"I belong to that family, yes. But what does that have to do with you?"

Anne laughed softly. "Oh, Kit, you are so amusing. I know why you are here. The Vampire Council sent you to protect me, didn't they?"

Rather than look down at Anne, Christopher contemplated the hazy skyline and the spire of the local church. "Is that what they told you?"

"They didn't need to tell me. I already knew your family protected Vampires."

Christopher took a deep breath. "Until recently, I didn't even realize you were a Vampire."

"Did you not? I assumed your uncle would have told you."

Christopher had no intention of revealing his uncle's lack of faith in him. "You have been a Vampire this whole time I have known you?"

Anne patted his cheek. "Dear, sweet Kit, I have been a Vampire for the last three hundred years or so. That is why there isn't an accurate record of my birth into the Boleyn family. We manufactured something, of course, but I understand the dates were rather muddled."

"And George, too?"

"I turned George." Anne's smile turned sensual. "He has become quite important to me."

"Ah." Christopher contemplated his next move. Anne was in a remarkably confiding mood, so perhaps he should take advantage of it. "My lady, what exactly are you and the Vampire Council planning to do with the king?"

She stopped walking and faced him. "Surely you know." "I'd rather you told me in your own words."

"Then the Council didn't send you."

"In a manner of speaking. My uncle compelled my presence here at court."

"Your uncle Edward is a cunning and devious man."

"He is, indeed." Christopher paused and made himself look into her dark eyes. If the eyes were indeed a window into a person's soul, Anne's soul appeared to be shrouded in blackness. "You still haven't told me your intentions."

Anne licked her lips, and he caught a glimpse of her fangs. "If you don't know what the Council asked of me, I'm not going to enlighten you."

"I only wished to warn you that when the Vampire Council is involved, things are not always as straightforward as they might seem."

She laughed in his face. "Are you suggesting I could get hurt, Kit?"

"I'm suggesting that you should have a care for your safety. Even here at court, Vampires are not without enemies."

Anne continued walking again, now seeking the leafy shade of the trees. Up close, Christopher could clearly see the thick coating of white leaded powder she used to protect her face and neck from the power of the sun.

"I assume you are talking about those ridiculous Druids your family hunts."

He pictured Rosalind in full fighting mode and imagined her facing Anne. "I wouldn't sound so contemptuous, my lady. They are a force to be reckoned with."

Anne lifted her chin and gave him a short curtsy. "I appreciate the warning, Kit, but nothing will stand in my way. And with you to protect me, what do I have to fear? Perhaps I will see you later." She turned on her heel and marched back toward her apartments, her entourage immediately surrounding her like a swarm protecting their queen.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, my lady," Christopher murmured. He hadn't gained as much information as he'd wanted, but he had confirmed that Anne was up to no good and allied with the Vampire Council. He stared at the departing courtiers, a hollow feeling in his gut. It seemed he had to take a stand against his former friends, to take this information to his Druid allies and hope they would use it wisely. Even though he knew it was the right thing to do, he still hated it.

Rosalind paused to look up as an owl hooted from the top of one of the elaborately twisted brick chimneys that adorned Hampton Court. There was no sign of any other disturbance, so she continued on her way, using the outside hedge of the maze as her guide toward the apple orchard where Rhys had told her to meet him. There were no lights in the palace gardens. Most of the court was either still carousing in the great hall or abed.

She heard a blackbird's call and smiled. Rhys was ahead of her, which at least meant she was going in the right direction. She whistled back, and bent her head to avoid the low branches of the first of the apple trees. The blossoms had long gone and the hard buds of the apples now adorned every leafy branch.

"Rosalind?"

She made her way toward Rhys, who waited beside an old shack that smelled sweetly of cider and pressed apples. Beside him stood Jasper, who inclined his head a formal inch.

"Is Christopher here yet?"

"I'm right behind you, my lady." Rosalind turned as Christopher emerged from the gloom. His expression was pleasant, but his blue eyes were guarded. He stopped beside her, one hand resting on his dagger. "Master Williams, Master Llewellyn."

Rhys stuck out his hand. "It is good to see you again, my lord."

Christopher returned the handshake. "It is good to see you too, Rhys. Thank you for taking care of my lady."

Rhys snorted. "I would like to say it was a pleasure, but you know how she is."

Rosalind sighed. It seemed they were back to jesting about her again, but at least that was better than fighting. "Jasper, have you met Lord Christopher Ellis?"

"Indeed, I have."

"He will be working with us to bring down the Boleyns."

Jasper frowned. "Verily? I heard he was ordered by the Vampire Council to protect them."

"Who told you that?" Rosalind asked.

"I believe it was Elias Warner." Jasper opened his hands wide. "There is no reason for him to lie about such a thing, is there?"

Christopher took Rosalind's hand. "Elias always lies. He enjoys it. I am not in favor with the Vampire Council, nor am I in league with the Boleyns."

Jasper didn't look convinced, but at least he kept quiet. Rosalind was just about to continue when Rhys interrupted her.

"Can you prove you've not working with the Boleyns?"

Christopher let go of Rosalind's hand and squared up to Rhys. "I can give you my word that I am not."

"But why would you offer to help us bring down another Vampire?"

"For my own good reasons. Reasons that I have no intention of sharing with you."

Rosalind stepped between them and placed a hand on each of their chests. "If you intend to fight, I will work with Jasper and ignore you both." She turned to Rhys. "I believe Christopher, and that is enough for me."

Rhys patted her arm. "All right, my lady."

"Thank you."

Jasper bowed. "I, however, cannot ally myself with a Druid killer. Now that you are back, Lady Rosalind, there is no longer any need for me to guard the king. However, I pledge you my support, and I will help you in any way I can before I leave."

"Thank you, Jasper." Rosalind wasn't surprised that Jasper had refused to help them. He had always struck her as a remarkably inflexible man. And perhaps it was unfair to blame him. It had taken her a long time to get used to the idea of working with one of her family's enemies. "Perhaps, before you go, you could tell us anything you know about the Boleyns' unusual habits."

Jasper hesitated. "I suspect the Lady Anne and her brother hunt for their food together at night."

"Why do you think that?"

"It is just that occasionally I get a sense that magic is being used. You know how it is possible to feel it in the air? And sometimes the Lady Anne's servants and clique seem a little dazed in the morning, as if they have slept rather more heavily than usual."

Rhys nodded. "It is certainly possible. Perhaps we should start by watching the Lady Anne at night. If we can catch her and her brother outside while they were feeding, we might be able to dispose of them without anyone knowing we were involved."

"That would be ideal," Rosalind agreed. She glanced at Christopher and saw a hint of distaste on his face. It must be hard for him to hear them discuss the death of two of his friends so casually. "Whatever we do, we must make sure we do not expose ourselves to the king's gaze."

"I agree," Christopher said. "Best to keep this as quiet as possible."

Jasper ignored Christopher and turned to Rosalind and Rhys. "I will leave you to your plans and wish you good fortune." He bowed and disappeared back into the gloom.

Rosalind watched him leave. "I didn't really expect him to stay."

"Neither did I. We don't need him," Rhys said. "We've dealt with worse than this."

"Not much worse," Rosalind muttered. "We have two Vampires to kill this time, and because of their familial link, we'll have to try and dispose of them at the same time, or they will warn each other off."

Christopher cleared his throat. "George isn't actually her brother."

"She told you that?"

"Indeed, she said she turned him herself, which means they are linked by blood-"

"But not quite so closely."

Christopher took Rosalind's hand and brought it to his lips. "It makes no difference. We will succeed. We have to. Lady Anne is definitely working with the Vampire Council, and she is very confident of success."

Rosalind snatched her fingers away. "Anne has been very confiding, has she not?"

"You knew I was going to speak to her."

"But did you succeed in changing her mind?"

His expression sobered. "No, she seemed quite convinced she was going to succeed."

"Then we'll have to kill her, won't we?"

"You make it sound so very . . . final, Rosalind."

She met his gaze. "It has to be."

He sighed. "I suppose it does."

Before Rosalind could challenge him about his divided loyalties again, Rhys cleared his throat. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you both tomorrow night."

Christopher nodded. "That is agreeable to me."

Rhys grinned. "I thought it might be." He started back toward the palace, leaving Rosalind staring at Christopher. He smiled at her and held out his hand.

"Shall we walk back together?"

Even though Rosalind wasn't wearing skirts, she curtsied. "That would be very pleasant, sir."

"We'll be quite safe as long as we are quiet and don't draw attention to ourselves."

She glanced up at his moonlit profile. "Well, I don't intend to make a spectacle."

His soft laughter warmed her. Sometimes, when they were alone like this, she could almost imagine a future for them together, hand in hand, mind linked to mind . . .

The scent of apple blossom drifted past her nose and she shoved Christopher to one side. "Look out!"

A dark shape dropped down out of the tree in front of her, followed by another and then another. Christopher didn't hesitate to draw his sword and line up beside her. Rosalind brandished her dagger and slowly backed away from the approaching Vampires. She couldn't smell honeysuckle or fox, so it wasn't the Boleyns.

Beside her, Christopher cursed. "Why does this happen whenever I'm with you?"

"I rather thought it was the other way around." Rosalind glanced over her shoulder, but there didn't appear to be any more Vampires behind them. "If you don't want to help me, I understand-just stay out of my way."

"Of course I'll help-I have no wish to see you skewered."

Rosalind laughed. "There are only three of them. I can take them all."

The first Vampire moved in, fangs extended, long blond hair blowing in the breeze. Rosalind waited until the female sprang and moved swiftly to her left, catching the Vampire's shoulder with a slash of her dagger. The female screamed and twisted back toward Rosalind, claws extended, fetid breath hissing out.

In her side vision, she observed the second female Vampire launch herself at Christopher. He brought his sword up and parried the blow, stopping the Vampire in midflight. She knew Christopher was an excellent fighter, but always worried whenever he engaged with the Vampires, particularly the females. With a start, she returned her attention to her own problems and recoiled as one of the female Vampire's claws caught her cheek. She pivoted and stabbed her assailant through the heart.

Before she could even kick the body away, the third of the trio was on her back. Strong bony fingers wrapped around her throat, choking the breath out of her. Rosalind staggered under the weight of the male Vampire and went down on one knee. She struggled to breathe, and everything started to go black. She brought her dagger upward and slashed at the Vampire's fingers.

With a howl of pain, the Vampire's grip loosened, and Rosalind was able to roll to one side and finish the Vampire off. As she fought to stay conscious through the muddle of blood and the smell of dying rat, she saw that Christopher's opponent was now headless and on the ground.

He ran across to her, his bloodied sword still out, his gaze intent. "Are you all right?"

She was about to answer him when his expression changed. "Move!"

She rolled to one side and the ground disappeared beneath her. As she fell, she saw his sword blade flash past her head and decapitate the blond female Vampire she had partially killed. When she opened her eyes she was staring up at the night sky from the bottom of the sizable ditch that edged the apple field.

"Are you injured?"

She blinked and looked up to see Christopher sliding down the bank of the ditch, his boots crunching through the dead leaves and branches. He had sheathed his sword. She hoped he'd had the good sense to make sure all the Vampires were separated from their heads.

"Rosalind!"

His impatient shout formed in her mind and lingered there. He knelt beside her and she simply stared up at him.

"You have been practicing. I can hear you in my head."