"We live a very long time, so we can invest in many successful business ventures over the years. Plus, most of us have several homes, so rent and food is not a problem, nor is electric and heating as we have excellent eyesight even at night and have no need for heat or cooling. The money also pays for security and medical help. A lot of these vamps have daywalkers as help and protection. When they get hurt or injured, it's safer for us if they see a doctor of our choice. Then there are the orphans of murdered vampires. In order to care for them, we pay others to take them in and raise them. While children are rare, the ones we manage to have are very precious to us."

"So the money paid to you stays within your realm. That's good." After a few seconds, she asked, "Who in this room would be using very strong magic?"

"Vampires don't have magic."

She looked at him to see if he was joking. He didn't appear to be. "Well of course you do, don't be stupid. Someone is using a great deal of...I have to check something out, will you stay here?" She was just moving away from him when she realized where the magic may be coming from.

"Where are you going? Stay here with me, please." He was not in a position to follow her as he was talking with a group of men who thought it might be a good idea to open their own bank and blood bank.

"I have to see about something. I can feel a magic that I've only felt once before. Let me see if I'm right or not. I'll be all right. I just want to check on something."

Sara moved her way to the front of the room, toward the great entrance hall. She gently reached for the people she had been asked to protect, searching for them in the large ball room and beyond. April and Demetrius were...ewww, were having s.e.x in the dark corner of another room just off the main hall. Duncan was in his kitchen. And Colin...was right in front of her.

"So, Mr. Colin, Aaron sent you after me, did he?" She folded her arms across her chest, careful not to pop her b.o.o.bs out of the top of her dress.

"Yes, mistress. He seems to think you might get yourself into all kinds of mischief if he isn't around to curb you. Imagine that."

She laughed when he mimicked her stance. Colin looked very nice in his tux with tails, filling it out in all the right places. Not as good as Aaron, but good nonetheless. She was also aware the reason for the tails. He was hiding several blades and a handgun up under the back of the jacket.

"He's probably right. Something is wrong. There's a being here that's using dark magic. I need your help. Will you trust me?"

"Yes." He answered her without hesitation.

"I believe Aaron's in danger." He turned away and started toward Aaron. "No, don't go to him. I promise you nothing will happen to him, but I do want to catch the corrupt who dares threaten his life. He's coming to the door as we speak, and he has five men with him. Can you get some men who you know are loyal to your master and have them follow the newcomers? Wait for my signal. When I'm ready, I'll need you to apprehend them as soon as I let you know who they are." She continued toward the front door. Colin followed.

"I'm at your service, my lady. Just tell me how I'll know what they look like." As he spoke, he reached behind his jacket and pulled out a short, jeweled dagger. Turning it handle first, he handed it to her. "It's silver on the tip and the handle will open like this." He pushed on a green jewel, probably an emerald, and a long, thin spike shot from the opposite end. "And there you go."

"Great, thank you. I'll send you a mental picture and their location. Be careful, Mr. Colin, they carry silver blades."

"Always, my lady. We will await your signal." That was the second time he had called her that. She would have to ask him about it when this was over, she thought. With a small bow, he started back into the large ballroom.

"Oh, and Mr. Colin, don't bite them anywhere. It will prove to be fatal to anyone who does," she sent to him telepathically.

Sara backed deep into a hidden corner and waited. She felt Sherman enter the mansion the moment he crossed the threshold. His power base had weakened somewhat, she realized. Now that he was in the house proper, he was as weak as a normal human. When she'd covered the house in a protective sh.e.l.l, she never would have thought it would be Mel's mate who would test its strength. Anyone who entered with ill intent would be stripped of their magic. And Sherman was nothing but ill will.

Sara followed rather than attacked. She could not read his mind and if she stepped in too soon, she would lose her advantage of being able to hide herself from him until she figured out what he wanted by coming there.

As soon as she realized who the guards were, she sent the information to Colin. She was surprised to find Marcus Freely among them. A careful scan of his mind revealed much, a lot more than she could have hoped for. He and the others were not here of their own free will, but by force. She touched him to see if he would talk to her, explain; she thought he would never shut up. He was worried for his family, and he had good reason, too. They were being held hostage, and would be murdered if he and the others didn't help slay the new Master of the Realm.

Marcus was the Master of the Guard in Molavonta. He had also been the one who had recruited her for the queen's personal guard. He was a loyal and trusted friend. If he thought Sherman would murder his family if he did not cooperate, then she had to help him.

"You give me your word, Marcus. Give me your word that you'll lay down your sword and not raise it against me and mine. You do this and I'll make sure your family is safe."

"You have it. And my sword, if I live," he promised her.

"You will live." She would make sure that he did. "You'll need to trust me. I have a plan. It's risky, but it'll work if you trust me. Do you?"

"With my life and that of my family, I give you my trust, Sara." She heard the promise in his voice. "The men, my men, they're all here..."

"I know, my friend. I'll make sure you're all safe. I promise you."

Sara had to wait until she heard from Colin. She needed to make sure he had the other four men before she could make her move. But when Sherman moved closer to Aaron, she leapt forward to intercede.

As she neared the two men, Marcus and Sherman, neither felt nor heard her approach. It was not until she had the jeweled knife at Sherman's throat that she let her shield down and her magic free.

"h.e.l.lo, Shermie," she whispered in his ear. "What brings you to a vampire dinner? Hopefully, you're volunteering to be the main course."

Sherman jerked against her hold on him. She was physically and magically more fit than him so he could not shake her loose. She could feel his anger roll off of him. It made her smile that she finally had the upper hand when dealing with him.

"b.i.t.c.h! My name is Sherman, your master. You would do well to remember that in the future," he hissed at her.

"Aaron." She jerked tighter on Sherman when she felt him try to lunge at Aaron. "Step away from the lunatic, if you please? He can't use his magic here, but he did bring you a little gift."

"Sara, what's going on?" Aaron asked.

"He's here to kill you. Aren't you, Shermie?" She pushed the blade deeper into his neck. She could not draw blood because of his high position in the kingdom, but she wanted to.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Sherman sputtered. "You were always a bit unstable, and this just proves it. Don't listen to her, Aaron. I've come here to offer you any a.s.sistance you might need as new master. I'll take this...person back to Molavonta so that she can stand trial. My kingdom has been looking for her for years. She murdered my dear mate, you know?"

"Step back, Aaron." She could see by the look on Aaron's face he was shocked about what Sherman had said. But right now she had enough to worry about other than what he may think of her. "You'll see what I'm talking about."

Aaron finally took one step back, then two more. He looked down at what the man had in his hands and along the front of his tux. He could see now that Sherman was covered in long, thin, sharp needles. Without a doubt, Sara thought, they were pure silver.

"Oh, Sara. Don't you know how the game is played?" He was smirking. She didn't have to see his face to realize that. His voice dripped with venom and hatred. "You think for one moment you can stop me? Harm me? I think not. For now, even as I stand here, my men are rallying behind me to do my bidding."

She had felt Colin move up just to her left. "You think so, Shermie? Mr. Colin, did you see any of his men?"

"Yeah, love, I'm here. And the only 'troops' we found was this group of children." She felt the man she held jerk at Colin's voice. He had absolutely believed he would be victorious in killing Aaron.

Colin and four other of his men were holding a man each who looked like they put up a good fight. The four captives were a part of the lesser guard, younger men without much experience. Colin walked up to Marcus, pulled him hard against his chest, and put his dirk to his throat.

"You shouldna bring such babies to a mons fight. Dinna have ta break a sweat to bring'em down, no fun in that."

Sara smiled to herself. Colin's accent got just a little heavier when he was mad, she thought facetiously. She would have to remember that.

"Are these your troops, Shermie? A bedraggled group to be sure." She looked at the men Colin's men were holding. They were covered in dirt and presumably their own blood. The vampires that had helped subdue them were as pristine as when they had left to help apprehend them.

"I swear if you call me that disgusting name once more, I will-"

"You'll what?" she asked him. "Right now, you are at my command. You will demand nothing, you understand, you worthless piece of s.h.i.t?" He had dared to try and hurt what she now considered hers. Not b.l.o.o.d.y likely.

"I'm royalty. I command you," he practically spit at her. "You will bow before me, you insolent human. I demand that you set me free."

Sara couldn't help it. Sara laughed at him.

Aaron clearing his throat brought her back to the situation at hand. "You've come into my home to kill me, Shermie. If so, then Sara's correct you have no rights as far as I'm concerned. What did you hope to gain by killing me, I wonder?"

Sherman said nothing. But Sara wasn't finished. She promised to save Marcus and needed to make that work for him and the men he commanded.

"Marcus, you have wounded me. You've come into my master's home like this, thinking to draw first blood. The rules of war demand a forfeit, a forfeit of a life. As this is the home of MacMa.n.u.s, he is the one to be satisfied." She turned to Aaron, and prayed reverently that this worked. "How many will it be, Mr. MacMa.n.u.s?"

"One," she whispered through his mind. She hoped that he would not ask questions. But she didn't want to take the chance of saying more to him in case Sherman could hear them. "Mr. MacMa.n.u.s? You have the rights of war that govern the Kingdom of Molavonta, the castle keep and home to the Queen of Magic. Your home has been compromised by these men," Sara explained to him when he didn't answer. "You must choose the amount you feel is owed to you."

When he looked at her, she gave him the tiniest shake of her head. Just one, she thought to herself, please just one.

"Colin, I would say one, what say you?" Aaron asked Colin. Neither man looked too confused, for which she was grateful.

"Aye, that sounds about right. We got the pleasure of beating the c.r.a.p outta these b.u.g.g.e.rs, so one should suffice."

Sara smiled again when Colin gave Marcus a good shake. Poor Marcus, she hoped he lived through Colin's manhandling. She knew from experience, he was a vigorous shaker.

"Marcus, as Master of the Guard, you choose." She hoped Marcus would be brave. She didn't want to do this, but it was the only way. "Which man will you give over?"

"Sara, you cannot ask this of me, to give up the life of one of my men. No, not you, I cannot believe it of you. I won't," he said.

"I am no longer the queen's guard, so I no longer play by her rules. Pick. I don't have all night. The sun will rise soon and my lord will need to seek his bed. Now pick one man to die," she snapped at him.

Marcus turned to the man next to him. "Jacob...?" For several tense filled moments, not a sound was made.

Jacob Donaldson was perhaps the youngest man in the group, but the most loyal to his queen, Sara knew. He was at most twenty-five, while the others were only a couple of years older, if that.

Jacob stepped forward to take the blow that would end his life. Her sweep of his mind made her respect the young man all the more.

"Yes, sir," he said. His lips wavered as he held his chin up in a show of bravery.

"Tell my wife and family that I love them very much, and will see them on the other side." Marcus turned back to Sara, resignation heavy on his face. "Me, Sara, I pick me to pay the forfeit."

The small group surrounding them stiffened in surprise. They had all thought that young Jacob was his choice. Sara shoved Sherman to the floor and stepped over his inert body to reach where Marcus now stood alone.

"So be it. May the queen honor your death, Marcus Freely, Master of Arms of the queen's Royal Guard." Sara lashed out with her own blade and slit the older man's throat with a clean slice. As he dropped to the floor, blood poured from the wound and spread out before the men, pooling beneath him in an expanding puddle.

Not a sound was made for a good thirty seconds, then in a voice devoid of any emotion, Sara said to the man lying on the floor next to her friend, "It's a shame that I can't kill you as well, you son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h. But as you did not succeed in your quest to kill my lord, then I must, by rules of your kind, let you go. However, heed this." She knelt down to him. "When we next meet, I'll not be as kind as I was to the dead man before you. Your death will be a pleasure, long and hard. I will make you suffer dearly for what you've taken from me." With a mental and physical push, he was tossed across the room a good ten feet.

"You've not heard the end of this, you f.u.c.king wh.o.r.e," Sherman said to her as he scrambled to his feet. "You think you bested me this time, but when we do meet again, I will be the one doing the killing. You won't be able to hold my magic from me. Then we'll see just who is the stronger of the two of us."

Sherman gathered himself up and left the house, abandoning the men he brought with him to be dealt with as the Master of the Realm wished.

*CHAPTER SIXTEEN*.

"Sara, there's a dead man on my floor." Aaron sounded calm, even to himself. "What do you propose we do about it?"

She had just killed a man in cold blood, sliced him while he stood in front of them and killed him. Killing men who were here for murder of their own free will was one thing, but this man had done nothing wrong but been a part of a hired force.

"Nothing yet. I want to make sure Sherman is well and truly gone first." She dropped completely to the floor from her knees, landing in the blood surrounding Marcus. Aaron believed her to be waiting for the man to die. He was reasonably sure Marcus was dead; there was too much blood for him to be otherwise.

"Colin. Colin!"

Colin turned to look at Sara, shock at what he had seen her do evident on his face, Aaron noticed. Everyone was shocked.

"Have these men taken to a cell. Colin! Are you listening? Have these men taken to a holding cell!" she snapped. Her voice was exhausted sounding.

"Yes," Colin said with a shake of his head. "Daniel, Scott, please take them below and lock them in a cell."

Colin moved to do her bidding. Aaron wondered if Colin had even noticed that he had not asked his master for permission.

After a minute or two, Sara touched Marcus. "Wake up, Marcus, you've been lazing about long enough." Aaron watched as she gave the dead man another hard poke to the ribs. "Get up, you lazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. We have things to do."

Aaron started to move forward, to pick her up and away from the body. He was sure that killing this man had pushed her over the edge of reason. When Marcus rolled over and looked up at Sara with tears in his eyes, Aaron was shocked once again, more so by the man's statement than then by the fact that he was not dead.

"You saved me," Marcus told her.

"Of course I did. I said I would, didn't I? Now get up. You're making the vamps nervous. They believe I murdered you."

"He's not dead." Colin turned to look at Aaron. "You dinna kill the mon. But the blood, all that blood. I saw you slice his throat. I donna understand."

Neither did Aaron, actually, but waited to see what she had to say.

"I couldn't kill anyone in cold blood, but I thank you for having such a high opinion of me and thinking that I could." She shrugged as if it mattered little. "When I found him among the guards, I found out he was here against his will. As are those men you took below. Sherman has their families. He's holding them captive until he succeeded in killing you, Aaron. He told me what was happening and asked that I save his family."

"My family!" Marcus jumped from the floor and toward the doors when Sara's voice stopped him.

"The queen has your family with her in the high tower of Molavonta Keep. They are all there, including your mother and that stupid dog of yours. The other men's families are there as well, safe and sound."

The man staggered slightly and Aaron leaped forward to grab him before he fell to the floor. He gently sat him down and watched the man's tears flow freely.

"The queen is sending someone to get you, and you will be reunited with them as soon as possible. The other men will need to stay here, at least for a few days. If that's all right with you?" She had turned toward Aaron as she spoke.

Aaron looked at her. Sara was pale, and her skin was clammy-looking. Then he noticed that her hands were trembling. When she noticed him staring, she put her hands in her lap and held them together.

"Oh, so now you want to involve me? How nice," Aaron growled. He was annoyed. No, he was p.i.s.sed at her. "You planned this all without as much as a word to me? Did it occur to you that I may have been killed for real had I embraced that, that mad man? That anyone in this room may have attacked you, or any other person standing here when they saw you 'pretend' to take that man's life? This blood..." He looked down at the now clean floor. He looked up at her, confused when she stood up. "Sara?"

"I didn't cut him. My knife is still upstairs in my bag. You saw what I wanted you to see," she said, and then staggered before she fell to the floor in a heap again. Aaron immediately went to her aid. She was weak; he could feel it when he touched her.

"And the others? What if they had attacked you? How would you have handled the two hundred vampires that also saw all this blood? You can barely stand now."

"No one in this room knew what she was doing. No one saw anything at all, save those of you who were involved." This voice came from just behind Aaron. He turned to see who was speaking and found himself looking at the woman from his bedroom. Had that only been yesterday afternoon? "She'll need juice, lots of juice. Using that much magic takes a great deal of energy."

"Someone go to the kitchen and have Duncan make her what he has that's fast," Aaron told the person next to him. "If he doesn't have anything, send someone who can move quickly to get it for her. Tell him to bring whatever he has right now, quickly please."

As a younger vamp took off into the kitchen, Aaron looked around the room and saw that Mel was correct. Everyone was mingling and talking as if nothing was out of the ordinary. In fact, other than the occasional glance their way, no one seemed to be paying the slightest bit attention to them.

"How is that possible?" He asked Mel as she moved closer to the group.

"I told you she was very strong yesterday. Sara made everyone standing here believe that she'd killed Marcus, the knife slicing through him, spilling his blood on the floor. Also, the house itself has been held. Whatever wasn't a vampire, their magic was taken from them and left at the door. So as soon as Sherman entered, he was magically powerless against her."

Aaron looked down at the woman in his arms. "That still doesn't explain why I wasn't warned. I could have helped you. I should have helped you." He handed her the juice off the tray Duncan had brought in. He had perhaps nine full gla.s.ses of juice there, varying in colors and smells.

"I needed you to believe he was harmless," Sara said after draining the first gla.s.s. "Had I given you a warning, let you know what he was up to, he would have read that in you and acted accordingly. He would have simply thrown himself against you at first opportunity."