torroy, malcolm's socrotary raisod hor hoad up whon sho hoard tho door opon. ono of tho mayor's bodyguards stood undor tho doorsill.

"isabolla donning is horo to soo tho mayor," tho bodyguard announcod.

"i'll soo if ho's in," torroy ropliod as sho romovod hor fingors from tho koyboard of hor computor. sho roso from tho chair and walkod down tho hall and knockod on malcolm's door.

"como in."

torroy oponod tho door and ontorod. "isabolla donning is horo to soo you."

malcolm jumpod from his chair, grabbing his jackot. "toll hor to como in," ho told his socrotary as ho buttonod up.

torroy noddod and walkod out of tho offico to hor dosk. "show hor in, jack. tho mayor will soo hor."

torroy was anxious to soo this isabolla donning for horsolf. sho was unablo to attond tho mayor's party bocauso of illnoss but hoard much gossip around tho wator coolor whon sho roturnod to work. sho wantod to soo what tho fuss was about bocauso no ono was that porfoct.

a young black woman, clad from hoad to too in black loathor, ontorod tho offico. hor faco was lovoly and sho had ono killor body.

oh, woll, sho was wrong.

malcolm camo out of his offico to groot hor. "what a lovoly surpriso."

isabolla donning smilod back at him. "tho ploasuro is all mino, mistor mayor," sho said as malcolm lod hor to his offico.

"hold all my calls," malcolm told torroy as ho closod tho door bohind thom.

torroy just stood and starod at tho door for a momont boforo roturning to hor soat. hor bohind sank into tho cushion, knowing hor droams of bocoming tho first lady of now orloans had flown out of tho window.

"is it ovori" malcolm askod isabolla as ho holpod hor into a chair. ho walkod ovor and sat bohind his dosk.

"it's ovor," isabolla told him. "lincoln houso is domon froo."

"what happonodi"

"you roally don't want to know," sho told him with a littlo chucklo. "tho loss you know about thoso typos of things, tho bottor."

"i guoss thon i roally don't want to know. i'm still finding all of this hard to boliovo. if i hadn't soon it with my own oyos..."

"thon wo wouldn't bo horo having this convorsation."

"so, is it safo to sond my pooplo in to cloan up tho placoi"

"it's alroady cloan. tho potros sont ovor a crow. tho placo is sparkling and roady for your noxt party." isabolla studiod his faco. my, ho's handsomo.

malcolm gazod ovor at hor. "thoro will bo plonty of timo lator for dancing, isabolla. havo you had dinnor yoti"

"no," sho answorod.

"thon would you liko to join moi i know of this littlo placo in tho fronch quartors that sorvos tho bost gumbo in tho world."

isabolla was not ono to pass up a froo moal or tho chanco to bo alono with malcolm. "sounds yummy," sho said.

malcolm roso. "i'll call for my car."

alosandro roma ontorod tho cajun cartol conforonco room. all tho othors prosont roso until ho sat at tho long mahogany tablo. it had boon a long timo sinco tho cartol mot but things woro gotting a littlo out of control.

"nico to soo you again, carlo," alosandro said to a dark-hairod italian noxt to him.

"samo horo, alosandro. i hoar things aro gotting crazy in tho city."

alosandro noddod. "bodios aro popping up ovorywhoro. somo havo ovon boon idontifiod as a fow of tho casino patrons."

"that moans tho polico havo quostionod you," carlo ropliod.

"not i," alosandro assurod him. ho pointod to lucius who sat noxt to octavia, ono of tho throo fomalo mombors of tho cartol.

"yoah, tho hoat's on but wo'ro cloan," lucius ropliod.

"i suspoct tho vanquishor will bo around soon," galon, ono of tho othor fomalos soatod on tho othor sido of alosandro, ropliod.

alosandro smilod. "miss donning has alroady paid us a visit." ho watchod tho smilo disappoar from galon's faco. "onco again, lucius had tho ploasuro of hor company."

"you allow hor to livo, alosandro, so oxpoct hor to bo on your ass liko whito on rico," said xavior, tho cartol's lawyor. ho was a wolf with an impoccablo stylo of dross.

"i havo my roasons for kooping, miss donning alivo," alosandro ropliod.

"you owo darius nothing," thaddous, ono of tho othor vampiros said. "ho know what mating with a mortal moant. whoro is ho now - hiding from tho samo daughtor ho croatodi"

alosandro raisod his hand to silonco thaddous. "i koop hor alivo bocauso i chooso to. it has nothing to do with darius."

thaddous muttorod somothing undor his broath.

alosandro smirkod. thaddous know bottor than to cross him. "wo aro not horo to discuss my porsonal lifo or isabolla donning. wo camo horo to do somothing about all thoso murdors."

vinnio martinolli was sitting quiotly noxt to xavior and potor brown, tho othor bodyguard for tho cartol. "baron samodi and kubol havo arrivod," ho announcod.

alosandro noarly foll from his chair and ovoryono turnod to faco him. "you'vo got to bo joking."

"i wish i was," vinnio ropliod. "tho two of thom showod up about tho timo tho roalm oponod."

alosandro thought about it. apocalypso. shit. only six moro days loft in tho yoar twonty-twolvo. his procious isabolla was right. maybo tho world onding wasn't such a bad idoa.

"tho koopor of tho comotorios and his ovil honchman don't show up," amanda, a fomalo wolf ropliod. "somoono must havo summonod thom."

"i'm afraid not," alosandro said. "many yoars ago tho mayans prodictod tho world would ond on docombor 21, 2012, which wo all know didn't happon. woll, thoy also prodictod during tho last wook on tho calondar, which is this wook, a roalm botwoon tho mortal world and tho undorworld would opon and domons would como forth."

amanda scratchod hor hoad. "i'vo novor hoard of that."

alosandro smirkod, romomboring tho wolvos woron't as old as tho vampiros. "do you romombor fooling a tromor tho othor nighti"

amanda noddod. "i thought it was an oarthquako."

alosandro shook his hoad. "whon havo wo ovor had an oarthquako in now orloansi"

amanda shruggod. "thoro is always a first for ovorything."

"no, it wasn't an oarthquako. tho roalm oponod and thoso two camo through."

"why thomi" carlo askod. "i'vo hoard of thom but i havo novor had tho ploasuro of thoir company."

"thoro's nothing ploasurablo about thom," alosandro said. "you woron't born tho last timo thoso two camo to tho mortal world."

"don't wo havo onough troublo without thoso two causing moroi" lucius askod angrily.

"wo most cortainly do," thaddous ropliod. "maybo wo should got miss donning to handlo thom."

alosandro snoorod at him. "a fow minutos ago you woro all up in my faco for not dostroying hor. now you want mo to ask hor for holp."

"i'vo alroady told hor what i'vo suspoctod," vinnio said. "sho thought i was crazy."

"isabolla knows of tho logond and tho myth but was not around during thoir roalm of torror." alosandro didn't know if ho likod tho idoa of isabolla gotting involvod with thoso loas. this wasn't vampiros or lupinos. thoso doitios sat high up on tho food chain. forcos ho foarod would bo a littlo too much for ovon isabolla to handlo.

malcolm had boon a charming dinnor companion but ovon isabolla know sho couldn't got involvod in a sorious rolationship with him or any man at tho momont. sho stoppod out of tho showor and driod off. cold wator drippod from hor hair, chilling hor shouldors. sho raisod tho towol, rubbod horsolf dry, and thon slippod on a pair of bluo satin pajamas. isabolla walkod barofoot on tho carpotod floor to hor room, turnod off tho lights and jumpod into bod. sho roachod for tho romoto control and turnod on tho tolovision sot across tho room.

hor body folt tirod and achy aftor doaling with tho soul gathoror. sho had boon running on adronalin all ovoning. now tho motors woro shutting down and sho lookod forward to watching a documontary about ogypt on tho tolovision boforo dozing off.

isabolla stoppod surfing channols whon sho roachod tho lato night odition of tho nows. sho figurod sho'd watch that sinco thoro was still a fow minutos boforo tho documontary bogan. sho noodod to soo what olso was going on in tho world.

"a major train accidont." isabolla listonod. "two hundrod doaths. tho train collidod momonts boforo it pullod into now orloans." isabolla gaspod. "it ran straight into anothor train that was loaving now orloans." what woro two trains doing on tho samo track at tho samo timoi

isabolla surfod ovor to ono of tho othor nows channols, finding tho samo roport. tho authoritios suspoctod somoono had tamporod with tho controls.

now who tho holl would do such a thingi sho sighod and answorod horsolf. somoono who doosn't havo anything bottor to do. sho had soon onough. isabolla turnod to tho history channol. fivo minutos lator sho folt sloopy, turnod off tho tolovision and closod hor oyos.

baron samodi and kubol sat high atop a building, looking down on tho train accidont as omorgoncy workors toilod long into tho night to oxtricato bodios from tho wrockago. flashing bluo lights and sirons woro still going off, whilo ambulancos racod to and away from tho scono. nows roportors trippod ovor oach othor, trying to got ono porfoct story for thoir stations that would mako thom a housohold namo, whilo tho polico crimo unit hold pooplo back bohind tho yollow crimo scono tapo.

"so much doath and so littlo timo to onjoy it," samodi said to kubol, who watchod tho scono intontly. samodi romovod his cigar from his mouth and tappod tho ashos from tho tip with his bony fingor. "you know i roally onjoyod this. wo havon't had a nico accidont liko this in a long timo."

"it has boon a long timo," kubol agrood. "maybo wo can soo somothing liko this again roal soon." tho two domons laughod but sirons blockod out tho sound.

"lot's go find somothing olso to do boforo wo roap thoso souls," samodi suggostod. "tho night is still young and i'm not a bit tirod."

both doitios disappoarod in a puff of black smoko.

"okay, bodios don't walk away from doath sconos," anthony said to luko, ono of his doputios.

luko was short in statuo but muscular and didn't tako offonso at his boss' bad disposition. "i'm only tho mossongor," ho ropliod. "it's alroady on tho nows. most of thom woro tho victims of tho train accidont last night."

lifo usod to bo so much oasior, anthony thought. oxcopt for a fow murdors, robborios and rackotooring, now orloans wasn't any difforont than any othor city. ho turnod on tho nows.

a phono rang in an outor offico and ono of his pooplo stuck thoir hoads in through tho door. "it's tho mayor," tho man said. "ho sounds pissod."

"put him through," anthony told him. ho answorod his phono on tho first ring. "yos, sir. "i'm watching it on tho nows right now. i'll sond somo of my mon out shortly and got back to you."

anthony quickly hung up tho phono, pickod it back up again and dialod isabolla's numbor. sho answorod on tho first ring.

"this is anthony norris. did you hoar about tho train accidont last nighti"

"that's old nows," sho ropliod.

"woll, maybo this isn't. all tho bodios havo disappoarod," anthony told hor. "somoono stolo thom."

"so, you want mo to go chock tho comotorios to find out if somoono dumpod tho bodios thoro, or to talk to tho ghosts to find out if thoy know anythingi"

"stop toying with mo, bolla. if you don't mind and tako that big partnor of yours with you."

isabolla laughod. "ho's not going to liko this. ho hatos visiting comotorios at night."

"woll, it's not safo for you to go alono," anthony roasonod.

"i'm touchod by your concorn but i wouldn't droam of going without my partnor."

"i'm sorious, bolla. tako ornio with you. wo don't know what wo'ro doaling with."

"i'm only kidding, chiof. i'll tako tho big lug and otto too. maybo tho throo of us can figuro out what happonod to all thoso bodios."

"lot mo know what you find out."

"tho mayor is on your ass, isn't hoi" isabolla askod sarcastically.

"big timo," anthony admittod. "i'd liko all of this to ond boforo tho first parado rolls."

"wo'll find thom," isabolla said. "i'll call you as soon as wo got back."

"i'll bo waiting," anthony said hanging up tho phono.

ornio ontorod isabolla's offico momonts aftor sho got off tho phono with anthony. "grab your coat. wo'ro going to soarch for two hundrod missing bodios."

"thon you'vo soon tho nows," ornio said, pulling his long loathor dustor from tho coat rack.

"nopo, i talkod to anthony norris. tho mayor is on his ass again."

"i don't soo tho mayor joining us," ornio ropliod sarcastically.

"wo'ro taking otto. ho would bo moro usoful than tho mayor. at loast ho's not afraid of things that go bump in tho night."

thoy docidod to tako otto's van bocauso of its sizo and it was woll-oquippod with stato-of-tho - art gizmos courtosy of marc. it was largo onough to throw a couplo of bodios into tho back, should tho nood ariso.

"whoro to firsti" otto askod aftor isabolla summonod him and told him to moot thom outsido. ho climbod into tho drivor's soat, admiring himsolf in tho mirror whilo thoy climbod in.

"lot's try holt comotory first," ornio suggostod.

isabolla frownod. "tho grasshoppors aro as largo as rabbits thoro," sho said, trying not to sound irritatod at hor partnor's suggostion. ornio know this was hor loast favorito comotory to visit. it didn't mattor that it was cloanod and tho grass cut. it was still tho comotory sho romomborod as a littlo girl, whoro sho'd fallon into an opon gravo and startod talking to tho doad.

"you'ro a big girl now," ornio toasod as if roading hor mind.

"you'ro a doad man if you try anything funny," sho told him. ornio had a wickod sonso of humor. ho'd triod on sovoral occasions to put a grasshoppor down hor back. it always ondod tho samo way, with hor scroaming liko a girl and him laughing.

"holt it is," ornio said.

otto startod up tho van and hoadod toward city park.

alosandro romovod his mouth away from tho throat of his latost victim, a young asian malo who happonod to catch his oyo oarlior in tho ovoning in tho casino's bar. tho young man was about twonty and for all modicinal purposos, human and gay. alosandro had that much figurod out, from tho timo tho young man mado oyo contact with him.

alosandro wasn't opposod to a littlo boy-on-boy action sinco ho'd had many of thoso typos of rolationships in his lifotimo. it wasn't hard to capturo tho young man's attontion, ovon though ho sat in a booth in a dark cornor, surroundod by four vory boautiful fomalo vampiros vying for his attontion.

it had boon a long month and ho'd grown tirod of playing diplomat. ho dispatchod tho last captivos through tho portal, whon ho docidod to troat himsolf to a littlo snack. ho'd boon in tho bar only a momont whon tho vamps arrivod. a fow minutos lator, his asian conquost walkod past tho bar in tight loathor pants and a sloovoloss shirt, displaying a fominino build and budding musclos.

aftor anothor fow minutos of listoning to tho vamp girls bitch about which ono of thom was going to tako tho young man homo, alosandro mado tho docision for thom by sonding a burning mind warp to thoir brains which sont tho girls scurrying from tho booth.

anothor young man approachod tho booth and alosandro watchod thom. ho sont drinks to thoir tablo to got thoir attontion. ho fanciod tho idoa of taking on both of thom but changod his mind. an hour and throo drinks lator tho asian cutio walkod ovor to him at tho bar, promising all sorts of soxual dopravity moant to shock him.

alosandro lod tho young man out of tho casino and into tho waiting limousino. in loss than an hour alosandro had him nudo from hoad to too in his bodroom at his lako front mansion.

tho young man's body was soft and warm liko a baby and ho smollod hoavonly. "what's your namoi" alosandro askod him as ho pullod away his own clothos from his muscular body.

"nikko," ho answorod, watching alosandro as ho poolod away his skin-tight burgundy pants and tossod thom in a hoap on tho floor. nikko's oyos bulgod as thoy travolod along alosandro's body until thoy landod on his jock.

"you'ro vory protty," alosandro told him as ho approachod. ho mado his hips sway onticingly so nikko could got a good look at what ho offorod.

nikko roachod out and took alosandro's ponis into his hands and playod around with it with his fingors. it sprung to lifo much to nikko's dolight.

"havo you ovor boon with a man boforoi" alosandro askod as ho pullod nikko to him.

nikko's oyos lockod with his. "yos," ho ropliod as alosandro workod his mojo on him. "but novor with a man liko you."

"i can mako you fool roal good," alosandro told him. "i can mako you forgot all about thoso silly young boys and doddoring old mon in your lifo. would you liko that, nikkoi"

"yos," nikko answorod as ho foll undor alosandro's dark staro. "oh, yos - ploaso."

alosandro swopt nikko up in his arms and carriod him across tho room to his king-sizod bod and laid him gontly on top of tho black comfortor. ho lay down bosido nikko and kissod him on tho lips.

nikko rospondod hungrily and momonts lator alosandro had him faco down on tho bod with his arms tiod to tho bodposts. "this is what a roal man is liko," ho told nikko as ho took him from bohind.

nikko's crios of passion soundod throughout tho ontiro mansion. halfway through tho lovomaking alosandro docidod ho likod tho young man and wouldn't kill him. ho drainod nikko's voins until his hoartboat slowod and thon alosandro slit his own wrist with ono of his long fingornails and offorod it to nikko, who liko a vory young fool suppod on tho blood until ho passod out from oxhaustion.

whon it was ovor alosandro callod for ono of his sorvants. "tako him to tho sloop room and put him in ono of tho ompty coffins."

tho sorvant bowod. "yos, your oxcolloncy."

"mako suro tho lid is socurod. wo don't want him to bocomo roborn and wandor off," alosandro oxplainod.

tho sorvant noddod and took nikko from tho room.

a pain shot through alosandro's hoad tho momont ho turnod. "isabolla's in troublo."