Aaron handed her a second gla.s.s and she drained it as she had the first. He looked around the room again. No one was the wiser. But he was no less p.i.s.sed about the whole thing. She could have been hurt, or killed. As his mate, it was his job to protect her, not the other way around. As soon as possible, they were going to have to set up some guidelines. Not rules, she would not follow rules, but guidelines she may.

"So you have made your decision then. Good choice, Master of the Realm. But I wouldn't count on the guidelines either if I were you," Mel said with a laugh.

"Choice? Guidelines? What are you talking about? Come to think of it, how do you two know each other?" Sara struggled to stand and he held her still. He liked holding her, regardless of how mad he was at her.

"Lie still, you're still weak. Here, drink another gla.s.s of this yellow stuff. Mel came to my room today, well, yesterday and we had a long talk. You and I will talk about it later."

Aaron should have known better. He felt her trample through his mind like a steam roller. Had it been physical instead of a mental search, he would have bruises all over his head. And from the way she was looking at him right now, he may end up with them anyway.

"You've decided to keep me? Well how f.u.c.king nice for you, you arrogant a.s.s. Was I going to get a choice in this? No, I can see that it didn't occur to you, either of you, for that matter. How could you?" She was crying. He had made her cry again, d.a.m.n it. She turned to Mel. "And you, what right do you have making any choices for me? You hoped that I would, what, roll over and do what you say?" She struggled out of his arms as she yelled at Mel and rather than hurt her, he let her go. "Oh my G.o.d-and the queen? You've decided that I would be the queen, too? How dare you? How dare either of you?"

"I told you that I've made decisions," Melody snapped at her. "I told you that they affected you. If I hadn't done this, you would still be floundering about using only a small part of what you are. I helped you."

Aaron took a step back. He could feel the anger rolling heavily off of both women. He had learned many, many years ago never to step between women when they fought. They fought by their own rules and they were not always...nice about it.

"Helped me? Are you insane? What happens to you? Do you just fade away again? End up in some field while I deal with everything again?" Sara looked at the door when no one answered her. "And what about Sherman? Huh? You think he'll just say 'Oh good, you're queen now. You go right ahead. I'll be seeing you around?' f.u.c.k you!"

"Sara, she was only trying to help," Aaron said. "She couldn't go on. You know as well as anyone why she can't."

He knew the queen's plan for him and Sara; they were to rule her kingdom together. While he did not necessarily agree with her methods, he was at least willing to acknowledge that the continuation of the lineage was vital.

"You knew about all of this? Before us...before the bathroom?" she asked him, hurt in her voice. "You bit me!"

"You wanted that as much as I did," he snapped. "You are not going to lay that one on me alone. And yes, I knew before you came down stairs tonight, so what? It makes no difference now; you are mine, my mate for all eternity."

He regretted saying it the moment it left his mouth. Not the words, no, never that, but his timing could have been a tad better, he thought.

There was a sudden tightening in the room, as if it somehow grew bigger than the s.p.a.ce allowed. No one moved, no one dared to. When Aaron started to speak again, Sara held up her hand to silence him. He was too stunned by the move to ignore it. After several tension-filled seconds, Sara spoke to them.

"I want you both to never contact me again. I am not going to be queen, nor am I going to be a mate to you or anyone else. Period. I hate you both for what you've presumed to think for me, the decisions you've made for me, and the secrets you kept from me. Stay away from me."

Sara stood again and took a look around the room. Then she turned on her heel and ran from the room, toward the front entrance hall, and out into the late evening night.

"Sara! Sara, come back here right this minute!" He flashed himself forward only to be stopped suddenly by a wall. Her magic, he thought. Her magic was working against him rather than for him now.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

After everyone had paid homage to Aaron and left the mansion long before sunrise, the remaining people adjourned to the ma.s.sive living room to go over the strange events of the evening. The coziness of the room was in complete contrast to the mood of the people in it. The Carlovettis were very worried about Sara; she was becoming very important to them and they wondered what she would do now.

Colin was still marveling at the way she made them all believe she had killed a man. He was also amazed at the way she took charge, and did what needed to be done without a second's hesitation or any lack of confidence.

Mel was mad, thinking that Sara was being extremely selfish about the whole thing. She would rule all of the magical elements of the world. Why should she not want that?

Aaron was angry as well, but he was not sure at whom he should be the maddest at, Sara for leaving without letting him explain, Mel for not allowing him to explain things to her in his own way, or himself for not telling her anything. No, he mused, he was mad at himself most of all. He should have trusted her; he should have told her what he suspected from the beginning...that she was his mate, his partner. More than that, he should have treated her like one.

"Do you have any idea what level of power was required for what Sara did tonight?" Mel asked the room in general after she had been introduced to everyone.

"I know she made a believer of me. All that blood, not a drop of it real. I didn't know you could hold that many people in thrall. Did you, Aaron?" Colin turned to his friend and master.

"She didn't, not really. You see, that's what I'm talking about," Mel went on to clarify. "She held each vampire in a state of separate thrall, unique to each one of them."

Aaron didn't really care how she did it. He just wanted to bring her back so he could tell her how sorry he was.

"I don't understand. What do you mean separate thrall?" Colin asked her.

"Each vampire has unique abilities of their own, right? Colin, you can read a person's lies, scan their body for hidden objects and whatever else they may be hiding. Demetrius, even for your age you're a remarkably strong and talented telepath. Aaron, you have a great many talents. Some of them from age, others from practice." Mel started to pace the room as she spoke. Aaron noticed that Sara did the same thing. "You see, each of your minds works differently with your magic. Sara couldn't just rely on one bit of magic to keep others from becoming involved. She needed to take each one of your abilities and use them against you. No one saw or heard what she didn't want them to. She didn't get that from me. She's using power well beyond what I've given her. Beyond anything I've ever seen. She isn't just a Keeper like me; she is more than me in some ways."

"What are you saying? Are you saying Sara is not human, that she is a different species than any of us?" Aaron finally asked.

"Is she tattooed with any markings?" Mel asked. "Anything more than this?" She showed everyone her tattoo as the Queen of Magick. Looking almost like a photograph, the tattoo depicted a half-moon in light blue-grayish tones with the sun, a bright yellow, rising from it. Beneath the sun and moon stood a tree in different seasons of the year: spring with tiny buds on strong limbs; summer with full, dark-green leaves straining toward the heavens; fall with blended leaves of orange and red; winter with bare limbs. "Sara's would be smaller and without color...or very little color...maybe just shades of gray."

No one had seen any marking at all on her, other than the bruises the first days she was at the mansion.

It was four days before Sara contacted anyone-four long and miserable days without word to anyone in the mansion as to where she was, what she was doing, and if she would forgive them. Mel tried to contact Sara mentally, but she had shut her out as tightly as if she no longer existed. Aaron used a more modern method, the phone, but had as little success as Mel did.

When she finally made contact, it was to phone the Carlovettis. "Mr. Carlovetti, its Sara Temple. I was wondering if I could talk with you, please?"

Sara had been staying at the hotel out on Route Forty. It was okay as far as hotels went. It was clean and was cooler than it was outdoors. Summers in Ohio were abhorrent.

"Sara, thank G.o.d! Are you all right? We've been so worried about you. Yes, yes of course, any time. Just let me know where to meet you."

"Now is fine," she told him. "That is, if you have the time. But if you try to contact anyone else, I'll know, and I'll end this conversation immediately, all right?"

Sara had been trying to work up the nerve to call the Carlovettis for two days. She didn't want to get them into trouble with their master, but she was running low on funds. All her extra cash was hidden in her van, which was currently residing at the mansion.

"I wasn't going to contact anyone. I believe what they did was wrong to a point. Sara, you need to contact Aaron. He's suffering badly."

"Let him." Sara's heart took a hard knock at the thought of him suffering. But d.a.m.n it, she was tired of everyone trying to tell her what she needed.

"I was wondering if I am able to still work for your company? I need a job, and some money. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize you or your company, so I will understand completely if you say no."

If he said no, which she hoped he would not, she would have to move to Columbus and get a job. Now that Mel had shown up, there was no reason to hide anymore. Well, except for the High Council of Magick and the sanction to have her put to death-minor details. Hopefully, with Mel found, Sara would no longer be hunted by them.

Demetrius was silent for a long few minutes. So long, in fact, that she knew for sure he was going to turn her down. She was about to tell him to forget it when he answered her.

"Yes, you have a job, so long as you want it. Sara, I'll keep your employment quiet for as long as I can. Because we both know as soon as Aaron finds out you're working again, he'll want to talk to you. And if he does, then I'll have to comply so long as you're working for me when he finds out."

"I understand and I appreciate that. Thank you."

Demetrius had just told her that if Aaron found out, she needed to be gone before he had to make her go see him.

"I won't let you down. I swear." She wouldn't either.

"I know you won't, Sara. I'll see you tomorrow then." He hung up first. She thought he sounded hurt.

Another week pa.s.sed. Sara flew out early every evening and returned late the next afternoon, well after the highest part of the day was upon them. Demetrius had done well with her secret so far.

Demetrius had left her an email that first morning asking her to be gone well before he and April got to work. He explained that he wanted to be honest with Aaron if he ever asked if Demetrius had seen her. So she made sure she was gone before sunset every evening. In exchange for him helping her out, she took home the next day's flights and made the roster up with a flight schedule. Personal information was never exchanged on either side.

But after nearly two weeks of careful wording on his part and planning, Demetrius slipped up.

"Have you heard from Sara, Demetrius?" Aaron had been calling daily to ask the same question. He knew he wasn't going to make it much longer without feeding. Eleven days is a very long time to go without sustenance, even for someone as old as he was.

"Heard from her? No, no, I've not seen her. Have you?" Demetrius answered quickly.

Too quickly. Then Aaron realized what Demetrius had said. He had not said that he hadn't heard from her, but that he hadn't seen her. Demetrius had been lying to him. No, he thought, he'd just been asking him the wrong question. He almost laughed at the cleverness of it.

"How long have you been speaking to her, Demetrius?" His voice was calm and resigned. Sara must know that he was asking about her, but apparently, she didn't care to see him.

"Since right after the party. She contacted me the Monday afterwards. And yes, I should have told you, but I couldn't...no, that's not right. I wouldn't betray her trust. Not again, not after all that she has done for me and mine."

Loyalty was something Aaron usually admired in someone, but right now all he could think about was that Demetrius knew where she was. But he couldn't be angry, not anymore.

"Is she all right, is she safe?" He ignored the fact that Demetrius had failed to mention that he did not trust Aaron. That much was evident in the fact that he didn't let him know about Sara's whereabouts. He had failed on so many levels with her and the others of his Kiss-his extended family. Failing to gain trust from his first bond as master was just another on the long list of screw-ups.

"Yes, to both," Demetrius said. "Sara is flying for me during the early evening and into the late afternoon. She's gone overnight. She needed the money, she said. I don't know where she's staying. A cab brings her to work, then picks her up, so I'm told. I know it's not far. The cab fee is less than five dollars, according to Sara, round trip."

"Yes, that explains a great deal. I need to talk to her, Demetrius. Please ask her to talk to me, to see me. It's...tell her it's important that I... We need to talk. Would you do that for me, please?"

Aaron wanted to beg her to talk to him, but knew it would not do any good. If he had learned one thing about Sara Temple, it was she had a stubborn streak a mile wide and nearly just as deep.

"Yes, sir, I'll ask her. What...what punishment are you going to demand of me, sire? I'm not sorry for what I did, but I will pay the penalty. Whatever you see fit, I deserve. I just ask that you don't hurt April. She doesn't know anything about any of this. I promise you."

"Just ask her to see me, please." Aaron hung up the phone.

When Sara got to work later that night, she changed into her flight uniform. It really wasn't a bad-looking thing. The navy blue pants were tailored to fit her long legs, and made of the softest cotton twill. The t-shirt was short-sleeved, with a scooped neckline of a pretty robin's egg blue. Made of silk, it clung to her curves like a second skin, and felt good at the same time. The jacket, made of the same material as the pants, had three-quarter-length sleeves, two b.u.t.tons with the company logo on them, and was made to just touch the top of her pants when she was standing. No name tag or other tags marred the beautiful cut and line of the clothes. Once changed, she went into the hangar.

"Demetrius wants you to wait for him to come in," Paul Potter, one of the other pilots, said as soon as he caught up with her. "He says it's important, and he needs to be face to face with you. Oh, he also said to tell you that you're safe here to stay and wait, whatever that means. Got it?"

"Yes. Thank you." This could not be good. Face to face could only mean bad things were about to hit the fan. But she would wait for him.

Nearly two hours later, Demetrius came in alone. "Thank you, Sara. I appreciate you staying to talk to me." He looked so distraught that she worried for April.

"Where's Mrs. Carlovetti? Is she all right?" She had visions of her losing the babe and nearly swept his mind to see what had happened.

"Yes, she's fine. She's coming in later. I asked her to wait until I called her before she came in."

Sara stared at him for several minutes. Demetrius wouldn't look her in the eye. Understanding was slow to come to her, but she got there eventually.

"He knows, doesn't he? He's found out, and you need to fire me, right? I'm so sorry, Mr. Carlovetti. Truly, I am. I just needed the money. I never meant to cause you problems. I'm so sorry."

Sara brushed angrily at the tears as they fell. She hated to cry. She felt it made her look weak and stupid.

"Sara, don't do that. He does know, but it's not what you think. No, you aren't fired. Nor is he asking me to do anything to you, all right? Now, let's start over, shall we? Yes, Aaron knows you're working for us again. I screwed up this morning before I left, and he caught it. All he asked was that you agree to see him. He wants to talk to you, and to see you."

"No. I can't see him, Mr. Carlovetti. He hurt me, as you know. I can't...I wouldn't even know what to say to him."

He leaned back into his chair. He stared at her, saying nothing for a few minutes. "You've never let us in, April and me, have you? We've tried on several occasions to get you to call us by our first names, but you refused. You've kept us at a distance; you didn't want our friendship so you made our relationship purely professional all these months. No matter how hard we tried, you simply shut us down. I've kept your secret for you, from my own mate and master, yet you still refuse to let me be your friend. You've never trusted that I would never hurt you or put you into a situation where you would be harmed. We know nothing about you, save what we need to know, flight plans, records, and its all business information." Sara watched as he stood up. She had never seen him so upset before. "You know what, Sara? I feel sorry for you. More than I ever have for anyone in all my life. All you needed to do was to ask, and as your friends, because that's what April and I feel like you are to us, we would have moved mountains for you. Yes. Yes, I do, I feel so sorry for you." He made to leave, but before he could walk out the door, she stopped him.

"Demetrius, I felt safer not letting people get close to me. I don't know how to have friends. I've never had one before Melody. I don't know how to be anything but what I am. I...today's my twenty-sixth birthday." She took a deep breath. "Tell Aaron...no...will you please tell Aaron that whenever it's convenient for him, I'll come to see him?" Sara left the small office and went into the now empty hangar. Instead of calling a cab to take her home, she walked the three miles back to her hotel.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

"His lordship is in the living room, Mistress Sara. You know the way, go on in," Duncan told her.

Sara had arrived early for her meeting with Aaron. She was not surprised by the expression on Duncan's face. She was well aware of how she looked. When she had gotten back to the hotel this evening, she had taken a good look at herself in the mirror in the bathroom. She had dark circles under her eyes. Small wonder, she thought; she had not slept well since leaving the mansion. And she had lost weight. She had never been a good judge of that sort of thing; her clothes either fit or they didn't. She had put the dress on that she had worn to the dinner thingy. She could easily slip it on without bothering with the small b.u.t.tons. Her hair had shocked her the most; it hung in a lank halo around her pale face without any bounce or life. Sort of like she felt, she thought.

As she made her way through the main room of the house, she didn't notice anything of her surroundings. After her talk today with Mr. Carl...no, Demetrius...she had been doing nothing but thinking about what he had said. He was right, she knew. She had never let anyone near her, not her heart or her soul. Her reasoning was that she could not get hurt if she didn't let anyone close, but that wasn't the way it worked. People tended to get in no matter what she did to keep them out.

"h.e.l.lo, Sara," Aaron said from a dark corner. "Thank you for coming to see me. This won't take long. Your...home is ga.s.sed up. I also had Duncan take it in for a tune up and it has four new tires. I thought about replacing the thing with a motor home, but I figured you'd balk at that."

Aaron was sitting in a deep chair, in the darkest part of the room. He had asked her to come late, around ten o'clock, so without the benefit of any outside light, the whole room was pitched in deep shadows. She couldn't see him, not well anyway.

"You're welcome. And thank you. Can I turn on a light, or a candle? It's too dark in here." She reached out and touched him. He was starving and weak. She sat down where he had pointed. Not to be polite, but because she was shocked at the extent of his weakness.

"No, I prefer it dark, thanks. I wanted to see you again before I leave. I'm going to be leaving the country. I won't be coming back. I've decided to turn over the realm to Colin to run. He'll do a good job, I believe. I've made him aware of my wishes where you're concerned. If you need anything, you can contact him, and he'll see to it that you get it. Mel is working on something to break this bond between us, so you will be free from me soon, I hope. As for situation between you and her...I'm not sure what she is doing about the kingdom, but that is yours to resolve." He took a deep breath before he continued. "I'm sorry for everything. I've thought that if I could do it all over again I'd change it, but we both know I wouldn't have been able to. I'm too set in my ways, and all that. Do you need anything?"

She felt a stab of pain to her heart. "So you're leaving?"

While he had been telling her of his plans for her, yet again, she reflected about the man before her. She realized in the moment that she loved him. It had been coming on so slowly that she had not even realized it until he told her she would be free of him.

"Yes, I'll be honest with you, if I stay, I won't be able to stay away from you. It's better this way, for both of us."

"I see. Better for both of us, or just for you?" Her temper snapped. "You know you're a pigheaded, arrogant, stubborn a.s.s-wipe! You bring me all the way out here to give me this, what is it, ah yes, the big 'I'm leaving for you' speech? Well, no, and h.e.l.l no, you are not getting off that easy."

Every light and candle in the room suddenly became ablaze with light. The entire room lit up instantly, not a corner was safe. Nor was the chair Aaron was sitting in.

Aaron suddenly leapt from the chair and was moving toward the door to the sub levels. Oh no he isn't, she thought, and moved to stop him. She pushed him hard against the wall near the cold fireplace. He fought her, trying to pull away.

"Oh no you don't, big boy, look at me. I can feel your pain, your hunger. Look at me, I said." Sara cupped his face in her hands and turned him toward her. In his weakened condition, he was no match for her. She gentled her hands when she looked into his eyes. He had lost weight too, she noticed. His skin was cold and brittle. His eyes, normally so blue, were nearly devoid of color. His mouth, his lush lips, were drawn and dry.