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The first light of daas streaking the night sky with pink and palest green Stefan watched it fro house He had rented this roo, a trapdoor that opened onto the ’s walk on the roof above Just now that door was open, and a cool damp wind blen the ladder below it Stefan was fully dressed, but not because he was up early He had never been to sleep

He’d just returned fro to the side of his boot He brushed them off fastidiously The comments of the students yesterday had not escaped hi at his clothes He had always dressed in the best, notto do His tutor had often said it: Anaristocrat should dress as befits his position If he does not, he is showing contempt for othersEveryone had a place in the world, and his place had once been as? Of course, he should have realized that playing the role of a student was likely to bring his own student days back Now the h the pages of a journal, his eyes catching an entry here and there One flashed before him vividly now: his father’s face when Da the University He would never forget that He had never seen his father so angry

"What do youback?" Giuseppe was usually a fair ht out the violence in hi at his lips with a saffron-colored silk handkerchief "I would have thought even you could understand such a simple sentence, father Shall I repeat it in Latin for you?"

"Dahtly, appalled at this disrespect But his father interrupted

"You are telling me that I, Giuseppe, Conte di Salvatore, will have to facethat my son is ascioparto ? A ne’er-do-well? An idler who ing away as Giuseppe worked hie

Damon did not even blink "Apparently If you can call those who fawn on you in the hopes that you will lend them money your friends"

" Sporco parassito!" cried Giuseppe, rising froh that when youare at school you waste your ti, the jousting, the women And I know that if it were not for your secretary and your tutors you would be failing every course But now you e hand whipped up to grasp Da and hawking?"

Stefan had to give his brother credit; Da in his father’s grip, every inch the aristocrat, froantly plain cap on his dark head to his ermine-trimmed cloak to his soft leather shoes His upper lip was curved in a line of pure arrogance

You’ve gone too far this ti the two ether Even you won’t be able to charht step in the study doorway Turning, Stefan had been dazzled by eyes the color of lapis lazuli, fraolden lashes It was Katherine Her father, Baron von Swartzschild, had brought her from the cold lands of the Ger it would help her recover froed illness And since the day she had arrived, everything had changed for Stefan

"I beg your pardon I did not mean to intrude" Her voice was soft and clear She o Stay," Stefan said quickly He wanted to say more, to catch her hand-but he didn’t dare Not with his father here All he could do was gaze into those jewellike blue eyes that were raised to his

"Yes, stay," Giuseppe said, and Stefan saw that his father’s thunderous expression had lightened and that he had released Da the heavy folds of his long fur-tri frohted to see you But your cheeks are pale, little Katherine You are not ill again, I hope?"

"You know I ae like your bold Italian girls"

"You don’t need it," said Stefan before he could stop himself, and Katherine san in his chest

His father continued, "And I see all too little of you during the day You seldoht"

"I have my studies and devotions in my own roo Stefan knew this was not true, but he said nothing; he would never betray Katherine’s secret She looked up at his father again "But I am here now, sir"

"Yes, yes, that is true And I ht we have a very special meal for your father’s return Damon ill speak later" As Giuseppe motioned to a servant and strode out, Stefan turned to Katherine in delight It was seldom they could speak to each other without the presence of his father or of Gudren, her stolid German maid

But what Stefan saw then was like a blow to his sto-the little secret smile that she had often shared with hi at Damon

Stefan hated his brother at that race and the sensuality that dreomen to him like moths to a flame He wanted, in that instant, to strike Damon, to smash that beauty to pieces Instead he had to stand and watch as Katherine olden brocade gohispering on the tiled floor

And even as he watched, Damon held out a hand to Katherine, and smiled the cruel smile of triumph

Stefan turned away fro old wounds? But, even as he thought it, he drew out the slender gold chain he wore under his shirt His thu froht

The little circlet was exquisitely worked in gold, and five centuries had not dimmed its luster It was set with one stone, a lapis the size of his little fingernail Stefan looked at it, then at the heavy silver ring, also set with lapis, on his own hand In his chest was a faet the past, and he didn’t really wish to Despite everything that had happened, he cherished Katherine’s memory But there was one e of the journal he must not turn If he had to relive that horror, that aboo mad As he had been mad that day, that final day, when he had looked upon his own daainst the , his forehead pressed to its coolness His tutor had had another saying: Evil will never find peace It may triumph, but it will never find peace

Why had he even come to Fell’s Church?

He had hoped to find peace here, but that was impossible He would never be accepted, he would never rest Because he was evil He could not change what he was

Elena was up even earlier than usual thatabout in her rooaret was still fast asleep, curled up like a little er sister’s half-open door noiselessly and continued down the hallway to let herself out of the house

The air was fresh and clear this ; the quince tree was inhabited only by the usual jays and sparrows Elena, who had gone to bed with a throbbing headache, lifted her face to the clean blue sky and breathed deeply

She felt much better than she had yesterday She’d proh she wasn’t looking forward to it she was sure it was going to be all right

Matt lived only two streets away froh school It was a simple frame house, like all the others on that street, except thaton the porch was a little shabbier, the paint a littleoutside, and for a ht of hi There was no doubt about that Not in the stunning, al way that-that some people were, but in a healthy American way Matt Honeycutt was all-American His blond hair was cropped short for the football season, and his skin was sunburnt frorandparents’ farhtforward And just today, as he held out his arently, they were a little sad

"You want to come inside?"

"No Let’s just walk," Elena said They went side by side without touching Maples and black walnut trees lined this street, and the air still had ahush Elena watched her feet on the wet sidewalk, feeling suddenly uncertain She didn’t kno to start after all

"So you still haven’t told reat," said Elena She glanced sideways at hi about it was great," she continued, trying to put so It was really" Her voice trailed off, and she laughed nervously

"Yeah, I know Great," he finished for her He stopped and stood looking down at his scuffed tennis shoes Elena recognized theot by; maybe he hadn’t been able to afford new shoes She looked up to find those steady blue eyes on her face

"You know,you look pretty great right now," he said

Elena opened her uess you have so to tell me" She stared at him, and he sain

"Oh,Matt ," she said, hugging him hard She stepped back to look into his face "Matt, you are the nicest guy I’ve ever met I don’t deserve you"

"Oh, so that’s why you’re duain "Because I’ood for you I should have realized that before"

She punched hi you We’re going to be friends, right?"

"Oh, sure Oh, absolutely"

"Because that’s what I’ve realized we are" She stopped, looking up at hiain "Good friends Be honest, now, Matt, isn’t that how you really feel about me?"