"for sex, you mean. what's making you so careful? i know you've had sex before."

his expression darkened. "this was not by choice. when we resisted, older, stronger vampires kept us in her bedroom. you cannot envision the depth of ursula's depravity. she is a woman of varied sexual tastes. all of them include violence and blood."

ari's stomach recoiled at the undertone in his voice. something dark and filled with revulsion. he was right. she wasn't going to like this woman.

they arrived at daron's compound in toronto with only minutes to spare before the scheduled meeting. mike, the werewolf in charge of daron's security and an old friend from riverdale, met them at the entrance.

ari encompassed his large frame in an impulsive hug even though he stiffened with embarrassment. it was good to know there were friends around.

"i'm glad to see you too," he said gruffly, patting her once on the shoulder. "but maybe not tonight. i'm sorry you have to be anywhere near here. this vampiress scares even me."

grim faced, he led them down the corridor toward the audience room. a dozen werewolves armed with ak-47 combat rifles stood guard. mike stopped with his hands on the double doors. "ready? we'll follow you in."

ari had all her usual weapons. the silver dagger in her waist sheath, derringer in an ankle holster, potions, spells, vamp dust, and six silver bullets in the hidden pockets sewn into every outfit she owned. she looked at andreas, resplendent in his usual black armani jeans and casual jacket. she nudged him. "aren't you going to warn me how i need to act?"

"other than not using your witch fire?" his serious face finally showed a hint of humor. "no, little witch. for tonight, just be yourself."

ari drew herself up straight in preparation for the meeting ahead. she envisioned the large audience chamber with its fanciful grecian columns. the tasteless statues had been removed by andreas, even before the territory was turned over to daron. although the hall could hold two hundred easily, the audience area at the east end was relatively small with seating for a dozen or less. she expected daron and his guest would be waiting there.

when mike threw the doors open and announced them, they stepped inside and started the long walk to the far end. ari got her first look at the enforcer, flanked by eight bodyguards.

ursula slowly turned her head to gaze at them, her piercing eyes immediately finding ari.

the vampiress was tall, even sitting down. her head of flaming red hair towered six inches higher than any other occupant. her classical features, softly defined, remained unaffected by time, except for the obvious bumps that concealed enlarged fangs, the only evidence of extreme age. ursula looked only slightly older than ari's twenty-four years, rather than the centuries she was, and wore her silver, shimmery mini dress well. ari raised her chin, glad she'd dressed for the occasion in silk-long, flowing black pants, pale green blouse.

as with other vampires, ursula's eyes were black, but she'd made sure hers stood out by artfully framing them with dramatic aqua blue eye shadow. matching blue glossy lips curved into a smile, displaying her fangs and forming a disturbing picture of amused malice.

"at last," the vampiress said.

"andreas, arianna, please join us." daron rose from his seat. the toronto prince, once the prince of riverdale and andreas's former boss, flashed a genuine smile across his rugged face. daron wasn't a handsome man, but he had presence, a commodity that couldn't be taught or bought. it wasn't until he advanced toward them that ari saw the warning in his expression.

while they exchanged greetings and made their selection of wine, the vampiress's gaze constantly returned to ari. she didn't like the feeling. not even a little. she had hoped to stay low on ursula's radar, at least for a while.

"perhaps your delectable little friend would like to sit next to me?" the vampiress purred at andreas and patted the chair next to her.

ari swallowed. delectable? she didn't think the term was intended as a social compliment. how varied were ursula's tastes?

"you would deprive me of the privilege of renewing our acquaintance?" andreas said smoothly. "not on your life." he took ari's arm, escorting her to the far side of the semicircle of chairs. he returned to ursula with a neutral smile. "you are just as lovely as i remember you."

"always the silver tongue. too bad i know you do not mean it. unless a couple of centuries have changed your mind?"

"i believe that is a prerogative reserved to women, not men."

"that is unfortunate." she licked her lips and leaned toward him to run a long fingernail over his chin. "i had so much fun when we last met. how is my darling gabriel?" ursula licked her lips a second time. "you were such a pair. young, tasty and virile-"

andreas grabbed her wrist and moved her hand away from his face. they locked eyes in a silent struggle. when she jerked her arm, he released it. "we should not dwell too much on the past. our memories, good or bad, can be of no interest to the others. i am more curious to hear why you are visiting our continent."

ari let out a silent breath she'd held throughout this exchange and unclenched her fists. andreas had walked a fine line. so much innuendo. veiled threats, double-sided barbs. didn't vampires ever come out and just say it?

"business so soon?" ursula stuck out her lower lip in a girlish pout. "i haven't even had a chance to talk with your companion."

daron cleared his throat and broke into the private dialogue ursula had established with andreas. "perhaps a bit later. i also have a great interest in what might have brought an enforcer on such a long journey. you are far from home."

the vampiress turned a glittering look on the toronto prince. "being separated by an ocean does not mean we have forgotten you. on the contrary, you are a frequent topic of conversation."

daron laughed easily. "i do not doubt that is true, my dear ursula. i also keep myself informed of the elders' latest activities."

ursula's smile was glacial. "then perhaps you know why i am here. the council is most," she paused deliberately, "eager to hear the details of sebastian's demise."

"you will forgive my ignorance on the subject," daron said. "i was not present. i heard it was a matter of dishonoring a guest."

"a breech of manners that warranted his death?" ursula's voice sharpened. "but why should you and i bandy words? we all know who struck the fatal blow. andreas and his witch can explain exactly what happened."

ari's witch blood surged, mirroring the sudden spike of tension in the room. andreas didn't react, not even looking at the vampiress. he seemed more concerned with the receding level of wine in his glass. a waiter hurried forward to refill it. finally, andreas spoke.

"a matter of his bad luck, really. sebastian broke his oath of hospitality by attacking me. i defended myself. there was little more to it. you could say his death was almost an accident."

"details, andreas." ursula hissed. "i want the bloody details."

he stared at her, his brows raised so high in exaggerated indignation that ari choked down a nervous laugh. "i think not. you cannot ask me to be so uncouth," he drawled in the bored tones of the italian aristocrat of his youth. he swirled the wine in his glass. "surely there are better things for us to discuss. like this excellent wine. where did you find it, daron? i do not recall sebastian having this in his cellars. if he had, i would have taken it."

daron picked up immediately, and the two men began a discussion on the merits of the wine while ursula sulked. ari relaxed her grip that threatened to break the delicate stem of her wineglass. that last exchange had veered close to a showdown. she wasn't familiar with all the spooky things ursula could do, but two thousand years of vampirism or thereabouts had to give her awesome power. not to discount the bodyguards-four european vampires and an equal number of beady-eyed wereraptors-standing behind the enforcer's chair.

ari opened the magical link that she shared with andreas, but the vampire was guarding his thoughts. she shot him a frown. what good was it to have this damned telepathic connection if he wasn't going to use it?

too many ears.

startled, she glanced at him. although he appeared to be paying no attention to her, ari headed his warning and closed down her thoughts. she let her gaze wander over the other occupants of the hall. was he trying to tell her that ursula could break into their private link? or that someone else had the ability? ari had never considered such an intrusion was possible, and the concept threw her for a second. could this other person get into her head or only intercept their back-and-forth communications? she increased her psychic shields. until she had a chance to talk with andreas privately, she had no intention of testing the limits. damn andreas and his fetish for secrets. why hadn't he warned her?

"enough!" ursula's loud voice bounced around the vast chambers. the vampiress sprang from her chair, bringing her bodyguards to alert. "i did not come here to listen to this nonsense about wine." without warning, she flashed across the room and loomed over ari. "you will tell me how sebastian died."

responding automatically, ari shoved her chair away and shot to her feet. she wasn't going to allow this powerful predator to stand over her. their standing heights were more than enough to intimidate-ursula's six-feet-six versus ari's five-feet-five.

ari scowled at the vampiress. "you didn't say please." andreas had told her to be herself, hadn't he?

ursula appeared momentarily confused with the answer, then frowned as she figured out it was a refusal. "do you realize what i can do to you, little girl?"

"not really. and i'd rather not find out. i was enjoying the discussion of wine." ari didn't dare look at andreas or daron. she felt the waiting stillness in the room as attention was locked on her and the vampiress. ari's hand touched the packet of vamp dust in her pocket, and her fingers began to loosen the leather ties.