henri both nodded and handed them to Ian.

He set one to match the exact time of the other.

"We can divide our forces and strike from two directions at the same time. I can take half with me through the attic and Li can bring half in through the front door or through those two front windows at once. That will really confuse them what with an attack coming from two directions at once. They'll think that our number is greater than it really is. Does anyone have any other ideas?"

"What will they do, Ian?" asked Wilhelm.

"They'll fight like hell, but we'll take them down. What are the chances that they're armed and ready? Aim for their brain if possible. A brain wound can immobilize any vampire for a while. Shoot and drop your pistol and grab another and shoot another target. We'll finish them off with sabers and short swords."

Henri spoke up then "All of you beware of Moreau. He is a crafty one and is big and strong. He's killed many vampires in his time." Wilhelm vouched for that. Ian said "Li, Deiter or I will try to get him early on then. If we can get a chance, we'll try to save one for questioning."

Ian took the time to go to Deiter and Wilhelm to inspect their weapons and how they were secured. He made two minor adjustments on Wilhelm's sword scabbard. Wilhelm complimented the family on their night suits and both he and Deiter were particularly fond of the twin shoulder-holsters. Marie got out the four extra hoods she had made at the last minute at the chateau and gave Deiter and Wilhelm a pair of them. "These are in case one of them gets away. He won't know who did this, and can never identify you. Just tuck the hem inside your shirt collar."

They agreed to attack at 9:30 exactly which was about a quarter hour away. Just then Ian said "I hear a carriage coming. Four horses I think. Listen, this will give me a chance to get into the house without them hearing me. I'll take Marie and Henri through the attic. These new arrivals will distract those inside when they enter. Surprise and better weapons are on our side. This will go well, trust me. Remain cool and hit what you are shooting at." He shook hands with Li, Wilhelm, and Deiter and hugged Sophia. Other hugs were exchanged and then Ian beckoned to Henri and Marie. They flashed to the back of the house and like three spiders they crawled up the rear wall and melted into the blackness of the attic.

The carriage drew up to the door and four men got out. The driver tied the team to a hitching post there and joined them. The five zipped to the front door in the blink of an eye so Li and the other three knew there were no humans in that group. They glided to the carriage and knelt behind it.

"Aldric, it's us. I hope you haven't started yet." Several of them laughed as they entered the front door.

At this moment Ian, Henri, and Marie were descending the attic stairs to the upstairs hallway. They glided down the back steps into the kitchen and waited in the dim light there, grouped in a corner that was near a hallway leading to the front of the house. Those in the foyer or parlor were talking and had made perfect cover for the three to enter. They were inside now and just watching the pocket watch. Ian signed to Marie and Henri to draw and cock their first two pistols. They did so timing it with laughter and conversation from the front of the house. They waited unmoving in typical vampire fashion, while Ian stared alternately at the pocket watch and the hallway leading to the front of the house. It got to thirty seconds and Ian glided forward. None of the three noticed that the door to the cellar was slightly ajar as they filed silently past it.

"You said the man who wanted the girls died in a fire?"

"Yes, and I'm still unsure about that event."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. Something about it isn't right. Anyway I have no buyers. I have a plan to solve your problem though."

"We knew you would, Aldric."

"You idiots are lucky is all I can say. Your activities can bring a hell-storm down on yourselves. There are very important vampires who notice things like this and will send a team of killers to deal with the offenders."

"What? I want to know more about that."

"I've told you more than I should you fool. I'm one of those who they send, fortunately for you idiots. You brought my money?"

"Yes Here it is, as promised. You say that there are vampires who care about things like this? And they send killers after who, vampires like us?"

"Yes you idiot, they send people like me in groups to stop this sort of thing before it becomes publicly known."

Undeterred, a young vampire spoke up then "Let's get that little girl tonight. I like it when they finally realize what is happening and piss their pants. I don't know which I like better, their eyes bulging, their whimpering, or them pissing on themselves." Laughter followed as Moreau grumbled "You idiots are more trouble than you are worth!"

Ian sensed Marie tensing up behind him and Henri restraining her. There was the sound of more laughter and of a box being put on a table as another voice said "Here's your money Aldric."

They must be in the dining room thought Ian as the second hand neared the time. He put the watch in a pocket and glided forward, the other two following him.

Proceeding through into the dining room instead of coming through the foyer he saw the front door open and saw Li and Sophia rapidly gliding in from their direction, pistols raised. Ian fired and shot two of them between the eyes and had his next two pistols leveled seeking targets before the empty ones hit the floor. Henri fired at Moreau and hit his shoulder while Marie hit another in his throat. Li hit Moreau in the chest even as he tried to leap to one side. The parlor window shattered inward as Deiter and Wilhelm came through it.

Sophia fired her pistol and hit one squarely in the chest knocking him back onto another. Moreau streaked for the foyer with Ian after him. He fired just as the severed head of one flew from its owner to hit his arm just hard enough to spoil his aim. He failed to get another shot off due to Li and an opponent moving in between them. Then he had a clear shot at Moreau only to have his pistol misfire, so he pulled his sabre and rocketed after him. As he closed in he was attacked from his left by the driver trying to escape. He turned to kick the driver squarely in his chest and drove him backwards across the dining room table. Feeling a sudden hot pain as Moreau sunk a dagger into his side, Ian ignored the pain, gritting his teeth and spinning, he drove his right elbow smashing into Moreau's nose splattering it all over his face and temporarily blinding him. He quickly stepped one leg behind Moreau and threw him over. Moreau rolled with it and came up in a crouch and drove back only to have Ian kick him in the teeth, shattering his jaw. Ian closed in and drove a thumb into Moreau's eye and twisted his wrist lightning fast. The eye popped out and dangled from its socket attached by only the optic nerve. Moreau roared with rage and swung a pile driving punch and hit Ian squarely in the chest knocking him back. He didn't resist it but rolled and came up with his dragon pistol, discharging it point blank into Moreau's face. Moreau roared like a bear in his pain and rage and Ian drove in fast with his dagger, ripping upward from the gut where he had sunk it. He drove Moreau back and they both crashed into the far wall of the foyer.

Ian never gave even a split second of reprieve and began to rain telling blows, one of which shattered Moreau's larynx and crushed his windpipe. He drew up his leg and delivered a front kick to Moreau's chest and ripped his short sword from its scabbard and stabbed Moreau through the throat, the floor beneath stopping his blade. Stamping down on Moreau's face as hard as he could Ian drew back and took his head off with a single blow. Kicking it to a corner he whirled to leap back to the center of the fray in the dining room.

Marie was stabbing the one who made the remark about the little girl. She was behind him with her legs locked around his waist and her arm a blur as she reduced his face and throat to shreds of meat with her dagger. The vampire blindly thrashed, screaming in panic, but couldn't dislodge her. Sophia and Li were finishing off another one, and Deiter had just cut the head off of the third one with his axe. Wilhelm lay in a corner. It turned out that three of them had swords and one had cut his hand off. Ian drew Marie's last pistol and jamming it into her opponent's mouth he shot, taking the back of his head completely off and covering Marie with gore.

The place got quiet then. Ian started looking around for a survivor to question. There were none. He called out "Who else is hurt besides Wilhelm?" No answer. "Marie?"

"No."

"Henri?"

"Just two small cuts."

"Li?"

"No, Sophia is hurt though." He was supporting her. She had a sword sticking from her chest which Li drew out and flung away. He picked her up and went out through the front door.

"Deiter?"

"Yes."

"Are you hurt?"

"Nothing serious. Wilhelm has lost his hand."

"Help me find it then." said Ian as he began to look. While searching he drank half of a flask and immediately he could feel the familiar rapid healing of his wounds accelerate. They looked for a while and neither of them could find Wilhelm's hand. Ian noticed a window on the side of the house broken and quickly went out and began to look intently in the dark. He finally located it some minutes later after they'd given up looking inside. Deiter had helped Wilhelm to get out to where they had left their rucksacks. Most were there already, taking nourishment. Ian walked up to Wilhelm and said "Here sir. I think you lost this along the way." He knelt down and fitted the hand against the stump of his wrist and held it until Wilhelm took hold of it himself. It began to knit itself back together even as Ian took a flask from his ruck sack and held it to his lips while he drained it.

"Thank you Ian."

"You're welcome, sir. We did well here tonight. Too bad we didn't get to question anyone."

"Oh, who cares? And you may call me Willy from now on, Ian."

"Thank you, Willy."

"No. Thank you Ian." Ian clapped him on a shoulder and walked out onto the porch where Li sat holding Sophia. She was draining her third flask.

"Li? Sophia?"

"I'm better now. I should be able to travel in ten more minutes. You've been stabbed too!"

He grimaced a bit and then laughed a bit shaking his head as he started back inside saying "Moreau got me, but it was just a knife, not a sword."

Marie came inside and walked up to Ian. "You sure made a mess all over me Ian." She was all wet, having jumped into the horse trough to wash off the gore.

"Well is that the thanks I get?" he said as he reached to put both arms around her and picked her up from the ground with a hug.. He laughed and kissed her cheek saying "What a tigress you are Marie!" She laughed then as Ian put her down and Henri said "That's the truth. She wanted to rip that one's head off when he made that remark about little girls." He then pulled her close and held her, kissing her.

"Deiter and I will go clean up the mess. We'll search the house for any clues. There could be others we can track down while we're here. Why don't you and Henri go to get those children, Marie? You can question them to find out where their families might be. We're going to be ready to go by then. Come on Deiter."

Ian led the way back into the house. Leaving Deiter and pulling his sword he descended into the cellar. Looking about, he saw nothing of any importance, but then he noticed that the cellar door to the outside was lying open. He went out of it and attuning his hearing to its most acute he stood rock still for a half minute or so. He could hear nothing out of the ordinary. Getting down on his hands and knees he cast about for a scent at the basement doorway. Finding one he followed it to a nearby creek where he lost it. Unable to pick it up again, he rejoined Deiter and they cleaned up the mess.

Later on, they all gathered together. Ian spoke then and said "Do any of you recall if the cellar door to the house was open?" No one answered at first.

Sophia said "It was closed." Deiter and Henri then said that they remembered it being closed too.

"I hate to say it, but someone got away then." He related what he'd seen in the cellar regarding the door to the outside and that he had tracked his scent to the creek. Everyone then agreed that one or more had definitely gotten away. Several went to investigate and took up the scent only to lose it at the creek. Consensus was that there was nothing now that could be done about it, and that whoever it was didn't recognize them being that they all wore the black hoods. There was nothing to do but to leave the place. The three children would be taken to the city by Marie and Sophia since the children would likely never see the two of them again.

The rest of them would change clothes and make it back to the city on foot and then everyone would rendezvous at Wilhelm's' home.

# Chapter 68

Arnaud Moreau, the younger brother of Aldric Moreau had finally quit running. He rested on the riverbank and reflected on what he'd seen and narrowly escaped from. Just as he was coming from the cellar he heard pandemonium break loose upstairs and had peeked out of the cellar door that opened into the kitchen. He'd seen black clad figures armed and ferociously attacking his brother and all of his companions and they were even pouring into the fray through windows and doors. He had fled back down the stairs and out of the cellar hatch into the night and hadn't stopped running. Using good sense he was careful to make for the creek and to stay in it for a good distance to avoid being tracked by these killers. To him it seemed that an army of well-armed vampires had descended on the house. He knew without a doubt that his brother and his companions were dead. Sitting there he pondered it all. Who the hell were those others? Such a vicious and well-planned attack from two directions at once! Lucky for me that Aldric sent me to the cellar to look for rope. Had I returned a minute earlier I would have been in there too, trapped with my brother! He sat on the riverbank in the darkness recalling the shocking and violent event that had cost his brother his life and nearly taken his too.

***

They stayed with Wilhelm for three days. He came back with a newspaper which had a prominent story about three missing children being returned and that Gypsies were suspected. None were known to be in the area, but Moreau's lie had served a useful purpose after all. Earlier disappearances were unsolved, but the return of three with a feasible explanation gave a type of closure. The events would not grow into a widespread official alarm, so the mission was a success.

Li and Ian gave both Deiter and Willy some basic instruction on hand-to-hand combat and both firearms instruction and swordsmanship as well. Henri persuaded Ian to show his skills with a pistol, shooting aerial targets. Willy and Deiter were speechless, having never seen nor heard of such accuracy. They never knew that a pair of keen vampire eyes watched from a tree a good way off, however Ian's prickly alarm went from prickly to icy a few times as they sparred. He took it to be due to the fact that he was sparring with Deiter or Willy and paid it no mind at the time.

***

Arnaud Moreau only managed to hear a couple of names. One was Ian and one was Henri. He filed that away for future reference. He had arrived after hearing the gunshots cease. Seeing the skills displayed there in fighting hand to hand, he guessed that this had to be a part of the party who had invaded the house. He knew that his older brother Aldric was dead even though he had been well-connected among Adept vampires. Arnaud also knew that a very powerful, important and well-connected vampire lived in this estate. His brother had told him that much more than once. That had brought him there, hoping to learn more.

He resolved to learn more about the group that had destroyed all but him. He had no doubt it was in retribution for the kidnappings, and he was filled with dread even as he pondered how they could have found their location. From what he had seen, he had nothing but the utmost respect for this group, whoever they were. Even so, now being alone in the world he was becoming more resolved to avenge his brother's death.

***

While Ian and the others were his guests, Willy shared some lucrative information concerning an upcoming purchase of firearms from a manufacturer in Prussia by the Austrian government. He advised them to invest in the firm before it became known that this would happen. He offered to buy a share of the company in their names if they would accept that as a token of gratitude. They did so, Henri and Marie saying to buy the shares in the names of Li, Sophia, and Ian.

They said their goodbyes and departed, taking the same route back but taking seven days returning. They had no human contact the entire time and all were glad to be home at the chateau. They unwound from the rigor of their travels with the usual past times including spending lots of time with Louis and Mustafa. Ian realized again just how much returning to the chateau and being with his family meant to him. He pondered all of that. Just look at how this clan has become a substitute for my family. My life has become a strange one, but not a bad one at that except for losing Cosette.

***

Ian had taken Celeste to Scotland again to visit his family. Alyssa hadn't been able to accompany him, but he had stayed at her place while in Paris. He had truly enjoyed Alyssa's company. Her bubbly personality help to offset the more grim happenings in his life like the incident in Vienna. He had confided a bit of the purpose of his trip to Vienna to both Alyssa and to Celeste. Alyssa was most appreciative that Ian felt close enough to her to share such things, and she told him so. She'd gotten some international notoriety with her visit with the Royal Family of England and her business had really taken off

Ian had long since made a point of killing Claude LeBlanc, the brother of Red Dolphin former owner Erin LeBlanc. One of the ledger books of the Satanist Francoise had yielded information regarding how to find him. He had been a part of the Marseille kidnapping ring. The authorities said that it seemed he had fallen down some stairs at his home near Lyon and had broken his neck. It was surmised that he was drunk at the time of his death. After finishing the last of the LeBlancs, Ian used his ledger book and tracked down the two men who had been hired to transport the girls to Lyon for the LeBlancs. They lived above a warehouse that they owned in Marseille and Ian killed both of them the night after he killed LeBlanc. He simply slit each one's throat and ransacked the place to make it look like a robbery gone wrong. Every member of that kidnapping ring was now dead.

Word came for a request to perform for the most influential family of the Canton of Bern in Bern itself. Ian readied his schedule to accompany Celeste there. Alyssa would accompany them along with Marie, Henri and the boys. Celeste was eighteen and her schooling was finished. Although she still lived with Caryn, she could come and go as she pleased and spent an equal amount of time at the Chateau as well. It was an idyllic time for both Ian and for her.

At Bern her performance was preceded by her sharing of the story of her humble beginnings. She thanked Marie and Henri who she asked to stand while the audience applauded. The audience was told that she had been taken in at one of several orphanages that the Lafayettes operated in France. She also thanked Ian McCloud for saving her life and being her best friend, asking him to stand up. He stood awkwardly for a moment as everyone applauded. Ian hadn't known that was coming and just turned to his right and left briefly and nodded to the crowd.

In the audience was a lady with sandy hair done up in a tight bun. She had clear beautiful blue eyes that were riveted on Ian. She kept her Italian-made opera glasses trained on him nearly throughout the performance. Noticing the sheer joy on his face while watching Celeste she noted that he was in the company of a stunning petite brunette who clung to his arm nearly throughout the performance. He raised the woman's hand to his lips once near the end of the performance and turned to smile lovingly at her as she smiled at him in return and leaned her head on his shoulder. She saw Henri and Marie and the two boys, Louis and Mustafa and noted how they had grown.

Later that night at her suite Anna Fellman broke down in tears and just couldn't stop crying. Andre, the younger brother of her personal maid Liridona came to her part of the suite when he heard her sobbing. "Madame Fellman, what is it? Shall I get Liri?"

"No. She can't help me with this."

"Madame, you sometimes don't eat. I've found you crying like this at times. This reminds me of when you sent Ian away. I'm worried Madame."

"Oh Andre, I'll get through this all right."

"Madame, I've stayed healthy since I got better from the Wasting Disease. I made a promise to Ian to keep a secret. Now that I've lived and not gotten sick, I can tell you. Ian didn't mean to spill the blood, Madame"

She lifted her head and fastened her gaze on him "What do you mean by that, Andre?"

"I saw him the day he left. He had some blood on the front of his clothing. He is always so careful. I promised him I wouldn't tell, but he didn't mean to spill the blood. Three years ago he gave me his blood and cured me of the wasting disease. I've not even had a runny nose since then, Madame. The doctors had told you that I'd die. Ian thought so too, but he asked me if I would trust him to try to help me. As soon as he gave me his blood, my body got warm all over inside. His blood saved my life Madame."

The color drained from Anna's face as she gasped in disbelief. She demanded to know exactly what happened and Andre related it all to her. She got up and paced the floor without comment. My God! Has this boy been infected now, and if so, with what? And what of that girl, Celeste? She says that Ian saved her life. Was she infected too?

"Andre, do you ever want to eat different things now? Different things than you used to eat before you were sick?"

Andre thought a bit then said "No Madame. I eat the same things that I always did. But I do like vegetables and fruit more than I did. Ian told me to eat more of them to stay well. He also told me to be sure to get as much sunshine as possible especially in wintertime."

Anna stopped her pacing and sat down, relieved. What have I done? I sent away a man who I loved and who loved me without even giving him a chance to explain. He did try to tell me something that day we made love for the first time, but I was insistent and cut him off she thought.

"He sat on the ground and begged me for a chance to explain and I wouldn't hear it."

"Excuse me, Madame?"

"Oh Andre, I am just thinking out loud, that is all."

"Ian did tell me something before he left, Madame." She raised her head and fastened her eyes on his. "What was it?"

"I ran out the front door and followed him down the driveway. He heard me coming and I think he hoped it was you. He said that he'd failed you by trying to protect you. He said that it was his fault. Then he said that both Liri and I were always to help you in any way that we could and to always love you and to be loyal to you for as long as we live, Madame."

Her face must have suddenly looked stricken because Andre said "Oh Madame, what have I said? I am so sorry Madame. I'm so sorry."

She had begun to weep then and couldn't stop.

# Chapter 69

Alandra was a little curious as to why Tom McBride had wanted to see her today. He'd been working diligently at the Barcelona House since he had appeared there that day and was happy to stay in the custodian's quarters

Tom was working as always and she had to find him. He stopped when she approached and took off his hat as was his custom whether she or Celita approached him. Alandra had learned to appreciate Tom McBride even more than she had in the days that they were on the same ship. He spoke to her then saying "Alandra, I'm going to ask Celita to marry me."

"Oh Tom, that's wonderful. The two of you are a wonderful couple. I'm happy for you both. Is there something I can do for both of you?"

"Yes." Pointing up the hillside to a home he said "I'd like to know who owns that small empty house there behind Barcelona House and if it could be bought. Will you help me?"

"I'll learn what I can about it. Do you know when you'll ask her?"

"No. I don't want to ask her until I know that I have a place for us to live. I won't try to take her to Scotland. My family is all gone, and she's so happy here with you. I like Barcelona a lot and we'll make our home here for the rest of our lives."

"Tom that's wonderful news. I'll keep your secret, and I'll let you know about that house."

"Could I ask you if you can get this letter sent to Marseille?"

"I'll send it for you. Who is it to go to?"

"Lorn Barnes at the Red Dolphin Inn. He was a shipmate of mine. He moved to Marseille and married a girl there. I wanted to tell him my plans. It may be that he and his wife could come to our wedding. I have no family.

"I remember him. I'll get it sent tomorrow."

***

Ian had just learned that the share of that company in Prussia in Essen was worth nine times what it had been when Willy Hoffmeister had bought it for him. It seemed that a human named Krupp was a junior associate of Wilhelm. He had come up with a small but ingenious metal stamping method that took a good bit of the labor out of small arms manufacturing. Shortly after that, governments began to learn that they could buy pistols and muskets of high quality for a lot less than anyone else could produce them. The Krupp Works couldn't make enough it seemed. The Turkish government wanted to place a large order and Romania had already placed a large order along with Greece.

Henri advised that Ian sell and directed him where to re-invest in yet another up and coming ceramics industry in France. Ian was moderately wealthy now. As long as there was trade, he had a steady commission income from the fees generated by the draft honoring process. His financial future looked bright.

It seemed that Celeste and Louis were falling in love now. It was really hard to miss and he was happy and content for them. He wistfully thought Ah, Cosette, if only you were here to see this!

One day he was in Marseille on banking business and stopped at the Red Dolphin to visit with Lorn and Corinne. Lorn told Ian that Corinne was going to have another baby.

Ian hugged both of them and said "By Heaven Lorn, that's wonderful news. I guess it's a good thing that the upstairs apartment in this place is a big one."

"That's not all of the news, Ian. Tom McBride is marrying Celita. He only wants to get a small house for the two of them before he asks her. He's been living in Barcelona for some time now."

"Really?"

"Yes. He wants to buy a small house behind the Barcelona House children's hospital. He says that it has a front porch with a red flowering vine of some sort and that from it he can see the Mediterranean and the harbor. His letter reads as if he's pretty excited."

"I remember now that you told me he'd gone there."

"He'd like for us to come see him get married."

"Well, why don't you do that? You could delay re-opening this place a while longer. I'll buy passage for all three of you. Och! Or is it four of you now?" he said laughing at his own joke.

"Ian we couldn't accept that."

"Well, you'll accept it anyway and stay as long as you want. He took a small bag of gold coins and tossed them on the table. "I insist. Tom has no one to be there for him. I need to go to the Chateau now. Good bye."

At the chateau he told Marie that he was going to Barcelona and was going to buy a house for Tom McBride. He said he'd travel to Madrid while he was there to present a draft-share proposal to a bank there. Henri had told him he would like to partner with the Rodriguez bank. It was a new bank, started by a wealthy merchant of Almeria. Henri had learned of it while talking to a banker in Versailles.

He said good bye to the boys and to Marie. She expected Henri home within a very few days and would tell him that he'd gone to Spain. Celeste was now in Paris with her aunt and would be there for a while. It seemed a perfect time to go. He decided to buy passage on a ship bound for Barcelona and go that way. It would be good to sail again.

The next day he embarked for Barcelona on a Xebet with his own private cabin. The time passed quickly and they were at Barcelona in a few days. Ian said his goodbyes to the entire crew before disembarking. He asked for and got directions to the Barcelona House. Seeing where it was located, he walked about a while until he found an inn only a mile from it. He made arrangement to lease a horse drawn carriage for three days. It was one with a top that folded down which was Ian's favorite style. Being a small one, it only needed one horse to draw it. He donned his broad-brimmed hat, put on his sun glasses and gloves, and went driving about Barcelona. The view of the Mediterranean from so many places in the city appealed to him.

***

The Supreme Council was ready to assemble. Heinrich Von Steuben gaveled the meeting to order. There was no one else in the chamber but the nine judges. They had just pushed the two large tables together and put the chairs around them since no one was to testify. Von Steuben turned to Wilhelm and said "I believe that you have news of the Vienna incidents, Willy?"

"Yes, I do. Henri brought four others, and the situation was resolved quietly. The offenders are dead and a plausible story has been planted with the newspaper there. I am on record here in saying that never have I seen such a skillful handling of a bad problem. The group from France performed superbly and Ian McCloud is a tactical genius."

"There is more too. Aldric Moreau was involved in this thing." There were two audible gasps. "Ian killed Moreau himself face to face." There were some murmurings at that. Hoffmeister turned to Henri and said "Once again, my thanks to you, my esteemed colleague. You've helped avert a bad situation. We were in real dire straits with so many assets sent to the Balkans. I'm in your debt."

Henri nodded with a slight smile "We all need to remember that a problem for one of us may become a problem for all of us at some time. However we did have one who escaped."

"Do any of you know who it was?"

"No. Ian discovered the outside cellar hatch thrown open when he went down to the cellar. We never did find a clue."

Von Steuben said "Too bad you missed one, but with your numbers and the number that you knew were there, I can see no way that you could have spared two more to go in through the cellar hatchway. Likely whoever it was has been scared enough to hesitate to start up such foolishness again, Henri. I'm most impressed. To kill Moreau in combat...he was a formidable one. I couldn't tell you how many vampires he's killed. Since we've not had a Chief Inquisitor for around twelve years now is there any chance that Ian would take the position?"

***

At last Ian came to Barcelona House and quickly spied the white house sitting behind it on a small hillside. He eventually found a road that led to it and worked his way up there. There was a carriage there and a man was just coming out of the house. Ian approached the man and introduced himself as Adam MacRae. He inquired about the price and the man told him he had an offer and how much it was. Ian offered him twenty percent above what his offer was and the barrister told him he was sure that the other party wouldn't want to pay any more. He said he'd come to the inn where Ian was staying either that evening or the next morning with an answer.

Ian spent the evening driving all around the city with the top down on the carriage. The more he drove around, the more he liked the place. He returned his rented horse and carriage to the stable for the evening and said he would want it the next day. Walking to the Inn he went to his room and changed into his running clothes. It was dark by then and he soon he had removed his boots and was out running the hills in the countryside a little distance away from the city. It was exhilarating to be in a new area with different vegetation and strange new sights behind every hill.

He bathed then, and afterward ran for the sheer joy of it, coming to a large stone building that he took to be a monastery. After scouting around the place, he easily bounded over a wall to see what was on the other side. Some robes were drying on a line near to a portico with a low roof. He leaped down to look closer and thought that a hooded monk's robe would be an excellent way to walk about and observe without even being noticed. Choosing one that was his size he took it. He left a flat stone there and a gold doubloon lying on it that would have paid for thirty of the robes. Stuffing the robe into his rucksack he bounded up and out of the courtyard.

Soon he was back in the city. There he put his boots on and just strolled the streets until no one at all was out and about. Then he went back to his room and penned a letter to Tom and Celita telling them that the house was theirs as a wedding present from him. That way if he was able to buy it that day, he could just have the message and key delivered to the Barcelona House in care of the director. He then dressed in the best clothing he had brought, eating a leisurely breakfast and idling around a bit nearby. The barrister soon arrived with documents and a key. His offer had been accepted so Ian accompanied him to the courthouse in his carriage and signed the deed as an agent acting on behalf of Tom McBride and the house was officially sold.

Ian paid the barrister to take the key and the letter he had drafted to the director of Barcelona House, explaining that McBride worked there. The Barrister knew the place and knew the director. He told Ian that a young woman by the name of Senorita Vasquez was the director of the place. Ian froze at hearing that, and then he was puzzled by the title of senorita, believing her to have long since married and moved away. This meant that Alandra was living here and was director of Barcelona House where Tom worked and stayed. Ian pondered all of this information.

Refusing the offer of a ride back to his Inn, he asked around the courthouse for directions to the Vasquez Villa and soon had the information. Everyone knew where the Ambassador lived. Ian walked to the inn and changed into his monk's robe and put on his sun glasses. He pulled the hood up and walked through the city toward the road that led southward to the Vasquez home.

As he reached an intersection, he spied a carriage coming from the direction of the Vasquez home. At the intersection there were four benches. There was an entrance to an old cemetery there. He just sat down for no particular reason and was collecting his thoughts. Alandra was still living here and was running a facility which cared for sick children. As he looked around, a carriage went past him. He saw a young woman driving it and suddenly his heart leaped within him. It was Alandra! Nearly calling out to her, he caught himself at the last instant, thinking what would I say to her? How wonderful to see you again and by the way, I am a monster?

She drove past him and entered the cemetery, and he noted that she was dressed in black, but didn't have on a mourning hat or veil. His curiosity piqued, he walked into the cemetery and took a parallel route to the place where she'd stopped her small carriage. She went to a well-kept grave site within an ornate wrought-iron fence, carrying a small bunch of flowers which she laid upon a grave. Then she sat a while by the grave, seeming to stare at it intently. After a short while she rose and drove away in her carriage, heading toward Barcelona House. Ian walked around idly, but was really making his way to the grave site where she'd been.

Reaching the site, he read the inscription. It was for a man named Philippe' Rodriquez. As he thought about that he heard someone approaching him and just stood waiting for the person to pass by.

Instead a man of around fifty years age came to him and said "Father, do you know who is buried here? Ian was momentarily surprised, and then realized that the man was speaking to him. He replied "Other than the inscription, no."

The man went on saying "It is the son of a fine family from Almeria. He was deceived and fought a duel and was killed. It was a senseless tragedy."

"You're familiar with what happened then?"

"Yes father. I have a flower shop near the seashore at the market and bazaar. I was selling flowers there the day that this poor man was challenged to a duel. He had approached to buy a bouquet for Senorita Vasquez and another man made as if poor Philippe' had knocked him down. That wasn't the case at all. The man who acted as if he had been knocked down told poor Philippe' in a low voice that Senorita Vasquez was a whore, and that Phillipe' should send her to him for satisfaction."

Ian sucked in his breath and the man paused. He looked closer at Ian briefly because of that unexpected reaction; and then he continued "He taunted the man before anyone else got close enough to hear what he'd said. Poor Philippe' was so angry that he struck him and afterward, couldn't be dissuaded from accepting the challenge to a duel."

"No one spoke up to stop it?"

"Senorita Vasquez seemed to know the character of this other man and said that his challenge was a deception to exact revenge on her for refusing his advances and embarrassing him."

"So she'd been approached by this one before?"

"Yes. She said in front of everyone that she would marry poor Philippe' if he would just walk away from the duel, but Philippe' would have none of it. He was killed by the man the next morning down at the market fountain. It was a tragedy, father. She comes often to put flowers on his grave. I fear that she'll never get over the circumstances of his death. I'm surprised that you didn't know this story though. It is common knowledge here."

"I'm from another place and haven't heard it. Who is this that did such a terrible thing?"

'He is Senor Carlos Chavez, father. He's the son of the crown prosecutor."

# Chapter 70

Marie heard a carriage approaching and walked to the front veranda of the chateau. She thought she had seen that carriage before, and then recognized it as it pulled up. The driver stepped down and opened the door. Anna stepped out and called to Marie "Hello, Marie."

"Hello, Anna. Please do come in."

"I've brought Serge with me. We're traveling to my uncle's place in Nice." Serge stepped out of the carriage then and approached Marie. He bowed and said "So glad to see you again Madame Marie."

"It is I who is so glad to see both of you. You are looking well, Anna. My, Serge, you are even more handsome than I remember! Please do come in and have some tea. You will stay with us at least for tonight I hope?"

"Well, we're not on a schedule, Marie. Your offer is most kind."

"We'll all dine together this evening. Henri has returned and he'll be glad you're here." They entered the grand foyer as the driver put all bags on the veranda. Mustafa was coming down the stairs and greeted them. Anna complimented him on how he was becoming such a handsome young man. He asked Serge if he would like to join him and Louis in some target shooting. Serge was enthusiastic having done no shooting since he was last at the chateau.

Soon Marie and Anna were alone having tea in the parlor. They chatted about banking and other things for a bit. She asked about Ian then as Marie knew she would.

"Ian's in Spain now. He went to buy a house for a shipmate of his from his days as a sailor. It is to be a surprise wedding present for him. He's going to take a draft-share proposal to Madrid for presentation to a new bank there. Oh, by the way, we've expanded into Britain. There is a bank there which has joined us. If this venture in Spain works out, we'll have partners in seven countries and we think that we'll expand into Prussia and Austria next year."

The two engaged in a bit of small talk about her trip and Celeste and then Anna fastened her eyes on Maries' and spoke.

"Marie, I came here for a reason. I've made a grave accusation against Ian."

"I know. He told me all about it.

"I... I... didn't know what I was seeing. The blood all over him... I... I couldn't...."

"Anna. Your reaction to such a sight wasn't abnormal at all. How many could dismiss such a thing?"

"So he didn't deceive you about his.... his... condition... what he... does? He didn't deceive his wife, Cosette?"

Marie got up from her chair across from the sofa where Anna was seated. She came to her side and sat down, silent for a moment as if gathering her thoughts. Then she spoke "Anna. We've all deceived you. And worst of all, you've deceived yourself. Ian didn't choose to be the way he is. He was.... infected. Cosette found him and saved his life. She brought him here to us and he recovered here. He's been part of our family ever since then. Henri and I think of Ian as our son."

"So you don't mind that he...drinks blood, Marie?"

"Anna, come with me to the kitchen. I have something that I want you to see." They sat down at one of the three large kitchen tables. Marie closed the doors to the kitchen before sitting next to Anna. She put a small bowl of water, a towel, and a kitchen knife on one of the tables. Picking up the knife she turned her other arm upwards on the table. Fastening her gaze on Anna she said "Watch this." She delicately made a cut an inch long in her arm and then laid the knife down. Anna shrank back with her eyes wide.

"Don't be afraid. Just watch." She took the towel and dampened it and wiped the blood away. As Anna watched the cut healed and left not a trace. Anna gasped and looked up at Marie. Marie extended her arm to Anna to inspect. She shrank back, and then looked again at Marie who nodded to her. Leaning closer then she peered intently and exclaimed with eyes wide in wonderment. "Why there isn't a trace of a cut!"

"Ian didn't deceive us, he's one of us." There was silence in the kitchen then. Anna was aware of the wind playing about the curtains a bit in the kitchen window.

"One of you, Marie?"

"Yes. Cosette was too. She saved Ian by bringing him here. He was... infected and dying. We knew how to... reverse that; to cure him... and we did so. Ian had a hard time accepting what had happened to him. There was a period of adjustment for him to go through. We had to keep him here because he couldn't go back to rejoin his shipmates. He fell in love with Cosette over time and married her. They were as a son and daughter to us."

'Us?"

"To Henri and I, Anna."

"Henri is....?"

"Yes."

"So you all drink...."

"Yes, Anna. We must drink a little from time to time or die. We eat food like you do too, but we must have blood from time to time."

"Do you drink human blood?"

Her eyes widened and a frown came over her face. "No! That is an abomination!"

"Marie, I'm confused. I..."

"Anna, look...there is a governing body among our kind. They monitor reports from all over Europe, Russia, and some places in the mid-east. They won't hesitate to kill such a one, and they won't hesitate to do what is necessary to keep our existence secret. Ian told you that for your own sake, and I'm telling you now. Disclose this information Anna, and you and your household will all die. There would be no stopping it. Our kind do live in your cities as well as hundreds of others."

"Hundreds...Marie.... What? I... I... understand, Marie. I'd never do that for any reason; never."

"That's good. I really like you and your son. I'd hate it for anything to happen to either of you, especially if it was because of us. I understand that the boy Andre is healthy and doing well?"

"Yes he is. I was worried that he'd become... you know, what...?"

"There is no danger of that Anna. A simple transfer of blood is nowhere near what needs to be done to become as we are. There is no small amount of pain and mentoring that accompanies such a thing either. Regarding what Ian did, none of us knew that it could be done. He's the first one of us to save a life that way"

"We're very grateful because we all know that Andre was as good as dead."

"It's likely that Andre will never suffer an illness in his entire life now that Ian did that. We're very robust, very hard to kill. Ian is very sympathetic, and especially to suffering children. He saved Celeste's life along with four others who'd been kidnapped to be sold to Satanists. He's since done that three more times to rescue children being sold for heinous purposes. Celeste has become like another daughter to us. She lived a while in one of our orphanages."

"I didn't know all of that. I can see that...caring in him. I remember it well. He has so many wonderful qualities. I'm so sorry that I didn't let him explain! Celeste...she knows... about you?"

"Yes, she does. She accepts us as loving friends, and she worships Ian. We're like family to each other."

She sat thinking, absorbing the concept of a family of mixed humans and non-humans. "I want to apologize to Ian. I do miss him so, Marie. I've cried myself to sleep more times than I can count."

"I'll tell him you were here and what you've said, Anna. It might be best if you just moved on with your life though. I won't speak for him, but I'm not sure that he could ever feel the same toward you."

"Oh Marie!"

"He wouldn't hold a grudge though. It's not in him to be that way. He was so sorrowful for how badly he hurt you when he came home, and he only thought of the pain he caused for you."

"That sounds so much like him. What a fool I've been!"

"Anna, he refused to return to a girl he was in love with after his infection. He feared that she'd view him as a monster. She was seventeen years of age."

"So young...why do you think he took up with me, other than that I did pursue him?"

"You're mature, Anna, and have lived and had the opportunity to have children and live a full human life, whereas this girl had hardly begun to be an adult. When you reacted as you did, that reinforced to Ian that he is different and that he's better off being only involved romantically with our kind. He has lost much and still seems to always find a way to give to others. I worry about that and what it will do to him over time. He's never touched a violin or an artist's brush once since you sent him away."

"I feel bad enough already, Marie, but I'm glad you said that. I have his violin along with the belongings he left behind. He said something about being able to travel faster afoot than by carriage?"

"We run faster by far than a horse does and can do so for long periods, Anna. It is one of many things that make us different from you humans. I think Ian is slowly recovering. He may be sensitive, but he's resilient too. You can be thinking about that while you're in Nice."

"Thank you for explaining so much to me. I've hated myself for so long over this affair. I'll consider what you've said. I saw a girl with Ian at Bern."

"That was Alyssa. She's a fashion designer and I don't know if she would be willing to give up that for Ian or if he'd ask her to."

"Does she know about him...about you?"

"Yes. She only recently learned when he saved her life. She accepts him, and really, she loves him. She's a protégé of mine, but she's not one of us."

Anna nodded her understanding as Marie continued. "The thing about our existence that is so hard, Anna, is that we must lie daily to those humans around us who we love and who are our friends for their sakes. It's a heavy burden for each of us that we can never put down."

# Chapter 71

Ian wore clothing that was normal and nondescript as he walked daily at the market/bazaar in Barcelona. He had grown quite proficient at cutting all of his hair off and shaving his head and beard every morning at the new inn where he'd taken a room. Of course his imprint caused it to grow back quickly after his next feeding, so it was a thing he repeated every two days.

He'd grimace and punch a fresh hole in the same earlobe each morning and put a gold ring through it. His sun glasses and a broad-brimmed hat would complete his disguise to be off for a day of watching and waiting. After introducing himself he'd made an arrangement with Geraldo the florist to signal him if he saw Carlos Chavez.

As patient as is any successful predator, a cold resolve now governed him. His quarry would eventually show himself. The tenth day after he had come to Barcelona he saw a group of five well-to-do young men ride into the market/bazaar area and tether their horses. They looked to be careless and wealthy, as if they owned the place, so Ian gradually edged closer to them.

They were heading for a place that sold women's scarves and other accessories. Ian edged closer and closer, all while appearing to be focused on other items in the area. He looked as if he was just another shopper casually looking at nothing in particular but everything in general. As he looked over at the florists' booth, Geraldo Perez the cemetery groundskeeper/florist nodded and stretched his hand way above his head to indicate that it was the tallest one. This was the group and he thought he could already tell which one was Chavez.

Just as the tall handsome man went to reach for a scarf to inspect, Ian placed his right foot behind the man and rudely reached across in front of him using his right arm. The combination of that and using his vampire strength judiciously resulted in the tall man being knocked flat on his back in front of his four friends and some thirty witnesses nearby. Ian then stepped on the man's stomach as he struggled to rise and continued along the direction he had been going, appearing to ignore him and to be still looking at merchandise.

Carlos struggled to his feet, his face beet red and contorted with anger. "Senor, you are a clumsy pig and someone needs to teach you some manners." Ian turned innocently to face him, tilting his head to one side. "Pardon senor, but is the imbecile who was just flat on his back calling me clumsy?" There was a tittering of laughter from the onlookers nearby. Ian had refined his Spanish during the time he had been in Barcelona and now he sounded as if he had been born there.

Carlos' face grew bright red as he stepped forward and slapped Ian across his face, and then stepped back. Ian smiled mirthlessly and said "Oh my! He slaps like an angry little girl. What has angered you, senorita?"

"I demand satisfaction senor!" said Carlos, his red face now becoming even redder if possible. He was livid and doing his best to control a tremor and to keep a genteel bearing in the face of this insolence.

"Yes, I suspect that you do. You've never earned anything in your entire useless life so instead you demand everything, do you not?"

"You have the choice of weapons, senor!"

"Weapons? You use weapons senorita? What weapons? A fan perhaps or a kitchen spoon?" Laughter erupted from the now-growing crowd.

Carlos shouted as loud as he could "Choose your weapon, Senor!"

"You may choose my weapon, senorita. I see that you're wearing a saber. Is that something that you really use senorita? If that's what you use, then that's fine with me."

"Sabers it is then. Dawn tomorrow, here."

"Dawn? Must I get up that early tomorrow when I'm here already? Do you not have cooking and cleaning to do tomorrow senorita? Can we not settle this now? I see that your friends all have sabers. Perhaps they could lend me one. You decide while I go have a drink." He turned his back then and walked a few paces to the adjacent business. It was a place with tables arranged for drinking. He ordered two glasses of wine, tossing a silver coin on the counter top. By now a large crowd had gathered. They were hushed so as to hear every word spoken. A voice from behind him said "Here is a saber, senor. You have your wish."

Ian turned and it was one of Carlos' companions holding out a saber and scabbard. Ian took the first goblet of wine and drained it without stopping. He reached and took the saber and picked up the second goblet of wine and followed the man back toward the others, who were moving toward the area of the fountain and pond. Ian followed them there. A man who had been watching since the beginning got closer to him as he walked that way and said in a low voice. "Senor, you should know that you're fighting Carlos Chavez. He's the finest swordsman in all of Spain."

"Is he? Will you be my second then, senor?"

"Well, yes but..."

"And what is your name senor?"

"Hector, senor; Hector Ramirez."

They walked up to the waiting group, the large crowd following. There was the buzz of conversation as the crowd spread itself in a very large circle around the group.

One of Carlos' friends stepped forth "I am Senor Chavez' second. Have you a second, senor?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes. Meet Hector Ramirez" he said, beckoning Hector to his side.

The two shook hands and greeted each other. Carlos' second then said "since we have no one to preside, we two seconds can do that if it is agreeable to you, uh Senor... I did not get your name, Senor."

"Piggy."

"Very well, Senor...Piggy." He gestured to Carlos who then came to stand beside Ian. There was a brief period of questioning each party to see if bloodshed could be avoided as required by custom. The two both replied that there was no avoiding bloodshed. So Carlos' second spoke then. "A grievance has been declared which can only be settled on the field of honor. Senor Chavez is the grievant and Senor Piggy is the offender. Swords have been chosen. Please present your weapon to the other man's second now, both of you."

The sabers were examined, pronounced satisfactory, and returned.

"Senor Chavez, do you want quarter if quarter is asked?"

"I leave that to Senor Piggy."

"Senor Piggy?"

"The Senorita has no worry. I promise not to cut one of her breasts off."

"No Quarter then, Senor!"

"Very well then; no quarter."

"You will now face each other. Neither of you will strike a blow until I give the command to begin. If either one strikes a premature blow the second for the other may shoot him down. Present the second's pistols please." Two pistols were brought forward by Carlos's companions and duly inspected. Both confirmed that the pistols were acceptable. Before stepping away, Ian took a drink from his wine goblet and gave it to Hector saying "You may drop that pistol, Hector, but you may not drop my wine. Hold on to that because I'm going to want it soon enough." He then walked until he was at the center of the circle created by the crowd which now numbered above four hundred.

He faced Carlos across a distance of some twenty feet. Carlos took off his hat and gave a curt bow and tossed it to his second who had followed him out. Ian took off his hat, bowing and displaying his bald head, sun glasses, and an earring in one ear to the witnesses. He then put it back on and drew the drawstring tight, cinching it.

Carlos' second said in a loud voice "Begin!"

Carlos immediately launched a blistering attack. Ian merely fell back and matched it parry for stroke for some three minutes non-stop. Carlos stepped back and looked anew at his opponent. He again launched an attack, using different moves and weaving from side to side at times.

Ian merely parried him stroke for stroke until finally Carlos got in really close and began to set up for a killing thrust. Knocking his blade aside and snapping his foot upward and planting it in Carlos' stomach, Ian pushed him violently backward so that he fell.

Ian skipped over to Hector with his arms sticking straight out from his shoulders and his sword dangling; looking like a child playing a game. He took the goblet and took a hasty drink and handed it back to Hector. Spinning away barely in time he fended off a murderous assault by Carlos that lasted for some six minutes. During this time, Ian put a small cut on Carlos' right shoulder and then shortly he cut the even harder to reach left shoulder, finishing with a small cut on his face.

Carlos stepped back accompanied by hard breathing. Ian again put his two arms out like a child and skipped over to Hector to take another drink of wine. He barely did give the goblet back to Hector again as Carlos renewed his attack once more. Instead of parrying him, Ian arched his back and managed to run ahead of Carlos in a circle, staying just out of reach of his glittering sword tip. All of the while he waved his sword wildly as if he was a child playing a game. Several times he shouted "Senorita! Catch me if you can!" The onlookers laughed each time he shouted it.

He continued this for some four complete circles and then suddenly he pivoted and ducked very low, lightning quick under Carlos' attack and cut him along his right side in passing. Carlos continued past until well out of sword range and put his hand on the cut. He drew his hand away with a bit of blood on it, looking murderously at Ian as he walked this time to get his wine goblet and take another sip. Handing it to Hector he turned once more as Carlos bored in murderously with great skill and power. Ian merely parried, but no longer gave any ground. He again flicked his foot up and shoved Carlos onto his back and again walked to get a sip of wine.

There was no counter attack this time. Seeing that, Ian weaved as if he had a bit too much to drink and fumbling his sword, he dropped it with a ringing sound onto the cobblestones. He picked it up as Carlos panted, watching him. Ian had faked some labored breathing as the duel had progressed, but he in no way looked as tired as Carlos did by now. He allowed Carlos to catch his breath and merely stood with his head tipped to one side a bit. Then he began to walk toward Carlos to engage him. Allowing Carlos to parry every stroke he made, he even slowed his attack some to match his opponents' now-faltering strength and speed. Appearing to tire he began to back away from Carlos then and Carlos gamely bored in with everything he had left. Ian whirled and ducked quickly under a murderous slashing attack and spun past, once more opening a cut on Carlos' other side as he passed by. Waiting patiently for Carlos to catch his breath, he faked his breathing to look as if he was as tired as Carlos. Then he even backed away and sat down on the cobblestones, his sword lying at his side as his shoulders heaved.

Carlos again scrambled to bore in, renewed in confidence at seeing his opponent so tired. Ian scrambled to his feet and parried him and gave ground for a bit until suddenly he reversed things and began to force Carlos back as he pulled his sun glasses down on his nose. Quickly he stepped in close and each grabbed the other's sword arm. Face to face with him, Ian made his eyes glow brightly as he said in a very low voice "Philippe' sends his regards, Carlos."

Carlos' eyes widened suddenly in surprise and dread as he saw Ian's eyes. Ian snapped his foot up to Carlos' chest and pushed him away as he shoved his sun glasses back into place. He then mounted an attack that backed him to the edge of the pond. There was a glittering display of thrust and parry when suddenly Ian ran him through, flicking the blade free in an instant. He walked over to his second, Hector as Carlos collapsed into the pond, dark blood coming from his pierced liver. Ian took the wine goblet and drained it and handed it back to Hector with the borrowed saber. "Much thanks, Senor Ramirez. Via con Dios amigo."

He walked to Carlos' horse and vaulted on to it, galloping away from the square on a road that led west even as the crowd parted to let him through. Running the horse at a dead gallop for about a half mile he dismounted, leading it into a brushy area alongside of the road and removing its saddle. After slapping the horse on its rump, he bounded away back toward town to a small gulley where he had hidden his monk's robe. Abandoning the clothing there except for his boots and broad brimmed hat, he rocketed through the woods southward. Coming to a different road that led into town, he turned eastward and walked back into town on that road, tucking his hat into the folds of his robe.

Coming to the market/bazaar area, he saw that the crowd was still sizable as he passed by unnoticed. At the inn he settled his bill after dressing in conventional clothing and left quickly, walking along until he came to an area of some heavy vegetation. Gliding into that he made his way along narrow streets until he was near a wooded area he had seen before. Ducking into that place he bounded away out of the city. Finding a creek he stripped, bathed and while sitting in the water, he savored it in grim satisfaction.

# Chapter 72

Alandra puzzled over the note. It said it was from Ian but how could he know that Tom wanted that house? Tom had written to Lorn in Barcelona and now had sent word that he had been given a house and was going to ask Celita to marry him. Alandra and Tom both knew that she would accept, so he felt safe in telling both Lorn and Corinne to come to Barcelona. The wedding date would be soon after they arrived.

Tom spent every spare minute at his house repairing the least thing that he thought needed it. He was very happy to get such a wonderful gift and wished that Ian could make the wedding. In fact, what he didn't know was that who he took for a tall monk was actually Ian watching him that very day.

Ian had seen Tom walk up to the hilltop after he left for the afternoon. He sauntered toward Barcelona House. Seeing Alandra's carriage there, he knew that she was still there. As he neared the building, she came out to load packages into her carriage. Ian's heart leaped at the sight of her. Alandra! Would that I had the courage to walk up to you and tell you everything that has befallen me! But then what? Ask you to marry me? Ask you to forego ever having children of your own? Ask you to give up your humanity and take up with a freak?

He altered his direction so that it appeared that he was only passing by the place. Suddenly a man on a horse rode up excitedly. He spoke to her as he handed her a package, and Ian adjusted his hearing to try to hear what was said.

"This is addressed to you, senorita Vasquez. Have you heard the news? Senor Chavez is dead. He was killed in a duel yesterday afternoon. They say a bald drunken man wearing dark glasses killed him at the seaside market! No one could believe it! The authorities are now looking for the man even though it was a duel."

"You're sure of this?"

"Yes, yes!"

She lowered her head and leaned against the carriage for a short while. Then she thanked him and climbed in to drive away. Driving past Ian she glanced at him as she passed and then turned again and stopped the horses. She sat turned in the seat of the carriage, staring at Ian and he at her. They were about seventy feet apart and he had his monk's hood drawn up over his head. Ian nearly called out to her, his heart yearning.

She finally turned and started her team again, heading toward her home. Ian stood watching until she drove out of sight. His heart felt as lead in his chest. Walking slowly to the Inn he decided to pack and be ready to go to Madrid the next day. Until then, he thought to stay and to see as much of the wedding as possible from a distance. Now he couldn't wait to be away from Barcelona, and away from what he could never have. Dejected all of the way to the inn he sat in his room slumped in a chair, becoming angry at his cowardice in this matter. Finally he heaved a deep sigh and began to pack his clothing.

***

Alandra told her mother and father as soon as she entered the house that Carlos Chavez had been killed in a duel. She had been so involved in trying to help Tom buy that house behind Barcelona House that she had not been out and about the city at all. Otherwise she would have known about it yesterday when it happened. Her parents expressed grim satisfaction and her father resolved to get a letter sent to inform Roberto that his son's killer had been killed. He pressed Alandra for more, but she knew no more than that it was supposed to be a drunken bald man wearing dark glasses who did it. They did say something about him stealing Chavez's horse and riding away.

Alandra ate her supper and bathed, then putting on a nightgown and a robe she walked outdoors into the manicured garden area of the estate. Watching the moon rise over the Mediterranean she sat on a stone bench, tipping her head back and gazing up at the stars, thinking of the day that she had learned that Ian had married.

Remembering how she had been angry afterward, and what she thought she would say to him if she ever saw him again; she had come to know that she would never say those angry words. Her anger had turned into a deep and abiding sorrow. It had faded over time and she had to admit that time was a great healer. How much time would it be though before she could ever know happiness again? Carlos's death helped somewhat she supposed, sitting there lost in thought.

As the cicadas and crickets sang, a mellow voice from behind her interrupted her reverie saying "If you look at the end of the big dipper there, you'll be able to find the North Star." Her heart leaped into her throat and she felt a thrill run through her body. Tingling all over she shot to her feet and whirled around. There not ten feet from her stood a tall black silhouette holding a hat in his hands. "Hello Alandra."

"Ian! Oh God, Ian? Is it you, Ian?"

"Aye lassie, it's me."

She ran to him and he met her halfway. With a joyful cry she flung herself into his arms. Embracing her he held her close, feeling the hammering of her heart against his chest. Her clean scent brought back a flood of sweet memories of their days at sea together. "Ah Lass! How I've missed you! How I've missed you!" He pulled his head back then at the same time as she did and they stared into each other's eyes for several seconds, then they kissed. Ian thought his heart might burst for joy. Alandra pulled back and then rained kisses all over his face and kept coming back to kiss his lips hungrily as he responded in kind. Drawing back from her he scooped her up and carried her to the bench where he sat with her in his lap. He kissed her neck and let his lips trace the lovely line of her jaw to the hollow of her throat where he could feel her pulse hammering. She moaned softly and held him tightly, kissing him in return.

At last he pulled back from her with an effort and realized just how heavily she was breathing. "Alandra; I'm going to tell you everything that's happened to me since we parted. It's going to be hard to hear some of it, but I love you so much that I'll hold nothing back."

"Oh Ian! I still can't believe it's you! Just hold me and don't leave!"

"I'm so sorry for the grief that you went through because of what happened to me. I can't go a bit further though until you promise me that you'll never tell this to another living soul."

"Ian what...why...?"

"Your life and the lives of your mother and father and little brother could be lost should the wrong people learn of what you are about to hear. Not even Celita can know because it's too dangerous for her and Tom." Is that acceptable to you?"

He paused and Alandra placed her hands on each side of his face saying "Yes, Ian, I can keep this confidence to myself."

"Very well then; this will take a while but here it is. I was married to Cosette Bouchard in Marseille, aboard Elsie's Cloud. I lost her several years ago when she died trying to save a child. I loved her deeply, Alandra. She saved my life shortly after I arrived in Marseille." He related the entire incident of his fight with LeBlanc and of being bitten by the vampire and of being taken to the home of the Lafayettes. "They helped me transition from human to vampire over a period of three weeks." He paused to let that sink in.

"Ian, I... I... vampire? What is a vampire?"

"A vampire is a being who was human but who has been bitten and infected with vampire venom, and who has been given vampire's blood in order to live." He could see her eyes widen.

"But there are no such things as vampires. I remember now hearing of vampires as a child. They are supposed to be the stuff of legends, Ian."

"They're not legends, but that's what we vampires want people to believe."

"Ian, what... what changed? You seem the same. I don't understand."

"We vampires are different from humans."

"This is so hard to receive. I... I... I'm having trouble understanding."

He gently slid her from his lap and stood up and laid his hat on the bench. "One thing that is different about us is our eyes." Here he made his eyes glow very softly, a pulsating type of glow. Alandra gasped and he then explained that he had to learn to control that because emotions can trigger it. She sat silently, wide-eyed in wonderment.

Then he said "I'll show you something. There's a rabbit right now over on the far side of your garden eating. I can see him and hear him."

"What? Where? How can you see that far in this light?"

"We have keen night vision. Watch now." He suddenly rocketed over to the far side of the garden, caught it, and rocketed back to stand in front of her again. To her wondering eyes it seemed nearly instantaneous. There was a wild rabbit, wriggling in his grasp. He gently put it down and she could see it run away in the moonlight.

'I... I... I don't know what to say!"

"After you hear this if you want me to leave you, I will. If you want me to stay with you, I will stay with you forever. I love you with all of my heart and I think I loved you the first time I ever saw you. This is hard for me to do."

'Ian, what...?"

"I never tried to come back after it happened because I feared that you would look upon me as a... a... freak, a monster. I must drink blood to stay alive." She fell silent, and Ian was aware of only the sounds of crickets and cicadas. There it is. What will she do now? He stood vampire-still, waiting for her response.

"You must drink blood?"

"Yes. Not every day, but we must drink blood from time to time to stay alive.

"I thought that vampires were supposed to be things that drink human blood."

"Some do, but neither I nor my family ever drink human blood."

"Blood...you...your family?"

"Yes. The others who are as I am, whom I live with are as a family to me."

"Ian, this is so...so...incredible...so hard to comprehend."

He stood in front of her in silence allowing her to digest what he was telling her. Then he continued "I know how hard this is to take in, believe me. I could hardly believe it myself when it was happening to me. Afterwards, I felt I had no right to ask you to accept someone like me. I couldn't bear the thought of you sending me away. I just decided to adjust to my life the way it was. I truly thought it was better for you as well as me. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, Alandra. I came to love Cosette deeply and soon we married. I've never stopped missing her. She was a perfect wife to me and I loved her with all of my heart. I sometimes thought of you though."

"You thought of me, Ian? I always thought of you too."

"Aye, I did. Something would trigger a memory of a time we had shared. That was not Cosette's fault but mine for not letting my heart and mind let you go. I truly loved her, Alandra. I was holding on to my humanity I suppose and to the memory of you as well. You are unforgettable."

"I understand, I mean I can see how that could be."

"I nearly didn't come here tonight. I had packed my bags after you saw me this afternoon at Barcelona House."

"Saw you? Where? The monk? That was you? The monk? I knew something was... different... strange about that monk!"

"I was a coward and hid myself from you with a disguise. I was afraid to tell you the truth. Heaven help me I am terrified right now of losing you. I.... I canna bear the thought! Please don't send me away! I've tormented myself with dread of this moment." Here he broke off and began to weep. His shoulders shook as it all came out. He sank to his knees before her and wept without stopping, placing his head in her lap as she began to weep with him. He spoke as he wept; saying "Would to God that this never happened to me, that I could have simply fixed that ship and come back here to you as I planned." She sat on the bench and held him, weeping with him and rocking him gently as all of their stored up grief came out together in a flood.

# Chapter 73

It was nearly dawn. Birds had begun to sing in the gray light. A cock crowed somewhere. Ian and Alandra lay on his cloak with it wrapped around her. She lay with her head pillowed on his chest, fast asleep.

They had talked until late into the night after both of them had vented their grief. She had shared her grief at the things she had experienced after they were separated at sea. He lay with her head on his chest and stroked her hair gently, loving the rising and falling rhythm of her breathing. Her hair gave off an intoxicating scent and the feel of her heartbeat was a constant lovely reminder of how near she was. Finally he woke her gently by kissing her forehead, then her nose then her ear and nuzzling her neck. She stirred and stretched and then clung to him tightly, snuggling closer.

"Alandra; we'd best get you into the house and into your bed before your parents or the staff sees us. I can come to the door in maybe three hours and pretend that I just got here."

"Mmmmm; if the King himself stood here I would send him away." She said as she snuggled closer.

"Come Lass, we must be up and about. There is a wedding to prepare for." He gently laid her aside, stood and stooped, slowly picking her up as if she weighed nothing. Carrying her to the house he set her on her feet at the door. Opening the door she simply took his hand and pulled him into the kitchen. She led him through the dining hall into the spacious parlor and to a large sofa and said "Please sit here and wait." Standing close to him she pulled his head down and gave him a soft kiss. His head swam a bit as he sat down, even as she ran quickly to her room. It seemed like only minutes when she returned. Her hair was brushed and in a ponytail and she was wearing tan colored pantaloons, boots and a loose white top with a high collar and bell sleeves. She sat down with him and leaned over onto his shoulder, while twining her fingers in his. Soon her mother came through on her way to the kitchen.

"Good morning Mama. We have company. Forgive me, but I have asked him to come in. I believe that you and Papa should meet the man I love."

***

The waves parted rhythmically for Elsie's Cloud as she passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. Angus McCloud looked aloft and saw the Scottish Red Ensign next to the Union Jack and remembered that he had gotten out his Scottish registry papers and had hidden the Dutch ones away with the Dutch flag. He still had the letter from the Ambassador Vasquez formally thanking him, and also a letter from the royal family thanking him for doing a good deed in the name of the commonwealth of Britain. He would change over the flag and papers at night when he approached French waters. Damn politics and damn politicians! If these idiotic kings would spend just half of the money improving their countries that they do fighting each other how much better would the world be?

He had decided to buy wine again in Marseille as long as he was going to Barcelona. It would be good to visit Lorn Barnes again too. He wondered if Lorn had any more children and if Ian would hear of the wedding and try to make it. He would send word to the chateau once they got to Marseille. It would be wonderful to catch up with everyone there

He thought of Ian then. Bad turn of events, him losing Cosette. He remembered how bad it was for his entire household to hear of it. They all had really loved her. What a fine lady and what a perfect match for Ian being the same as he and all. So my nephew is a banker now. Who would ever have thought that would happen? And he's a successful one to boot. He sure has had bad luck keeping women though. Anna was a lovely lady and they had seemed so happy. Ian had told him about the accidental blood spilling. Damned bad turn of events, just when he was starting to recover from losing Cosette. I had hopes that they'd marry. I hope he's in Barcelona for this wedding.

***

"Tom, there is someone out here who wants to see you." said Alandra. Tom put down his hammer and came out to the main receiving room and just stared dumfounded.

"Hello, Tom. How do you like that little house up there on the hill?"

"Ian! By Heaven it is you after all! Oh this is a bonny fine turn of events! He ran to Ian and they gave each other bear hugs and slapped each other on their backs. "Let me find Celita." And he turned, running through the place towards the kitchen. Soon he returned with Celita and she ran to Ian and hugged him and kissed him on both cheeks. "I'm so happy you came, Ian. Thank you for our house. It's just what I always wanted and is so close to our work here."

"Why Celita, you now speak English as well as Alandra does."

"Yes, I studied with her when she took instruction. We learned together."

Ian turned to Alandra who smiled sweetly at him. Dear Lord I could fall into those eyes and be lost, just like with Cosette.

"What is it, Ian?"

"Ah Lass, it's just the beauty of your eyes. They've always captivated me. I can still recall the first time I laid eyes on you. I thought my heart might stop at your beauty, and especially your eyes." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

"And I thought you looked like a pirate, but oh, such a handsome one!" Everyone laughed at that. Alandra took Ian on a tour of the facility. When they were through he asked her about a little girl who looked especially bad. Alandra said "She's getting weaker it seems. Nothing has worked."

Ian said "I have an idea, but we'll talk of it later. Do you think you could get most of the children into the dining hall?

"Yes, we could get all of them into it and even little Rosita. We can carry her there. Why do you ask?"

"I thought that if Tom could get his mandolin and if I could borrow a violin, we might play some music for the children this evening after their supper."

"Ian, that's a wonderful idea. I'll send Celita. The neighbor who lives next to their new house has one and I'm sure we can borrow it."

"I'm going to need a kettle, two spoons, and a padded stick. I will make the stick, and you will find the other things. This will be fun."

The evening arrived and the children were all in the main dining hall. Ian merely accompanied Tom as he played and sung a medley of Spanish favorites.

As they played, Ian thought sometimes being a vampire does have its advantages realizing that he could never hope to play like that in his lifetime if he was human. He also did an instrumental version of 'Dance With Anna', the song he composed and even substituted 'Alandra' for 'Anna' and sung it in Spanish.

Alandra's parents walked in the door, smiling and waving to the children who all smiled and waved back.

Later when the children were in bed, Ian and Alandra strolled along the seashore in the moonlight. "Ian that was wonderful tonight. The children loved it so."

"I love children. You know that now I can never have any. We vampires never age, but we're all sterile."

"Yes."

"There are other things about me that I should tell you. I've killed many vampires. I have killed men too."

"You killed men the day you saved Celita and me."

"Yes, but then I was human. I have killed some men since then. I want nothing to be between us. Our kind has a governing body of sorts. They monitor events in Europe and they send vampires to kill other vampires who do such things as that."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes. But they also will kill those who insist on telling others about our existence. I've helped them to kill a coven of vampires in another country. They sent especially for me and I did it willingly. We saved three children that night. It wasn't the first time I've killed vampires to protect their victims."

"Ian, did they ask you to kill humans?"

"No. I won't do that for them either. I've killed humans who abused children. They were disgusting people!" They had circled back to Barcelona House by then and he stopped her, saying "Alandra, I killed Carlos Vasquez. I murdered him, really."

She stopped then. "Ian we hear that it was a drunken bald man who had a golden earring and that it was a fair fight."

"It wasn't a fair fight, Alandra. But that cockroach deserved to die. Please come to the kitchen with me."

Once there, he took a knife and said "Now watch closely." as he cut the inside of his arm. He put the knife down and met her eyes. "Look, Alandra." He took a towel and wiped the blood away and as she looked at it, the wound closed before her eyes. She gasped and raised her eyes to his.

"That's why we're hard to kill, Alandra." My hair grew back overnight. I'd shaved my head every other day for over a week and walked around in that market waiting for Carlos to show up. Every other day I would shave it again before going out wearing these." He pulled the sun glasses from his pocket and put them on. She stared at him, still wide-eyed at all of it, and then oddly she came to him with a serious look, taking his face between her hands. "I'm glad that serpent died. We heard that it was most humiliating the way it happened."

"It was at that. I wanted you to know that too. There is another reason for me telling you this tonight. Rosita is dying. I think I might be able to stop that."

"How can you?"

Ian explained what he did in Lausanne for Andre.

"The boy is still alive after having the wasting disease that many years ago?"

"Yes."

She seemed to be thinking about it, and then she said "Do you want to try that on Rosita?"

"No. I want to make her a small amount of soup, and after it cools to close to blood temperature to add a bit of my blood to it. It can't hurt her, and it might just heal her. I'd like to try it tonight."

She stared at him wordlessly for a moment. Then she said "Let's make some soup for Rosita."

# Chapter 74

Alyssa looked at the note on the bouquet and smiled. It was another one from Damien Girard. She really liked Damien. He was the son of a textiles manufacturer and would one day run Girard Textiles. Not nobility, but wealthy merchant class, like Caryn Rochelle and Alyssa herself. She couldn't help but think of the great advantage of having access to a textile plant for her career in fashion design. She could easily branch out into the actual making of clothing on a broad scale, not just as custom made items for the wealthy.

She mused the merchant's class is what Damien and I are. We're emerging now in Europe, and we'll become buyers of more mass-produced clothing as opposed to the expensive custom clothing that I make and sell now to the noble class. The Alyssa name cannot be associated with that kind of clothing. I must have a new name for it in order not to offend my wealthy clients. The possibilities are endless. I wonder if Caryn would be interested in joining in with me in this new venture. If so, I won't work for her, but she'd work for me. That might not be well-received. Maybe she should just stay where she is as a premiere producer of custom fashions after all. I'm fortunate indeed to have been born French. Women in business would be looked down upon in Britain or in Spain in these times. At least here in France we're not shunned for having a head for business and being good at it. I've been fortunate indeed and in no small part due to the Lafayettes. I will owe them for my success forever.

She looked forward to going to see Celeste perform with Damien. He had been interested in her from the first time they had met. He was attentive, courteous, not pretentious and very focused. He has such nice eyes and such a kissable mouth too! Alyssa, you are a naughty girl! And what of Ian? Last I heard he's in Spain. Has to travel more now what with being senior officer of the Lafayettes. I miss him. Is it getting warmer in here or is it me? Mmmm, I am naughty! What of me crossing over? No children ever? There is always adoption though. Do I want to do that? There's too much I don't know about becoming one of the others. If I marry one such as Damien, that door will forever close. If I stay single as I am now, I can cross over any time. I wonder if I should have just done it while I was at the chateau. That could close the door to a life with Damien. I'm coming to a crossroad it seems. I wish Marie was in Paris. I could ask her advice. She thinks of everything.

***

Little Rosita improved daily. The color was coming back in her cheeks and her appetite became normal again. She would soon leave Barcelona House being as her grandfather would take her in. The rest of her family had perished in a tragic fire.

Lorn and Corinne Barnes had made it to Barcelona, and were all excited about the wedding. Tom and Celita had decided to have it at Barcelona House and have the celebration there as well.

Ian and Alandra had taken a day to be alone together. He hadn't attempted to become intimate with her, wanting to court her properly as one so young deserves to be courted at least once in her life. Things had been different when he had been imprinting and had to engage in intimacy in order not to lose that ability forever. This was different and he resolved to do it properly.

She had packed food and wine for them and they were well on their way out into the countryside beyond Barcelona. Ian kept driving the carriage along until the countryside became wild and sparsely inhabited. He had turned off of the little road they had been following and had gone some distance into the woods. Freeing the horse from its harness he put it on a long tether where it could graze and drink from a stream.

He lifted Alandra down and showed her his copper bowl and flasks and explained their use. "Now that we're where no one can see us, I can show you some of the things that we vampires can do." He took the copper implements from the rucksack, a pistol and some other things not needed, and put back only his knife, flint, salt, and toothbrush. He was wearing cotton seaman's pants and a loose fitting long sleeve shirt and she was wearing pantaloons, a long sleeve blouse, boots and a wide brimmed hat. "You'll carry this" he said as he put the rucksack on Alandra and adjusted the straps.

"What will you carry?"

"I'll carry the most important thing in the world."

He produced a broad leather strap and made a slip loop around each of her wrists with it. "This is in case you slip and let go. It will keep you from falling." He turned his back to her and knelt in front of her. "Climb aboard, Alandra. Ready?"

"Yes."

He bounded away then, slowly at first. Alandra laughed and kissed his neck. In ten seconds he was going full speed and bounding in great leaps over gullies and large rocks. They rocketed through the woods at a dizzying pace until he came to a tall tree and leaped to a point halfway up the trunk, swarming the rest of the way up to near its top. There they found a fairly broad limb that formed a saddle. He turned and deposited her in it and then turned to her and kissed her gently. They could see an azure line that was the Mediterranean dominating the horizon to the east. White puffy cumulus clouds dotted the sky and there was a light northerly breeze to make the treetop sway gently.

"Oh, Ian! I never imagined such a thing! Did you tell me that you took Celeste running like this?"

"Yes. She loves it. Alandra?"

"Yes."

"I've been with other women after Cosette died."

"I... didn't know that."

"I thought you'd surely married by that time."

"I would have been married if not for Carlos Chavez. You were right to think that. I can see how you could meet someone who could take away your grief. Philippe' was like that for me. I was going to marry him, Ian. I did love him."

"Yes. I can see that. Regarding the women; I didn't seek them. It just happened. There were two of them."

"Two?"

Ian chuckled "Not two at one time." He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair. "I met one along a roadside one evening. She and her uncle were passengers on a carriage and I helped the driver make a repair. They offered me a ride and that is how I met Anna. I invited them to stay at Marie and Henri's chateau. They were traveling that direction anyway. It was around three months or so after Cosette's death that we became intimate. Anna had stopped at the chateau to see us on her way home. She was forty years old at the time. She sent me away a few years later after learning of what I am. We never married. That was hard on me, the rejection and disgust."

"I could tell that when you spoke in the garden at my parent's house. I mean the sorrow... in your voice, Ian. Why did you not marry her?"

"I was afraid to tell her about myself, and I would never ask a woman to be my wife without her knowing about me."

"That is only right, and you've been truthful with me. I admire that, and I expect it."

"I later by chance happened across Alyssa, a girl I knew from before." He then explained imprinting and what he had to do during the three weeks to avoid becoming impotent. He told her that Alyssa had been his partner for one night for that and had afterward gone to Paris.

"She just came out to that chateau and... took up with you?"

"I know, Lass, but that is how some of the French do things and so do some of the Scandinavians. Alyssa is impulsive in that way. Cultures and customs differ from place to place. You wouldn't believe some of the things they do in the East, like in India or China. Anyway, years later I had saved her from a coven of vampires in Paris."

"She was captured?"

"Yes. We became lovers some time later, and we've been together from time to time since Anna sent me away. She lives in Paris and her work is her life. There has been no one else."

She sat silent, digesting this new information. Then she said "I'm glad that you told me this. I'm not disgusted. You didn't ask for this to happen to you. Who could ever even dream of such a thing happening? I'm overjoyed that you have come back to me. My heart sings when I see you. I love you."

"I love you, Alandra. Will you marry me?"

"Oh Ian, yes I will marry you! Yes! Yes! Yes!" She took his face between her two hands and rained kisses all over, ending with a long and passionate kiss on his lips. She laughed then and was thinking I thought you would never ask, my love! Madre de Dios! It has been hard to restrain myself when with you! I almost wish that you were not so much of a gentleman! She said "In fact, I know a convenient place for a wedding and I've heard that they're planning to have a wedding there soon. I think that a double wedding would be twice as nice as a single one, don't you?"

He flashed a smile then and said "Oh yes! Yes I do! We'll go back and drink some wine to seal this. But first, let's go catch some fish to roast with our lunch."

"Now wait, Ian. What would you have done if I'd said no to your proposal?"

His eyes twinkling he said "Why we'd just sit here in this tree until you changed your mind!" She threw back her head and laughed then and he kissed her. Then he smiled and turned about for her to climb aboard his back. After securing her strap, he leaped from the top of the tree as she screamed all of the way down. They bounded away at a dizzying speed until they came to a stream.

She watched him snatch fish from the stream in a shady pool formed by a fallen tree and a natural rock formation. He only caught two. Soon they had four fillets boned and ready. Ian snatched up handfuls of long grass and wrapped the fillets in it and put them into his rucksack. Alandra climbed on again and they rocketed away. Shortly they were at the place where they had left the horse and carriage. She prepared their food while Ian built a fire. Soon they were frying the fish and some wild leeks in olive oil, in a pan that they brought. They ate a leisurely meal then and toasted their upcoming wedding.

He looked lovingly at her and said "Alandra. I can bring you over any time if you want to be like this...like I am.

She sat silently staring at her plate. "What is it like?"

"It takes three weeks for it to be complete and then you'd never age or get ill again. It would be best to do it in France, where Marie and Henri live. You could never walk uncovered in sunlight nor have children either though. I'm never going to bring it up to you again. It's your choice and I want to live my life with you no matter which way you choose. You are the center of my world."

She nodded her understanding and leaned over to kiss him then. He continued, saying "I know that I told you that I wished that this had never happened to me, but I do want you to know that my new family is wonderful. I love being with them as often as I can. You would really love them, Alandra. There has been a lot of good in my new life since I became a vampire. Other than missing you and losing Cosette and Anna, it has mostly been really good."

They packed up after Ian kicked the coals apart and doused the remains of the fire with water from his copper bowl. He packed all of his belongings into the bag except the loaded pistol which he put in his sash with his knife. Loading the carriage he picked Alandra up and stood her in the carriage as if she was a babe.

They'd gone less than a mile when Ian spied three horsemen about two hundred yards distant, approaching them. He stopped the carriage and set the brake firmly, even as he unbuttoned his shirt. Without turning to Alandra he said "I don't like the looks of those three."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've seen their kind more than once. If they part and let our carriage pass, then I'm wrong, but if they stop and block the road, they're criminals."

"What... what will you do?"

"Only whatever they force me to do. Don't be afraid. They won't harm you."

The one in the lead stopped in the middle of the road, not yielding. The other two flanked him, which told Ian all that he needed to know. They didn't even bother to draw their pistols.

"Bueno dia, senor and senorita."

"Bueno dia." said Ian with a smile, coolly watching and gauging the distance.

'The senorita doesn't talk? Such a shame for one so very pretty, no?"

Ian watched. Just a little closer, you bastards he thought.

The leader edged closer not seeing this fool carrying any weapons. Drawing his pistol, he said "Have you any money, senor?" His companions urged their mounts a little closer too, spreading out away from their leader a bit, but blocking the road.

"Yes." Ian slowly took one hand and pulled his leather purse and thong over his head. Tossing it high and to the left side of the leader his vampire eyes tracked the eyes of all three of them as they followed the high arc of his purse. He pulled his pistol and shot the leader between his eyes when the bag reached its highest point. Before the bag had hit the ground he had grabbed and flung his knife backhanded with his other hand, burying it in the throat of the second man. By the time that knife had found its mark, he had leaped from his seat across a twenty foot gap to snag the third man by the throat as he flew past him. He twisted that man's head completely around, snapping his neck as they both started downward, with Ian landing on his feet in a crouch. It was over, never having a chance to get started.

"Alandra, are you all right?"

She sat in the carriage staring wide-eyed. "Yes. Oh Ian, it was so fast!"

He methodically retrieved his purse and weapons. Then he searched each body, relieving them of their pistols and knives. Two had purses with some money. He cut the purse thongs and took them to Alandra. "For expenses at the hospital." Everything else he put into his rucksack and tossed it on the floor of the carriage. Rounding up the three horses he inspected them for brands. One had a brand so he took the saddle off of it and slapped its rump, sending it running. Tossing that saddle in the back, he took the other two horses and tied them to the rear of the carriage. Disposing of the bodies he then vaulted into the carriage, leaning over to kiss Alandra and starting their horse down the road.

"I'm sorry you had to see something like that. You can sell the saddles and horses. The money you get can do some good at Barcelona House, and Alandra; they were going to do far worse than rob us." She shivered and edged closer to him, winding her arm under his and leaning her head on his shoulder.

# Chapter 75

Anna was filling in for a bank manager one day who was ill. She had to go over a pile of documents and among them was a request for a loan. It was for a substantial sum of money. She noticed the name on the loan as one Lukas Eschmann.

Her secretary came in and said that Herr Eschmann was there now, and desired to speak to the bank about his request for funds. She had the secretary show him in. She stood and welcomed him to her bank. He was a really nice looking man of about thirty five years who had kind blue eyes that looked like they could be merry, but had not been in a while. She thought now how did I guess that?

They discussed the plans he had brought with him to show the bank. She looked at them with interest and judged him to be a sound businessman based on his reputation; so she told him his loan would be approved and that if he could return later that day he could have the money. He stood and thanked her and walked out.

Later he returned and took his funds, thanking her once again. This time she extended her hand. He took it and bowed slightly, brushing his lips on the back of it.

Two days later, she received a bouquet and an invitation to dine at a fine local establishment in Lausanne. The invitation was from Lukas Eschmann. She thought about that for some time, and then she decided to accept. He was a widower of good moral repute who had two young daughters. She thought I'm no spring chicken and he's quite handsome after all. And I'm still naughty, aren't I? I've been without a man for too long now. He's quite a bit younger than I, but since when did that ever stop me? She laughed out loud at that thought. What chance do I have with reconciling with Ian? Oh! The very thought of that! Mmmm! Is it getting warmer in here or is it me? Now I'm really being naughty! I wonder what Lukas would think if he only knew what I'm thinking right now! Anna you are indeed a naughty and wanton woman! She laughed aloud once again then at the delicious thoughts going through her mind. Yes, Lukas. I'll accept your invitation. Indeed I will!

***

Elsie's Cloud rode at anchor in the harbor of Barcelona. Angus and the crew had welcomed Ian and Tom and their prospective brides warmly. Celita and Alandra walked all about the deck of Elsie with their prospective husbands. They would point to this place or to that place and recount an event or experience from those days following their rescue. Ian spoke with Angus, learning the news from Scotland. Angus was as ramrod straight and lean as ever but Ian's vampire eyes could see the telltale signs of age. MacCarr had come and given Ian a bone crushing hug as always that now seemed little different to Ian than that of another crewman. He hugged MacCarr applying a tiny bit of vampire strength and heard him grunt in pain.

"Why Mark, methinks ye are getting a mite soft what with your advanced age and all."

"Hah! I'm still champion of this ship in arm wrestling and no peacock banker is going to change that!"

"Oho! A wager then! You win and I get dunked into the harbor, I win and you go into the drink?"

"Done then! Bring us three barrels. This banker man is goin' swimmin' lads."

Wagers were quickly made and a crowd of their crewmates gathered. Shortly they were at it. Ian pretended to struggle mightily and let it go back and forth for a good while, and then he slowly but surely bore Mark's arm down flat on the barrel. MacCarr sat there in wide-eyed disbelief. There was a great cheer because no one had ever bested MacCarr at arm wrestling including Ian.

MacGregor said "Mark, why don't ye bring us back some fish while ye are down there then lad?" This brought laughter all around.

"MacCarr, it wasn't fair. Ian gets to toss those heavy bags of gold all about every day. You never had a chance laddie." Said Armando as the crew hooted.

"You tell them fishes that the banker sent you to collect on their note now, Mark!" said another as he walked like a man going to the gallows. More laughter erupted at that.

"Say hello to Davey Jones now while you're down there, Mark" said another as the crew hooted and guffawed.

Grumbling and red-faced, MacCarr turned only to see Ian walking over to him. "Here grandfather. Let me help you over the side." He then grabbed Mark by the seat of his pants and the scruff of his neck, stooping quickly and lifting him over his head to toss him into the harbor. There were cheers and raucous laughter mingled with applause. Celita and Alandra laughed harder than anyone. They hadn't forgotten the time MacCarr had tossed Ian over the side after an arm-wrestling match years ago. Alandra caught Ian's eye and he let his eyes glow briefly as he winked at her. She put her hand over her mouth as she doubled over and began to laugh all over again.

My God but she is beautiful, and what a blessed man am I! He saw Angus shaking his head and laughing. Ian walked over to him and said "I've wanted to beat him at that for years and I wasn't passing up the chance today."

"Aye laddie he did crow every time he beat you all of those years. 'Twas a sweet sight at that." About then both Alandra and Armando joined them, laughing as hard as they both could. Armando said "Ian, aren't you the devious one now, and what a sight that was! I'll never tell him he was arm wrestling with a vampire if you don't!" The four of them erupted with laughter anew at their private joke.

***

The day came and Elsie was decked out fit for a wedding, with flowers everywhere and the crew dressed in their white tops and navy blue pants. All of the children of Barcelona House that were well enough to come did so. Eduardo Vasquez had once again bought all new outfits for the entire crew as he had done years before when his daughter was safely returned. He thought back to that time it is only fitting that two of the men who saved the two of them from an unspeakable horror marry them today. God has smiled on me and my family this day in spite of my folly.

They had sailed the ship out of the harbor and the priest from Alandra's family's church performed the ceremony at sea with the four of them standing together. Armando had played his violin as the two brides walked down the aisle, one on each side of Eduardo. He had paid to have two wedding gowns made exactly alike for the two, being as Celita was as a daughter to him anyway. Little Rosita scattered rose petals in front of them as they walked to the aft deck where the priest, Tom, and Ian waited. Celita and Tom said their vows first, and then Ian and Alandra immediately after. As Ian kissed Alandra he thought I haven't been this happy since I married Cosette. The children of Barcelona House cheered and applauded along with the crew.

Armando played a lively Gaelic tune and the newlyweds danced most of the way back to the harbor. The celebration was at Barcelona House and all were invited except the ship watch being six men. Ian paid them handsomely for missing the festivities.

At the celebration, Ian was asked by the children to do the Cossack Hopak dance. It seemed that it was their favorite. Sometime after he had performed the dance for the children, Ian and Alandra slipped away while some of the seamen were trying to learn the dance.

Angus had told him that they could have the ship to themselves that evening. Ian had made provisions and preparations for the entire crew to stay at Barcelona House overnight, and the ship's officers were to stay at the Vasquez estate. Ian rowed the two of them out to Elsie in the longboat at vampire speed. He let the six men on duty leave for the night, and they weren't due back until noon the next day. Angus had given over his own cabin for them.

Ian was sensitive to Alandra possibly being nervous, so he simply held her hand and walked the deck with her. They gazed at the stars and the big Barcelona moon overhead. He kissed her neck and nuzzled her gently as he stood behind her at the bow. "Lassie, we first kissed at the bow of Tico and I thought my heart might stop that day. Now here we are man and wife. I didn't believe it could happen this way."

"I always hoped but that hope gradually died and my happiness with it, until you returned. I've never been as happy as now. Take me to our bed, and let me show you." He kissed her deeply then, each of their tongues gently caressing the other. The fire of desire rose in both of them then. Ian scooped her up as she kissed him all about the face and neck as he carried her to the cabin. Ian could scarcely believe her fervor.

He was quite tender and slow and after her discomfort passed a night of unrivaled splendor unfolded for them both. She wept freely after they had finished, and he held her even as his own eyes brimmed with tears of joy.

After only two hours she awoke and they again made love. This time it was even more enjoyable for her and she was markedly more aggressive.

The next morning Alandra stretched languorously and then cuddled close to Ian. She murmured "Shall we live the rest of our lives here aboard this ship, Ian?"

"If so, I'll live it happily as long as you're here too."

"Mmmm; you do know how to say the right thing, love"

"On the subject of where to live, I have a surprise for you, Senora McCloud."

"Mmmm; I like that title. If you say it one more time, I'll show you how much I like it."

"Why Senora McCloud, whatever do you mean?" Very shortly she showed him exactly what she meant.

Later he arose and kindled a small fire beneath the special copper tub he had bought and had delivered to the ship. He brought four buckets of water at vampire speed and poured it in. After preparing Alandra a breakfast of eggs and a small filet of beef with fresh squeezed orange juice, he went on deck and lowered the cargo net into the harbor. He stripped and dove in to have a bath. When he was through he came back on deck and dressed, having decided to give Alandra privacy for the sake of her becoming accustomed to being married.

She emerged on deck some time later, dressed in black riding pantaloons and a loose fitting white blouse, her hair in a simple ponytail. "I have a complaint to register with the manager of this establishment, sir."

Smiling, he drew her to him and wrapped his arms about her "And what would that be, Senora McCloud?"

"Mmmm; sir, don't try to take advantage of me by using those magical words. I've learned just this morning of your trickery in that regard. I was bathing this morning and there was no one to scrub my back."

"I can assure you that will never happen again, Senora McCloud."

"Well, it had better not" she said as she tipped her head back and drew him down for a long kiss. When they separated she said "You mentioned a surprise?"

"Aye; let's go ashore and see what it is, shall we?"

"Mmmm; I was ready to take another bath, but not alone."

"I almost wish I'd not arranged this surprise, but I'll let you judge that."

Ian had arranged and paid for a stable boy to bring two horses to the dock and to wait. Soon they were riding toward the north and up into the hills. They came to a villa sitting on a rise that gave it a commanding view of the city and harbor. It had a driveway of some four hundred feet length. They rode up to the front portico and tied their mounts to the hitching post. Ian took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He turned to Alandra and swept her up and stepped over the threshold into the foyer. There he stood her and then kissed her. "Welcome home, Alandra."

"Ian, what...what is this?"

"It's our home, at least for the next month. I put money on it as a lease for one month and then I can buy it or return it to the owner. Do you like it?"

"Oh Ian, I love it! I love the view! Oh, let's look out in the back. Does it have a back yard?"

"Why yes, it has a four hundred acre back yard."

Her hands flew up to her mouth "Oh! So big!"

"The place where I lived most often in France is eight times this big and so is the house." She turned to him wide-eyed "Why so big?"

"The owners are vampires. They like their privacy. They're the ones who helped me so much after I was infected."

"That would be Marie and...Henri?"

"Yes. Let me show you the rest of the house first though." Ian did so and then told her to change anything about it that she didn't like.

"I want to take you to Marie and Henri's home."

"So we'll go to France?"

"Yes. I want you to meet them both. You'll love them, Alandra. They're such fine people. Oh, I forgot to tell you but Li Hong has crossed over. He's a vampire too and is married. They live there too."

"Li is the one who was teaching you to fight?"

"Yes. Mustafa and Cosette's brother live there too."

"Mustafa lives there now? Are they.....?

"No. They're human, but may cross over when they're grown. Children aren't allowed to cross over."

"Why?"

"They're too uninhibited. While we're talking about this, I need to tell you that Rosita must never be allowed to eat after me. She must never take a bite from an apple after I have or any other thing. She must never drink from the same cup either."

"Why? You mean that she...could..."

"Maybe. She might possibly be infected and then she would cross over, to become a child vampire. She's going soon to live with her grandfather?"

"That's true. She leaves this week."

They went riding then and soon were in the woods. There was a good sized river running through the place and there were eight different natural pools where it was either shady or sunny. A small waterfall of maybe ten feet height emptied into a deep pool area. Numerous places afforded stupendous views of the sea and the surrounding countryside.

They talked then of having Angus and his officers stay at their new house a few days and of Ian building a place for some of the children to come play on special occasions.

"I have to go away to Madrid on bank business. I'd like for you to come with me. Can Celita and Tom run the hospital while you're gone?"

'Yes. I'm going wherever you go. That is that. I remember what happened when we parted last time. No more of that for me!"

"Alandra, I'm so happy! When we get done with that business, I'm taking you to Henri and Marie's place. You're going to love it. Then we'll go and see Celeste sing and see my home in Scotland and my grandparents in the Netherlands. I'm going to take you to the Swiss Confederation in the wintertime and teach you how to skate on ice. We'll go to Vienna too and maybe Prussia. Oh lass, we are going to see and do so much together. I can't even tell you all that I want to show you!"

"Then we'll do it all love, and we'll do it together."

# Chapter 76

"Marie, I've been working on our new identities. Did you find out anything about that property near Zurich?"

'I did. It's around three thousand six hundred acres more or less. The home and buildings are in mostly good condition. Do we know any more about the place in Luxembourg?"

"No. I expect to hear by next week at the latest. I've found a good place in Lausanne too, on Lake Geneva. I heard about a place near Turin, in Italy. It was a big one though, some five thousand acres, both sides of the river too."

"Zurich might be best."

"Yes. Karl and I have done a preliminary sketch up of a new identity for us as the Laforges. We have done all of the outlines for the necessary property transfers. Some would be directly owned by this Laforge couple but over ninety percent would be anonymously held in our trust network. And by the way" he said with a wink "I hear that that Mrs. Laforge is a petite and ravishing brunette."

"Well sir, I hear that Mr. Laforge is a devastatingly handsome banker." She walked to his chair and plopped into his lap, kissing him and tousling his hair.

"He's one lucky man, I can tell you that. Getting back to this other though, we have to consider the laws of the Swiss Confederation, and in particular the Zurich and Lausanne Cantons. We also have to take into account French, Spanish, Italian, and English laws. Oh yes, and the laws of the Duchy of Luxembourg and the southern and northern Netherlands. The outlines make it easier. Karl has been a big help here. We only have a few years though to make our move. Ian should be returning from Spain in the near future. I want his input on this move too."

"Do you think he'll have success with the Rodriguez bank?"

"Yes."

"I do too. If you give up your seat on the council, we won't have to remain so close to France. Your region would be taken over by a newly appointed judge. We could go anywhere we want then."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I know that Ian would like to see America. I've seen something in his eyes when he talks of the place. He has meant so much to me, Henri. If we ever decide to expand into America, he's the one to do it for us."

"Do you want to go there too?"

"Mmmm, someday I want to go there with you. I think it's too soon for us to go there. We aren't accustomed to the kind of life that they live over there. Ian would love it there, no doubt. He's unattached except for Alyssa now."

"Alyssa. Hmmm; aren't we going to bring her over?"

"Yes, if she wants it. Ian has told her a little bit, since she did recognize him as the one who rescued her. She could do it any time if she chooses. I have word that she has a young man who is more than just interested in her though."

"Speaking of Ian and being attached, don't forget that the Spanish girl... Alandra is it? She lives in Barcelona, and you know how he loved her. And he's still in Spain now."

"Oh, Henri, she's long since married, especially in Spain."

"You're probably right. Anyway getting back to this move and all....."

"I support you completely and I think your influence on the Council is good for Europe and for all of our kind as well. I haven't changed in my feelings about that at all. I know that you get weary of the travel. But really, most of it is to do with the banking and not with Council business."

"That's true."

"To cut the amount of time that you travel I think we should bring in both Louis and Mustafa. Both are bright and multilingual."

"They're still a bit too young."

"Yes, you'd have to do it all with Ian and Li for a while yet, then they'd be old enough. We can bring both of them to cross over either before or after the move. They should be as valuable to us in banking as Ian has been. And don't forget that your travel has been in large part due to getting the draft-sharing system working. Now that it's working well, you won't have the demands there like before either."

"How did I get such a smart and lovely wife?"

"You were sooo lucky, were you not?"

"Don't I know it? Mmmm; the boys have gone fishing, the staff has gone for supplies, and here you are sitting on my lap." He kissed her and soon it became a passionate kiss. He leaped to his feet and in one bound landed at the foot of the staircase carrying her. She shrieked 'Henri!' followed by laughter as still carrying her he bounded to the top of the staircase in one leap.

***

Alandra and Ian had hosted Angus and the officers of Elsie at their home in the hills above Barcelona for some four days. They had said their goodbyes and had left for Madrid as soon as Angus and the rest of them had departed. Ian had promised that he and Alandra would come to Scotland.

In Madrid, Ian had gone to El Banco de Rodriquez and had formally presented his proposal to the manager there. He now knew that the Rodriguez bank was founded by who would have been Alandra's father in law had not their son Philippe' been killed in the duel with Carlos. He would let the thing play out as it would and wouldn't try to capitalize on that. So he and Alandra went sightseeing as would befit any wealthy young Spanish couple.

Ian noticed that things were far more staid and formal in Madrid as compared to Barcelona. The city was larger and there were lots of sights to see. The second day Alandra suggested they hire a carriage and driver to show them all of the different buildings, offices, and other features, as well as homes of prominent people. They spent an enjoyable afternoon this way. Just before they were finished with their tour they turned into a fashionable and well-manicured part of the city. There was an imposing three story stone building which the driver announced was the home of the Chief Prosecutor for the Crown. Ian rolled his eyes to Alandra to see if she had caught that Carlos' father lived there. She met his gaze and nodded.

They spent one more day sightseeing and looking around at the surrounding countryside. Then they decided to go to the bank before leaving. The chief there told them that Senor Rodriquez himself was in Madrid and in his office at that very minute. Shortly Ian and Alandra were shown in to his office.

Roberto looked up and his face split into a smile of joy when he saw Alandra. He rose immediately coming around his large desk, and formally kissed her hand saying "Alandra, how good it is to see you!" Then he looked toward Ian with his eyebrows raised. They were introduced. Extending his hand Rodriguez said "Senor McCloud, if you are this lovely lady's husband, then I'm simply Roberto to you."

"If you are Roberto to me, I'm Ian to you."

"Then please be seated, Ian. I've gone over your proposal and now after meeting you I have no further questions. I want to do this partnership today. I was a merchant for many years and I know well how easy it is to buy and sell goods across borders if there is a reliable system of honoring drafts. If you're ready, I'll summon my officer with the necessary paperwork. We can sign both your copies for Banque de Lafayette and mine here and now. Please allow me to get the paperwork now." He then left the room

He was gone a bit when Alandra said "Ian, when you killed Carlos, did he truly know why he was being killed?" There was the sound of papers dropping to the floor behind them. Ian turned in a panic just in time to see Roberto standing frozen, staring at them. Alandra covered her mouth with both hands. He straightened and stepped back and looked around to be sure no one else had heard that and then closed his door and came around the desk with the papers.

"My officer will be here shortly with the other copies. I heard what you said, Alandra. Is this true?'

Alandra looked at Ian who nodded. "Yes, it's true. Ian killed him in a duel. He humiliated him in front of several hundred people exactly where Philippe' was killed." Roberto looked at Ian and raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes.

Ian nodded silently.

"I wish I'd seen that. I wish that I could have said what I have thought these years since that murderer did his work."

"I got to tell him that Philippe' had sent his regards."

He nodded in grim satisfaction. "Good then. He was reputed to be the finest swordsman in Spain."

"On that day, I was better."

"But why did you kill him?"

"I was following Alandra when she went to the grave. She didn't know I was in Barcelona. After she left, the caretaker at the cemetery told me how it happened. I knew then that I would see him pay for what he'd done to her."

'How is it that you were following Alandra?"

Ian looked to Alandra then and she told Roberto the entire story of how they met. The officer with the papers had to wait outside a good while until she had finished. Roberto came around the desk then and taking Ian's hands drew him to his feet and hugged him for a long time. With tears in his eyes, he said "I'm grateful, Ian. Alandra is as a daughter to us and now you're as a son to us. We're in your debt."

"You're not in my debt Roberto; I did the world a favor. For ours and your sakes, it is best forgotten."

"You two must come to Almeria. I won't take no for an answer."

"We will, but only if you and your wife will visit us in Barcelona. We live there now." They parted company then, but only until the evening when Roberto had them over to his place in Madrid. The rest of the evening was just spent by Roberto asking about Scotland and in particular about the time when Alandra was rescued from the pirates.

# Chapter 77

Ian and Alandra stood near the bow of the Xebet as she came into the harbor of Marseille. Soon they were in a carriage going to the chateau. That afternoon they arrived, surprising Marie and Henri completely. Introductions were made and hugs and kisses were exchanged all around. Mustafa ran to greet Alandra and she was astonished at how he had grown. He was maybe a bit taller than Ian now and was only twenty. Louis was introduced to her and Ian reminded Alandra that Cosette had been his sister.

They had a pleasant evening visiting then and later Ian played his violin to accompany Marie on her piano. The next day they went riding and they took a change of clothing and went to the waterfall to swim for several hours. Ian caught a mess of fish downstream from there and they had roast fish that night for supper. Alandra got to meet Sophia when Li and she came over for supper. The two women seemed to take to each other right away. Alandra hugged Li and complimented him on having such a lovely wife.

Over the next few days, she truly came to know why Ian loved these people so much. It took time for her to adjust her mind to being in the presence of five vampires as one of only three humans not counting the staff

The personal library of the Lafayettes was impressive and Alandra soon could understand how it was that Mustafa and Louis were so well-educated. There was an impromptu firearms exhibition one afternoon and she could see for herself the level of marksmanship that all of the family had. It was explained to her why Ian had been the one to get everyone interested in practicing with firearms as well as swordsmanship and unarmed combat.

She got to see Angel's Care Orphanage and was impressed at the efficiency of the place and how the children learned skills which would enable them to take their place as responsible French citizens. Alandra resolved to expand Barcelona House to include remedial education at first and later maybe animal husbandry and agriculture using some of the land at their home in Barcelona. She wanted to build a dormitory of sorts there for a select group of older children to stay while learning practical things. The sewing facilities at Angels' Care and the fact that all of Marie's facilities even made their own clothes impressed her greatly. Ian was delighted to see her so animated and pledged his entire support for anything she wanted to try at Barcelona House. He promised her that they would hire more workers as soon as they returned.

When they said their goodbyes, Marie and Henri each held Alandra and told her that she was their daughter now, just as Ian was their son. The two women cried a bit and a promise was made that Marie and Henri would bring Louis and Mustafa to Barcelona when Celeste came to Madrid to sing. They would make it a special event and spend some real quality time in Spain with the two of them. There was also talk of meeting in Paris, and maybe traveling to London together as well.

***

In a few days, they arrived in Barcelona and set to work expanding the staff at Barcelona House and making plans to add a classroom to the place. Ian had already drawn plans for a basic playground of sorts and a way to utilize the creek that passed through the property for watering a sizable garden. The time flew by and in three weeks they departed for Scotland by way of Paris. Alandra had never seen the southwest region of France so Ian took her that way. They took three weeks to reach Paris.

In Paris they went to see Caryn and Celeste at Caryn's home. Even though she knew the story of Celeste's rescue, Alandra was surprised to see the love that Celeste had for Ian. She was nineteen now and yet she greeted him with the unrestrained joy of a little girl. When Ian introduced Alandra to her as his wife, Celeste's eyes widened and she put her hands to her cheeks and jumped up and down like a little girl and then hugged Alandra and kissed her cheeks. Alandra took an immediate liking to her as well. They stayed at Marie and Henri's spacious suite on the Champs Elysees. Celeste took them all over Paris and showed them things that Ian had never even seen himself.

When the three of them were alone, Alandra questioned Celeste about the kidnapping and was fascinated to hear of her visions of their rescue before it happened. She realized that this vivacious young lady had had a nightmarish life as a child and with love and help from Ian and the Lafayettes had become this wonderful person. There was a kinship with Celeste being as they were both young human ladies who knew and loved several vampires. There can't be too many like us around, after all she thought. They soon became fast friends. Celeste was excited at the prospect of singing in Madrid and promised a performance in Barcelona as well while there. She now had standing invitations in London, Vienna, Berne, Lausanne, Brussels, and Paris. They decided to stay in Paris and go to one since she could appear there in a week if she chose to. The arrangements were made.

The eve of the performance, Caryn, Ian and Alandra sat in the box seat reserved for Marie, Henri and the senior officers of their bank in Paris. Celeste stood on stage in her signature formal white gown as the curtain rose. She gave a short testimony for those who had not heard before about her being an orphaned girl and about her life being saved by a man in the audience tonight. She asked the audience to welcome Ian McCloud and his wife Alandra. They both stood to a warm round of applause. She also introduced her aunt Caryn and had her stand to applause as well

Her performance was stellar. At the end, she blew her signature kiss toward Ian and the others in that box, and another to the crowd. She stood as always then, head bowed towards the audience as the curtain dropped. Ian and Alandra stood in applause and shouted "Viva Celeste!" with the entire audience. The applause was deafening.

Afterward they toasted her success with champagne at Caryn's home. As the group talked happily, congratulating her, Ian was taken back to the first time he had ever seen her in a filthy cell under a dilapidated house in Marseille. He shook his head in amazement at how far she had come from that unlikely beginning.

***

Roberto Rodriquez was finishing his last day at his bank in Madrid. He would be departing for Almeria the next morning. Suddenly there was an outburst in his outer offices. He got up to see what was the cause of it and his doors burst open. In came four of the King's men and laid hold of him. A tall middle-aged man with cruel eyes then stalked into the room and said "Senor Rodriquez?"

"Yes, I am he."

"You're under arrest for sedition and for plotting against the King."

"What. Who are you to arrest me anyway?"

"I'm Lord Enrique Chavez, prosecutor for the Crown."

Roberto stared at him speechless. This was maybe the most feared man in all of Spain. He was the father of the man who had killed his son in a duel in Barcelona some years earlier. More than one pillar of Spanish society had gone to the hangman on the directive of this man. Roberto thought what can he possibly know?

"I've done no such thing. I've been a loyal subject of the King all of my life and am known to be so by everyone in my community."

"You've grown to be quite wealthy being so...loyal, have you not, Senor?"

"Is that a crime then? To become wealthy in one's later years after a life of hard work is sedition against the crown?"

"There is the question of whether or not you've paid all of the taxes due to the crown all of those years."

"I've always paid my taxes when due every year. I can prove that too, even though I have since sold all of those business interests."

"Yes. Well, a full investigation will be made, Senor. Of course these things take time and we will want to be thorough on behalf of His Majesty."

"So I'm to be held in Madrid while you investigate my business dealings for the past thirty years?"

"You do live in Almeria and there is the danger of you leaving by ship to go somewhere, perhaps to France where you are known to have...friends."

"Run away to France penniless with my wife, at my age?"

"Your wife will be arrested and jailed in Almeria no later than tomorrow. And you're hardly to be considered penniless when you've just made a partnership with the Banque de Lafayette. That is a very convenient friendship you have suddenly made, Senor. As chief prosecutor for the crown, one cannot be too cautious in these matters. Rest assured Senor, we will be thorough." And here he smiled coldly, continuing "no matter how long that takes." Turning to the guards he said "Take him to the prison now." He thought now I'll have plenty of time to see if you hired that man who killed my son in a duel. Perhaps you'll admit it if I promise to let your wife out of prison.

# Chapter 78

The packet ship neared Dover as Ian and Alandra stood near the bow, watching the great chalk cliffs draw nearer. Ian stood with his arms around Alandra, and had been telling her some things about the British Isles and about Scotland. She gazed with wonder at the sight of the great cliffs stretching off to the north in a white line all the way to the horizon. They caught another packet northbound for Edinburg, and spent the night in it in their private cabin. She found that she had missed the sounds and the feel of sleeping in a ship at sea. She had to admit that she loved it as long as the weather was fair, and it didn't hurt one bit that Ian was there, holding her.

They arrived in Edinburg the next night on a strong southerly wind. Ian prevailed on a merchant who he knew from childhood to allow him to take his horse drawn wagon to the McCloud home. They arrived just before bed time and completely surprised the family. Elsie and Mary greeted her like a long lost daughter and fussed over her so that she felt like their daughter. She was introduced to Ian's younger brother, Stuart. He was nearly now as big as Ian was, yet Ian grabbed him and ran out the back door with him over his shoulder, both of them laughing.

"Oh, Alandra, pay him no mind. Ian's been doing that since Stuart was a toddler."

"Yes, I've seen him do that in France with Louis and Mustafa. He tells them the same thing, that they'll never be too big for him not to toss them over his shoulder like a sack of beans."

"There must be something about living in the southern lands, Alandra. Ian just doesn't seem to age. He's very polished and his English now sounds more like that spoken in England or France than that spoken here. We're amazed at his musical talent. He's really done a lot of his growing up at sea with Angus. Those two know what each is thinking, I would swear it!"

Alandra thought a mother always sees things. Be careful here now. "Well, he does seem to age well. I'd never guess him to be near thirty now. He looks younger."

"There's something else there. I just can't put my finger on it." Alandra thought I can still hardly believe it myself!

"I want to say that I'm honored to meet both of you and now I can say that I have met the namesake of Elsie's Cloud as well." She then asked if she could go to their room since she was tired from all of the traveling.

The next day they all sat down in the parlor and Alandra related everything that had happened to her from the day she'd met Ian. The two ladies hung on every word and Mary said "Why Ian, I had no idea that you were such a dashing romantic one!"

"Nor did I Aunt Mary. Of a truth, nor did I!' he said, laughing.

"Oh I thought he was a pirate at first what with him wearing that bloody shirt and kicking my cabin door in and everything." The two ladies laughed at that and other recollections of hers.

That afternoon they went sightseeing around Edinburg. Ian showed her the college and other sights including the bank which he had brought into partnership with the Lafayettes. They went to church with his mother and aunt and the sermon was on the baptism of Jesus by John the baptist. Alandra listened intently to it and when they were home, she asked to see their family Bible so she could look it up. Mary found it for her and she read the gospel accounts several times. She announced at the supper table that she wanted to be baptized while she was in Scotland. Everyone was surprised and supportive. Elsie finally asked her why and she said "I was christened when I was a baby in the custom of my country. It seems that few people have Bibles in the Spanish language in their homes. I want to be baptized exactly as was done in the time of Christ."

Three days later she was baptized in a small river nearby and was exceedingly happy. Several members of the congregation witnessed it including Ian and his aunt, his mother, and his brother, Stuart. Ian confided in her that he and his brother had been baptized in the same place.

That night she asked him if Cosette had been baptized. He replied "Yes. Cosette was a Huguenot. They baptize as we do. They are very secretive for fear of persecution in France. Henri and Marie are both believers in the ways of the Swiss and Italian Waldensians and of Calvin, so they are Huguenots at heart themselves."

All too soon they were saying their goodbyes and regrets for having missed Angus. They sailed for Amsterdam with a fair westerly wind and made it in two days. Again Alandra was warmly received, this time at the Vandenoever home. She loved his grandparents and bonded warmly with them. They privately told Ian how glad they were to see that he had such a wonderful wife after losing Cosette and how fortunate he was to have found love like that again in his life.

The two stayed there for nearly a week before departing. They traveled by way of Brussels to Reims and then to Paris. Ian had an urgent message awaiting him at Banque de Lafayette. When he had opened it, Alandra noticed the frown on his face and how his jaw muscle clenched. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the letter tightly.

"Ian, what is it?"

"That damned Chavez has locked Roberto and his wife in prison on some trumped up charges. We need to find out more if we can. I'll send a courier to Henri to see if there's more information. We'll depart for Barcelona tomorrow. Let's go and see Caryn and Celeste today at least."

They did see Celeste and Caryn and stayed that evening until bed time. Celeste knew something was bothering Ian and finally when Caryn was out of the room she asked him what was wrong.

"A friend of ours has been locked up for no real reason in Spain. We're leaving tomorrow because of that."

"Can you help him?"

"I'm getting an idea." He fastened his icy gaze on the two of them, allowing his eyes to glow briefly and said "The one responsible for this had best enjoy himself while he can."

Celeste shivered inwardly. Even though she loved Ian and knew the depth of his love toward her, she still was struck at times like this. His eyes took on an icy coldness when he was focused on something unpleasant, and it was unnerving even to her.

"Can the matter be settled in court?"

"Yes, but it could take months or even a year or two. What I have in mind will only take one night."

# Chapter 79

Departing from Paris, Ian and Alandra had stopped at a nondescript shop and bought a black pair of trousers and a black long sleeved shirt. They made another stop to buy a small quantity of black cloth and some heavy black lace of the type used for funeral veils at the same shop where he had bought it before.

Ian did a bit of sewing during the afternoon while they were traveling. In ten days they were at the Gulf of Lion on the Mediterranean, and took a packet ship from Port-Bou to Barcelona.

Six days later a sealed package arrived via a Banque de Lafayette courier. In it Henri had included everything that his people could find on Enrique Chavez, chief prosecutor for the Spanish crown. Included were the locations of his two homes and the location of his brother. He sent a return message to inform Henri that he had arrived and was going to handle the matter quietly.

That very evening as he packed his rucksack he said "I have to go to Madrid, and you can't come with me."

"I know. You can get there a lot faster on foot. Go, Ian. Roberto is a fine man and has seen enough grief. Just come back to me as soon as this is over."

They walked arm in arm to their veranda and Ian pulled her to him gently saying "Chavez will know the meaning of fear when I'm through with him. He's about to find out that not everyone is afraid of him." Kissing her then he held her close for a minute. "Good bye, love." She watched him pick up his ruck sack and an extra-long empty bag and trot off towards the darkened hills as night fell.

Soon he was at the home of Ernesto Chavez, brother of Enrique, the chief prosecutor, and in minutes he was inside. Gliding to a large room he slipped over to a large portrait above the fireplace and at vampire speed cut it from its frame, leaving the frame hanging in its place. He rolled it up and stuffed it in the long bag he had brought and departed noiselessly.

The next day he stopped in Guadalajara and visited a ranch owned by Chavez. It was an hour before dark so he just waited awhile, idly observing the place from a forested hilltop nearby. He counted four dogs, likely Alsatians or Great Pyrenees breed he thought. At dusk he slipped into the area and soon the dogs came to investigate. He caught them one at a time and slipped their collars off, not harming them. They squirmed and snapped at him to no avail as he held them easily while taking each one's collar. Then he bounded away to sit awhile until the noise died down. In an hour he approached again and tossed a bloodied rabbit's body near for them to fight over.

Rocketing to a place beside the house he leaped to land silently atop the roof and was quickly inside at this point gliding noiselessly through the house. Finding a large portrait hanging on a wall over a large fireplace, he quickly produced a knife and cut the thing from its frame, leaving the empty frame hanging, as he had done in the home of Ernesto Chavez. As before he rolled it up and stuffed it in the long bag and soon was rocketing through the darkness toward Madrid.

He arrived there around ten o'clock that night and went directly to the palace. Soon he had found a place to leap astride the privacy wall surrounding the site of the palace of the King himself. It was a formal stone six-story affair with numerous large windows everywhere and several on each of its four sides had balconies. From the wall he bounded down and up nearly as one movement to become a shadowy spider crawling along the walls of the palace, seeking entry.

After several minutes, he seemed to melt through a darkened window on the third level. He glided through the hallways and avoided guards at all times. If he wanted to investigate a room, he would quickly exit the area through a window and crawl along the outer walls to that place and just enter there. He eventually found the bedroom of the king himself and glided into it from a window in an adjacent sitting room, a part of the personal quarters of the King. It was unoccupied. He found a portrait there of a lady that he quickly stole leaving its picture frame behind. In only a half hour he had silently stolen yet another larger one from the Throne Room itself and had also tucked it into the long bag.

In less than two minutes he was clear of the palace and rocketing toward the neighborhood where Enrique Chavez lived. It was yet an hour until midnight when he seemed to melt through a third floor window of the large sumptuous stone home of Enrique Chavez. He ignored the third floor being as it was likely servant's quarters. Gliding stealthily down the steps to the second floor and through the silent hallways he silently tried each door, hoping that a guard dog wasn't sleeping in the house

He found a room where a young woman slept. Ian thought that she might be a daughter or niece. He silently took a tortoise shell hairbrush and a finely crafted mirror from the room and glided back to the deserted hallway to try another door. There were four more bedrooms. Two were empty. Entering the third one he found a middle aged lady asleep there and took her to be Chavez's wife. He stole her hairbrush and mirror as well. Silently he glided out and down the hallway to finally arrive at the last bedroom. It was a very large room with a desk and chair at one end and the usual bedroom items elsewhere. Stealthily he entered and glided to the large bed. A middle aged man slept there. Like lightning striking Ian gagged him and threw him over his shoulder and leaped to the farthest wall of the room. Producing some sturdy cords he bound him with his hands over his head to a large wrought iron candelabra mounted in the wall. He lighted it and it gave off enough light for the terrified man to see the hooded black-clad apparition who had done this to him.

Speaking only in a whisper Ian said "Good evening, Enrique."

The man's eyes were wide with fear. Sweat had beaded his brow and he trembled a bit.

"You're in trouble this night. We've learned that you have jailed Roberto Rodriguez and his wife Alicia." Opening the long bag Ian drew out the stolen items holding up the hair brushes and mirrors first.

"Do you recognize these?"

The terrified man nodded rapidly.

Ian took the four dog collars out and dangled them in front of the man whose eyes widened in recognition. He nodded without being asked about them. He then took a portrait that he had stolen from the man's brother's home in Barcelona. He unrolled it and held it up for the man to see. "Do you recognize this?" he whispered. The man nodded, sweat now dripping from his face and running down his neck. Ian laid the item aside, and took the portrait from the throne room and unrolled it. He had to step back to display it because it was a life size portrait of the King. The effect was electrifying. The man began to tremble violently and the sweat poured from his face.

"Here's another one I took this very night also. It's from the King's chambers." he whispered. Here he unrolled the smaller portrait of a woman.

Ian rolled up the King's portrait and the one taken from the king's bedroom and stuffed them back into his long bag. He set that aside with his rucksack and bounded in a flash to the far side of the room where there stood two large ornate candelabras. Each was the height of a man and made of thick wrought iron. Ian picked up one effortlessly and as he carried it toward the man, he twirled it in one hand like it was only a broomstick instead of a three hundred pound piece of iron. He stopped in front of the man and raising it easily to shoulder height with one hand, he twirled it and suddenly grabbed it with his other hand as well. Shifting his grip until his hands were about four feet apart he then silently began to bend it. It creaked as Ian bent it until it was in the shape of a horse shoe, and then he sat it on the floor in front of the man who by now was shaking violently.

Whispering again, Ian said "Here's what's going to happen now, senor. You're going to that desk over there and you're going to write out a complete exoneration for Roberto and Alicia Rodriguez. This will include an official apology and a personal one as well. You're going to write in that pardon that you're paying them triple the damages done to their properties and that will be determined solely by the figure that Senor Rodriguez submits to your office. You're going to write a duplicate of that exoneration as well." Ian paused for effect as the man nodded his understanding.

"You're going to take that exoneration to the prison where Senor Rodriguez is now and you are releasing him. He'll be given a clean change of clothing and his own personal horse saddled and ready to go. He'll be given this exoneration to keep, and money to travel comfortably. You're dispatching the crown courier with the copy of this same pardon to Almeria where Senora Rodriguez is in jail, and she'll also be released. That will happen within four days from now at the latest. You'll never again so much as speak to either of them unless it is to return a greeting. If you don't agree to do this now, I will gut you and tie you by your entrails to that chandelier overhead. Do you understand all of this?"

The man nodded emphatically, bobbing his head violently up and down. Ian released him but left the gag in place. He led him to the desk and stood silently over him as he wrote the two identical documents.

Ian whispered "Now seal one of them." The official seal of his ring was then applied to soft wax dropped on one of the documents. "Now write the address of the jail in Almeria where Senora Rodriguez is being held. Then fold and seal that around the exoneration. That one is for the royal courier."

When he had finished, Ian raised the man from his seat and placing his hand around the man's throat he picked him up as if he was nothing and carried him that way back to the candelabra where he secured him again. The man gagged and kicked to no avail.

Pulling down the man's pajama bottoms Ian took his knife and slipped it gently under the man's genitals, raising them up slightly with the edge of it and said "This is a token between you and me. When you look upon what's left of it you'll remember this night and vow never to do anything to cause my return. Your cruelty and the injustices you've done in the name of the king are at an end. The stink of you and your foul deeds has filled my nostrils for the last time." He then reached down to take the man's genitals in a gloved hand and the man twisted violently and shook his head from side to side uttering muffled screams. Ian stopped and then whispered "Very well, I'll take another token of our agreement."

Pulling up Enrique's pajamas, he took the left hand of the man and neatly severed the last joint of his little finger in a split second. The man made a muffled scream and eventually it subsided into muffled sobs. He urinated all over himself. Ian took a large candle and held it under the cut finger, cauterizing it until it stopped bleeding. A searing frying noise was soon drowned out by the muffled screams of the man. He struggled in vain to pull his hand away from the flame but it seemed that his hand was locked in a steel vise.

Ian whispered "I'll be watching to see that you honor our agreement beginning tonight with the release of Senor Rodriguez within the hour. If I ever so much as learn that even the lowest campesino in Spain has been maligned by you I will return and finish what I started. The paintings that I took from the palace this night will be kept in a safe place where my friends can find them. They could one day be found somewhere on one of your properties by agents of the crown. Wouldn't that be interesting? There's no place that you can hide from us. Sometimes a small band of us attends to things like this, but for a pimp like you, typically only one of us is sent. God has smiled on you this night. Don't make me regret my generosity, senor."

Ian then shouldered his long bag and his rucksack. Cutting the man's bonds as fast as lightning striking he whirled and bounded to the center of the large bedroom and leaped head first, diving through the window as if he was flying out of it into the blackness of the night. Doing a somersault in the air he landed running, bounding up and over the outer wall like windblown smoke. Finding a large tree across the street he leaped into it to watch and wait.

Within only seven or eight minutes, the man emerged from his house with a servant who followed the prosecutor to the carriage house where both of them harnessed the horse to the prosecutor's personal carriage. Soon Ian was following the carriage through the dark streets of Madrid until they arrived at the Royal Prison. There were shouted commands and soon men were running around inside the courtyard of the prison as viewed by sharp vampire's eyes from the roof of a turret at one corner of the fortress-like structure. It was a quarter of an hour later that a man emerged with an escort of four guards and the chief prosecutor.

He mounted a horse that had been brought from a stable nearby and was handed a document. He turned his mount and walked it to the gate, cantering away. Ian followed him to el Banco de Rodriguez and then he took the hood off and waited. Soon Roberto came out of the bank and Ian stepped out of the shadows saying "Hello Roberto."

The man whirled, startled and then smiled and said "Ian, you did this?"

"Let's say that Senor Chavez and I have an understanding now. I believe he has seen the error of his ways."

"He has, and he is seeing to it that Alicia is released too."

Ian smiled and nodded as the man stepped forward and grabbed him in a bear hug and then stepped back and kissed both of his cheeks. "How did you do this?"

"I can be persuasive."

"Ian, how can I ever repay you?"

'Friends don't repay friends but with friendship. I've acted toward you as I would for a valued friend anywhere. You might ask around and see if there is a bank in Portugal that might be interested in partnering with Banque de Lafayette. If not, don't be concerned. Are you going home?"

'Yes. I leave now. I've left written instructions for the manager here to detail any damages here and at my apartment, and to ascertain that all of our records are intact."

'If the least thing is not to your satisfaction, you have only to tell me via our bank couriers. Via con Dios, Roberto."

'You are leaving for Barcelona then tonight?"

'Yes. I miss Alandra already." he said with a laugh. "We'll see both of you soon at our home?"

'Yes." They embraced and each said goodbye again. Ian waited until Roberto was out of sight and followed at a distance, choosing a spot to wait and see if any pursuers came. In two hours he saw no sign of any pursuit so he bounded away in the night towards the north.

# Chapter 80

Dinner was done. Alyssa and Damien sat holding hands across the table, talking about nothing in particular as young couples often do. "Are we going to see Celeste at her next performance then?" said Damien.

"Yes, I always want to attend one when it is in Paris. She always gets four good seats for Aunt Caryn and me."

"So you met her through working for your aunt then?"

"Yes. .Ian brought her here when she was around twelve years old. The Lafayettes had found her."

"They have a sterling reputation. I've heard that their estate east of Marseille is magnificent."

"Oh, it is, Damien! There is a waterfall there that you can jump off of, and many scenic things to see. The chateau is magnificent, but rarely full. Most of the time there are only maybe six people there besides staff, and sometimes only two or three."

"This Ian fellow, I forget his last name..."

"Ian McCloud?"

"Yes. He always comes to her concerts when he's here. She introduced him to the audience once when I was there. She said something about him saving her life. He has the reputation of being a savvy banking expert and an adventurer of sorts. There was all of that business what with him rescuing that ambassador's daughter from pirates and everything."

"That's all true. He married that girl that he helped rescue too, you know. They live in Spain now, although he travels to Paris regularly with her. I'll tell you something else, Damien. I'd be dead if not for him."

"What?"

"Yes. I was kidnapped a few years ago. Ian broke into the place and saved me."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was sure that I'd die that night but he got me safely to my home at that time."

'Why haven't I heard of this?"

"He asked me not to tell it and I never have except to you and Celeste. You're never to breathe a word about it. He was quite clear about that, and he is no one to trifle with."

"You seem to know him well. If you don't mind my asking, were the two of you... involved?"

"Well, yes... now and then. He is sweet by nature but restless also at times. I loved him very much. He has suffered grievous losses, private things that I won't divulge."

"You needn't talk about it more than you wish."

She smiled warmly at him and took his hand as she continued. "He has to travel a fair amount and I'm always tied up with my career. We had a type of on again off again thing. I spent too much time with my career to nurture our relationship when I shouldn't have. I didn't realize that at the time but I do now. I know of no one that I respect more."

"I'm glad that you are so forthcoming with me about this. I was involved with a girl myself. I thought it would lead to something better, but it didn't. I never felt about her the way I do about you though." As he spoke, Alyssa thought I had my chance, an open invitation to join them. I could have taken it and had only to ask and Ian himself would have seen me through the process. We might be together this day had I only accepted his offer. I closed that door when I didn't act at that time I suppose. I was foolish, but what is done is done.

Lifting his dinner napkin he exposed a golden ring with a very large exquisite diamond. "Alyssa, will you marry me? If you say yes, I'll promise to try to make you the happiest woman alive. And you'll make me the happiest man in the world."

She sat smiling brilliantly at Damien thinking so it's taken out of my hands in a manner of speaking. I do love Damien, but I'll always love Ian too. I wanted to be a part of Ian's life and a part of his entire circle of... others.... He's married now and lost to me. I'll marry Damien then after all. It will be good, and he'll be a good husband to me. I'm getting too old to remain single if I want to be a wife and mother as well as a fashion designer.

"Yes, Damien. I'd be happy to be your wife." She leaned halfway across the table as he did to meet her halfway with a kiss.

***

Ian and Alandra had a long visit with her family and went to a number of events with them, and had them out to their home for dinner several times. The work at Barcelona House was nearing completion. Ian loved to watch Alandra with the children at those times. He felt bad that he was incapable of fathering a child, and it was a thing that nagged at him from time to time, especially when watching her with the children in her care.

Roberto and Alicia came to stay with them for two weeks. All of Roberto's troubles with the Spanish Crown had vanished as if they were never there. There was news of a large increase in the numbers of guards posted in the King's palace for some reason. Speculation was varied about why that had happened. Roberto had laughingly related that to Ian who only smiled and rolled his eyes skyward, never commenting.

After Roberto and Alicia departed, they packed and took a ship for Marseille. Tom and Celita remained in charge of Barcelona House and were told that they might not be back until late spring or early summer. Ian wanted to take Alandra to the Swiss Confederation and spend a winter there with her.

The reunion at the Chateau was a joyous one. Marie doted on Ian and Alandra. Alandra had grown to love Marie and Henri and she was beginning to think of them both as a mother and father. Li and Sophia were there, living in Ian's home nearby. The boys, Louis and Mustafa were nineteen and twenty one now, and were both handsome men.

There were several weeks of idyllic days then, filled with activities such as horseback riding, swimming and sightseeing as well as wonderful evening gatherings.

One evening while sitting in the large parlor of the chateau with everyone Henri mentioned how that Cosette would have loved to see her brother so nearly grown and would have been so pleased with his infatuation with Celeste. That pricked Ian's' heart and he thought that of all of the strange events that had happened to change his life, losing Cosette was by far the worst.

Alandra and he were sitting together on a sofa. His eyes moistened as he dwelled on that. I'll never completely get over losing Cosette he thought. A hand warmly took his and he turned to see Alandra smiling sympathetically. He smiled, blinking away his tears and gathered her into his arms then and kissed her face softly. "You can tell when I hurt, can't you lassie?" She nodded and took one of his hands and kissed it tenderly, laying her head on his chest.

Marie looked upon the two and caught Henri's eye and both smiled at each other. After a bit, Louis had joined everyone and Henri said "I have something to say to everyone here. I have been conferring with other colleagues including Karl, Robert, and Willy. We've concluded that France is approaching a political and economic tipping point. The excesses of the crown and their foolish wars have bankrupted France. A violent change will come to France. It may not be until around the end of this century, but we believe it will come."

"Will there be a revolt against the King then?" asked Louis.

"We think so. France lost all possessions east of the Mississippi River in North America to Britain and Spain after signing a treaty in Paris in 1763 as we all know. The monarchy has continued to borrow from the human banking cartel and has accumulated enormous debt, far more than can be serviced with a sane tax rate. This is happening in Britain, Spain, and Prussia too. It has started in Italy more recently, but is worse here. We believe that a revolt could happen and we think that afterward there may be a dictator put in place by the cartel to rule France."

Li asked "Is there no way to be able to tell when this will happen?"

"No, but we think it is years away, even a decade or more. We will take the name of Laforge for our next move and we'll relocate to Zurich in the Swiss Confederation. Steps are now being taken for the Laforges to appear to be buying some Lafayette enterprises. This will be ongoing over several years. It will sometimes be done through proxies so as to appear to be only a string of unrelated events."

Li asked "Should we look to leave Europe then?

"Ian, Marie, and I all think that America is where our future lies; but there is a lot of unrest there now and a lot of growing resentment."

Alandra asked "Will they revolt against the British Crown? My father tells me of a lot of trouble over there."

"We think so, and we think it will happen soon. Britain could head that off by simply allowing the colonies to have representatives in their house of commons. We think that they won't do so."

Li said "Why is that? It seems sensible to allow their colonies to have some representatives in the parliament. It would surely be a lot less expensive than billeting large masses of British troops over there and supplying them."

"My sources say that bad advice is being given to King George now, coupled with enough cartel credit to run the government from day to day. The Crown wants to squeeze as much revenue from their colonies in a short time as possible to offset their expensive past wars with Spain and more recently, France and India. It has been costly for them to both defend their colonies and to drive France out of North America. Regarding their tax policies and the way they treat their colonies, they are as short-sighted as the French aristocracy is."

Louis said "Do the colonists have a chance at succeeding?"

"Likely not without some help. We think that opportunities will present themselves along the way when that time comes."

"So we're going to stay out of that until it is underway then?" asked Mustafa.

"Yes. We think that Europe will be torn by wars for decades to come given patterns that are emerging. America can be isolated from that by her great distance from Europe. It's in our long term best interests to go to America."

"Will we go after it's time to leave Zurich then?" asked Sophia.

"That could be about right. We'll know more as the time approaches. We'll leave this chateau in a few more years and can't return to it for around forty years if ever. I hate that because I love it here as all of you do, but it must be done. In the long term Ian will be asked to start two or three banks in America. Louis and Mustafa will take over what he does here in Europe."

Turning to Louis and Mustafa he said "Unless you oppose it, you two may be brought over any time from now to maybe one to two years from now. Alandra has the option of remaining human or of being brought over when she wants to. It is to be her choice as Ian's wife. We all support that."

Ian said "I'll remain in Spain with Alandra. We won't move but we'll come and stay with you all every year. We'll keep our house here on our place east of the chateau for a while. I'll take Alandra with me when I go to America to start the banks, but she and I will live in Spain when we're not with all of you. We have a vested interest in the Barcelona House facility and will be always expanding it." He turned to her and took her face between his hands and said "My life is where her life is, forever." He saw her eyes looking adoringly at him as he bent to kiss her.

Marie said "I speak for all of us in saying that we support that decision, Ian."

Henri continued "Louis and Mustafa will now begin to accompany Ian on most banking business to learn it firsthand." Turning to them Henri said "Mustafa, you'll be given a new name. It is Maurice Garnier. Louis will remain Louis as Louis Laforge. You two will be going to Liechtenstein for the purpose of meeting Uncle Karl and learning about private interlocking trusts. Li and Sophia will remain more close to Marie and me, but Li will be doing some banking business around Europe as well and will be seen representing the Laforge interests as the Laforge name becomes well known by humans. Li, you'll become the top property manager of the Laforges and Sophia will help you. You'll need a new name as well. What do you say to Leopold Durand or Leo for short?"

"From Li to Leo; is it that easy?" Everyone laughed then.

"Are we going to see the new place this year?" asked Louis.

"We can all go soon since we're all here together now."

"So we have a little time remaining here, but are doing a transition to Zurich." said Sophia.

"Yes, and an added benefit for us vampires is that it's more often cloudy there than here. That is an outline of where we're going and why. It will be ongoing over the next three years or so. Marie and I have also bought property with homes in Turin in Italy, Luxembourg, and Chamonix in France. Any of them can be a place we can go to regroup if a calamity should happen such as a large-scale war. They're leased now in order that they not fall into disrepair and they're not too near any large cities. Li and Sophia will handle their upkeep and the rental revenue from them. If any of you have any questions ask now or ask any time. We are flexible on this and any part of it can change, but what I have outlined this evening is what Ian, Marie, and I see as a general direction to take."

Afterward, Alandra spoke to Henri and Marie saying "I'm so happy that you support Ian making our home in Spain. It means a lot to me."

Stepping closer to her, Marie hugged her and then said "We vampires take a long view of things. Besides, we want Ian and you to be happy no matter what." Alandra recalled that statement about taking a 'long view' of things several times after that. The implication was clear to her in retrospect. She was human, a mortal with a limited life span. The fifty or sixty years remaining in her life were as nothing to vampires.

# Chapter 81

In two more weeks the family was on their way to the Swiss Confederation

The day after they arrived in Zurich and got a suite of rooms, Henri leased two carriages and took everyone out to see the new place he and Marie had bought for all of them. There was a really large stone chalet house with two large barns and several other outbuildings

In two days Celeste arrived. There were warm greetings all around then. Alandra and Marie both noticed that she was a bit different when hugging Louis and he held her an especially long time. Marie and Ian exchanged looks and caught Alandra looking at the two of them, smiling and nodding.

The entire group sat in the same box as before, the one that belonged to the family who was head of the Bern Canton. Celeste performed and completely took the hearts of the audience as always. Afterward Louis was first to go backstage and congratulate her. They left the next morning for Liechtenstein.

The opera house at Liechtenstein was in Vaduz, the capitol. The scheduled performance was not for four days yet, so they all went to the home of Karl and Elsa Von Brandt near Schaan. The Von Brandts were very happy to see the entire group and had no trouble whatsoever putting them in rooms at their large estate.

After a sumptuous supper, Celeste got Ian to play the piano and she got to sing her four German songs for everyone.

Karl took time to sit and council Li, Sophia, Louis, and Mustafa about basic trust and estate law and procedures. Henri followed that with partnering document preparations, and property management and rentals. Ian sat in on it in case he had forgotten something about the subject from the time he had been schooled by these two experts. Henri had asked Ian to exclude Alandra from any information concerning the trusts and their construction. He feared that being human she could be kidnapped and made to talk. The operation of the interlocking trusts was central to the privacy and security of the staggering wealth held by numerous influential Adepts, including Henri.

They all sat in Karl's box at the performance. As always, Celeste informed her audience that she didn't perform for pay, but was supported totally by Banque de Lafayette. Due credit was given to her aunt Caryn and to Caryn's Fashions for her gown. She told them that she had learned as much of the German tongue as possible in order to perform for them that night. The audience loved her and gave her a standing ovation as long as any she had gotten anywhere

After two more days at the estate of Karl and Elsa, the entire party departed to travel to Vienna. When they finally arrived they were surprised to see that word of Celeste's performance at Vaduz had already made it to Vienna. There were notices to be seen heralding the coming of the European Nightingale.

Unlike the Swiss Confederation, Austria was still a firm part of the Holy Roman Empire and was ruled by a gaggle of princes, bishops, dukes and arch dukes. So it had wisely been decided by Henri to only seat his party in the personal box of his fellow judge of the Supreme Council, Wilhelm Hoffmeister. In this way, no one could be offended because the entourage of the European Nightingale had chosen to sit in the box of this or that duke or bishop. Willy had advised Henri on that point when he had been in Vienna to take care of the vampire problem there not that long ago. They'd discussed Celeste's coming to Vienna at that time.

The performance was received by thunderous applause and before they had departed Austria, Celeste was known as the Austrian Nightingale.

They had stayed at Willy's estate near Vienna for three days, and then departed. The entourage wouldn't try to make it to Berlin because it now appeared as if weather would surely close the mountain passes. There was sporadic snowfall as the entourage made its way back to the Swiss Confederation. Alandra looked out of her window in wonder at the snow falling, having never seen it before.

***

Arnaud Moreau stood in the grand foyer of the Francoise castle in Lacoste'. The butler, a tall muscular vampire, had finally returned to show him in to see the Marquis. Moreau was unimpressed with Francoise, taking him for a wealthy perverted weakling. He did not mind that the man was a pervert, but looked down on his being a slender, intellectual type of weakling. He was known to be very wealthy and well-connected, in spite of being in prison sometimes and even in an asylum once. His outspoken perverted views concerning sex, and virulent criticism of both Catholicism and of the Bourbon family had earned the enmity of both the church and the Bourbons.

Moreau knew of the family name only because his deceased brother, Aldric had mentioned Marcel Francoise of Lyon as a customer who paid well for little girls. After traveling to Lyon he had seen the ruins of the mansion and inquired in town about that family. He had learned that a younger brother lived in Lacoste' and that had brought him there for answers.

After introducing himself, he said that he might have information on the mysterious fire and disappearance of the Marquis' brother. He was only groping in the dark, but played it as if he knew something. Donatien Francois became interested so Moreau told him that the only two names he knew were Henri and Ian, and that they knew Wilhelm Hoffmeister of Vienna.

The Marquis furrowed his brow, and then he said "I know of a wealthy banker named Henri Lafayette. He's been successful in forming partnerships with banks around Europe and has been successful in developing a system of drafts which are honored across borders by participating banks. It's a clever concept really. He's known to be a friend of Hoffmeister whom I've only heard of. The only living friend of my... persuasion... who's in banking is a man by the name of Clifford Edwards of London in Britain. His bank is known as Edwards and something or other. I forget who the junior partner is. Edwards rarely makes it to France, but loves to come for some of our...special activities... if he can. His younger brother Miles has been here for the same activities. Either of them might know more about Henri Lafayette being that Clifford is the senior partner. They might be able to connect him to what you're talking about. I knew all of the six others who were missing after that fire. Two were bankers."

"What about the other fellow, this Ian?"

Shrugging, Francoise said "Him I don't know of. Sounds like a name from Britain, Scottish or Irish perhaps? Maybe Clifford or Miles would know."

"Thank you sir; I'll explore that information."

"If you find that foul play was involved in the fire that took my brother's life, I'll be most appreciative and will pay you well for your information, but it must be accurate information. The Lafayettes are well-connected and well-liked in France. Tread lightly about them if you value your head."

Moreau thanked the Marquis then and departed. He thought about this new information and resolved to make his way to London to see what he could learn about one Henri Lafayette and someone named Ian.

# Chapter 82

By the time the family made it to Lausanne, all but Celeste and Louis had to go on the very next day or risk being trapped due to the mountain passes closing. Celeste was staying with Ian and Alandra so Louis was staying too. The view was stunning even in wintertime with the mountains on the far side of the large lake visible whenever it wasn't snowing.

Alandra was absolutely in love with the beauty of the place and was outside as much as was possible. Ian had gone to the blacksmith and had picked up the two pairs of skates that he had ordered back in the summertime. It was only two more weeks when the cove froze over thick enough for skating. They all passed many enjoyable hours doing that when there was not too much wind.

Ian went to Lausanne and after talking to the blacksmith, he was able to find a sleigh and a dual matched team of horses to pull it. He arranged to lease the whole outfit for the entire winter. They enjoyed riding about in the sleigh, going to Lausanne and all about the area anytime the weather wasn't severe. All of them were in love with sleigh-riding. Alandra and Louis had never seen snow before taking this trip so it was especially enchanting to them.

Ian took Louis to a boot maker and ordered a pair of boots for him. Three days later he delivered them to the blacksmith and ordered a pair of skates. Within ten days everyone had their own skates. Alandra picked it up fastest and best, seeming to have more natural balance than the other two. In a month they all looked to be at home on the ice. Ian harnessed the sleigh one day and took them all to Lausanne with their skates. There they all skated and drew quite a crowd. Ian even did some barrel-jumping, clearing up to eight of them laid together. He faked three falls that day as well, so as to appear to be human.

The winter passed all too quickly. Celeste sang locally several times and it became known that the Swiss Nightingale herself was staying in Lausanne and was a skating prodigy as well as a singing prodigy. Ian was amused at the local newspaper's reference to the entire party accompanying the 'Swiss Nightingale' as 'ice skating experts' that used "experimental skates made of iron."

He'd seen Anna one day while they were skating in the city where everyone skated. She was with a nice-looking man who looked to be a little younger than she, and they were driving Anna's sleigh. Right before they left Lausanne for Paris, Ian saw the Lausanne newspaper pinned up in the town square according to the custom of the time. An article said that prominent banker Annaliese Fellman had been married to Lukas Eschmann, a prominent entrepreneur who owned a clock making facility in Lausanne. Ian thought Anna, I hope you're finally happy.

The spring thaws cleared the mountain passes and they departed for France.

***

They had arrived in Paris after an uneventful trip, having stopped in Dijon to pick up some of the sun glasses. Taking Celeste and Louis to her Aunt Caryn's home they had gone on to Henri and Marie's apartment suite on the Champs Elysees. Everyone was glad to be away from the rigors and restrictions of travel. Alandra wanted a hot bath and Ian wanted to keep her company so their evening plans were settled.

She laid her head back against Ian's chest as they lay in the oversized copper tub and relaxed in the deliciously hot water of their bath. "Mmmm; Ian, this is so nice."

"I can't imagine where else I'd want to be now and who else I'd want to be with. We didn't get to be alone quite as often as I would have liked what with all of us being cooped up in the chalet all winter long. I did enjoy us having that fireplace all to ourselves the times that Louis and Celeste took the sleigh to the city though." He said as he moved her hair to one side and kissed her neck and nuzzled her ear.

"Mmmm; I'm getting ideas love. Best take care now lest I have to show you what I mean."

"But Alandra, I haven't gotten to wash your back yet." he murmured in a serious tone as he intimately caressed her, nuzzling her neck and nibbling about her earlobe. She squirmed and laughed a low and throaty sound. "The fireplace is calling us. The fire you started in it should be just about right now. The fire you started here in this tub can't wait."

He picked her up as he stood up in the tub and snagging two towels, he carried her out to the parlor where a fire was crackling softly. Drying them both he laid the towels on the floor next to the hearth, where they very slowly and deliciously made love.

***

Anna and her newlywed husband Lukas were hopelessly lost in Paris on their honeymoon. They had taken their own carriage with a team of four horses from Lausanne to Paris. Their driver Horst had never been there before. Accompanying them were Anna's personal maid Liridona and her brother Andre who by now was twenty years old. The street they were on was a dimly lit one in a very seedy looking part of the city. They had just passed a small shop with a garish looking yellow storefront. Horst saw a figure standing at the entrance to an alleyway that looked like a man watching them. He hailed the man asking for directions to get to the Champs Elysees, but got no response. Andre got out of the carriage, crossed the street and approached the man, asking again for directions. The onlookers in the carriage were horrified to see the shadowy figure dart at a blinding speed toward Andre and leap on him, biting his neck.

Horst and Lukas jumped from the carriage and ran to the two. Lukas tried to pull the thing from Andre, hearing a sucking sound as he got there. A cold chill ran down his back at the sound that the thing made. It simply backhanded Lukas and knocked him sprawling even as its head darted downward and it again fastened itself to Andres' neck.

Horst pulled a pocket pistol from his jacket pocket and cocking it, shot the thing in its head. It screamed and fell off of Andre and threshed about on the pavement making movements which their eyes could barely follow. They helped Andre into the carriage and Horst vaulted up as fast as he could to the driver's seat and got the team moving as fast as possible to put some distance between them and the thing writhing on the cobblestones.

They drove for several minutes until Horst saw a building which he thought was familiar. He turned the horses toward it on a side street and as they passed by, they saw the way to the Champs Elysees. Within some ten minutes they were at their hotel. They all rushed in, half carrying Andre. The concierge sent the valet on duty to find a doctor.

In some forty minutes a doctor arrived at their suite. He examined Andre and said that he had lost a little blood, but not enough to account for his being unconscious. Shaking his head he advised them that if he didn't wake up in the morning to take him to a hospital where he was a member of the staff. Giving them the address he departed.

***

Ian and Alandra had been resting by the fireplace. She had fallen asleep and he had lain watching her as he often loved to do.

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. It persisted as Ian got up and put on some trousers and a shirt at vampire speed. Taking a blanket, he covered Alandra who was now awakening. He opened the door to see Anna standing there, tears streaming from her eyes. "Ian, come quickly. Andre has been attacked! He was bitten on his neck by some man. Please come now!"

Not intending to leave Alandra Ian replied "Where did this happen?"

"On some street not too far from here. Hurry, he's unconscious!"

"Come in, and you needn't worry. I want you to meet my wife, Alandra. Alandra, this is Anna Eschmann." The two exchanged greetings. Ian said "Where is Andre now?"

"In our suite in this building."

"Who else knows about this?"

"Just my husband, our driver, and our maid. Oh, I did have the concierge get a doctor."

Ian raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"He looked at Andre and said that he couldn't understand why he was still unconscious. I came hoping that one of you might be here."

"You did the right thing. You tell your husband that I'm a health specialist who happened to be using Henri's suite. I'll bring Andre here. You needn't worry. He's even now becoming as I am. I'll care for him until he makes the transition. Alandra, can you wait here for a few minutes?"

She sat wrapped in a blanket in front of the fireplace in a large chair and nodding her head "Yes, go now and help him."

"We'll return here shortly then." He walked to her and kissed her and took the key and locked the door behind himself after he and Anna went out. They walked along the opulent corridors toward the suite the Eschmanns had rented.

"I'm really sorry to bring this to you, Ian. I was just so afraid and I thought one of you could help."

"You did the right thing. All that I'm concerned about now is helping him to make the transition in the best way."

"How long will that take?"

"Three weeks. Everything that is done in that time is critical to him forever. I'm going to have to get him out of Paris shortly though; maybe tomorrow or the next day. Your part of this is to keep the driver and your husband ignorant of what has really happened. You'll tell them that I'm familiar with the type of disease that makes people turn mad and attack others and I have a colleague here who has treated its victims before. Tell them that Andre will recover. Can you do that?"

"Yes." The two walked wordlessly for a bit and then she spoke. "Ian, your wife....she's lovely. How did you meet?"

"We met years before I met you, even before I met Cosette, when I was still human."

"Did you...did you love her then?"

"Yes. After I became infected and changed, I gave up on the idea of us ever having a life together." He looked at her then as they walked and said "I feared her reaction if I told her what I'd become."

She was silent as they walked, and looked down shame-faced, saying "I'm only too familiar with your fears in that regard."

"You know, it's because you sent me away that I finally ended up learning that she'd never married. I told her everything about myself then and she didn't care. She loves me as I am. That she and I are married is something that is in part thanks to you. I want to thank you for that, and I do hope that you're happy with your life now."

They had arrived at the door to Anna's suite and she turned to him and said "I am happy, Ian, and I'm so sorry that I drove you away and hurt you. I've hurt for years over that, and with you saying this, I'm finally healed of that guilt. I have a fine husband and two little girls that I love dearly. I'm very happy now." She stepped close to him then and they hugged each other for a bit.

Then she said "Thank you, love. This means more to me than you can know." Taking her key out she opened the door to their suite. They passed through the main parlor area to a bedroom to find Lukas Eschmann, the driver, and Liridona all seated around the bed where Andre lay.

Anna introduced Ian to her husband and to the driver. Liridona came to Ian weeping and took both of his hands saying "Ian, can you save my brother?"

"Yes, Liri. He'll recover soon. I'll take him with me to our suite. We'll be moving to another place outside of the city shortly."

In the privacy of his suite, Ian took one of his four flasks and holding it to Andre's mouth, he poured a bit in. Andre seemed non-responsive at first, and then he swallowed it. Ian kept giving it to him until it was all gone. Andre opened his eyes. Ian spoke to him then saying "Andre, I'm Ian. Do you remember me?

"Yes...yes. Hello Ian." he said with a weak smile.

"You've been bitten by a vampire and you're now becoming one because you once took my blood. I'm going to be staying with you for the next three weeks or so until you're past this stage. You must do everything that I tell you to do. Do you understand?

"Yes. Ian, am I going to... you know... be like...?"

"Yes, you're going to be like me. I'll see to it that this goes well as best I'm able. I'll be with you the entire time."

# Chapter 83

Two days later, Ian arrived at the dilapidated house that was within two miles of the Angel's Care orphanage near Paris. With him in the carriage were Alandra, Louis, Celeste, and Andre

Soon they set about making the place more habitable. Food, bedding, and blankets were brought in.

"Alandra, you are to stay with Louis and Celeste at Henri and Marie's suite. Don't go anywhere alone, ever. None are to go out at night until we know more, just to be safe. Unless some of the others come I will be here for the whole time.. I'll need powder and lead balls because we're going to be doing some shooting here."

"Ian, I'll stay here with you two."

"Lass, it won't be too comfortable here. It's cool weather to be bathing in a stream. I have to teach Andre how to bleed game too."

"I don't care, Ian. I'm staying and that is that. What do you think that bag is for?" she said, pointing to a large piece of luggage.

Smiling then he nodded and said "Of course you are, love." and he pulled her close and kissed her. To Celeste and Louis he said "You two keep your eyes open and I want to know if anyone in Anna's group can tell me anything about the place where it happened; anything at all that might make it possible for me to find the place. If you get any information from them at all, ask the concierge if he knows of the place

"Do you think Marie and Henri are going to be here anytime soon?"

"The courier won't make the chateau before tomorrow, so the earliest could be two to three days if they come on foot. As long as there are no other vampires in this vicinity that want to stay here I'll have no trouble. No one is to come around here if they'll be traveling after dark, understand?"

"Yes." said Louis, and Celeste nodded.

Turning to Andre, Ian said "Lad, get your shirt and pants off. You are going to be getting a lot of sunshine for a while."

***

Three days later there was a knock at the door to Henri and Marie's apartment suite. Mustafa walked to the door to answer it. He opened it to see a lovely tall and willowy lady with dark hair and large pretty hazel colored eyes. She curtsied and said "Bon jour, monsieur. I am Liridona Amsler, Madame Eschmann's maid. May I speak to someone regarding my brother, Andre?" Mustafa took her hand with a smile and bent to kiss it, saying "Enchante' mademoiselle." Using his new alias he said "And I am Maurice Garnier, at your service. Please do come in."

Liridona blushed and Mustafa thought he'd never seen anything more captivating in his life. Being a domestic in plain attire, she was not accustomed to being so gallantly treated by such people as this tall, dark well-dressed man. Showing her in, he took her to a sofa and bid her wait until he could get the others.

Shortly Henri, Marie, Louis, Celeste, Li, and Sophia appeared with him. All of them including the three women were carrying rucksacks that were bulging with unknown contents. From their clothing it appeared that they were going to some sort of an outdoor event.

She stood then, saying "Pardon me all, but I'm Liridona, the sister of Andre. I was wondering if I could come see him. Madame Eschmann has excused me for today and tomorrow."

Henri and Marie exchanged looks. Mustafa made introductions all around and Henri said "Andre is in good hands, Mademoiselle. What exactly do you want to know?"

"Please call me Liri. I only want to see him and to know that he is well."

Henri and Marie again exchanged looks. Henri shrugged, and said "If you can show Marie and me where this happened, we'll take you to see your brother."

"I'll try Monsieur Lafayette."

"Very well; let's be going then." They left the place then and at the staircase, Mustafa offered his arm to Liridona as she started down. Again, she was only used to following her employers, not to being treated so gallantly. Liridona blushed and she found herself liking his attention very much. And she couldn't help but notice how handsome Mustafa was when he smiled, which was every time he looked her way.

They came to the carriage and supply wagon and Henri said "We'll split up here, and meet at the house near Angel's Care. Marie, Sophia and I'll go with Liridona to try to find this place. You others take the wagon and supplies to the house."

Marie cleared her throat and looking at Mustafa and Liridona, saw that she still had her arm linked through his. She said "Maurice, why don't you come with us then?"

Sophia spoke then saying "I'll go with Li."

Mustafa brightened noticeably and escorted Liridona to the large carriage.

Within the hour, they had found a seedy looking garish yellow building with peeling paint in a seedy district. Liridona pointed to an alley about a block away and said "That thing was standing there when we drove up and asked for help to find our way." Henri had the driver stop while he looked ahead at the place. Then he said "Drive forward at a normal pace. Don't slow down."

They passed the place and the alley had two three story buildings flanking it. There were some windows in each building. There was no sign of life in the alleyway. Henri had the driver go to the right at the next intersection and they passed the alleyway again as they returned by way of the next street over. There were two more large buildings that were four stories tall flanking the alleyway. Two pairs of vampire's eyes in the coach took in every detail of the place including how best to climb up the walls, the handholds, number of windows and even how steep the roof was. The surrounding neighborhood was taken in one thorough sweep. Areas affording cover, entrances, and exits were all noted too. There was no doubt now that they could find this place again on the darkest night.

Henri spoke "Very well, Liridona, you've lived up to your part of the bargain. Now we'll tell you something and you'll have a choice of going back to the hotel and forgetting about this place and of our coming here with you. Or you can come and see your brother now." Here he stopped and locked his eyes on hers and leaned toward her a bit for emphasis.

"If you come now to see your brother, your life will forever be altered. There is no going back to this moment. You may not reveal what you see upon pain of death. You, your brother, Anna, Lukas, his two daughters, and all of the domestic staff of both the Fellmans and the Eschmann's will die if you talk about this to anyone." Marie leaned toward Liridona and locked her eyes upon Liridona's eyes and said "Don't make this commitment lightly because I assure you that we don't take it lightly. Do you understand?"

Liridona looked from Henri to Marie. She saw no hostility, but only a steady somber gaze from all, including Maurice. "You're Ian's people, are you not?"

"We are."

"Then that's good enough for me. He's very kind and very wise. You have my word that I'll keep everything about this a secret upon pain of death." Henri leaned out the window and gave the driver directions to the abandoned house.

***

Liridona ran to her brother as soon as she got down from the carriage. He swept her up off her feet like she weighed nothing and it took her breath away. "Andre, you're so strong!"

"I was sick earlier today, but am better now. Ian has already started my conditioning."

She turned to Ian and stepping forward took both of his hands and kissed them. Looking at him tearfully then she said "Ian, I'm forever in your debt. I am so grateful for your kindness."

"Nonsense, Liri. Others were only too kind in my time of need. I can't forget that and I only want the best for Andre. Don't give it another thought."

"He is alive today because of you Ian, and we'll never forget that. What is this 'conditioning'?"

"Marie and Henri will explain everything. I have to take Andre hunting now. We'll return after a while." The two turned and bounded away into the woods in two leaps. Liridona gasped and turned to the others. Celeste and Alandra came to her and each put an arm around her. Alandra said "Liridona, we're new to this too, so we'll all learn together."

# Chapter 84

The imprinting went well enough and Andre was kept busy and out in daylight wearing only short pants as often as possible even on rainy days. He trained regularly with pistol and musket learning to reload properly and as rapidly as possible. Swordsmanship and knife fighting were a part of his regimen and he was forced to use his left hand much of the time to develop ambidexterity. Hand to hand combat was brought into his routine in just a few days and remained a part of the program.

Li and Sophia had joined them on the fifth day and Li took over the training much of the time to relieve Ian. The three women were astounded by the intensity of the training and they got to see firsthand when Andre would suffer a painful bout as he imprinted the tolerances he would have forever.

Li and Sophia went to investigate the neighborhood where Andre was attacked. They alternated with Ian and Henri on the night time surveillance, much of it done from the rooftops of nearby buildings. Alandra looked nervous when it came time for Ian to go at night the first time, but he reassured her that he and Henri were only gathering information on the location and strength of the coven.

Andre was counseled regarding his making love to a human and what he could and could not do. Li and Henri took turns taking Andre to one of the better brothels in Paris so that he wouldn't become impotent. After the second visit to the brothel, he took up with one who was older by a good eight years, yet seemed to brighten each time she saw him in the room where the gentlemen waited. He became her regular for the allotted time of about two weeks. Ian was glad to be able to get out of taking him, but he did remind Alandra about what male vampires have to do to preserve their libido. Being too embarrassed to explain it to Celeste and Liridona, he was glad that Marie educated the two on the subject.

By now they had spent enough nights watching the area where the coven lived that they had narrowed down their choice to one three-story building. On the roof of that building, Ian had found a roof access that was not even locked from the inside. He thought that the vampires used it at times to leave or get back inside if they wanted to avoid using a street level entrance. Most such rooftop accesses in buildings inhabited by humans would be locked to prevent curious children from going there.

One night he entered it and took the stairs down to a door which he opened carefully. The stairs didn't squeak and the door opened silently. There appeared to be two doors at street level. The street level windows were all equipped with heavy wrought iron bars. There was no visible external entrance door to any cellar if a cellar existed.

His imprinting was at an end now so Andre would now be able to accompany the others to the house where the coven lived. They all went to Marie and Henri's suite and sat down to plan their attack on the place

It was decided that they would try to infiltrate the house and wait in hiding inside and strike before dawn, hoping to catch most after they had returned.

Henri said "That sounds good as long as we don't wait too long. We still have to cover and transport the remains, or at least all of their heads."

At this, Alandra and Celeste both drew in their breath sharply. The others all glanced at them as Ian patted Alandra's hand and continued. "Henri has arranged for a large wagon with a tarpaulin to be harnessed and ready at a warehouse he owns. It will be moved there quietly around dusk by him, and the horses will spend the night in there so we can quickly move the remains away before dawn. We now all know how to get there, do we not?"

Everyone nodded. "Li and Henri will dispose of the remains and I'll help if needed. Oh, we 'll each have a complete change of clothes at the warehouse. I was thinking that Li and I could station ourselves not too far from the two ground level entrances. We might follow the first two that leave and kill them quietly a short distance away. That would be two vampires fewer for us to worry about coming back later. We would have to divide ourselves to do that. What do you think?"

"That's worth the risk. We could pursue other targets as a group so as to be sure of killing them. We could leave one to watch the doors and three of us follow and take the third target. That way we'd know if anyone got past us while we were absent."

"Good idea, Henri. We could leave Andre behind to see if any slip out while the rest of us pursue our targets. Any other thoughts?"

"Yes. We need to carry those bodies over to the warehouse and store them there so that they're not seen by the others or by humans. They can't be allowed to lie in the streets all night."

"Good point, Sophia. We may do more killing outside than inside for once it seems. Louis and Mustafa will stay with Celeste and Alandra here in this suite until we return. If there's nothing else we might just as well get to it then."

He turned to Alandra, pulling her close and kissing her then. "Not to worry. We'll return by some time tomorrow morning. Good bye until then."

***

At the warehouse they gathered and talked it through again while Ian and Li inspected everyone's weapons. He and Li would tug here and adjust there and look at each detail as they always did before such an event. They were all used to this but it was reassuring to Andre being so new to all of it. It was dark now, so they followed Ian out of the warehouse through the back alleyway door. In minutes they had split up and taken stations where they could all see both entrances. In no time a door opened and a shadow glided out followed by another. The door closed and the two flitted away in opposite directions.

Each was unaware that they had a trained killer following and that these were their last minutes to live. Ian and Li each took their targets from behind and lopped off their heads as they ran. Both of them dragged the bodies and heads from the streets and put them at the base of buildings in a nearby alleyway and returned to their posts

Soon three more came out and two went together towards Ian while one went towards Li. Li took his target some three blocks away cleanly. Ian wasn't so lucky. He took one down but the other heard and turned to fight, her red hair created a whirling scarlet mass in that instant. It was a female and Ian had just beheaded her mate. She quickly cried out as she spun and ran, seeing a black-clad figure without a face bearing down on her holding a bloody sword. Tall for a woman, she was really fast too, so Ian had to pursue as fast as he could. She darted from side to side, always changing direction.

He ran a good bit but finally got within striking distance of the vampire when she suddenly leaped to a rooftop and streaked towards the other side and leaped across a street to another rooftop. Ian pursued grimly as she twisted and turned, knowing that she was in mortal peril. Finally he got within striking distance and struck her head from her body with his sabre. Her head rolled under a dim street lamp, looking like a flaming lopsided ball bouncing errantly along the cobblestones. Returning with his grisly burden he put her remains there with his first kill and quickly retrieved her mate and dumped him there too. Carefully he wiped his saber clean so as to have no smell of blood to alert the next one.

After an hour of waiting he signaled to the others and they joined him then. "How many did the rest of you get?

Li said "Two." and Henri said "We got one."

Let's carry them to the warehouse now. No telling how many more we might have to carry out later. I need two of you to come with me. I have three."

Within three quarters of an hour they had completed that task and had gathered with Andre.

"Did any leave while we were gone?"

"No."

Henri said "This is working well. Let's wait and see if we can get any more this way." They silently separated and took their posts.

It was after two AM when Ian stood up and signaled to the others. Going to each one, he again checked their weapons. He leaped to the roof and opened the roof access door. The others soon joined him and filed in behind him. As he descended the dark narrow staircase he thought I wish I could seal this door.

They glided down the stairs and silently filed into the upper hallway. Splitting into two teams they began to silently enter each room on that floor. In just a few moments, they had entered each one and found them empty and with the windows covered over. They looked as if they had been occupied. Ian silently glided down to the second story and the others followed.

It was the same on that floor. They all stopped at the head of the main staircase. Ian whispered for Henri and Li to go to the back staircase to the kitchen and to start down when he started down the front staircase. They could intercept any who tried to escape through the back door. In under a minute, they all started down their respective staircases, four of them coming down the front stairs and two down the back stairs. They could hear voices from the parlor, and now and then there was also a tittering sort of laughter. Ian flitted silently to the parlor entrance and carefully peered around the corner into that room.

He saw a figure bound and gagged, lying on the floor, eyes rolling about in terror. Gathered about him were seven vampires, taunting him. Ian saw two females and five males. Two of the males were bigger than Ian. They were standing and he chose them as his first and second targets. He saw no weapons visible. Swords then and they are a lot quieter he thought as he stuck his pistols into his sash, and drawing his short sword he signed to the others behind him.

Their victim was a boy who looked to be maybe nine years old. They taunted him. "We might even share your blood with those downstairs." More tittering laughter followed.

"Share this first!" said Ian as he streaked forward short sword drawn, and lopped off the head of the male nearest him. He shifted and quickly struck off the head of a female as she rocketed up from the sofa. The biggest male roared and attacked Ian, grabbing his sword arm and lunging forward to force him down. He knew instantly that the other one was stronger as he reversed himself purely by reflex and practice, moving with his attacker. He locked onto the hand that had his sword arm with his other hand and whirled as he gave ground, using the other's momentum as he pivoted sharply and dropped while slamming his hip into the hip of the other. Throwing him overhead he slammed him head first into the floor so violently that the oak floor shook as it broke and splintered. Not letting go of his opponent's wrist, Ian twisted it rapidly in a circle fracturing it while ramming his heel down into the face of the other four times in rapid succession, smashing his nose and breaking his jaw as the other bellowed. Letting go with one hand Ian drew his Dragon pistol in a vision-blurring movement and jammed it into the other's mouth, pulling the trigger. The vampire's head made an effective sound suppressor for the discharge of the weapon as he blew the back of his head off. He then ripped his sword arm free and decapitated his foe.

Quickly he chose another target as the retreating group encountered Li and Henri. By then, Andre had one and had cut off his forearm. Sophia and Marie had both jumped on one and were stabbing and hacking at him as the others were being attacked by Li and Henri, forcing the conflict to stay in the parlor. Marie was suddenly thrown clear by the one she had been clamped to. He turned to strike at her as she rolled clear, but Sophia struck his head from his shoulders with a two-handed blow.

By that time the others were roaring and screeching, trying vainly to escape. Marie and Sophia leaped back into the center of it, joining Henri to strike down another, Marie decapitating him. Li had finished two off during that time

It was over quickly with seven of them writhing about on the floor, headless. Ian and the others kicked the heads into a corner and rocketed to what appeared to be the cellar door in the kitchen. In a low voice he asked if any were hurt and all shook their heads. "Just a few cuts, Ian." said Henri. Andre was wide-eyed with excitement and he flashed a grin at Ian when their eyes met. Ian grinned at him and slapped him on the back before turning to the cellar door.

Opening it he began a rapid but quiet glide downward into the gloomy darkness followed by the others. There was no way that the melee upstairs hadn't been heard in the cellar. They were all at the bottom of the steps and stood in the darkness listening with all their senses attuned to their environment. The only sound to be heard was a whimpering so Ian and the others crept toward the sound. It was coming from a dimly-lit room near the far end of the cellar. Gliding into it he stopped in his tracks. There was a filthy little girl who shrank back from him, crying out. He sheathed his sword, took off his hood and smiled broadly, kneeling down close to her as Marie joined him, saying "Hello. I'm Ian and this is Marie. Who are you?"

Cowering at first and looking from one to the other she finally spoke. "I... I... I am... Aimee."

"Don't be afraid, Aimee. The others upstairs are dead. You can leave this place now. We'll take you away from here tonight."

"B... but what about Mama Jolene?"

"Your mother lives here?"

"Yes. She's the one with the pretty red hair."

# Chapter 85

Wilhelm Hoffmeister and Heinrich Von Steuben, fellow judges on the Supreme Council were walking through Wilhelm's garden at his home just outside of Vienna. "Willy, what will it take to get Ian to become Chief Inquisitor?"

"Well Heini, you know that he lives at one end of Europe. He would have to move to the Swiss Confederation to be more in the center. There is Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus; and all of the other places in the Balkans. There is Poland to the north and all of the western parts of Russia. That is a hard thing to do from Spain."

"Spain? That is a hellish place for a vampire. There must be a lot of potential for him to stay in a place like that."

"Well, yes to both things. He's been working for the Lafayette's setting up banking partnerships in Spain and Portugal. It has been slow going down there too. You can imagine the Spaniards and how they would receive an overture from a French banker. And those Portuguese? Everyone knows that they are an independent bunch, prone to keep to themselves. He has to appear to be truly committed and living there among them is the best way no doubt. Henri knows his trade, as you well know. You know that Ian also travels to the British Isles and the Southern and Northern Netherlands as well."

"Damn the luck then! He's so good at handling our rogue problems. If we could get him to live in the Balkans for just one year and provide him with some young strong Adepts that he could train, what a difference it would make down there!"

Wilhelm threw back his head and laughed long and hard then. "Who is going to want to live there, Heini? Be realistic."

"Oh I know it, but what a shame it is for talent like that to be wasted in banking of all things!"

"Now Heini, you would agree that the only thing better for a vampire than being an Adept is being a wealthy Adept." Here they both laughed heartily. Willy went on "You know that Ian and Henri and their team will help us if we need them. Combined the whole group is an asset not to be taken for granted or offended. We should think of ways to express our gratitude for their help. We never know but what we might need them again."

"You're right again, Willy. I'm going to tell you about another lucrative thing that is happening in Prussia now. Feel free to relay it to Henri and Ian. I'm getting ready to get involved now myself. You're aware of the planned port improvement at the Baltic and the North Sea ports? Hah! I know who will be designated to build the new iron-reinforced cranes that will replace the wooden ones. And the best part of it is that the work will give that firm a built-in advantage in being awarded the upcoming modernization of the Prussian Navy to boot!" He went on then to tell Wilhelm every detail, including name of the company and how to become involved and profit greatly from this new government project.

They entered Willy's house arm in arm, coming from his manicured floral garden and settled into chairs in Willy's spacious study as he poured Heini a cup of goat's blood. Within the hour, He had arranged to pay Heinrich the funds for an investment for himself, Henri, and Ian. He would surprise them the next time he saw one of them and present their documents of ownership of shares.

***

The cleanup work seemed to go agonizingly slow to Ian. He was focused, yet despondent. The guilt at what he'd done cutting down Aimee's mother was more than he could bear, but he kept at the work at hand. He had hoped to be able to save the woman and to stay with her while her head reattached itself, but too much time had elapsed for that to work. The house was searched well and the blood washed away. A sofa and rug were to be hauled away and burnt. There were thirteen dead vampires to dispose of and a nine year old boy to deal with. Andre had taken on that job and had walked the boy to a safe area and had given him money enough to buy six months' worth of groceries for his family. The last thing he told the boy was that if he ever heard the story of that night circulating, that he would return and would not be so nice to the boy or to his family the next time. It was enough. The team had kept their hoods in place the entire time in his presence, so the boy never got to see anyone's' face.

They all rendezvoused at the park at dawn. Ian had gone with Li and Henri due to the number of vampire bodies to dispose of. He saw Andre near Sophia, and Marie. Little Aimee was sitting between them on a bench in a shaded area. As they approached the women, the three of them sensed something wrong. Marie had a strained look on her face and as he got closer, he could see that in Sophia's demeanor too. Henri said "Something is amiss here." as they walked up to the group.

"What's wrong, Marie?"

"We have a problem. It seems that Aimee here has been brought over."

The three of them just stood there saying nothing. Ian was aware of a duck quacking from some distance off in the park, and of a more distant sound of a dog barking. The three of them stood, their eyes riveted on Aimee. He felt a cold chill penetrating his body as the horror of it sunk in. My God! A child vampire! Who would do such a thing?

Then he thought of the child trapped in that awful reality and his eyes began to brim with tears for her. He walked toward little Aimee and knelt down in front of her. She sprang up and threw herself on him, wrapping her dirty little arms around his neck and kissing one of his cheeks. "Don't be sad, Ian. Mama Jolene was not my real mama. She took me and made me to be like her so she could be my mama. I was living on the streets when she found me."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've been sick since she did that though. I've been so hungry but Marie gave me something to drink and now I feel so good. Mama Jolene left me the night you came."

"Where did she go, Aimee?"

"She said she'd come back and that we wouldn't be hungry after that, but all of you came instead. The bad people upstairs didn't like us at all. They made us live in the cellar after they came. They said they'd kill me if I even came upstairs."

Marie and Sophia stared into his eyes and they could plainly see his sorrow. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes as he held the little girl close. He gently stroked her dirty hair and finally murmured in her ear in a husky voice. "I don't think that Mama Jolene is coming back for you. But you can come with us if that is all right with you. You'll never be hungry, little one. And you'll never sleep on a street again either." He looked at her with great compassion and took her dirty little face between his hands and kissed her forehead gently. Standing up then, he gently picked her up, walking to the carriage and getting in with her in his arms. The others followed. Li and Henri sadly shook their heads and walked over to the carriage and climbed on top to drive. Aimee said "Ian, you smell good, and so do Sophia and Marie."

He looked down at her filthy face then and said "Well you don't smell good at all, little one. You'll have a hot bath this morning and some new clothes." Then he smiled a dazzling smile at her. In the next instant though, his heart nearly broke as the grimy little tyke brightened up, eyes wide "Oh, a hot bath! And new clothes too? Really Ian?" Tears of joy formed in her blue eyes as she gave a trembling hopeful smile. He choked a bit as he said "Yes. Really, little one." He kissed her and held her closer as fresh tears began to brim in his eyes.

They rode a few minutes in silence, with Aimee sitting in Ian's lap, her head on his shoulder as she gazed out of the window of the carriage. Sitting next to Ian Marie turned to him and speaking in English she said "There's one good thing about this."

He looked at her as he cuddled Aimee against his chest and replying in English as well he said "What could possibly be good about this?"

"She was brought over only two nights ago."

***

Liridona stood in the parlor of the suite of Anna and Lukas Eschmann. They and their two daughters were all seated. She said "I wanted to tell all of you this together. Andre is staying with the Lafayettes. Monsieur Lafayette has offered him an apprentice position as an assistant property manager to care for their properties. They have offered me a position at their home near Marseille. I do want to stay with you, but I want to stay near my brother too. He's the only family I have. I do want so to thank you all for staying longer in Paris than you intended. I can return to Lausanne with you and work there until you find a replacement. So when you're ready to leave, I am too."

Anna looked at Lukas and then at Liridona. "We both hate to see you leave, Liri. I do understand that you want to remain near to Andre though. We'll manage without you, but we'll miss you too. We do hope that you'll at least visit us if you ever return to Lausanne." Here she rose and stepped toward Liri and held out a leather purse. "This is a gift for you and Andre for all of the years of loyal service to me." Liri took the purse and was surprised at its weight. She looked inside and saw only gold coins.

She drew in her breath in a sharp 'oooh' and tears came to her eyes. "Thank you, Madame Eschmann! Thank you Monsieur Eschmann!" She curtsied as Anna came to her then. She took her into her arms and said "I love you, Liri. Don't be a stranger. You'll always have a home with us, both you and Andre. Never forget that. Since the two of you are leaving though, you couldn't have made a better choice than to go with the Lafayettes."

Crying a little now, Liri said "I'll never forget, Madame."

"I'm not Madame, Liri. We are Anna and Lukas to you." Liri got down on her knees and the two little girls came to her with tears in their eyes to say goodbye too. After a bit, she got up and came to both Anna and Lukas and hugged them both saying a final goodbye.

# Chapter 86

Ian and Andre had parted company with the others at the hotel after he had cautioned Andre against telling his sister what had happened regarding Aimee. The others headed for the old house near Angel's Care for Aimee's imprinting. Ian and Andre came to Henri and Marie's suite and unlocked the door. The five came running when they entered. Ian kissed Alandra and held her wordlessly. She finally pushed herself back so as to look him in the eyes and said "Ian, what's the matter?" He said "Oh, it was a really long night and I guess I'm just feeling it now. Everyone is fine though. It went well." He said as he reached out one arm to include Celeste and Louis, and the other to include Mustafa.

Andre then left with Liridona to give Ian a chance to talk to the others. Ian turned to them and related a condensed version what had transpired. When he told them about Aimee, their eyes widened in disbelief. Alandra said "What can be done then?"

"We'll try to make her a responsible member of our family. She deserves that at least." He then sat and put his head in his hands. "How could anyone do that to a child? What chance has she at all but for us?" As the harsh reality of it washed over him again, the two women saw him hang his head in sorrow, a look of complete defeat in his eyes. Louis and Mustafa were stunned, but sympathetic at the emotion which had overcome Ian. Within the hour though, they were all in a carriage heading toward the same old house where Andre had gone through his imprinting.

***

Marie had bought a new copper tub and had brought it to the old house and set it up out in the back yard in the shade. A fire was built under it and the water heated to just the right temperature. It was child's play for two vampires to then lift the tub off of the fire and set it upon four stones. Marie, Sophia, Celeste, and Alandra bathed Aimee and burnt her grimy clothing. They dressed her then, selecting a dress from several that Marie had bought, and brought her around to the front porch where the men were gathered. They proudly presented her to the group as a flaxen-haired beauty with deep blue eyes and a rosy complexion. She was wearing a brand new navy blue dress, trimmed with a white collar and broad white sash. With it were white shoes, white hose, and long white gloves, with a broad-brimmed white hat that had a long white ribbon hanging down from its back.

The men all stood there, mouths agape at the sight of her. Ian gave a big smile and came to her and said "Aimee, you're a vision of beauty. Look Henri! Look everyone! Look at our pretty Aimee!" Little Aimee smiled radiantly and turned about so that everyone there could see her new clothing. Then she ran to Ian and leaped up into his arms, kissing him.

Her imprinting was relentless. No adult vampire ever got such intensive training. She never got an unsupervised moment or a break in her training. It soon became apparent that she would imprint as one who needed sleep. That took every one of them by surprise. The imprinting process seemed to be incorporating sleep as a part of her new makeup since she was at an age where she needed a lot of sleep. The group discussed that while she was sleeping and decided that while unheard of in vampires, it was a good thing for her not to be awake at all hours of the night, thinking about the realities of being a child forever. In fact as Marie pointed out, it would help keep their home routine more like normal. She was right. Aimee's regular sleep patterns came to be counted as a blessing. She was allowed to sleep whenever she felt like it. Marie and the others kept after her to control the glow of her eyes. When speaking to Aimee about that facet of her training, Marie began to refer to that universal vampire trait as her eye-lights.

When she grew faint and hurt from the changes happening within her body, she sometimes would cry from the pain. There was always someone there to hold her, soothe her, and give her nourishment. If Ian was there, he'd do it. If not, any one of the other vampires would hold her and rock her until it passed. The humans were not allowed to do it for fear of her making a violent move in response to the pain and hurting one of them. Aimee was encouraged by the others as to how brave she was and all of them telling her how hard it had been when they had imprinted. She had constant moral support and they were all a bit surprised at how resilient she was. Never did she grow angry or discouraged but likely that was only because of all of the love, support, and encouragement there at all times of the day or night.

They drilled her endlessly using the exercise of tossing eggs back and forth until she could catch and toss them with perfect control. When she mastered that she would giggle as they would do it faster and faster. She developed a perfectly controlled sense of touch. Mentored constantly she was admonished to never ever give in to the least impulse when in the company of humans and especially when she would get to accompany the others out in public.

Given a toothbrush on the first day she was exhaustively drilled on the proper technique of brushing one's teeth. Like many she had never even seen one before. Marie and Sophia were relentless in making her repeatedly brush her teeth with salt and water. When the two women finally pronounced her to have a clean mouth, she was given lilac blossoms to eat. There were lots of the bushes around the old house and they were blooming. She had to consume two or three handfuls of them daily and the bushes were stripped after her imprinting was done to preserve dried blossoms for her to use all year long.

Loving everyone there, she dreaded the thought of even disappointing one of them for the least infraction. Recalling only too well how she had lived before, she'd taken it to heart when they had told her on more than one occasion that her perfection was the key to her staying with them forever. It was unfair, but the consequence of a single careless act in public could be catastrophic, so it had to be done for her sake as well as for the sake of all of them.

It was revealed to her that she would be killed if certain of their kind knew that she existed. She had done so well on her blood fast, that she got to where she could do five days without blood and no one but Ian could do that.

Finally she was told that she would never grow bigger but would always be their special little girl. Ian was the one who was picked to tell her that. She sat in silence after hearing that and it broke Ian's' heart to see her reaction. He hid his feelings with a great effort even as the others came to her and began to tell her how glad they were to have such a special little girl as her because they could never have children of their own. They all told her that they were so very thankful that she had come to live with them and to fill the emptiness in their lives. In large part, this was very true. She began to feel like a valued and special member of this family and was assured that her status would never change, and that she was unique in the world because none of them had ever even seen a child who was a vampire.

After she was reassured, Ian then took her and sat her in the midst of them all and knelt in front of her, taking her beautiful face between his hands. "Aimee, I want to show you something that you can do that is very special. It is one of the things that humans can't do. It will hurt a little bit, and then the hurt will go away really fast, like it was never there. He then showed her his dagger and said "Aimee, do you trust me? Do you trust us?"

"Yes Ian. Show me." He took the tip of the dagger and asked for her hand. He turned it to where the inner part of her forearm was exposed and delicately made a small cut about an inch long. She squinted and distorted her features somewhat, but didn't make a sound.

"That was very brave, Aimee. Now watch what happens."

He took a towel handed to him by Marie and wiped the blood away and the wound closed up right before their eyes. Aimee's eyes widened and she broke out in a radiant smile. Her beautiful eyes swung up to lock with his. "Oh, it's gone, Ian! Look, it's gone!"

"That's how we heal if wounded. Humans take days to heal from a thing like that, and it leaves a scar forever. See how special you are? Now let Marie show you something else that doesn't hurt. It is special too."

Marie took her to a window on the back porch and told her to look at her reflection. Her wavy flaxen hair cascaded alongside her angelic face, framing it beautifully. Marie stepped close to her and took a length of it on one side of her face, cutting off enough so that it was noticeable. Aimee turned to her with a question on her face.

Handing Aimee a flask she said "Drink now and watch what happens to your hair."

Aimee drank and turned to face her reflection in the window. Her scalp tingled in the area where her hair had been cut and she sucked in her breath in surprise as she saw that particular place where her hair had been cut growing back to its' former length before her very eyes.

In minutes she turned to everyone and said "Why, it's grown back already!" She held her hair out from her head and said "Look everyone, it grew back!"

"Yes, Aimee, our hair will always grow back to the length it was when we imprinted. We could shave it all off and you could regrow it in minutes."

She put both hands to her cheeks and her eyes widened as she suddenly smiled. "Oohhh! That is sooo special!"

She had developed a tolerance to sunlight for short periods, not exceeding an hour at best. It was concluded that it may have been because her imprinting time was five weeks instead of three. Being taken on runs in the woods she was told that after they got to places where no humans were around, she could exercise her vampire powers. Loving it when she could ride on Ian's back in Alandra's sling, she would shriek or giggle uncontrollably when he would leap into or out of a tree. She absolutely loved the time spent that way and was perfectly content to be a perfect little lady at all other times.

Being allowed to be the child she truly was worked like a safety valve of sorts, allowing any built up anxieties or frustrations to be released. Publicly she moved about as a tiny adult, never skipping or jumping out of a chair or anything that children normally do. After her imprinting was done, Alandra, Marie, Sophia, and Celeste took her to Paris in her new navy blue dress to visit Caryn. Marie said "Now Aimee, we shall see if you can pass this test, and remember now, always control your eye lights."

They were shown into Caryn's busy office. She greeted them all by name and when she was told that she was to meet a new family member, Aimee was brought out from behind Alandra, and was introduced. Caryn stood mouth agape, staring at the angelic vision standing before her. "Oh my, Aimee! Did anyone ever tell you how pretty you are?"

She curtsied and smiling sweetly she said "Thank you, Madame Rochelle. You are too kind."

Caryn turned to the others and put her hands on her cheeks and exclaimed with a broad smile "What an enchanting and lovely child! And such a well-bred little lady too! I must beg you Marie; may I have her do some modeling for me? Oh, please do say yes!"

Marie looked at the others who all smiled broadly, nodding. "Yes, you may." Then looking directly into Aimee's eyes she said "But only if one of us is with her." Then when no one was looking at Marie, she pointed two fingers to her eyes, warning Aimee not to let her eyes glow.

"Splendid! Magnificent! Oh I'm showing some children's clothing tomorrow. It is a private showing. May I get measurements for clothing for her now?"

"Yes."

"Oh, wonderful! Just wonderful! Thank you so much Marie!" Walking out to the work floor, she picked up a servants summoning bell and rang it repeatedly. Soon the entire shop was busy making seven different outfits which would be finished before the next day. Caryn begged Aimee to let her have her sun glasses for the afternoon. She dispatched a seamstress to a nearby jeweler to have a gold chain fitted to the ends of the ear pieces so that they could hang fashionably from her neck or be worn when she modeled.

The next day, four wealthy clients came to view children's clothing. There were sounds of 'Oooh' and 'Aaah' when Aimee would come out with her sun glasses on and then take them off and let them just hang around her neck. She did that while modeling four of the seven outfits. She would always smile sweetly and curtsy to the small group after each showing and would then walk back to the curtain and turn and wave prettily with another smile before going back behind it to change into another outfit.

They desired to talk to her afterward so Caryn arranged for that with Marie there of course. Little Aimee was absolutely impeccable in her diction, courtesy, and the tone of her voice. The four women were stunned at her maturity and refinement. Soon all of the wealthy elite of Paris would hear of Caryn Rochelle's stunning child model.

# Chapter 87

The Supreme Council closed session meeting was gaveled to order by Heinrich Von Steuben. "I believe that Henri has a report from Paris. Henri?"

"Yes, Heini I do. Esteemed colleagues we had an incident in Paris recently in which thirteen rogue vampires were successfully killed without a report even being made to the King's Gendarmes."

"Thirteen you say? Good Lord Henri, that sounds like it was a real fright!" The assembled judges murmured among themselves, shaking their heads.

"Well, it had the potential to be a real flare up, but thanks to my team, it was contained. We don't know how many were killed before we learned of them. There had not been a report made on any activity in that part of the city. It is a very poor and dangerous area. A young protégé who we recently brought over stumbled onto it, by happening along just in time to drive away one who tried to attack some people who had gotten lost." He thought will they believe this version? And then he resumed "Luckily it was just the one and it was well after dark. No one in the carriage saw anything."

"That was a stroke of luck!"

He then filled them in on the raid, leaving out any reference to Aimee, and concluding with Ian sticking his pistol halfway down the throat of one before blowing his brains out.

Some laughter followed then. "Ian is one resourceful fellow. He has become quite an asset and we want you to be sure to thank him for all of us, Henri."

"I'll be sure to do so."

"Did anyone in the carriage ever try to contact the fellow or try to find out what had happened?"

"No. They saw nothing and it was very dark. My new protégé had just finished his imprinting and had gone that way as a shortcut to somewhere he wanted to be. I think he was on his way to see some young tart." He thought another lie, and a good one if I do say so myself. They'll believe it.

Much laughter erupted around the tables. Since there was no one called to testify, the Council had just pushed the two tables together and were all seated around them. "It was pure luck that he was there at all when it happened. He never even asked their names, but he did direct them how to get to their destination."

Vassily, the Russian judge quipped "If not for Henri, Paris would be as bad as the Balkans." Everyone laughed as Judge Nikola good-naturedly laughed at his own predicament. They discussed an incident in Poland then and finally Heinrich asked Nikola Saigat about events in the Balkans.

"Oh Heini, I knew you'd get to me!" There was a little scattered but sympathetic laughter. "I think that those bastards are having a territorial dispute right now. That's good because they are killing each other for once." There was more laughter this time. "I'd like to keep our assets there, but I know that there is the Polish question and that I've kept the assets we have for too long now. I yield to the majority of the Council on this matter. Esteemed colleagues, you may pull our assets out if you like for now. I take it that Ian was approached about going to the Balkans then and refused?"

Henri said "No, Niki. He now lives in Spain and has to literally live there in order to secure our banking initiative with at least one bank in Spain and one in Portugal. It is impossible for him now. You know, if it builds up again to where we have to put assets back in the Balkans, we might just all think about contributing to a purse and using bounty hunters for the problem."

Heinrich said "I like that well enough, but only if we can get good assets and not sloppy killers. I move we table it until and if it flares up again. We can all contribute to a list of possible assets for this thing and that way if it again becomes a problem we will at least have a pool to draw from. For my money though, if he should become available, I would want Ian McCloud to lead the thing. I'm not going to quibble about paying him whatever he wants either for my part of it. That gang of wild Balkan blood suckers is on my bad side from now on, and I mean that! If Ian leads a raid on that bunch, I'll be a part of it myself, so help me!" Most of the other judges knocked repeatedly on the table top and said "Hear-hear!"

They adjourned then and Wilhelm came over to Henri and handed him a package. Henri raised his eyebrows questioningly. "There are shares here for you and Ian from a lucrative thing in Prussia that Heini revealed to me. I took the liberty of buying in for you and Ian as well as myself."

"Why thank you, Willy. I'll settle with you before we part company. I know that there was talk of an industrial improvement at the seaports, but I thought it was far from settled."

"Heini was the one who brought me in on it and he asked that you and Ian be brought in too." Henri nodded his understanding as Willy continued. "It is settled as to who is doing it and who will be doing the lion's share of improvements for the Prussian Navy as well. This is a really good opportunity and I would hold it for a while. In no more than three months there will be a rush of investors wanting to be involved in this. That will be a good time for two or three foreigners to sell out." he said with a wink.

***

Celeste had just finished a performance at Paris and all were standing and applauding including little Aimee. She was thrilled at the singing and at being allowed to accompany her new family to this event. She'd never been in a place with so many people present. The time since her imprinting had passed in a seeming whirlwind of new activities and sights.

Marie had shown her how to catch small game animals and how to drain them for nourishment. She also had taught her how to use her sense of smell as she identified the rabbit scent, and then sniffed about for it in the forest until she could find it on the ground. Aimee settled in to her place in her new family with joy at the love, praise, and acceptance she received.

Soaking up the accumulated knowledge of her family like a sponge she became acquainted with terms of finance, government, politics, and a host of other subjects. She'd learned to speak five languages and to read three of them. Marie had told her to expect to be tutored on a regular schedule when they returned to the chateau.

When she did get to speak around adult humans, they were always impressed with her ability to carry on a conversation if included and impressed with her manners if she was not included. She had learned when to remain silent and to take her cue from her family on that. The only thing she had not been allowed to do yet was to interact with other children. Marie had told her that would be the hardest thing for her to master. She relished the thought of doing well at that too and being praised for it. The horrors of her previous life had begun to fade.

After saying their goodbyes, including an especially long and tender goodbye to Aimee, Ian and Alandra had departed for Barcelona.

# Chapter 88

Upon arriving, Ian and Alandra caught up with all of the news in Barcelona. Barcelona House had added more cattle and a barn, and had now become known as a school for orphaned children as well as a hospital for them.

There were stories of how merciful and generous the chief prosecutor for the Crown had become. It seemed he had come with a generous gift for Barcelona House when he came to visit his son's grave. People talked of the man as if he had undergone a miraculous change in his person and behavior. The king's prisons now had fewer people in them than anyone could remember. Many who had languished in them for years were released. There was speculation about the cause for it, but no one seemed to really know why he was such a changed man

At last, the family arrived. Word had come that Celeste could come to Madrid to perform when she wanted to. Aimee loved the playground that Ian had installed there near the stream and spent a lot of time there when they weren't all out sightseeing. He taught her to swim in that place and it only took a part of one day. She was shown that she didn't need to breathe and could stay underwater as long as she wanted to. By day's end, she could swim like a little dolphin and was jumping from the top of the waterfall. She had begun to be instructed how to play Ian's violin too.

She was introduced to some of the children at Barcelona House. With Marie and Sophia watching, she played with them without incident. Afterward when they were alone, Aimee was greatly praised by all including Ian for how well she did with the children. She basked in the praise and it made her want to please her family all the more. After seeing all of the sick children she was actually grateful that she wasn't human and could never be sick or hurt.

The mayor of Barcelona was persuaded by Alandra's mother to arrange for an outdoor concert featuring Celeste and Aimee. He ordered a very small raised stage built just for the purpose and within four days there was an evening performance scheduled. By then she was quite good at playing Ian's violin.

The two performed their four songs and were warmly applauded. Little Aimee tucked the violin under one arm and held hands with Celeste and they both bowed to the audience and both blew kisses to the exuberant crowd. They had succeeded in winning the hearts of the people of Barcelona, and while they were at it, they had polished their performance. They were ready to go to Madrid.

***

Arnaud Moreau sat in the outer office, waiting to see Clifford Edwards, senior partner of Edwards and Milliken Bank of London. He was patient, waiting for two hours. Shortly before lunch time, he was given five minutes. He introduced himself as a journalist who wanted to write about banking partnerships and the newer development of international honoring of drafts by member banks. Edwards knew of it, but said that his junior partner was handling all of that, and that his bank was partnering with the Lafayette banks to do that at Edwards & Milliken. He gave the name of the junior partner as Robert Milliken and said for Moreau to make an appointment with the assistant to see him.

Moreau did that before leaving, and learned that Milliken was out of the country at that time. He later followed Clifford Edwards and saw him meet with a younger man who looked like him. They went to dine and eventually Moreau got to where he could hear them speaking. He learned that this younger man was Clifford Edwards' younger brother, and that his name was Miles. With nothing else to do, he followed Miles after he left the inn that night. Clifford had left with a sizeable group so he would be impossible to approach privately.

He noticed that the man became furtive later on, waiting outside of a local playhouse in a dark place. His curiosity was aroused then so he waited to see what Edwards would do.

A group of people came out the side doors later after the performance was over. They spoke briefly and separated. Miles began to follow one then and Moreau followed him. When the woman he was following got near to an underpass, Miles ran into the darkened place and shortly emerged, carrying the struggling woman. He carried her easily to a cemetery a block away and there he raped her as Moreau watched. Afterward he left her lying there, beaten and violated.

Moreau followed him to his home then, and within minutes was inside of the place with Edwards. He walked into the parlor as Edwards was pouring a drink.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"

"Someone who knows when a man needs help to get what he wants."

Miles sized up the man and saw that he was seemingly evenly matched. But this was his home, so he moved aggressively toward the stranger. He was suddenly thrown down and found himself in an iron grip, the stranger's face inches from his own.

The stranger spoke then, saying "I saw you rape a woman tonight, Miles. I could go and tell the Constables what you've done. Or, I could easily kill you." he said as he began to tighten his grip on Edwards' throat. Just as Edwards thought he had breathed his last, the vampire relented. Edwards coughed and sucked air in noisily. Moreau waited until he was composed somewhat and then helped him to stand up.

"I've decided not to kill you, Edwards. If you're co-operative with me, I'll keep your secret."

"What...what do you want?"

"Information is what I want, and you are going to get it for me, or you are going to prison for rape."

"Prison? Rape in England is a capital crime."

"All the more reason to cooperate, don't you agree?" Then he bit him on the neck, faster than a viper could strike, easily holding him down in spite of his vigorous efforts to free himself.

***

The journey to Madrid was punctuated by two wild days for Aimee. The group all agreed that she needed that time to relieve the pressure of appearing always as the perfect child

The night of the performance in Madrid, Ian and the others sat in the box reserved for them by Roberto Rodriguez, owner of El Banco de Rodriguez. Marie and Sophia were back stage with Celeste and Aimee, both of whom were eager to perform. As always, this was a prelude to the scheduled opera. Once again Marie warned Aimee about controlling her eyes so that they wouldn't glow. Little Aimee smiled and said "I'll keep my eye-lights off."

They performed and took the place by storm, blowing kisses to the audience as the curtain came down. The theater had to raise the curtain twice because the audience wouldn't stop applauding.

Afterward, they all dined at a well-favored Inn. Roberto Rodriguez had come to the performance with his wife and met them there and paid for everything. While they were there, a king's messenger came and delivered a message to Celeste herself. It was a request to come perform for King Charles III and his family before departing from Madrid. Celeste's hands flew to her cheeks as she smiled broadly. She turned to Aimee and told her. Aimee's eyes widened and her hands flew to her cheeks as she squirmed in her chair and said "Oh my! Oh my! May we Aunt Marie? May we Ian?"

Ian and Marie both chuckled, looking at each other and at Henri. Then they nodded to each other and Ian said "Of course you may, little one. If not, I should fear that the King might throw us all in jail."

Within two days they were in the private residence quarters of the palace itself, assembled to hear the two perform. Ian remembered the room well, having passed through it late one night while stealing two paintings. The two girls completely captivated the royal family and their retinue. During the performance Ian was thinking here we've made history again, this time with seven vampires being in the presence of the Royal Family of Spain.

Afterward they were invited to stay and dine with the royal family. The King's wife Maria had died years before of tuberculosis. His eldest daughter, Esmeralda, was most friendly and chatted a long time with both girls and with the ladies. The king wanted to hear all about the encounter with the Pirates so Ian gave them a mostly accurate version of it and he did add that he had fallen in love with Alandra and that the incident had begun the chain of events that resulted in their eventual marriage. The King was hanging on every detail of the pirate episode while Esmeralda was hanging on every part of the developing romance between the tall Scot and his beautiful wife.

Esmeralda had married and then was widowed so she listened carefully to every word of the budding romance between the two over the days at sea. Both were interested in the storm because they'd heard of how bad it was and remembered it even though it was years ago. The king commented that he also heard of an astute lady in Barcelona who knew tax law so well that she had helped seamen and merchants in Barcelona successfully press prior claims for tax relief. He winked at Alandra when he said that, and she blushed prettily. Ian concluded that the King of Spain was a far warmer, more approachable monarch than Louis of France or George of England. He knew from talking with Henri that he'd initiated far-reaching reforms in Spain already.

It didn't hurt at all that Alandra was known to the Royal Family as the daughter of their Ambassador to France as well as director of Barcelona House. Esmeralda desired for a niece of theirs to be sent there to be examined by the doctors in Barcelona. Alandra obliged and said that the girl would be examined when she arrived, and that she would stay with them or with her own Father and Mother while in Barcelona.

After speaking with Princess Esmeralda, Alandra came to Ian and said "The princess compliments you on your excellent command of the Spanish language."

Leaning close to Alandra Ian spoke softly saying "She should have seen and heard my Spanish when I was a bald-headed drunken man in Barcelona one day, fighting a duel with Carlos Chavez."

Alandra snapped open her fan to conceal her laughter then, shaking her head in disbelief. "Whatever am I going to do with you, Mr. McCloud?"

"I have a few ideas, but we can't discuss them now." he said as he allowed his eyes to glow slightly. Both of them laughed then as she blushed a bit.

Before they departed from the palace, they were introduced to several ministers. Alandra greeted her two uncles and embraced them warmly and introduced each to her husband and to everyone in her party. No sooner had they done that then the chief prosecutor for the crown, Enrique Chavez approached. Ian was anxious then, wondering if somehow the prosecutor would recognize him from their one encounter. His fears were unfounded as Chavez fawned on all of them equally and was most pleasant. Ian and Alandra exchanged glances and smiles after he had met Ian and had not recognized him. She nodded knowingly and smiled at Ian in response to him winking at her.

After the Chavez had gone away Alandra had turned to Ian and said in a low voice "Did you notice that he had a part of the little finger of one hand missing?" Ian replied "Why yes, Lady McCloud. In fact, I was there when he lost it." She snapped open her fan immediately to conceal her laughter and only the widening of her beautiful eyes, her raised eyebrows, and her shaking shoulders gave away that she was laughing so very hard. In a low voice she leaned toward him a bit and laughingly said "Ian, you devil! You could have at least told me about that before now!"

"What? And miss seeing you react this way? You should have seen your face just now!" He said with a bright smile as he allowed his eyes to glow just a tiny bit, winking at her once more. She blushed and letting her fan down she threw her head back and laughed out loud. Across the room Princess Esmeralda saw the two of them and thought I've never seen two people more in love than those two.

# Chapter 89

The newly-appointed Chief Deputy of King's Gendarmes Claude Rousseau looked around his spacious office. It had a large bay window with as good a view as his former office when he was one of three Assistant Deputies. He had to admit that the Laforges had made good their promise to see to his regular promotions. Here he was now living in Paris and only one office lower than the head of all of the King's Gendarmerie of France. He now had two daughters and a son. Congratulatory birthday letters with gifts arrived on their birthdays each year. He had no doubt that the Laforges were well aware of much of his personal life.

He'd been contacted by the same Monsieur Laforge a few times since. No appointment was made or needed. They just seemed to meet by chance when dining both times. He had also received some queries by letter, always with the distinctive emblem on it. As promised, no seditious or unlawful act had ever been proposed. It was mostly information that the Laforges wanted, or an occasional recommendation to, or request from another branch of government about some obscure thing or other.

It was easy and so far as he could tell, it was harmless. He was most happy with the arrangement. His wife and he now had a comfortable and spacious home in a posh district of Paris which he had bought after he came to Paris as Assistant Deputy. It was no mansion, but it was a far cry from how they had lived in Marseille nonetheless. He had to conclude that it had been his very great fortune to come to the attention of the Laforges. They were getting to be known a little bit, it seemed.

They sponsored a large orphanage near Luxembourg it was rumored, and employed no small number of people at a ceramics plant that they owned a piece of, and in fact was a business that he had investigated at their request before they bought a share of it. They were seemingly as well respected and thought of as the Lafayettes of old. He had heard less of the Lafayettes in recent years it seemed, but he remembered that he had once met Henri himself after that incident at their orphanage. He had been a most pleasant fellow, and had even gone out of his way to let him know that some girls thought abducted had merely ran away as children will sometimes do. That was a nice thing for such a busy and well-known man to do, and he sometimes wondered what the Lafayettes were doing these days since he rarely heard of them anymore. He would have never dreamt that the Lafayettes and Laforges were one and the same couple.

***

The entire entourage left the guest quarters of the palace in Madrid and the same day had departed for Portugal. They had arrived unannounced but soon Henri secured an appointment with the banker whom Roberto had told Ian about. One thing led to another and after an evening at his home as guests, the man's wife was so taken by Celeste's singing and Aimee's violin playing that within a week, they had gotten permission for the two to perform there.

The performance at the Lisbon opera was received very well indeed. At long last Portugal had the distinction of hosting the European Nightingale and her child prodigy pianist. It was a memorable occasion and Ian did get a few prickly alarms indicating that vampires in Lisbon liked the opera as much as they did in other capitols of Europe. Aimee sang because she already knew the Portuguese language. Being as she could play the violin and sing so well she was easily as big a hit that night as was Celeste. Being a vampire had given her voice a strength that had made her a very strong singer, surprising every audience that heard her.

The banker Ricardo signed and become a partner with the Banque de Lafayette. The business part of the trip had been as successful as the entertainment part.

It was decided that the family would sail north to France at Biscay and take land transportation across southern France to the chateau. Ian and Alandra wanted to sail south through Gibraltar to visit with Roberto and Alicia on their way home to Barcelona. They promised to come to the chateau after they had been at Barcelona awhile. Aimee came to Ian and Alandra when it came time to part. She hugged and kissed Alandra over and over again and then climbed into Ian's arms for a farewell, kissing him repeatedly as he and Alandra told her truthfully how much they would miss her and promised to join her at the chateau. As they walked away Ian said "I love that child so, Alandra. I can't imagine life now without her. I look back now and count it a blessing the day we found her."

"It was a blessing. She's the kind of daughter I've dreamt of. I couldn't love her more."

They sailed through Gibraltar and on to Almeria where they stayed for a week at the Rodriguez estate in Almeria and then sailed to Barcelona.

***

As their ship plowed north through the Atlantic toward Biscay, the love birds got a lot of time together strolling about its deck. On one occasion, Liri turned to Mustafa and said "Tell me how you came to be with this family." Mustafa gave her the story from his abduction in Morocco onward through his rescue and adoption. He told her about witnessing the hanging of the pirates, but left out details of the abuse he had suffered.

Liri said "Henri and Marie are heads of the family, but it seems that they defer to Ian a lot too."

"Yes, Ian's like an oldest son to both of them, and they're like a mother and father to him, as they are to Louis and me. When they go to kill rogue vampires, Ian is the leader in all things pertinent to that. They'd never done that sort of thing before he came. It was after he came that a pair of rogue vampires began to steal little girls from one of Marie's orphanages. That was what prompted the training you saw at the old house near Paris. Ian wanted to train himself as best he could when he was imprinting so he had Li brought to the chateau.

"Why Li?"

He explained the story of Ian's being forced to become a vampire and of him voluntarily giving up ever seeing the girl he fell in love with when they were all at sea together.

"Did anyone ever learn what became of that girl?"

"That girl was Alandra."

Her eyes widened. "No! Really? Now that is a love story if there ever was one!"

Laughing at her enthusiasm for the story he continued and related the story of Ian traveling to Spain for Tom's wedding to Celita and ending up marrying Alandra. He concluded with saying "Cosette's death made him even more determined to take revenge anytime he encountered a coven of rogue vampires. No one hates them more than he does."

"That is understandable. He seems so gentle though, that I have a hard time imagining him doing the things you described."

"The incident at the orphanage in Marseille started the whole thing off, and our family has since earned quite a reputation among their kind for our ability in that regard."

"I can't help but notice that even in this regard you include yourself as part of their family, Maurice."

"They are my family." He went on to tell her as much as he could of the accounts of their raids on rogue vampire covens. "He seems to take to that sort of thing naturally. Ian and Li are likely two of the deadliest of their kind."

She looked out to sea a while then and then shaking her head said "Seeing him with Aimee and all of the times I've been around him when he came to live with Anna, I could never have guessed that. He's a man of great contrasts. And I've seen Li with Sophia and Aimee. I couldn't have guessed that the two of them are so deadly."

"And I could never have guessed that you'd be the woman of my dreams, but you are. Did you know that, Liri? I was taken with you the first time I saw you when you knocked at our door in Paris." They had been standing, her against the rail near the bow and he standing close behind with his arms about her waist. She turned her head to him and she blushed a bit, smiling sweetly. "I am so happy Maurice...so very happy." He bent to kiss her then as the ship made its way north through the endless sea. Not more than thirty feet distant Louis was kissing Celeste at the same time.

# Chapter 90

Tom and Celita were happy to see Ian and Alandra. Things had gone well at Barcelona House while they were gone, but Alandra got to work right away looking over the books and inspecting everything. The couple had done a superb job of caring for the place while they were away. While they were there, the niece of the daughter of King Charles was brought so Ian had their doctor give her a physical. She had what appeared to be the wasting disease. The doctor was quite frank and told the guardian that the child was dying. He didn't hold out much hope and left it to the guardian to tell the child if she wanted to. The lady wept openly at the news, being that she loved the child as if she was her own.

Ian and Alandra brought some special soup to the little girl that night. It was just warm, not hot, and was exactly what they gave to little Rosita that cured her. The little girl was encouraged to drink it all. Ian and Alandra both sat with her afterward and told her that they thought she might soon start to get better. She said that she already was feeling warmer inside. They stayed by her bed until she slept.

The very next day, the child said she was feeling better. She and the guardian were both moved to Ian and Alandra's house to stay. Being given a strict regimen of fruit and vegetable juice from the first, she was made to consume it daily. Within a week she was well and was running about and playing as would any healthy child that age. She had begun to gain back the weight she had lost and her color had improved dramatically. The doctor was summoned and he pronounced it a miracle and didn't mind admitting he'd thought her to be as good as dead the day he first saw her.

Two days later the guardian tearfully thanked Alandra before she and the little girl departed for Madrid. Ian and Alandra had been spending most of their time with her parents and her brother if not at the hospital. They were ready to leave at any time, so they departed for Marseille.

***

Yvonne Devrie walked into the Cat's Eye Tavern in Paris, and looked around. Seeing Stefan sitting alone, she moved through the crowded place toward his table. More than a few men tracked her progress as she artfully wove her way through the maze of tables to Stefan's table. A lovely redhead, she would easily turn the heads of most men. She approached Stefan, who by now had seen her. "Good evening love. Have you learned anything about the whereabouts of Arnaud Moreau yet?"

"No. We've come here so much that we're now considered regulars and I've yet to hear where he might be."

"I heard something interesting not an hour ago." He looked at her, raising his eyebrows as she went on "It seems that Francoise had a younger brother who lives near Lacoste'. Do you think that this Arnaud might have gone to see him?"

"Why would Moreau go to see Francoises' younger brother?"

"Would you be interested in knowing that his older brother, Aldric may have worked for him before his death? It might be that Moreau went to see the younger one to see if he could shed any light on the death of his older brother."

"Where did you hear that?"

"I just tonight learned of it while talking to a woman who used to keep company with Aldric.. It seems he was killed in Austria as the rumor goes."

"What would that have to do with the fire at Francoises' place?"

"Oh it gets better, Stefan. It's rumored that there were kidnappings of children involved in the events at Vienna where Aldric was killed."

"What?" he said, looking wide-eyed at her. She nodded with a smile and her green eyes began to glow. "It could be that we should go see this Marquis de Sade and learn the whereabouts of Arnaud."

"This is the first good news I've had since I lost my arm" he said as his eyes began to glow.

"He's quite well known about France and quite wealthy as well. We can't just go and bully him. We'll have to have something to offer him."

"How about an eyewitness report on what really happened the night his brother burned to death?"

***

After sailing from Barcelona to Marseille, Ian and Alandra arrived at the chateau and greeted everyone. Little Aimee jumped into Ian's arms and was kissing him and Alandra before the others could even get close. She was swung up to sit on his shoulders to her great delight, putting his tricorner hat on her head with a big smile. Everyone hugged and exchanged kisses as always. Celeste walked arm-in-arm between Ian and Alandra as they made their way to the broad veranda of the chateau. Marie was on Ian's other arm, her head against his shoulder, smiling.

Two idyllic weeks slipped by like a day it seemed. They were filled with outdoor activities by day and with dancing and music every night. Once Aimee had seen Ian and Henri perform the Cossack dance, she wouldn't rest until she'd learned how to do it too. It was quite a sight to see a little tyke like her performing a masculine dance such as that.

During this time, Ian conferred with the others about Aimee's performance and asked if she had ever slipped in public. Everyone confirmed that she'd always been a flawless performer, never revealing her true powers in any public place. He asked what the others thought about her learning some basic self-defense practices and no one objected, so he began to teach Aimee some technics of Chi-Na.

He explained to Aimee that these were things that she would now learn because she had shown that she could be trusted. It was stressed that she was never to use these things against children, but only against someone who was going to harm her or someone else. They were quite simple techniques, designed to break a finger or to paralyze an opponent by use of a pressure point. She was also taught how to deliver a powerful snap kick, as well as how to yield and use a bigger opponents' momentum to throw them to the ground. A surprise blow to the neck to temporarily impair breathing as well as use of the universal 'sleeper-hold' was taught and she became skilled at both techniques

For more serious situations she was taught how to gouge out an eye or to crush a larynx in a life-or-death situation. Being that all of this was something completely new, she loved it, and trained faithfully, striving to excel as she always did. As bizarre as all of this was, it was accepted as commonplace at the chateau, where training in fighting techniques had become commonplace since Ian had joined the family.

One evening after dinner, Louis stood up. Ian looked at Alandra and winked about the same time as Marie nudged Henri. Louis said "I have an announcement to make." Indicating Celeste seated next to him he said "I've asked this lovely lady to marry me and she's accepted." Celeste beamed a brilliant smile as a slight flush rose to her cheeks.

There was applause all around and then Ian said "Mustafa, have you something to tell us?"

Smiling broadly he stood and said "I do. I have asked Liridona to marry me and she's agreed to make me the happiest man on earth." Liri blushed and smiled.

There was applause all around then for the two of them. Ian stood and clinked his fork on his goblet and said "I have an announcement to make and it is this: I've asked my Uncle Angus to join us here for a while this summer if he can, so if you lovebirds can wait until he arrives, you might consider a dual wedding aboard Elsie's Cloud."

Celeste and Liridona both exclaimed their delight. Marie vanished quickly and reappeared just as quickly holding a bottle of wine. "Let's toast the brides and grooms to be then." she said.

# Chapter 91

Elsie's Cloud rode at anchor in the port of Marseille. The watch was set with six left aboard and there were two carriages with the last passengers climbing in for the ride to the Chateau.

Around three hours later, the two carriages approached the large chateau. Liri and Mustafa were sitting on the veranda and saw them coming. Liri went quickly inside to tell Marie. She rang her summoning bell and soon the veranda was crowded with staff and others of the family. Ian, Alandra, Henri, and Marie all came to the carriage along with six of her staff. Angus stepped out, tall and lean as ever. Ian and he hugged each other and grabbed each other's shoulders and just looked into each other's eyes for a bit, grinning. As they parted Ian stood looking intently into the carriage.

Angus saw the stupefied look on his face and began to laugh. "Why Ian, you look as if you never saw your mother or your aunt Mary before!" He reached then to assist Elsie and Mary down from the carriage. Ian and Alandra took turns hugging and kissing the two and were still looking and smiling at them when Stuart climbed down from the carriage. Ian turned to his little brother and picked him up in a bear hug and whirled him around. "Stu; look at you! So tall and handsome! I'll wager that the young ladies in Edinburg know you by name! But you're not yet too big to get a ride on your big brothers shoulder lad!" He then grabbed Stu and stooping down; he snatched him up and ran all around the two coaches carrying him like he was only a pillow, laughing all the while. Alandra shook her head and said "I honestly believe he'll do Stuart that way forever!" as they all laughed at the familiar site. Mustafa and Louis really enjoyed it because Ian had finally quit doing it to them after they had announced their intent to marry.

The occupants of the other coach were now out and Ian put Stu down to embrace Armando, Mark, Leon, and Rob MacGregor. "Stay right here, Lads. We've some introductions to be made." Meanwhile Henri, Marie, and Alandra had been following behind him greeting everyone. Ian returned in a moment with Liridona, Celeste, and Aimee. He introduced all of them to everyone which took a good little bit of time. Li took Sophia around to meet everyone.

Ian took Aimee aside for a moment and said "We'll be having lots of humans here for a while Aimee. You'll have to be at your very best. I haven't seen these of my family for a long time and it may seem like I'm ignoring you, but that isn't so. It's just that I don't get to see them that much."

"I understand."

"There will be a lot of exciting things happening, but you must remember to keep your eyes looking normal at all times. Can you do that?"

"I can do that."

"Some of the time you'll be staying with Alandra and me at our house with Li and Sophia until after the wedding. That will make it easier, sweetheart. I'm so very pleased with you. I love you."

She put her little arms around his neck and kissed him. "I love you too."

Dinner was delicious and was a jovial and pleasant time for everyone. The conversations centered on news from Scotland and on the new developments in Ian's life. There were lots of questions about their travels in Spain and Portugal as well as all to do with the upcoming weddings. Ian's mother asked later about Aimee and the standard orphan/adoption story was told.

It was announced that there would be a dual wedding aboard Elsie as soon as Marie could arrange for the same crew to prepare the ship. A twin repair dock would be used to put all guests aboard and a large crew hired to tow and row them clear from the dock so that Elsie would be at sea for the ceremony.

Aimee and Celeste sang for the guests that evening and Ian and Alandra sat up late into the night visiting with everyone. It was well after midnight when the last guest retired.

***

One evening at dinner Marie announced that the ship would be ready for a wedding within three more days. All who were there were impressed with the joy and sincerity of the two couples.

The three days passed quickly with all manner of activities. The fourth morning saw them all departing for Marseille. The ship's officers would stay at the Red Dolphin courtesy of Lorn and Corinne, while the family would stay at a vacant home in Marseille owned by Henri. Marie had already sent part of the staff there to ready the place. The wedding would be the day after. Today would be a final inspection of the preparations aboard ship by Marie. She had given instructions to her staff concerning their return and the wedding celebration. Her senior staff members were in charge of seeing that everything was ready for that event.

The ship had been prepared to perfection and it was the day of the wedding. As before, a large temporary canopy had been erected and a temporary staircase installed over one of the two access steps to the stern deck. The ship was bedecked with flowers and garlands. The guests were all aboard and the two brides were cloistered in the forecastle with Marie. Eight draft horses pulled Elsie out from between the twin repair docks as the crew rowed and towed her slowly away from them.

Soon she was turned and her sails unfurled. She gracefully made her way out of the harbor to a place around two miles offshore where she was anchored. Only the vampires aboard noticed how Angus skillfully anchored Elsie so that the canopy cast a shadow over the seats in front. The sails were furled then and Armando began to play his wedding tune. Ian came out and assisted the two ladies up the ladder of the forecastle to the main deck. Aimee came out too, in the same gown that she wore when she performed in Spain. The two brides to be had new gowns sent from Paris by Caryn. Celeste had collaborated with Caryn about it, suspecting that Liri would need a wedding dress. Aimee preceded Ian and the two brides with a basket of rose petals that she scattered as they walked. Ian walked the two of them down the aisle. Two little girls from Angel's Care orphanage followed to keep the bridal trains from dragging on the deck

Ian walked the two women to the staircase smiling broadly. He turned to Celeste and kissed both of her hands, "You've come a long way from where I found you, lassie. Who knew that something that started so bad could end so well? Congratulations and welcome to our family." And then he turned to Liri and kissed both of her hands. "Liri, little did I know that you'd be joining our family when we met. Congratulations and welcome." To both of them he said "I am so happy this blessed day. May God bless you, your husbands, and your marriage forever more." Then he assisted them up to the aft deck where Angus, Mustafa, and Louis waited, smiling broadly. Ian scooped up little Aimee and herded the other two little girls to Marie. Then he went to his seat where he kissed and cuddled Aimee as he sat next to Alandra.

Whispering to Aimee, he said "I'm so pleased with you. You've done very well this whole time. Tonight you'll be in your own room at the chateau because I've given our home for the love birds to stay in. Alandra and I will stay at the chateau also."

Louis and Celeste's vows were spoken first, and then Mustafa and Liridona's vows were next. Angus pronounced them man and wife and presented them to the guests then after they kissed. The crew gave three cheers for the couple, and the chairs were moved to the foredeck. Angus called out to weigh anchor and unfurl sails. Elsie's Cloud made her way back into the harbor and to the waiting longboats to be towed back into the twin repair docks. Armando played the violin as all of the couples aboard danced until the ship was ready to let the passengers off. Ian put Aimee on his shoulders while he danced with Alandra, and then with Celeste and with Liri.

Within a half hour of getting to the repair docks, the guests were on their way to the chateau. The crew rowed and towed Elsie back out to her anchorage in the harbor as the carriages made their way toward the chateau. Marie had arranged to hire a violinist, cellist, pianist, and flute player for music. They were waiting in their carriage and departed with all of the guests. It was a long caravan that made its way to the Chateau that afternoon.

The grand dining hall was full of guests. Henri gave thanks to God for the food and for the wedding that day. The meal was served on Marie's best dinnerware, which was saying something. It was spectacular and every dish delicious. Many commented that they had never experienced finer food in their lives. Everything went smoothly under Marie's experienced and watchful eye and her staff was superb in their service of the guests. The quartet played Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and other contemporaries as the guests dined. After many toasts were made, the guests finally retired to the spacious parlor while the staff cleared the table and prepared the ballroom. Gifts were presented to the two couples by everyone and it took well over an hour for everyone to see everything.

The guests all filed into the ballroom. Ian came to Louis and Mustafa. "I have one more gift for you two." he said as he handed Louis a key. "This is to our home. All of us will stay here. You four stay there as long as you like. The pantry is full."

The two thanked him. Then he said "I'll make a diversion of some kind so the four of you can slip away, and there will be a carriage ready with no driver. It will be near the front door." The three then embraced and entered the ballroom.

Soon the two newlyweds were dancing the first dance as the guests stood by. In a bit, Henri and Marie joined in to the minuet followed by Ian and Alandra. Soon the other couples had joined in.

The evening progressed smoothly and Ian got to dance with his mother and his aunt for the first time in a very long time. He noticed that his mother seemed to look narrowly at him from time to time. It puzzled him and he finally made mention of it to Alandra. "Ian, I think that your mother has noticed that you don't age. Mothers have a really sharp and discerning eye for such things."

"I don't know that I can do much about that."

"No, you can't. Did I tell you that I heard her mention it when we were in Scotland that last time?" About then the quartet changed tempo for a different, livelier tune. Ian scooped up Aimee and put her on his shoulders as he danced with Alandra. Since the two little girls from the orphanage were at the celebration, Ian also took them one at a time and put them on his shoulders while he danced too. Soon Henri, Li, and Andre were doing the same and the two little girls were included in much of the dancing.

The musicians took a short break to eat a bit and drink, so Marie had stepped out for a moment. One of the little girls came to Aimee and whispered in her ear that she needed to use the necessary room. Aimee knew that there was a chamber pot beyond the pantry at the back of the house. So rather than take the little girl all the way upstairs she took her back through the kitchen.

There was a copper kettle with water boiling on one of the three large wood-burning stoves. Four of the servants were still on duty in there at the time. Aimee pointed to the door that went to where the chamber pot and wash basin were and decided to wait on the little girl who would have to walk past the stove to get there. As fate would have it, a mouse suddenly darted from under a pie safe and passed beneath one of the cooks. She saw it from the corner of her eyes as it darted under her and flinched, lunging back away from it. She struck the copper kettle and it started to tip and spill just as the little girl walked past it.

# Chapter 92

The Minister of the King's Gendarmerie sat at the desk in his study at his spacious home. He reflected on his life beginning so many years ago when that older man had approached him. He'd been a young inspector in Versailles then. The man had introduced himself as a Monsieur Lefevre. He had made a proposal that had changed the young inspector's life by promising that he'd be promoted regularly in exchange for favors now and then. True to his word, Lefevre had never been asked him to do anything seditious, treasonous or fraudulent. It seemed that all that the Lefevre's wanted was information for the most part, with occasional recommendations to another department of government about some obscure thing or other. He had gladly given them everything that they'd ever wanted and it had been a good and lucrative arrangement.

As promised not only had the promotions been made regularly, but after he achieved a level of assistant deputy to Chief of King's Gendarmerie, he had received proof of a handsome bank account in his name in the Swiss Confederation at a fairly new bank in those days named Banque de Fellman. It grew over the years since then. He had never touched the funds but had no doubt that they would be there when he retired from public service. It was a handsome addition to his service pension and would enable him and his wife to live comfortably in their old age as well as to help his children and grandchildren. He contemplated retirement and wondered if they should move to Lausanne. That the Lefevre's still had powerful connections he had no doubt. He had been guided by them in bringing along that young Claude Rousseau. There was little doubt now that Rousseau would succeed him when he retired; being that he was not yet forty years old and was second in command in the King's Gendarmerie in Paris.

The Lefevre's had sent a young man to him when he was an assistant deputy. This man had carried a letter with a peculiar symbol on it which the minister recognized very well, and which was duplicated in the wax seal. The letter requested that the man be given the job of being the carriage driver for the newly appointed assistant deputy. He had complied of course, never dreaming of refusing a request from a Lefevre. The man had been a good one and had driven the minister to his job daily for decades. He had been given that job in turn by the minister before him. They'd become friends over the years and now the current Minister had an inkling about the appointment what with the similarity of the appointment he'd been asked to make for Rousseau regarding his new driver. He puzzled about it somewhat, but in the end, he didn't care.

Little did the Minister know that the man reported regularly on the destination of the Minister and who was with him and anything he might hear. He had no idea that his driver was once an orphan who was raised in an orphanage in Nantes. It was sponsored and supported back in those days by the Lefevre family. The driver had a man who came around once a month and took the reports from the driver and from the drivers of others and took them to what was then called Banque de Lefevre. From there they were to be taken somewhere via bank courier. Later on the bank became owned by the Leveque family and changed its name. Today it was the Banque de Lafayette.

The couriers at Banque de Lafayette were a mixed lot. Some were older and had started when the bank was Lefevre owned and some had come along later when it was owned by the Leveque family. All were from orphanages around France, but each thought that he might be the only such one. All knew that they couldn't reveal their origin or they would lose their jobs and homes. They had good jobs and wished to keep them for their families sakes. They lived rent-free on farms owned by either the Lefevre, Leveque, or Lafayette families and were scattered around France. Some lived near Paris. Some lived near Lyon or Dijon while others lived near Nantes, Marseille, Versailles, or Strasbourg. Their wives were domestic staff at various fine homes and were well paid for that level of French society. Their children had all learned to read, write, and to do mathematics courtesy of their employers.

Not a single one of them ever would have guessed that their employers over all of the decades were the same two people who were not even human themselves.

***

Aimee saw that the kettle was tipping over onto the little girl. At vampire speed she lunged and with both arms outstretched, she pushed the little girl to safety just as the boiling water cascaded down onto her own arms, barely missing her face. She screamed so loud that the guests heard it. Ian recognized the sound and was the first one into the kitchen.

Little Aimee ran to him crying. He assessed the situation in less than the blink of an eye and lunged out the back door with Aimee while shouting "Bring me all of the honey you can find and two clean towels!" as he raced at vampire speed for the livestock watering trough. He plunged her arms into the water and held them there as she cried. "Aimee, remember when I cut you and how fast you healed?

"Y...y...yes."

"That's what is happening right now. The worst is already over. I came out here to keep the humans from seeing that. Quickly now, before the others get here, let me help you out of that dress." At vampire speed he assisted her out of it without damaging it at all and laid it aside. She now was clad only in her undergarments, shoes and white hosiery. He put her arms back into the water. Marie and Henri were first to arrive and had towels and honey. Ian pulled her away from the water and even though it was dark their vampire vision confirmed that the blistered skin was already healed. Ian felt her arms and then said "See, little one. You're healed. We only have to fool the humans now." He smeared some honey on each of her arms and quickly ripped the towels into long strips to bandage both of them. Marie handed him some seamstress pins and he secured the bandages.

"You'll have to act as if your arms hurt now for a short time, Aimee. We'll have to keep them covered until then. No swimming either. You'll stay close to Marie or me tomorrow."

By then some of the guests carrying oil lamps had found their way to the watering trough, including Angus, Elsie, Alandra, and Mary. Marie explained what happened as Ian carried her to the chateau then and up to her room. Alandra, Sophia, and Marie followed. After they were in Aimee's room Ian said "You'll have to remember now to act as if you hurt. What happened in there?"

She related the incident and they all praised her quick thinking and quick action then.

"So you're not angry with me?"

"No sweetheart. Tonight you showed us that you've learned one of the most important things about being a member of our family."

"What's that?"

"You put the safety of that girl above your own. We're very pleased with you."

Alandra and Marie echoed that so Aimee smiled sweetly then and held her bandaged arms out so as to be hugged and kissed by everyone there.

Marie went down to the guests then and explained it all and everyone agreed that Aimee had been a heroine that evening. She said that what Ian had done had saved Aimee from a bad injury, and that she was sure there would be no scars. She signed to the musicians to resume their music and she and Henri began to dance. Soon the other guests joined her too and the party resumed its pace.

Ian came down a short time later and explained to some of the guests including his mother and aunt that Aimee was asleep now with Alandra. He rejoined the party before he could be asked any questions, winking once at Angus and Armando when no one was looking. The newlyweds were nowhere to be seen. "Is there anyone here who has seen the Cossack dance called the Hopak? If not, we'll demonstrate it for you. If so, you're going to see it again."

The celebration went on then until near midnight with dancing and music. The guests finally retired from sheer exhaustion then. Marie excused the staff then and told them to do the cleanup of the ball room the next morning.

Ian was thinking of how best to present the situation of Aimee's healing and the onerous chore of keeping her bandaged so long when he had an idea. He slipped out and went to the garden. There he pulled up six beets by the light of the moon. At vampire speed he washed and minced them and then in the barn he put them between two boards and pressed/hammered until he had drained all of the red juice out and caught it in his copper bowl.

He got Aimee to rub the juice on her arms and wash her hands and then covered them with honey and fresh bandages again. Later the next afternoon they made a production of taking off the bandages and washing and re-wrapping her arms. Everyone seemed to be deceived by her arms being only pink-red and not scarred or blistered.

The following evenings' activities were normal and the guests retired before midnight. Ian thought that Aimee needed some away time to let off some steam what with her working so hard to deceive everyone.

He went to her room before dawn and awoke her, asking if she would like to sneak away for some wild time. Soon they were on their way, each on a mount heading for the waterfall. They didn't notice that a horse and saddle were missing.

At the waterfall Aimee bounded away from one rock to the next and leaped up to stand atop the falls. She launched herself into space and did a somersault before knifing into the water cleanly. Swimming like a little porpoise she flew out of the water to land on the big sycamore tree that grew out of the bank horizontally. Ian dove off doing a triple somersault and shot like lighting across the pool to fly out of the water and land next to Aimee. Laughing, he scooped her up and leaped straight up some fifty feet to plunge back down into the water with her screaming. They cavorted and played then, he chasing her all around the waterfall and pool area, each of them bounding from rocks to trees to the top of the falls for yet more spectacular dives.

Aimee had just done another perfect somersault off of the falls and Ian was poised to follow when he spied a person on a horse staring at him in disbelief. It was his mother, Elsie. She sat on the horse, mouth agape and held up Angus's spyglass and said "I didn't believe what I saw through this thing and I don't believe it now. Ian, what...what is the meaning of...of this?"

"Mother, I'm sorry that you had to see this." He dove and shot across the pool like a porpoise but slowed and just walked out of the water so as not to spook her horse. He walked to her then and assisted her down. She just stared at him wordlessly as Aimee skipped from rock to rock and came across to stand there too.

"It's my fault, Mrs. McCloud. Ian thought he needed to take me out for some wild time because of the accident. We didn't mean to scare you, ma'am."

"Wild time?"

"Nonsense, Aimee. It's all my doing. I saw the suspicion in your eyes from the day you arrived, Mother."

"Ian, I noticed that you never aged at all. A mother sees things that others overlook, and my goodness, you look about the same age as Stuart! What is the meaning of all of this, son? Are all of these...people here like...this? And Aimee here...her arms." Here she left off speaking and pulled the two beet-stained boards from her saddlebags, presenting them to Ian with her eyebrows raised. "I talked to the people who were in the kitchen. They thought that Aimee was way over in the doorway and yet when that kettle spilled she was suddenly beside that little girl pushing her away. And look at her arms now, only two days since then!"

"Let's ride back to the Chateau Mother. I'll tell you what has happened." He stepped to her and took her in his arms and then kissed her forehead. "What I tell you will change your life forever. Uncle Angus and Armando have had to bear the burden of my secret themselves all of these years. It's deadly and dangerous to know that we even exist, Mother."

"We?"

"We. Aimee and I are no longer human, Mother. I haven't been human since shortly after I first came to Marseille. I'll tell you along the way. You have to decide whether to tell Aunt Mary or not." He bandaged Aimee's arms and they mounted up and departed, talking along the way.

As they arrived at the barn behind the chateau, Ian had concluded a fairly accurate account of his life since becoming a vampire, minus details of the Council, some battles, and his love life. Included in that was an account of Aimee's history and of how she came to be living with them. Elsie looked at Ian and said "Grandmother and grandfather, do they know?"

"No. I saw no need to tell them. I would have told you before telling them." He vaulted off of his horse to assist his mother down, and then Aimee. She looked questioningly at him after he had helped Aimee. "Mother; remember that we must keep up appearances for the humans who don't know about us. We never know if one of the staff or a guest is looking out of a window."

"Yes. Yes, of course. This all explains why you never returned to live in Scotland after Cosette died. I had often wondered about that." Looking at Aimee she appreciated the perfect training of the child saying "You are a remarkable child, to have learned about this...this play-acting. You do it so very well too! It must have been so hard for you to learn.

"Mrs. McCloud, I had a lot of teachers, and they all love me."

"So do I dear. So do I. But this is all...so...new. Now that I've seen and heard it, I need time to accept it." She turned to him, smiling broadly and held her arms wide. He gratefully stepped to her and hugged her wordlessly. She then turned to Aimee and opening her arms said "You too, Aimee. Come give your grandmother a hug now." Little Aimee smiled radiantly, her eyes were a little teary as they hugged wordlessly. Then she said "My family is the best family in the whole world, grandmother." She turned to Ian and stretched out her arms to be picked up. As he gathered her to his bosom and they turned to walk to the chateau she said "My father is the best father in the whole world." as she clung to Ian's neck and kissed his cheek, and then pillowed her head on his shoulder as they made their way to the kitchen door. Ian felt a lump in his throat then. Never had Aimee called him a father before. "You're the very best daughter any man could ever have, Aimee. I'm blessed and honored to have you." He put one arm around his mother as they approached the back porch.

Later that morning Elsie took Mary McCloud aside and told her everything. The two of them accompanied by Angus and Armando came to see Ian and Alandra privately for a little while later on that afternoon. They strolled about beyond the barn where they couldn't be overheard. Ian had answered questions that Mary had posed, leaving out any mention of the Supreme Council and of any details of any raids on vampire covens. Elsie had a couple of questions too and they were answered. Ian said "I'm going to tell you something this once, and I'll never bring it up again. If any or all of you desire to become as I am, I will see to it that it happens. It will be done at some time when you're here, if you choose to go through with it. This place is ideal for that process. I do want to offer that to Stu as well when he's a few years older." He looked at Alandra and pulling her close he said "This has been an open offer to Alandra too, as she knows. For now, I suppose it's best that Stuart doesn't know, unless you want to tell him now while you're here?"

They looked at each other then, and decided not to tell Stuart at the present time.

"I hate that it happened the way it did, but I'm relieved not to have to keep up the pretense. It has been a burden on me and it has been a burden on Uncle Angus and Armando too. Now at least you four can talk about it from time to time among yourselves only of course. I won't speak of it anymore except to tell you one last time how vital it is for the sake of all of us to keep my secret to yourselves."

They all nodded agreement then and lapsed into silence for a bit. Mary spoke then, taking Elsie's hand and saying "I for one am glad it's out in the open within our family. We're strong, and we are stronger together. It's a good thing that we know of this and can share it among ourselves. I'm content Ian, and I can see how happy you two are. If Alandra can live with it who are we to question her? What can anyone say against that?"

# Chapter 93

All too soon the long visit ended. Tearful goodbyes were said at the port of Marseille. Ian told everyone that he and the others would be coming to London soon, and at least he and Alandra would be traveling overland to Edinburg for a visit. Ian and the others watched the longboats carry their loved ones and friends to Elsie's Cloud. They watched her weigh anchor, unfurl sails and make her way gracefully toward the horizon.

No sooner had they gotten back to the chateau that Marie came into the parlor with her latest dispatches from a courier. "Alyssa is getting married and we're all invited to their wedding." Plans were made to depart for Paris immediately. They went as a caravan up the Rhone valley through Lyon and on to Paris. It took eleven days, but they arrived at Paris with three days to spare and all went to the Lafayette's spacious suite on the Champs Elysees. There was scarcely room for them, so Henri gave Ian the key to his new suite of rooms in the name of the Laforges only three blocks away. Ian, Alandra, Aimee, Li, and Sophia went there and there was room aplenty for everyone at both places then.

The three days passed quickly with sightseeing and a scenic boat ride on the Seine one day. Some necessary bank business was taken care of while they were there, with Mustafa and Louis doing it.

***

The day of Alyssa's wedding came and every one of the Lafayette family was resplendent in their very best clothing. They all sported their sun glasses and the ladies had large matching ornate parasols which they had opened due to the sunshine that day. All wore long gloves and simple but elegantly styled broad-brimmed hats as well, which were not thought to be fashionable wear in that era.

Caryn performed the formal introductions between the two groups outside of the cathedral. Alyssa was cloistered and had sent for Marie to calm her nerves and stay with her. With the exception of Henri and Marie, they all took their seats in the very front row of the side where Alyssa's people sat, opposite the Groom's family. Shortly the pipe organ began to thunder as the doors opened. Alyssa appeared holding Henri's arm and came down the aisle. She was radiant in a dress of her own design and her smile lit the cathedral even through the wedding veil.

The ceremony was perfect, with both bride and groom smiling, exuding happiness. At last it was over and the guests stood and applauded the newlyweds. There was a long line of well-wishers and when Ian came to them, he politely kissed the hand of the bride and shook the hand of the groom. He introduced Alyssa and Alandra to each other and then he said "Congratulations to you both. I wish you all of the happiness you deserve and may you have that for all of your days." Alyssa demurely thanked him and embraced Alandra who also wished them well, and told Alyssa how beautiful she looked.

At the celebration, there was a table set that was fit for any king. A small musical ensemble consisting of a violin, cello, oboe, bassoon, and piano provided music. There were near to eighty guests to serve. The hosts were just able to fit everyone comfortably into their large dining hall, and had rented tables and chairs to do this. The meal was magnificent. Many toasts were proposed and drank during and after dinner. The workers from Caryn and Alyssa's shops were a bit out of place, but very well behaved. All but two were young women who tended to stay in a group by themselves. Ian noticed and asked one to dance with him. Not too long thereafter many men began to ask the workers from Caryn's place to dance so that they were not standing on the sidelines.

Alyssa definitely noticed and later when Ian was dancing a minuet with her, she thanked him. "I saw what you did in asking mine and Caryn's workers to dance, Ian. I'm grateful that you thought of them. I just didn't consider that when I invited them all here. Thank you again."

"Please Alyssa. No thanks are necessary. I just want this to be a perfect night for you. I'm truly enjoying myself tonight. Have you noticed little Aimee? It seems she has stolen the heart of Damien's little brother."

"It does that, Ian. She is just a perfect little lady and what a vivacious personality! She has such poise too, more than most adults. I saw her dancing. What theater! I am so very impressed by her."

"It may be that when the musicians tire, some of us chateau dancers can play some livelier music. That will serve as a distraction so that you and Damien may slip away unseen" he said with a wink as he allowed his eyes to glow ever so slightly.

Alyssa threw back her head laughing and said "I already arranged for a horse and carriage to be at the kitchen door. I only needed a plan for us to get away. What a delicious idea! Leave it to you to have a perfect plan!"

"Hah! No doubt Damien knows nothing about this. I wonder if he knows what he's gotten himself into marrying you?" he said jokingly.

Alyssa smiled then and said "I'm grateful to you. Don't think that I'll ever forget that I wouldn't be alive to see this night but for you, mon cheri."

"Alyssa, other than that one time, I've never failed to be happy when with you. May you always be this happy."

Later the musicians did take a break. Ian approached the violinist and asked if he could borrow his violin. He handed the man a leather pouch with enough gold in it to buy the instruments ten times over. "I forfeit this if we so much as scratch one of your instruments, gentlemen. If not, you may still keep ten Francs. May we?"

The man and his fellow musicians agreed. Ian sent Mustafa and Louis for some accessories and played some lively favorites familiar to people of France.

Soon they returned with the items Ian asked them to bring and Ian had his rhythm section. Mustafa and Louis struck up the BOOM-ticky rhythm and he launched into a medley of lively Gaelic music. The effect was to galvanize the guests who had been standing on the sidelines and maybe half of them joined in and filled the floor. Many were taken by the heart-pounding beat of the music.

In some twenty minutes they finished and turned the instruments back to the musicians and again danced to whatever tunes they would play. Ian saw that Alyssa and Damien were nowhere to be seen. He thought may God keep you both, Alyssa.

The host and hostess came to the four and thanked them for their part in making the celebration such a success. Ian liked the couple and congratulated them on the marriage of their son. He presented a pair of the sun glasses for each of them and a pair for the newlyweds as well. The group departed in three carriages and all agreed that it was a really fun-filled night. Aimee was riding with Ian, Alandra, Marie, and Henri. They praised her for her perfect performance before she fell asleep on the way back to the hotel.

***

The next day saw them departing for the coast in three carriages. In the carriage ride to Calais, Ian had begun to review the techniques of Chi Na with Aimee. Alandra was most interested in this as an effective defense for a woman against a stronger assailant. She followed the moves and practiced them with Aimee as the miles wore on in the carriage. There was little to do on the ride anyway so they whiled away the hours learning the various hand techniques and practicing them, along with various pressure points. After some two hours, Aimee asked him how to defend herself from a vampire.

"Sweetheart, you can't defend yourself against a mature vampire. You should hide yourself or pretend to be human. That's your only defense against one of us."

The passage across the channel was uneventful as it was quite smooth that morning. It was quite overcast too, so everyone left their hats off and strolled around the deck. They had three hours before the packet ship departed for London so they rented three carriages and drove to a vantage point atop the cliffs where they could just make out France in the distance. The view was spectacular, and it was far windier there than at sea level. They caught the packet ship then and sailed south for London.

They arrived late the next day and went to a fine hotel and booked a suite of rooms all on the same floor.

Aimee was taught how to fidget as a part of her training to appear human to vampires, and was given a short review on things she had been taught about self-defense since they were in a foreign country.

Ian drew to the end of his counseling saying "Here is another thing to remember. If you're ever alone and around people you don't know, pretend to know only one language."

"Why?"

"If you know the language they're speaking, pretend that you don't know it. Ask them a question in another language. That way they'll talk openly in your presence and you'll know what they don't want you to know. That is very important."

"I'll remember."

Kissing her forehead he said "I know you will. You may never need it, but it's good for both of you to know. That's enough of this for now. Come sit with us and we'll read together until your bedtime.

# Chapter 94

In a seedy part of London a young tavern wench finally finished her evening. It had been the usual night of good-natured but bawdy behavior by the usual crowd of ship builders, fitters, riggers, fishermen, seamen, and millwrights. Jennifer Stewart was a favorite at the Hungry Eye Tavern. She was hard-working and had a good sense of humor, knowing how to charm an obnoxious drunkard so as not to offend him and lose a tip. Knowing every regular by name she would always greet them and bring them their favorite drink or food without them waiting to place an order.

Jennifer was a very pretty girl of twenty one years, with wavy light sandy-colored hair that had natural blonde highlights near her forehead. She had bright blue eyes and a pert little nose that was very slightly turned up at its tip. A very few tiny freckles might appear on either side of it if she was in sunlight a lot. Her mouth had the barest hint of a pout unless she was smiling, which was most often the case. She was very clean and fastidious in her appearance but had no nice clothing of any kind save for one dress which she wore only to church. The owner of the place rated her as his very best tavern wench. He let her live rent-free above a small general repair shop which he owned that was around a quarter mile west of the tavern. She'd readily agreed, being grateful to have a place so close to her work.

The owner liked her and wanted to keep her, so he didn't care that the upstairs part of his repair shop wasn't bringing in any income. The place had been abysmal when he'd given her the key, but it afforded a view of the docks and the Thames River. It had a small wood-burning stove and she had made the place cozy by salvaging all manner of articles daily, scavenging with a borrowed cart in better neighborhoods for what would be useful when she wasn't at work. They would be added to the odd collection of worn out furniture that was there already. She'd even insulated it and made it wind proof and had taken the time to wash the one window she had so that it was always clean.

A good customer by the name of Thomas Lawrence had come over to make the door more secure. He was a kind middle-aged man who she liked better than any of her customers. A few times he'd returned with odds and ends for her to use and to help her to insulate it with old blankets or anything else which would work. She had worked tirelessly to make it as clean and cheery as it could be, and never invited anyone to it other than Tom. He often came over to walk her to the little church she attended not far from the waterfront area and had often walked her home after the tavern closed.

She had ample opportunities to take up with any number of young men, but always politely refused to do so. Tom thought of her as a daughter and would have taken her in if he thought that she needed a place. He was the closest thing that Jennifer had to family in the whole world. She had been an orphan and had come through the world in a hard way, but her natural cheerfulness and can-do spirit had always carried her through the hardest times of her life. She had determined early on not to go into a life of prostitution and resolved to work hard and to be the best at whatever honest living she could eke out for herself.

This evening had been troublesome for her. There had been two sinister looking characters coming to the place every night that week. There was something about them that Jennifer didn't like. They always tipped her well and never said a thing that was out of line, which was a lot more than could be said about some of the customers of the Hungry Eye. Nonetheless, there was something unsettling about them. One was bald and had a tattoo of a mermaid on his forearm. The other had regular features, dark eyes, and dark hair pulled to the back and gathered there, a style quite commonly seen. It was his eyes and the way he could sit so still in spite of what was going on around him that was unnatural.

She was still mindful of the time she had seen him sitting so very still and gazing off across the smoky room toward the dart board. She was very near to his table at the time. Someone at an adjacent table had spilled his drink and pushed himself back from the table to avoid it running in his lap. He had bumped her so that she had dropped her tray and the tankard of ale that was on it. She had happened to be looking down at the strange man when that happened. Even though he was looking away across the room his hand shot out and caught the tray. It happened so fast that she couldn't even see his hand move. Only then did he turn his gaze away from the dart board across the room and look at her. He raised the tray so that she could take it back without a word but he did smile although his smile didn't seem to include his eyes. His companion sat there with no expression whatsoever on his face. She thanked the strange man, but he said nothing, only watching her as she went on to the next table. She'd never forgotten the incident and had pointed the man and his companion out to Tom afterward.

Her feet were hurting as they always did after her work night ended. Tom had just come in so they set out for her home. He'd recently gotten a job doing some extensive repairs to a carriage house in a fashionable part of London so he hadn't come as often recently. His new employer owned a bank or brokerage or some such thing.

"Jennifer, I have enough room at my place for you to stay there too. I wouldn't want rent and you'd have all of the privacy you want. It wouldn't be a bother for me and I wouldn't trouble you at all."

"Oh Tom, thank you for the offer. But I pay no rent and I'm so close to my work. I've worked hard to make my room as nice as I can and thanks to you, it's pretty nice compared to other places I've lived. I'll stay at my place, thank you. If you need to, you can stay there too, or if you get sick and need someone you can stay there with me."

"Jennifer, you're a stubborn and independent one. I worry about you in this place and I mean that. I worry all of the time."

"That's sweet of you, but I can manage. Really I can. Did you notice that those same two men were there tonight again?"

"I saw them when I came in. They look off somehow, but I can't put my finger on what it is about them."

They were about three-quarters of the way to her home when she realized that they were being followed. She turned and could see a shadowy figure behind them some sixty feet away walking the same direction. They approached a dim light at a corner when suddenly she heard Tom exhale violently and she was snatched off of her feet, her arms pinned to her sides as if in steel bands. She knew that Tom had been knocked down and was aware of being carried at an unbelievable rate of speed. Screaming as loud as she could, she was immediately thrown down and in an instant was gagged and snatched up and carried onward at the same unbelievable rate of speed.

The wind roared in her ears. They darted around corners at a mind-numbing rate and rocketed along so that every object nearby was a blur. Just as she thought it could get no more unbelievable, she was flying through the air in a mighty leap, landing on a roof two stories above the ground and was whisked through a window into a gloomy building. There she was taken down some stairs in one leap and then down some more in another leap and then down a third flight of stairs, ending in a cellar with several oil lamps burning. She was taken to a cell and stood on her feet. When the gag was removed she was able to make out the features of her captor. He was the man who had caught the tray when she had dropped it. She said "You! I know you. You're the man who caught my tray when I dropped it."

"Yes. And you're Jennifer." He pulled her to him roughly then and bending down he put his lips against her neck and took a small bite of her flesh, just enough that she bled a bit. She flinched and cried out and pushed against him to no avail. He let her go then and smiled saying "You taste good, Jennifer. You're mine now. You'll cross over." Turning with no explanation, he stepped out of the cell and locked it, departing up the steps like windblown smoke.

# Chapter 95

The next day the men got busy on the banking business. They made an unannounced call at the Bank of Edwards & Milliken. Henri's fellow Supreme Council judge Robert Milliken was in his office at the time. Introductions were made and since the meeting was in private, Henri informed Robert that both Mustafa and Louis were going to be brought over in the near future. He was advised that the latest one to be brought over was Andre Amsler as he introduced him. He was introduced to Li also. Only Ian and Henri knew that Milliken was a fellow member of the Supreme Council. The others took him as an Adept who happened to be a banker. Tradition demanded that even the name of the Supreme Council not be spoken in public. After their business was done, Henri asked Robert if he might have a private word with him. The others waited outside in the main vestibule area.

"I just wanted to reassure you that I told none of my associates about you being my fellow judge on the Council. In fact, only Ian and Marie know that both you and I are Council members."

"Oh I know that you don't talk idly, Henri. Call Ian back in here. I like him."

Henri stepped out and got Ian. They returned and Robert came to him then "Ian, it is good to see you again. Have you had any more exciting adventures then?"

"None that I can talk about, sir." said Ian as he thought unless you'd like to hear about our child vampire?

Robert laughed then and including both of them he said "Do you want to stay at that same estate where you were the last time?"

Henri said "Well Bob, there are twelve of us this time."

"That will be fine then. I'll arrange it and have the staff sent in to open it and to stock food for how many humans?

"Six."

"Will tomorrow afternoon be all right with your party then?"

"Why yes, Bob. That's really nice of you and him. We enjoyed our stay there the last time."

'Think nothing of it then Henri. After all, did you not reciprocate by allowing him to use your suite in Paris last fall and me the year before?" It was common practice for well-connected Adepts to furnish each other lodging and other desired help when traveling abroad. "Are you in London for very long?"

"We can stay for a good bit. We may travel to Edinburg after leaving here. I do have a question though. Do you know of any good local investments that may be bought right now? I'd like to get my new protégés started out well in that venue. And I do want them to be more knowledgeable with dealings in Britain. I thought that having an investment here would help in that regard."

"Let me consider that one, Henri. I have two people whom I might ask about that. One is my senior partner, if a senior partner who is only fifty seven years old can be senior to one who is three hundred and ninety years old!" At this joke Henri and Ian laughed heartily, and then Robert said with a twinkle in his eyes "Oh look at the one who is not yet thirty years old laughing at the jokes that old Adepts tell!" At that all of them laughed together.

"I will definitely snoop around to see what might be cooking and let you know."

"Thank you, Bob. We'll be going now. There are sight seers to please and to feed. Will you and Margaret be coming out to see us at the estate?"

"Definitely; she's heard of several of you and wants to meet you. We won't come unannounced though."

They bid each other good bye then and the group rejoined the ladies in time for lunch at the hotel.

That afternoon was spent moving from the hotel to the estate just outside of London to the north. There was some seventy acres included and a lot of it was woodland. It was perfect for Aimee to have some wild time and several of them took her out to do just that around dusk. A daytime romp might be seen by a neighbor on an estate that small. Henri took that opportunity to keep Ian with him for a talk.

"You'll recall several years ago when we first recruited that young fellow, Claude Rousseau of the King's Gendarmes in Marseille?"

"Yes. It was after the vampires kidnapped two girls from Angels' Care. You said that he was another ally in government and that there would be others."

"Yes. There are more ministries in government than just the ministry of police affairs. There are eight other ministries."

"You've filled those positions too?"

"Yes. The Gendarmerie position was the last one. We want these men to be moved to an influential post by the time we make our permanent move. In three years they'll be in high posts, junior to others, but influential nonetheless. They'll eventually become the heads or chief deputies of their respective offices."

"How can you be sure that all will be promoted on time?"

"Who do you think appointed their superiors, and the superiors of those before them, and so on back for some two hundred and fifty odd years? Of course the names that I used were different. There was Leveque, Lefevre, and so forth going back over the generations."

Ian sat, lost in thought as the enormity of it sank in. It was masterful and all-encompassing. A consummate plan to stay invisible in plain sight and to pull the levers of governmental power as needed to stay that way. It was true that unimaginable wealth was accrued this way, but he'd seen how Henri and Marie had taken care of their human employees everywhere. This thing benefited hundreds of humans too; people who were completely unaware of its existence. He thought of the orphanages then. Marie's orphanages didn't only take care of homeless children. They also supplied reliable employees for the furtherance of their goals. It was masterful as well as beneficial and he was more than impressed. "Henri, I am again humbled by what I've learned from you."

He nodded curtly and then said. "We'll spend the necessary money to see to it that this Rousseau fellow goes far, and I did find him a likable sort, didn't you?"

"I did. I'm going to have to learn to think a decade ahead about some things if I'm to become as successful an Adept as you and Marie are. I take it this isn't my last lesson then?"

"It's not your first, and it's definitely not your last. I can tell you that it occupies a fair bit of my time, but there are years where I just coast along too. The most work comes when a generational move is made, such as the one we'll make in the near future.

"You know Ian; the raids we made on those covens have been a welcome distraction from the...sameness of what I've been doing for centuries. Marie feels the same. Now don't take me the wrong way concerning this. We both hate the things that have happened to those children, but are grateful that we've stopped it cold wherever we found it. We have you to thank for that in part. It has mostly been fun for me, truly, and I speak for Marie too on this subject."

Laughing then Ian said "Henri, you have an unusual sense of what is fun. May I include Alandra in what I've learned?

"No. She could be taken and made to talk however unlikely that is. In the future we will have more family meetings about the move when we are closer to the time for it. I'll bring the others in on some of it then. However, the Council, the various ministers of government we control, and our network of trusts must all be kept secret at all cost. Regarding the generational move, I can use your help."

"May I presume that there are orphanages in the name of the Laforges in the Swiss Confederation and elsewhere?"

Laughing then, Henri said "You may indeed. There is one near Bern and one in Luxembourg. They were started some eight years ago. As yet, we have had no direct contact with the supervisors running them. They'll meet us as the Laforges after the move. We'll have lots of young adult humans desiring work as couriers, domestics and the like furnished by those two orphanages by the time we make our move. By the way, we're quietly and anonymously buying some small farms very near to the estates we bought near Zurich and Lausanne. The next group of domestics and couriers will be living there rent free as they now do across from the chateau."

"Can you be sure to buy the ones we want in time?"

"Likely, yes. Price is no object. We'll pay what we must to buy the right properties. After all, we can afford to, can't we?"

Laughing then Ian said "Yes."

"The Angels' Care orphanages will be funded in the future. There is already a trust set up to do that, through Banque de Lafayette. At some point an interest linked to the Laforges will appear to take over the operations of those after the Lafayettes officially pass away. Our cemetery plots are already reserved in Luxembourg."

"You've prepared your next official gravesite?"

"Yes. We'll have proper grave markers made and all of the necessary paperwork has been prepared, needing only a date and an official stamp. The Laforge takeover will be a good eight to ten years after the move to Zurich."

"So it is to look like the Lafayettes sold their holdings in their old age?"

"Yes. Banque de Lafayette will itself change its name to Laforge over time. As you may remember, these things must be artfully phased in so as to appear to be a part of the ebb and flow of normal human economic cycles and normal birth and deaths of heads of families. When done properly, no one will ever suspect that the same people are still running the same banks, manufacturing facilities, charities, shipping, trading, farming, and import-exporters. Nor would they ever suspect that the same people are putting allies in all governmental posts generation after generation."

"That's easy to see the way you've explained it."

"Notoriety is a burden to any sane Adept. Speaking for Marie and myself, anonymity is our desire, but not isolation from humanity. It would be simpler to isolate ourselves from humanity but it would be so very dull!"

"Speaking for myself, I couldn't stand it."

"We try to strike a necessary balance in the way we manage our affairs. As you know, we do try to make life as good as we can for those in our care. We're far more interested in our name being notable than our person. Being widely recognized in public is not a good thing for any Adept who would be successful. This approach has been successful and has made it comfortable and profitable for us to live wherever we wish for centuries."

"Once again, Henri, I can't thank you enough for sharing this."

# Chapter 96

A day passed then and they received word that Robert and Margaret Milligan would be coming to the estate to see all of them that evening. Marie arranged for a nice dinner and it was decided that the four newlyweds could take Aimee with them and stay out for the evening. They were to spend the night at the hotel suite to keep the Millikens from seeing Aimee. All were agreed that there was nothing to gain from them seeing her and a possibility that they might guess her secret if they did get to spend enough time with her.

Later the Millikens arrived. Robert was in the parlor with all of the men while Margaret was with Marie in the kitchen and she approached her pensively. Marie sensed that she wished to speak privately, so she shut the door.

"Thank you, Marie. May I ask you something personal?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"How do you and Henri keep your relationship, your love so fresh? I see you together, and I can't help but notice that you two are so much in love."

"Why thank you, Margaret. She paused and gathered her thoughts, then spoke to her long-time friend. "We'd gotten to where our life was becoming a repetition of like events. Our love was strong, as strong as ever, but the sameness of our everyday existence had become stale in and of itself. We vampires live such long lives and all."

She then told Margaret about bringing Cosette over and then how Ian came into their lives and had taught them all to fight. Ending with descriptions of some of the earlier raids on covens, she fastened her eyes on Margaret's eyes and said with a gentle smile "I think that the knowledge that either of us could be killed at any time during one of these events served to heighten our senses to...enjoy or to embrace all of the good in our lives. I can tell you for sure that it has definitely added spice to our love life!" Here she laughed as her friend's eyes widened.

Margaret began to laugh with her then, saying "Now that is something that I'd never have thought of! Fighting to the death with rogue vampires to make your love life better! How absolutely insane! And yet it is beginning to make sense to me in the vein which you've explained it." She sat a bit with her friend, as they looked at each other and both began to smile and then to laugh softly.

Suddenly Margaret said "Oh my God! If I can see why this is working for you two, what does that say about me?" At this she threw back her head and laughed uproariously as Marie joined her. Marie said "Oh, Margaret! If you could only have seen your face as that dawned on you just now!' Margaret then shrieked with laughter as Marie joined in. Sophia and Alandra came running into the kitchen to see what was so funny. Margaret pointed toward the two women and the look on their faces fueled a fresh outburst of laughter; so much so that Marie joined in yet again. The two of them laughed themselves to the point of tears.

***

That evening the newlyweds went out sightseeing with Aimee. Along the way their carriage driver became very sick. They took him to his brother's home and agreed to pay for his horse and carriage to be taken care of by their hotel in London if they could just keep it to get themselves there. As fate would have it, London was foggy that night.

Mustafa was driving with Aimee in the seat beside him. Her vampire vision gave her a decided advantage at night, even in foggy conditions. It became evident that they were lost after a while with no hope of finding the Hotel. They couldn't even find the Thames to get their bearings. Suddenly the carriage lurched radically to one side. Something rolled past them at the same time gaining speed since they were on a slightly down sloping street. It was the left rear wheel and it disappeared into the fog. Eventually they heard a clatter as it hit something maybe two blocks away. Mustafa climbed down and Louis came out from the carriage to take a look. Aimee jumped down easily from the seven foot height and walked around to the back of the carriage. The axle was almost on the ground, but wasn't broken. The retaining pin had broken or worked loose and fallen out. They could see that by the light of a street lamp some forty feet away from them.

Aimee said "If Liri and Celeste will get out, I'll see if I can lift the carriage." The two men stood a moment, and then they realized that it was likely that she could do it easier than they could. Liri and Celeste got out and little Aimee took a blanket and wrapped it around the end of the axle and tried to lift it. It came up pretty far, and Louis was able to help her and get it up to the right height. They let it back down then. Aimee said "I'll go get the wheel and roll it back here. I can find it." She and Mustafa set off down the street to retrieve it.

They found it at the end of the street where there was an intersection. The street went to the left and the right, with only darkened storefronts straight ahead. The wheel was lying in front of a shop where it had stopped when it hit the curbing. Mustafa couldn't see it until Aimee led him to it. He righted it and began to roll it back up the street towards the street lamp where Louis, Celeste, and Liri waited. They got within thirty feet of the street lamp when out of nowhere a shape came from behind and grabbed Aimee and bounded toward the others. Aimee let out a loud scream and the shape slowed a bit to cover her mouth as it streaked past the others. In that instant they got a glimpse of a bald man in a striped shirt clutching her to his chest running at an unbelievable speed. Louis gamely stepped into his path and tried to grab both of them. He was knocked over like he wasn't even there as the figure rocketed away into the dark foggy night. He lay there stunned as the two women began to scream "Aimee, Aimee!" Mustafa ran vainly up the street toward where they had vanished and then there was only the sound of the two women crying as the horror of what they had seen sunk in.

***

The tall husky uniformed butler returned to the foyer and walked to the couple waiting there. He said "I regret to inform you that the Marquis cannot see you tonight. He is busy with pressing manners. Perhaps I could take your names and make an appointment with you?"

The man with one arm replied "Please tell him that we have information on the fire that took his brother's life in Lyon. We'll wait until you return." The butler raised his eyebrows, and then turned and left them. In only two minutes he returned and beckoned to them to come to a large double door which opened to a cavernous parlor. He showed them to a sofa and bid them sit and asked if they would like some tea.

In under a minute a slender well-groomed man entered and walked straight to the pair. "I am Donatien Francoise, the Marquis de Sade. I understand that you have information regarding the death of my older brother?"

The one-armed man stood saying "I am Stefan Devrie and this is my wife Yvonne."

Francoise nodded curtly to him and to the red headed woman on the sofa and sat down in a wing-back chair across from the sofa. He signed to the butler for tea and fastened his gaze on the man, saying "Proceed monsieur, but please don't waste my time on this matter."

"Very well then, monsieur Francoise. Both of us were there the night your brother's home burned down, and I can tell you that it was no accident."

Francoise put his finger to his lips as the butler was heard returning with the tea service. After he had poured a cup for Francoise, he left the room closing the double doors behind him. He gestured to the pitcher of hot tea, raising his eyebrows. Stefan and Yvonne both shook their heads, murmuring a 'thank-you'. Francoise then looked narrowly at the pair and nodded, suddenly understanding that their habitual drink was blood and not tea. It didn't alarm him since his butler was a vampire himself and could deal with these two if need be. He said "Please continue."

Stefan related the incidents of that evening as far as what he saw as Francoise sipped his tea in silence. His eyes traveled to the silver hook where Stefan's hand should have been and he concluded that the hook may have been a result of events of that night. He waited until Stefan was done, then he looked at Yvonne and raised his eyebrows.

She leaned forward and related what she'd seen; leaving out that she was severely burnt. Astutely, Francoise observed "My, but you were fortunate to have escaped intact, Madam Devrie."

"I was burnt, but have since healed, Monsieur Francoise."

Francoise said nothing, only nodding slightly, looking narrowly from one to the other of the pair. Finally he said "Why have you come to me only now with this information?"

Stefan said "We only recently learned that our employer had a younger brother who may have been contacted by a mutual acquaintance of ours regarding this."

"Who might that be?"

"I know Arnaud Moreau, the younger brother of Aldric Moreau, and I've been looking for him regarding the sharing of our experience on that night."

Francoise had leaned forward then, placing his teacup and saucer on the table between them. Placing both hands on his knees he peered intently at the pair, saying "Moreau was here, hinting that he might discover what had happened that night. He was looking for two men in connection with it. I'm sure that he connects them to the death of his brother in Austria."

The pair looked at each other in silence, and then Stefan spoke, saying "We'll assist him if we can find him. Your interests and ours coincide, Monsieur. Do you know where he might be?"

"Yes. I suspect he may be in England making inquiries about one Henri and another man called Ian. Please wait here a moment." He rose and left the room, returning shortly with a small satin purse.

Tossing it onto the table between them he said "That will help you get started. There is many times more where that came from if you get hard proof of who caused the death of my brother. You might start looking at the bank in London known as Edwards and Milliken."

# Chapter 97

It had been a really pleasant evening and was late. Robert and Margaret were quite impressed with the group. She had talked a long time with Marie, Alandra, and Sophia away from the men and had enjoyed herself immensely. An attractive easygoing lady, slender, of medium height with wavy red hair and blue eyes, she was impressed at how easily the only human in that room fit into the family. The love and trust they had for each other was plain to see. She admired Alandra after learning of her achievements in caring for the children of Barcelona.

The men had been listening to Henri re-telling about the various raids they had made on vampire covens. Some of this had been all new to Robert and to Andre. Now they were all together being regaled by Ian's re-telling of the storm that he weathered in the crippled ship when there was a commotion at the front door. Liri and Celeste came in weeping followed by Louis and Mustafa who shouted "Aimee's been taken by a vampire!"

In a heartbeat everyone but Alandra was standing next to Mustafa, eyes glowing brightly as they asked for details. Mustafa and the other three had gone up and down the street beating and banging on doors for nearly a quarter hour when some kind soul came driving his carriage down the street. They gave him all of their money and gave him the address of the estate and he had brought them here.

Ian said "Then he knows the way back to where it happened?"

"Yes. We told him that he'd be taking some of us back to the place."

Ian vanished in a flash but reappeared in under a minute with several rucksacks in both hands. "Let's go now!"

Henri said "Wait a bit. All of you tell me what you saw."

Mustafa said "I saw a man running too fast to be human, carrying Aimee. He slowed down when she screamed so that he could cover her mouth. That was how I saw him under the streetlamp. He was bald and had a tattoo on his forearm." Liri agreed and so did Celeste, who added "The tattoo looked like a mermaid."

Louis said "I tried to grab them both but I was knocked down." He still had a swollen lip, which Celeste was trying to attend now that they were in a lighted area.

Robert said "Go now. I'll take Margaret home. You know where we are if you need us. The streets are dark and Henri can find our home on foot. I am going to talk to several Adepts after I get Margaret home. One might know who this scoundrel is. If you want, I can get some pretty important officials out of bed and on this right now as well."

Henri said "Let's see what we can uncover ourselves before we involve the Constables."

Ian turned to Alandra and said "You stay here with these four and we'll handle this."

Liri stood clutching Mustafa, still weeping. Sophia was trying to help Mustafa comfort Liri. Celeste came crying to Ian then, holding him tightly as she wept. He comforted her and hugged her and turned to Alandra. Her beautiful eyes showed the strain, but she was composed well for what had happened. She embraced him and stepped back saying "Go and find our little girl."

***

They arrived at the place and saw the carriage and the wheel lying some forty feet from it. Ian tried to visualize the event based on Mustafa's description. They decided to go afoot to Robert's house then. Sophia and Marie both got into the carriage and changed clothes at vampire speed. The men just went down the street to where it was darker and changed their clothes. In a little over a minute they were racing through the night towards Robert's home. In eight minutes they were there. Soon they were inside and saw that Robert was excited about something.

He introduced the group to Thomas Lawrence. "Tom, tell these people here what you told me." Thomas looked wide-eyed at the group before him. There were two strikingly beautiful women with four men. All were dressed more like seamen than what he would have expected to see at such an address as his employers' home. A tall one had frosty blue eyes that looked as if they could see right through him.

"I didn't know what to do or who to turn to. I was walking Jennifer home tonight and I was knocked down by a man who grabbed Jennifer like she was nothing. He ran away like the wind and I swear no horse that ever lived could hope to catch him. I went to the nearest constable's office and reported it. They weren't too concerned that a tavern wench had been abducted but they made a report and said they would come to look at the place where it happened in the morning."

"Do you recall what he looked like?"

"Yes. The one who took her had dark hair pulled straight back and gathered behind his head in a silver clasp. He was at the tavern tonight with a bald man who had a tattoo of a mermaid on his forearm."

The vampires exchanged meaningful looks at that statement.

Henri said "Why did you come here then Tom?"

"I love Jennifer as if she was my own daughter, sir. She is a fine person and she is not a woman of loose morals, I can tell you that. I got a good feeling the first time I ever met Mr. Milliken here. I just came hoping that he could get the Constabulary more interested in this."

"Can you take us there now, Tom?"

"Yes sir. I'm ready when you are."

***

Aimee was aware that her captor was a vampire so she forced herself to relax after she screamed. He ran like the wind and eventually leaped high and landed on a roof and after they descended three flights of stairs she found herself in a well-lit cellar. She was taken to a cell and put down inside of it. There was no chance to squeeze past the vampire and try to run, so she stood there as calmly as she could. Then she recalled what Ian had told her and she made herself tremble and backed away from him. He said "What is your name my little miss?"

She said "Parlez vous Francais?" as she faked a trembling, cowering demeanor.

"Oh, a frenchie eh? Wonder what you were doing on that street tonight little miss. Hmmm; I think I know a man who won't mind at all that you can't speak English. I'm sure that he'll pay handsomely for one such as you, my pretty."

He locked the cell door and departed. In minutes he returned and opened it, setting a bucket of water inside and a small cloth bag. In it were two apples and some stale bread. He locked the door and vanished up the steps in a flash.

Aimee thought good; he thinks I'm human. Then she heard a sound from the far corner of the large cell. Some thirty feet away a figure moved in the straw, moaning. Aimee went to investigate and saw a woman lying there, obviously in pain. She knelt down and speaking in English said "I'm Aimee. Who are you?"

A very weak feminine voice replied "I...I...I'm Jennifer. I am...am sick. He...he bit me."

***

The group arrived at the scene of the kidnapping. They thanked Tom then and paid the driver to take him home. He wanted to stay, but Ian took him aside and said "We have the situation in hand, Tom. If we can't find them, neither can the Constables. I want you to come to the Hungry Eye tonight and we'll meet you there. We may have to start looking there, but we have some things that we can do tonight."

"I'll never be able to sleep at all. I'll meet you tonight then, Ian. Thank you and good night."

As the carriage pulled away, Ian turned to Henri and Robert and said. "I think that since there are seven of us, we should split up and just walk the streets near here and use our ears to see if we can hear anything out of the ordinary. At this point, I can see nothing else that will help. If we turn up empty, we can go to the Hungry Eye tonight and see if anyone knows those two or if one of them comes in."

Robert said "I'm afraid you're right."

"Sir; do you know of any other taverns in this area?"

"I don't get down here much, but I recall two more within a mile."

"If we turn up empty handed, we could split into groups. Some of us could go to each tavern tonight and arrange to send one to get the rest of us if we spot either of our targets."

"That's a good plan. I think that I'm going to get some people out of bed now and am going to give descriptions of these two to them for a possible name."

"This is your district, Bob. I know that your contacts will be discreet."

"They'd better be for what they are paid above their salary!"

Ian thought and likely they have anonymous bank accounts too. I wonder if they are in a Swiss bank.

The group split up then and Robert headed off to roust some high ranking members of the London Constabulary.

At dawn, they met at the same place. They'd learned nothing the rest of the night within a mile radius of where they were. Ian was frustrated and had a cold hatred burning within him. "I'm for staying here all day and talking to anyone we can around here. We can describe the two characters and maybe we'll get lucky that way. Anyone else have a better idea?"

No one did, so they went to a secluded spot between two buildings and took nourishment. Soon it became apparent that it would be a sunny day and that no one but Ian and Sophia could continue without hats and gloves. The others said they would leave to get the necessary clothing and return.

After the others had gone, Sophia came to Ian and said "We'll find them, Ian. I just know it." Looking at her he said "I'm concerned that he'll discover that Aimee is a vampire. Do you know what he'll do to her if he discovers that?" Sophia's eyes widened then as it dawned on her that Aimee would be useless as she couldn't be sold, so she'd have to be disposed of. Ian said "We can't fail her." They braced themselves for a long day as they split up.

# Chapter 98

Aimee knelt beside Jennifer and dampened her brow with water from the pail. She knew what had happened to her and spoke gently to her now that she was awake. "Jennifer."

"Yes, Aimee."

"Listen to me Jennifer. These men who took us are vampires. One of them bit you and you are dying. You need vampire blood to drink or you'll die."

"What...what are you saying, Aimee? I...I don't believe in such things."

Aimee pinched her then. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Are you awake, Jennifer?"

"Y...yes, I'm awake."

"Watch closely now." She stood up then and leaped up to grasp the rough wood of the cell wall some nine feet above the floor and dropped down again effortlessly. She took off her dress, shoes, and hosiery and leaped up to the highest point in the cell and began to crawl around on the walls like a spider. She even crawled across the ceiling once grappling the joists and beams overhead with her feet hanging. She traversed the ceiling this way so fast that Jennifer could barely follow her movements, and then she dropped noiselessly to the floor as light as a cat beside her. She allowed her eyes to glow then as she stared at Jennifer.

"Aimee! How did you do that? And....and your eyes! They glowed just now. I saw them glowing!"

"I'm a vampire too. They don't know that and we can't tell them."

"Y...you're a vampire Aimee? I must be losing my mind."

"You'll lose your life if you don't do what I say now, Jennifer. You're dying. Whoever bit you should have come back by now to give you his blood. He doesn't know enough to be doing this. I'll give you my blood."

"I won't take it. No. I will not!"

"Then you'll die. I had to take it when I crossed over. If not, I would have died."

"He...he said I'd cross over! He said that! Oh my God! He is a vampire and so are you! You are real, Aimee! This nightmare is all real!"

Aimee bit her wrist on the inside and held it to Jennifer's mouth. "Hurry, Jennifer before it heals and closes!" She sucked in a little. Aimee bit herself again and held it for her again. She took in some more as Aimee repeated that four more times and then held her arm up close for Jennifer to see.

"Aimee! I feel better! I feel warm inside. Your arm! It's healed! You bit yourself and there's not a mark on you! How can that be?"

"We heal fast."

"We?"

'I have a big family. They're looking for me now"

"A family?"

"Yes. They're the best family in the world. They'll find me. They'll never stop looking."

'You're part of a family...a family of...vampires?"

'Vampires and humans, Jennifer."

"How...how can that be? You all live together?"

'Yes."

Jennifer was silent, trying to comprehend what she was hearing. Was she dreaming this? Aimee pinched her again, saying "Jennifer, do you hear me?"

"Ouch! Yes, yes. I hear you. If your family finds us, what will they do?

"Kill him."

She was silent for a bit, and then she said "What will we do if there are more of them? I know that this one has a companion and he's a vampire too."

"No matter how many of them there are, nothing can save them when my family comes for me." Jennifer looked closely at Aimee, seeing only a grim expression on her beautiful face.

"Is there anything we can do until they come?"

"Fool them. You have to keep looking like you're dying. You and I will make believe that we can't talk to each other. We'll fool them together."

She was silent for a bit, and then she said "What will we do if there are lots more of them?

"Nothing can save them now."

***

The others returned with the necessary clothing and soon Ian and Sophia had on their hats. Everyone's fighting suit had been brought too, along with their short swords and daggers. Henri had asked for Robert to get pistols for them. He was surprised that Henri wanted two dozen of them. "That is just for the six of us counting you. If you have any Adepts that can help us, please get them. Pocket pistols are best for size and portability, but we'll use what you can find."

"Is there a reason you think we need more help?"

"Yes. These rogues mostly congregate in covens. It's best to go in by surprise with enough people and plenty of firepower."

'I'll get firearms and help by tonight. The Constables are inquiring now about these two characters. Likely you may see them today while you're talking to people around here. If they question you, just use my name."

Ian spoke then. "If we find the place the coven lives, we want no one to escape because Aimee or the other girl might not be there. We want to take as many alive as possible for questioning. There could be a buyer for Aimee." He fastened his eyes on Robert then and said "If that's the case, I want his name and the names of his friends who are perverts too. And I want your blessing to exterminate every last one of them, sir."

"If there is such a group, I want them all dead too. But we have to see how well they're connected first so as to plan a proper operation. I'll take care of that part of it if it goes that far. When it's time to go in, I want you to lead us Ian."

"Very well, sir. We might just as well split up and start asking questions." As Robert left, the others divided the area into segments and went their separate ways.

***

"Aimee, tell me about your family."

Aimee sat with Jennifer holding one of her hands and told her about each member and some of their history.

"So there are twelve of you, but five are human?"

"Yes. It's their choice. Some of us never had a choice. We were forced like you were."

"How can you live together, being so different?"

"We love each other, Jennifer. They rescued me from a life in a horrible place where vampires fed on humans."

"Fed?"

"We must have blood or die. We live on animal blood, and there's plenty of that everywhere."

"So your...family helped you when they found you?"

"Yes. They all helped me through my imprinting. Without them, I'd only be able to go out at night time and would know nothing about how to live or behave properly."

"Imprinting?"

Aimee explained imprinting to her. "So I am imprinting right now?"

"Yes. There is a lot to it if you are to become a successful Adept, Jennifer."

"Adept?"

Aimee explained the concept to her.

"Aimee, you talk like an adult."

"I only spend time with adults. I like children, but they're so immature and foolish that I don't want to be around them all of the time. Not to mention that they're always fidgeting."

Jennifer laughed then and Aimee laughed with her.

# Chapter 99

The day had been mostly fruitless, but Li came back with some good news. He'd found two different people who had seen a bald man with a tattoo on his arm around three-fourths of a mile to the northwest of where Jennifer had been taken. It was roughly two miles from where Aimee had been taken. The group decided to concentrate their listening talents there and just lurk about in that area until maybe a little after dark and then split up and go to the three taverns.

Robert arrived with his wife Margaret, and three young Adept males. He introduced them to the group and caught up on what was being planned. The authorities hadn't yet gotten a name on either of the two, but were looking quietly everywhere. They were watching the waterfront and were watching major roads in and out of London, of which there were only seven. Aimee's description had been given along with the description of her two kidnappers, but her name wasn't given.

Robert had gotten three dozen pistols, shot and powder, and went to secure them with the horse and carriage. When he returned, Henri approached him saying "I didn't think that Margaret would want to come."

"I was surprised myself, Henri, but she was insistent that she be included."

They all split up and went to walk about, look and listen in the targeted area.

A little after dusk, they met again, having not turned up a thing that was new. They decided to put groups in each of the three taverns and hope to locate one of the two targets.

Ian, Andre, and one of Robert's Adept protégés entered the Hungry Eye Tavern. Ian spied Thomas Lawrence sitting alone at a table. The three of them exchanged greetings and sat down. Soon they all had a tankard of ale sitting before them as they settled in to watch the place.

In the other two taverns similar groups of four sat down at tables. Each group had its designated runner to get the others if any group spotted a target.

The evening became night and wore on. Around ten o'clock a fellow came in to the Hungry Eye. He sat down near the dart board. Tom said "Now that one's not a regular." Ian and Andre sauntered over to the dart board and began to chat idly and toss darts. Ian felt a prickling at the base of his neck and a cold chill went down his spine. He casually turned to see a bald man coming toward the table. Nudging Andre who nodded his recognition of the newcomer, he took his turn with the four darts, taking his time. Ian feigned being tipsy and made a bit of a fool of himself by dropping his drink. Then he stumbled and kicked the tankard over toward the table where the two were sitting. He overheard part of a conversation then that filled him with a cold hatred.

"........got her yesterday. Hair like spun gold. Peaches and cream complexion. Well dressed.......... Frenchie. Beautiful................... seven years old. I want two hundred Pounds Sterling and no bargaining."

The other man sat a while and took a drink. Ian stumbled to the table and reached down to get his tankard and bumped his head. He noticed a tattoo of a mermaid on the bald man's forearm. Cursing he said "Scuse me gents." as he fumbled and then picked up his empty tankard.

The bald one turned and cuffed Ian alongside the head, saying "Be gone you drunken bastard." Ian turned and suppressed the urge to twist his head from his body and instead he stood up straight and staggered a bit saying "Oh my, guvnor! Ain't you the testy one now?" He turned then laughing foolishly again and said "Get that wench to get me another before I dry up here." Then he laughed drunkenly, staggered, and sat down on the floor suddenly in front of the dart board, seemingly ignoring the men at the table, but listening to every sound they made.

"You'll have your two hundred then, Braddock. He wants her tonight so she'd better be worth it or you and your cohorts can sell your playthings elsewhere."

Andre made as if he was helping Ian up and when they got back to their table Ian sent the Adept to the other two taverns to let the others know that he had one target in sight. It was only a few minutes then and the two men settled their bill and moved toward the door. Ian had seen them getting ready to leave and with Andre had slipped out the door, leaving money with Tom to pay the bill. Tom paid and quickly went out the back way in case they went that way.

Ian and Andre lurked on a rooftop across the street where they'd left their rucksacks and they didn't have long to wait. The two came out the front and went to the stable adjacent to the Inn. Ian leaped down and stole silently to where he could see inside of the stable. They were just then getting into a small carriage with a single horse. He signaled to Andre who signaled to Tom. By their prearrangement, Tom would wait for the others to come and tell them what had happened. They would wait for Andre to return and guide everyone to the right place.

The two easily followed the carriage off to the northwest through the darkened streets. A very light fog had now begun to form and Ian hoped it wouldn't get worse. It was no more than a mile when they came to a district of large, but somewhat dilapidated houses. It had been a better place decades ago, but had deteriorated since then. They went to a large three story home with an extension in the back that was only two stories tall. Ian saw that the windows facing the street were boarded up, as was the door. The carriage went to the side of the house and stopped. Ian was in position where he could see the side of the house, having leaped to the top of an adjacent roof. The bald vampire got out and bounded up to the roof of the addition at the back of the house, and seemed to melt through one of two windows there.

***

Jennifer had finished telling a condensed version of her life story to Aimee. It had been one of want and hard work. Through it all she said that she'd always held out hope that a better life awaited her if only she would keep working hard and not end up an unwed mother or a prostitute.

"Aimee, I'm sorry you got caught and ended up here, but I'm glad I got to meet you anyway. I don't know what I would have done had you not been brought here."

"If we're separated I can still find my way back here. They're selling me to a human. I'll get away when we're alone, and I'll come back here with my family."

"Can you find this place?"

"Yes. Hush now because one of them is coming down here." She handed Jennifer her flask and whispered "This is for the next time you feel faint or sick. We'll come for you."

The bald vampire landed at the foot of the steps and bounded in one jump to the cell door. Aimee had separated herself from Jennifer by a few feet. She sat rubbing her eyes as if she had been asleep. She faked a yawn and stretched a bit and then acted as if she was startled to see the vampire. He entered the cell and produced a short length of rope. She faked trembling and backed away from him. He bound her hands with it. He produced a gag and Aimee said "Bon jour, mademoiselle" to Jennifer before he gagged her and threw her over his shoulder.

In a weak voice Jennifer said "Good bye little girl!" and then faked a cough and lay still, moaning.

Shortly Aimee was in a carriage moving along the dark streets of London.

***

Ian whispered "They have Aimee. I'll follow them and get her." He had already changed into his black suit and strapped on his short sword and dagger. Taking a flask he drained it, putting three more in his pockets, and leaving his rucksack with Andre's. "You go back and bring the others. Tell them this is the home of the coven and that we don't know how many are here. Have them wait if they can until I return." He bounded off through the dark streets keeping the carriage in sight, but staying well back and to the deepest shadows for fear of the vampire aboard seeing him.

The carriage went for some four miles, entering an area of posh estates, and then turned into a driveway with an iron gate. Ian hid and watched until he saw the bald vampire carry Aimee to the split in the driveway and then follow the driver toward a guest house over in a far corner of the back yard. The driver knocked softly at the door. A figure answered the door and they entered the guest house.

Ian bounded silently to the building and edged silently to a window. He moved to another and yet another until he heard voices. "....pretty one indeed. You did well this time. Here is what you asked for. Jenkins, show him out please." The driver escorted him to the gate and then went to his quarters in the carriage house.

Ian knew that they were gone then and bounded silently to the door which he found locked. Pressing his elbow against the glass until it cracked, he reached through and unlocked the door, gliding silently inside. He had only his dagger and short sword, so he was very cautious, remembering the Francoise incident.

***

Henri, Marie, and all of the others arrived at the coven house to find Andre watching it. They decided to take positions on the rooftops around the place in case members of the coven returned and found one of them. Soon the nine of them were positioned all around the building. It looked like a typical coven lair, being boarded up on the first two stories all around. There was a cellar entrance outside that was boarded up too. It was easy to see that the entrance was one of two windows at the back of the house above the roof of an addition.

Li explored the entire area and came back to confirm that there was only the entrance on the second story. Deciding to wait to see if more coven members would return before daybreak, they settled in silently and got comfortable. Four vampires returned and entered within a half hour.

***

Ian glided toward the sound of a voice in what would be the parlor of the place. He got to where he could see a large man standing before Aimee, speaking to her. "You are such a pretty thing, my precious. What is your name?"

Aimee said "Parlez vous Francais, monsieur?"

"So you are a little French flower as he said. How delightful!"

Ian saw no others in the room and knew that the man was human so he held his rage in check to allow Aimee to do what she would.

The man reached toward Aimee. Just as he would have taken hold of her, she snatched his finger in a blur of motion and snapped it, following with a lightning fast kick to his groin. He roared in pain and doubled over as she jumped astride his back. Clamping her legs around him she put her tiny arms around his fat neck and began to compress his carotid arteries. He roared, flailed and stumbled about the room, trying to dislodge her. She bit a piece of one ear off and spit it out as he tried to reach her, prompting a bellow of pain. But he was starting to lose consciousness. He lunged from side to side smashing her against the walls trying desperately to get her off of his back, all to no avail.

Ian waited until he collapsed and then bounded to her side and reached down and put his arms around her while laughing, saying "Aimee, it's me, Ian. Let him go, sweetheart, let him go now."

She turned and looked up, a snarl on her face and her blue eyes blazing ferociously. Suddenly she broke into a brilliant smile and released the man, opened her little arms and sprang up into his arms saying "Ian! Oh, Ian! I knew you'd come! I just knew you'd find me!"

He held her close and kissed her, saying "Aimee, we've been so worried. I see that we didn't need to worry so much after all."

"I did just as you taught me, Ian...just as you taught me." She kissed his cheek repeatedly and hugged him tightly.

"Indeed you did my little tigress! I'm more than pleased." She wouldn't let go and kept kissing him. Laughing then he said "All right sweetheart, you ride on my back then while I search for some rope."

She swung around and clung to his back like a monkey and laughed while kissing his neck several times as he looked about for rope. In the carriage house he found some and then he returned, securing the man and laughingly said "Now Aimee please get down so that I can carry this garbage somewhere safe."

Laughing she jumped down then and followed him out to the woods where he dropped the man in some bushes. Then he said "I have to get the driver. Climb on now. She stopped then and said "Wait please, Ian. There's a nice girl in the cellar of that place. I can take you there. Her name is Jennifer and she's just been bitten. She needs us to help her, Ian. I promised her we'd come back." He tipped his head to one side then, digesting the information. "Did you help her?"

"Yes, I gave her my blood and left her my flask."

"You did well then my little lassie. Is she young then, like you?"

"No. She's old, like all of you."

Laughing now he said "I'll bring her to the estate."

"I can take you there now!"

"Was she at the place you came from?"

"Yes."

"Good. I know where that is. Let's finish this business and get out of here."

She climbed on his back and he bounded to the carriage house and up the stairs in one leap. He set her down then and walked through the door. The driver was sitting at a small table having some tea. Ian was beside the table in a flash, knocking the man unconscious, gagging and tying him securely. He threw him over his shoulder and took him to the woods too. Turning to Aimee he took her in his arms again and tenderly kissed her once more. "I have really missed you sweetheart. Get around back now and hold on tight."

She slid around and clamped on to him tightly and he bounded away to the northeast. Within four minutes he had covered the four miles to the estate. He entered the foyer, calling "Ian here; and I have someone who wants to see all of you!" as he continued to walk into the parlor.

The five came running from the kitchen toward them, all calling out her name "Aimee, Aimee! Oh Aimee we have been worried to death! Are you all right sweetheart?" Ian set her on her feet then. Liri, Celeste, and Alandra were on their knees beside her and they covered her face with kisses and were all hugging her. Mustafa and Louis patiently waited their turn, questioning Ian about what had transpired.

After the greetings and tears had subsided somewhat, Ian drew Alandra to him and kissed her and then while still holding her he said "I have to leave now. We found their house and surrounded it. We'll return when this business is finished." He kissed her again, turned and bounded out the door without waiting for a response.

# Chapter 100

From a rooftop Ian surveyed the site. He eventually saw Li and Sophia. Bounding twice he landed lightly next to them. "Aimee's safe with the others now. What have you seen?"

"Seven have gone in and none came back out."

"Let's have a meeting then." He stood up then and waved his arms and hooted like an owl. Bounding to the street in front of the house he was followed by Li and Sophia. In seconds the others joined him. He whispered and gestured. They moved quickly and silently down the street a bit.

"Aimee's safe with the others. Sophia tells me that seven went in?"

Several said "Yes."

"I think we should wait an hour more to see if any more come back. That will give us an hour until sunrise to kill them and be gone. There's a woman in the cellar that will need our help to imprint. She's the one that Tom saw being taken. What do the rest of you think?"

Robert spoke then and said "When this is done, I'll go to my contact and call off the constables. Have you a plan, Ian?"

"I think that we should put four or five at the two windows, but inside. There are likely to be two rooms there, one window for each. The windows should be closed after we're in. That will help to keep people from hearing the pistol shots.

"What can we expect?"

They'll try to escape from the third floor where they're used to coming and going. You can kill them as they come. Just hide inside the two rooms on that end and wait. Close the doors and that way you'll have a warning when they try to get away. Again, be wary now for a latecomer to try to enter behind you at one of the two windows! Any questions?"

No one had a question, so he turned to Robert, Margaret, and the three young Adepts with them. "All right; you five will shoot for the brain. Get as close as you can. You want to hit them in the brain if possible. If not, then the spine. That will disable them for a bit and you can hack off their heads. If you get overrun fall back to one side and let them escape if they're armed. They'll want to get away and not fight. Margaret, don't try to grapple or struggle with them. If you can't cut them down with pistol or sword, let them go. I want to check everyone's weapons now."

He went one by one and adjusted a scabbard here, a sash and pistol there as he always did, finishing with his own family. He looked at Margaret then and said "You don't need to do this. We have enough help."

"I want to be here. I'll stay close to Robert." she said. Catching Maries' eye, she winked at her and Marie smiled knowingly.

Speaking to the five newcomers Ian said "Be of good courage. We'll win this thing. We have more weapons and we have surprise on our side. They'll think an army has invaded." He shook hands with Robert, Margaret and their three protégés and then embraced each of his family.

"Let's go wait at our posts now. When I go, we all go." He turned and bounded toward the house and onto an adjacent rooftop and settled down as the others took up positions all around the house on adjacent buildings.

It was a little over an hour before dawn when four black shadows flitted into the yard and leaped silently to the windows and melted through them. One was carrying a bundle over his shoulder. Ian gave them a minute and then he hooted like an owl and leaped to the ground, bounding up and into the house. Soon the others were behind him. He glided to the stairs and motioned the others to go past him and wait. Robert and Margaret and one Adept entered the room and waved to them. He whispered "Beware of latecomers." Then he closed that door. They had stared wide-eyed at him in his hooded black suit and then had noticed that the whole team had the same suits on. He glided to the other room and waved to the two Adepts whispering "Beware of latecomers." and then he closed that door too. Quickly he flitted to four other rooms on the third floor and found them empty.

His team followed him then as he glided silently down the stairs to the second floor. They split up into two groups and silently flitted from room to room. No one was on that floor either. They hopped up onto the handrails of the staircase then and descended it walking on their hands. Making a silent descent to the first floor they heard voices. As they got closer, they could make out words "You sold the little girl so I brought a snack here for my new mate."

"You took your time about it. She must be nearly dead from the sound of her. You'd better get down there and see to it."

Laughter then "I barely bit her so she hardly got any venom. I've waited so that she'd be nearly dead. She'll be all the more grateful to me. She and I will have some fun today, or at least I will! Is there some rope down there?"

"Yes, in the cell with your sweetheart." There was the sound of tittering laughter. Ian could hear at least two feminine laughs.

"And why did you bring a child? Someone will be looking for him."

"Not likely. He was eating from a garbage can when I found him."

"Well, let's go truss him up. Your sweetheart won't need all of that blood tonight. We'll all help drain him. Let's be sure that your sweetheart can see us slit his throat. I love it when they see that for the first time." Lots of laughter followed, and the sound of a door opening and people descending stairs.

Ian glided forward and took out a pistol and held it up to signal the others behind him. He glided down the stairs into a sizeable cellar with a dirt floor. There was the sound of voices and laughter. Ian rounded the corner and motioned Li to his side and Andre to his other side as he advanced silently toward the vampires. All had their backs to the approaching group. The boy was bound and lying in a corner with a gag in his mouth.

They were closing the distance when one of the females turned. Her eyes widened seeing the six black-hooded figures advancing silently. She screamed and pandemonium broke loose. Ian had already pulled his second pistol and he shot two males through their heads and in less than a blink of an eye had shot two more, but not through their heads. He was aware of pistols being discharged on each side of him as he plunged into their midst. Li hit his target in the head with one pistol and then got another in the gut with a second shot. Andre got one in the head and hit another in the throat.

They all screeched and bellowed in a blind panic as they bounded into their midst, swords flashing like lightning. The vampires only saw a mass of black hooded figures that were attacking with swords drawn and pistols blazing. It was a chaotic melee now with the coven in an absolute panic, each trying to find a way past these grim looking figures, but failing. Any who made it past Ian, Li, and Andre faced three more, each with four loaded pistols. The gun smoke hung thick in the air and it had become hard to see.

Ian had one now that had a knife out and made a lightning jab toward him. He sidestepped and cut off his arm, kicking it away and bored in with a thrust through the gut. He kicked that one who was roaring in pain so as to free his sword and hacked at the neck of another twice, lopping off his head on the second try. Li pulled a pistol and shot one of the females between the eyes then, kicking her to one side and drawing his sword to lunge at another.

By now two had gotten past and had been thoroughly riddled by Marie and Sophia who had dropped their pistols and pulled two more. Henri had shot another in his throat and shoulder. The noise was at a crescendo, and smell of cordite was thick in the air. It was now impossible to see anything farther than ten feet distant due to the smoke.

One who was hit had streaked past Henri, Marie, and Sophia. Ignoring him they kept advancing and drew their swords. They advanced carefully in the hazy air toward the sound of the fighting and suddenly an enemy lunged out of the smoke running toward them with a knife in one hand. Henri sheared off his knife arm and Marie ran him through, twisting her sword violently as he screamed. Sophia lopped his head off then with a two-handed stroke and kicked it to a corner of the room. The three kept advancing as a unit, Henri at the center. As they advanced the three decapitated three more who were thrashing around on the ground with bullet holes in their heads

Ian, Li, and Andre had lopped off the heads of two more and had two pinned to the ground now with their short swords. One was minus a foot and the other minus a hand. It was over then and the place was suddenly quiet except the two who were moaning, pinned to the dirt by the others.

"Who is hurt, say so now!" said Ian. Henri said "I think we just have some cuts here." The others then answered. Sophia had two cuts across her abdomen and Marie had a cut along one arm. Ian walked around to look at each one and gave Marie and Sophia hugs and the others a slap on their back with a grin. "Well done, everyone. Did any get past us?

Henri said "Yes; I'd better go upstairs. He turned and bounded out of sight up the stairs. Margaret was lying wounded in Robert's arms, moaning softly, and he minus two fingers. The three Adept protégés were with them, but one of them was missing a hand. There were two beheaded vampires on the floor. "What happened here, Robert?"

"One came in trying to escape and another came through the window at the same time. Were it not for these two they would've gotten away. I got a shot off but hit one's neck. The other cut Margaret down from behind. With all of the noise we never heard him come through the window. The wounded one cut off the hand of Steven here. He had a sword. My other two companions here burst in and cut him down and finished off the other."

About then Ian came in and surveyed the scene. He knelt beside Robert and Margaret and gave one of his flasks to Robert. Shifting and holding Margaret then, he held up another flask for her to drink from. She thanked him and began to recover. He eased her to a place where she could lean against the wall. Then he began to look for Robert's fingers and found both behind the door, carrying them to him and pressing one into place. He held it for a half of a minute and it began to knit itself back to his hand. Robert grimaced and nodded as he gripped it himself. Going back to Margaret, Ian carried her to come to sit with Robert. Henri had found Steven's hand and had brought it to him.

"Well done everyone. None escaped. I have to go back downstairs. It may be best if we just take the heads away for now and come back for the bodies tonight."

Grimacing with pain, Robert said indicating his three Adept protégés "Not necessary, Ian. These three will take care of that."

Ian turned to them and said "See if you can find a table cloth or bedding to bag their heads. I have to question two of them." He bounded away to the cellar again. Along the way he saw Sophia sitting in the parlor with the boy, talking with him.

Making his way through the smoky hazy mess, he picked his way to the back of the cellar and found the cell door closed, but unlocked. He looked at the others and said "Anyone been in there yet?" They all shook their heads as Ian cautioned for silence. He opened the cell and peered into the gloomy interior trying to see through the smoky haze. His prickly alarm started up and he felt an icy chill descend his spine, so he cautiously proceeded in, sword drawn. Hearing a noise behind him to his left, he turned that way. Suddenly he heard a commotion behind him and turned in time to see a vampire bearing down on him, eyes blazing and wielding a sword that was already starting to descend. Suddenly a figure from behind that one bowled into him and locked its arms around the vampire's waist. That was just enough to cause his sword stroke to narrowly miss Ian's neck and hit his shoulder, cutting it deeply. Fiery pain enveloped his shoulder area as at that same instant, Ian transferred his sword to his left hand and pivoted while stepping back. As the vampire moved past him, Ian reached out and snatched the hair of his head and bore him to the floor as the one who had attacked from the rear rolled clear. He struck viciously downward and severed the vampire's head from his body, kicking it to the farthest corner of the cell. The one who had grabbed the other one from behind bounded to her feet at vampire speed. Ian whirled, eyes blazing like two sapphires as he crouched, ready to launch an attack. In the same instance that one leaped back, holding her hands to her sides, palms outward. She said "I'm Jennifer! I'm not one of them!"

Ian relaxed then and stood erect, removing his hood. Grimacing in pain he said "Hello, Jennifer. Aimee told me about you. Thanks for jumping in when you did. I believe that if you hadn't, my head would be on the floor with all of these others."

"Ian?" She smiled then, brightening. "No thanks are necessary. Aimee said her family would come." She stepped out of the smoky haze toward him and stopped, standing in front of him. "You're hurt."

Ian grimaced again, pulled a flask from a pocket and drained it. "I'm pleased to meet you, Jennifer. You'll have to excuse me for a bit." He left the cell and went over to the stairs and sat down, leaning against the wall and just waited for his shoulder to heal itself as she followed. "If you're up to it Jennifer, help find all of their heads. We need to leave soon." Marie came over then to see his wound and gave him a hug saying "It's healing well already." In a few more minutes, he got up then and walked to the group holding the two on the floor and said "Who buys little girls from you bastards?"

No one spoke. Ian saw that one of the two was the bald one, lying there moaning, minus a foot. He grabbed him and dragged him to the other side of the cellar through two doors to a storage area, spearing his foot with his sword as he happened across it. He flipped his sword and the foot flew into a corner. Then he said "That belongs to you. You might try answering my question if you want it back." He asked again and got no response. So he drew his knife and cut off his index finger in a flash. The vampire hollered in pain, clutching his wounded hand to his chest and then he said "I just have one customer. I took a little girl there tonight. I can take you to the place if you let me go."

"You supplied him then?"

"Yes." Ian handed him his finger and he held it as it began to knit back to his hand.

"Who else?"

"He was the only one."

"Li; please come in here." Li was there in a second. "Please watch this one for a bit."

Returning to the other group he saw that the one they had pinned was the vampire who had abducted Jennifer. He writhed and moaned, holding the stump of his right arm. Ian looked about and finally stepped on a hand that looked like it could be his. He speared it with his sword and brought it to him then and held it against his wrist until it began to knit.

"What's your story?"

"To hell with you! There's enough blood in the boy. We would've shared with all of you if you'd asked."

Ian regarded him for a moment. Marie stepped forward and said "We don't drink human blood, you cockroach. It's your kind that makes it harder for us to live peaceably. You brought this hell upon yourselves."

Ian drew his sword menacingly and the vampire hollered "Stop, stop. What do you want to know?"

"Who do you sell little girls to?"

"That's his specialty. I don't like to be around them long enough to get paid. That wench in the cell there is mine. I caught her and I bit her so she's mine. You can have a turn after I break her in."

Henri said "I asked my mate to marry me and she did. We don't take women by force like you maggots do."

"Married? Asked? I take what I want. That is what a real vampire does. Ask that wench in there who her man is."

Chuckling while shaking his head Ian said "Looks to me like most of you 'real vampires' have lost your heads tonight over that notion. Jennifer, come here."

Jennifer had been talking to Marie and Li. She came smiling, an inquisitive look on her pretty face. "This one says you're his. What do you say to that?"

She walked up to them and spat on the vampire "Give me a pistol and I'll show you what I say!" Marie walked over and handed her last loaded pistol to Jennifer who put it to the head of the vampire and shot him. Andre lopped off his head.

Ian walked back to the other room to the bald headed one then. He speared his foot and tossed it so that it fell near him. The vampire held it in place for a minute and it began to knit and reattach. Three minutes passed in silence and then Ian said "Li let him stand now." They let him stand up then. He looked closely at Ian then and suddenly his eyes widened. "I know you. You were the drunk who was near my table tonight!"

"I'm sober now." replied Ian as he struck his head from his shoulders.

# Chapter 101

The three Adepts had picked up all of the weapons and had gathered the eleven heads. By daybreak, they'd all departed. The three were to come back that night and dispose of the bodies.

Jennifer had written her employer a letter of resignation, explaining that she had found a better job and had to relocate now to secure it. One of the Adepts went to the Hungry Eye Tavern to deliver the letter. The family returned to the estate, taking Jennifer with them.

Robert took Ian and the boy who had been a captive to a place that he owned which was an apartment in a small nondescript building in a nondescript part of London. Margaret took the carriage and said she would return soon with food and a change of clothes for the boy. In a half an hour, the lad was giving himself a hot bath, perhaps the first in years.

Ian and Robert then sat down and Ian said "Sir, I have two men bound and waiting for you to question. We should go there after Margaret returns."

"I'm not 'sir' to you anymore, my friend. I'm Robert." he said with a smile. Ian smiled too then and said "Thank you Robert." As they discussed options for the boy, Margaret returned with some food and a package containing clothing.

"Margaret, we have to run an errand. Can you take care of our young guest for a while?"

"Yes. Go ahead. Ian, thank you for everything."

"No thanks are necessary, although I nearly lost my head last night."

Robert laughed heartily and said "So we heard. We only thought we had the worst of it! So Marie and Sophia accompany you on these...raids all of the time."

"Yes. We're a team as well as a family."

"I was impressed how well and how thoroughly everything was done."

"To be fair, they've had a lot of training that you and Margaret haven't had."

She laughed then and said "I can surely see that. Whose idea was it to make those black suits?"

"Well, I needed one once so I made the first one."

"Was that the time in Paris where you went in alone against a group of them?"

"It was. The others liked them, so Marie and Sophia made them after that. Marie designed and made the double shoulder-mounted pistol holsters too, for an excursion we had in Austria."

Margaret laughed then and said "Now that is a type of sewing and fashion design that I never dreamt of! I have to admit this. I was terrified waiting up there, but now that it's over, it was fun, wasn't it? Well, I mean it was fun for me other than being stabbed and Robert losing a couple of fingers for a while!" She laughed giddily then as she thought of what she'd said.

Ian and Robert laughed and then Ian rubbed his shoulder and said "Marie told Henri that after one of our raids too. I'm not commenting on that."

***

Being that it was daylight now, Ian just drove the carriage past the posh estate of the pervert, saying "I have him and his errand boy gagged and trussed up in the woods out back."

Robert had ceased to talk as they had gotten closer to the place and continued in silence. Finally he said "This is the home of the senior partner of our bank." There was silence as the horses clip-clopped along the boulevard past magnificent homes. Finally Ian said "I'm sorry Robert. Are you close to him?"

"No. We're co-partners only. I never dreamt...damn his eyes! What a disgusting thought! There's only one punishment for such a one."

"The bald one said he'd furnished little girls for him on other occasions."

Ian saw that Robert's features had hardened, becoming grim. He'd never seen him look that way before. Robert gave Ian directions to take another road and eventually they were proceeding through a wooded area with no homes visible. He pulled down a narrow brush-choked lane for some two hundred yards and stopped. "We can get there from here." he said as he got out of the carriage. He turned to Ian and said "This is my mess. I'll take it from here, Ian."

They talked at some length, establishing an alibi for Robert and a version of events wherein Thomas had found Aimee wandering the streets and had brought her home safely just this morning. Ian told him that Aimee had received some instruction regarding how to fight against an adult who might try to take her for any reason and that she had broken Edward's finger and bitten his ear.

It was suggested by Ian that Thomas might want to adopt the boy they rescued. He asked if there was another place which would be more private for imprinting since they had to help Jennifer through that. Robert offered his summer home to the west of London, near Oxford and overlooking the Thames. It was a four thousand acre estate with a home as big as the chateau near Marseilles. He furnished information about where the firearms and their supplies were kept and promised to send Thomas out to take them there and open the place.

He went on to reaffirm that his three Adepts would take care of the cleanup and would see to it that the carriage was repaired and returned. In conclusion he told Ian that he knew of an abandoned quarry upcountry that would serve as a place to dispose of the bodies of the two men. They parted company then, agreeing to meet later after Jennifer's imprinting was completed.

***

As Ian came in the door, Aimee heard him and jumped up into his arms kissing and hugging him. Alandra was next and they had a long kiss and he held her while he answered questions that the others asked. Alandra sucked in a sharp breath when she saw the way his bloodstained shirt was cut about his shoulder and asked about it. He said "If not for Jennifer, it would've been worse than this." Jennifer came to him then with a smile and took both of his hands saying "Thank you again."

"How did you manage to fool that vampire?"

"Aimee told me to. When you came in to my cell, he was hiding there near me. I played sick like Aimee said to do. He tossed something across the cell so that you'd hear it and turn away. When you turned and he made for you, I jumped on him."

"Well, by Heaven, I'm glad that you did, Jenny!" He turned to Aimee and said "Aimee, you helped keep me from getting myself really hurt. I'm very pleased with you, little one. Come here." He gathered her into his arms once again and kissed her and held her close as the others came around and praised her.

After a bit, Ian took Henri and Marie aside for a brief conference as the others all congregated about Jennifer and Aimee. Coming back to Jennifer, he gently took her by the shoulders. He held her back from him so they could look into each other's eyes, and smiling he said "Jennifer, you have a decision to make."

'What is that?"

"You don't have to decide today, but do you want to stay in Britain, or come with us to France?"

She put both hands over her mouth as her eyes widened and looked around at the others then, saying "Can...can I come with all of you... after I m through imprinting?" She saw only smiles and heads nodding in agreement. She began to cry then. Marie hugged her and comforted her.

"I'm sorry for crying so, but I was an orphan and have never had a family. Wherever you go, I'll go too. I'll miss Thomas though."

Marie said "We can talk about that later, Jennifer. Right now the sun is shining and we have work to do." Throwing her a bundle of clothes she said "You'll put these on now and meet us all outside." A few minutes later she was outside barefoot, wearing very short pants, and a brief sleeveless blouse, which was very open at the top. Her imprint training began in earnest and she was never alone except to rest for the entire time.

That afternoon, Thomas came by and he spoke with Jennifer for a half hour. He had the boy with him and the lad was happy and curious about everything, like a normal child of seven. Thomas was too much the gentleman to even mention the unusual and brief clothing that Jennifer was wearing.

He took Ian and Alandra out to Robert's summer home about twenty five miles toward Oxford, to the west of London. Perfect for imprinting, it would be perfect for firearm training too, being so private and isolated. They stayed overnight and did a bit of readying of the place for the others.

While they were there, Ian offered Thomas a choice of coming with them to France with the boy, or staying and working for Robert. He gave him a sizeable bag of gold coins then. Thomas's mouth hung open in disbelief. Ian said "Thomas; it was because of you that we learned the two kidnappings were linked and because of you that we were able to find the kidnappers so quickly. I'm a rich man, and I'm grateful to you. This money is yours no matter where you decide to live."

"But Ian, this is more than I earn in ten years!"

"Well, put it in Robert's bank and invest it where he tells you if you stay in Britain. Thank you my friend. You'll never be a stranger in France or wherever we all are."

By the next afternoon, Thomas had dropped Ian and Alandra at the London estate. He agreed to think about Ian's offer while they were all gone to Robert and Margaret's summer home.

***

The thing was aware of activity nearby. Sounds filtered down to where it lay. There were indeterminate periods of silence and they became more and more to be punctuated by periods of mechanical sounds, grating and clattering at times, but always muted and very far away. The sounds intrigued the thing because they were different from the sounds of the water which periodically trickled through its' lair. It didn't so much wonder what the sounds were as it did just to notice that they were different sounds than it could remember. It seemed that the water sounds and the skittering sounds of insects and raspy sounds of snakes passing through were all that it could remember. The new sounds were something to attune to, to be curious about. Curiosity itself seemed to be a new experience for the thing. It sometimes puzzled over that at the times when the new sounds weren't present. At other times of silence, it rested comfortably and was unconcerned about anything outside of its lair. It didn't think that it needed anything at all to exist because it did exist. It knew it did and the different sounds when they came confirmed that. It couldn't recall even thinking about whether it existed or not prior to hearing the sounds. It rested comfortably in the secure belief that it had always existed and that this was just something new.

# Chapter 102

At the evening gathering, Mustafa stood up and said "I've an announcement to make. Liri is with child and we have decided that I'm going to cross over tonight." Before anyone could comment Louis stood and said "I have an announcement too. Celeste is with child and I'm crossing over tonight too."

There was silence, and then the others rose from their seats and came to the two and offered hugs of support. Their wives were both smiling so it appeared that everyone was in agreement. Louis said "After what happened to Aimee, we've all decided that we might just as well do it now because who knows but what we may have to defend one of ours again?"

Mustafa spoke then "We both felt so bad and so helpless when Aimee was taken. But then we were always going to do it someday."

Celeste spoke then saying "Liri and I both wanted to have a child before crossing over, so we'll cross over next year after our babies are born and weaned."

Everyone came to them then and hugged the women, talking excitedly about their being pregnant. Marie had already guessed that the two were pregnant but had kept that private except for telling Henri. She brought wine then and toasts of congratulations were made. Louis and Mustafa both wanted Ian to do the honors that night.

He was humbled by their request, but agreed to do it. All witnessed it, including Alandra and the newcomer, Jennifer. Later Ian spoke with the two alone, counseling them in great detail about how to engage in love making with a human without causing injury.

Little Aimee spent a lot of the evenings sitting alongside Jennifer holding her hand and leaning on her shoulder at times. The contact was an extra touch of warmth that Jennifer treasured as she grew to know these people. She could already tell though that she was going to love every one of them, each in a special way. She had her third faint attack that evening and Aimee produced a flask for her right away.

She had long since realized that she was in the best place with the very best people she could be with for what was happening to her. The most amazing part of it all to her was not its supernatural aspect, but the regard that both humans and non-humans had for each other. Not to mention that Ian himself was married to a human. In time, she thought she would ask more about that. For now though, she was happy and contented but at the same time puzzled that she could feel that way given her bizarre circumstance.

The next day, Ian and Andre left early to lease two carriages with horses for a month. By mid-day they were all enroute to Robert's summer home.

The day after that they got into the training in a serious way. Jennifer was introduced to both hand to hand combat and firearms instruction the same day. If she was not involved in that she and the two men were eating all manner of fruits, vegetables, and varieties of meat so as to imprint them into their diet. If not that then they were tossing eggs back and forth, learning to control their strength. She was constantly reminded to use her left hand for everything that she was taught to do, which puzzled her until it was explained to her.

The time passed more quickly than she thought it would, and she understood the reason for the comprehensive training in fighting techniques owing to the circumstances of her rescue. The spells of pain that wracked her body were also experienced by the two men and she was able to bear it better it seemed because she could see them suffer at those times too. She developed sensitivity to the sun at the end of her first week and was forced to tolerate it to the point of tears, as had been done with the others. There was never an incident whether it was a bout of pain or a fainting attack that one of the family members wasn't there. Andre and Aimee were always hovering nearby to help her. Every single aspect of her conditioning and body changes was explained to her patiently.

Aimee took the opportunity to train with firearms herself with Ian supervising. The entire family felt that she'd earned their trust since coming to live with them and none objected. Everyone there was impressed with Aimee's enthusiasm, especially Jennifer. The two were constantly together, just like two sisters, chatting about one thing and another, and laughing at Jennifer's first attempts to use a pistol.

Evenings were especially wonderful for Jennifer. She was used to going home to an empty room over a repair shop. She had bonded with Aimee very well, and for her part, little Aimee looked upon her as a kind of big sister. The entire experience of belonging to this family was like unrolling a rich tapestry of constantly varying color and pattern. Each little bit she saw next was both unexpected and wonderful. She finally felt that for the first time in her life she was where she belonged.

The imprinting was done then, and she had managed a four day blood fast, as had both Louis and Mustafa. It was time to decide whether to all go to Scotland or to split up and meet back in Paris or at the chateau. Alandra wanted to go to Barcelona to see everyone because she wanted to go to the Swiss Confederation for the winter and to take Aimee. So they decided that after they visited with the McClouds that they'd book passage to Barcelona by sea, via Gibraltar. They would come to the chateau in the fall then and leave from there to go to Lausanne for the winter.

The entire group went back to the London estate that Robert had originally secured for them. While they were gone, Margaret had been approached by a very influential friend who was a big supporter of the opera. It seemed that they knew that Celeste was in Britain and were begging for her to come and sing there. They hoped that she could make it because the opening was in two nights. She accepted and the entire family including Jennifer was taken to Robert's box and another adjacent one that he was able to get besides. Thomas and his boy were brought along too.

Jennifer was thrilled beyond her wildest expectations. Never had she even seen the opera house, let alone been inside one and to see a performance like this no less. She was in heaven the whole evening and couldn't get over the fine clothing that Marie had matter-of-factly given to her as she sat with Andre on one side and Aimee on the other. Celeste was as popular as ever and the audience gave her three curtain calls.

***

Robert had made good on his promise to look for an investment opportunity. He sat with Ian, Henri, Mustafa, Louis, and Andre one evening at the estate.

"I've learned that Crowe & Barnard foundry will be chosen to provide the new cannons for refitting the royal fleet. It was a sure thing for another long-favored firm, but I have unimpeachable information that the favored firm will never get this contract."

Noting the twinkle in Robert's eyes, Henri said "I sense that there's a story here, Robert."

Laughing then Robert said "Oh, you can be sure that there is, my friends." Lowering his voice then so that the women wouldn't overhear he continued, as the others leaned forward in their seats. "It seems that the owner of the foundry which was a shoo-in for this thing has been caught in a compromising situation with Lord Ames' wife. Now this is no new thing on her part, but poor Ames has dallied with various ladies for years, thinking that his wife was ignorant of his trysts. He has just learned what has been going on behind his back for years and he is the man who makes or breaks any such government contracts in the House of Lords. Hell will freeze over before that contract goes to the original firm!"

At that, everyone laughed a long time. Robert said "Now you all know how fast juicy stories like this circulate. You must buy into Crowe & Barnard Foundry no later than two days hence. The facts will become apparent after that and the price to buy in will go up. This is a good thing for holding for a longer term or for selling in say, six months, and yes, I'm buying a position for myself tomorrow. I can do the transaction through a friend at the exchange, and can hold the shares for you for as long as you want. I can sell them for you too. I want nothing at all for this. To think that I had a coven of eleven rogue vampires only a few miles from my own house! You've done me a great favor with this vampire problem, and I'll not be forgetting it either."

Henri thanked him then and made arrangement to buy a very large number of shares the next day first thing. Ian put up well over half of the money. The shares were held in the names of Mustafa, Louis, Andre, Li, Angus McCloud, Armando, MacCarr, MacLamb, MacGregor and Ian. It was a sizeable purchase and in itself drove up the asking price in one day alone, fueling speculation that something was afoot with this family-owned foundry. The best time to sell for the greatest gain was left to Robert to determine.

Henri then went to get the ladies and brought them all back into the parlor. He nodded to Robert, indicating for him to proceed.

"Henri and I are going to partner, starting a new bank in America. We're certain that the British will continue to be the dominant force in the new world. We doubt that France or Spain has a chance of ever taking North America from them. So for those reasons, this new bank will bear my name."

Henri continued then. "The British won't interfere with an established British bank that is known to be loyal to the crown. So we believe that our new bank will be secure even if war really breaks out everywhere in the colonies, which may have started already. We've only to be wary that we don't become seen as an enemy to the colonists. We think that they'll make a move for independence from Britain well before this century ends, and in fact this may be starting now in Boston. We want Ian to establish this bank in New York and in Philadelphia. Boston is an alternate choice. He'll take the funds to America when he goes to do this. We've drawn up the papers already and signed them with both French witnesses and British witnesses at Robert's office, as Margaret, Marie, and Ian already know. It only remains now to determine when. Do any of you have questions?"

There was some discussion then about the means of communication from America to stay in touch. Henri then spoke "Robert, Margaret, Marie, and I have had a code that we've used for around ninety years. It works very well and can be quickly learned by an Adept vampire, but would be difficult for a human to even learn, much less decipher.

"It all depends on the date at the top of the letter or document. Once that is known, any Adept that knows and has memorized the code can easily translate its hidden message. Marie has already taught it to Ian. He'll send all dispatches to Robert in care of his bank. Robert will communicate with us through Banque de Lafayette couriers.

"Louis, Mustafa, Li, and Andre should all learn this before we depart from Britain while we're all together. If the ladies want to learn it, then that's fine too. We'll teach those of you who want to learn it tonight and will practice encoding messages during the next day or so."

Everyone agreed that it should be known by all in the family. Aimee pretended not to be interested and even fidgeted a bit when she thought that Robert or Margaret was watching her. She dozed off later that evening.

***

Two days later, Henri took Ian aside to inform him that he'd sold his shares in the German government dock and navy modernization effort. He and Ian had made five times what they had invested in it. With that and what he had done earlier on Willy's advice, he had increased his net worth by forty five times from back when they had first gone to Austria. Ian McCloud was a wealthy man indeed, and he was helping his friends and his family now that he was able to.

It was decided that since they were now a group of fifteen counting Thomas and his boy, there were too many to take to Edinburg with any hope of housing all of them. Ian and Alandra with Marie and Henri would go to Scotland to visit the McClouds while the rest of the group would stay at the summer home of Robert and Margaret. Margaret would be teaching Jennifer as well as Mustafa and Louis several languages. They would be practicing the adjusting of their hearing and of their heart rate. Louis and Mustafa would be training both Margaret and Robert and any Adepts he wanted to include in swordsmanship and marksmanship. Li would teach fundamentals of hand-to-hand combat.

Jennifer knew that she'd be a well-trained Adept, able to live or travel comfortably in Europe before they sailed back to France. Other languages and musical skills would follow. She was eager to begin her new life. Aimee had wanted to go with Ian and Alandra to Spain, but she wanted to help Jennifer assimilate too so she stayed with the group. They said their goodbyes then one morning and departed in a four-horse carriage courtesy of the Bank of Edwards and Milliken.

# Chapter 103

Miles Edwards stood in the grand foyer of his missing brother's house. The Constables had been thorough at his insistence, but had found nothing missing or any evidence of foul play. All that anyone knew was that no one had seen Clifford Edwards or his manservant and driver for several days. His junior partner at the bank had no idea of his whereabouts and could offer no information beyond that he had last seen him at the firm itself, in London the previous week.

Robert Milliken had confirmed that he had spent the entire past week with friends from France at an estate in northeast London or at his summer home. The Edwards home was untouched as was its guest house and the servant's quarters above the carriage house. In fact the broken window pane in the door had been repaired perfectly by Thomas.

To the constables, it was a mystery, and Miles Edwards didn't like it one bit. He realized that he would inherit his brother's estate and his share of the bank of Edwards & Milliken, but he was disturbed by his brother's sudden disappearance nonetheless. Edwards had only been an Adept vampire for some three weeks, and had only recently told his older brother.

They were both large men, but his older brother had been paunchy and flabby whereas Miles was muscular and fit. He wondered if there was any connection between his telling his brother that he now was a vampire, and his disappearance. If so, why did the manservant disappear too? He was hesitant even to tell Arnaud Moreau, the one who had brought him over. What if Moreau was the one who had done it? After all, before he brought him over, Moreau had asked him a lot of questions about his older brother. He could go to no one with his suspicions. Who could he accuse?

Reaching into his pocket he felt a grisly item that he had found in the guest house and had taken before going to the constables. It was a piece of an ear and he suspected that it had been bitten from his brother's ear. The bite looked small, childlike in size. He well knew his brother's penchant for little girls and accepted it. He didn't care either way really as long as he wasn't harmed or as long as he profited personally. He preferred to forcibly rape teenaged or young adult women himself, but allowed that his brother had been... different. Wondering about an abducted child being able to bite a piece out of his brother's ear, he thought now this is a riddle needing to be solved! He resolved to investigate this matter further. With his inheritance ensured, he eventually would have no shortage of money to spread around to get answers about who was behind this.

He was still mystified about why his desire for women had left him. His newfound strength and other abilities were welcome to be sure. Thinking that it was just a setback that would resolve itself, he had foregone mentioning it to Moreau. But now he wondered if his desire for women might not return at all. He was very distressed about that and resolved that he'd ask Moreau about it whenever he saw him again. They were close in size and strength, so he was no longer cowed by Moreau since his imprinting had been completed. He would press for an answer to his impotency. What he didn't know was that Moreau had deliberately allowed his libido to die, not wanting a vampire with his unbridled lust causing trouble while Moreau's investigation into his own brother's death was ongoing.

Edwards' thoughts turned again to the riddle of the piece of human ear. It occurred to him then that he might want to investigate his brother's junior partner, Robert Milliken. He would start by learning what he could of the man, and then he might look into his alibi and learn what he could about the guests from France that he spent time with around the time of his brother's disappearance. There would be enough money spread around to get answers.

***

At Edinburg the four of them received a warm welcome. Angus was at the shipyard attending to some maintenance on Elsie. He was pleasantly surprised to see the foursome that afternoon when he arrived home. They had traveled by coach but without a driver so that they could run and hunt along the way. Alandra got to do a fair bit of driving. During the time they were at Edinburg, Angus and the other officers of the crew of Elsie's Cloud were all made aware of the investments being held in London in their names. They were all overwhelmed with gratitude and were greatly amused at the circumstances behind the sudden good fortune of Crowe & Barnard Foundry. Ian had shared the story with Alandra while they were traveling and she could hardly stop laughing. They were all thoroughly enjoying themselves after the strain of the kidnapping and the rigorous regimen of the imprinting that they had to oversee after that.

They stayed at Edinburg two weeks before reluctantly saying their goodbyes. Sailing to Dover together, the two couples parted company there. Ian and Alandra said that they intended to be at the chateau by early autumn before going to Lausanne for the winter. Henri and Marie sailed for Calais, France that same afternoon. The following morning, Ian and Alandra sailed for London. Three days later they sailed for Lisbon, Portugal.

***

Robert and Margaret sat in their study one evening. Robert said "I have an observation to share with you. I had to kill both Clifford Edwards and his driver you know."

"Yes. They deserved to die."

"Yes. Clifford told me some things about Aimee that were quite disturbing. I don't think he was lying either. Margaret, I think that Aimee may be a vampire."

There was only the sound of a grandfather clock in the foyer keeping time then for a brief interval, and then Margaret said "My! That's quite an observation! How sure are you about that? I saw her knock over a glass of milk at the dinner table."

"I remember that but like I said, I don't think the man was lying. He didn't know that I was about to kill him. He thought he'd been rescued."

"Surely you don't intend doing anything about this!"

"Oh no! You saw their reaction at her being kidnapped. It wasn't fear, but love and concern for her that drove them all. There's no way that I'd ever do anything to make that family an enemy! Besides, if she is one, she damned sure can hide it well! I can honestly say that I'd never have suspected. That bit of clumsiness at the dinner table was the master's stroke. They have trained her superbly!"

"Do you think they actually brought her over; her, a six-year old child?"

"No. Likely they rescued her from one of the raids they've done on covens over there. Maybe even the most recent one involving what, thirteen vampires? Maybe one of the rogue vampires had done that and they took pity on Aimee and trained her?"

"Well if they did, they've done a superb job and have proven to me that such a thing can be done after all." She sat then, thinking about all of what Robert had revealed. Then she spoke "I think that we'd best never bring it up to any one of them. Such a thing is best forgotten. I suspect the whole clan would go to war over her. Imagine what a dangerous mess that could be for one who tried to expose her and order her death! There would be an unimaginable war between the Lafayettes and whoever made that attempt. That would attract far more attention to us than the mistake a child might make in public somewhere."

"You're right. I have no intention of ever pursuing it. I like every single one of them and I value them as friends. They're a marvelous group. I'd never think of turning them against us for such a thing."

"Good then. It's best forgotten. Besides that, I like all of them very much too. And Aimee is a real sweetheart even if she is a child vampire. She's a little angel."

"You know, I was puzzled that Clifford seemed to know what a vampire is. He never said the word, but he was matter-of-fact about explaining what he saw to me. I keep going back to that. It nags at me, like there is something I don't see here."

Getting up and walking seductively toward Robert, Margaret said "I wouldn't worry too much about it. You need to save your energy for more pressing needs." She sat down in his lap and began to kiss him softly at first, and then with more urgency and passion, unbuttoning his shirt and sliding her hand inside to gently rub his chest and stomach. He responded in kind and shortly he sprang from the sofa with her still in his arms and in two bounds was at the foot of the stairs, and in one more bound they were upstairs rocketing towards their bedroom as Margaret laughed giddily.

***

Henri and Marie rejoined the family at Paris, staying at the new place leased in the name of Laforge. They had both taken to wearing wigs when in public in France at times. Today was one of those times being that they were staying at the Laforge suites. They'd already begun to reduce their appearance in public anywhere as the Lafayettes in preparation for the generational move. Henri was giving that some thought lately, thinking about doing it earlier because of the anticipated birth of the two babies the following spring.

Celeste had been asked to sing and they wanted Aimee to accompany her on the violin so the family all agreed, providing that Aimee didn't display all of her talent on stage. She was instructed to play simply and not with all of the technique at her command, but she was allowed to not make any errors. The family had no doubt that vampires other than themselves might be there that night. The two were warmly received and cries of 'Viva La Nightingale' and 'Viva Aimee' were heard afterward.

Celeste's Aunt Caryn begged for them to allow Aimee to model for her while they were there, so that was arranged. Little Aimee performed flawlessly and was allowed to not fake fidgeting for the occasion. She rose to the occasion, showing off for her new big sister, Jennifer.

When Caryn had been introduced to both Jennifer, Thomas, and his son, she had likened the fresh bubbly upbeat personality of Jennifer to that of Alyssa. But inexplicably she was more impressed with the kind eyes and the warm gentle smile of Thomas. She spoke then to Henri almost in passing about an equipment malfunction at her facility. Thomas spoke up then and asked if he could look at it. While the others were out and about, he repaired and lubricated it. He said no more about it, but Caryn soon saw that it was working and sought him out to thank him.

She offered him a job keeping everything running at the facility and offered to let him and his son live in the back of the loft which was presently only half full, being used for storage of fabrics, thread, and sundries associated with clothing. He accepted the job, being as he'd taken an instant liking to her, and besides that he thought that she was most attractive.

The rest of the family departed without incident for the Chateau, excepting for Louis who had to go to Luxembourg for banking business. Mustafa was told that he'd be traveling to Italy before winter on banking business, so his stay at the chateau would be brief.

# Chapter 104

Ian and Alandra had caught up on all necessary business and had visited with Alandra's parents for two weeks as well. They left Tom and Celita in charge of Barcelona House again and sailed for Marseille, where they spent a day and night with Lorn and Corinne at their Red Dolphin Tavern. The remodeling was done and the place was doing a brisk business. The area around it was not quite as seedy now thanks to several property purchases by the Lafayettes, unknown to Lorn and Corinne. They were very happy and had two happy children. The next day Ian and Alandra departed for the chateau, arriving in early evening.

They were just in time for music and dancing, so after warm greetings had been exchanged they all had an enjoyable evening.

Later Henri announced that they were going to have a family council, so they all sat and listened to what he had to say. Aimee came and sat between Ian and Alandra and held one of their hands in each of hers.

"I've been thinking about our pending move to the Swiss Confederation." Turning to Ian and Alandra he said "I've explained to Jennifer the reasons for our having to move from time to time." Then to all of them he said "I think we ought to consider moving sooner. There are going to be two babies born in the springtime. We could move to Geneva after they're born and establish ourselves as the Laforges there. We could still come here and be the Lafayettes and friends in the wintertime for a year or two. When we finally do leave this place for good, we just went away as we had for a year or two in succession, but never came back. It might be better to do it that way. In Geneva we'd be known to leave for the winter for a couple of years. Marie and I would like to know what all of you think about that."

There was a general discussion among the members then. Jennifer said "What about Thomas and his son?"

Henri replied "They can come, or stay here for a while as far as I'm concerned."

Marie said "Don't be too sure that Thomas will want to come. He's become quite interested in Celeste's Aunt Caryn."

Celeste nodded her head in agreement as all eyes turned to her. "He's in Paris now because Aunt Caryn doesn't want him to leave, and it's fair to say that he doesn't want to leave either." she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Sophia said "Can there be any problem with Jennifer seeing him whenever she's in France?" Marie looked at Henri and said "No. It shouldn't be a problem at all. The worst that can happen is that Jennifer has to say that she knows both the Laforges and the Lafayettes. And that won't be a lie." At that everyone laughed.

Marie continued "Well, even if this next one is a wig generation, it will be more fun than we've had in forever following a move. We'll have the babies, and we're such a fine big family now. It will be a lot different than other wig generations."

There were questioning looks exchanged among all present then except for Henri and Marie. Finally Liridona spoke up and said "What's a 'wig generation'?"

The others all leaned forward a bit to hear the answer to the riddle. Marie sipped her tea and then after setting the cup and saucer down she said "Children, a wig generation comes every second generation. We didn't wear wigs during our time as the Lafayettes, so as the Laforges, we'll both wear wigs in public during their twenty years." There was a scattering of laughter. Aimee held her hands over her mouth and giggled. Marie looked at Aimee and laughingly said "Don't laugh too hard young lady. A six-year old child who never ages can't be explained away. That means that you'll be wearing wigs too. In fact you'll be wearing them as much as us."

Aimee rolled her eyes around looking at the group then as they all laughed at her. Ian said "I think that you'd be beautiful with glossy black hair, just like Marie's." She giggled then, liking the idea of disguising herself to deceive humans.

Liri then said "Do we have to wear wigs too?"

"Praise God, no! Henri and I are nearly as old as dirt and have been bouncing around Europe so many years now that we have to do this in case we run into an old human that we used to know." At that everyone laughed really hard, but then Marie said "Don't laugh too hard now because all of you will have to do this when we move away from Geneva."

Ian then spoke. "But what if we move to America?"

There was silence then and finally Henri spoke. "That will be a different kettle of fish altogether."

"For Alandra and I it makes no difference. We'll adjust to whatever happens and will make it work for us. We want to winter at Lausanne this year and to take Aimee with us." Turning to her he said "I have spoken to Marie and Henri and have sent a pair of your boots to Lausanne already with instructions to make you a pair of ice skates."

She threw her hands to her cheeks and squirmed. "Oh my! Oh my!" Then she looked at Ian and said "What are ice skates?" At that everyone laughed as Ian explained to her. Alandra added that she would get to ride in a sleigh while she was there.

"What's a sleigh?" Everyone laughed again at that as Ian explained to Aimee.

So it was settled that the generational move would be done this way.

***

They spent a few days at the chateau and went riding and swimming although the days were a bit cooler. Aimee taught Jennifer to hand fish then, which she'd never done before. She was completely taken with the waterfall and loved the rope swing too. Everyone enjoyed the time spent there and all agreed that Jennifer was a welcome addition to the family. She was so naturally cheerful that she boosted everyone's mood just by being present. She and Sophia were always laughing and joking about something it seemed. Mustafa and Louis had come through their transition smoothly and had resumed their lives as if nothing had ever changed. Their years of practice in martial arts, swordsmanship, and firearms from their boyhood had the result that after they had imprinted, they were both deadly additions to the family's fighting force.

One day in early October Alandra, Ian, and Aimee were packed to go and said their goodbyes to everyone and set off for Lausanne. They drove and let Aimee drive too, which enabled them to stop anywhere they wanted for her to have a little wild time that way. The trip was uneventful and Aimee was never bored. She 'ooohd' the first time she saw a snowy peak in the distance and loved the changes of types of trees and foliage. Ian was silent as they passed the former site of the Francoise mansion. He could barely look at it any more if he happened to be passing by. The former staff was still living there though, as was evident from the fields and livestock. No construction was evident at all.

***

In Lausanne, they picked up her skates at the blacksmith shop and Ian attended to getting a small herd of goats for the winter. He had leased the same chalet for them on Lake Geneva. They got to sail across Lake Geneva to Evian les Baines on the last excursion ship that would sail that year, spending two days there before sailing back.

The days flew by and soon the passes were snowed in. The cove had finally frozen so Ian and Alandra got out their skates and after they'd gotten used to them again they let Aimee come out on the ice with them to learn to skate. She took to it like a duck to water and by the end of the day was a good skater, but still didn't know how to stop very well. She crashed into some snow-covered bushes three times after gaining too much speed. Ian and Alandra both laughed themselves silly watching her antics. She was absolutely in love with ice skating and with no one around to see her, she was a little blur out there at times. They could hear her laughing no matter where she was.

Within three days she was a prodigy who could skate backward and forward and took to jumping objects with Ian. He had leased a Sleigh and horse for the winter and they regularly went to Lausanne to eat or to skate there. He would let Aimee drive the team and she was in love with that almost as much as skating. Soon they had been remembered by the residents and everyone stopped whatever they were doing to watch little Aimee skate. Ian had cautioned her very strongly about showing off and true to form, she held herself in check. Ian told her that she could skate flawlessly as long as she didn't go too fast nor do any jumps. When people would ask, she was told to say that she'd learned to skate in Amsterdam.

One day when they were really snowed in and were both playing violin together, Ian said "Aimee, do you miss the others?"

"Yes. I think that Jennifer would like skating and riding in the sleigh. She doesn't miss me too much though."

Alandra said "Oh, I'm sure she does. Why do you say that?"

Aimee rolled her pretty eyes as if anyone should know the answer. Then she said disgustedly "Because she and Andre are always making moon eyes at each other. Yuck!" At this Ian and Alandra laughed so hard that Aimee finally joined in, not having any idea what she had said that was so funny.

Ian painted two portraits that winter; one of Aimee and one of Alandra.

***

The winter flew by all too fast and they were on their way back to France. The trip back was uneventful. As they passed the ruins of the old Francoise mansion, Ian saw a foundation being built back behind the remains of the house, where the staff and caretakers lived. It looked like another building was going to be built among that group of structures that was well back behind the burned-out site of the original mansion. Everything else looked the same. There were no signs that the mansion was going to be rebuilt, and there was no one about in the fields, but they had been plowed and livestock were present grazing.

# Chapter 105

At the chateau they all talked and caught up on everything that evening. Mustafa and Louis were both gone on banking business. Li and Sophia had just returned from Italy where they'd been looking after the property near Turin on the river. Both Celeste and Liridona were quite big by then. Their babies were due soon, so Ian and Alandra decided to stay until they both were born. Marie had already taken care to have an experienced midwife and her two daughters on hand at all times.

Aimee had been with Jennifer ever since they had arrived. For her part, Jennifer was thrilled and happy when the three had arrived. She and Aimee had been talking and laughing and telling each other stories like two sisters might do. Jennifer was really anxious to hear about the skating and Aimee was only too happy to tell her

Li had been teaching Andre about property management because Andre was soon going to be doing that. There was an extensive network of Lafayette properties to be cared for regarding collection of annual rent profits and paying of taxes. Li handled all of the commercial interests such as the facility in Dijon and the ceramics facility near Versailles. Andre would be doing mostly the many farms and apartment buildings around France owned by Marie and Henri.

Ian took Aimee after she'd fallen asleep and carried her upstairs. While he was gone, Alandra beckoned to the women to join her in the kitchen. When they were all there, she said "I have something to tell you, but I want to surprise Ian." The ladies were all ears then, waiting expectantly. She went on then "I'm crossing over when we join you in Zurich this summer."

Marie came to her first, hugging and kissing her. Sophia, Celeste, Liri, and Jennifer all hugged and kissed her too. Celeste asked "Why wait until then?"

"I want to tell my parents first about Ian and a little of what I'll be doing. I don't want to keep all of it from them but I do so want to surprise Ian. Please don't tell him. He's been so patient and has never once brought it up to me."

They were all happy for her, and all agreed to keep her secret. The days that followed were filled with the usual chateau activities and spirits were all high with the expectation of the two new arrivals. The babies were born within hours of each other. Liri and Mustafa had a son while Celeste and Louis had a daughter. Both were healthy and the births were not especially troublesome for either of the women. The midwife had insisted on using old Hebrew-style birthing chairs in order for gravity to assist the birth. None there had ever seen the technique used, but it appeared to work quite well

Ian and Alandra took little Aimee apart from the others after the two babies were born and counseled her. "Aimee, when humans have a baby, they become focused on the baby. That's natural, and you'll see that with Liri and Celeste. Their husbands will be the same way, focused on their baby. Over time this will modify a bit. But with these two babies here now, you have to be like their big sister and help any way that you are asked to."

"I understand."

"You may not always get the attention that you got before these babies came along. That's only natural, but you mustn't be upset or sad if it seems that way. It's just that you'll no longer be the youngest in the house, so you no longer get all of the attention that an only child would get. This in no way means that anyone in this house thinks any less of you. In fact, you will be more important than ever now."

"Really?"

Alandra took over then, saying "Yes. You're to be a big sister to the two babies. Who else can do that? None of us can. We're all too old, so it's up to you. You'll soon see what their mothers do and how they expect their babies to be fed, washed and cared for. You're to learn all about that and to help out whenever you're near. That's what a big sister does. We're so very glad that you're a part of our family, Aimee. We need you now more than ever, and now the babies do too."

"I'll be their big sister. I can do that."

Gathering her into his arms, Ian said "We knew we could count on you Aimee. You're always so reliable and so good. We do love you so very much. We'll miss you while we're in Barcelona. But we're coming to Geneva this summer to join you."

A few more days passed, filled with happiness for the two new arrivals. Ian had been like a proud father when he had seen Louis and Celeste's gray-eyed baby girl. He wondered if the girl would grow up to have the same beautifully unique eyes as Cosette's. When he held her, he felt somehow that she had some indistinguishable quality, and looking into her eyes he was reminded of Cosette. He idly wondered if she would be gifted with prescience as Celeste had once been. The dark-haired dark-eyed little boy born to Mustafa and Liri evoked the same love and he felt a pang of regret at never being able to father children of his own during this time, so his joy at the arrival of the two children was tempered.

Soon it was time to depart for Barcelona. They said their goodbyes then and stayed at the Red Dolphin that evening. Having a nice visit with Lorn and Corinne, they told them all about the two new arrivals. They departed for Spain the next afternoon. It was a wonderful trip and the shipboard magic returned the very first night the two were in their cabin together. Alandra seemed to be even more passionate in her lovemaking if that was possible. She had a twinkle in her eyes as if she had a secret that she was bursting to tell him, but couldn't. He puzzled over the thing, but was so delighted and not to mention busy much of the night and sometimes at midday that he didn't concern himself about it. He hoped that whatever it was, it would never end.

They got to Barcelona House and caught up with Tom and Celita regarding all developments there. They shared the news about Celeste and Liridona having their babies born the same day. Celita was pregnant then and told them. She was not showing yet, but was very happy and eager as was Tom. They spent the afternoon with the two, leaving only an hour before dark.

Taking a carriage to their own house then, they visited the waterfall and took a long swim and bath. They made love there near the falls and Alandra quietly cried for joy afterward. She hadn't done that in a while and Ian puzzled at it but held her tenderly and stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Ian, I'm so very happy. You've made me the happiest woman alive. I thank God that you didn't leave that night, but came to see me. It pains me to think what my life would be had you not come back to me. I love you so."

"Alandra, if I hadn't come back, I don't know what my life today would be but empty. You love me as I am and I'll love you forever." She dozed off after that and he lay there, pillowing her head on his chest. The sounds of the waterfall and the afternoon sun poking a few golden fingers of light through the leafy canopy overhead worked together to make the place seem magical. He wanted to absorb the whole scene then and preserve it forever.

***

The thing was aware again of the new noises. They had returned after an indeterminate time of cycles of the sound of water trickling through its lair and periods of silence. The creature thought that the noises were louder or were nearer somehow. It pondered the thought of near as opposed to far and wondered where that concept had come from. It thought of louder as opposed to quieter and also wondered at the source of that thought, recalling that there had been similar noises before at some time which had gone away. The scurrying sound of insects had returned, but that was a normal sound to the thing. The occasional slippery, raspy sound of a passing serpent was also a sound that accompanied the scurrying sound. The thing didn't know what caused those sounds, but it did know that the two went together. As the new noise kept coming back at intervals, it began to realize that it might become a regular thing along with the scurrying and raspy sounds, although those never ceased once started, but when they quit, it seemed to be a good while before they returned. It didn't really comprehend day or night, or seasons, being that it merely existed. It was confidant in its lair and was not disturbed or afraid. It was as timeless as its surroundings and was at peace. Nonetheless it seemed that the clattering noises were changing somehow little by little. They were as random as ever, but were they nearer or just louder?

# Chapter 106

Ian and Alandra rocked along in their open top carriage. The azure Mediterranean sparkled in the morning sunlight. Ian had his sun glasses on and had brought a broad-brimmed hat for the day, having already gotten back into the proper dress habits for sunny Spain. They chatted about how good it was to be home and to see how well Barcelona House was doing. Celita had told her that Esmeralda, the oldest daughter of King Charles III had sent a personal thank you note about the recovery of her niece from the Wasting Disease. She and Ian were talking about it when they rolled up to the kitchen entrance of Barcelona House. Celita and Tom were excited to see them. There had been a late delivery yesterday after they had gone to their home. King Charles III himself had sent a proclamation of thanks to Barcelona House and its directors for the fine job they'd done in the miraculous healing of his grandniece. They decided to have it framed and to hang it in the front vestibule.

Tom had a question of where to put eight new beds and Alandra wanted to go see her parents. She had that mysterious twinkle in her eyes and told Ian to go and help Tom. He kissed her tenderly before she drove off, and even turned once to look at her as she drove out of sight. He remembered that several years ago that he was wearing a monk's robe standing in that very same place when he'd seen her turn and stare at him from her carriage. She must have remembered too because she stopped at the exact same spot and turned to wave and flash him a smile as he waved back at her.

Soon he was helping Tom move beds in the facility. Within a quarter of an hour, they'd just gotten the last one moved when Celita came running, crying. She couldn't be comforted but sobbed and took both of their hands and pulled on them to come with her. As they exited the building, Ian could see a knot of people standing some good distance off at an intersection. More were running to that place so the three of them hurried there.

Ian was anxious when he pushed through the crowd. A wagon load of cobblestone had lost control on the road intersecting the road from Barcelona House. It had crashed into a carriage and the stones had crushed the driver of that carriage. It was a terrible scene as a horse with a broken leg screamed in pain and thrashed on the ground wildly. Its mate was dead with a broken neck. The single horse pulling the destroyed carriage was threshing as it foamed at the mouth, moaning and making a terrible sound through the bloody froth. Its chest was punctured by a piece of the splintered tongue of the other wagon and blood poured from its mortal wounds. Suddenly Ian became sick to his stomach as he recognized the remains of the carriage. With unspeakable horror he realized that the hem of the dress of the driver who was buried under the tons of rock was Alandra's!

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

Everyone stopped talking at once as the one who'd cried out so loud sank to his knees and began to tear stone off of the woman beneath it at an unbelievable rate. The stones went flying willy-nilly in a blur as he tore his way down to her. Clearing away the last of them he saw the lifeless body of his beloved Alandra. Gently he picked her up and turned about and sat on the stone pile and wept unceasingly. He rocked her lifeless body back and forth and wept, and couldn't be comforted.

The crowd was silent at this display of grief. There was the sound of two horses screaming in agony, punctuated by two gunshots. Then there was only the sea breeze sighing through the ancient trees nearby, the hushed murmurs of the onlookers, and the distant sound of surf on the breakwater punctuated by the sound of a man weeping.

***

Near Geneva in the grand chalet house Celeste nursed her baby girl. She hadn't been in a hurry to name the child and had thought little of it as they had traveled there from the chateau in France. Liri was nursing her baby next to her at the same time. The two were chatting about various things that new mothers often talk about when Liri said "I wonder when Mustafa will return from Italy?"

Celeste said in a matter of fact way "He's already passed St Moritz, so it can't be more than seven days." Silence ensued then, and there was only the sound of the wind fluffing the curtains of the open window as Celeste's baby began to laugh. She looked in astonishment at her baby "Little one, do you know where Mustafa is?" Liri looked questioningly at her. "What did you just say?" Celeste suddenly looked wide-eyed at Liri and said "Liri, it has returned! My God! It has returned!"

"What has returned? And how can you possibly know where Mustafa is today."

"Liri, I used to know things before they would happen. It left me when I reached the age where I began to have my monthly cycle. Mustafa is well and will be here in seven days. She thought and what about you, my baby daughter. Do you know too? The baby gurgled and laughed as her tiny hands waved about. Celeste cried out "Everybody; come quickly! Come now!"

***

The thing was aware of the clattering again. It was louder for sure, and maybe it was closer too. It noticed a different sound that was very faint, being a new sound to the thing. As time passed it seemed that the clattering and the newest sound both were getting louder. The thing grew more than casually interested at this development. It was supremely confident of its security in its lair. It knew on some level that it was a supreme predator and had no need to fear any sounds no matter what they were. It didn't know how it knew that, but it knew that for certain. It had reached a different state than when it had first noticed the new sounds. It was a state of anticipation, but a relaxed one. It puzzled over that, but could come to no conclusion about where that had come from. It just knew.

The sounds got noticeably louder and there was even some movement around the lair. The thing actually felt its surroundings move once, and the other newer noise came and went but was louder by far now, no longer faint. The air in the lair was suddenly not quite so dank. The creature's anticipation was aroused. The noises were now clear and not muffled. The strange sounds were voices. The thing didn't know how it knew that, but it knew. There was definitely activity involving its lair and it had been aroused to a higher state of awareness. It was poised for the next level of intrusion, because it now regarded this as an intrusion into its lair. It might be threatened, so it was aroused to another plateau of awareness.

The sounds ceased then. An indeterminate amount of time passed then and the thing sensed that it was getting darker, but it couldn't see to know that. It just knew. The air had become drier. The thing didn't understand it, but it felt it. Finally there was only the occasional sound of skittering of insects, a normal sound of the lair. The lair was secure for now it knew. But for how long would it remain secure? The thing sank into a lower state of awareness, but not as low as usual.

***

The funeral for Alandra had concluded. Besides Ian, Tom, Celita and the Vasquez family, were all of the children at Barcelona House who could attend. There were over three hundred townspeople including the mayor and the three judges who presided in the Barcelona district as well as several Barristers.

She'd been laid to rest in the place reserved for the Vasquez family, which wasn't far from Philippe's grave. Ian had held his peace until the priest was finished. He waited until many had dispersed and only the family, Tom, Celita and a few closer friends were still there, along with some two dozen of the children from Barcelona House. Standing and turning to them all then he spoke.

"My Alandra was the most wonderful wife any man could ever want. I'm sure that her parents would say that she was a perfect daughter. Everyone in this city knows how she loved her work at Barcelona House and how she loved the children there. She accepted me as I am with my flaws and loved me truly anyway. I can't tell you how much that meant to me." Here he faltered a bit, getting control of himself as he continued.

"In the Bible, King David said when his son died that no more would his son come to him, but that one day he would go to his son. No more will Alandra come to me..." here he stopped to regain control of himself, and his faltering voice. "But God willing, one day I will go to her. May you rest in peace in the arms of the angels, my Alandra. May our Lord gather you to his bosom in His everlasting love."

He stood silent then, tears streaming from his eyes. Celita was red-eyed from weeping, as were the Vasquez family and numerous onlookers who had children that had been healed or taught at Barcelona House. All of the children present wept openly, having loved Alandra so greatly.

Ian turned and handed a package to Tom and Celita. "This grants you and Alandra's parents sole authority as co-directors of Barcelona House. It is funded by a trust that I've established in perpetuity. This facility is to be re-named Alandra Vasquez House forever. Turning to Alandra's parents, he wordlessly embraced them and Alandra's teenage brother. Then turning, he walked a few steps to a bench overlooking the grave and sank down, slumping and gazing with dull eyes upon her grave. The sounds of weeping mingled with the wind sighing sadly through the trees.

# Chapter 107

Young Marc Beaumont moved stealthily forward with a musket primed and loaded. Patiently he had waited for a chance to kill the predator that was eating his chickens. Mornings and evenings were his best chance. It was evening now and he thought that he had seen a hint of movement in a thicket near where there was a large pile of stones overgrown with vines down in a depression choked with brush and undergrowth. He carefully knelt and steadied the musket; aiming at the last place he'd seen movement. The light was getting bad, but he held out hope for a shot at the fox before it got dark.

Suddenly the fox was in the open, picking its way up the stone pile. He took his shot and hit it. It looked like a clean hit, but the fox staggered and scrabbled its way to a hole made by the random arrangement of the stones. The hole looked too small but the fox instinctively wriggled its way down into it and lay there as its life's blood was pumped from its dying body by its own heart.

He wanted to verify the kill, but the thought of climbing down into the hole and up the vine covered rock pile in the failing light wasn't appealing. In the gathering darkness, it would be easy to slip and be badly hurt. Satisfied, young Marc turned away and walked to his home as darkness closed in. He'd check the stone pile in the morning.

In its lair, the thing heard the loud report. It had come after the clattering and voices had ceased for a while. The thing was raised to another level of awareness by the loud report. It contemplated that and might have slipped down a level after a time of silence had not something happened next. Something warm ran across its features and entered its mouth. The thing raised its level of awareness several degrees at this new development. This was not just sound. This was touch!

Then something really strange happened that jarred the composure of the creature. It tasted whatever it was that had entered its mouth. It seemed to be spiraling slowly upwards through levels of awareness now as more and more of the warm slightly salty liquid entered its mouth. It attempted to swallow the gathering pool, and after much effort, it managed to swallow it as more trickled in.

It suddenly felt warmth surging throughout its body then. It pondered what warmth was. Had it ever known warmth? The upward spiral of ascending levels increased dramatically, like ascending a never-ending series of staircases level by level, but at an ever-increasing speed.

The warm liquid continued to trickle into its mouth and the thing continued to swallow it. As the upward spiral reached a dizzying rate now the thing swallowed rapidly, even before more had accumulated. It felt a surge of power extending to its members as a tingling warmth. It lapped greedily and its tongue snaked out repeatedly in order that it would get all of the precious liquid.

It exploded out of the never ending staircase upward into full consciousness then, opening its eyes to behold a dark sky filled with stars. It began to flex and move its muscles and felt their gathering power. Straightening and twisting alternately as each muscle group came to life, it heard the clattering sound again. It knew that it was making the sounds now by pushing rocks aside as it ascended from its lair into the pale moonlight. Clutching the lifeless body of the fox close it ripped its head off. Greedily it sucked the last drop of blood and then began to gnaw at the raw meat. It easily ripped the corpse open and devoured the blood-rich meat, including the intestines.

Power rippled through its body, and it felt its strength increasing. It looked at the sky and wondered at it with its strange tiny cold lights everywhere and one larger one shining so that the creature could easily make out its surroundings. Not knowing how hideous and disgusting it looked it turned its terrible gaze skyward. Hairless, the pallor of death colored its hide, stretched like mottled parchment over its gaunt frame. Talons which were gaunt and dirty only added to the repulsive look of it. Stinking of corruption and of the grave, nonetheless it didn't know or care. It was alive and it was hungry.

***

It had been seven days since her ability had returned to her. Along with the others, Celeste had greeted Mustafa as he had arrived that afternoon. As he kissed and cuddled his son, Mustafa listened with great interest as Liri related the story to him about Celeste predicting his arrival.

This was all new to Jennifer. Aimee and Andre had only heard stories of how Celeste used to be able to foresee a future event, or to know where a person was or what was happening to them. They'd all heard testimonies of her ability and how she'd known the minute that Cosette had perished in the fire and that Ian had been severely burnt.

Night had fallen and the family was outside on the front veranda, seated in full view of the majestic moonlight-bathed Swiss mountains. Thinking about how Alandra and Ian would be so surprised to hear of the miraculous return of Celeste's gift Sophia spoke to everyone. "Won't Alandra be surprised? She never knew Celeste when she had the gift. I can hardly wait to see the look on her face. Let's not tell her in any letters. It will be more fun that way!"

Celeste had been walking to and fro on the veranda, bouncing the baby and laughing with her. Hearing that, she brightened then and said "Oh that's a good idea, Sophia. Won't it be fun, Aimee? Can't you just see the surprised look in her big green eyes now?" She had a bit of a faraway dreamy happy look then as all of them happily agreed, some nodding their heads in unison.

Suddenly her face changed and her countenance fell as she began shaking her head just a little. A strangling sound escaped her suddenly constricted throat then. She quickly handed their baby to Louis as she reached blindly for a chair. As she fell into the chair, the baby began to cry. A sound then came up from her, a guttural moan, as of an animal in torment, as she shook her head more and more, even to where her hair was being violently whipped from side to side. Her doe eyes widened and opened to where the whites of them shone all around. Her baby cried louder and louder.

"NO, NO, NO, NO! My God, Noooooooo! It cannot be! No, dear God no! She moaned and slumped down in her chair then, sobbing uncontrollably. The others rushed to her. The baby kept crying in Louis' arms. They couldn't console her no matter what. Everyone present gathered around her on bended knee. Marie clutched her, already sensing the worst then, a stricken look upon her face as she sat next to her hugging and rocking her. The men stood around in shock, wide-eyed. Celeste sobbed for an indeterminate time as the others sat with her and some had begun to weep a bit with her, not yet knowing why. Her sorrow was so powerful that it seemed to be a physical force that gripped them all.

She raised her stricken tear-stained face to the others and said in a trembling voice "Alandra has died! She is dead! Oh my God! She is dead! Oh my God! Poor Ian! Oh, poor Ian! Alandra is dead!" The sounds of weeping then increased dramatically as others joined Celeste in venting their grief. It didn't stop, but gathered strength and seemed to take on a life of its own, as if the mass grief present was a living thing.

The grandfather clock in the grand foyer chimed the hour as a cuckoo clock in the kitchen sounded off. It was as if neither clock cared that grief had descended on this loving family like a merciless predator.

# Chapter 108

Ian ran through the Great Pyrenees Mountains like a flash, tirelessly consuming the miles like they were nothing. It seemed to help somewhat. He couldn't bear the thought of traveling in a coach trapped with his grief. At least this way, he had an outlet and even though much of his movement was instinctive, still it required some effort and mental acuity to perform. He desperately needed that diversion just to cope with the empty ache inside him, dreading being still, alone and quiet with his grief. To sit still for even a moment now was a thought that was unbearable to him. The constant running and leaping and dodging over and around the endless obstacles in the wild terrain blessedly occupied at least a portion of his faculties.

As he rocketed along he reviewed what he'd done before departing from Barcelona. He had drafted a letter to Roberto telling him of Alandra's death and of his near term plans. That one he'd sent to Roberto by bank courier. He'd also drafted a brief letter to Ricardo and Alicia in Lisbon. In both letters he had said that likely Mustafa would be their future contact with Banque de Lafayette. He'd been careful to use Mustafa's alias Maurice Garnier. Those two he had sent by two separate couriers.

He had drafted a letter to his family in Geneva, and thought again of the words he'd chosen.

My dear family,

I take pen in hand this day in great sorrow. I regret to tell you that my Alandra is dead, having died in a runaway carriage accident. She is buried at Barcelona in her family plot, not far from Philippe's grave.

I have signed over complete control of Barcelona House to Tom and Celita. I renamed it Alandra Vasquez House. I have given our home there to Tom and Celita and have left our belongings there. Mustafa (as Maurice) is the representative named for our banking business in Spain and Portugal. I have sent letters to those two banks confirming that.

By the time you read this, I will have departed from Paris to London. From there I will see my family and then go to America. I might just as well take this time of sorrow and turn it to some use for our family and take care of our banking venture. I will communicate via our code through our bank network.

All of my love forever,

Ian

He had written a special letter to Aimee too, and he reviewed it in his mind as he rocketed through the wilderness heading north.

Dear Aimee,

Our Alandra is dead. She died in a carriage accident. The last time she spoke of you; it was with all of the love that I know you remember. She has passed from our world to the realm of the angels and now rests in God's bosom, surrounded by his eternal love. She lovingly awaits us when our journey on this earth is done.

I am going to America to take care of our banking business. I know that you wanted to come along, but with no one to stay with you while I do this work, that cannot be. I don't know how long this thing will take, but you and I will see America together one day.

Please continue to be as wonderful and helpful as you always are, sweetheart.

With all of my love to you,

Ian.

He bounded high, soaring over a deep craggy canyon made somehow to look even deeper and more forbidding in the silvery moonlight. Landing in full stride on the far side of it he vanished from view, running faster than the wind itself.

***

The thing tested the air with its sense of smell and attuned itself to the sounds of the night surrounding it. It let its consciousness expand and trusted its instincts completely, surrendering to them. Beginning a quest for food it eventually turned to investigate a sound. The sound came from an area where there was some kind of dim light. A dog barked. The thing considered the wind and instinctively circled until the wind was in its face before creeping toward that source of light. The dog remained silent. As it crept forward, it became aware of several intriguing scents mixed on the cool night air. It couldn't identify them, but it realized that somehow it knew what they all were.

As it stealthily closed the gap it began to get separate whiffs of things that were tantalizing. It realized that it could feed here and be sated. The sounds that had been puzzling when they had started to accompany the clattering while it was in its lair were far clearer now and closer too. It heard the sounds of livestock farther away in areas closer to the woodlands that the creature saw surrounding the site. Knowing where the livestock was meant that it could feed. It didn't know how it knew that, but it knew.

Stealthily it crept toward the other sounds, and approached an opening in a structure that had a warm yellowish glow of light coming from it. As it crept soundlessly to the opening, it heard a voice clearly then. Was it the first time it had heard a voice? It strained its faculties to determine that and remembered that yes, it had heard voices before it exited its lair.

It peered into the opening and saw a young woman holding a tiny creature to her breast and the sound coming from her had a musical quality in it. She was wearing a bright red shawl. The creature pondered the sound, wondering at it, listening raptly as the sound continued. The young woman was making a curious repetitive movement. She was rocking to and fro as she emitted the strange sound. The creature wondered at that. The sound soothed the creature. It puzzled over that and wondered at how it knew what a soothing sound was. It knew that the object that the young woman held was an object of great interest to her and was an object of great affection. The thing wondered how it knew that.

The object then made a cooing sound. That sound struck a chord in the beast. How could that be? The young woman's face suddenly changed to a radiant smile. The creature wondered at that. It dawned on it that the young woman was smiling. The thing questioned that revelation. What is a smile, and how do I know one when I see it? Here was a mystery. The gnawing pang of hunger disrupted the thing's reverie, demanding to be satisfied. The creature forced it to subside by force of will. There was something to be learned here. The predator focused intently on the scene.

The young woman's attention was focused only on the object. How did the thing know that this was a young woman? It became hungrier as it watched, the hunger now gnawing at its innards if it was a living thing, and propelling it to action. Yet it restrained itself to see what would happen next.

The young woman arose from the chair she had been in and lovingly pressed her face to the object as she gently put it down in a box and covered it. It grunted and made a cooing sound as she pressed her face to it again. The thing wondered at that. It longed now to press its hideous face to the helpless object because it had caught its scent. It could feed here in safety, and there was plenty of what it desired more than anything now. The helpless object had the liquid that the creature craved and which now motivated it to spring through the opening, yet it held its peace in spite of the gnawing hunger. That hunger was changing from being less than an easily controlled feeling and more of an undeniable primal motivating force.

The young woman quietly left the little object in the box and walked from the room, doing something that made the yellow light go away. There was nothing now to stop the creature from feeding on the object. The awful driving hunger rose then like it had a life of its own and began to take control of the creature to where it could feel its ability to reason slipping away. It arose from its position of comfort to one of dreadful and deadly readiness. There was no sound to betray its awful presence. Crickets sang their timeless song as the creature positioned itself to pounce. Its hunger screamed at it to feed now! It was as if a strong gale was blowing out the candle of reason in its mind, leaving only the darkness of primal instinct. It tensed itself to spring.

# Chapter 109

Ian arrived on the outskirts of Paris in mid-morning, quickly donning his boots and walking until he came to Champs Elysees. As he turned to proceed along that avenue, he looked like any ordinary seaman taking a stroll with his rucksack on his back. He went to the hotel where the Lafayette's still had a suite of rooms. After signing in, he declined to summon the staff, but did order hot water for a bath in the suite and relaxed in it. While there, he remembered the time he and Alandra had shared that tub. Sadly he got out of the tub and dressed in clothing more suitable for a senior bank officer. Some of his personal wardrobe was here, as was everyone's in the family. Before too long, they would all be transferred to the suite of rooms in the other hotel reserved for the Laforges.

He sent for the newspapers of the last few days and when they came he occupied himself with reading them; hoping to get any hint of any change in the political winds between France and Britain, or any news of happenings in America. There was mention of a tragic event in Boston which the newspaper referred to as the "Boston Massacre." Ian read the account with more than a little interest.

After a while, he put on his coat and went to the Banque de Lafayette and posted his two letters to the family in Geneva for the next courier. He saw no need to make a special dispatch for the two letters. It was enough to pass the bad news along, let alone to pass it along as an urgent dispatch. He thought that he might go to Edinburg before going to London. Then as he contemplated the long Atlantic crossing, he decided that Robert Milliken would need advance notice to see to passage being booked and preparations made for his special needs. It would be best to go first to London and then on to Edinburg to see his family. By the time he got back to London, such necessities would have been made ready.

He hoped to have his private cabin fitted with a well-concealed hatch that would give him access to the hold at any time. He figured to be able to access a small herd of goats or perhaps rabbits there for his nourishment. This access hatch would be undetectable to the crew unless a thorough search was made. He thought of Thomas and decided to ask him if he'd accept the job to make the modification. He thought less chance of it ever being talked about over a pint of ale that way. He'd be well paid and would then return to France. Ian liked the idea and resolved to ask Thomas while in Paris.

He would also bring a microscope and would make a show of studying the blood of the animals while at sea. It could be bought in London or maybe while in Paris, along with a suitable ledger for all of his fake scientific entries. He would try to find a textbook on the subject too, even as he thought it must be in English though as the crew of the ship I am on will be British.

He would walk to Caryn's place and say hello. It would be something to do before he talked with the concierge later in the day, and it would be better than being alone with his thoughts. As he walked, he thought that he might need Robert's connections to buy a microscope after all. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. Even as he walked and pondered this minor problem, he realized on another level that he was really only trying to occupy his mind to keep darker thoughts away.

At Caryn's place of business, she was in her office and came out immediately when the receptionist gave his name to her.

"Ian, what a pleasant surprise! Are you staying in Paris for long?"

"No, Caryn. I'm going on to London in another day or two."

"Oh?"

"Banking business. You did hear that Celeste had her baby?

"Yes, but I don't know more than that it's a girl."

"That's all that I know too, except that she's beautiful and she has Cosette's eyes. And Liri had her baby too, a boy, born the same day."

"My word!"

"May I speak to Thomas while I'm here?"

"Yes." She picked up a servant's summoning bell and rang it. A young lady came immediately. Caryn asked her to bring Thomas to the office, and then said "Will you and Alandra at least please come have supper at my home then this evening?"

He hesitated and looked down. Then he fastened his eyes on hers and said "Caryn, Alandra is dead. She died in an accident involving a runaway carriage in Barcelona."

Caryn put a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening. Ian heard the sounds of the busy sewing and fitting rooms filtering in to her office.

"Oh, Ian! I am so sorry! Please forgive me." She came to him then and put her arms around his waist as he put his around her shoulders. As they embraced he said "Now Caryn, don't fret over it. You didn't know. In fact none of the others know yet either. I posted letters to them today."

She stepped back then and looked at him. "Then you'll not be joining them?"

"No. I'm going to London on business and then to Scotland to tell my family there."

"I see. Will you return through Paris then?"

"No. I'm going to America."

She looked shocked. "America?"

"Yes. We're starting a bank over there and I'm the one laying the groundwork for that."

"Oh. I see. Ian should you really be that far from home alone at a time like this?"

"It may be that would be just what I need. It will keep my mind busy, and right now, that helps me. I've always wanted to go to see it anyway."

"When will you return?"

'I want to return when everything is done and the bank is running smoothly. I'll be taking some help along for that. But I really can't say for certain when I can return. You know that things are volatile over there right now with hard feelings between the colonists and the British Crown."

'No, I didn't know. Will you please dine with me this evening anyway?"

About then, Thomas came in to the room, and seeing Ian his face split into a broad smile. "Ian McCloud! By Heaven it's good to see you, Ian. What brings you to Paris today?"

"I have work for you. I would consider it a favor if you came to London with me for a short time. I have two day's work and will pay you well and you should be back here in three weeks."

Thomas looked at Caryn then, and then looked at Ian and said "I'll do it, Ian. How is Jennifer?"

"She's very well, and I suspect that she's quite interested in our young man, Andre." Turning to Caryn he said "Caryn, why don't you come with Tom and see London. Surely you must have a qualified person to leave in charge here. When have you last gotten away from this place?"

She started to shake her head no, then she looked at Thomas and smiling, she said "You know, that may be possible, and I can't recall the last time I was able to get away from this place. Can we talk about it at supper tonight then, at my home?"

He looked out over the sewing room briefly, and then said "Yes."

"Seven o'clock then?"

"Yes. I'll see you then Caryn, and thank you for asking." he said as he shook hands with Thomas and walked out of her office. As he was passing through the front office and vestibule, he nearly ran into a young lady wearing sunglasses. "Pardon Mademoiselle."

"Ian? Oh, Ian, it is you! Oh how good to see you!"

"Alyssa. You nearly slipped past me." She immediately came to him and they hugged. While he held her, the familiar scent of her hair triggered a flood of warm memories of times past. Unknown to him, Alyssa was experiencing the same things.

"It's good to see you, Alyssa."

"Likewise. I had no idea you were in Paris."

"Banking business." The two separated then, looking into each other's eyes.

"Will you be here long then?"

"Not really. I'm dining with Caryn this evening and may be off to London in a day or two."

"Oh." The disappointment was evident in her voice.

"I'm going to be at Caryn's tonight for dinner at seven o'clock. I would be free after that, or you might ask Caryn if you could drop by while I'm there."

She seemed to be undecided and then she said "I'll try to make it, Ian."

"Good. How are things then?"

"We're doing well, and Damien and his father are opening a new facility to make our clothing."

"That's exciting news. You heard that Liri and Celeste both had babies then?"

"Yes. Caryn told me that Celeste had a girl."

"Yes, and Liri had a boy."

"I didn't know that. How is Alandra?"

He looked away, out toward the street, and then he said "She couldn't come with me."

There was a long pause then. "I see. You'll tell her I said hello then?"

He nodded and looked at her, and then said "You're a wonderful friend. I must go now. Good bye, Alyssa." He stepped to her then and took her in his arms. Her heart beat faster as this simple gesture again brought back a flood of wonderful memories she had of this man, and of the love she had for him still. As always, she felt warm and safe in his arms. He placed his hands on each side of her face and kissed her forehead. "I'm truly glad that I got to see you Alyssa. Good bye for now." Turning away he put on his hat and walked out of the door.

Alyssa continued inside, looking back once toward the closing door as Ian exited the place. She saw Caryn talking to Thomas about something obviously very serious then and approached them, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"I just ran into Ian on my way in. He seemed to be distracted or something."

"Distracted is not what you saw, Alyssa. Alandra is dead, and he is trying his best to cope with that."

Alyssa dropped her package and stepped back, becoming pale, her mouth open and her pretty eyes widening. "Oh no! Oh no! What a horrible thing!" Her voice quavering she continued "She was such a lovely person, and so young! How can he bear it? This is too cruel! First Cosette and now Alandra! I feel so bad for him!" Tears formed at the corners of her eyes and began to course down her cheeks. Caryn and Thomas were moved at her sorrow on behalf of Ian, and both came to comfort her. She wept unashamedly then. The sounds of her grief mingled with the sounds filtering into the room from the busy sewing and fitting floor.

# Chapter 110

Young Marc Beaumont awakened and saw that it was not yet sunrise. He thought of the things that he wanted to do today. He would be hauling stones. There was an enclosure for their chickens to be started also

His wife next to him stirred and opened her eyes, smiling sleepily. He pulled her to him then and she pillowed her head on his chest. They murmured then about mundane things then as a husband and wife will often do upon awakening. He absently stroked her hair from time to time as she talked about what she would do in their garden that day. She rubbed one hand across his chest absently as she talked and he chuckled at her, saying "Behave now cheri or you can never tell what ideas I might get."

She stretched luxuriously and then looked up at him impishly saying "Mmmm. Why don't you show me?"

"We'll have to be quiet lest little Simone be awakened." he cautioned. Then he continued "In case you forgot, this is the sort of thing that happened before she arrived."

"Mmmm." Chuckling then, she said "Would it be so bad if she had a little brother then? She slept all night. Let's leave well enough alone, cheri, and start our day the best way that we know how."

They made love then, in a sleepy and unhurried way.

Later, her red shawl across her shoulders, she approached the door and opened it. Her husband then heard the most awful screaming and ran to her as fast as he could. She stood with both hands pressed to her cheeks, moaning, leaning on the door frame. He shouldered past her to look upon a scene of absolute carnage.

There were seven chickens with their heads missing, ripped open, scattered about with feathers everywhere. The remaining eight sat huddled in one corner of the coop, clucking rapidly and nervously, afraid to come down from their perch.

Both of them heard little Simone crying to be fed. She had finally awakened. In a minute the young mother was cooing and nursing her baby in her rocking chair, as her husband disposed of the grisly remains of their slaughtered chickens by feeding them to their pigs.

***

Miles to the south, the creature ran at a frighteningly swift pace through the dense, lush forestlands of the Rhone Valley. It knew where it was going. It knew where it was supposed to be. It had a purpose, and that purpose was not related to fulfilling its hunger or survival. As it ran powerfully it felt its strength returning. Its hair had returned to its former length. Exulting in its power, it reveled in being so familiar to it. It was going home. Southward it ran, ever southward, toward its home.

***

Ian stood near the bow of the packet ship bound for Dover, savoring the cool Atlantic air and its salt smell. The sounds of the waves against the hull of the ship, the creaking of its spars and fittings, and the wind singing in the rigging were a soothing balm to his troubled and sorrowful spirit. He thought then of the many times he had enjoyed being at sea with a woman whom he had loved.

And now as he thought along those lines, his thoughts turned to those loved ones in Geneva. How fortunate and blessed he had been to have his life saved by Cosette, and to be taken in like a son by Henri and Marie. The growth of the family since then had been a source of unending pleasure for him. He truly loved every one of them as he did his human family. No matter what America had to offer, he would return to his family. For the first time since Alandra's death, he truly missed them with a palpable ache. But he resolved to make the best of this opportunity for their sakes as well as his own.

He knew that in the end, his family in Geneva would move to America and that he would help to make that move far easier for them by what he'd do in the New World. Being alone now, he was the logical one to blaze a trail for the others in a manner of speaking. He had thought it through many times since Alandra's death, and it always came down to him going to America alone. There was no way that Marie and Henri could spare anyone to be gone for who knew how long. Mustafa, Li, Louis, and Andre were there to take over what he had done before, and with the generational move coming, Henri and Marie could have a need for all of them. This was best for them, and he truly believed it was best for him too. He supposed that the anticipation of a long-term separation from his two families was making him have second thoughts.

Thomas and Caryn joined him at the bow. She had a blanket wrapped about her shoulders and stood very close to both men, between them. Thomas had both arms around her and she leaned her head back on his chest. Ian was pleased, and he felt the ache receding.

"You two are very good for each other. You're both making me happy on a day that I didn't think I could feel that way. Thank you for coming."

Caryn said "It's me who should be thanking you, Ian. I know that you were at the core of finding Celeste when she was taken. I know that I'd never have enjoyed seeing her grow up to be the wonderful person that she is if not for you and the Lafayettes. Not to mention that I'd just be working on another job this day had you not asked Thomas to come with you. Don't think badly of her, but Alyssa has told me that you saved her life too. Ian, she was so hurt to hear of your loss. I've seldom seen grief like that. I wonder if you know how much she thinks of you."

"Alyssa is a fine person and a fine friend. I think the world of her. No one deserves happiness more than she does. I didn't want to burden her with the thing."

Thomas said "Jennifer is alive and well today in a large part because of you. And partly because of you I met Caryn. Thank you again, Ian." He gently turned her head to face him and kissed her tenderly.

"You two are letting my sad eyes see happiness. They've seen too much sadness, so thank you both again." After a silence of several minutes, Caryn said "Come with us to take some hot tea, Ian." The two left him then and made their way back to the aft deck and the entrance to the cabins.

Dover was clearly in view now and his reverie was reluctantly taken to remembrance of the times he had seen those cliffs and showed them for the first time to a woman whom he loved. Little Aimee's first innocent reaction to them impinged on his memories. It was bittersweet, but in the end, it became painful. He now found himself wishing to be off to London as quickly as he could change ships in Dover. He would force himself to not hurry Thomas or Caryn though. Why should their trip to Britain be marred by his pain?

Unbidden, a thought that he had suppressed crept to the forefront of his mind. What if he'd never married Alandra? What if he'd never even gone to Spain? Wouldn't she be alive this day? She wouldn't have been at that intersection on that day for sure. Alyssa loved me and if she'd wanted to be brought over, likely I'd never have sought out Alandra. In time I would likely have asked Alyssa to marry me. From deep in his inner being came a warning this way lies madness! Turn your thoughts elsewhere lest you lose your mind!

He resolved to not stay at the estate in London or at the summer estate. Too many ghosts from happier times awaited him there. The impersonal neutrality of a rented room was a welcome thing for once. He dreaded telling his family in Edinburg what had happened, but knew that he should say his good byes to them before going to America being that he was here in Britain anyway. Could he even bear to stay in the same room that he had shared with both Cosette and Alandra? He ached to see both of his families and at the same time he longed to be at sea in the Atlantic heading to the New World, to places that he'd never before seen.

Grief is a strange and dreaded companion...a dark and sorrowful traveler accompanying me now wherever I go.

# Chapter 111

The Chief Minister of King's Gendarmerie of all of France contemplated the sealed and confidential letter he'd just received. It had the now-familiar symbol of the Lefevre crest on it. Although it was most carefully worded, it confirmed that his retirement would be allowed. But that was only if Claude Rousseau was named to be chief of King's Gendarmerie for all of France. He knew that the money promised was in the account at the Banque de Fellman in Lausanne and had even withdrawn some money from it recently. His retirement would be next year, and he would count himself one lucky man to have been recruited by the Lefevres. He couldn't help but wonder if there were other senior ministers like him who were at retirement age now and naming a younger successor. Looking back at how far he had come with their help and his wonderful family and their security, he was content to let that remain a mystery.

He summoned Rousseau to his office and told him that he intended to retire, but would not do so until Rousseau had been named and confirmed as his successor. Claude was surprised at the timing, and couldn't wait to tell his wife the good news. He knew that the Laforges were behind this move and was grateful. His account at Banque de Fellman had grown steadily as promised. His future was assured and he was thankful that the Laforges had picked him that day some years ago in Marseille. He wondered if any other middle-aged assistant ministers were being promoted. Little did he know that eight others near to his age would be promoted to chief of their administrative posts within the next seven years.

***

Ian sat across from Robert in his study at his home in London. Robert had a sad and worried look on his face. Ian hadn't ever seen him that way before excepting when Aimee had been kidnapped. "Ian, I'm so sorry to hear of this tragedy. Margaret is going to be devastated. Both of us thought the world of Alandra. She has been after me to take time away from the bank to take her to Marseille and visit all of you. We were going to do that when I had to attend our next court in Liechtenstein. After seeing your family and being with them, we both want to see more of our friends. We've been in an isolated rut too long. I'm surprised that you came here now instead of going to be with the others of your family."

"I'm the only one now unattached. It seems that Andre and Jennifer are becoming quite fond of each other. It's the best solution for our family, and it'll help take my mind off of what has happened. Besides that, I've always wanted to see America. I'd like to have a suitable Adept assigned to help me with this endeavor. He should be one who would be able to watch over the bank when we get it running. One of us can return here if the other is there. As you and Henri discussed, we eventually would want two more to help us."

"I have one in mind. You met him at that raid on the coven. I will approach him today or tomorrow about it.

"They were all good men. What is his best blood-fast span?"

"Four days I think."

"Good. We are going to be out to sea for a good while, so I want to be sure of that. Be sure to tell him we may be rationing ourselves somewhat. I want no misunderstanding about that."

"I will. He works as an officer in this bank and knows the business. You'll benefit from his talent as he is especially good at grasping and understanding commodities and market trends. He is an adventurous sort, and he really looks up to you. You'll like him."

"I'm sure that whoever you choose will be up to the task."

"It would be a shaky thing to me to be the only one of our kind over there, that far away from everything I know."

"I look forward to it, Robert. It will help me not to dwell on my misfortune. I'd like to go to Scotland to see my family and say my goodbyes. They don't know about Alandra's death yet. Can you meet the special needs for my ship? I brought Thomas with me. He can do the work while I'm gone, and he'll keep quiet about it. Best that no one else knows of it."

"Yes, yes. It's a good idea not to use local labor. I'll have him do the work. I have just the ship. It is coming out of dry dock now and will be ready when you return. She is a three-mast galleon of four hundred and fifty tons. We want to get her working and she's built for trade with the colonies. We have a cargo for her already. That can be modified for accommodating a herd of goats too."

"Good. How big of a commitment do you think we should make?"

"Well, don't you think that we should only start a very small bank and be limited in what and who we loan to? The situation there is uncertain, so Henri and I hesitate to risk a large startup."

"I agree. With another Adept there to help me, we have better odds of getting our funds to where they can't be confiscated if it comes to that. We'll be watchful for that possibility."

"Confiscation? Really?"

"It's turning into a war over there. Who knows what might happen? The crown does want financial stability there as of now, in spite of their stupid trade policies and taxes. Should there be a war and the crown feels like it is losing, they might well want to destabilize the economy of the colonies. That is something we have to consider. We'll need several more Adepts if that happens. Who could spot counterfeit money better than one of us?"

"Could that happen...the Crown lose control of the colonies? Surely not!"

"Ask me that in six months. By your leave, I'll be on my way to Scotland."

"Yes. Send Thomas to me and we'll handle everything."

"Can you get me a microscope?"

"I have a friend at Oxford who can do that. I'll have it and that herd of what, twelve goats for you when you return? Why do you need it?"

Ian said with a smile "Why Robert, didn't you know that I study blood samples as a special favor for a friend at the London Royal Academy of Science? I keep a detailed journal about the makeup of blood in animals confined at sea?"

"Oho! That is a good one indeed. No wonder Henri picked you!"

"Please get me a list of shippers who can bring correspondence to you. I want to keep changing the ones we use to help avoid any foul play by agents of the crown if things turn sour for them over there. It would be wise to keep our communications private in any event to keep our competitors in the dark too. I may even send duplicate messages if it is something vital to insure that you stay informed. I rely on you to keep Henri informed."

"Easily done. Henri will be kept up to date on everything. There are fourteen shippers who I backed to start up over there. They will all be happy to help us this way. That is a good idea too, and I'll furnish you with a list of their names and their usual ports of call."

The two stood up then, smiled, shook hands and embraced each other. Ian said "Tell Margaret that I said hello. Be seeing you soon." He turned and walked out of the door.

# Chapter 112

The creature saw familiar landmarks as it ran. After feeding from a rabbit that it caught effortlessly, it continued southward and followed the river more frequently. It turned eastward then for miles, avoiding a large city that looked familiar. It could see the blue Mediterranean Sea in the distance to the south from some of the hilltops as it crossed them. As it came to a road that it knew its anxiety increased with that knowledge. Memories were returning bit by bit as it ran. They were like pieces of a puzzle. It hungered for them to all return, but they returned bit by bit steadily, as a mosaic image being assembled tile by tile.

It came to a driveway and turned in, more than ever certain that this was the place as it ran the distance to a large home. Slowing to a walk then it circled the place warily. What if this was the wrong place? It sat in the shade of a large tree then, contemplating the layout of the place. Some things looked different. It suddenly had another piece of its memory fall into place and rocketed away to the east for a mile and stopped, looking at a smaller house of gray stone with a slate roof. Circling this place warily, it crept to a window and peeked in. Soon it was apparent that the place was empty. The thing looked through all of the windows and began to feel as empty as the house was. That was a new feeling and the thing wondered at it, not liking it at all.

It ran back to the other larger place and this time ran to the bushes all around the back yard that grew in abundance. It stripped foliage and ate it, not knowing why but knowing that it should do so. Then it ran up to the back door of the house and peered in. Circling the place it saw no sign of life. It could see covered furnishing inside, so it knew that it was like the other smaller one, empty, but not abandoned. How did it know that? It struggled to grasp that concept, but it felt so very much alone. Not having felt that way the whole time it had been running to get here, it hit the creature hard. Trying windows it soon had found one on the second floor that was unlocked. It entered silently and glided to the stairs, peering down. Before it ever went down the stairs, it knew that it was alone in the large house.

In the parlor, it saw several love seats and sofas and easy chairs arranged around a huge fireplace. Every piece was covered with a dust cloth. There was nothing not covered that way in the whole house. It saw a covered Harpsichord there and it knew what it was. Ripping the cover off it touched the keyboard. The sound coming from it amplified the sense of isolation, of being utterly alone. It pondered that because it had never remembered feeling like that or even caring about that. The sense of isolation grew in the silence of the place. It did not like this sensation.

It went from room to room and peered at everything it saw, carefully as if looking for something. Passing a full-length mirror it stopped and peered at itself for a long time. As it looked at its image it began to remember a bit more. It decided to go and feed. Even though it was getting dark it knew that it could feed easily. That part of it was functioning perfectly. It was the other part that it sensed that was not functioning yet. It saw no injury on the reflected image as it contemplated the stolen kitchen knife and bowl tied up in a rag that it had taken when it had killed the chickens. How did it know to take the knife and the bowl? It knew how to use them. How did it know to take the clothing it now was wearing? There was so much it wanted to know then, but the pieces just kept coming along at a measurable pace.

It went outside, leaping easily from the second story window and landing lightly on the ground. It walked to a building in the back that was a small two story house. The door wasn't locked so it went in. Something had happened here and it was something good. It remembered now that other things that were good had happened inside of the big house and at the other smaller gray stone house too. It would stay here and wait for the pieces to all come back. There were answers here, and it meant to have them.

It stood and listened as a nightingale sang. An owl answered and the creature hunted, soon making a kill nearby in the woods. It rinsed its mouth with water that was in the watering trough and again stripped foliage from the bushes, but ate only the blossoms this time. It didn't know why, but it knew that it should do that. Later it went back into the big house. It settled itself on one of the sofas and waited. It knew that more answers would come. It was nothing if not patient.

***

Ian stood on a hilltop overlooking the yet distant city of Edinburg. He had actually enjoyed the running, coming here afoot. As he began to travel the last short distance to his Aunt and Uncle's home, he went over the words he would use.

He stood at the door and knocked before opening, as always. Aunt Mary saw him and shouted for everyone to come quickly. He embraced and kissed everyone then. His mother noticed that he had on rough clothing, not his usual travel attire. As he embraced her, she knew that there was something wrong with this visit. She knew her son and his ways. For the first time, Stu was not being tossed up on Ian's shoulder and carried about. That was another indicator to her knowing eyes. After he had hugged Angus, Mary, and Stu, Elsie said "Ian, you might just as well tell us what's wrong. Come in here with us now." She led the group to the parlor than and all sat down expectantly, looking at him questioningly."

"Alandra is dead." There were several gasps, and both Mary and Elsie began to cry and to shake their heads. Angus rose up and came over to kneel before Ian, reaching his arms around him to embrace him. "Ah, Ian. Such sad news." he said in a voice husky with emotion. "Can you tell us now what happened?"

"She was killed by a runaway cart in Barcelona. I traveled afoot and came here through London. It's been some two weeks now."

Through her tears Elsie said "Oh son, this is terrible news! You've not yet been to see the others?"

"No. They're in Geneva. I sent a letter to them from Paris."

By now, Elsie sat on one side of him as Angus sat on the other on the large sofa. They both held him. Ian wept then leaning forward, his head in his hands. Elsie still wept openly as did Aunt Mary. Angus began to weep as well. Stu was silent in wide-eyed shock. Elsie said in a husky voice "Son, you stay here as long as you like."

"I thought that I was done with weeping. I wonder if I'll ever be done with it now. I'll only be here a few days, Mother. I'm sailing for America soon. My ship is being made ready."

"America Ian?" The others expressed surprise too.

"Yes. We've long wanted to start a bank over there. Everyone in my family is married or paired to be married but me. I need the distraction and I've always wanted to go there. It's the right time for me."

They all knew which family he referred to. There was silence then, and Ian became aware of the wind playing about the windows and gables of the McCloud home.

He continued "I should tell you that we plan to leave Europe someday. Our plan now is that we'll eventually all move to America. Europe is headed for more warfare in our opinion. Our aim is to be gone before that happens. We think that will be years away though. I plan to return when the banks are established. Others will be sent to operate them."

"What about Aimee, Ian?"

"I thought of that, and I know that she'd love to go. But she's far better off with the others. I have little idea what awaits me there. It wouldn't be fair to her."

"But son, you'll be alone over there."

"No mother. I'm taking one like me to help. I've met him, and I think that you would all like him. He's my age, and is very reliable." He didn't add that he would have gone alone otherwise. The visit was warm and loving, but bittersweet at the same time.

***

On the day of his departure, there was an air of sadness over the house. He came to them one by one hugging and kissing each of them. Elsie wept softly as they embraced, which caused Ian to weep as well. With a final goodbye, he shrugged his rucksack on and departed into the gathering dusk. Soon he was running south through the Southern Highlands towards England. There was no moon, but he needed no moon to guide his journey or light his path. There were only the sentinel stars in a black sky and a lone dark figure running faster than the wind.

# Chapter 113

Marie stood idly by a window in their home in Geneva, watching Celeste and Louis walking together. Louis was carrying their daughter. They were talking and smiling a bit as they walked toward the house. Marie was glad to see anything resembling happiness after the devastating news. There had been an air of sadness and depression at the chalet since the news of Alandra's death. She wondered where Ian was now and had expected him to come or at least to send a letter.

As they neared the veranda Louis said "So you've decided on a name for our girl then?"

"Yes. I want to call her Cosette."

Louis smiled then, and said "You know, she has Cosette's eyes." Celeste smiled dreamily, a pleasant look on her face. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. Her big doe-eyes went wide as her hands flew to her cheeks. Her mouth formed an 'O' as she gasped. She began to jump up and down with a big smile on her face, and began to laugh. 'Oh Louis come quickly, come quickly now! Hurry Louis!" she said as she began to run toward the chalet. "Hurry, hurry!" Their baby began to laugh too.

Marie peered intently at her as she ran toward the house. "Henri, come here!" she called. "I've not seen Celeste do this since she was a young girl! What has happened to cause this?" The two ran to meet Celeste, calling out "Everybody, come here now! Come here now! Hurry" as they both ran toward the foyer.

She came breathlessly into the oversized foyer, bursting through the door and laughing. "Oh everyone come here! Come here!" She could not contain herself then and threw her hands to her cheeks again and jumped up and down, laughing and saying "Oh this is wonderful! This is wonderful! Come here now everybody, hurry now, hurry now!" and she continued to jump and laugh while holding her hands to her cheeks as everybody gathered about her.

"Cosette is alive! Praise God, Cosette is alive! Oh my God she is alive, and she's at the chateau now! She's there waiting for us!"

***

Robert Milliken stood in the study of his home and said "Ian, I think you remember James Barrows. James, I know that you remember Ian McCloud."

James said as he stepped forward extending his right hand "Oh sir, indeed I do! I'm pleased to see you again sir."

Ian smiled broadly at James then and said as he grasped his hand "I'm pleased to see you again as well James, and to you I'm Ian." He sized up the young man then. James looked to be twenty years old, was about five foot ten inches tall and weighed around one hundred seventy pounds. He was fit, athletic looking with regular features, had curly sandy-colored hair, blue eyes and a ready smile. Ian remembered liking him the first time he'd met him.

"I'm really looking forward to this, Ian. I've wanted to see America from the time I first heard of it."

"So have I. We should make a good pair then, shouldn't we? How long has it been since you crossed over?"

"Eleven years sir, er, Ian. Mr. Milliken brought me over when I had a bad case of pneumonia. I would've died but for him."

"You've been a vampire longer than I have by a few years. Perhaps I can learn from you?"

"Oh no, sir...Ian. No one even knows anyone who has done the things you've done. I'm hoping to learn from you."

"We'll learn from each other then, James. Let's go and see our ship. I'm anxious to see how well Thomas made our modification. Who knows but that we might be the first two of our kind to go to America?"

***

Henri, Marie, Li, and Sophia ran at a ground eating pace through the foothills of the Alps and crossed into France, heading west. They would soon swing south and follow the Rhone valley to Marseille. They hoped to be there by sometime the next morning.

Back in Geneva, a message had been left for Ian telling him to come to the chateau, and that Cosette awaited him there, alive and well. A duplicate message had been sent to the Banque de Lafayette in both Paris and in Marseille. Instructions were sent to divert all couriers to the chateau now instead of to Geneva. Jennifer, Andre, Mustafa, Liri, Celeste, and Louis and the two babies had all departed for the chateau, taking two carriages.

As they rode along, Louis held his sleeping daughter and said "I wonder why we've not heard from Ian? Do you think he's still in Barcelona?"

"He could have been selling his house and dealing with Barcelona House; or he may have spent some time with Alandra's family and with Tom and Celita. Oh, Louis, can't you just see his eyes when he learns that Cosette is alive! I can just see it now, and that big bright smile of his that can light up a room!"

Suddenly, she sat bolt upright as her eyes widened. Her dreamy smile had vanished and been replaced by a look of grave concern. Their baby awoke and began to look all around the interior of the coach with eyes wide.

"No, Ian's in London. He's going to sail to America. If we search through the bank dispatches in that trunk we packed we'll find his letter. He intends to go to America to do the bank startup. He sails today!"

# Chapter 114

Cosette wandered aimlessly around the chateau, memories clicking into place seemingly a bit faster than before. The sun had just risen. She pondered her reflection again in the mirror. Whereas it had at first seemed to be someone else, it now was becoming more familiar. She contemplated the clothing she had stolen from the people at the site of the ruined Francoise mansion. Why had she stolen the man's pants and shirt and a broad-brimmed hat? She knew now that it was not the sort of clothing she would wear every day, but she had taken it from an assortment that included women's wear too. Recalling that she had rinsed her mouth and eaten lilac foliage after killing the chickens, she tied that to her sudden desire to eat that here at the chateau.

There now was no doubt that she was connected to the people who lived in this magnificent home. She had wandered the grounds while hunting and she had discovered an enchanting place in the deep woods surrounding the place. It was a small river which had a waterfall. At its base was a natural pool and she was drawn to the place by something. She concluded that she had been there before and that somehow the place held memories of good things in her past. Then there was the smaller home to the east. Its gray stone walls and slate roof sheltered memories of good things in her past too. She was certain of it.

Today she would go to the waterfall and stay a while to see what memories would return. Later she'd go to stay at the gray stone home to the east. Surely some more memories would come into focus if she just spent enough time at the two places. She was drawn to them as strongly as she was to this chateau.

As she crossed the veranda, she was aware of four distant figures running swiftly toward the chateau. She tensed, and then began to relax. Although they were running as fast as she could run, she didn't feel threatened. Her keen vampire's eyes locked momentarily onto each one as the group neared her, rapidly approaching up the well-shaded driveway. They seemed to be familiar figures.

The smallest one of the four was a petite brunette. As the foursome neared her the small brunette called a name. Was she calling to her?

"Cosette! Cosette! Thank God you're alive! Cosette! It's Marie!"

Like a flood her memories all returned, and with them came instant recognition of the four people. An indescribable thrill ran through her. It sprang from the core of her inner being as a golden fount of light, warmth, and love. Marie's arms were held wide as she neared Cosette, who bounded off of the veranda some forty feet and hit the ground running towards the group herself. Her eyes brimmed with tears of joy. This was her family! Praise God, this was her family! They fell together kissing one another in unrestrained joy, weeping and laughing all together.

***

The merchantman New Hope forged its way through the Atlantic, bound for New York City in America. In addition to the cargo it carried, the ship's manifest recorded two passengers, being Ian McCloud and James Barrow. They were listed in such a way as to receive preferred treatment at New York by authority of the Crown itself. They were agents and officers of the firm of Edwards & Milliken Bank of London. Their own personal papers bore the symbol of that bank and a seal of authority of the Crown itself, authorizing one or more banks to be established in the colonies.

Captain Andrew Norris thought they were quite young to be the type to establish a bank. He had transported a pair for another larger bank two years earlier. Both men looked more the part, being middle-aged, pale, and paunchy. These two looked to be lean and fit. One was so bronzed by the sun that he almost looked like he could have been native to one of the Mediterranean countries. They appeared to be more like his own sailors or like some of the colonists he had seen in Boston. He noticed that when the tall bronzed Scot walked about the deck, he instinctively moved with the roll and pitch of the ship, never needing to grasp at anything as landlubbers normally did. The captain noticed that he looked at things which he would normally look at if he himself was making an inspection. He was sure that one had seen a lot of time at sea, and resolved to query the two that evening at the officer's mess.

As the days passed, Captain Norris came to like the pair, and he'd gotten to see just how good a seaman the McCloud fellow was. It turned out that he was the McCloud that had been involved in a scrape with pirates in the Mediterranean years ago. There was a maritime legend of a Scottish crew who had saved an ambassador's daughter from pirates and had weathered a record-setting storm in that part of the world. Until one night at supper, Norris had always doubted the accuracy of the account.

His navigator had asked McCloud if he knew of the story and McCloud had revealed that he'd been a part of it. They'd all been spellbound by the testimony of one who had been there. They learned then that the true story was more fantastic than the legend, being that they captured a rich prize and sold her and her cargo. This enabled the owner of the ship to completely recover her construction cost in one voyage. That was a feat never before heard of anywhere.

They'd encountered a nasty storm recently and were having a time of it. McCloud and Barrows had simply come on deck barefoot, each wearing only seaman's pants. Both just pitched in and began to help. The tall Scot would tell the other one what to do from time to time.

When a man aloft had slipped and become entangled in the rigging, he cried out for help. McCloud swarmed up the rigging like a monkey with its tail afire and had easily helped the man free himself. He stayed with the man then and worked alongside him to furl the rest of the sails on that mast. The ship had begun to pitch so violently that the captain had ordered all hands down.

McCloud simply descended to where he could swing to the adjacent mast and in seconds was there, ascending to tie down the sails that the others had abandoned. He clung to the wildly swaying masts like a spider and calmly lashed everything in place and checked the other sails, edging out onto the slippery spars to do so. The men below stopped to watch the whole thing. When he was done, he descended so rapidly that he seemed to flow down the ropes like water.

When the crewman who he had saved came to him, he had flashed a bright smile and had clapped the man on the back. Several of the crew and the captain himself came to him to thank him. Norris had never seen the like and he knew that everything that McCloud had told him about the pirate rescue legend and the storm was true, and that likely there was a lot more that he wasn't telling. He'd never have believed the rest of the story though.

The crewmen would talk about how he liked to walk the decks at night and would borrow the navigator's sextant and check their course. Many times he would stay with the helmsman and talk, helping him to stay awake. Often in the daytime, he would go aloft to the crow's nest to take a skin of water or an apple to the lookout and would stay a while there. He was as at home aboard a ship at sea as anyone Norris had ever seen, including himself. The pair of them were very well-liked by the crew.

Norris had been intrigued when Ian had asked permission to teach his companion James some techniques of unarmed combat. He had allowed them to use the foredeck for that at certain times of the day, and he'd seen things since then that he couldn't have imagined. Warfare of any kind was best conducted as a science, and after watching the first session with McCloud teaching Barrows he saw that hand-to-hand fighting was a science as well.

The two were so well liked and accepted by the crew and officers, that the peculiar experiment involving the herd of goats and their special food didn't cause a lot of comments. Certainly there were no negative comments made about the pair, and they were already accepted as if they were a part of the crew, even if a bit peculiar. McCloud even took blood samples and regularly looked at them under a microscope, even showing Captain Norris what blood looked like when magnified. It had something to do with wanting to know what effect being confined at sea had on animals and there was a vague mention of doing a favor for a friend at the London Royal Academy of Science. The goats had been a last-minute thing which had been insisted upon by none other than Robert Milliken of the bank of Edwards & Milliken who had financed the refurbishing of the ship. No doubt the bank was doing a favor for someone at the Academy.

No one thought too much of the fact that the younger one, James nearly always wore a broad-brimmed hat and gloves. Both men sometimes wore sun glasses as well. Captain Norris had never even seen or heard of them before and had been told that they were made in France.

Fourteen days out they had become becalmed, or nearly so with only a light northeasterly wind. That was an unusual thing to happen on an Atlantic crossing, being far more apt to happen in the Pacific. It was evening and Captain Norris was taking a final turn about his ship. He had invited Ian to walk with him. They had become good friends and had talked of home and of family. It was then that Norris had learned of the recent death of Ian's wife. He thought that it explained a lot about why a man would pick up and go to a strange place. The captain was kept busy at times fielding questions about the American Colonies.

Finally he went to turn in for the night, leaving Ian alone on the deck. Not distracted by anything now, he turned his gaze to the heavens. His mind drifted then to where he didn't want it to go. He thought of a beautiful green-eyed lady who had stood with him many times on the deck of a ship at sea and had gazed with him at the magnificence of a night time sky that can only be seen at sea. His thoughts then turned to a beautiful lady with lovely wide-set gray eyes who had lain with him in the wilds of the Scottish highlands and other places on nights like this. His ghosts had accompanied him after all, and were only waiting for the planned distractions of the day to cease, in order that they might once more invade his heart and mind.

He contemplated the ghostly orb of the moon as it seemed to sail rapidly through storm-tossed cloudy seas. It was a marked contrast to the relatively calm seas and light winds they were experiencing. The light breeze in the rigging whispered to the stars above, seeming to mock him, saying 'they are gone... they are gone.'

# Chapter 115

A large galleon sat tied to the pier in Edinburg on an overcast day. A broad gangplank connected it to the dock. On it was a herd of eight goats being driven by two seamen upwards toward the deck. Each of them wore a brand new extra-wide leather collar. Two cargo booms worked hoisting cargo aboard. It was a busy scene as the crew bustled about their business. The cargo hatches had been changed to allow sunlight and air below through a grillwork. Hinged caps made of copper could be lowered and clamped over the grillwork in foul weather to keep the cargo hold dry.

Later in the afternoon, all was in readiness. The captain had done a walk-around and had seen to the cargo being lashed into place. Double-checking the provisions he had checked that his entire crew was present as well. He gave the command and the crew swarmed aloft to ready the sails. Workers on the pier stood by, ready to free the lines from their moorings. Twelve crewmen stood by with poles ready to shove off from the pier.

Thomas Lawrence, his adopted son, and his new bride, the former Caryn Rochelle of Paris stood on the pier watching. He had just finished a skilled carpentry job on the guest cabin of the ship two days prior to her loading. It was a duplicate of a job he'd done in London on the galleon New Hope some six weeks earlier. This ship was larger, being around 600 tons, but the job he had recently finished was exactly the same dimensions as the one he'd done on the New Hope. He had no idea why he'd been hired to do the modification, but he knew the people well who'd hired him, and had never asked. They were good friends and had they wanted him to know more, he would have been told. They were there too, a superbly dressed group watching the final preparations. A little girl with wavy hair like spun gold and a face like an angel was with them, and two of the women carried babies in their arms. The two women and their babies were the only ones not wearing sun glasses.

The captain made his way toward the aft deck, having done a final inspection. As he walked he looked up at the aft deck at the woman standing there and thought six years hibernating under a pile of hearth and chimney stones and she still looks like she did the first time I ever saw her! And if someone hadn't needed those stones for a foundation for a new building, she'd still be sitting under that pile of rubble hibernating. No wonder that no one believes in vampires!

He made his way up the steep steps to the aft deck and walked toward the helm. She turned from the aft rail, a beautiful young lady above medium height, with wavy hair the color of light honey with pale golden highlights. Gracefully she walked to stand beside the tall lean captain at the helm. She had a wide-brimmed hat that hung down behind her on a blue ribbon. Wearing sun glasses, exquisitely made long gloves and carrying a folded oversized parasol, she stood out drastically against what would normally be a masculine backdrop.

The captain gave one last look around and then shouted "Cast off! Unfurl sails! The lines were loosed as the sails dropped with a series of 'whump' sounds. The westerly wind caught them with a series of snapping sounds as each sail filled. Elsie's Cloud began to move majestically to the east, away from the pier and out into the Firth of Forth toward the North Sea. The lady standing next to the captain waved toward the receding pier. The entire well-dressed group walked to the end of it, waving back at her. The little blonde girl could be seen jumping up and down waving.

Cosette turned to Angus McCloud and said "I wish that they all could come with us."

Angus turned to Cosette and said "Now lassie that would be quite a feat. And just where would we keep all of the goats needed for that bunch?"

Cosette looked out to sea and laughing her marvelous laugh, she linked her arm through his and said "Then it is onward to America, Captain McCloud."

The End

Dear reader,

Thank you for taking the time to read 'Forever Young The Beginning'. This is the first novel I've ever written. It is my hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

If so, please do use the links below to write a short review and tell why you like it.

 http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Young-The-Beginning-ebook/dp/B008PKQH3Q/ref=sr_1_1?=digital-text&ie=UTF8&gid=1344894396&sr=1-1&keywords=forever+young+the+beginning

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19247283-forever-young-the-beginning

My second book explores the life and adventures of Ian McCloud as he arrives in America when war with Great Britain is starting. He will continue to cut a wide swath as he forges ahead and becomes drawn into the American fight for independence in my already-published novel 'Forever Young Birth of a Nation'. For a look at this vampire clan in the 20th century, read already published 'Forever Young Irina'. Don't hesitate to write to me if you know of any way I could have improved your reading experience. I'm a work in progress.

Gerald Simpkins

gsim@tds.net

These books are available in print at Amazon books, and as e books at all vendors.

Glossary of characters

Aimee: 6 year old girl rescued from coven of vampires.

Alandra Vasquez: 17 year old girl taken prisoner by pirates.

Aldric Moreau: Villainous Inquisitor, adept vampire.

Alyssa: 20 year old woman, friend and protégé of Marie Lafayette.

Andre Amsler: 12 year old boy, younger brother of Liridona Amsler.

Andrew Norris: Captain of merchantman New Hope.

Angus McCloud: Ian's uncle, captain of merchantman Elsie's Cloud.

Annaliese (Anna) Fellman: 40 year old widow of Swiss banker.

Armando: Portuguese navigator aboard merchantman Elsie's Cloud.

Arnaud Moreau: Vampire. Self-serving, villainous younger brother of Aldric Moreau.

Aurelio Vasquez: Uncle of Alandra Vasquez, killed by pirates.

Adolfo Vasquez: Uncle of Alandra Vasquez and high official in Spanish Government.

Babette: Little girl kidnapped from Angel's Care Orphanage.

Carlos Chavez: Villain. Evil master swordsman and son of Spanish Crown prosecutor.

Caryn Rochelle: Parisian fashion designer and aunt of Celeste Rochelle.

Celeste Rochelle: 12 year old girl kidnapped from streets of Marseille.

Celita: 17 year old Maidservant and childhood friend of Alandra Vasquez.

Charles Bourbon III: King Charles III of Spain.

Claude LeBlanc: Villainous kidnapper and brother of Erin LeBlanc.

Claude Rousseau: Inspector of King's Gendarmes of Marseille.

Charlotte of Mecklenburg: Queen Charlotte, wife of King George of England.

Clifford Edwards: Pervert, wealthy senior partner of Robert Milliken

and older brother of Miles Edwards.

Corinne: Tavern Wench at Blue Oyster Inn at Marseille. Lorn's girlfriend

Cosette Bouchard: 20 year old Vampire woman who saves Ian's life.

Damien Girard: Suitor who courts Alyssa.

Donatien Francoise: The Marquis de Sade, brother of Marcel Francoise the Satanist.

Eduardo Vasquez: Father of Alandra Vasquez, Spanish ambassador to France.

Elsa Von Brandt: Vampire and wife of Karl Von Brandt of Liechtenstein.

Elsie McCloud: Ian's mother and namesake of Elsie's Cloud merchantman ship.

Emile: Villainous vampire who lost a foot fighting Ian at the Francoise mansion.

Enrique Chavez: Father of Carlos, and villainous Spanish Crown prosecutor.

Erin LeBlanc: Villainous owner of Red Dolphin Inn and kidnapper.

Ernesto Chavez: Uncle of Carlos and brother of Enrique Chavez.

Esmeralda Bourbon: Widower and daughter of King Charles III of Spain.

Esmeralda Vasquez: Mother of Alandra Vasquez.

Geraldo Perez: Florist and cemetery caretaker of Barcelona, Spain.

Henri Lafayette: Vampire Adept, banker and entrepreneur and husband of Marie.

Henrique Pronovost: Proprietor and owner of Blue Oyster Inn of Marseille.

Heinrich (Heini) Von Steuben: Vampire, judge of Supreme Council.

Ian McCloud: 23 year old seaman, adventurer, first mate aboard Elsie's Cloud.

Jan Vandenoever: Grandfather of Ian McCloud and wealthy Dutch Trader.

Jean Pelleau: Villainous blacksmith of Paris and kidnapper.

Jennifer Stewart: 20 year old tavern wench at Hungry Eye Inn. Kidnap victim.

James Barrows: 20 year old Adept Vampire employed by Robert Milliken.

Julian DeRoche: Wealthy pervert in Paris.

Liridona (Liri) Amsler: Swiss maid employed by Anna and older sister of Andre.

Leon (Gunny) MacLamb: Gunnery/cannon expert aboard Elsie's Cloud.

Li Hong: Chinese Kung Fu expert and cook aboard Elsie's Cloud.

Lorn Barnes: Crewman aboard Elsie's Cloud who speaks French.

Louis Bouchard: Cosette's younger brother.

Marcel Francoise: Older brother of the Marquis de Sade, Donatien Francoise.

Margaret Milliken: Vampire and wife of Robert Milliken of London.

Marie Lafayette: Vampire and wife of Henri Lafayette of Marseille.

Mark MacCarr: Shipwright and officer of Elsie's Cloud.

Mary McCloud: Ian's aunt from Scotland.

Mauritarius: Villainous vampire in Paris who courted Alyssa.

Michelle: Little girl kidnapped by vampire from Angel's Care Orphanage.

Miles Edwards: Villain and rapist who is younger brother of Clifford Edwards.

Mimi: Little girl at Angel's Care orphanage of Marseille.

Nikola (Niki) Saigat: Vampire and Supreme Council judge.

Philippe' Rodriguez: Suitor who hopes to become Alandra's husband.

Renaud LeClerc: Vampire and villainous kidnapper and murderer.

Ricardo: Portuguese banker in Lisbon.

Rob Woolsey: Crewman aboard Elsie's Cloud.

Robert Milliken: Vampire and judge on Supreme Council and banker in London.

Roberto Rodriquez: Father of Philippe'' Rodriquez and Spanish banker.

Pierre: Carriage driver.

Rosita: Sick little girl at Barcelona House in Barcelona, Spain.

Serge Fellman: Swiss son of Annaliese Fellman.

Sophia: Courtesan and companion of Li Hong.

Stefan Devrie: Vampire who lost his forearm at the battle at the Francoise mansion.

Stu: Crewman of Elsie's Cloud.

Stuart McCloud: Ian's younger brother.

Thomas Lawrence: Friend of Jennifer Stewart.

Vassily: Vampire and judge of Supreme Council.

Wilhelm (Willy) Hoffmeister: Vampire and judge of Supreme Council.

Yvonne Devrie: Red-headed vampire badly burned at the Francoise mansion.

Glossary of terminology

Adept: A vampire so trained and imprinted as to be able to tolerate indirect sunlight, human food, and lack of blood for short periods, and mastering human mannerisms in such a way as to be able to blend with human society and not be detected.

Adjust hearing: The ability for a properly mentored vampire to adjust the acuity of their hearing so as to hear extremely well in near silent conditions, and also to reduce hearing sensitivity in noisy conditions. This is necessary for any successful Adept vampire who desires to mix in human company in cities.

Banque de Lafayette: Bank owned by vampire Henri Lafayette of France who is also a judge on Supreme Council.

Blood fast: The length of time a candidate can do without blood. This is best achieved by denying blood during the imprinting process. It forever makes the candidate less dependent on blood and more able to tolerate being without it and able to not lose control when smelling it. The associated pain when denying during imprinting also enhances the candidate's ability to tolerate pain. Only well-imprinted Adepts do a blood fast when imprinting. Many do not even know to imprint that characteristic.

Brought over: To become a vampire.

Crossing over: To become a vampire.

Edwards and Milliken Bank: Bank in London owned in part by Robert Milliken, vampire and judge on Supreme Council.

Eye lights: A term used to instruct candidates who are being brought over to become vampires regarding the control of the tendencies of vampire eyes to glow when emotions are stirred, whether passion or anger. A candidate is properly mentored when he or she is taught to 'control their eye lights'.

Generational move: Once every twenty years or so, successful Adept vampires move and change their names so that no humans can come to realize that they never age.

Imprinting: The three week long process of body and physiology and mental changes that a vampire undergoes after being brought over. During this period, permanent characteristics are forever imprinted on the candidate. Physical characteristics such as length of hair and nails are permanently established. Ambidexterity can be easily accomplished during this period, as well as a tendency to excel at various things whether linguistics, music, hand to hand combat, weapons mastery, etc. Also a refinement of touch is far easier to learn at this time, such as how to handle delicate things without causing damage in spite of having far greater strength.

Even such minor things as how one's breath will smell, the length of their hair, their nails, how to control the acuity of their hearing, and control of their tendency for their eyes to glow are mastered during this three weeks if the candidate is properly mentored.

The length of time one can be without blood will be set during this period as well as how much daylight they can tolerate. This in turn helps the candidate to be far better able to endure pain of all kinds as well as control their thirst.

Imprint: The act of imprinting, or the sum of the characteristics achieved due to imprinting.

Liechtenstein Trade Guild: The building in Liechtenstein where the Supreme Council meets, disguised as a trade guild to deceive humans.

Rogues: Vampires that may or may not be Adepts, but who do feed on humans.

Sensitivity and touch control: This training is necessary for well mentored Adept vampires to mix well in human company. It teaches the vampire to have a delicate touch and to be able to control their great strength at all times. One common method of teaching this is to toss eggs back and forth rapidly without breaking them. This is another vital trait for vampires who would successfully mix with humans in human society.

Supreme Council (or 'Council'): The nine Adept vampire judges who hand down life or death decisions regarding vampires who have done things causing humans to become knowledgeable regarding vampires and their existence. This can include death warrants being issued for humans who will try to make known the existence of vampires.

Wig generation: Describes a period of time that spans approximately twenty years. This is when a vampire living in the same country as before should wear a wig when in public in case he or she meets someone whom they used to know before they changed their name. This is done to prevent an older human from recognizing them and wondering why they have not aged at all.

