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Early in the year of 1900 Neferet received an unusual invitation She was the youngest High Priestess to be invited to the Gathering at San Cleh Council would lead a discussion on the direction vampyre society should take in this new century, wherein they believed inventions, science, and technology would advance at an unheard-of rate

Alexander begged Neferet to allow him to accompany her She had ada his constant, cloying attention when there would be so many new Warriors from whom to choose After all, the most decorated and powerful and experienced Warriors were always chosen to protect the Vaht

She did allow hie that would take her to the Mississippi River and the House of Night-owned steamboat that would transport her in the style of a queen--no, better yet, a goddess--to the port at New Orleans There she would join

They had just arrived at the riverboat wharf when the thieves attacked Mistaking the House of Night’s rich ambler, the six huuards for such an opulent carriage, descended upon Alexander In the darkness they did not see the elaborate tattoos that Marked him forever as vampyre Too late they did see his sword

Neferet watched froe, spellbound as Alexander killed all six of the attackers--quickly and brutally Neferet had thought the sound his swordof the mythic Valkyries as they hovered over a Norse battlefield, waiting to choose the dead warriors they would take to Valhalla

Dripping in gore, he strode to the carriage door, and wrenched it open Breathing heavily he said, "My Priestess! Thank the Goddess you are unharmed"

"I shall thank you instead" She had taken hi the sweet stench of battle, his blood and hers burning hot fro

Afterward he had fallen to his knees before her and bowed, saying:

"High Priestess Neferet, love of e myself to you as your Warrior, body, heart, mind, and soul Please acceptwhile her body still pulsed from his touch "From here on you shall be ht for her to regret accepting Alexander’s Oath Thankfully, Neferet’s eifts enabled her to dam the emotional tide that usually flowed between a bonded Warrior and his Priestess Alexander bemoaned the fact that he could not sense her needs or hear her eer, he would not know it as would any other Oath Bound Warrior

Neferet had only shrugged and said it was an irony that her eated the Warrior-Priestess psychic sharing He had been such a fool to believe her How could he not have seen that it was she who controlled their bond? Had she cared rateful he couldn’t know her real thoughts and eht about casting him over the side of the ocean liner a total of three hundred and sixty-one tih he sailed on, blissfully unaware of the truth

Neferet had been right about the San Cle theh Council’s Sword Master

Artus carried hiod He was aloof and untouchable His as laith the Sons of Erebus He answered only to Duantia, Leader of the High Council

Most i a training session after he had drawn blood at least thrice fro each of thelorious He was tall Hisand lean His skin was black as a raven’s wing Unlike Alexander, whosebody was smooth and free of scars, Artus was covered with evidence that illustrated a life of violence