Jared looked at Micky. "Then we just won't go into the community center Halloween night for any reason."

"But her dream is prophetic," Sorley said, the slightest panic in his voice.

Ronan pinpointed his worried friend with a stern look. "Even prophetic dreams can be changed. Now that we know what may happen on Halloween night, we have a defense against it."

"So you don't see anything else in the dream after the fire?" Erin asked.

A sheen of tears made Clarissa's eyes look glassy. "Not a thing. The sound of the screams sends me running, then I pop out of the dream. I'm ashamed because I'm running and my heart fills with excruciating pain."

Ronan reached under the table and covered her small hand with his much larger one, pressing gently. She glanced over at him, tears threatening. He wanted to draw her into his arms and assure this woman he could keep her safe.

"I knew you all lived here or at least were visiting," Clarissa said. "I went to the restaurant at Jekyl's and talked with Chessie. I also knew I could trust her, because I've known her all my life. When I described you she told me your names. By going to the community center the other night I'd hoped some of you would be there. When I saw you there, protesting against the Halloween party, I realized the dream was genuine once and for all." Clarissa shook her head. "I'm sorry I brought this bad news to you."

Lachlan stood, then held up the empty wine bottle. "I think we might need another one of these."

As Lachlan went into the kitchen, the table seemed too silent to Ronan. Too sedate and willing to let things lie. He waited to speak until Lachlan returned with the wine. Lachlan refilled his glass, Micky and Erin's glasses, then poured some for Ronan. The others decided they wouldn't indulge.

Ronan picked up his wine goblet and studied the intoxicating liquid. Intoxicating for everyone but vampires. He took a long sip.

"There's more for you to know, Clarissa," Erin said.

Lachlan slid his arm around Erin's shoulder, and suddenly Ronan almost wished he possessed the same comfortable relationship that his friends had found. The sweeping need startled him, and he pushed it away with a vengeance. No time for strange, mortal wishes. He was damned satisfied with his immortal life.

"Who wants to tell her what's happened this whole damned month?" Jared asked with a clear, weary tone.

"There's a lot of information to assimilate," Micky said, "but she should know now. It's not like we have days and days to explain."

"What about the vampire part?" Sorley asked.

Another hush filled the room, until Ronan decided he would cut to the chase. "She has to know or none of this will make sense. She must know about the ancient one and the fact that Lachlan, Micky, and Jared have certain...extraordinary talents."

"Vampires?" Clarissa said, her eyes widening again.

The others in the room pinpointed Ronan with stark expressions, as if they expected him to tell Clarissa everything.

"Did I just hear you right?" Clarissa asked, this time her expression edging into an incredulous smile.

"It's all true," Jared said. "Everything we're about to tell you about is deadly business."

"Can we clear the table and settle in the living room before we start talking about this?"

Erin asked.

It didn't take long for the group to load the dishwasher and clean up the dining table.

Once they settled into the living room with the wine bottle on the coffee table, Ronan figured it would be smooth sailing explaining this last month's events. He could hope, anyway.

Sorley started the gas fireplace, then settled down cross-legged in front of it. Erin snuggled in a chair with Lachlan, the two of them managing to scrunch into the big chair.

Micky and Jared shared one side of the couch while Ronan took the other side.

Clarissa didn't sit next to him as he hoped she might; she settled into the loveseat next to Ronan's side of the couch. Deep inside him a craving built, the need to touch Clarissa driving him to an internal desperation.

Tonight he would show her the power of his seduction and she wouldn't resist it.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his agitation. They needed to inform her on the particulars. Without the details she'd be unsafe, wandering in the morass of peculiarities that promised to swamp the town in unimaginable misery.

Slowly the others gave Clarissa the low-down. Lachlan and Erin explained how they met, including the part about Lachlan and Erin being able to read each other's minds.

Ronan didn't expect Clarissa to question that information, considering she already knew he could read her mind. Erin eased into the vampire discussion.

Clarissa waited until the couple paused in explanations before she spoke. "So Lachlan was bitten by a vampire and as a result he has some of their powers."

"You got it," Lachlan said. "I can move fast like a vampire, although not with quite the speed they can."

Erin laughed. "Quick enough." She went on to explain the first time she'd seen Lachlan demonstrate the ability when he saved a glass from crashing to floor. "I wasn't sure I'd even seen him move, but there was the glass, safe and sound."

"What else can people bitten by vampires do?" Clarissa leaned forward in her chair and propped her elbows on her knees, clear interest etched into her face.

"Micky and I can answer that one," Jared said, "because we were bitten by the ancient one."

"Ancient one?" Clarissa asked.

As explanations continued, the twisting and turning felt like molasses to Ronan. He didn't add information, knowing his friends would do a better job. He noticed, though, that they left out the fact he and Sorley were vampires.

One bottle of wine and three hours later, Clarissa had the entire story from the first day to the present, from the ancient one to the dark force that had taken Micky and howGilda had found her way into the other dimension to help save Micky.

Clarissa looked shell-shocked but still intrigued. Relief made Ronan happy, an emotion he couldn't count on feeling often over the years as he hunted the ancient one.

"There is a very important part they ingeniously left out, Clarissa," Ronan said as he cast a wary look at his friends.

Clarissa lifted one auburn-hued eyebrow as she sagged back into the pillows piled on the loveseat. "There's more?"

She sounded exhausted.

"One very big more," Sorley said his gaze fell on Ronan. "One gigantic piece I wouldn't feel right tellin' you."

"Well?" Clarissa asked. "Don't stop now."

Ronan shifted to the edge of the couch. "You've had enough for tonight. Tomorrow we need to caucus here again and make plans."

"So," Clarissa said, her eyes sad, "what do we do now? I'm willing to help whatever way I can."

Sorley smiled. "There's a way you can help, that's for certain."

Ronan gave the Irishman a stern glare. "I'll tell her later."

"Why later?" Clarissa asked, frown lines appearing between her eyebrows.

Ronan couldn't tell her, tactlessly and carelessly in front of everyone, that she had to have sex with him to save the day.

No. That would be just too feckin' rude.

He said instead, "We've known for some time that there's another solution-or possible solution-to the horror that's haunting this town."

"Oh?" Clarissa asked.