Rhys slapped her on the back. "You are both as stubborn as a pair of cart horses. Sometimes I think you deserve each other, and that I had a lucky escape."

Rosalind stopped walking. "Now, that is the first sensible thing you've said all day."

He looked down at her, a smile lingering on his lips. "I'm beginning to think you are right. How will you feel seeing me find another woman to adore?"

She touched his hand and closed her fingers around his. "I'll feel happy for you, once I get over being unreasonably jealous and wanting to stick my dagger in the unfortunate woman."

He kissed the top of her head. "Cariad, there will always be a corner of my heart dedicated to you."

"I know. It would have been much easier if I hadn't met Christopher, wouldn't it?"

"But it was always your destiny to do so. Don't you remember the prophecy?"

"Oh, the prophecy." Rosalind sighed and dutifully recited, " 'The kiss of the rose is death to kin, and three will stand alone. The bonds of blood will reunite and enemies become one.' I suppose that did come true, after all. You, Elias, and Christopher supported me, and we did kill the rogue Vampire."

"Don't forget the part about your and Lord Christopher's blood bond." Rhys held open the door for her and Rosalind blinked at the sunlight. "Thanks to the prophecy, you are bound to Lord Christopher in other ways as well, aren't you?"

Rosalind made a face. "Don't remind me."

"It is quite amusing, my lady."

"For you perhaps." She sketched him a curtsy. "I must go and present myself to Lady Anne Boleyn."

Rhys paused. "Take care of yourself, and watch out for her brother, too. I have a suspicion he is dangerous."

"Don't worry. I'll keep as far away from them as I can without calling attention to myself." Rosalind picked up her skirts and started back toward the guest apartments. If she was lucky, Christopher would be dancing attendance on the Boleyns as well. She had no choice but to talk to him, but it was a risk. He already knew her far too well, and had no compunction in using all his wiles to extract information from her.

She found herself smiling at the mere thought of matching her wits against his and ruthlessly suppressed it. She would not let him charm or bully her. Despite his explanation about the letters, Christopher still had a lot to answer for.

Christopher sat in the window seat ostensibly strumming his lute, but actually watching who came and went from Anne Boleyn's chambers. Because of his peculiar heritage, he could sometimes sense the presence of Vampires, even the old ones. It was a bitter legacy from his mother, who'd turned Vampire during his birth and tried to turn him with her.

There were certainly more Vampires at court than there had been previously, especially around the Boleyns. Christopher wasn't sure why, but it worried him. He struck a discordant note and rearranged his fingers more gently on the fret board. When he looked up he saw Rosalind coming into the rooms. She glanced across at an oblivious Anne Boleyn and then headed straight for him.

"Christopher." She held out her hands and smiled at him.

The glory of that smile coupled with the melting softness in her fine brown eyes made him instantly suspicious. He propped the lute against the window and rose to kiss her hand. "My lady. What a pleasure it is to see you."

She simpered and looked away from him, her hand still in his. "I am to serve the Lady Anne."

Christopher squeezed her hand. "That is a great . . . honor." He didn't need to tell her that his sympathies were divided between Queen Katherine and his old friends the Boleyns. Rosalind slipped her hand through his arm and he obediently strolled beside her out into the wide hallways.

"Lady Anne said that she knew you well."

"That is true. I met all the Boleyns when I visited the French court with my uncle."

"Ah, I wondered where you had formed that acquaintance."

"I have not seen them for several years. It was quite a surprise when Lady Anne appeared to capture the king's interest."

"A surprise to many, I suspect."

He drew her out of an open doorway and into the knot garden to the south of the building. "I assume you do not approve." She glanced up at him, her gaze wary, and he smiled. "It's all right; you can still speak freely to me. I'll never betray your confidences."

"Yet you are friends with the woman who, for all intents and purposes, has usurped the queen's position."

"I must confess, my loyalties are torn. I am very fond of Anne, but I truly hope to see Queen Katherine restored to her rightful place and the end of this dalliance of the king's." He frowned. "I'm not sure what Anne hopes to achieve. I fear she is after the crown."

"I fear that you are right." Rosalind shivered. "And yet, how can that be accomplished?"

Christopher lowered his voice. "I believe the king is well on the path to dissolving his marriage. Even though Cardinal Wolsey failed him, he is now plotting with his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, an intelligent, well-learned man and one the queen should fear."

"And the Lady Anne is aware of this?"

"She is no fool, Rosalind. She is probably pushing the king as hard as she can."

Rosalind stopped and bent to pick a sprig of rosemary. The pungent scent reminded Christopher of his Spanish childhood.

"I hear that Lady Anne refuses to become the king's mistress as her sister did."

"From my observations as a member of the king's inner household, I believe that is true." He leaned close as if to smell the rosemary and whispered, "To the best of my knowledge, she is refusing to let him in her bed."

Rosalind arched her neck and his mouth brushed her ear, making his heart beat faster and his body react in more primitive ways. "I wish you would let me in your bed, Rosalind."

She dropped the rosemary on the ground and moved away from him. He had to wait a moment to compose himself before following her. She had the most delectable effect on his senses. He wanted to breathe in her scent, cover her naked flesh with kisses, thrust his aching prick into her warm, wet tightness . . .

He looked up to find her staring at him and he stared right back. Let her see the warmth in his eyes, the need, and the lust, whatever she wanted. He couldn't lose her again. She held his heart in her hands. "I want you, Rosalind."

She sighed. "It's never been a question of 'want,' has it, Christopher? Since our first joining on the Beltane altar, I have known we were destined to love each other. I'll always want you." He took a more confident step toward her, and she backed up two. "But we are still on different sides. How can I trust you when you are allied with the Vampires?"

He spread his hands wide. "What do you want me to do, Rosalind-walk away from every loyalty, from every pledge I've ever made? What kind of man would I be if I did that? Not the kind you should love."

"But that is what you expect me to do, isn't it?" Rosalind demanded. "How well would you love me if I was capable of giving up everything for you?" She obviously saw something in his face that made her continue. "You think that because I am a woman, I should cleave unto you and no other."

She looked away from him and picked a piece of lavender, crushed the fragrant flowers between her finger and thumb. Christopher took a deep breath.

"If I told you that I am reconsidering my current loyalties, would that help?"

"What?" Her head shot up and she blinked at him.

He caught up with her and took her arm again, continued their walk along the neat graveled path with its red rope tile border. "I am throwing myself on your mercy, Rosalind. I fear the Vampires have a sinister aim that I cannot in conscience support. And worse, they are so sure of success this time that they can afford to ignore their allies, even the Ellis family."

Rosalind stared at him openmouthed until he continued. "I have been told almost nothing. Apparently, I am suspect because of my name, and because I am allied to you."

"Who told you that?"

"Both Elias Warner and my uncle. I suspect my uncle is playing a deep game. In recent years he seemed to have lost faith in the Vampires and reckoned himself far superior, but now . . ." Christopher let that thought die. He might be suspicious of his uncle, but he still owed some loyalty to his kin. "By the way, Elias Warner sends his greetings to you."

"I'm sure he does. He must be ecstatic."

Christopher found himself smiling. "He is and that is extremely worrying."

Rosalind let out her breath. "The Druids also fear there is a plot. That is why my cousin Jasper Llewellyn sent for me."

Christopher tried to look smug. "I knew you'd come back someday. I hoped it would be because of me, but I'll accept a dire threat from the Vampire community instead."

"Unfortunately, Jasper should have reacted more quickly. If we aren't very lucky indeed, it might be too late."

"What do you mean?"

She stared at him as if he were a complete fool. "Lady Anne Boleyn, of course."

"What are you suggesting?"

"She's a Vampire, Christopher, or haven't you noticed?"

He laughed in her face and took several hasty steps away, his expression incredulous. "You believe Anne Boleyn is a Vampire? That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard."

With some difficulty, Rosalind maintained her composure. "I don't think it, my lord-I know it."

She wrinkled her nose. "That's why Jasper asked for me. I have a better sense of smell than all the male Druid hunters. Lady Anne smells like honeysuckle."

"But how can this be? I've known Anne and her family for years."

"So I understand." Rosalind watched him carefully. "Are you sure that you suspected nothing?"

His stunned amusement turned to anger. "Are you suggesting I've known Anne was a Vampire all along?"

"It is possible, my lord. You are trained to protect your Vampire allies, aren't you?"

He marched across to her and towered over her. "On my honor, I've never sensed anything from Anne."

"I suspect your talent for recognizing Vampires is tied mainly to those of your blood."

"Are you making excuses for me now?" He glared at her. "And they aren't really of my blood, you know that."

Christopher might argue the point, and he probably always would, but the fact was that he could access the minds of his mother and her lover's blood family. In truth, his ability to detect the Spanish Vampire's thoughts had contributed to her demise.

She touched his ornately embroidered black sleeve. "Christopher, I have to be careful, you know that. We both have to be careful."

His muscles flexed beneath his sleeve. "If what you say is true-and I'm still not sure I believe it-then the king is indeed in danger."

Rosalind stiffened. "How can you not believe me? Is your loyalty to the Boleyn family greater than your loyalty to me?"

He pulled out of her grasp and turned away from her. "You don't understand. They were one of the few families that ever welcomed me, who treated me as a friend."

"I find it difficult to believe that such an alliance is more important to you than I am."

"You said it yourself, Rosalind. We both have to be careful. And as you spend every single moment telling me why we cannot be together, you are a fine one to talk." He bowed. "If you will excuse me, my lady, I believe I need to go back and speak to my uncle."

"And leave me here?"

"I fear I must. Can you not return to the Lady Anne's apartments by yourself?"

Rosalind picked up her skirts. "You are too gallant, sir. I'm quite certain that I can find my way back."

With some difficulty, Christopher bit back a retort and strode off toward his uncle's chamber. It was interesting that he'd learned more from Rosalind than he had from his own family. He frowned as he considered her startling statement about Anne Boleyn. But he had learned last year that Rosalind's nose didn't lie . . .

And he'd also learned something else; Rosalind wasn't as indifferent to him as she pretended to be. His future wasn't looking too promising, what with the Mithras Cult set to kill him and his current dilemma about the Vampires, but the thought of Rosalind returning his love at least gave him hope.

Christopher strode back into his uncle's presence without knocking. Edward looked up from his book, but didn't seem surprised at how quickly Christopher had returned.

"Uncle, I hear that there is indeed a plot to subjugate the king through the Lady Anne Boleyn."

"Who told you that?"

"Someone who should know."

"That was quick." His uncle smiled. "I saw you walking with the Vampire slayer."

"What she told me is irrelevant. How far are you prepared to go to support the Vampires in this venture? Do you truly wish to see the whole kingdom come under Vampire rule?"

Edward folded his hands together as if in prayer. "It has long been our family's duty to support the Vampires in their desires."

"And what exactly does that mean? I thought we were allied with the Vampires to defeat the Druids, not advance the annihilation of the human race in England!"

"Perhaps the total defeat of the Druids comes at a terrible price, nephew."

"I hope to God that it doesn't, Uncle."

His uncle's expression hardened. "I will be interested to see how you intend to stop it, Christopher, seeing as you are bound by sacred vows to destroy Druids and support the Vampires."

"You forget-I've also made sacred vows to Rosalind Llewellyn, sir."

His uncle frowned. "Are you suggesting that those vows are as important as the others you have made?"

"Of course they are. You can't have it both ways. Either I keep all my vows or none of them."

"But that is impossible."

"I know." Christopher bowed. "I wish you to understand something, sir. I will continue to protect the Vampires from the Druids. I will not aid them in taking over my king and my country."

Edward nodded. "Then we will be at odds, Christopher, and there will be a reckoning between us."

Christopher gazed at the man who had raised him and felt not a twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry for that, sir, but you taught me that eventually a man has to stand up for what he believes. We just don't happen to believe in the same things anymore."

His uncle stirred in his chair and his blue eyes narrowed. "You do understand that the only way out of the Mithras Cult is through your death?"

"I'm aware of that." Christopher nodded. "I'll have to take my chances with the council when they meet, won't I?"