Lachlan slipped on his coat as they moved away from the front counter. "Great. Just what we need."

"What was the altercation upstairs about?" Sorley asked.

Lachlan's expression went semi-amused. "One man was accusing another of having an affair with his wife. They were doing all this in the kid's section of the library."

Within moments they piled into the car again, this time with Sorley next to Clarissa in the backseat.

She glanced at him and he smiled. "Don't worry. Ronan is the toughest vampire I know." His face paled, if that was possible for a vampire. "Um...I...I hope he told you- "

"We told her," Lachlan said as he started the car. "She knows you're both vampires and she knows what the seer and Yusuf said must happen between her and Ronan to defeat the ancient one."

Sorley's eyebrows went up. "Good. I didn't want to let the cat out of the bag."

Ire still simmered in Clarissa's blood. "Lucky you."

The skinny vampire smiled again. "I take it Ronan's in mighty big trouble when you meet up with him again?"

The truth hit her square in the stomach. "No, not anymore. I just want to find him alive."

Sorley looked anxious for the first time, his elfish expression pinched. "And in the dream he looked dead?"

"Yes."

"He can't really die," Erin said.

Two parts relief ran through Clarissa, and two parts concern. Apprehension managed to cancel out the respite. "If vampires can't die, how do we expect to stop the ancient one?"

Sorley shook his head. "Vampires can't die unless they are shot in the heart with a silver bullet or stabbed with a silver stake and most of the time even that doesn't work well.

The ancient one is so old and powerful all it does is slow him down but it won't kill him."

Exasperated, Clarissa asked, "So this whole sex thing cures the ancient one plague, eh? It sounds too pat. Too easy. There has to be more to it."

"There is," Sorley said. "We just don't knowwhat it is."

"We have to stop by the house first," Lachlan said. "We need the first aid kit, rope to climb down into the crypt, and weapons with silver bullets."

"What about Micky and Jared?" Erin asked. "We could always use Jared's extra power to help find Ronan."

Lachlan agreed and Erin pulled out her cell phone to call their friends. When she finished the conversation she said, "They'll meet us at the house."

They proceeded to Erin's home and rushed in to pick up the provisions. Less then twenty minutes later Micky and Jared drove up to the Victorian house and parked at the curb.

When they came in the house they seemed worried.

Micky hugged Clarissa. "The dream sounds awful. I don't blame you for being concerned about Ronan. But we'll help you find him."

Before long they'd taken off again, this time in two cars. Clarissa pondered the unreality of the whole situation. She sat there silent and grim, watching the pine trees rush by as Lachlan drove them to the cemetery and the crypt.

She glanced at the cloak Sorley wore.

"What is that cloak all about?" Clarissa asked. "It looks old-fashioned."

"You've seen Ronan wearing one, right?" Sorley asked.

She nodded.

"It's to protect us when the sun is up."

She smiled. "I should have guessed. When I first saw Ronan that night in the cemetery he wore one then. He had the hood up and when the sun went down completely he took off the cloak." A horrifying thought came to mind. "Wait a minute. Does the sun kill vampires?"

Sorley chuckled softly. "A lot of people wish that was true. It can kill us, but only after our force has been drained by repeated exposure. It isn't like the movies where we burn up before your eyes." He rolled his eyes and held his hands up. In a falsetto voice he said, "I'm meltin'. I'm meltin'!"

Clarissa chuckled. "Wizard of Oz, eh?"

"That was water, Sorley," Erin said. "And it was the Wicked Witch who was melted by water, not a vampire."

"Picky, picky," Sorley said.

Everyone in the car tittered with restrained laughter, as if they couldn't resist Sorley's sick sense of humor. As they subsided into quiet, concern inundated Clarissa again. She wished she'd ignored her dreams and skipped coming to Pine Forest. If she had maybe Ronan would be safe right now.

"I'll never forgive myself if Ronan's been hurt because I asked him to get my stupid camera," she said.

Erin turned to look at her, eyes filled with understanding and sympathy. "I'm sure he's all right. Like we said, Ronan isn't afraid of anything. Let's just hope your dream was born out of fear and not truth."

Clarissa's voice wobbled. "That sounds like something he would say."

The remainder of the trip passed in silence. When they reached the gates of the cemetery, Jared and Micky pulled up beside them. They all piled out of their cars, Lachlan took the gun with the silver bullets, then handed another lethal-looking gun to Sorley.

Sorley hoisted his weapon. "We picked up another one of these this week just for safety."

"Sorry we don't have one of these for you," Lachlan said to Jared.

Jared unzipped his big coat and pulled his service revolver out of his shoulder holster.

"This should even the odds a little."

Lachlan put the circle of rope over his shoulder, and Erin took the small first aid kit.

Sorley gestured at the gates. "I could scout the area quickly for Ronan."

Lachlan shook his head. "No. We'll stay together. Besides, if anything happens to me, I'll need you to help me protect the women."

"Please don't say that," Erin said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're scaring me."

Lachlan kissed her gently on the lips. "I'm sorry. If I could have left you at the house and you'd be safe, I would."

Clarissa thought about protesting Lachlan's statement; she didn't want to think her, Erin, or Micky were vulnerable. "Why isn't she safe at home?"

Lachlan cleared his throat. "Like we told you last night, the ancient one wants her and if she doesn't have my protection day and night, he's sure to try and hurt her again."

Lachlan handed flashlights to Clarissa and Erin.

Though she didn't ask for an explanation, Jared turned to Clarissa and said, "Lachlan, Sorley, Micky, and I can see in the dark."