He picked up his daughter to say good-night, then his son, and turned to bid a good rest to Starla. She stopped him.

"Jacob," Starla said to her mate. "Would you watch the kids for a few moments? I want to speak with Ahmose."

"I think I can handle two brats for a few moments. As long as the two of you don't decide to take a sudden vacation for six weeks, go ahead."

Starla shot him a thank you, and took Ahmose's arm to lead him from the children's room. They pa.s.sed into her garden and she turned to face him.

"What is it, Ahmose?" she demanded.

"I do not know what you refer to, Star?"

"Uhhh," she scoffed. "You have been weird all day. Something is happening or has happened or is going to happen...I don't know, but I know you, and you aren't your normal self."

"Star, I haven't been my normal self since I met you. Remember that all of our lives have been exponentially altered by our unique journey together, and these special children. I'm all right, Star, trust me."

"I do, but..." She paused, but let the thought linger.

"I am fine, little star. Go home to your mate and children. I will see you upon rising tonight."

Still, Starla hesitated, keeping her eyes on Ahmose. She could have loved him, she'd known that from the beginning. And he would have been a wonderful, attentive lover and father, as he was with these children. These past months while she had watched him adjust to loss had been difficult, but he had been closer to his old self recently. Tonight, he'd seemed so far away, distant, disconnected, and she couldn't watch that after all that they had been through together.

Suddenly, Ahmose took her face in his hands, kissed her nose, and backed away. "My little star, I am okay. Please believe me and know that if something significant changes, you will know. All right?"

She could accept that. Starla nodded as Ahmose turned and walked back up the incline to his dwelling at the highest point on the hill. Still, she sighed.

There was no time to worry on it now, she went back into her home to see if Jacob needed her help. Eras was just old enough to get into trouble in seconds, and Shani needed so much. She loved her children, but only a year into the adventure, she was ready for a four day vacation herself. Just four days, though, because any more, and she would be a wreck without the loves of her life.

Before she closed the door, she looked up the hill and watched as Ahmose pulled his shutters to and secured his yurt for daylight. He hadn't said anything, but she didn't believe him that he was okay.

Strangely, Ahmose slept well most of the day. Whatever disturbing thing that had forced him awake yesterday seemed to be gone today. He woke late morning and felt awful for making Cherise come all of this way if this turned out to be some fluke. When she'd said that they needed to talk, she probably meant that she needed to tell him not to call her when there really was no emergency.

But today, he rested easily, and wondered when things really would feel good and normal to him again. As soon as he thought it, he knew better.

All of their lives were now on a collision course with their multiple destinies. No one had any idea how the future was going to play out except for one thing...it wouldn't be simple, it wouldn't be easy, and there would be no peaceful resolution. Not immediately, anyway.

Once he fell back asleep, when he woke next, the sun was moments from being gone. Cherise and David would arrive shortly thereafter. He hoped, hoped, that she would have good news.

David, still tired from interrupted rest, led his wife through the veil of first blood magics that surrounded the village where Ahmose lived, that hid it from anyone who was not first blood. Cherise would not have been able to find the village or pa.s.s into it without a first blood, but thankfully, she was married to one.

As they journeyed through the village gardens on their way to Ahmose's dwelling, Cherise's eyes swiveled the entire way.

"Oh, David, the flowers are magnificent. I could grow these at home." Her French accent was stronger when she was away from the controlled influence of their little compound.

"Anything you want, my love. Uh, oh, Starla..."

Cherise drew up as tall as she could considering that, even as a vampire, she was still very pet.i.te. Starla overwhelmed her with an enormous hug when she got to her.

"Cherise! David! Why are you here? No, you don't have to explain, I knew Ahmose was hiding something from me. You're here for him, aren't you? Oh, I'm going to kill the man."

As Starla winded down, Ahmose approached cautiously from behind her. She whirled. "You beast, you lied to me."

"I did not, my star. I told you that I was fine and I am. Cherise is here to help me with something, and I do promise you that if there is something to tell once we talk, then I will let you know."

Cherise caught Ahmose's gaze. "If you mean that, then she needs to come with us."

Now the little empath had everyone's attention. Ahmose nodded, held out a hand to invite Starla to join them, and they continued up the hill to Ahmose's yurt, now open to allow the cooler evening air inside.

"I am so glad to see you all again," Cherise said, as she took a seat on Ahmose's sofa, and as usual, drew her legs up and tucked one foot beneath her.

Everyone else got comfortable too and stilled, anxious to hear what Cherise would tell them.

"Ahmose, your mental invasion, it was very specific. It was targeted specifically for you. You recognized the first blood magics, yes?"

He nodded.

"You should have. They're connected to you. They come from you."

David moved around behind Ahmose as Cherise leaned towards him and touched his cheek. Her eyes moved to Starla. "This affects all of you. It is another unexpected event that I cannot explain, but it is real."

Cherise's eyes moved slowly back to Ahmose's.

"It's beautiful. This will shock you, my friend of the moon, but Ahmose, there is another child. You have another first blood child, somewhere out there. Another daughter, born only the night you received your visit. She was reaching for you, but did not know how across all of the miles. Her mother..."

Ahmose hadn't moved since she began her statement. David stood behind him in case the big man needed some support. This type of news was mind-blowing.

"Her mother does not want you to know that she exists. For some reason, her mother is afraid of you."

Ahmose, incredulity filling his eyes, finally spoke. "Who? Who is the mother?"

"That is the part of this that will surprise you the most. The mother of this precious little girl is the woman you sought months ago."

Again, Ahmose sat stone-still. When his head shook a moment later, she knew he wouldn't believe at first.

"No, that isn't possible, she was killed."

Cherise lowered her head and looked up at him with an expression that called his judgment into question.

"Really, Ahmose? Think, my friend. Could she really have been killed?"

Starla had already realized it. Her eyes filled with tears, she slid her hands up Ahmose's forearms.

"Oh, h.e.l.l. You understand, don't you?"

His eyes moving back and forth between the two women, the reality struck him. No, she really couldn't have been! Not if she was pregnant with his child. Not if she was truly Shoazan!

Everything struck him at once, his balance shot, and he nearly fell backward. David was there to support him as he worked this information through his mind.

Mal was alive! And she'd had his child! She was afraid of him? Why the h.e.l.l would she be afraid of him?

He knew now what he had to do and where he had to be.

"I have to go to her. To them. I have to get to California!"

"She's not there. I haven't been able to locate them yet, but we will. Ahmose, the thing to remember here is that the woman you cared about is okay, she's alive, and she's borne another first blood child of the moon. It's a miracle beyond all expectation. You have another daughter, Ahmose!"

Starla moved closer and hugged Ahmose. "My children have another sister. I cannot wait to meet her. We will bring them both home, soon." She turned to Cherise. "You will find them, then?"

"I am not a GPS, but I am confident that somehow, between all the power and brilliance of the first blood community and my not inconsiderable talents, that we will track down this woman and our newest child quickly. We must have faith. Ahmose, I know this is a shock, but it is a wonderful one. My G.o.d, yet another first blood baby. That is just mind-dazzling news."

It was for Ahmose. Mal, the woman he'd thought he might be able to love, the woman he thought gone forever. But now that wasn't true, and all he could think of was getting to her and pulling her into his arms. He wanted to bury himself in her in so many ways.

And the child? He couldn't even touch the idea, it was so unfathomable. He'd wanted to bring forth the next generation of first blood children of the moon, as his destiny proclaimed he would do, but now, a fourth child? With a woman so unexpected, he had no clue at all that she was Shoazan or that she had become pregnant in the day that they spent together in California.

He needed to see them both, hold them both, be there to protect them, bring them home!

A thought struck him suddenly. Luka. He needed to let Luka know that Mal was alive.

"Cherise, I am so grateful for your talents. Please avail yourselves of anything at all in the community."

"David and I would like to see your son and new daughter," Cherise requested.

Starla stood. "I will take you to my dwelling. Ahmose, would you like to come?"

"I need to let Mal's friend Luka know she is alive. Then, perhaps I will."

Chione and Luka had become close enough that Ahmose knew if he found her, Luka would likely be near, and that was exactly the case. She had been bathing in one of the soft.w.a.ter pools near the waterfalls, Luka just on the edge, finished, when Ahmose found them.

"Good evening, my friends," he said. "Luka, I must speak with you."

Even though Ahmose had sired Luka, their relationship was anything but perfect, but Luka had been coming around since Chione had been guiding him. The anger in the young vampire had drifted from intense to almost non-existent. But Luka doubted they would ever be friends.

"What did you want, master?"

Ahmose blew out a deep breath. It bugged the h.e.l.l out of him when Luka was so smart-a.s.s and irreverent, but he had been unable to get him to be kind. Chione insisted that Luka was actually a very sweet, kind man, but Ahmose could not see it at all.

"I found out something tonight that I think will make you very happy. Luka, Mal is not dead. We haven't located her yet, but we will. The empath Cherise and I have had some experiences the past few nights that let us know. You care for Mal, I wanted to do you a courtesy of letting you know that she's alive. She's okay."

His jaw set, Luka looked up at Ahmose for just a second. "That's good to hear. Yeah, thanks for letting me know," was all he said. Ahmose, surprised at the underwhelmed reaction, just turned and walked away.

He didn't see Luka turn to the rock face and rest his entire weight against it. Tears filled his eyes. Oh, thank G.o.d she was okay. The world without Mal had become a darker place and he honestly hadn't really wanted to stick around in it once he heard that she had been killed.

Chione had watched the exchange, turned and swam away to give Luka a chance to express his relief before he donned his I don't get a s.h.i.t about anything face. She knew better.

IN L.A.

Kai couldn't believe it. Canzone was calling him? What the f.u.c.k did that a.s.shole want from him now? Yet something told him to pick up the call, so he punched the b.u.t.ton on his phone to accept the call.

"What?" was the kindest greeting he could manage.

"Yeah, happy day to you, too."

"What do you want?" Kai repeated, and tried to sound less hostile. He didn't think he really succeeded.

"I know where our girl is."

Gritting his teeth because that monster had no reason to refer to Kai's daughter like that, Kai still wanted the information.

"Is she okay? Where is she? How did you find her?" Kai's most important questions, in order of importance.

"Not quite yet. I want you to know I'm doing this out of respect and love for my sister and my niece. I want you to acknowledge that."

Ah, h.e.l.l...

On a deep breath, Kai answered with a big fat lie. "Sure, I know how much you loved Brigitte and I'm sure you'd do anything for Mal."

The silence coming from Canzone's end of the conversation spoke louder than words. "That's probably as good as I'm going to get from you, so I'll take it. I just wanted to let you know, I've found her, she's okay, so is my little grand-niece. But I'm not letting you know where she is. Not yet."

What? The baby couldn't be here yet, it was months too soon. "What the h.e.l.l do you mean you won't let me know? Why the h.e.l.l would you call me and not tell me where she is? Are you that petty that you'd do this to rub my nose in the fact that you have resources I don't?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. I'll keep in touch."

Kai stood looking at his cell phone screen for a good 60 seconds after the call ended. What the f.u.c.k? That man wasn't only a drug runner and human trafficker, he was f.u.c.king crazy in the deal.

But what Kai needed to know were two things. First, how the h.e.l.l had Canzone found Mal? And second, what the h.e.l.l did he want with her?

IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Cherise loved these yurts. If the climate wasn't so unfriendly to them in Iceland, she would have loved to have built one at home. The connection to nature was just so close and personal.

David, naked the way she liked him, crawled into bed with a grin.

"May I?" he asked, and scooted down to nip at Cherise's thigh.

"Didn't you get enough at second meal?"

"I did not. All those sweets on the buffet and the only thing I could think of for dessert was my little French pastry."

Cherise m.u.f.fled a giggle with her pillow as David pulled her down to the end of the bed and began to nip and lick his way up from her ankles.

Hours later, satisfied and curled up in David's arms, she began to writhe. David woke enough to realize that she was spirit-walking in her dream, and held her close. Some time later, she calmed and moaned, he pulled her closer, and they fell back to sleep until the sky lost its glow.

First meal was already bustling with activity when Cherise joined Ahmose, Jacob, Starla, the children, Chione and Luka, at their table for their breakfast.

It may have been her talents, but she seemed to arrive on an air of great contentment, her smile deeply felt by everyone.

"I love it here. The connection to all life is stronger here than perhaps anywhere I have ever been. You have a beautiful home, my friends."

"You are always welcome here. I will build a perfect dwelling for you and David and you may come and go as you wish." Ahmose stood and took one of her hands to lead her to her seat. "David?"