Luc crossed the room to place his hand on Wilfredo's shoulder. "Even without the benefit of your memory, you have managed to uphold our beliefs more faithfully than either Jacoby or I have."

"I have taken many false steps and erred on many occasions for far longer than I should have, but I have done my best, Lord."

"You have carried out the duties of your office in a most n.o.ble and honorable manner. Of those of us here from the Crystal Falls, you have stayed truest to our original purpose. Your innate devotion to our clan's creed humbles me. Rise and receive my grateful thanks. I am sure Jacoby will add his very shortly."

Jace, watching impatiently, swallowed hard several times before he could speak without shouting. There was something about this Luc that commanded respect. "Someone...please help her."

Wilfredo turned to him. "She is not dead, Jason."

"But she is dying. I can feel her life force seeping out of her body."

Wilfredo rose and went to kneel beside him. He placed one hand on Jace's shoulder while moving his other hand over Tatiana's body. "She is almost gone."

"Help her, Wilfredo. Please. Don't let her die."

"Do not despair, Jason. She is a descendant of an ancient clan from our home world. While there is life in me, she will not die." Closing his eyes, Wilfredo began to chant in a soft, foreign language. After several moments, he rocked slowly back and forth. His chanting gradually increased in volume. It went on for some time. At some portions his chanting was slow and measured. At other points he chanted in short, rapid bursts.

After what felt like a lifetime, Tatiana stirred. Finally, as Wilfredo opened his eyes and withdrew his hand, easing the bow from her chest, she opened her eyes.

She looked up at him. "Jason? What happened?"

His throat muscles constricted. He looked at Wilfredo, a question in his eyes.

Wilfredo, looking pale, smiled. "She is all right, Jason."

Tears spilled down his cheeks. He lifted Tatiana in his arms and held her gently, brushing his lips against her hair. "It's all right, love. You're all right."

Wilfredo rose. His knees buckled and he would have fallen except that, without seeming to move, Luc was suddenly at his side, keeping him on his feet.

"Thank you, my Lord," Wilfredo murmured. "It has been a long time since I attempted a healing on such a gravely injured person."

"It is good to see you are beginning to remember the ancient ways. Come, we will meet with Jacoby. There is much the three of us need to discuss."

Jace reached out to Wilfredo, the man who was the only father he knew. Are you going to be all right?

Wilfredo smiled. Yes. It will take more than one healing before you need have cause for concern for me, Jason. Stay with your woman while you both heal.

It was only after he picked Tatiana up and carried her to his spare bedroom and Wilfredo and Luc had left that Jace remembered Carollina. Tatiana lay in his arms, asleep. He eased her onto her side and sat up. Neither of them would be safe until he made sure Carollina was dead. He shuddered at the thought of possibly having to finish her off. How could he kill the woman he had loved for so long? He glanced at Tat. To protect her, he would do what he had to.

As he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the bedroom door was kicked in. A tall vampire with dark hair, blue eyes and light brown skin stood in the doorway, his eyes glowing, his incisors bared.

Jace swore softly and advanced across the room to face him. "Who the h.e.l.l are you?"

"Get the h.e.l.l out of my way." The vampire backhanded him without breaking his stride, sending him flying across the room. "Tat!"

By the time Jace regained his feet, the vampire kneeled on the bed, cradling Tat in his arms. "Tat? Are you all right? Speak to me. Please!"

Jace realized the vampire must be her twin brother Andrei.

Jace stood by the bed, watching. He saw Tatiana's hands move against Andrei's back, then she spoke. "Andrei. It's all right... I'm all right."

He lifted his head and looked down at her, noting her bloodstained top. Jace saw his shoulders shaking. Tatiana pulled out of his arms and pulled him down onto the bed with her, holding him in his arms. "Don't, Drei. I'm all right."

"You're not all right. You nearly died. I felt this piercing pain in my chest and I knew you were injured and dying." He pulled away from her and exploded off the bed. "Who did this to you?" He spun around and bared his incisors at Jace.

"No! He didn't do it, Drei."

"Then who did?"

Her lips quivered and she pressed a hand against her mouth. Jace crossed the room and put an arm around her shoulders. She turned her face against his body.

He met Andrei's burning gaze. "He's in the next bedroom. I killed him."

Andrei narrowed his gaze. "And just who the h.e.l.l are you?"

Jace, tired and longing to take Tatiana to a place where they could be alone, snapped. "I'm the man in love with her."

"Not very good at protecting her, are you?" Andrei leveled a finger at him. "You'd better be glad she didn't die. If she had-"

Tat jerked up her head. "Enough, Andrei! It's not his fault. It was Veelee."

"Vee... Veelee? She did this?"

Tatiana sighed. "She attacked Jace and when I intervened-"

"So you got hurt protecting him? What the h.e.l.l do you see in these weak human men you have to protect?"

His taunt stabbed into Jace like a knife. Jace bared his incisors.

Don't respond, she pleaded. He's just upset and afraid because we're so close and he knows I almost died. Bear with him. She drew out of his arms and went to face her brother. "Go check on Tim and-"

"Timbersmith? Are you telling me he did this to you?"

She nodded.

"I'll kill him!"

"I already did that," Jace pointed out.

"Then you should have killed him before he injured Tat, not after."

"Andrei. He's in the other bedroom and Veelee is-I threw her through the other bedroom window and she fell. Check her, but be very careful."

"You'll be all right with this ninety-pound weakling here?"

"Andrei. Go!"

He kissed her cheek, squeezed her tightly and then left the room.

Tat turned back to Jace, opening her arms.

He closed the distance between them and lifted her off her feet. He carried her to the bed, where he drew her into his arms. "He's right. I didn't do a very good job of protecting you. When you told me to get rid of the charm I wouldn't, and that's how she kept invading my dreams. If I had listened to you, none of this would have happened."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. I'm much older than you and I was caught off guard. I knew when I saw Tim several weeks ago that something was wrong. I knew he had aligned himself with a group of Vamptues. They're bad news, as they are almost always nocturene. I knew that, but I did nothing to find out how deep his a.s.sociation with them went, or who had provided the blood for his blood tattoo. Had I done that, I would have known that Veelee was his mistress and been wary of him.

"I sensed his arrival tonight but viewed it more as an annoyance than a cause for alarm. I let my guard down and nearly got us both killed."

"No." He kissed her cheek. "It wasn't your fault."

"I just want to go to sleep. Hold me, Jace."

The bedroom door swung open and Jace looked up. "What the h.e.l.l do you want now?"

"To kill your sorry a.s.s."

A vampire with bronze skin, blue eyes and long dreadlocks filled the bedroom doorway. The rage he sensed told him the vampire he faced was Vladimir Madison. Oh s.h.i.t, could this night get any worse?

He released Tatiana and slid off the bed, looking around the room for a weapon to use to protect himself.

"Vladimir, no! Please!" Tatiana begged. "Do you know what we've just been through?"

He didn't respond but stalked across the room toward Jace.

Oh, s.h.i.t. Jace put his back against the wall and prepared to have his a.s.s kicked.

Andrei flashed into the room and stood in front of him, facing the advancing Vladimir. "Back off, Vlad."

Andrei, who had minutes earlier seemed on the verge of strangling him, was now standing in his defense?

"Get out of the way, Andrei. That's the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who attacked Aleksei when he thought he was me."

Jace saw Andrei stiffen and stifled a groan. Was he going to have to appear weak in front of Tatiana by calling out to Wilfredo for a second time in one night?

"Makefield?" Andrei threw a hard glance over his shoulder at him. Jace met Andrei' s gaze briefly and saw the promise of an a.s.s whipping to come.

He shrugged. No longer able to fight off his weariness, he slid down the wall to sit on the floor. He knew either one of the brothers were going to beat his a.s.s, but he doubted that either would kill him with Tatiana there. It wouldn't be the first or the last time he'd have his a.s.s kicked by a full-blood vampire-until he was one himself.

Andrei turned back to Vladimir. "What do you plan to do about it?" "Kill his a.s.s." Andrei shook his head. "Not tonight... not unless you're planning to kill me first." "What? Boy, are you going to stand there and challenge me over a hunter? Have you lost your mind?" "I despise him, but Tat clearly has feelings for his sorry a.s.s, however incomprehensible that might be. She nearly died tonight trying to protect him. The only way you're getting to him is through me." "And what makes you think I won't go through you?" "Oh, you might try, but don't let that 'boy' s.h.i.t go to your head, big brother. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself while protecting Tat's bloodl.u.s.t." "I never said he was my bloodl.u.s.t," Tatiana protested. Jace groaned. d.a.m.n her. If it was the last thing he did, he'd make her admit how she felt about him. "Then you won't mind if I kill his a.s.s myself." Andrei swung around and s.n.a.t.c.hed Jace up from the floor. "Touch him and I will beat your a.s.s all the way to Virginia and back," she snapped. Andrei tossed him against the wall. "Watch it." Jace bolted to his feet. "I am sick and tired of you d.a.m.n vampires." He pointed at both of the males. "Get the f.u.c.k out of my place-now!" Andrei bared his incisors. "I'm going to kick your d.a.m.ned, sorry, lily-white a.s.s all over this town." "Get in line," Vladimir shot back. Andrei glared at Jace and then crossed the room to the bed where Tatiana sat. He leaned down and the two embraced for several long moments. "The nocturene is dead," he told her in a soft voice. Jace closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. Carollina. Oh G.o.d, Carollina. "And...Tim?" "Deader than a doornail," he said, sounding pleased. Jace heard her gulp in a deep breath. "He wasn't worth crying over, Tat." "I loved him," she whispered. The words struck Jace with the force of a bullet. "He wasn't worthy of your love, but I'm sorry you'

re hurt, Tat." "I know, Drei...I know...and his body?" "Vlad and I will take care of both bodies. You rest, and if you need me, Tat... " She nodded. "How is Coda?" "We're going to have to talk about her and that blond bimbo you sent after her." "How is she?" "She's not with him. Now go to sleep and stay the h.e.l.l out of my personal life." They heard running in the hall, then a voice calling out, "Police!" Andrei groaned. "Vlad and I will handle the police." He looked at Tat. "You rest." She nodded. Jace slid down the wall, his heart aching at the final loss of Carollina. "Come to bed, Jason, and we can grieve together." He opened his eyes and walked to the bed. She pulled him in beside her, and they drifted off to sleep in each other arms.

Chapter Thirteen.

When Tat woke the next morning, she was alone in the bed. But the bedroom was far from empty. Palea, Andrei, Vlad, Katie, Mikhel, Serge and Aleksei all stood around the bed, staring at her. Every pair of eyes trained on her held concern.

She smiled at Palea. "Mother."

Palea bent and kissed her. "You are well? Yes? When Vladimir called and told me of your close call... I nearly died."

She kissed Palea's cheek. "I'm feeling a little groggy and weak, but otherwise fine." She looked at Aleksei. "Thanks to Santiago. He saved my life, Sei."

Aleksei nodded. "So I've been told."

"By who?"

"Luc."

"So our feud with him is over?"

Palea answered. "Yes. When I leave here I must go pay my respects and offer my humble thanks for your life. I am told there is a lot we have to learn of our shared past."

Tat frowned. "With Santiago?"

"Of the ancient clan from which we are descended."

"Clan?"

Palea squeezed her hand. "When I understand... I will share what I have learned with you all."

Tat nodded and looked at Serge. Tall and handsome with dark hair and gray eyes, he was the youngest of her brothers. She smiled and extended her hand. "I'm glad to see you safe, Serge."

Palea stepped aside and Serge took Tat's hand in his. "And I'm glad you're safe, as well."

"I understand you had problems in Africa?"

His eyes narrowed. "I had a little trouble with an ex-girlfriend. Her name is Diana, although she's calling herself Bellemonte now. I dated her before I met Derri. She didn't take our breakup well. And thanks to Deoctra, she is now a vampire with a grudge."

"She brought her across?"

"Yes. I admit, I might have started the process during my feast, but Deoctra finished it."

Tat narrowed her gaze. She might have to seek out this Deoctra and kill her a.s.s. She studied Serge's handsome face in silence for several moments. "What happened?"

"She followed me to Africa and managed to slip something in my water that knocked me out. But before she could have her wicked way with me, the guys from the team I sponsor found us." He grinned and shook his head. "They're young, but they're fearless. Can you picture six fifteen-year-old, inner city males fighting off a vampire?

"Five of them held her off with sticks and furniture and whatever else they could get their hands on, while the sixth one slapped the h.e.l.l out of me until I revived." His smile vanished. "And then I kicked her G.o.dd.a.m.ned a.s.s."

"Is she going to become a problem?"

Katie answered, her eyes glowing, her incisors bared. "Not if she wants to live. I sent her a message warning her that Serge might choose to forgive her, but I won't. If I ever see her again, I'll rip out her throat."

Tat smiled. "And well you should." She glanced around the room and moistened her lips before speaking again. "Where's Jason?"