But before she did, Will saw more tears welling in her eyes. They flowed like rivers over her flawless, pale skin. A sob was torn from her chest as she fled from him.

Rhiannon liked the modern conveniences, though Roland detested them. She liked flying by jet, when she could get a red-eye flight that posed no danger of exposure to the sun. She liked fast cars, though Roland's dislike of motor vehicles bordered on the phobic. She liked clothes and furs and jewels, and she liked music and art and travel.

Roland had very few likes and only a handful of pa.s.sions. She was, of course, one of those.

His dear Jameson was another; like a son to him, though Rhiannon herself had been of the opinion the young one could use a good thrashing more than once since she'd known him. And this was one of those times.

"I'm so sorry that Amber Lily isn't here to see you," Jameson said as he hugged Roland, slapping his back in manly fashion.

"No matter. We didn't exactly warn you we'd be stopping by. We're just back from a cruise to Hawaii. Driving cross-country by night in one my beloved's cursed autos, naturally, and we couldn't pa.s.s by without stopping to say h.e.l.lo." Rhiannon listened to Roland fill Jameson in on the details of their cruise, her eyes locked with the meek and mild Angelica's the entire time. She waited for Roland to pause in his conversation before saying, "What do you mean, Amber Lily isn't here?"

Angelica sighed, looking away. "I was against it, Rhiannon."

"I have to say, this is a nice place you've found," Roland said, as always, trying to play the peacemaker.

"It's a gloomy, isolated, ancient mansion on the foggy, rainy sh.o.r.e of Lake Michigan,"

Rhiannon said. "Of course you think it's nice. Now, if you don't mind, can we find out where my precious niece is?"

Roland sent her an adoring, indulgent smile, nodded once, and Rhiannon turned to Jameson, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting.

"She and Alicia are celebrating their high school graduation with a week in New York."

She blinked slowly. Her hands curled into fists so that her nails pierced her hands. "By themselves?"

"Rhiannon, I'm her father. I know her. And trust me when I tell you that if I hadn't let her go, she would have run off on her own."

"And you couldn't at least wait for a time when we were in residence so I could keep an eye on her?''

"Rhiannon, Jameson and Angelica surely know what's best for their own daughter," Roland said softly. Though she knew he had doubts.

"Angelica has already stated she was against the idea," Rhiannon said. "Obviously she hasn't yet learned to stand her ground."

"Or maybe it's just that I trust my husband's judgment," Angelica snapped, then she turned on her heel and left the room.

"What judgment?" Rhiannon shot after her.

Jameson stepped in front of Rhiannon before she could go after his wife. "Easy, princess," he said to Rhiannon. "I'm not as stupid as you seem to think. I was practically raised by vampires, after all. Give me some credit for picking up a little caution along the way. Amber and Alicia are perfectly safe. I have someone keeping an eye on them."

Rhiannon lifted her brows. "Who?"

Angelica reentered the room, a magazine in her hand. She thrust it at Rhiannon. "Him. That's who."

Rhiannon glanced down at the cover of TIME. The rugged face of a man, superimposed over a rippling American flag, stared back at her. She looked at it, then looked up again. "A mortal?

You've put my niece's safety in the hands of an ordinary mortal? Has the constant rain in this G.o.dforsaken place mildewed your brain, Jameson?"

"Spoken like a true desert dweller. This man is no ordinary mortal. Read the article." "As if there's time to read when our precious Amber Lily is on her own in the city. Stiles and his rogues have been hunting for her forever."

"They have no way of knowing what she looks like. Besides, she checks in every night by phone."

"And has she checked in yet tonight?"

Jameson glanced at Angelica, who glanced at the clock.

"Call her," Rhiannon said.

When the cell phone in her purse bleated, Amber Lily almost jumped out of her skin.

She and Alicia had spent the entire day safely ensconced in Aunt Rhiannon's posh Long Island home. The place had everything. A hot tub and a sauna, a home theater with a huge screen and surround sound, state-of-the-art DVD player, stereo and computer systems, high-speed Internet, and an endless supply of movies and music.

They'd been trying on some of Rhiannon's trademark gowns, all of them skintight and floor- length, with daring low necklines and high leg slits, when suddenly the cell phone wept pitifully.

Both girls went dead still and silent, their eyes meeting.

It rang again, and Amber hurried to where she'd left her bag slung on a chair, rummaged inside, pulled out the phone. As it rang for a third time, she looked at the digital panel. "It's coming from home."

Alicia sighed in relief. "Your mom, checking on us. We haven't called in yet tonight."

It rang a fourth time.

"It's not like we didn't try," Amber said. "It's not our fault my parents are dead to the world during the day, or that your mom was out somewhere. And this isn't exactly the kind of news I could leave on the machine."

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Alicia asked.

'No. We already decided they might have bugged the cell phone, or maybe they have some other way of tracing it. We'll just call them back from Aunt Rhiannon's line."

"Good thinking."

As the phone rang again, Amber pushed the power b.u.t.ton to turn it off. Then she dropped it back in her pack. The two girls walked to the living room, moving carefully on pairs of Rhiannon's stiletto heels, and sat down. Amber picked up Rhi's telephone and dialed her own number.

Her mom picked up on the first ring, sounding anxious. "Amber?"

"Yeah, it's me, Mom. Sorry I didn't answer before. The, uh, the reception's kind of funny here. Comes and goes, you know?"

Alicia frowned at her. Amber covered the mouthpiece and whispered, "There's no point in us scaring her to death, is there?'' Shaking her head, Alicia sighed and sat back in her chair.

"I'm just glad to hear your voice and to know you're okay. And I-" There were muted voices, then, "Oh, for G.o.d's sake, all right! Amber, um, your aunt Rhiannon is here, and she really wants to talk to you."

Amber shot a look at Alicia. "Aunt Rhiannon is there?" She covered the mouthpiece with one hand and whispered to Alicia, "New plan. Aunt Rhi is there."

"Yeah, just a minute, let me put her on before she has a coronary."

Amber scrambled to her feet, studying the telephone on the end table, and finally finding the speakerphone b.u.t.ton and pushing it.

"Amber? Where are you, child, are you all right?"

Amber licked her lips. "I'm fine. For now. Listen, don't say anything to scare Mom, okay?"

There was a pause. She could picture Rhiannon's face so clearly, could imagine her looking worried, then covering the expression easily. She was so smart. G.o.d, of every woman she had ever known, vampire or mortal, she admired her aunt Rhiannon above them all. She might not have to confess to her father after all.

"Of course, love. Please, tell me all about the adventures you've been having."

"We really are fine." Amber was so glad to be able to tell someone what was happening, besides her parents, who would overreact. They always overreacted. ' 'But our hotel room was broken into. And we think it was bugged."

"Oh, I agree, the Metropolitan Museum is spectacular. And what did you do next?"

"We thought we were being followed. But then I ran into this vampire-I know I'm not supposed to interact with those I don't know, but she was all right, Aunt Rhi. In fact, she reminded me a little bit of you."

Rhiannon sniffed. "Her name?"

"Sarafina."

"I have heard of that actress. She's a recluse. A loner. Some say she has a dangerous temper."

"Maybe so, but she got rid of the guy who was following us. We didn't want to go back to the hotel, so we came to your place. That's where we are now."

"Ah, a lovely choice. And you're comfortable there?"

"Comfortable and safe. No one knows where to find us."

"Well, that's good to hear. I think you should continue with that plan."

"You mean...stay right where we are?"

"Exactly, child. Roland and I will be on the first flight, and we'll be sure to see you the instant we arrive back in New York." "Thanks, Aunt Rhi. I promise, we won't leave this house until you get here."

"I'll hold you to that."

Rhiannon handed the telephone to Angelica, so she could speak to her daughter. She drew the necklaces from her silk handbag. Each was made of pink-toned pearls, alternating with tiny sh.e.l.ls, on long strands. She'd picked one out for her darling Amber Lily, and then decided to purchase one for Alicia, too. She was a dear thing, for a mortal.

Turning, she wondered whether to betray her beloved Amber's trust, or head home and deal with this on her own. She eyed Jameson and Angelica, as they held their heads close together near the phone to speak to their daughter, smiling and fully rea.s.sured by whatever she told them.

G.o.d, Amber Lily knew her mother very, very well. Jameson was as tough as any vampire ten times his age. But Angel was fragile. Like Rhiannon, she'd been a captive, a lab rat for the DPI once, long ago. Unlike Rhiannon, she'd emerged from the experience damaged and broken, with wounds that would never heal.

No, Amber Lily was right to want to protect her mother from the truth. Perhaps Rhiannon should simply rush home, pack Amber Lily and Alicia up and personally escort them back here to their dreary lake-sh.o.r.e mansion.

And then she would deal with whoever had frightened her niece.

Rhiannon was certain it was the right thing to do. Angel need never suffer the horrible fear for her daughter that she had suffered once before. The tender vampiress could not survive going through that kind of torment again.

14.

"I can't believe you didn't tell your mom what was going on." Alicia used her most annoying tone, but only after Amber had finished speaking to her mother and hung up the phone. "And you didn't even ask if I wanted to talk to mine!"

Amber did feel a little guilty about that. "She wasn't there. Mom and Dad gave her a spa weekend to enjoy while we were gone. That's why she didn't answer the phone earlier today."

"Maybe there's a number where we can reach her. How do you know, when you didn't even ask?"

"Look, Alicia, if you talk to her you'll spill the whole thing. You know you will. And then the whole bunch of them will come charging to the rescue like the vampire cavalry, with your mom and mine both scared out of their wits for no good reason."

"No good reason? h.e.l.lo? We're in trouble here, Amber. Or haven't you noticed that?" Alicia paced the living room, pushing a hand through her platinum curls.

Amber stayed where she was, sitting comfortably in a leather chair that hugged her in luxury. "We're not in trouble. We're perfectly safe here. Rhiannon and Roland are on their way, and they'll see us safely home."

"Right. And have you noticed what time it is?"

Amber frowned, glancing first toward the windows, which were still dark. But then again, they were lined in tightly drawn miniblinds and black velvet drapes. So she looked at the antique grandfather clock- which must have been Roland's contribution to the decor. It was almost midnight. She'd been putting off her call home, fully expecting Roland and Rhiannon to arrive at any time, unaware they were so far away. She should have called home far sooner.

"There's no way Roland and Rhiannon will get here before sunrise. So we're on our own for another entire day."

Amber sighed. "Alicia, don't worry. We're safe. No one knows where we are-except for Rhiannon, and she's certainly not telling. We'll just hang here for the day."

Alicia sighed, pacing to the sofa and dropping herself onto it. "I still think we should have told your parents the truth. Just in case."

"In case of what? Real danger?"

Meeting her eyes, Alicia nodded.

"Don't you get it, Alicia? If there's real danger here, that's even more reason to keep your mom and my mom safe at home, as far from this mess as they can get." She licked her lips, hugging a pillow to her waist. "I don't want anything to happen to my mother, Alicia. She's been through enough because of me."

Alicia sighed, but at least she didn't argue. They both knew she didn't want anything to happen to her mother, either. Amber got up and went to sit beside her on the sofa. She slid an arm around her friend, pulled Alicia's head down onto her shoulder. "Before another night pa.s.ses, we'll both be safe at home in our own beds. I promise, Alicia. Come on, let's get some sleep. We both need it."

"All right."

The two got up, still arm in arm, and walked into the bedroom. Amber had checked the locks a dozen times, but she found herself glancing at them again as they pa.s.sed by the entry door.

They hung Rhiannon's dresses in the enormous walk-in closet, put her shoes back into their spots on the wall-size shoe rack, put on T-shirts for sleeping and curled up in the king-size bed.

They were sound asleep when, hours later, something smashed through the front door.

Why? Sarafina asked herself the same question over and over after leaving her captive alone in his room. Why had she let herself be washed away by the tide of pa.s.sion he set loose in her?

When she left the room, she had been trembling, weeping, her lips tender and tingling from the delicious a.s.sault of his. How long had it been since she had allowed a man to kiss her?

She'd kissed Dante. But never in pa.s.sion. No, it had been a century. It had been Bartrone.

And even with him, it had only been a companionable sort of love. Not the explosive fury she felt with Willem.

But she'd done more than kiss Willem. She'd impaled herself on him. She had reached climax, and it had been shattering. When she'd climbed off him, she honestly hadn't been certain her legs would support her. My G.o.d, she knew better. Pa.s.sion, in her kind, mingled with the bloodl.u.s.t, each magnifying the other. She could have killed him.