"are those the kind of things that young warlocks do?"

"i don't know, but it's what i did." eventually, he had mastered fire, among other things, but on the day he married abigail, he had put his magick behind him. and then he had been turned and found he possessed supernatural powers he had never dreamed of, inherent vampire magic that didn't require magical spells or enchantments.

"here you are, safely home again," erik remarked when they reached her house.

daisy nodded. always her protector, alex was waiting for her on the front porch. "about time you got back," he said gruffly.

"alex, i'm a big girl now. you don't have to wait up for me."

"uh-huh." alex glared at erik for a long moment, then turned on his heel and went inside.

"big brothers," daisy said fondly. "they can be a pain in the butt sometimes."

"if you say so. can i see you tomorrow night?"

"erik..."

"i know all the reasons why we shouldn't," he said, drawing her into his arms. "but right now they don't seem to matter."

happiness bubbled up inside her at the prospect of being with him again. "what time?" it wasn't the smart answer, it wasn't the safe answer, but it felt like the right one.

"whatever's good for you," he said with a wink. "i've got all night."

"eight o'clock?" she could have alex fed and settled down by then.

"shall i pick you up?"

"no, i'll meet you somewhere."

"at the crypt?"

"all right." she gazed up at him, her heart pounding with anticipation as he lowered his head to claim her lips with his. she would see him again tomorrow night. she was already counting the hours.

"sweet dreams, my little flower," alex murmured as he kissed her lightly on the forehead; then, mindful that her brother was watching his every move from the living room window, erik walked slowly to his car, unlocked the door with the key instead of his preternatural power, and slid behind the wheel.

after starting the car, erik blew a kiss to daisy, who was still standing on the front porch. and then he waved to her brother, who glared at him from the window.

grinning, erik pulled away from the curb.

chapter 18

"hey, sis," alex called. "are you ready to go yet?"

"i'm coming." daisy checked her pockets and her handbag, making sure she had everything she needed, including her keys. "what's the rush?"

"i don't want somebody else to beat me to that two hundred grand. here," he said, thrusting a can of scent-b-gone into her hand, "spray me, will ya?"

daisy sprayed her brother from head to foot, then held her nose while he returned the favor.

alex grinned at her. "sure stinks until it dries, doesn't it?"

with a nod, daisy followed alex out to his car. she had spent the wee small hours of last night and all of this morning trying to talk her brother out of going after rhys, but to no avail. the two-hundred-thousand-dollar reward drew him like a magnet.

"i need to be home early," she said, fastening her seat belt. "i have a date."

alex shook his head as he backed out of the driveway. "i really don't like that guy."

daisy rolled her eyes. "are you still harping on that?" it was all she'd heard since erik had brought her home last night.

she'd had no intention of going with alex to look for rhys, but alex had asked her to tag along in hopes that her compass would lead him to the vampire he sought.

"i don't trust him. if he's an artist, i'll eat my harley."

a sound of impatience rose in daisy's throat. "he is an artist, you idiot. i have a painting to prove it."

"yeah? did you see him paint it?"

"alex, you're impossible. turn right at the next corner." she stared out the window, watching as the houses grew farther apart. they were in an older neighborhood now, one that looked like it had once been a pricey part of town. the homes were large, but mostly run-down, the lawns unkempt, the paint faded.

"okay, he's an artist," alex said. "what do you say we ask him to do a family portrait?"

"sure, next time we're all in boston. i'm sure erik's got nothing better to do. turn left at the corner."

"afraid to put him to the test?"

"don't be an idiot."

"hey, there's something about him." alex shook his head. "i don't know what it is, but something ain't right."

muttering, "oh, give it up," daisy glanced at her compass. "stop here!"

the needle on her compass shimmered a bright red when alex braked in front of the last house on the block. there were bars on the windows, a security screen door, and a ferocious-looking mastiff standing stiff-legged behind a wrought-iron fence.

"whoever lives here doesn't want any company, that's for sure," alex muttered, peering through the windshield. "wait here, i'm going in."

"it's too hot to sit in the car."

"i'll leave the engine running. i won't be long." getting out of the car, alex slung his kit over his shoulder, then opened the small ice chest stowed on the backseat. reaching inside, he pulled a large chunk of fresh hamburger out of a plastic bag. "pays to be prepared," he said with a wink and a grin.

daisy grinned back at him. it was an old trick, doctoring hamburger with a sedative. she watched alex toss the meat over the fence. the dog gobbled it down in one swallow; less than a minute later, the animal was out cold.

alex gave her the high sign, vaulted over the fence, and loped up to the front porch. quick work with a lock pick, and he was inside the house.

daisy leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. what was erik doing now? she knew he could be awake when the sun was up, though he preferred to take his rest then. she wondered what happened if vampires didn't sleep during the day. did they just get cranky? was it only the very young who were compelled to rest, or was it something they all did? what was it like, to sleep by day and be active only after the sun went down? did it seem normal to vampires after a time?

lifting her head, she stared at the house, then glanced at her watch. how long had alex been inside? why hadn't she paid attention to the time? he should have been back by now.

grabbing a stake and a bottle of holy water from her bag, she switched off the engine, slipped the holy water and the keys into her pocket, and got out of the car.

she sent a nervous glance at the dog as she opened the gate. it was the biggest mastiff she had ever seen. more like a small horse than a dog. after making sure it was still sleeping deeply, she made her way to the front porch and opened the door.

the inside of the house was dark. heavy drapes covered the windows. there were three sofas and several chairs in the living room. the floors were polished hardwood. an ancient-looking leather scabbard hung over a marble fireplace.

she paused a moment, listening, but heard only silence. taking a deep breath, she counted to ten and then called alex's name. when there was no reply, she tiptoed across the floor.

a shiver of unease skittered down her spine as she moved deeper into the house. most lairs were in basements or, occasionally, in a dusty attic. vampires didn't seem to be bothered by dirt, dust, or spiderwebs.

her footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors as she peered into one room after another. all were empty.

she froze when a muffled cry reached her ears. alex! another cry, harsher than the first, set her heart to pounding. alex was in trouble. all thought for her own safety fled as daisy pulled the bottle of holy water from her pocket and followed the sound of her brother's voice.

the vampire's lair was located in what had once been a walk-in pantry that was big enough to have made a fair-sized bedroom. a shiny black coffin sat in the middle of the floor.

daisy came to an abrupt halt just inside the doorway, her mind barely able to comprehend what she was seeing. alex was on the floor. covered in blood, he was trying to fight off the vampire hovering over him.

galvanized by fear that the vampire would drain her brother dry, or worse, turn him, daisy uncorked the bottle of holy water and flung it at the back of the vampire's head. the scent of scorched hair and preternatural flesh immediately stung her nostrils.

howling in fury, the vampire spun around to face her, his narrowed eyes as red as hell's own flames, his fangs dripping with blood. alex's blood.

with a cry of horror, daisy grabbed the stake from her pocket, charged forward, and plunged it into the vampire's chest. snarling, he took several steps backward, his hands curling around the stake as his curses filled the air.

"alex!" sobbing his name, spurred by the need to get the two of them out of there as fast as possible, she dragged her brother to his feet. sagging under his weight, she somehow managed to get him out of the house and into the passenger seat of the car.

by the time she got behind the wheel, her hands were shaking so badly, it took three tries to get the key into the ignition. shoving the gearshift into drive, she slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. the car lurched crazily before she got it under control.

she didn't dare look back, afraid if she did, she would see the vampire coming after them. but that was impossible. she had killed him. hadn't she? but if she had destroyed him, why hadn't he dissolved into dust? oh, lord, what if she had missed his heart?

she drove like a maniac, her mind whirling as she headed for the freeway. she glanced at her brother. he was unconscious. she had to get him to a hospital, and soon. blood leaked from dozens of deep bites on his arms, legs, chest, and neck from where the vampire had savaged him. more blood bubbled from a wound in his stomach, a wound she dared not examine too closely for fear she would lose control of the car.

he needed help, she thought anxiously. and he needed it now.

help he couldn't get from a hospital. she knew instinctively that a doctor couldn't save him.

erik, she thought. she needed erik.