Moonlight and Carnations
 
 

disclaimer:  The characters of Nick Knight, Natalie Lambert, Javier Vachon, Tracy Vetter, Urs,
and LaCroix are the property of Mr. Parriott etal.  I’ve just brought them South for a little
vacation and I promise to send them back where they came from when I’m through.  The
characters of Paco Diaz y Ortega , Rhiannon Arden,  and Jason and Miranda Burke are mine.
Please feel free to archive if you think this is worth it.  This story takes place after “Fever” and
during “Ashes to Ashes”.  The ending of “AtoA” has been altered to fit my particular universe.
And of course we all know that nothing really bad happened after AtoA. There are some parts
of this that contain adult situations and are identified when they occur. lacemom@aol.com
 

        ONE
 

     There were nights when it just didn’t pay for any self respecting vampire to get out of bed.
     “And this is definitely one of those days,” Vachon thought as he very carefully sat up holding his aching head,  “ You’d  think that after five hundred years, I’d know better than to tie one on, even if it was for a good cause of sorts.”
     Vachon gave up trying to maintain an upright position and sank back down, sighing as his head hit the pillow.  That did help the spinning in his head somewhat.  He let his mind drift back over to the events of the previous night.  He had awakened early,  about an hour and a half before sunset.  He was feeling kind of restless and if the truth be known,  just a little sorry for himself.  Tracy was out of town until the following week, visiting her mother.  They were doing a fall foliage tour of the northern New England states of all things..
     Well he had to admit, she had been working pretty hard lately and did deserve her week’s vacation, but damn he missed her.  Not like he’d ever admit it to her.  And he never got over missing Screed.  To make matters worse, Urs was off on some jaunt with LaCroix, which did have its benefits, since it made everyone breathe just a little bit easier with the General out of town for a while.  So that basically left him on his own since Nick Knight and he were not exactly the best of friends, more like passing acquaintances really.
     So he decided to keep to his usual routine when his running buddies weren’t available and just hang at the Raven for a bit.  He had showered and changed into some halfway decent duds.  Since the night was so pretty, he had forgone his bike and had flown over to the Raven.  Vachon allowed a ghost of a smile to cross his face as he recalled what happened next.
     He has been sitting at his usual stool at the end of the bar just scoping out the place before it had gotten too crowded.  Nick Knight had walked up behind him and put his hand on Vachon’s shoulder and Vachon could have sworn he had given him the gentlest of squeezes.
     “Hi, Vachon.  You’re flying solo too, I see,”  Knight had said.
     “What do you mean, too?”  he replied.
     “Well, with Tracy on vacation and all, and Nat’s off on that seminar in New York City, I just meant that it looked liked “Guys Night Out”.  Can I buy you a drink, Javier? I thought, maybe we could well, just hang out and get to know each other a little better.  That is, if you care to?”  Nick said with a touch of uncertainty in his voice.
     “Hey, man.  You know me.  Never one to turn down a freebie.  How ‘bout we find a table in the back somewhere, before all the good ones are taken.”
     So while Vachon had procured one of the better tables in a remote corner, Nick had ordered a bottle of Lacroix’s finest private reserve, a bottle of the best scotch in the house, two glasses, and directions to keep the stuff coming.  He made his way to the table and could not help but see the appreciation in Vachon’s eye as he noted the quality of the bottles Knight set in front of him.
     “None of that nasty stuff you’re famous for tonight I see,” he couldn’t help saying to the blond vampire as Nick sat down across from him.
     “No, my friend, tonight is different.  I really do want to get to know you better for Tracy’s sake, and I think it’s about time I did something for myself in addition.  It’s been far too long since I’ve indulged in any pleasures.  I think I’m way overdue, wouldn’t you agree?”
     Vachon had given Knight one of his characteristic shrugs and had proceeded to open both bottles and pour generous amounts of both liquids into each glass.  The first sip was pure heaven for both and they had soon found themselves talking and drinking like two old bosom buddies.  They had continued in this vein until both were more than just pleasantly buzzed, in fact they were both downright drunk and had ended up walking to their respective abodes, since there was no way in hell Vachon could have flown, nor could Knight have even attempted to drive.  All in all not a bad way to spend the night, but the “morning after” was proving to be a bitch for Vachon and he imagined just as bad for Knight.  Just as Vachon had finally made up his mind to stay in bed with the covers pulled up over his head, he had been flabbergasted to hear a voice from his very distant past say,  “Buenos noches, Amigo.  Long time no see.”
     Vachon literally shot out of the bed, momentarily forgetting the throbbing in his brain.  He didn’t realize until this vision from his past easily moved at vampire speed and caught Vachon before he hit the floor, that he was in no shape to be moving too fast.
     “I’m not hallucinating, am I, Paco?  Is it really you?  Sweet Christ, it’s been how long?”
     “Easy, my friend, it’s really me.  You’re not seeing  things.  But she must have been something to get you so drunk that you’re still hung over,  and it’s barely sunset.”  Paco Diaz y Ortega said as he gently steered Vachon back to the bed,  “Yes, it has been a long time since we last met.  Far too long, if the stories I’ve been hearing are true.  I thought you might be needing a calming influence, and I’ve gotten bored with the continent these last thirty years.  So , here I am.”
     Paco sat in the chair nearest where Vachon lay and studied his old friend.  Vachon returned the scrutiny and, after a long silence, finally grinned and said,  “Come on, old man, since when have you been a calming influence on anyone?  If I remember correctly, weren’t you the one who always used to find the wildest tavernas in Spain and the rowdiest pubs in England?”
     “Touché, amigo.  I concede that to you, but things have changed for me in the last
hundred years.”
     As he finished speaking, Vachon saw a shadow pass over his friend’s clear gray eyes, and he would have sworn he saw the trace of a tear, but it was gone too quickly for Vachon to be absolutely sure.  Not much had changed with Paco in the time since Vachon had last seen him.  His  brown hair was just a little longer than Vachon ever remembered it being in the four centuries he had known Paco and his beard had been shaved off.  Other than that, there were no physical changes, but Vachon knew something had changed, he  didn’t know what just yet.  He promised himself he would damn sure find out what.  He would also find out why Paco had sought him out.  It had always been the other way around.
     “So, Paco, out with it.  To what do I owe the honor of this visit?  You didn’t just “drop in” after a hundred years to be my conscience.  So what’s up?”
     “Truthfully, Javito, I needed a change and I felt that now is as good a time as any to renew an old friendship.  Have I come at an inconvenient time?  If so, just tell me and I’ll go.”
     “Whoa, there.  Don’t jump to any false conclusions, man.  You just took me by surprise and threw me for a loop.  You know you’re always welcome at Casa de Vachon.  Come, let me give you a tour of my “palace”,”  Vachon replied hurriedly and with a hint of a laugh in his voice, hoping he hadn’t offended one of the only true friends he had ever had.
     Paco rose from the chair he had been occupying and with a graceful Old World bow, followed his friend around the old church, laughing at Vachon’s outrageous descriptions of his surroundings.  He knew that Vachon was trying to study him without being obvious, and, in true Vachon style, was failing miserably.  After the grand tour was over, Paco invited Vachon to be his guest at “dinner”, and asked him to recommend someplace where the fare was above average.  Of course Vachon immediately said the only place in town for the community to have a decent meal was the Raven.  So for the second night in a row, Vachon was treated to exceptional “food” and great company.  The two old friends took the rest of the night to catch up on most of what had happened to each other in the last century, but each knew the other had held back the most important events in their respective lives.  They each figured it was just a matter of time until the other confided those deep, dark, unhappy times that weren’t spoken of that night.
 

        TWO
 

     About a week after Paco showed up at the church, he was coming out of the shower when he literally ran into Tracy Vetter.
     “Just who the hell are you and what are you doing here in Vachon’s place?  And what have you done with him?”  Tracy demanded, drawing her gun and flashing her badge in one motion.
     Paco lifted one hand over his head, holding the towel wrapped around his waist with the other and said with a hint of laughter,  “Am I to assume , senorita, that you are Vachon’s Tracy?  Please allow me to introduce myself to you.  I  am Paco Diaz,  a “very”  old friend of  Javier’s.  He has gone out to get some part or another for his bike.  I would expect he will be back shortly.  I am sure he would want you to wait.  If you will excuse me for a moment, I think it might be a good idea if I put on some clothes.  We would not want Vachon to think bad thoughts now would we?”
     “Um, no, I guess not,” Tracy replied, as a slight blush crept up her neck to her face, betraying her embarrassment at her faux pas.
     As Paco walked into the next room, Tracy couldn’t help but notice that he was definitely another Spanish hunk.  She found herself thinking that his slight Spanish accent,  combined with a very sexy voice,  was most attractive.  And she just knew he was a vampire.  Somehow she felt it, but wasn’t afraid of him anymore than she was afraid of Vachon, and she had just met the guy.
     “What is my world coming to?”,   she wondered.
     Almost immediately, Paco returned to where Tracy was standing, only now he was dressed in some formfitting jeans and a cream colored V-neck sweater.  He was towel drying his hair and for a moment, Tracy couldn’t help but flashback to Vachon the first time he had showered at her apartment.
     “What is it about these damn Spaniards?  Is there some law that says they all have to be drop dead gorgeous and sexy?”, she thought.
     Almost as if he had read her mind, Paco looked up at her with a boyish grin and motioned with his hand for her to sit on the sofa.  As she did so, he moved with grace and elegance to the chair across from her and lowered himself into it.
     “Senorita Tracy, I know that you are aware of what I am, so I must ask your forgiveness for not being able to offer you any refreshment to suit your taste.  Vachon has spoken much of you this past week, but  true to form, he neglected to say when you would be returning from your vacation, so I did not stock this place with any mortal delicacies.”
     “That’s OK, Mr. Diaz.  Vachon never thinks about stuff like that, so unless I bring my own,  there’s never anything here for me.  Besides, I don’t think I told him when I’d be back home exactly”.
     “We shall remedy that, Senorita Tracy.  When next you visit here I will make sure Vachon remembers the manners he was brought up with and has proper refreshments for you.  But please call me Paco,” he said.
     Tracy was trying very hard not to be too obvious about studying this friend of Vachon’s, but she had the feeling that he knew exactly what she was doing and was allowing her to do it without making her feel uncomfortable.  She was entranced by his eyes, such an unusual shade of gray.  She could see that he had chest hair like Vachon and was surprised to see he wore a small gold cross on a chain.  She couldn’t help but stare at that and found herself blushing again when she realized that she was under scrutiny by him.
     “Um, I’m sorry to stare at you, Paco, but you’re wearing a cross.  I thought that couldn’t
happen,” she stammered.
     “Tracy, I think Javier has been sadly remiss when it comes to educating you about “us”.   There are many things we can accomplish, if we do not allow ourselves to succumb to superstition.  However,  I myself can not tolerate garlic or holy water, though there are others of our kind who can,” he told her.
     Right then Tracy glanced at her watch and fairly shot up off the sofa.  “Oh, God.  I’m going to be late for work.  My first night back from vacation, too.  Will you do me a favor and tell Vachon I’ll stop by on my way home in the morning?  Oh, and it was really nice to meet you.  I hope to see you again while you’re in town,”  Tracy said as she headed up the stairs and out the door.
     “Good night, Tracy.  It was a pleasure to meet you, too.”
     A short time later, Vachon returned to the church and found Paco sitting on the couch, playing an old Spanish cantata on Vachon’s guitar.  Vachon remembered the tune and while he couldn’t quite remember the words, he knew it was something about a lost love.
    “Kind of melancholy for you isn’t it,  Paco?  Seems like I recall you always liking upbeat stuff.  You ready to tell your old buddy Vachon what’s been eating at you ever since you got here?”
     Paco looked up from the guitar and for a moment said nothing.  Then he set the instrument down carefully next to him.
     Momentarily ignoring his friend’s question, he said, “Tracy is back, Javito.  You just missed her.  She stopped by on her way to work, and said she would return on her way home in the morning.  She is very attractive, my man, but a touch naive, don’t you think?”
     “Hey, I like her just the way she is.  If she was any different, she wouldn’t be *my* Tracy.”  Vachon shot back defensively.
     “”Your” Tracy, Vachon?  It’s serious then this time.  She’s not just another one of  those vapid blondes you have such a penchant for, I take it?”
     “Damn it, Paco.  how dare you call Tracy *vapid*?  You don’t know anything about her.  You just met her for Christ sakes,”  Vachon fairly shouted.
     Paco held up both hands in surrender, “I apologize, Vachon.  That was uncalled for on my part.  I truly did not realize the depth of your feelings for this mortal.  And unless I miss my guess, neither do you.”
     “Yeah,  OK.  Let’s just forget it and get back to my original question of what’s bothering you,  huh?”  Vachon flashed his famous “Lost Boy” grin at Paco and was relieved to get the same grin thrown back at him.
     “You win, Vachon.  But it’s a story best told over good liquor with beautiful women in the background, so let’s head to the Raven.”
 

        THREE -ADULT CONTENTS
 

     About an hour before sunrise Paco and Vachon returned to the church.  Vachon was still absorbing all that Paco had told him and truthfully had forgotten that Tracy had said she would
stop by on her way home.  As soon as he and Paco neared the church, he sensed Tracy’s
presence and for a split second, wished that Paco wasn’t with him because he wanted Tracy all
to himself.  Damn Paco, he was right.  Tracy had gotten to him and he had no idea what to do
about it.
     Paco had also sensed Tracy’s presence and knew that Vachon probably wanted to be alone with her for a while.
     “Vachon, I think it’s a good idea for me to sleep somewhere else today.  I’ll find a spot at the Raven to sack out.  See you tonight, “ Paco said and he was gone before Vachon could answer.
     “You really are my best friend , Amigo.  Thanks.  I owe you big for this one,” Vachon thought as he headed into the church.
     He heard Tracy’s heartbeat and caught her scent even before he saw her lying on the sofa.  He moved over to her silently, not wishing to startle her if she was asleep.
     “You don’t have to be quiet, Javier.  I’m not sleeping;  just waiting for you to get home.  Where’s Paco?”  she asked, reaching up to gently touch his cheek.
     “Has other plans for the day, thank God.  Mmm, you think I could interest you in staying a while, Querida?”
     All the while he was speaking, he had been caressing her cheek and idly playing with a lock of her hair.  Now, he picked her up from the sofa, and carried her to his bed, gently laying her down.  Tracy breathed in sharply, taken completely by surprise by his actions, but very pleased with this turn of events.  This was the first time their relationship had shown any signs of being more than just friendship and she wasn’t going to do anything to break the spell of the moment.  She let herself completely relax and enjoy Vachon’s ministrations.
     He began by removing her jacket, then her shoes, and then stopped for a moment, “Tell me now, Trace, if this is really what you want.  Once we start, while I promise you I will not hurt you, I won’t be able to stop until I climax.”
     “Please don’t stop.   I trust you,”  was her reply, her voice husky with the beginnings of arousal.
     “Trace, do you understand that I have to bite you to complete the act?  There’s no other way,  but I swear I’ll fly into the sun before I hurt you.”
     Tracy couldn’t stifle the giggle that escaped her,  a combination of nervousness and amusement at Vachon’s  obvious concern.  “Javier, just shut up and kiss me before I go crazy.”
     In a flash, he had captured her mouth with his own and proceeded to do things with his tongue that she never would have dreamed possible.  She only knew that she didn’t want him to stop all the wonderful things he was doing to her body.  Vachon had been paying close attention to her nipples through the fabric of her blouse while his tongue had been inflaming her mouth.  Now he began to  unbutton each button with deliberate slowness, never once  stopping the kiss.  Tracy moaned around his tongue as she tried to free herself long enough to beg him to take her now before she went mad from wanting him.   
     He sensed this and briefly moved to her neck just below her right ear and whispered,  “Not yet, Cara.  This has to be the most special time you have ever had.  Let me do this my way.  You won’t regret it, my beauty.”
     Tracy surrendered to him body and soul, knowing that her dreams were really going to come true this day.  He bestowed butterfly kisses along her shoulder and down her right side until he reached her breast.  His fangs had begun their descent, and he used them to gently pull the lace of her bra away, freeing her delights for him to enjoy.  Vachon slowly circled her breast with his tongue and teased her already rock hard nipple  until she felt as though she would die from the pleasure he was giving her.  His left hand began its descent to her nether regions, while his right thumb gave the same attention to her left breast as his tongue was doing to her right one.  Tracy was gasping for breath and sobbing his name as she tried to touch him and do the things to him that he was doing to her.  He unbuttoned the top of her slacks and slid the zipper down.  Then he pulled her slacks and panties off in one fluid motion that Tracy barely noticed, so focused was she on what he was doing to her breasts.  Her entire body was on fire and she was just that close to orgasm when he suddenly stopped.  She started to protest when she realized he was gone, but with that vampire speed of his, he was back in an instant.
     “Sorry , Trace.  I fed heavily tonight hoping I could do this, but I need a little fortification other than your jugular,” he apologized as he took a long swallow from the bottle he had retrieved from across the room,  “That’s better.  No more interruptions.  Now where was I?  Oh yeah, I remember.  Right about here,” as he slid two fingers into her and began to rub her clit with his thumb.
     Almost immediately, Tracy came.  One tidal wave of passion after another washing over her.  After a few moments, she opened her eyes to see Vachon staring at her, gold flecks shining in his eyes.
     “Did you enjoy that, Cara?”
     “Oh God, yes, Vachon.  But I though you said you had to bite me to finish?”
     He laughed that enchanting laugh of his and took her hand and guided it to his crotch.  Tracy blushed as she realized he was “very” aroused, and that while she was totally naked, he was still fully clothed.
     “Your turn, wench.  I fully expect to be as carefully ministered to as you were,” he teased as he stretched out on his back beside her.
     “Jav, I think you should know I’m not, uh, exactly all that experienced and I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed, “ she said softly in his ear.
     He turned slightly to face her, cupped her chin in his hand and lightly kissed her nose.
     “Trace, just do whatever your heart and body tell you feels right and there’s no way you can disappoint me.”
     Tracy began to undress him, kissing him wherever her hands touched.  He stretched languidly and she could have sworn that he was purring with pleasure.   She undid the buttons of his shirt and removed it, touching the crinkly hair on his chest, reveling in its feel.  Then she kissed his left nipple, gently sucking on it and getting a shudder of pleasure from him in response.  Encouraged by his reaction, she did the same to his other nipple, then traveled back up to his mouth for a long heated kiss.  She straddled him and felt him rubbing his crotch against hers, which was beginning to get very moist again.  Tracy then lowered her hand to massage his cock through the fabric of his jeans, causing him to moan as his ecstasy grew.  Slowly, she undid the buttons that imprisoned his throbbing member, ultimately freeing it for her inspection.  She was definitely not disappointed to find he was very well endowed.
     Vachon entwined his fingers in her hair and tried to push her mouth down toward his penis.  She resisted and raised her head to find him looking at her with his eyes totally gold now.
     “Javier, I wasn’t lying when I told you I wasn’t all that experienced.  I’m just not ready to.....”, unable to finish the sentence.
     “Tracy, it’s all right.  I don’t want to force you into anything you can’t handle.  But please, Love, I need you now or I may do something I will regret.”
     Tracy started to roll over so he could mount her, but Vachon stopped her and with her riding him, guided her onto his eager member.  As she began to move up and down, he matched her thrust for thrust, driving harder and harder until he felt that she was close to orgasm, and he knew he couldn’t last any longer.
      “Tracy, now, Querida, give me your wrist,”  Vachon said breathlessly.
     Without hesitation, just a little puzzled that he was not going for her neck, she complied, and he bit down on her inner wrist as they both climaxed with hurricane force  Only after they had both calmed down, did Tracy realize how incredibly cold his body was, including his now flaccid member.  It had been all she dreamed and yet something was missing.
     “Was it worth it, my beautiful Angel?”  Vachon asked as he reached over the bed and drank deeply from the bottle he had left laying on the floor.
     “Most definitely, Senor.  But I think I need to be going,” she replied just a little too quickly,  “You know I’ve got to work tonight and we girls do need our beauty rest,” she teased.
     Vachon blinked at her, sensing that something wasn’t right, but he didn’t know how to find out what without coming right out and asking, which he didn’t think was a good idea at this moment.  He shrugged and rolled over, retrieving his jeans from the floor and slid  them on in one graceful, fluid motion, “I kind of hoped you’d stay the day with me, Trace.”
     Gathering her clothes from where he had carelessly  tossed them about the room, and hurriedly putting them on, she turned her back to him, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Javier,” for once not mangling his name too badly, “I think we’ve tempted fate enough for one day, and it’s not that I don’t trust you, but well.....”
     “Yeah, I know, Tracy.  Something about being breakfast in bed, huh?”, he said in that noncommittal way of his, hoping he was masking the disappointment he felt.
     “You really are terrific, you know,”  she said lightly kissing his cheek and running up the stairs and into the light, calling after herself as she left, “I’ll call you later, okay?”
     “Please, mi vida, please call me later,”  he said to the empty space where a moment before his lifeblood had stood.
     Unnerved at the way the encounter had ended, Vachon did the only thing he could.  After downing two bottles of bloodwine, he went to bed and made a pathetic attempt at sleep.
 

       FOUR
 

     Later that evening, Paco awoke at the Raven to find himself under the scrutiny of LaCroix, who, with Urs, had just returned from a little vacation in Paris.
     “To what do I owe the honor of the presence of Paco Diaz y Ortega in my humble abode?”
     “Can the sarcasm, Old One.  I needed a place to crash for the day, that’s all.  Nothing more, nothing less.  If I’ve inconvenienced you, I am sorry.”
     LaCroix had never ceased to marvel at Paco’s lack of fear and quite honestly wished that his children would exhibit some of the backbone this young pup did.  But then again, Diaz was the child of one of the Ancients,  old Socrates himself if memory served LaCroix correctly, which it always did.
     “Why are you here, Paco?  It has been a rather long time since you have graced this continent with your presence.  Don’t try to insult me by telling me it was just a whim.  I know you too well, you have never done anything on a whim in your six hundred and fifty years,”  LaCroix said bluntly.
     “Sorry  to disappoint you, Uncle.  I grew weary of the Old World and its unique charms and desired a change.  That’s all.  I came here to renew my friendship with Vachon and see if I might like to make Toronto my home for a while.  As you probably already know, I’ve been here a little over a week, and I think I’ve about worn out my welcome with Vachon, so I’ve decided to procure a home of my own here,” Paco shot back, never once backing down from LaCroix’s penetrating stare.
     “And what of Rhiannon, Paco?”  taunted LaCroix, relishing the pain he saw flash in the younger vampire’s eyes.
     With a careless shrug, knowing full well that he was not fooling LaCroix, Paco said, “What of her?  We have not seen each other in more years than I can remember.  We parted ways long ago and you know it, so why bring it up?  I’m not your precious Nicholas to wallow in guilt over events I could not control.”
     Paco had sat up when LaCroix first came over to him, and now, with the languid grace that characterized his every move, he rose and stood facing LaCroix, his own height just a fraction taller than the old one.  But at the mention of his old paramour’s name, he felt at a distinct disadvantage since he was well aware that LaCroix was enjoying his discomfort.   “Are you truly unaware that she is here in Toronto, Paco?”
     Unable to hide his sharp intake of breath at the information just imparted to him, Paco decided that it was to his advantage to play it honestly and not sink to LaCroix’s level, “I believe that you know very well that I had no idea she was anywhere near here.  The last I knew, she had just finished her concert tour and was back home in  Louisiana.  But I fail to see what difference my affairs are to you, anyway,  LaCroix.”
     “Oh, my friend.  I’m not really interested in your affairs as long as they do not conflict with mine.  I must be going now.  Nearly time to start my little show.  Feel free to stay as long as you wish.  Anything for my old friend Socrates’ son,” replied LaCroix as he walked away from Paco, leaving Paco to ponder on the information he had just been given.
     More unnerved by his little “talk” with LaCroix than he would like to admit, Paco went to the bar and downed two quick drinks, heavily laced with cognac.  His nerves steadied somewhat by the liquid fortification, Paco left the Raven and headed back to the church.  When he got there, he found Vachon in an exceptionally foul mood.
     “Vachon, calm down,” he shouted to the younger vampire, who was throwing anything he could get his hands on, around the room,  and swearing in some of the most colorful Spanish Paco had heard in a long, long time.
     Grabbing Vachon’s arm in a viselike grip, he was rewarded with a look of pure venom and a nasty hiss, before Vachon realized who had grabbed him.  Shaking himself loose and making a visible effort to calm the enraged vampire in him, Vachon took a long shuddering breath and slowly regained his humanity.
     “Damn it, Paco.  I thought everything was just fine.  I mean we had something this morning like I’ve never experienced before.  I “know” I didn’t hurt Tracy and she left here after we,  uh,” Vachon said with a wounded puppy look in his eyes, “I don’t know what went wrong.  She left here like she had been shot out of a cannon.  So tell me,  Pacito, how come you were so sure it would work.  I followed all your advice and even bit her wrist, not her throat, like you said was best at first  She’s not at her apartment, at least she’s not answering her phone, and I damn sure can’t call her parents’ place since they don’t know about me.  So what do I do now?”
     “Jav, I can’t answer that question.  It may be that she is one of the ones who are truly fascinated with our kind, but even though she desires it, can never be comfortable in a relationship with a vampire.  From what you’ve told me of her upbringing, I suspect that it goes deeper than that, however.  Have you ever stopped to think that maybe it’s not what you are, but who you are that could be the problem?  You have to admit you are not her father’s idea of a match for his little girl,” Paco replied, trying to keep sympathy out of his voice to avoid embarrassing his friend any more than Vachon already was.
      Visibly cheering up, Vachon gave Paco a cocky grin,  “You know, my man, you just may be on to something.  How do you think I’d look in a business suit, a proper haircut and all?”
     So caught up in the ridiculous fantasy picture of himself that he had been painting, Vachon at first failed to notice that Paco had started throwing his clothes into his suitcase.
     “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?  I promise I’m through with my temper tantrum.”
     “She’s here in Toronto, Javier.  And I’m not sure I can handle that just yet.  I was just getting used to the idea of being on the same continent as her after thirty years,” Paco sighed.
     “Who?  Oh, you mean that chick you were talking about last night?  You never did tell me her name, by the way.  And you know, Toronto is a big place and since she’s not one of ours, there’s no reason for you to bump into one another,” Vachon tried to reason with his friend, because he truly didn’t want him to leave.
     Stopping his packing for a moment, Paco looked at Vachon and said, “Sit down,  Amigo.  As much as I told you last night, there was much more I didn’t tell you.  We have been friends far too long for me to leave without letting you know why.  The woman I told you about last night is Rhiannon Arden.  We were together for several years and I let Socrates talk me into leaving her without telling her why.”
     Vachon was staring at Paco with a look of pure astonishment,  “*The* Rhiannon.  Like as in superstar.  Are you crazy, man?  Any man capable of breathing would give anything for a chance with her and you walked away?”
     “It’s not quite that simple, Javier.  In fact it’s a lot more complicated than her being a superstar.  She’s the Lady Protector and Socrates believed that the Enforcers would not tolerate our relationship, so he forced me to leave to keep me “alive.”  And I’ve regretted every second not spent with her these last thirty years.”
     Vachon sat down heavily in the nearest chair, totally overwhelmed by the events of the last twenty four hours.  First Paco told him about Paco’s successful relationships with human women and then about the one who had made a lasting mark on him.  Then his tryst with Tracy, more than he had ever hoped possible and ending so confusingly.  Now this.
     Not just any Protector, but the biggest, baddest one of the bunch, and she turns out to be the most beautiful, talented woman on the face of the earth and Paco’s lost love to boot.  Vachon let his mind whirl, thinking of all the implications this held, and was unmindful of Paco’s unwavering scrutiny of him.  Wow, a Protector.  Now didn’t that beat all.  Leave it to Paco to manage to do something so totally rad like falling for one of the most powerful and frightening of all the types of Immortals there were.
     Vachon had seen an Enforcer or two in his time, though thankfully he had managed so far to stay on their good side.  Now,  Protectors were another story.  He had heard tales through the years of how these witches, for that was the nature of Protectors, had chosen to keep all of the different types of supernatural creatures roaming the planet, from wreaking too much havoc on humans. He also knew that not all witches were Protectors, but all Protectors were witches capable of some pretty awesome magic, if the tales were true.
     “Paco, if it’s true that Protectors keep humans safe from us, how come you’re still alive to tell me this story?”  Vachon couldn’t help but ask.
     He was rewarded with a sardonic laugh,  “Javier, you really are so naive at times.  The tales about the Protectors being hostile to other Immortals are a fabrication begun many centuries ago, which they choose to keep alive to keep us all in check.  The truth be told, they save *us* far more than they save humans.  They just don’t let it be known.                           
    "Rhiannon is far older than even LaCroix and is not a force to be reckoned with lightly, yet is the gentlest creature I’ve ever known.  And, God help me, I will never stop loving her more than life itself.  But until she and the other Protectors decide to show that they are really not our enemies, I must stay away from her, for both our sakes.  Why the Protectors chose the path they did, I never asked her.  There were some things better left unsaid between us.  Far better that you should cross paths with a Protector than an Enforcer any day.  With the Protector, I guarantee you would come out in one piece.”
     “OK,  but that still doesn’t explain why you have to beat feet out of here like every demon in hell was chasing after your sorry hide,” Vachon shot back, “Besides, you got me into this mess with Tracy.  The least you can do is stick around and help me out a little.  And what makes you sure Rhiannon knows you’re here in town?”
     “All right.  I’ll stay for three more days, and if Rhiannon hasn’t staked me out by then I’m on my way.  That should give you time to fix things with Tracy,” Paco told him.
     “Wait a minute.  You still haven’t said why you’re so damn sure she knows you’re here.”
     “Easy, Amigo.  When we were together, she put a protection spell on me that I can still sense, which means she knows where I am.  How?  I don’t know.  Part of her witchiness I assume,” Paco said, anticipating the question on Vachon’s face.
 

          FIVE
 

     While the two vampires were having their conversation at the church, Tracy had decided to go into work a little early.  That way there, she wouldn’t have to think about the events of the morning, which had kept her up most of the day.  As she walked toward her desk, she was surprised to see a very good looking man sitting across from her partner, Nick, and engaged in an animated conversation with him.  She took a moment to study the stranger, who obviously wasn’t a stranger to Nick.  He was young, maybe a little older than her and was dressed in some expensive looking western wear.  He had light brown hair and since he was sitting sideways next to Nick, she could see he had a mustache and goatee, but couldn’t see the color of his eyes behind his lightly shaded wire rimmed glasses.  God must be looking out for her to have so many hunks crossing her path since she got back from vacation.
     “Hi, Nick.  Thought I’d come in a little early tonight.  I’m not back on my sleep schedule yet, and well, I was bored,”  Tracy chattered in her usual perky manner, “So who’s your friend here?”
     The young man in question rose from the chair and turned to face her fully.  God, he was even cuter than she first thought with light brown eyes now evident behind the glasses he wore.
     “Name’s Jason Burke.  I’m the guy here on that work exchange program that my hometown, Shreveport, La. has with Toronto.  You know,  the one where Detective Hobson gets to spend the winter in the sunny South and I get to freeze my ass off here,”  he said, obviously teasing with her  though she, in true Tracy style, failed to realize it.
     “Gee, I’m sorry, Detective.  Guess it’s tough,”  she stammered.
     At that point, Nick chose to rescue her,  “Tracy, Jay’s just pulling your leg about freezing his ass off.  I’ve known this guy since he was a baby and I promise you he’s always joking around.  I know for a fact, that he asked to be part of the exchange program .”
     “Sorry, Detective Vetter.  I guess that wasn’t too nice of me, just meeting you and all,”  Jason said, trying to look contrite and failing miserably.
     “Tracy’s just fine.  It makes me feel really old to hear you call me Detective Vetter.”
     “Tracy it is then.  Do you mind if I tag along with you and Nick for a few days until I get a little more familiar with the city?  Capt. Reese said it was OK with him if you didn’t mind.”
     “Hey, I think that would be super cool having someone my own age to talk with.  Um, not that I meant you were old or anything, Nick, it’s just....,”  Tracy tried hard to cover her latest faux pas.
     Nick laughed and said. “Let’s get going you two.  I have a feeling this could be one fun night.  Tracy, chill out.  You know I didn’t take offense,”  he told her as Jason walked out of earshot.
     As they settled in Nick’s Caddy, Tracy asked Nick,  “You said you’ve known Jason since he was a baby.  You never told me you’ve been to Shreveport, is it?”
     “Yes, it’s Shreveport, now, but I’ve known Jay’s mom for a very long time and Jay’s not a native southerner, are you, kid?”
     “Nah, I was born in Massachusetts and lived there until I was five, then my dad got transferred to Ohio.  We lived there for two years ‘til mom and dad split up.  She took me and my sister to Shreveport cause my grandfather was the commander of the Air Force base there and well, she just didn’t have anywhere else to go at the time.  So I guess that makes me a damn Yankee, since I moved there and decided to return after I got home from the Gulf War,”  Jay told Tracy from the back seat.
     “Gee, that is really cool.  You were really in the Persian Gulf?  That must have been so awesome,"  she bubbled.
     “It was a war, Tracy.  They were shooting real missiles at me, so awesome isn’t the word I’d use,”  Jay said quietly,  “Relieved to get home in one piece is more like it.”
     “I’m sorry.  I guess I just wasn’t thinking,”  she said.
     “Again,”  Nick couldn’t help but think.
     The rest of the shift passed relatively quietly.  They were called to the scene of a potential homicide, only to discover that the guy lying on his living room floor with a hole in his chest, had been careless while cleaning his rifle, preparing it for hunting season and not checking to make sure that it was unloaded.  They had not even called Natalie Lambert to the scene, just sent the body to the morgue, so Nick didn’t get the chance to see her all night.
    He was pleased to see that Tracy and Jay appeared to hit it off well.  He had made sure before Tracy had gotten to the station, that Jay was informed that she didn’t know that Nick was a vampire, and he knew that Jay wouldn’t give his secret away.
     At the end of the shift,  as they were walking to their vehicles, Tracy’s mouth nearly hit the ground as she watched Jay head toward a red sports car that was just to die for,  “Say, is that yours?  I mean it’s so cool.”
     “Yeah, Tracy, it’s mine.  My mom just got her new one and this year it’s my turn to get her old one,” he said grinning,  “Care to join me for breakfast and we can take a spin in it?”
     “Well, I’ve got my car and all...”
     “Tell you what.  If you’re uncomfortable about my knowing where you live, how about we just get something to eat and then I’ll bring you back here?  You’ll just have to tell me where a good place is and how to get there,” Jay told her.
     “OK.  That would be great.  See you tonight, Nick,”  she waved as she and Jay sped out of the parking lot.
     Nick waved at the both of them and as he got into the Caddy to head home, he thought it might be nice if Tracy fell for Rhiannon’s son and forgot about Vachon.
 

        SIX
 

     Vachon had been in a foul mood for the past two days.  He had not seen or heard from Tracy and was at his wits’ end trying to figure out how to make things right with someone you couldn’t find.  He had buzzed by her apartment several times the last two nights, only to find it dark.  When he let himself into it in the usual Vachon way, he could see that she had been there.  He assumed that she was avoiding him and was coming in after dawn and leaving before sunset, so he for once in his life, chose discretion as the better part of valor, and had not settled in to wait for her.  Besides, when he talked about doing that to Paco, Paco said it was one of the worst ideas he had ever heard Vachon come up with.
     What Paco hadn’t told Vachon was that he had been checking on Tracy the past two days and had seen her in the company of a young man she appeared to be very entranced with.  Paco had sensed that they were working together and that the attraction was mutual.  He had seen them walk into the precinct station together and get into Nick’s car with him.  The young man seemed vaguely familiar to Paco, although he was sure he had never met him before.
     Paco decide not to say anything to Vachon until he could find out if there was anything going on with Tracy and the young man.  No sense in getting Vachon all worked up if it turned out to be nothing.  Paco was also curious to see if he could find out why Tracy was avoiding Vachon now that they had made love.  He was so engrossed in helping out his friend that he had forgotten about Rhiannon’s presence in Toronto and had pretty much made up his mind to stick around until things with Vachon had straightened out.
     “Paco, helloooo???  Anyone in there?”  Vachon queried Paco, lightly tapping him on the head.
     “Sorry, Amigo, I guess I was daydreaming.  What were you saying?”,  Paco asked.
     “I said...I’m going crazy not knowing what I did to Tracy for her to be steering clear of me.  I’ve got to do something, so I thought I’d try to catch her before she leaves for work and try to talk to her.”
     “Somehow, I don’t think that anything I say is going to change your mind.  Will you at least promise me that you will try to use some of that sense I know you have and don’t do anything too rash, Javito?” Paco teased,  “Seriously, my friend, I really think you should let her sort her feelings out and come to you when she’s ready.  You could end up regretting this.”
     “Don’t I always?  But I’ve got to know,”  Vachon said as he grabbed his jacket and headed out of the church.  Paco watched him leave, shaking his head at Vachon’s stubborn one track mind.
     At about the same time as Paco and Vachon were discussing Vachon’s latest brainstorm, Tracy was  staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror for the umpteenth time over the last couple of days.  She felt like she should have been walking on air after her awesome coupling with Vachon and his unspoken admission of love for her, but instead she felt empty.  She had gone over everything a million times in her mind and had finally been able to admit what was bugging her.  She knew she loved Vachon, but she had come to realize that her upbringing was a far greater influence on her than she cared to admit.  She knew that loving Vachon was not enough for her, there had to be more.  Tracy Vetter wanted, no needed, all the things that came with a “normal” relationship.  Things like being able to go out to dinner with someone who could “eat”, having daytime dates, and most importantly, Tracy knew that her future had to include a house with a white picket fence and kids, her kids, playing in the yard.  None of that was possible with Vachon.  But she hadn’t figured out a way to break it to him gently, she just knew that she had to do it soon.
     Now there was Jason Burke to complicate things even further.  He had made an impression on her and she was starting to fall for him.  Not as hard as she had fallen for Vachon, *yet*.  Just then the phone rang, startling her out of her reverie.
     “Vetter.”
     “Hi, Tracy, it’s Jay.  I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a quick bite before we go on duty?”
     Tracy couldn’t help but smile at his unintended pun as she replied,  “Sounds great.  Where would you like to go?”
     “You pick.  I’m still trying to navigate around this city.  If you want, I can pick you up, or if you prefer I’ll meet you.”
     Tracy mentioned a little cafe near her apartment that she knew he’d find easily.  They agreed to meet in twenty minutes and then ride to work together.  She was anxious to find out more about him.  From prodding Nick until he was ready to strangle her, she had found out that Jay was from a very wealthy family, but he didn’t act it.  He talked a lot about his younger sister, Miranda, who was a junior at Harvard, and he was looking forward to seeing her at Christmas.  She had made plans to come to Toronto during semester break and he was anxious for Tracy to meet her.  He also talked about his mother and how close they all were.  She had also found out that his dad had been killed in an airplane crash just before his parents’ divorce had been finalized.  But he hadn’t told her who his mother was and Nick had told her not to ask too many questions.  He said Jay would tell her all about his family in his own good time.
     Tracy finished getting dressed and was just about to leave when there was a knock at the door.  She wondered who it was since she was not expecting anyone.
     “Just a moment,” she called out, automatically reaching for her gun as a precaution, “I’ll be right there.”
     “It’s me, Trace.  I need to talk to you for a second if it’s OK,” came Vachon’s voice from the other side of the door.
     “Oh great.  I really don’t need this now,” she thought as she grabbed her coat and put it on as she went to answer the door.  Opening it, she found Vachon standing there looking downright pitiful,  with the hangdog expression she recognized so well.
     “Um, Javier, I really don’t have much time right now.  I’m kind of in a hurry.  Couldn’t we get together later, maybe?”,  she asked, closing and locking the door behind her.
     As she tried to walk around him, he grabbed her arm to stop her.
     “Tracy, please just tell me what I did wrong the other day.  I meant everything I said.  I’d never willingly hurt you,”  he pled with her.
     “Not now, Javier.  I really am late.  I’ve got to go.”
     “What’s the matter, Tracy?  Wasn’t I good enough for you?  I thought I made you happy.  Or maybe it’s that I’m not good enough for the high and mighty Commissioner Vetter’s little girl?”
     As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he had done exactly what he told Paco he wouldn’t do.  From the wounded look on her face, he realized that he had hurt her terribly.
     “Oh God, Querida.  I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.  I’m sorry,” he stammered.
     “Let go of my arm, Vachon, and go away.  I don’t think I  want to see you ever again,” Tracy spoke very softly and with a hint of a sob in her voice, “You know what’s really funny?  I was going to come over in the morning and talk things over.  But there’s no point in it now, is there, if that’s how you think of me?  So have a good life, death, whatever the hell you people call your existence.  Hopefully the next time you hook up with a  mortal woman, you won’t be so evil and cruel with her.”
     Vachon was rapidly losing his temper,  “You’ve got a hell of a nerve calling me evil.  I’m not the one who played with fire, and when it played back, ran like hell away.”
     “Vachon, I’m not going to get into a childish fight with you.  I have someplace to go and I’m late as it is,” she said as she turned away from him.
     “Please, Tracy.  I am sorry.  Maybe in a couple of days we can sort this out rationally.  I don’t want us to part ways like this.  Do you think we might at least patch up our friendship if nothing else?”  Vachon knew he was begging, but couldn’t help himself.  He only knew he was more attracted to her than anyone else in his long life and couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.
     “I don’t know, Vachon.  Maybe, maybe not.  I promise you I’ll let you know in a day or so,”  Tracy said as she walked out the door into the chilly night.
 

       SEVEN
 

     Vachon left Tracy’s apartment building, totally devastated and more confused than ever.  He wandered around town aimlessly, headed in the general direction of the Raven.  About a block before he got there, he heard what sounded like a child crying in the alleyway.  He went down the alley and found a young girl huddled against the building, crying inconsolably.
     “Hey, little one.  Are you all right?’, he said, bending down to offer aid.
     He was taken by surprise as the “girl” flashed golden eyes at him and went for his throat.  She bit him, laughing as she did so, and then flew off into the night.  Almost immediately, Vachon was doubled over with the worst pain he had ever experienced in all of his existence.  He staggered out of the alley and made his way to the Raven.  He collapsed outside, just as Urs was coming out.
     “Javier, what’s wrong?  What happened to you?  Are you OK?”, she asked anxiously.
     He managed to whisper before another wave of pain washed over him, “No. Cara.  I’m not OK.  Please get help.  Ahh, make it stop, Urs.  The pain.  So bad.  Please,”  he begged her.
     Urs helped him to his feet and managed to get him inside the Raven to a back room where he would be safe.  As she lowered him to one of the couches, he lost consciousness.  She felt his forehead and was shocked to find him burning up with a fever that would probably have killed a mortal.
     Truly alarmed now, she went to find LaCroix, but was told he had gone out for the evening.  He hadn’t told anyone his plans.  Urs didn’t know what else to do, so she flew to Nick’s place hoping to find him home.  She was met  by the same monster Vachon had encountered.  Only Urs was not as fortunate as Vachon and she did not survive the meeting.
     At about the same time, Paco entered the Raven looking for Vachon.  The bartender told him that Urs had brought Vachon to one of the back parlors and that he looked to be pretty drunk.  Paco went to the back and found Vachon where Urs had left him.  He was awake and obviously in great pain, but was unaware of his surroundings.
     “Make it stop.  Make the visions stop.  The pain, oh God, the pain,” Vachon moaned.
     “Easy, Amigo.  We’ll get you taken care of,” Paco said to him.
     For a moment, there was clarity in Vachon’s eyes and awareness of who he was and who Paco was,  “Paco, why did this happen?  I only tried to help her.  I can’t...take...much...more... of...this...,” he managed to force out with great effort.
     “Hush, Javito.  Don’t try to talk.  Let me get you back to the church and then I will get help for you,” Paco told him as he gently lifted Vachon and carried him to the back door.  He flew them both back to the church and settled Vachon on the bed, making him as comfortable as possible.
     Crossing to the living room, Paco retrieved Vachon’s cell phone from the couch and dialed Nick’s number at the precinct.
     “Homicide, Knight here,”  Nick said on the second ring of the phone.
     “Nick, it’s Paco Diaz.  Something has happened to Vachon.  He is badly injured and shows no signs of healing.  I know Rhiannon is in Toronto.  Could you help me find her before it’s too late for Vachon?  I don’t think anyone else can save him,”  Paco spoke in a rush of words to Nick.
     “I can go one better.  Her son’s right in front of me as we speak.  I’ll get him to call her.  Where are you?”
     “At the church.  Thanks, Nick.  I have to go.  Vachon needs me,” with that Paco broke the connection.
     As Nick hung up, he turned to Jay and said quietly,  ”Jay, call your mother now. Tell her I just talked to Paco and one of the community has been harmed and needs her help.  Tell her there is little time to waste, then get out to Wallingford Manor and bring her to the church Vachon calls home.  Tracy will show you the way, won’t you, Trace?”  Nick said to them both.
    “Of course, Nick.  Has something happened to Vachon?  Is he OK?”  she asked worriedly.
     “Yes, Tracy, something has happened to Vachon.  Just what and how bad it is, I don’t know yet.  I’m going to get Natalie and we’ll meet you there.  Jay, it might be a good idea to fill Tracy in on what’s going on, while you’re on your way to get your mom,”  Nick said as he left the station.
     Nick drove to the coroner’s building and walked into Natalie’s office, “Nat, are you here?”
     “Over here, Nick.  What’s up?”, she replied coming in the other door.
     “Nat, I just got a call from Paco Diaz.  He’s an old friend of Vachon’s.   I don’t know all the particulars, only that Vachon’s been injured somehow and he’s not healing.  I sent Jay and Tracy to get Rhiannon, because Paco says she’s needed.  I thought if you could, we could go there and see if there’s any way we could help Vachon.”
     “Of course, Nick.  Let me get my bag and tell Grace I’m going to be gone for a while.  Do you think I should bring some curare and some blood?”  she asked him as she gathered her things.
     “Sure can’t hurt and it just might help.  Thanks for doing this, Nat,” he said, brushing his hand across her cheek.
 

       EIGHT
 

     Jay had gotten on the phone to his mother as soon as Nick had left.
     “Hello, Fuzz.  To what do I owe this pleasure?”  Rhiannon said, picking up on the first ring.
     “Mom, Nick told me to call you.  He said to tell you Paco had called and asked Nick to contact you.  He said that one of the vampire community had been injured and needed your help.  Nick told me to come out to the manor and pick you up and take you to Vachon’s place.  That’s the name of the vampire who’s been hurt.  Will you help, Mom?” Jay asked in one breathless rush.
     “Of course, I’ll help, Jay.  I don’t really have a big choice in the matter.  But I get the feeling that there is no time to waste, so meet me at the downtown exit and I’ll follow you from there.”
     Jason turned to Tracy, who was thoroughly lost by this time, “Trace, if Mom gets off at the downtown exit from the freeway, will that put her anywhere near Vachon’s church?”
     “Yeah, Jay. It’s only a couple of blocks from there.  How soon will your mom be there?”
     “Mom, my partner, uh Nick’s partner, I mean, says that his place is just a couple of blocks from the exit.  How long....”
     “Jay, I’m on my way out the door right now.  I’ll be there in twenty minutes.  Just alert the police so I don’t get pulled over for speeding,”  Rhiannon answered and hung up.
     Jason turned to Tracy,  “Since we’ve got a few minutes before we’ll have to leave, I guess I better try to explain some stuff.  But there’s not a lot of time, so I promise I’ll fill you in on the details later.  Just the basics for now, OK?”
     “OK.  But you promise all the gory details if I’m patient?”  Tracy asked.
     Jason couldn’t resist a quick kiss on her cheek,  “On my honor as a former Boy Scout, Tracy.”
     He then proceeded to give Tracy a very abbreviated version of who and what his mother was and the fact that Tracy’s partner was a vampire.  Tracy’s eyes just kept getting wider and wider and when he was finished and they were heading out the precinct door, shook her head and said to him,  “God, Jay, I feel like such a complete idiot.  I never even guessed about Nick.  I thought Screed, Vachon and Paco were the only vampires there were.  Should have known better, I guess.”
      “Tracy, I’ve grown up around my Mom’s special powers and there are times when even I don’t have a clue about what’s going on.”
     “Then you’re not a witch?”  she asked shyly.
     She was rewarded with a hearty laugh, “Not hardly, Tracy.  Mom says I’m the most psychically dead person, beside my dad,  that she’s ever known.  She claims that our dogs are more gifted than I am.  C’mon let’s get going.  If I know Mom, the pedal has been to the metal since she got in that new Lamborghini of hers.  I wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn’t already there.”
     They reached the exit at the same time Rhiannon got to the bottom of the ramp.  Following Tracy’s directions, Jay led his mother to Vachon’s church and whatever trouble they were going to find there.  They got out of their respective vehicles and Jay hurriedly introduced Tracy to his mother.  As they proceeded into the church, Rhiannon suddenly stopped and both Tracy and Jay heard her sharp intake of breath.
     “What’s wrong, Mom?”
     “This is far worse than I ever would have thought.  Tracy, take me to your friend as fast as you can.”
     Tracy ran down the steps to Vachon’s bedroom with Rhiannon close on her heel.  The scene that greeted them was most disturbing.  Nick and Nat were already there and Paco was struggling to restrain Vachon who was in a frenzy of rage.  Nick was trying to help him restrain Vachon so that Nat could give him a shot of curare.  Vachon was not going to allow that to happen willingly.  It was obvious that he was in great pain, but the desire to get free was overwhelming.
     Rhiannon spoke softly to Jay,  “Jay, listen to me carefully and do exactly as I tell you.  I have three things I want you to do in the exact order I give them to you.  First, I want you to get Natalie and Tracy out of here now.  Take them to your place.  Then I want you to call Jimmy Ray and tell him to take the jet to Boston and get Miranda and bring her here.  Finally, call Miranda and tell her to be ready to leave as soon as Jimmy Ray gets to Boston.  Understand?”
     “Yeah, Mama,” Jay replied.
     Seeing that Tracy was going to argue about leaving, Rhiannon turned to her ,  “Tracy, I know you care for this young man and you’re worried about him.  But it is not safe for you and Natalie to be here and I am going to need all my powers to help him, so I won’t be able to maintain protection spells on the both of you.  I promise to call you as soon as I can to let you know the outcome of this.  If you believe in any god, pray to him or her, both of you.  Vachon needs it.  Now go, all of you.  This minute.”
     Jay grabbed Tracy’s arm and Natalie started to follow when Rhiannon stopped her briefly, “Thank you, Dr. Lambert.  Your kindness to all the vampire community here in Toronto has not gone unnoticed.  But we will talk more later.  Please go with Jay.”
     Natalie nodded and left with the other two.
     Turning her attention to the vampires left behind, Rhiannon addressed first Nick and the Paco,  “Nick, I need you to go to LaCroix and bring him here.  If he gives you any argument, tell him *I* am summoning him,  since it’s his hellspawn, Divia, who is responsible for this atrocity.  Bring as much blood as he has at the Raven.  Tell him if I have to leave here to get him, he will not survive another day.  Paco, hold your young friend as still as possible for a moment.”
     Both Nick and Paco fairly jumped to obey her commands, and Nick flew out of the steeple of the church on his errand as Paco tightened his grip on Vachon.  He started to speak, but she put a finger to her lips to shush him, “Not now, Paco.  There will be time enough later for us, I hope.  Vachon comes first.”
     She walked over to Vachon and put her hand on his forehead.  Almost immediately Vachon quieted and the look that told Paco that Vachon was aware again flickered in his eyes.
     Vachon tried to speak, but was unable to as another wave of pain poured over him and he doubled over, clutching his stomach.  Rhiannon held him in her arms and began to talk softly to him in his native tongue,  “Hush, mijo.  Surrender the pain to me.  I will keep you safe and will not let anything more happen to you.  Come, let us get you to the bed,” She said motioning Paco to assist her.
     When they had gotten him back into the bed, she looked up at Paco and he saw her eyes begin to glow with the silver light he recognized from long ago as the Protector in her coming to life,  “Paco, this is bad. Very bad.  I will do all I can for him, but it may not be enough.  Divia’s poison has invaded his entire system and is killing him as we speak.  I am going to try to absorb as much I can.  I need you to protect me until Miranda gets here.  There are no other Protectors anywhere near here.  Will you keep me safe as I join with him?”
     “Need you ask that, my love.  I would die before I let anything happen to you.”
     Rhiannon knelt by the side of the bed and began to croon softly in Spanish to Vachon.  Paco could tell from her tone of voice that she was casting a spell around Vachon and he figured it was some kind of protection spell, like the one she cast on him.  Vachon was delirious again, and he was visibly weakening.  He was struggling for each breath and his pain seemed to be getting worse.  Rhiannon was holding him in her arms now, and as he quieted down , she began to tremble.
     “Paco, get whatever blood Dr. Lambert brought and have it ready when I tell you.  We have got to get him to feed somehow, although I sense that is the last thing he wants to do right now.  Be ready to give him that blood after I have given him mine,” she told Paco.
     “But, Dearest, is that not too dangerous for you?”  he asked with concern.
     She allowed a small laugh to escape her lips,  “You of all people should know that he can take only what I allow him to have.  It is quite safe for me to give him my blood, I’m just not sure what’s going to happen after that.”
     She held her wrist to Vachon’s lips.  He was barely conscious and she had to force his mouth open.  As soon as he tasted her, he began to drink greedily, and when she motioned for Paco to bring the other blood to the bed and stopped Vachon from drinking from her, he was consumed with a rage that frightened her.
     “Paco, stay away.  He could kill you right now.  It’s a bloodlust like none I’ve ever seen,” she cautioned.
     “But, you...,” he started to say when she cut him off.
     “I am a part of him now, Paco.  He won’t harm me.  I can’t do much more for him right now until Randi gets here and can assist me in the rituals.  But we have to take him to the manor, where he will be more comfortable and easier to care for.”
 
 

        NINE

 
     Just then, Nick returned to the church with an unhappy LaCroix in tow, along with several cases of what she knew to be LaCroix’s finest private stock.  Before LaCroix could say a word, Rhiannon arose from her position next to Vachon’s bed and whirled around to face LaCroix.
     Her eyes were blazing with a fiery silver Paco had never seen, and he knew she was furious as she said to LaCroix,  “Lucius,  I have put up with all of your scheming and petty machinations throughout the centuries because, quite frankly, they really did not seriously harm those I protect.  However, even though I am far older than you, I highly doubt that my memory is flawed.  I seem to remember your assurances that you had rid us all of that cruel, evil bitch child of yours, Divia.  So how do you explain this?” she fairly hissed at him, pointing at Vachon,  “And why is his creation, Urs, now among the truly dead?  And at the hands of Divia, also?’
     All three conscious vampires stared at her with open surprise at that news.  Paco crossed himself and murmured a prayer for Urs’ soul.  Nick was completely dumbfounded.  But LaCroix allowed himself only the briefest slump, before he squared his shoulders and answered her,   “My Lady, I truly did not know until just a few hours ago that Divia stilled lived.  I was out searching for her when Nick found me.  Believe me when I say that I am deeply saddened to learn of Urs’ demise, and I am very upset by the suffering I see Vachon enduring.  He is far stronger than I would have thought for one so young.  I promise you I will find her and make sure she is destroyed before the sunrise,”  he said to her in a tone of voice that bespoke his respect and fear of Rhiannon.
 “No, LaCroix,  *we*, you and I, will take care of her, so that I can be positive that this is
the last time that devil seed can hurt anyone like she has this innocent.  But first, you and Nick
will assist me in getting Vachon to Wallingford Manor, so that he may be properly cared for.”
 Her tone of voice and regal manner told the three that there would be no arguing with
her.  She stayed holding Vachon’s hand all the while Nick and Paco transported him to Nick’s
Caddy, since her Lamborghini would not allow for Vachon to lie down.  Climbing into the back
seat with Vachon and cradling his head in her lap, she tossed her car keys to Paco and motioned
for him to follow.  LaCroix loaded the crates of blood into the Caddy’s trunk and climbed into
the front seat.
     The ride to Rhiannon’s estate was made in virtual silence.  Occasionally, Vachon would moan as new levels of pain reached through his unconsciousness, and Rhiannon would caress his cheek or forehead, murmuring to him in Spanish and he would relax as he surrendered to the angel protecting him.  In the front seat, Nick appeared to be concentrating on his driving, while LaCroix stared steadfastly ahead, lost in his own tortured thoughts.  Paco followed closely behind them and after what seemed to be an eternity, they reached Rhiannon’s estate.  The gates to the driveway slid silently open as they approached and Nick wondered if it were because they were programmed to do so or if it was *something* Rhiannon did.
     They drove up the circular driveway, stopping at the massive front doors.  All three vampires couldn’t help but express whistles of appreciation at the undeniable elegance of the place.  Wallingford Manor had been literally transported stone by stone from England by the last Earl of Wallingford, sometime in the last years of the previous century.  It had been empty until  Rhiannon had bought it at the beginning of the current year; but it had often been the talk of the locals, who had believed that such a magnificent house as this,  should be an historical landmark and as such, open to the public.  The distant cousin who had been the heir of the last earl and his subsequent heirs, had steadfastly refused to sell, saying they would know when the *right* buyer came along.  It was obviously Rhiannon.
     “OK, people.  Could you please stop gawking at my house and help me get Vachon inside?  He is just a little heavy, you know,”  Rhiannon said, breaking whatever spell the place seemed to cast on Nick, LaCroix and Paco, “I promise you’ll get a complete tour as soon as Vachon is safe.”
      Paco lifted Vachon’s limp body and followed Rhiannon into the house.  None of the vampires were prepared for what met them as they entered.  The place fairly screamed of great wealth, yet there was a total lack of pretension in the furnishings in the cavernous entryway.  Rhiannon led them up the huge staircase and down a  corridor to the west wing where the family had bedrooms.  She stopped at the third door from the landing and opened it.  It was a room designed for a man.  There was a massive oak antique bed along one wall, a fireplace directly opposite it,  and a comfortable looking sitting area with a desk and chair, with a computer on the desk, and a bookcase that stretched from floor to ceiling behind the desk.  Opposite the desk was an entertainment center with a television , VCR, and stereo in it. Two very comfortable reclining chairs flanking  a small round table, sat in front of the double windows, which opened onto a balcony.  All in all, a very cozy space, and one that did not have the appearance of the usual guest room.
     Paco settled Vachon onto the bed and tried to make him as comfortable as possible.  Vachon seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper into a comatose state, but still groaned as Paco eased him down.
     “Rhee, unless I’m very much mistaken, this is *not* a guest room.  This is a family member’s room is it not?”  Paco asked Rhiannon, who was tending to Vachon.
     “True, Paco.  This is Jay’s room when he chooses to stay here rather than in town, but since it is right next to mine, I felt this was the best place for Vachon.  I want him as close to me as possible, so that I can be here in an instant if need be,” she answered,  “Jay won’t mind.  Now, before LaCroix and I go on our own little *witch hunt*, if you’ll pardon the pun, I have some instructions that I need you and Nick to follow carefully.”
     The two vampires in question nodded and gave her their full attention.  She pulled up a small chair  that sat by the desk, and set it by the bed.  She smoothed the hair back from Vachon’s forehead and a slight shudder ran through her before she began to speak, “I have not seen such a potent poison in many centuries.  I think that I can save Vachon, but I am honestly not sure.  And if I do, I cannot promise that he will recover to the point that he was before this attack. Only time will tell.  But for now, I can keep him comfortable and somewhat pain free.  At least, I can keep the pain he will experience to a manageable level.  Now, Paco and Nick, I need the two of you to stay close by him and keep him from injuring himself further if he awakens, and I’m sure he will from time to time.  When he is conscious, I want you to force feed him as much blood as you can get into him without an actual transfusion.  He will fight you on this, as he has no hunger whatsoever and will not have as long as Divia’s poison is as strong in his system as it is now.  I am hoping that by saturating his system, we can dilute the poison to a level that will allow his body to begin the healing process.  Be prepared for him to fight you all the way as you try to feed him.  Also, be prepared for his body to reject the blood.  If I’m correct, he will be very nauseous each time he feeds.  And that’s the best we can hope for.  At the worst, he will vomit it back up every time, but hopefully he’ll be able to keep enough down to get some nourishment.”
     Paco looked at her and asked, “What if Nick or I were to allow him to feed from one of us?”
     Almost before the words were out of his mouth, she fairly shouted, ”NO!!!  Whatever you do, do *not* allow him to draw any blood from either of you.  It will not help him and will only infect you.  And quite honestly, I can only handle one sick vampire at a time.”
     Nick said,  “Then tell me why you freely gave him your blood.  Won’t it, no, hasn’t it infected you?”
     At this, LaCroix, who had been standing in the shadows of one corner of the room, said,  “If I may,  Lady Rhiannon, may I answer my son?”
     She nodded slightly at him, giving him permission to answer the query, at the same time acknowledging LaCroix’s submission to her.
     “The Lady Protector is the most powerful supernatural being in existence.  She is far too powerful for even Divia’s unique brand of evilness.  She is perhaps the only creature alive who can control the amount of blood any of us, no matter how old and powerful, can take from her.  Vachon now enjoys her protection, and if he survives this, she will in essence, be the master he never had.  She is in him now and will be forever, unless *she* chooses to release him.  Am I right, my Lady?”
     “Yes, LaCroix.  But time is wasting.  You and I must be off to find Divia.  You two do not have to worry about her coming here.  She cannot get within five miles of this place.  Leave me with Vachon for a moment.  LaCroix, I will meet you downstairs.  Paco, you and Nick wait outside,” she commanded them.
     After they left the room, she returned to the bed.  Vachon’s eyes were open, but they were human eyes without any recognition of what was going on around him.  Those soulful brown eyes were clouded with pain and his body shook with the spasms wracking it.
     Once again crooning in his native Spanish, she knelt by the bed and held his hand, “Javier, I know you are in there somewhere and that some part of your mind is fully aware of what is happening to you.  I promise you that I won’t let your suffering destroy you.  I will take as much of your pain into me as is possible.  But you must surrender yourself to me completely in order for me to protect you.  I swear I will never impose my will on you.   I promise to protect you from harm for as long as you choose to live.  Now drink from me one more time before I leave to avenge you and all the others of your kind  that monster has destroyed, or tried to,  this night.”
     She cut her wrist with a small penknife she had in her jeans pocket, and held her wrist to his mouth.  Once again, Vachon lapped at the elixir she offered him, the part of him still minimally cognizant, reveling at this sweetest of nectars flowing down his throat.  Somewhere in the depths of his mind, where he had retreated to escape this horror, he tasted black cherries, sweeter than any he had ever known in his mortal life.  And the scent of his favorite flower, carnations, permeated his senses, wiping out all of the pain his body had come to believe was an everlasting part of him.  He cried out in protest as she made him stop drinking, and Paco was instantly in the room at the sound of Vachon’s cries.
     “Are you safe, Rhee?  He hasn’t harmed you, has he?”
     “No, Paco.  He is protesting because I will not let him feed further for the moment.  Get Nick in here and begin feeding him while he is still conscious.  I will feed him again when I return,”  she told Paco.
     She turned to leave the room, stopping in front of Paco, the ghost of a smile on her lips, “If we can all survive this, I think you and I have a lot of catching up to do, don’t you?”
     Before he could answer, she kissed him and left the room, going down to meet LaCroix, who was waiting for her in the hallway, “Shall we be on our way, Lucius?  There is little time before daylight and there is still much to do.  If it is not too much of an imposition, I would beg a ride from you.  I have depleted myself physically  tending to Vachon, and I must conserve what strength I have left to deal with our little *problem* child.”
     “With pleasure, dear Lady.  I owe you at the very least, that much, since this is partly my fault,” he replied.
     “LaCroix, you know there will be a tribunal meeting when this is over.  I know you told me the truth about being unaware of Divia’s still being alive after all of these centuries.  When the time comes, I will defend you if you desire it.  Your actions to this point are most commendable and I believe that we both recognize that whatever she has evolved into, Divia is not the same child you gave life to.  If there were any other way, I would spare you this.  But the tribunal will demand some sort of penance from you and I think being the instrument of her destruction will exonerate you.”
     Effortlessly lifting her and taking to the air, he whispered, “Thank you, Rhiannon.  But don’t be too nice to me.  I rather like our occasional altercations.  You must admit they do brighten up our mundane existence.”
     Her only reply was her musical laughter as they flew off in search of Divia.
 

        TEN
 

     They flew back toward the city and both felt Divia’s presence  as they neared the Raven.  Landing and gently lowering Rhiannon to the ground, LaCroix strode purposefully toward Divia, who stood her ground, even though she was clearly surprised by Rhiannon’s presence.
     She hissed at LaCroix,  “Dear Pater, do you need a mere woman’s presence to hide behind?  Can you not face me alone?”
     “Believe me, dear Divia, nothing would give me greater pleasure.  But it seems that you have gone just a bit too far and have attacked one who enjoys the Lady’s *Protection*.  So I have little say in this matter.  Just tell me why so many innocents have to suffer when all you really want is to hurt me?”
      “Can you not guess, Lucius?  What better way to make you suffer than to destroy all those around you who enjoy your favor?  So that you are truly alone?  I can think of no better way to make you pay for entombing me than to torture you with the prospect of facing eternity without your precious hangers on drooling all over you.”
     Rhiannon stepped forward, “Enough of this.  It is time to do what must be done, LaCroix.”
     Divia whirled around and attempted to attack Rhiannon but was slammed against the outside wall of the Raven by a bolt of pure psychic energy generated by Rhiannon.  Before she could regain her balance, LaCroix came at her and staked her, holding her up against the wall as she struggled to free herself, but was unable to.  The combined strength of LaCroix and Rhiannon was far greater than anything Divia could hope to muster, but she refused to give up.  She screamed and swore at the both of them, and tried to use her limited knowledge of black magic to repel them.  Her pathetic attempts to do so actually amused Rhiannon, and she walked over to Divia.  Her eyes were again the silver that indicated that the Protector was in complete control and they bore straight through Divia as she laughed derisively at the staked vampire.
     “Dear, dear Divia.  Are you that foolish as to think that these pitiful attempts at conjuring up evil spirits are even remotely effective?  On the contrary, they are completely laughable.  Those of your ilk who think I can’t perform black magic are sadly mistaken.  Because I choose not to, does not mean I can’t.  Just the opposite, truthfully.  I am the most powerful witch who has ever lived, Divia, and there is no Magick unknown to me.  Now, prepare to meet your maker. I grow weary of this game and there is somewhere else my presence is more sorely needed.”
     Tired of the game they were engaged in, Rhiannon drove the stake completely through Divia until it emerged from her back.  Divia gave a painful sigh and seemed to die.
     “It is not over yet, LaCroix.  Despite appearances, she still lives, albeit just barely.  She must be burned.  Do you wish me to do this for you?”  she asked him.
     Very softly, nearly inaudibly, LaCroix answered her,  “No, Lady, I must do this.  But I would ask you to stay nearby.  I may need you when this is over.”
     “Of course, Lucius,”  she said, again reverting to his ancient given name,  “I will be in the doorway of the Raven whenever you need me,”  so saying, she melted into the shadows generated by the awning over the entrance to the Raven.
     LaCroix lifted Divia’s body and turned to the alleyway.  He lit a funeral pyre of sorts and laid Divia on it.  She hissed and cried out, but was immobilized by the stake and the fire,  “Farewell, my child.  I am truly sorry this had to end this way,”  he said quietly,  a single blood red tear falling from his eye and rolling down his cheek.
     When there was nothing left of Divia but ashes, he turned and walked back to Rhiannon,  “It is finished, Rhiannon.  There is nothing left but a pile of ashes.  Please scatter them for me.  I could not bring myself to do so.”
     Rhiannon just nodded, sensing that no words could comfort him.  LaCroix suddenly looked all of his two thousand plus years, and for the only time since she had known him, appeared truly defeated.  After doing as he asked, LaCroix wordlessly picked Rhiannon up and flew back to the manor, barely beating the sunrise.
 

     ELEVEN
 

     While the destruction of Divia was enfolding, Nick and Paco maintained their vigil at Vachon’s bedside.  True to Rhiannon’s warnings, Vachon had fought them each time he regained consciousness, but they had been able to force some blood into him whenever he awoke.  And just as she had said might happen, Vachon vomited almost immediately after each force feeding, clutching his stomach and crying out with the pain the feedings caused him.  Both vampires were greatly disturbed by their part in Vachon’s agony, but knew that he had to feed to stay alive.
     After what seemed like an exceptionally long and painful bout of throwing up, Vachon looked up at both Paco and Nick with some semblance of his old self in his voice,  “God, am I glad you two weren’t part of the Inquisition.  You sure know how to torment a poor old slacker like me,”  he joked before another torturous wave of pain claimed his body.
     It left him weaker than ever, and Paco helped him ease back to a lying down position.  Nick was there immediately, with another bottle of blood he tried to hold to Vachon’s lips.
     “Nick, let him rest a moment.  This last round of vomiting has weakened him more than any other time,”  Paco said, gently putting a restraining hand on Nick’s arm,  “He needs time to recover from this pain, before we put him through any more.”
     “But Rhiannon said...,”  Nick started to say as Paco cut him off.
     “I know what she said, Nick.  But I think even she would admit that he needs to rest just a bit.  Beside, he is my friend, and I can’t stand to see him suffer any more than is absolutely necessary.  I will tell Rhee that I stopped you from forcing him just this once,”  Paco was cut short as Vachon screamed in pain.
     “Paco, help me, please,”  Vachon begged his friend,  “I can’t stand the pain *and* the visions.  Oh, God, no.  No more. Make it stop.  It has to stop.  This isn’t fair.  Why me?’
     Paco held Vachon in his arms as Nick looked out of the window, uncomfortable at the display of intimacy taking place.  He suddenly realized how close it was to dawn and knew they would be spending the day here.  In the distance, he saw LaCroix, with Rhiannon in his arms, flying toward the manor.  Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief that they were returning  safely.
     Turning from the window, he spoke to Paco, who continued to hold Vachon who was once again unconscious,  “They’re nearly here, Paco.  I hope they were successful.”
     “Bet on it, Nick.  Rhiannon would not have returned if it weren’t finished, even if she had to do it alone.”
     LaCroix landed on the balcony outside of Vachon’s temporary bedroom.  Still holding Rhiannon, he entered the room and walked toward the bed, where Vachon was still  moaning softly.  Rhiannon appeared to be unconscious, but stirred as Vachon’s moans penetrated her subconscious.
     Paco shot up from the bed and took her from LaCroix, “What has happened to her, Old One?  If she is hurt...”.
     LaCroix silenced him before he could continue,  “She is not injured, Diaz.  She is exhausted.  Her energy has been severely depleted by the events of this night.  She needs to rest.  Knowing this great lady as I do, I feel that by this evening, if she can get a good day’s sleep, she will be back to her old self.  Take her to her room and see that she is taken proper care of.  I will stay with Vachon this day.  Nicholas, find a place to sleep.  I doubt there should be a problem in a house this size, to find suitable sleeping arrangements,”  he ordered, the old imperious LaCroix reasserting itself, now that the horror of Divia was truly past.
     Rhiannon opened her eyes and smiled as she realized that the strong arms holding her belonged to Paco,  “Now this is how a girl likes to wake up.  How is Vachon?  Let me down so I can tend to him.  He is in pain and needs me.”
     “You have to rest before you become ill, Love,”  Paco told her, but it was painfully obvious to him that she was not going to listen to him.
     “I will as soon as he has fed one more time.”
     Realizing the futility of argument, Paco set her down, whispering so only she could hear, “After you tend to him, I am *tending* to you.  On that I will take no argument.  Understand, mi corazon?”
     “Perfectly.  Now all of you, go.  When I am finished, you may stay with him if that is your wish, Lucien.  Nick, this white elephant has more bedrooms that I’ve ever bothered to count.  All are prepared for guests, and you can take your pick.  Anyone of them is perfectly safe for you.  By the way, has Randi called yet?”  she asked of no one in particular.
     Nick answered,  “Yes.  She said she would be here by tomorrow evening.  Seems she’s got the last of her mid term exams today and tomorrow and didn’t think it would be a good idea to miss them.  I took the liberty of telling her we would take good care of you until her arrival.  I also called Jay and told him to keep Nat and Tracy there until we had something positive to report.  Should I have him bring them later?”
     “Not just yet.  Now let me get Vachon settled for the day, so I can replenish my reserves.  
Out, now, until I call you back.”
     She walked to the bed and sat down on the edge.
     Vachon opened his eyes, struggling to focus on the vision in front of him,  “Is this the true death for me?  Have I been lucky enough to reach heaven and find a beautiful angel such as yourself waiting for me?”  he asked weakly, yet with that typical jauntiness so familiar to his nature.
     “Not quite yet I’m afraid.  I don’t think that heaven is ready for one such as you,” came her equally lighthearted reply,  “May I assume you are feeling better?”
     “Truthfully, sweet lady, no.  But I refuse to surrender to this insanity.  I just want to make some sense of all of this.”
     He started to say something else, when his body began to shake with another attack on it.
     Immediately, Rhiannon reopened the cut on her wrist and held it to his lips,  “Drink, Javier.  This time I will give you all I can spare so that you may rest peacefully until I can restore my energies.”
     This time, she let him drink until she felt lightheaded and could feel that he was sated and safe for the time being.  She allowed him to stop on his own and sink back onto the pillows.
     He sighed in pleasure and looked up at her with gratitude in his eyes,  “Gratias, ma dona.  How will poor Javier Vachon ever be able to repay you for all you have done for him this night?”
     “By doing whatever is necessary to recuperate from this vicious attack that never should have happened.  Understand, Javito, that I fear that the worst could still be yet to come,”  she replied, gently stroking his  forehead.
     At his grimace at the unwelcome bit of news she had just imparted, she hurried to reassure him,  “But you have my word that I will be with you, protecting you every step of the way.  Now try to sleep.  I will be only as far away as the next room.”
     She started to rise, but he put his hand on her wrist to stop her,  “Please stay with me for a moment more.  I am truly afraid to be alone.  I  think I can face dying if I have to.  Just not alone, if it can be helped.”
     “Listen to me, mijo.  I *refuse* to let you die on me.  Do you understand?”
     “Seems like you’re not giving me much of a choice.  So, I guess I can expect a few hundred more years if you have any say in the matter.  Right?”  he tried to joke.
     “Right.  And now I’m telling you to rest.  Got it?”  she said, but Vachon had already fallen once  again into an unconscious state.
 
 

    TWELVE-ADULT CONTENT
 
 

     She called for Paco and the others.  Their quick entry into the room left little doubt that they had been right outside the door, waiting for her summons.  She let Paco lift her into his arms and watched as LaCroix moved one of the recliners to the side of the bed and settled into it.  Nick just nodded to her and headed down the corridor in search of a bed.  Paco carried her to her room next door and walked in.  The room was all he would have expected of her.  Rhiannon was undoubtedly the wealthiest person in the universe, but everything about her bespoke a quiet elegance known only to “old money”.  He smiled inwardly at his own joke.  Looking down at her, no one would ever dream that she was at least five thousand years old.  Thirty five years, maybe.  But no more than that.
     As he walked over to the Queen Anne Four poster bed, his eyes took in the rest of the room at a glance.  All of the furniture in this room was made of cherry wood and was Queen Anne in style. He thought it appropriate that a woman whose blood tasted of sweet, ripe black cherries should furnish her private domain with the same wood.  He noticed a highboy against one wall and a large bureau with a matching mirror attached, along the adjacent wall.  The bed occupied the wall opposite the highboy and was covered in a rose and ivory colored Jacobean patterned quilt with matching sheets and dust ruffle.  And just as he remembered she liked,  countless pillows were strewn on the bed, all color and pattern coordinated to the rest of the furnishings.  He was surprised at the lack of a canopy on the bed.  It was just something he would have expected.
     Against the same wall and several feet away from the highboy, was a huge fireplace that he could imagine to be the scene of some romantic interludes if she would forgive him.  There was an area close to the balcony doors that she had converted into an office area containing a delicate writing desk and matching chair.  To the right of the desk, there was a computer hutch, next to which was an entertainment center containing all the latest audio and visual equipment.  In an alcove to the left of the desk there was a cozy looking sitting area, occupied by a chaise lounge and several chairs and small tables all coordinated to the rest of the furnishings in her room.
     Noticing a door a few feet from the bed, he laid Rhiannon gently on the bed and walked to it.  Opening it, he found a huge bathroom with every modern convenience imaginable.  Coming back out, he saw another door directly across from it, and went to it and opened it.  It was one of the biggest walk in closets he had ever seen, and it was filled with all kinds of clothes, from casual to formal and what appeared to be outfits she performed on stage in.  Coming out and closing the door, he finally became aware that she was watching him with a tiny smile playing on her lips.  He figured that she had been watching him the whole time, and with a slight shrug and insouciant grin he stared back at her.
     “Will you be all right, my Sweet?  I guess I need to leave and let you get some sleep.”
     “Oh no, no, no, Paco.  You’re not getting away that easily.  Get those gorgeous Spanish buns of yours over here right now,”  she ordered him.
      Bowing with a sweep of his hands, he said,  “Your wish is my command, mistress,”  as he walked over to the bed.
     She pulled his head down and breathed into his ear,  “Did you really think that you would be staying anywhere else but right here, light of my life?  I refuse to let you get away from me again.  Ever.  Now get in this bed with me.  I need you with me here and now, comprende?”
     “Si, mi alma.  But answer me this.  Are you toying with me or can I dare hope that you could forgive my desertion of you so readily?”
     “Paco, be quiet and tend to the business at hand.  Then I’ll decide if I want some penance from you.  Although I doubt I could think of any hair shirt for you to wear that could be worse than what you’ve done to yourself these last thirty years.  Beside, did you honestly think that I wouldn’t know what had really happened?”  she said, nibbling on his ear lobe.
     Paco felt his cock uncomfortably hardening in the tight jeans he wore.  He grew harder and harder as her lips trailed hot kisses down his oh so sensitive neck.  Her hands were massaging his back and were working their way to his buttocks.  Needing to get some relief for the pressure in his groin, he turned on his back and tried to guide her to the heat between his legs.  She looked up briefly from her ministrations to his neck and chest, and evilly grinning at him she teased,  “Penance, remember?”  then returned to sucking one nipple and then the other.
     He couldn’t quite remember when he had shed the shirt he had been wearing.
     “Beloved, I can deal with penance but this is pure torture,”  he groaned, as she thwarted his attempts to caress and undress her.
     “Not hardly, Pacito.  That comes shortly, when I have you screaming for release, begging my forgiveness and pledging your undying passion for me.”
     Without him realizing it, she had stripped him of the rest his clothes along with her own, as easily as she had his shirt, while their little verbal exchange had taken place, and her lips were now moving slowly down his body on their journey to their ultimate destination.  She still would not allow him to touch her, and just before she began to focus her attention on his painfully throbbing penis, she looked up at him with eyes that had begun to change to silver, and was rewarded see he was fully vamped out and his eyes had passed from gold to blood red.
     “Now comes the torture,”  she told him as she took him in her mouth and began a motion with her tongue, lips and teeth, that brought him to the very brink of orgasm, only to withdraw whenever she felt him on the edge.
     When he could finally bear it no longer, he raised her head and red eyes met witch-silver ones.  Barely able to contain his desire and with great difficulty, he spoke around his fangs,  “You win, witch.  I surrender.   I am begging your forgiveness and if I had the strength, I would be screaming for release, but you well know how you have drained me without trying.  As for undying passion.  Eternal love is more the term I would use.”
     The entire time he had been speaking to her, her eyes never left his, but her hands had taken over where her mouth had stopped,  “I am yours to command, my liege.  Do you wish for me to continue this?”  indicating her hands,  “Or do you prefer I return to my previous posture?”
     His answer was to gently move her head down toward his aching member.  She hungrily took him in her mouth and this time did not stop until she felt the shudders of orgasm begin in him.  Not stopping her motions, she held her wrist up to his mouth, so that he could complete his orgasm.  She was instantly rewarded with his release into her, and she reveled in the nearly forgotten taste of him.  The taste that had never failed to remind her of the salty tang of the ocean coupled with the fresh smell of a beach on Cape Cod after a spring rain, along with the ever so slight metallic tang of blood.  When his shudders ceased and he was capable of movement, he lifted her onto his chest.  His mouth found hers and their tongues began a dance that spoke of a love and passion that could never die.
     She was still atop him when he opened his eyes to gaze into hers.  Now that his passion had been momentarily spent, and the vampire was temporarily at bay, his soft gray eyes gazed into her unique, expressive orbs of pure amethyst color, unlike any he had known in his entire existence. It still mystified him that he could have allowed anyone to tear him away from her.  He reached up to the back of her head and unfastened the butterfly clip that held her blue black hair in a loose twist.  Sighing with pure pleasure, he let its velvety texture sweep over him.  His eyes traveled downward and he was stunned to see the platinum unicorn pendant he had given her so long ago, still encircling her swanlike neck.  Paco sought her eyes again in an unasked question and was met with a slight smile and shrug of her shoulders.
     He let the vampire emerge once again as his lips trailed a path from her neck down to her magnificent breasts.  She surprised him once more as he saw the tattoo on her right breast, just above and to the left of her aureole.  It was two roses, one blood red and the other the exact lilac color of her eyes,  perfectly entwined together.  Again a quick glance, but her eyes were closed, reveling in the pleasure he was giving her.  His lips began their descent to his ultimate goal as he flipped them over effortlessly so that he was now on top.  She stopped him by reaching down and guiding his penis to her.
     Huskily, she whispered,  “I need to feel you in me now, beloved.  It has been far too long and I can’t wait any longer.”
     Wordlessly he entered her and began a rhythmic motion in and out of her that soon had them both gasping in ecstasy.  As their simultaneous orgasms reached a crescendo, he reared his head back and sank his fangs into the tender flesh of her throat.  Almost immediately he withdrew as excruciating pain enveloped him.  It took a moment for it to fade and as it did, he realized that what he had just experienced was the pain that she had to be feeling.  It was the agony that she was protecting Vachon from.
     “Oh my God, Paco.  I’m so sorry.  I was so lost in the pleasure you had denied me for so long that I forgot to shield you from what I’ve been drawing from Javier.  Forgive me, Cara Mia?”  she pleaded distraughtly.
     “Sweet Christ, Rhee.  Is that what the she devil did to him?  You mean that what we, Nick and I,  have seen tonight is only a tiny bit of what he would be suffering had you not been here?”
     She nodded, unable to speak as tears streamed down her face at the thought of what she had allowed to happen to Paco.  He silently gathered her in his arms and rocked her back and forth until she had cried herself to sleep.  Still holding her tightly in a protective embrace, he promised himself that he would die before he let anything else harm her ever again.  After what seemed like hours, he finally fell asleep, still holding her.

     THIRTEEN
 

     At around three that afternoon, Rhiannon awoke abruptly, startled out of a sound, restful sleep.  It took a few seconds, but she realized that a disturbance of the psychic bond between her and Vachon had awakened her.  Something was wrong.  Throwing the covers off and being careful not to disturb Paco, who had barely stirred as she got out of the bed, she crossed to the highboy and retrieved an old Boston Bruins T-shirt that she used for bed.  She put it on and got a robe and slippers from the closet.  Leaving her room, she was met by LaCroix coming down the corridor.
     He looked at her questioningly,  “Is there something wrong, Lady?  I only left him a few moments ago to replenish the blood supply in the room and he appeared to still be unconscious.  I would not call it sleep as he is still very uncomfortable.”
     “I’m not sure, Lucien.  I was awakened with a feeling of dread, centered around him.  Open the door.  We waste time here.”
     He obeyed her wordlessly.  The scene that they found was indeed most disturbing.  Vachon was thrashing around in the bed, alternately clutching his stomach in pure physical pain and shaking his head as though he were trying to free himself of some unknown vision.  Rhiannon rushed to the bed and cradled him in her arms.  At her touch, Vachon stilled immediately and looked up with uncomprehending eyes.  It was apparent that he had no awareness of his surroundings at all.
     He tried to speak, but the words were nearly inaudible and were uttered haltingly,  “Make her leave me, beautiful one.  She will not stop this torture or these agonizing visions.  I beg you, stop her.  Dios Mio, I can’t stand this.”
     LaCroix came up behind them,  “What can I do to ease his pain, Rhiannon?  There must be something.  I can not stand to know that my seed is responsible for this madness.”
     “There is really nothing, LaCroix.  It’s the poison in him that is doing this.  Until Miranda gets here, and we can perform a healing ritual, the only thing I can do is protect him as best as I can from his suffering.  If I could, I would perform it alone, but that would leave him open to far worse than what he is going through, as I would have to lift the protection spell I’ve put on him in order to have the strength for the ritual.  Let me feed him now, while he is still conscious.”
     Vachon had tried to focus on what these two people were saying about him, but it was too great an effort.  He only knew that somehow this beautiful angel was keeping his agony at a level he could tolerate, albeit barely.  When she again offered him her wrist, he took it, but with a lethargy, that told her he was slowly weakening despite her best efforts.  He was barely able to suck her blood and swallowing had become nearly impossible.
     Rhiannon looked up at LaCroix,  “Lucien, I don’t have to tell you that he is nearing the end.  I fear that without a miracle we will lose him.  There is one option left that may keep him alive until the healing ritual is performed.  Call Jason and tell him to bring Dr. Lambert here.  Tell him *not* to bring Tracy unless she promises to stay out of the way.  Tell him I said I’ll lock her up in the dungeon if she doesn’t obey.  Make him understand that Natalie needs to get here as soon as possible.  Also, wake Nicholas.  Tell him to arrange for him and Natalie to be off work for a few days.  Tracy and Jason can cover for him and we won’t have to worry about her doing anything thoughtless for a while.”
     LaCroix couldn’t help but smile at her accurate appraisal of the young blonde detective, although he doubted that she knew yet that her son was fascinated by Detective Vetter.  He left the room in search of Nick, and to carry out her wishes.
     In the meantime, Rhiannon stayed by the bed in the recliner LaCroix had placed there.  She sang softly to Vachon;  songs that mothers throughout time had sung to their children to comfort them in times of fear or sickness.  Smoothing the hair back from his forehead, she was afraid that the fever she felt there was causing damage to him that she could not detect.  Her ministrations seemed to soothe him and he slept.  Not the untroubled sleep normal to healthy humans and nonhumans alike, but the restless sleep of the truly ill.  At least for the moment, he was not comatose, although she feared that was the next progression of this insidious horror.  LaCroix entered the room followed by Nick who spoke,  using the nickname only those truly close to her were allowed to use,  “Rhee, I’ve cleared at least a week for both Nat and me.  If we need more, we’ve got the vacation time, so it won’t be a problem.  And Jay’s on his way with her.  I checked the answering machine while I was at it, and some guy named Jimmy Ray said he’d be here with Randi by eight tomorrow night.  He also said that someone named Lallie insisted on coming with him.  I figured you’d know what he’s talking about.”
     She looked up at him, never stopping her gentle caress of Vachon’s brow,  “Lallie is  the most powerful voodooienne in Louisiana.  Probably the most powerful voodoo priestess outside of Haiti.  Her family was once the slave property of the wealthiest landowner in southern Louisiana.  They were freed by their master long before the Civil War, but stayed on as faithful servants to a most benevolent master;  their descendants have been on the plantation since then, to the point where they have long since ceased to be servants and are trusted members of the family.  Greg Marceau, the heir of the current owner of River’s Edge plantation, has been a close friend of mine for years, and Lallie is his executive assistant and general manager of his holdings in New Orleans.  He owns most of the French Quarter, so that should tell you a little something.  I’m glad she’s coming.  We’ll need all the help we can get.”
     Nick couldn’t help but ask,  “What about the Enforcers?  Won’t they be showing up as soon as they realize Vachon’s plight?”
     LaCroix snorted derisively,  “It’s not likely they’ll show their faces here.  If Rhiannon does not want them around, they are smart enough not to come within a hundred miles of here.”
     Rhiannon was amused at the exchange between them and was gladdened to see that LaCroix appeared to be returning to his old self.  She really would hate it if the old devil lost any of his irreverent behavior.  That would mean that she would lose the only worthy opponent she’d  had in centuries.
     “Lucien, keep an eye on Vachon while I go take a quick shower and get something to eat before Dr. Lambert arrives.  I won’t be far away.”
     “Hey, by the way, where are all the servants?  You can’t tell me you can take care of a place this size all by yourself,”  Nick asked before she left.
     “That’s an easy one, Nick.  They’re around. They’re just doing what they do best.  Staying out of sight and making sure their mistress and her guests are well taken care of,”  she told him as she left the room.
     “Really, Nicholas.  There are times when you can be so dense,”  she heard LaCroix say as she went back to her room.
 

     FOURTEEN
 
 

     In little more than thirty minutes, she was back, fully dressed in jeans and a pullover and an old pair of Nikes.  She was holding a plate with a sandwich and some chips on it in one hand, and a coke in the other.  As she neared the bed, LaCroix automatically rose from the recliner, but she motioned him to remain where he was.  She checked on Vachon and was relieved to see that his condition had not deteriorated any further in the short time she had been gone.  Walking over to the desk, she sat down, placing her plate and glass on it and idly began to eat.  Her hair was still damp, and she had tied it back with a ribbon and let it just hang down her back.  It was obvious that when worn loose, it would hang down nearly to her hips.  Every man’s dream to lose themselves in such a delight, LaCroix mused.
     Just as she finished her repast, Jay arrived with Natalie and Tracy.  Rhiannon arose from the chair and walked over to her son, lightly kissing him on the cheek,  “Jay, I hope you don’t mind my giving Vachon your room for the time being.  I felt you would understand the need for him to be near me, and I didn’t think he would appreciate finally awakening in a frilly female room like Randi’s.”
     “Hey, Old Girl, you know me.  I roll with the punches.  Seriously, Mom.  You know I understand.  How is he?”  Jay asked with genuine concern.
     “Not good, I’m afraid.  That’s why I need Dr. Lambert’s help until Randi gets here.  By the way, Lallie’s coming, too.”
     “All right!  You hear that, Tracy?  Mom’s called in the cavalry.  Vachon’s got the best of the best coming to fix things,”  he said to Tracy, who was standing by the bed staring down at Vachon’s body.
     She was upset and afraid that he was going to die before she could tell him all he needed to know.  He couldn’t leave her without knowing that she really did love him and always would, but it would have to be as best friends, not lovers.  So many thoughts ran through her mind as she looked down at him and touched his hand.  There was no response, and it devastated her that he didn’t acknowledge her presence.
     Jason walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her around,  “Let’s go for a little walk.  I’ll show you around this folly of Mom’s while she and Dr. Lambert tend to Vachon.  We’ll check on him before we have to leave to go to work.  OK?”
     She nodded wordlessly and cast one last glance at Vachon as Jay led her out of the door.  While Tracy had been watching Vachon, Rhiannon and Natalie had been quietly discussing the turn he appeared to have taken for the worse.  They were deciding whether it would be a good idea to start an IV line to get blood into him.  Nat had become visibly worried when Rhiannon had told her about Vachon’s disinterest in her blood, and his difficulty in swallowing.
     “Ms. Arden, I just don’t know if trying to force an IV line into an unconscious vampire is such a good idea.  I’m sure you know how volatile they get when they feel threatened,” Natalie was saying to her as Jay and Tracy left the room.
     “Call me Rhee, Natalie.  I share your concern for possible consequences, but I can’t think of any other way to keep him alive until my daughter and my friend arrive and can assist me.  Also, would it be too much of a imposition if I asked you to move in here for a week or so?  I’m sure Nick wouldn’t mind going to your place and picking up a few things for you.  It might make things easier if you’re here should Vachon need immediate medical attention,”  Rhiannon replied.
     “That would be fine.  I guess all I really need to do is make arrangements to board my cat at the vet’s.”
     “Quite unnecessary, Natalie.  Unless it’s really upsetting to him to be around other animals, especially dogs, he is most welcome, too.  I should warn you that my animals have the run of this place, but they ‘re very sensitive to what’s happening now and we probably won’t see much of them until things get back to whatever passes for normal around here,”  Rhiannon said.
     She then crossed back to the bed as she had noticed that Vachon was again becoming restless.  As soon as she put her hand on his, he quieted, as if he knew that as long as he could sense her presence near him, he was safe.  One last time before they attempted to insert an IV line into him, Rhiannon offered her wrist to him, only to be met by the same feeble attempt as the last time.
     Natalie realized as she watched the scenario taking place in front of her, that Rhiannon was correct in her supposition that they were fast losing Vachon to Divia’s poison.  She began to set up the equipment that she and Jay had picked up at the surgical supply store they had stopped at on the way out to the manor.
     “Rhiannon, I think it might be best if I put a little curare in the blood to keep him as comfortable as we can for now.”
     Settling once again into the recliner, and gently running her fingers through Vachon’s hair and stroking his brow, Rhiannon replied,  “Not necessary.  I’m going to stay here with him until the others get here and the healing ritual is complete.  My being here should keep him quiet and hopefully allow him to get some true rest.”
     Just as she finished speaking, and as Natalie began to hunt for a good vein in Vachon’s arm,  the door opened and Paco came in.  It was obvious that he had just awakened and showered, as his hair was still damp.  He had on the jeans he had worn the previous night and his boots, but was shirtless.  Crossing to the chair Rhiannon occupied, he bent down and kissed her.  Words not being needed between them, he had in that kiss, let her know that he would never willingly leave her again.  He walked over to the sitting area and grabbed a bottle from the case that LaCroix had placed there.
     Before he uncorked it, he walked to LaCroix, who was staring out of the window at the last dying rays of sunlight off in the distance,  “Do you mind, Uncle,  if I avail myself of some nourishment?  I will replace it as soon as I can.”
     “My pleasure, Paco.  It’s the least I can offer to the consort of the Lady Protector,”  The words were spoken too low for anyone except perhaps Rhiannon to hear if she were listening, and were said without the slightest trace of malice or sarcasm.
     Paco understood that LaCroix had just acknowledged his position as Rhiannon’s chosen mate.  And unless he was greatly mistaken, also LaCroix’s gratitude for Rhiannon’s actions of the previous night.  Further conversation was not an option as the older vampire opened the doors and stepped onto the balcony, obviously desiring solitude.  Paco accepted that and drank deeply from the bottle, diminishing his hunger for the moment.  He crossed back to the bed and looked down at his friend, who now had an IV line in his left arm.  Natalie Lambert had hooked up a bag of blood to the holder at the top of the apparatus and was adjusting the flow to get the maximum amount into Vachon without overwhelming his system.  Rhiannon was still sitting in the chair and Paco really looked at her for the first time since their reunion the night before.  She was as beautiful as ever, but he could now see the infinitesimal signs of the exhaustion she must be feeling as she maintained the spell on Vachon that kept his suffering to a minimum.  Had they not made love earlier, when her defenses were down, he would never have noticed.  And he doubted that the others had.
     As the blood flowed into Vachon, he cried out in pain for the briefest second, before Rhiannon once more blocked the worst of it and spoke to Natalie,  “Nat, is it possible to give him something that might ease the nausea?  I’ve taken care of the pain, but I sense that he’s very queasy and uncomfortable.  I still don’t think that curare is such a good idea, but if it’s the only way, then maybe we should give it a try.”
     “Well, we could try something like Dramamine or Maalox or one of those types of medication, but I don’t know how effective any of it would be.  Sure couldn’t hurt,” was the answer.
     Rhiannon turned to Paco who was standing behind her, idly twisting a lock of her hair in his fingers, as he continued to drink from the bottle he had gotten from LaCroix, all the while watching what was being done to his friend and silently praying it would work.
     Taking the hand he was using to toy with her hair, she looked up at him and asked him,  “Paco, would you mind going into my bathroom?  In the medicine chest, there’s a bottle of  Mylanta.  Let’s hope it works for now.”
     “I’ll be right back with it, Rhee,”  and with typical vampire speed he was gone and back in the blink of an eye, with the requested bottle in his hand, which he wordlessly handed to Natalie.
     She took it and started a second IV line, this one directly into Vachon’s stomach.  She put about a tablespoon’s worth of the medicine into a syringe, then injected it into the IV.  Vachon convulsed almost immediately as the liquid entered his body, then appeared to settle down. Natalie looked at Rhiannon for an explanation, but Paco spoke before she had a chance,   “Dr. Lambert, it is all right.  Vachon is just doing what any of us would do if we had ingested anything other than blood or liquor.  It is a normal reaction for us, just a little more exaggerated in his current condition.  I’m not sure of its effectiveness, but he seems to be a little more comfortable, wouldn’t you say?”
     “I think you’ re right.  You know, Paco, I’ve known Nick for a few years now, and I thought I pretty much understood vampires.  But you guys never fail to amaze me,”  she told him.
     “If I may be so familiar, Natalie.  We really are no different in our unlife as we were when we were *alive*.  Those of us who were basically decent human beings still are.  Those who were more inclined to scoff at laws, still do.  The only real difference is that those of us who would never have thought to take a life unless absolutely forced to, suddenly found that in our new circumstances, there were no other options open to us if we wished to survive.  Thankfully now, those like myself who truly abhor and regret the deaths we have caused, can feed without the killing,  thanks to willing donors who supply us with this,”  he explained, holding up the bottle he had been drinking from,  “and Vachon, there, while he was young and had a devil may care attitude when his master brought him across, is one of the most caring and gentlest of our kind.  He does not deserve this.  I can think of many others who should be doing this penance for their sins rather than he.”
    Rhiannon looked up at Natalie and Paco and said,  “I’m sure he’s aware of what’s happening.  I sense that he’s trying to fight to regain consciousness, but I’m not going to let him.  He needs to rest as much as possible.  The healing ritual could be pretty rough on him.  We’ll see.”
     She sank back into the chair, seeking a comfortable position, momentarily breaking physical contact with Vachon, who reacted immediately.  Even unconscious, he reached for the place her hand had been seconds before and became agitated when it  wasn’t in his reach.  Rhiannon immediately grabbed his searching hand and once again he settled down.
     She spoke to Nat and LaCroix, who had rejoined them,  “Why don’t the two of you take a tour of this place?  There’s a gym of sorts and an indoor pool in the east wing, if anyone cares to use them.  Also, if you get lost or just need to find someplace in a hurry,  there are bell pulls all over the place.  Tug on one and someone will come to where you are in a flash.  Lucien, I think you’ve already found the kitchen, if I ‘m not mistaken.  Why not take Nat down there and get her something to eat?  If I know my son, the fare there at his place was sadly lacking.  Should you run into Nick,  tell him I think he’ll appreciate the stables and I’ve had good lighting installed on the riding trails if he’s so inclined.  All of you, please feel free to use anything you find to your liking.  My house is open to all of you for as long as you wish.”
     Paco stayed behind as she knew he would when the others left the room.  He held her free hand in his and settled for the time being on the arm of the chair.  Not a word was spoken, but volumes passed between them as his other hand caressed her cheek and resumed playing with her hair.  He somehow knew that she had known all along why he had left her, but the wound was still too fresh in his mind, even after thirty years, to broach the subject.  Yet he knew that he had to bring it out into the open to make things right with her.  Now was not the time.
    After Vachon was well, he would force himself to talk to her about it.  Funny, no matter how she
never promised anyone that she would make everything right with Vachon, Paco had to believe that she would save his friend.  There wasn’t any doubt in his mind.
 

     FIFTEEN

     True to her word, Rhiannon stayed by Vachon’s bedside for the next thirty six hours, leaving only to attend personal needs.  Late the evening after Natalie had started the IV, Miranda and Lallie arrived from Boston and immediately came up to Vachon’s room.  Nick, LaCroix, Natalie, and Paco were also there, maintaining their own vigils by his bed, as if hoping that their presence could help him like Rhee’s was.  He didn’t seem to have worsened, but had not improved either.  He had been drifting in and out of consciousness since the previous afternoon, but there was no recognition of anything or anyone of them when he was awake.  The only really good thing from the standpoint of all except Paco, who knew better, was that Vachon didn’t appear to be in pain anymore.  Paco realized that it was only because of Rhiannon that his friend was able to be out of pain for the moment.
     Miranda was the first in the door ,  “Hi. Mom.  Got here as soon as I could.  I figured you’d be royally pissed if I missed my exams and hey, you’re the HPIC, so I knew everything was cool.  At least, that’s what I thought until I found Lallie already on the jet when I got there.  Pretty bad, huh?  Who’s the patient?”
     Nick had been looking at Natalie during Randi’s monologue and was rewarded with an amused smile from her.  Turning to Randi, he said,  “OK, Child, I’ll bite.  HPIC?”
     “Hey, Nick, long time no see.  Where you been hiding?  HPIC means Head Protector in Charge.  God, old people are soooo out of it,”  she answered.
     Rhiannon broke into the exchange,  “Randi, if you’re through goofing around, there’s serious work to be done here this night.  Lallie, I am very grateful for your assistance.”
     The beautiful octoroon, standing behind Miranda, remained silent, merely bowing her head in acknowledgment.  LaCroix had been staring at her from the moment she had walked into the room and felt stirrings he believed had died with his Fleur.  Lallie was the most exquisite woman he had happened across in several centuries.  She had skin the color of cafe au lait and silky dark brown hair, carelessly gathered in a bun at the nape of her neck, with several strands that had escaped,  trailing down her back to just below her shoulders.  He was entranced by her eyes;  caramel colored irises gently flecked with green and dark brown.  As she returned his stare without the slightest hint of fear, he knew that she was aware of who and what he was and it did not disturb her.  Once this nightmare was over, he promised himself he was going to find out all he could about this entrancing creature.
     He was startled out of his reverie by Rhiannon’s voice as she ordered all of them from the room, including Paco who was unsuccessfully trying to argue that he be allowed to remain in case they needed him to restrain Vachon,  “Paco, look at him.  He is no threat of any of the three of us.  I doubt he has the strength of a newborn at this moment.  This is a private ritual.  Lallie is one of us in her own way, and has assisted more than one Protector in the past.  I am glad that she chose to accompany Miranda here, as her particular powers are much needed and appreciated.  However the rest of you are not only not Protectors, you’re not even witches and these rituals about to take place are ours and are very private.  If all goes well, we shall be finished within the hour.  In any case, we will all know Vachon’s fate before morning.  Hope that it is what we all wish it to be.”
     She then shooed them all out of the room, knowing full well that they would be no further than right outside the door.  She turned back to her daughter and her friend and motioned for them to approach the bed.  She gave them a brief rundown of what had happened to Vachon and what his current condition was.  Randi was looking down at him and as he stirred at Rhiannon’s absence, he opened his eyes to look into hazel green ones staring down at him.  They were one of the very few differences between Rhiannon and Miranda, who were otherwise mirror images of each other.
     He managed speak in a weak, very low voice,  “There really is a God and he has smiled down on me this day.  Another beautiful angel sent to help this poor Spaniard through this torture.”
     Without being aware of it, he had lapsed into his native tongue, and Randi answered him effortlessly in the same language,  “You are just lucky to have friends in high places who have connections with the best of the best of we Immortals.”
     He grinned weakly  and attempted to take her hand,  “When this is over, if I survive, will you let me get to know you better?  At least, tell me your name.”
     “Miranda Burke, but all my friends and family call me Randi.  And I’m going to make sure you survive,”  she started to say more, when Rhiannon stopped her.
     “Randi, dear.  There’ll be time enough for this later.  We need to do this as soon as possible.  There is really no time to waste.  Lallie, can you take over the protection spell if I transfer it to you?”
     Lallie nodded and braced herself for what she knew was coming.  She staggered backward as the force of Vachon’s pain hit her, but she recovered immediately and allowed it to settle into her.  Freed of the burden of keeping Vachon as comfortable as possible, Rhiannon turned to Miranda and gave her explicit instructions on her role in the drama about to unfold.  Vachon tried to concentrate on what was being said, but found it too much of an effort.  So he just surrendered himself up to the ministrations of the three very beautiful women standing by the bed, and allowed himself the fleeting thought that if he did die this night, it would be under far better circumstances than he could have ever hoped for.  Then whether it was from the poison in his system or from something Rhiannon did, he sank into a dreamless state, knowing only that for now, the pain was gone.
     Once Vachon was again unconscious, they began the ritual of healing that had been passed down from the previous Lady Protector, Rhiannon’s great grandmother, to Rhiannon who would, when the time was right, pass it to her heir apparent, Miranda.  Only the Lady Protector could do the actual ritual and it required great inner strength and concentration, which was why she had been forced to wait for the arrival of the others; and to consequently be forced to allow Vachon to suffer more than he should have had to.  The ritual in and of itself was not exceptionally difficult or complicated, but did involve intricate incantations.
     The two witches and the voodoo priestess labored for most of the night, as Divia’s poison was proving to be more potent than Rhiannon had initially realized.  Finally, in the few moments left before dawn, she opened the bedroom door and found the others right outside as she expected.  Paco was sitting on the floor, his knees drawn up with his arms around them and his forehead resting on them.  Nick and Natalie had commandeered a couple of chairs from one of the other rooms and were sitting side by side with Nick holding Natalie’s hands in his own.  LaCroix was pacing up and down and Rhiannon would bet he had done so the entire night.  They all looked at her questioningly as she stepped into the corridor.
     “He is free of the poison, but I must caution you all that I can sense damage to him that will take time to heal,”  she said in answer to their unasked questions,  “Natalie, could you please examine him to see if you can detect anything that needs medical attention?  I’m a witch, not a doctor, and I’m glad you’re here.”
     Natalie rose from her chair and immediately went to Vachon’s bedside, where she began her examination, while Miranda watched from the recliner where she had temporarily taken up residence.  Lallie was slumped in the other recliner across the room and LaCroix went to her and wordlessly lifted her from it and walked to the door, asking Rhiannon where Lallie’s room was, and telling her that he would take responsibility for Lallie.  Rhiannon showed him the way and found herself amused at his obvious concern and attraction for her friend.  She sensed that the feeling could be mutual and thought that LaCroix had no idea of the handful he was letting himself in for.  Paco had satisfied himself that Vachon was truly resting for the first time since the attack and took it upon himself to get Miranda to her room and settled for the day, even though she sleepily protested that she wanted to stay here.
     Natalie’s examination revealed that Vachon’s temperature was still elevated from vampire  “normal”, but he did appear to be out of pain.
     She turned to Rhiannon and asked,  “Are you still shielding his pain?  He seems to be more comfortable than he has been in days.”
     “No, Nat.  The pain and the poison are really gone.  I’m just not sure how great the  damage has been to his body and how long it will take him to heal, but I think it’s going to take longer than he’s used to.  I have the feeling that it’s going to be more like human healing for a while.”
     Natalie looked at her with a question on her lips that Rhiannon anticipated and answered before it could be asked,  “He’s still a vampire, Nat.  Just a very weak one right now.  He could easily be overtaken by the newest of fledglings in his present state, so I think it best he stay here until he’s fully recovered.  I’ll stay with him for a while until I’m sure he’s OK.  I think it best to remove the IV now, however.  I’ll take care of his feeding for the next couple of times, then I think it’ll be safe to give him his usual.”
     Nat agreed and removed the two IV lines, then left the room in search of Nick and some sleep.  Rhiannon settled in the recliner after checking Vachon one more time.  She was just dozing off when Paco came back.
     “Randi is already fast asleep and I thought you might like to get some sleep, too, my love.”
     “I’ll sleep here for now, Paco.  I want to be near should he awaken.  He needs the healing sleep he’s enjoying now, but he’ll probably wake up in a few minutes and need to feed.  It must be my blood the first couple of times or else he won’t keep it down.  It’s just a part of the ritual.  Now, kiss me, beloved, and go to bed.  I’m perfectly safe with him.”
     Paco did as she commanded and kissed her deeply and lingeringly.  Then he left for the room next door and settled in for the day, silently promising himself that it would be the last time he slept alone if he could help it.
     Just as she was falling back to sleep, Vachon awoke.  He was very groggy, as if he had been drugged, and was still unsure of his surroundings.  Wordlessly, the angel who had infiltrated his dreams and kept the worst of the nightmares at bay, offered him her wrist and allowed him to drink his fill of the nectar in her veins.  His hunger abated, even though he had consumed far less than half of his normal intake, he fell back to sleep and his body began the long process of restoring itself.
 

     SIXTEEN
 

     For  the next ten days, Vachon slept deeply, awakening only periodically to sate his hunger, and falling back into a dreamless state as soon as he fed.  Late on the tenth day after the healing ritual, Vachon awoke in full possession of his faculties.  He rose to a sitting position in the bed and studied his surroundings.
     “Not too shabby, my man,”  he thought, looking around at the tastefully appointed room.
     His eyes fell on the figure asleep in the chair next to him and he knew that this was his savior, the beautiful angel who had saved his sorry hide.  Only somehow he doubted that angels wore baseball caps backwards on their heads.  Nor did he think they wore San Francisco 49er sweatshirts and jeans with holes in the knees that made some of his look like they were top of the line.  He tried to get up but, nearly fell because he didn’t realize how weak he was.  His stumbling awoke the vision in the chair, and she hurried to help him back to the bed.
     Her voice as she spoke to him, was soft and sweetly musical,  “Not so fast, mijo.  You’ve been a pretty sick vampire for nearly two weeks, and you need to gain some strength before you try to go back to your normal routine.”
     “You’re Paco’s Rhiannon, aren’t you?  My savior, the angel who saved my life?”
     “Yes.  Paco did say you were a silver tongued devil when you were in your best form.  I guess he wasn’t lying,”  she teased him.
     Getting serious, Vachon looked at her and asked,  “How can I ever repay you?  You didn’t have to put yourself through what you did for me.  You don’t even know me and yet you took on the pain and visions as your own.  Why?”
     “Because I was asked to.  Even if it had been someone other than Paco, I would have done it.  That’s part of being a Protector, Javier.  When someone asks my help, I must give it.  I guess if we had a manual, it would be rule number one.  As for repayment, none is necessary, except for you to remain the kind, gentle man I sensed in you from the start.  Deal?”
     Slightly embarrassed at her estimation of his character, he just hung his head and nodded,  “May I ask one more question, my Lady? There were others with you the other night weren’t there?  There are memories in my mind of another who looked liked you except for her eyes being a different color, and another woman in the background.  I can’t get a picture of her in my mind, just her presence.”
     Rhiannon walked away from the bed and toward the fireplace.  She started a fire in it before she turned to answer him,  “Yes, Javito.  The one who looks like me is my daughter, Miranda.  She is still here, but will be returning to Boston tomorrow to finish the semester at college.  The other was Lallie Robillard, a close friend of mine from New Orleans.  She’s a voodoo priestess, and she came of her own accord when she heard of your plight.  She has fought the power of evil such as Divia’s in the past and knew her powers would be needed in our fight to save you.”
     As Rhiannon finished speaking, the door opened and Randi entered.  She looked over at the bed, and grinned when she saw Vachon looking at her.  He grinned back at her and motioned for her to come over.
     Rhiannon saw that it was a good time for her to leave and quietly slipped out the door and to her own room, where Paco was waiting.  Her departure wasn’t even noticed by the two “young” people.
     “Hi, I’m Randi Burke, Rhiannon’s daughter.  And you are Javier Vachon, finally with us at last, I presume.  Welcome back to the land of the living,”  she said, smiling to let him know she was teasing.
     “Hello, Randi Burke.  You sure I’m back in the land of the living?  If so, it’s someplace I haven’t been in a long time,”  he teased back, enjoying the company of this very enchanting young lady,  “If you’ll excuse my bad manners, though, I need to lie down.  I’m afraid I’m still a little weak.”
     He started to sink back  onto the pillows.  Randi immediately went over to the bed and began fluffing up the pillows, straightening the covers, and generally fussing over him.  Vachon was enjoying the attention immensely, and took the time to really study her.  He liked what he saw and found himself for the first time in longer than he could remember, actually attracted to a woman who wasn’t blonde.  In fact, she made him forget all about Tracy, and who would have thought that could happen.  He reached out and took her hand in his, lifting it to his lips, and kissing it ever so gently.
     “Thank you, Miranda,”  using her full name, making it sound like a prayer,  “Without you, your mother and her friend, I wouldn’t be alive now, and I never would have had the pleasure of meeting you.  I hope we can get to know each other very well.”
     “You know, Javier, I have to go back to school tomorrow to finish out the semester, but I’ll be back in about five weeks for semester break.  I told Jason, that’s my brother, that I’d spend Christmas here.  If you still would like to, we could really get to know each other then,”  she replied shyly.
     “I will miss you while you’re gone, but I will count the hours until your return,”  he said in his best “Sir Galahad” imitation.
     Randi laughed at his joking, and he found that her laughter was every bit as musical as her mother’s, yet somehow more entrancing.  If he had been just a little stronger, he believed he would be seriously aroused about now.  She really did look a lot like her mother, but not quite the carbon copy he had perceived her to be, when he saw her the night of his healing.  Her hair was not quite as black as Rhiannon’s, more like his, although perhaps a shade lighter, and it wasn’t quite as long as her mother’s.  Her eyes were hazel with green flecks around the pupils.  Her figure was drop dead gorgeous.  Curves in all the right places and legs that went on forever.  And she was a couple of inches shorter than her mother, which made her about three inches or so shorter than him.
     “Oh, yeah, Jav, old boy.  This is definitely a keeper, if you can get her,”  he thought.
     He still held her hand, and motioned for her to sit down in the chair that seemed to have found a permanent home by the bed.  She complied and they spent the rest of the day, talking and laughing together;  just enjoying each other’s company.  When he tried to get up to get a bottle of blood from the supply left for him on the table, she jumped up to get it for him and poured it for him.  He, who had always been so independent, found her fussing over him to be most enjoyable, and knew he was going to hate every minute she was gone.  But when she returned, he promised himself that he was going to spoil her every bit as much as she was spoiling him now.  He discovered that she was a very good reason to get well as quickly as possible.
     In their talk, he found out that she was twenty one years old;  that at Harvard, she was a pre law student, with a secret hope of someday being on the Supreme Court.  She told him that she was what she referred to as a P I T - translation- Protector In Training, and that she would one day take over as the Lady Protector when her mother felt it was time to pass the torch on.  While she was an immortal like her mother, her brother was as mortal as their father had been.  She couldn’t explain how or why that was.  Rhiannon said it happened.  No one knew where or when it would happen with Protectors.
     Vachon also found out that only Protectors were immortal;  that other witches had normal lifespans, and also that at any given time,  there were less than two dozen Protectors in existence.  She drew out of him things he had thought were long since forgotten.  He talked of his being brought across and his flight from the Inca for over four centuries, and unlike when he had spoken of that with Tracy, she calmly accepted it as just something that happened and didn’t condemn him for his irresponsibility.  When he tired and grew sleepy, she drew up the covers and tucked him in, kissing his forehead and wishing him sweet dreams, promising to come back when he awoke and not to leave without saying good by.  He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow and his dreams were filled with images of a young,  dark haired beauty.
      True to her word, she was there when he woke up, and rarely left his bedside until it was time for her to leave to return to Boston.  They talked and laughed with each other, acting like two people who were fast falling in love without their being aware of it.  Rhiannon only made brief trips into the room to check on him and, satisfied that he was indeed in good hands, left them to their own devices.  Secretly, she hoped that something would come of their relationship.  Immortals really did belong with their own kind, even if one was a vampire and one on her way to becoming a very, very powerful witch.
     “Now, why does that sound so familiar?”  she asked herself,  “Well, I guess after what he’s been through, he deserves the best this *life* has to offer.”
     She idly made her way back to her own room and the delights of Paco Diaz that she knew awaited her.
     After Randi had gone, Vachon seemed lost for a couple of days, but that soon passed after Randi’s first phone call.  They were spending every available minute burning up the phone lines between Toronto and Boston, until Rhiannon had finally had to put a limit on the time they were on the phone.  Not because she couldn’t afford the phone bill, but because she would not tolerate Randi’s grades slipping.  So they had to content themselves with an hour a night, and Vachon found himself antsy and irritable until the magic hour of eight o’clock every night, which was Randi’s usual time to call.  If she wasn’t able to call right at eight and had not warned him in advance, he was downright hostile until she called.
     Paco and Rhiannon both found his behavior amusing but were both relieved to see him focus on something other than his recovery, which while it was progressing nicely according to human standards, was far too slow for impatient Vachon.  Natalie came by every night before going to work to check his progress.  She, too, was extremely pleased at the way things were going and hoped that he would suffer no long term or permanent damage.
 
 

     SEVENTEEN
 

     About a week after Randi left for school, Rhiannon entered Vachon’s room and found him sitting by the window waiting for the sun to finish setting.  She knew he longed to be outside and was frustrated by his body’s inability to do all that he could before.  However, she also sensed that something other than that was troubling him.  Walking up behind him, she lightly ruffled his hair and bent to kiss him on the cheek.  He grabbed her hand and held it to his lips.  In the faint remnant of the day’s light, she saw a tear slowly make its way unheeded down his cheek.
     “What’s wrong, Javier?  Would you care to talk about what’s bothering you.  If not, I’ll leave if that’s what you desire,”  she asked gently.
     “No, don’t leave, Rhee.  It’s just that I feel so empty without Screed and Urs.  I should have done better by them.  I was their master and I failed them both.  Guess the Inca was right about me being irresponsible and all.”
     “Stop, it right now, Javito.  You did more than what was expected of you for Screed, and in the condition you were in, you couldn’t have saved Urs.  Even if you had been in top form, you would  have been no match for Divia.  Allow me to share something with you, my friend.  Do you have any idea of how old I am?”
     He shook his head no and she continued,  “If you promise not to breathe it to a soul, I’ll tell you.  You know how we women are about our ages.”
     He looked up at her and saw her infectious smile and gave her one in return,  “I promise.”
     “Good.  I have lived for more than five millennia, Javier.  And I want you to know that in that time, I have buried many friends, lovers and family.  It never gets easier.  I know you’ve learned that.  But what you have yet to learn is to let go.  Cherish the memories always, but don’t let them consume you.  Take what life offers and enjoy it while it’s there for you.  But when it’s time to move on, go without a backward look.  You’ll find that your life is richer for the experiences.”
     “Easier said than done, isn’t it, dear Lady?  Why does it seem that every time I find something or someone to truly care about, it’s gone in the blink of an eye?”
     “Unless I miss my guess, this has less to do with Screed and Urs and more to do  with Tracy Vetter.  Correct?”  she asked.
     “Sort of.  I love her, but I’m not in love with her like I thought I was.  And I don’t want to hurt her, but she’s got to know,”  he said miserably.
     “Trust me on this, Jav.  She knows and the feeling is mutual.  Someone else has claimed her attention, just as Randi has yours.  Quite frankly, it seems like my offspring have found the breakup of you and Tracy to be to their liking.”
     She watched for any negative reaction and was pleased to see a look of relief flash across his features,  “You mean that Jay and Trace are an *item*?  Wow, that’s  cool.  Sure helps uncomplicate things.  Uh, do you think he’d mind if I talked to her privately to set things really right between us?  I mean, we sort of parted on less than great terms.”
     “I don’t think so, Javier.  They’re coming by tonight before work.  I think Tracy has the same thing in mind as you, so it shouldn’t be too hard to patch up a *little* quarrel between friends.  Just don’t overdo the looking for sympathy act.  You little darlings in the vampire community have a penchant for that,”  she said, shooting him the smile that Miranda had inherited and he missed so much.
     “Oh, before I forget why I came in here.  I have to go back to Shreveport for a couple of weeks.  I hadn’t planned on spending so much time here, and since it’s getting close to Christmas, I’ve got some commitments there that I have to honor.  You and Paco had better stay out of trouble while I’m gone.  Don’t forget, the link between us allows me to *check up* on the both of you, if I wish to.  Now let me go so I can finish packing and get my ass out of Dodge and down to Louisiana.  The sooner I go, the sooner I get back.”
     True to her prediction, when Tracy stopped by that night, they were able to have a long talk and come to the realization that they would always be the best of friends, just not lovers ever again.  He wished her luck in her relationship with Jay, and sent her on her way, cautioning her to be careful and quit trying to prove something to the world.  She kissed the tip of his nose and told him she would always love him as the true friend he was, then left on her way to a new life.  One that was promising to be all that she needed.  Now if he could just get as lucky,  but there was always Randi and thirty days wasn’t all that long to an Immortal.
 

Not quite the end.  I’ve decided to let the Forever Knight characters spend the winter here with me and if you gentle readers like this, there are at least two more stories floating around in my brain that center around Vachon and Miranda, along with Paco and Rhiannon.

Norma Reedy AKA lacemom@aol.com