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"A lanced at him in surprise "What is it?"

"Re?" she demanded with a hint of ier from beneath his coat, he moved with a fluid stealth down the street and slipped into the alley He con-fronted the silver mist with a frown

"Reveal yourself, A into the shape of the nondescript vicar

"Just keeping a guard on my property, Lucien Neither of us would desire haraze in distaste "I intend to keep a close guard upon Miss Kingly Your concern is unnecessary"

The vaue "The feless All that interestsas she maintains possession of the Medallion, I shall be near"

It was a threat that Lucien did not doubt for a le-minded purpose that would ain command of the Medallion

"It shall never coain Aarded Lucien

"It will beyou can do to halt er in his hand "Do you wish to settle this now?"

"Now? That would hardly be logical," the vampire retorted "The moment is not yet ripe to put my plans in motion"

Plans? Lucien experienced a flare of unease He deeply disliked the knowledge that the cunning va in the shadows He was devious and utterly ruthless

Worst of all, it appeared that he would not be easily swayed into giving up his desperate desire for power

"I do not desire to destroy you, Amadeus," he said in dark tones, his reluctance unmistakable "But I will if Iwith cold amusement "Within a few days you will be bored of your role as heroic knight and be seekingentertain a true va that ue rather than an equal a brothers Even the Great Council had chastised him for his frivolous nature and lack of responsibility

And perhaps, deep inside there was a faint doubt that he was equal to the great task laid upon hiiven to a far more worthy vampire

He would not, however, reveal any weakness to Aed softly "I will not"

"Of course you will" Amadeus mocked "It is as inevitable as my undoubted success I alin, my poor boy You would be wise to stay out of my path"

The air around the vampire suddenly shied into a large black dog With one powerful vault he was past Lucien and bounding down the street

With a curse, Lucien turned to follow, but even as he left the alley, the slender for frori he could not abandon this ers than A his fiery desire to discover precisely what the renegade was plotting, Lucien regarded the pale face with a lift of his brow

"I thought I told you to stay put"

Her pride was instantly ruffled by his stern words "I do not take orders from you, Mr

Valin"

His irritation ift to fade at her stiff defiance, and a smile curved his lips as he held out his aro?"

There was a ers upon his arh she made no ?"

Lucien gri sense ofa ith an old friend"

"A friend" Her eyes abruptly narrowed "In this neighborhood?"

He abruptly laughed as he realized the direction of her thoughts "Stop glaring at me in such sour disapproval My friend was not a poor lady from the local brothel It was an acquaintance from my homeland"

A faint color touched her cheeks at the realization she had leapt to conclusions, but her gaze reed "At the arret of your house"

"That is not what I h he was uncertain that he could keep his secrets forever, Lucien was not about to confess to truth until he had proven to this maiden she could trust hiht is swiftly passing"

She frowned into his is in their time, my dear For now I think we should concentrate upon e set out to do this evening"