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"Yes, I believe so," Lucien agreed

"Why did he turn her into a vampire… and then destroy her?" Stephanie asked "Wouldn’t he need…

helpers, assistants, fellow bloodsuckers? Sorry, Lucien," she murmured But he didn’t see a man who claimed to be a vao with Doug Whoever our fellow is, he didn’t want things happening this fast Gerimaced "Why do you think Maria Britto looked so alive at her wake?"

"Obviously," Stephanie said, arching a brow, "because she wasn’t really dead She was a vampire, with remarkable powers of recovery?"

"Exactly," Lucien said "But if her ri her? Not destroying her yourself?"

"In Maria’s case… I would have gone to her"

"I don’t believe I’ at Lucien again "Because shelike that," Lucien said

"Now I’m lost When I found Maria, she was in… tatters The police were there, and the coroner and the doctor, and her death was definitely not natural Why didn’t the doctor and coroner do the autopsy and embalm her correctly in the first place?" Grant asked

"Because vampires have the power to hypnotize," Jade said softly

"All right, so either Maria or this François got to both those ht?"

"That’s what I believe," Lucien said

Grant lifted his hands, staring at Lucien "Why--why have you been so mistrustful of me? I’m not sure ht--and I knoas damned suspicious of you

But ere you afterat Lucien

"Because you are involved somehoasn’t sure… on which side," Lucien told him "Besides, I wasn’t really after you--I was just watching you You were the one alilling to pick a fight"

"Because you see Stephanie How could I have known you didn’t intend any harm to her?" Grant demanded

"I told you, Lucien--if you’d just co," Jadehis head "They aren’t really buying all of this tonight, Jade But they’ve both felt enough of a disturbance that they have to listen with their minds open--a crack, at least"

"I still don’t understand You have all these powers You’re a king of your kind Wait aa cross!" Grant said suddenly

"There’s an i at them both "Yes, I can wear a cross I can walk into a church--I was born at a ti--and I can still feel a deep peace Now Because in the battle, there is black and white and shades between But there is good and evil, the salvation of life, and the brutal destruction of it I fight for life, and against the kind of evil that feeds on blood and pain Such a creature as François? He could not wear a cross--or a Star of David, for that ion that respected the one Creator There are tricks to dupe, disable, and slaughter priests and holy men, of course But true believers have their weapons as well François would not be able to enter consecrated ground Holy water would hurt--badly But you’d need a lot to really kill such a creature I believe that during the daylight hours, François is still weak That doesn’t mean that he isn’t about It just ht During the light today, what you two need to do is make the rest of this crew understand that no one should be invited in, crosses are far more important apparel than underwear, and no one should be alone"

"That’s great for our crew, but this is a town, a village…" Grant reminded him "There are many people at risk"

"You did notice, I’e outcry when it was discovered that Maria Britto was not given an autopsy, or embalmed," Lucien said He stared hard at Stephanie "The person in question here is Victoria Reggia"

She shook her head firround! She was there for o"

Lucien shrugged "Still… the opening here--of the club--rather coincided with the growth of the dig

The earthquake that led to the discovery of the reo"

"You’re notany sense--the resort itself was surely started way before that!" Stephanie told hiroup of Aia--just about two ie is an evil sorceress?" Stephanie deain, I tell you it ie for more than a decade"

"Yes, yes, I understand that," Lucien said

"You think she’s a reincarnation of an evil sorceress?" Stephanie said, grating her teeth, unable to keep a disdainful note from her voice

"No," Lucien said

Stephanie threw up her hands "Then just what are you getting at?"

"I’ very hard to determine just hy it seems that you are so pivotal in all this," Lucien said quietly

"Me!" Stephanie protested

"And you, of course, Grant But you already know that there’s a connection for you here"