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She hat lay ahead She would be waiting for hian was the prize

The seduction began anew… yes, yes, oh, yes, just keepso fluidly against hirowing, erotic pleasure, the soft cool feel of fog and feathery fingers against his bare flesh, he suddenly felt as if he had been immersed in a tidal wave of fire

He jerked up

He hadn’t been doused in fire

Rather, water He was drenched, fro into his eyes

He was still in the church, stretched out on the floor before the altar, and both Lucian DeVeau and the priest, Mario Brindisi, were bent over him

Thank God!

Because he kne that…

It would be Megan, but not Megan Megan until the hurt began, and then…

Itlured to his wife They were both ht him back, Father," Lucian said

The priest nodded, not proud of his achievement, but relieved

Finn scra over the two men who had hunkered before him He stared at them ild eyes

"I think they have her," he said sickly

Lucian stared at hi Still staring at Finn, he answered curtly into the phone, "Yes?"

He listened, then said, "We’re on our way now I have the items from the church; make sure you have what you need from the spell shop"

"Son, you need the Word of God," Father Brindisi said, looking white and pinched

"Father, these people have taken their spells and incantations froions, and froht them"

"God first!" Brindisi said

Lucian stared at hi with you!"

"Where is she? Could you see her?" Lucian demanded of Finn

"She’s in the woods"

"Where?"

"I don’t know"

"There are woods all over New England!" Lucian exclaimed

"You’re the vampire--you’re supposed to know You’re supposed to read ainst a de into thoughts and the conscious and subconscious Think! You ith him, or he ith you; Bac-Dal was in your ht that his bones would shatter "I don’t know!" he grated out

Then, "But I think I knoho ht"

Lucian stared back at hian was confiding in him, I’m certain And… he knows this area like the back of his hand I personally think he’s a s after hi out of the church

Megan kept screa And it was still just marble and stone, but now…

The eyes moved She was certain The face had a life of its own It was leering at her, laughing at her It had been set at the end of the altar where she had been tied, and she could feel it reaching for her The stone hands, or hooves, did not move, but she could feel It teased, it invaded her indecently, it suggested everything that was evil, as if it ravaged hex intimately, touched with its eyes alone…

And when she had first opened her eyes…

The face that had seemed so alive had been a parody of Finn’s own

The museum had closed

By then, the trick-or-treaters were all over the streets Little witches, ghosts, goblins, movie stars and rock stars, princesses andout

But as Finn paused in front of the ainst his i away down the street

At a distance, with all the kids between them, he suddenly looked up He saw Finn

And he started to run

Finn, with Lucian at his heels, tore after Mike, finding a lung-bursting speed unlike any he had ever known in life before Sh